Armenia: House of Hope

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"I remember one bitter-cold winter day when an old man appeared at our front door," says Veronika Hunanyan. "He was half-naked and covered in bruises. He was injured from the many times he had fallen on the icy roads. He simply asked for shelter."

The story Veronika tells is not of an indigent man rendered homeless by addiction or poor decisions. The man she describes—in his seventies—was one of many elderly in Armenia who have been shunned by family and society and left to die on the streets.

Veronika Hunanyan is the founder of House of Hope, a residential shelter for widows and elderly men and women. Veronika recalls, "We took the man in, fed him and washed him. We found out he had been living in the cold and had to dig through garbage cans for food. His three sons had abandoned him and left him to fend for himself. House of Hope became the man's refuge. He accepted Christ and lived with us for five months. One night he went to bed and never woke up. He died a believer, knowing he was loved, in the arms of his Savior."

Life on the streets in Armenia can be desperate and brutal—and, for the elderly, often deadly. Hidden from society, a generation that is deserving of honor has been cast aside and made vulnerable. Scores of elderly men and women can be found living in old shipping containers or abandoned buildings. Some die in fires they start themselves in an attempt to heat their living space. Others freeze to death during the harsh Armenian winters.

As Veronika became more aware of these outcasts' horrifying plight, God began to touch her heart with compassion—which was mobilized into action, becoming House of Hope. Veronika does not see House of Hope as a social service or charitable organization. To her, it is the practical realization of a vision God placed in her heart for the devastated elderly—and a stirring reminder that simple obedience from one believing heart can result in healing and salvation for many.

In just four short years, what began as a heartbreaking discovery has become a thriving center filled with God's love. At House of Hope, the practical needs of the body are met, and the emotional and spiritual needs of the heart and soul are attended to with loving care. Nurses, cooks, dishwashers and housecleaners who maintain the facility minister to a previously lost generation with tender love and care.

Dining hall at House of Hope.

"They come in as atheists, with shattered lives and hopeless hearts," Veronika says. "They live with us and become newborn Christians, brimming with spiritual hope. We celebrate their birthdays. We cook their favorite meals. We dance with them, sing hymns together and play chess. It is how we feel Jesus would have us love them. And, one by one, they give their lives to him."

Through our World Challenge Widow's Fund, we are providing support to House of Hope. Right now, the center has room for 80 people, but Veronika's funding only enables her to fill 45 beds. We have committed to helping her fill the center to capacity. We also want to help expand the center to accommodate as many elderly as God brings in.

Now Veronika and her team are taking the ministry of House of Hope to neighboring villages. We supply her team with food and other necessities to share. Our goal is to help House of Hope touch as many destitute elderly as possible, in tangible ways—with a bag of groceries, heat, medical care or simply a visit by someone to pray with them.

One by one, those who have been shunned and left to die in obscurity are being ushered into comfort of a warm bed, a loving community and the healing touch of Jesus. World Challenge is also working to help widows in Kenya, Haiti and Latvia. We thank you for your support of this important ministry. One by one, the weak, helpless and outcast elderly are being gathered into God's loving presence, through House of Hope.