Vardan is a typical Armenian young man who lives with his mother, his father, and brothers. When Vardan’s father was injured in war, his mother had to work to provide for their family. Everyone had a role to play. But Vardan was not like the rest of his family. He didn’t want to work and instead would force his brothers to do his work. If they refused to do his work, Vardan would become violent with them. This aggression became evident to everyone over time and he was always fighting with other boys in school. Vardan’s aggression became so bad that the school wanted to expel him.
His mother often asked him to come with her to church saying, “Jesus really can change you and you will not be so aggressive,” but Vardan wanted no part of her faith.
One day, Vardan became very sick and was bed-ridden for days. He recalls being extremely thirsty and calling to his brothers to get him a cup of water. His brothers refused, telling him that they would rather beat him. “How bad was I that my own brothers would not help me?” he wondered. When his mother came home, she took care of him. “You should change your life,” she admonished him, “Surely Jesus can change your life.”
Vardan knew that his mother was right, he needed to change. His mother seemed so sure that Jesus could change him that Vardan agreed to attend her church. Once there, he discovered the Choose Life Program offered by the church. He found the content so interesting that he wanted to be involved and participate regularly. Since then he has been following Christ and continuously prays for his friends. “I thank God for changing my life. I also thank all those people who helped us in the Choose Life Program.”