The territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues, and thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region. But some have remained, including a believer named Anna and her family. They continue to struggle as an ongoing blockade is preventing little to no food, water, medicine, and other essentials for survival from getting through.

Read more of her story, as provided by SGA-supported Pastor Garnik and his church, and see how God is equipping this faithful wife, mother, and nurse to help others in the midst of heartbreaking tragedy and suffering.

Anna – A Wife, Mother and Nurse

There are two doctors left and five nurses. Anna is one of the remaining nurses who work long hours caring for many, and both she and her husband are believers. All others left during the blockade. Her husband Miko was also in the explosion. He, too, survived and the blast threw him almost 200 feet and clear of the fire. Anna was at home when explosion happened. She was caring for her kids. She knew her husband had gone to get fuel from the government station and that most knew this was the end of the gas.

It was raining that day. When it exploded, most thought lightning and thought nothing. Some thought it was enemy troops. She called him, and he didn’t answer. She called many times and finally one of their friends named Tomik from church answered his phone. He said that her husband had gone to the store, trying to not tell her about the explosion. Tomik said no worries. Then she got the call for all nurses to immediately come to the hospital. Then a message that over 100 were killed, and 100 severely burned. She became fearful, dropped off her kids with her mom and raced to the hospital. She found her husband there. He was burned, and almost unrecognizable. With the blockade, almost no medicine. So many were suffering, and they could do very little. She said that the bodies were piled up. She saw one brother from the church, Hovo, and could not recognize him. He was severely burned. Some of her relatives died from the explosion days later succumbing to their burns. She saw that many would not live.  

She started serving many, praying with many and shared the Gospel with every patient as she didn’t know if people would live or die. She urged them to turn to Jesus in these moments. Most died. Although 100 died at the scene, an additional 100 or more died after that. She learned that the wave of the explosion threw her husband clear and saw that God protected him. In the beginning, she was under great fear, but at the same time she saw God protected them in this crisis. No one in the church was lost that day. She felt so helpless to see young men crying in pain, and she could do nothing. The Armenian government sent helicopters to move people to better hospitals. Anna’s father was burned most seriously, and he is still in the hospital. He is not yet a believer, but Anna continues to share Christ with him.