A New Beginning

Mary is 13 years old and lives in Armenia. She is learning to live again after a season of intense pain and grief.

Mary lives with her mother, sister, older brother, his wife, and their young son. Her father was tragically killed in September 2022 during a territorial war between Armenia and Azerbaijan — a war that forever changed the lives of families across Armenia. Mary’s family was one of them.

“She changed completely,” her mother shared. “She became withdrawn, angry, and closed off after his death. I hoped the Training Center would help her heal.”

Alongside her cousin, Mary began attending a local Training Center, which operates with support from Operation Blessing. The Center is a place of restoration and hope for children from vulnerable backgrounds. It offers free education, emotional care, mentoring, and spiritual guidance. Here, children not only learn practical life skills but also experience God’s love, discover their potential, and begin to dream again.

Mary, though often cheerful, carried a quiet sadness — a visible weight on someone so young.

At the first class after the New Year break in January 2025, students were invited to share how they celebrated the holidays. When it was Mary’s turn, she spoke quietly but honestly: “We spent the night in the cemetery, with my father. We’ve been celebrating New Year like this for three years now.”

The room fell silent. It was a turning point — the moment she stopped hiding her grief and allowed her heart to be seen.

That honest moment opened the door to healing. A compassionate Life Skills teacher invited Mary to talk privately. In that conversation, Mary opened up about how close she had been with her father, how much she missed him, and how she silently blamed herself for letting him leave the day before he died.

Over time, through gentle encouragement, prayer, and patient listening, the teacher helped Mary release her pain to Jesus. She began to thank God for the time she had with her father — time that some children never get — and was reminded that her mother was grieving too.

“I was filled with anger and envy,” Mary admitted. “Especially seeing other kids with their dads. But in the Training Center, I found peace and understanding. The teachers helped me see it wasn’t my fault. God answered my prayers.”

Gradually, her heart softened. She began helping her mother at home, expressing her feelings, and even finding joy again in dancing and painting. Her dream now is to become a doctor.

In one conversation, she shared:

“The Training Center became a safe and special place for me. Here, I learned how to let go of blame and give my struggles to God. I asked Him to take away my envy — and He did.”

Her mother also sees the change:

“My Mary has changed. She helps me, opens up about her feelings, and we’ve grown closer to each other and to God.”

They now attend a local evangelical church together, continuing their journey of healing and faith.