Knarik regularly greeted her neighbor Anahit in the mornings on her way to work. They would often stop to talk, and their friendship grew.

“One day, my neighbor told me that a new cafe was opening. It was a healthy, vegan cafe called Dr. Veggie. I was interested in it because I love living a healthy lifestyle. I work at a bank and it was near the cafe. So every day I had lunch there.”

This cafe in the center of Yerevan, Armenia, was run by Adventists as an urban center of influence. Knarik knew that her neighbor was a Seventh-day Adventist, but she didn’t really understand what that meant. Knarik believed in Jesus, but had no interest in attending any churches.

“I remember clearly the first time I went there. There was something good inside these people. A spiritual peace and calmness that I had never met in anyone else.”

Knarik started participating in the various activities the center offered. One of them was a trivia night about Bible topics. After the first night, she realized there were so many things she didn’t understand about the Bible, so she started reading more. Knarik decided it would be best to visit the Adventist church to get some of her questions answered.

“After attending church for about a year, I was invited to a healthy lifestyle camp. I decided to be baptized there and it was the happiest day of my life!”

Knarik is so grateful for her neighbor Anahit and for the people in the Dr. Veggie cafe. Urban centers of influence such as Dr. Veggie can be a crucial bridge between the Adventist church and its community.

Yerevan is Armenia’s largest city and capital, with more than a million people. One third of the country’s population lives here. As cities like Yerevan increasingly become one of the biggest mission challenges, Adventists have the opportunity to create meaningful connections with those around them.

Unfortunately, it’s expensive to do mission work in cities. The Dr. Veggie cafe had to close its doors suddenly due to the high cost of rent. This loss is felt by the Adventists who run it, but even more so by the community members who have found it to be a fun, safe space to spend their time.

Dr. Veggie has an opportunity to reopen, but they need your help! This quarter a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offering will help reestablish Dr. Veggie in a new, improved building. This will give them the opportunity to own the space and provide stability, so they can focus on building relationships, such as the one they built with Knarik.

Please pray for the future of Dr. Veggie and the Adventists in Yerevan who have a passion for mission. Thank you for supporting this 13th Sabbath Offering!