By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Warm temperatures and live music greeted those who gathered on Sunday evening in the courtyard of Christ Armenian Church, which shares a campus with Community Life Church, in La Crescenta. Nearly 100 people, mostly Armenian, joined together to take part in a candlelight vigil to pray for the troops fighting for Artsakh while quietly celebrating being together physically (and appropriately masked) rather than virtually for the first time in months.
Sevana Petrosians, a congregant of Christ Armenian Church, was an organizer of the prayer vigil.

“The church wanted to have a prayer night for families and for our soldiers,” she said. “We have to be a part of the spiritual army. As a church, it is our responsibility and we have to remember who our God is and that Jesus is still alive.”

Throughout the vigil, which lasted about two hours, the message was repeatedly delivered – whether through song or words – that prayer was essential and one of the most powerful tools in the congregants’ arsenal.

Col. Ardashes Azizian, who attends Christ Armenian Church, recently returned from Artsakh where he saw fighting firsthand. He told the audience of how he was part of a local festival one day and the next bombs fell on Artsakh – no one was spared.

Though his American citizenship prevented him from joining the fight, Azizian found another way to contribute.

“There was a soldier preparing to go to the war,” he said. “He was outfitted with his uniform, his gun … but he had on street shoes. I asked him about boots and he said he didn’t have any. We wore the same size, so I hurried back to my hotel and brought him mine. They were still in the box, brand new.”

He said that there is such a need in Armenia right now but he is encouraged by the support he has seen here in the states.

“Artsakh needs everything,” he said. “We want to help.”

Azizian has a background of 20 years in law enforcement – “I want to keep everyone safe” – and said that Armenia needs help from the United States. He added that so many people have lost family members and many children are now orphans.

To help combat this loss, a backpack drive is being organized to send clothing, including a jacket and hat, to children in Artsakh. As December approaches, temperatures will be falling in Armenia leaving many of these children without warm clothing.

Elizabeth Manasserian is one of the backpack drive organizers. She is working on creating a registry through Walmart called Christmas For Kids to get more donations to fill as many backpacks as possible; they’ll be delivered to Armenia on Dec. 5. For more information, contact Manasserian at (818) 635-6357.

Christ Armenian Church pastor Saro Khachikian felt it was important to raise the visibility of what’s happening in Artsakh and for his congregation to call upon God for help. He read Scripture to those gathered, focusing on the great faith that surrounds the soldiers, who all get baptized before going to war.

“We are one nation, one God,” he said, adding the importance of the churches being united. “The soldiers who fight are not asked what denomination they are.”
Emotion was high during the vigil as those assembled saw photos of young men lost in battle and heard stories of the war. Though there was determination on the faces of most of the congregants, one emotion that was missing was anger. The focus instead was on the soldiers who are fighting halfway across the globe and how they need to be prayed for.

Perhaps one of the hardest pleas of the night was the reminder for the faithful to pray for their enemies – a challenging task. As the candles that everyone held were lit, it was a reminder to show the world that Christ is their light.
“We need to pray for our nation,” said Pastor Khachikian. “Even if the world doesn’t hear us, God does.”

To donate, visit www.armeniafund.org, an organization that provides humanitarian, civilian and medical relief to the Artsakh.