Christmas Gifts for Akhpradzor

Having taught and volunteered with HRI for over a year, Abigail, an 18-year-old American student living in Armenia, organized a Christmas project for the children of Akhpradzor and a few of our English students in Makenis and Artsakh. Together with her friends and members of the International Bible Church of Armenia, she put together 61 gift boxes for children! The gifts were collected from various individuals in the US and Armenia and included toys, personal hygiene materials, hand-knitted scarves, and much more. Most importantly, they were packed with love and showed the children that they're not alone in this season.

2022 was a challenging year for the children of Gegharkunik and Artsakh. In Gegharkunik, thousands of children were evacuated from their homes and had no school through September and October.

While in Artsakh, 30,000 children (along with their families) have been under a total blockade by the Azerbaijani government for the last 26 days. Additionally, around 300 Artsakhtsi children are still in Armenia, unable to return home, as they had visited Armenia before the blockade.

Needless to say, we haven't been able to get the gift boxes to our English students in Artsakh.

When we asked Abigail why she did this project, she said, "This project is close to my heart. I loved that I had met the kids during the summer, some of whom are now my students. It was even more special to pack the gifts with my friends. I can't wait to see what other impact we can have."

Then on December 22, 2022, the Hidden Road Initiative invited members of the International Bible Church of Armenia to the villages of Akhpradzor secondary school for a Christmas festivity. IBCA leader, Jacob Pursley, led a team of volunteers to the village to deliver the gift boxes to every student from grades 1-12. Together with Abigail Pipes, members of the IBCA family put together 61 boxes to be distributed amongst the villages of Akhpradzor and Makenis. The IBCA guests participated in the Akphradzor school Christmas concert as well as visited families.

Upon reflection, Jacob commented that “visiting the children of Makenis and Akhpradzor village has been a highlight for me in the year 2022. They live near neighbors that wish to destroy them. However, the children, teachers, and families we met were resilient. I was grateful to meet with them, and was inspired by their perseverance. It was a privilege to serve and help distribute gifts and reflect on our shared, true hope which is in Jesus Christ. I love the work Hidden Road Initiative is doing and hope to partner more.”

The children and administration were very grateful for these wonderful Christmas presents and their visit. We are thankful for the love and support of our friends and partner organizations during this season.