Hello, family and friends! It has been two days since we have posted to the blog, but I assure you that we have been enjoying our stay in Tbilisi, Georgia. On Monday, we were given the opportunity to work at a nursing facility sponsored by the Baptist Church of Georgia. We toured the facility, spoke with the bishop, served lunch to the residents, and handed out bouquets of flowers to the female residents. Some of us also played with the children that came to visit their grandparents. Before we left the facility, a few of the Mercer Service Scholars were given the opportunity to speak with a ninety-year old woman who had lived during the time of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Her story proved to be a very interesting one, as she spoke about the religious persecution that she faced during the height of the Soviet Union. During the course of her story, she told us that she had received a vision from God to go to Georgia and to find the Baptist Church of Georgia and to worship there. She did precisely what the revelation revealed to her, and though she said that it was not easy to practice her faith, especially openly, she remained true to her religious beliefs. She encouraged all of us to also remain true to our faith and to let nothing stand in the way of proclaiming our Christian faith to the world. She was a highly motivational speaker, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to speak with her. I hope that I will always be able to share my faith with others in both word and deed and to speak with the same level of devotion as she did regarding her faith. When we arrived back at the hotel, we were given the opportunity to go into town and explore the city. I did most of my sight-seeing at night, though after having dinner at a quiet, sit down restaurant located right behind the oldest church in Tbilisi. It is hard to find words to describe the beauty that one finds in this city, especially at night. Tbilisi comes alive with lights. The dome of the president's palace lights up, as does the bridge that goes over the Mtkvari River. The water tower, churches, and the Nariyala fortress are also aglow in a lovely, golden light. People congregate to play chess, sit by the fountain, purchase origami and an assortment of other handiworks sold by local vendors. Everything looks majestic, and it is like nothing else I have ever experienced before and certainly will never forget...
Today, we left the hotel around ten o'clock with the two bishops of the Baptist Church accompaning us. We boarded the bus to begin our excursion to Mtskheta and Gori. We stopped at a total of four monasteries and cathedrals. It was amazing to see their beautiful architecture and their phenomenal pieces of artwork. The frescoes located in the Cathedral in Mtskheta, known as Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, are very rich in detail and have been highly preserved since the 11th century when the latter part of the church was built. The religious history of the Cathedral at Mtskheta also is of interest. According to legend, a Jewish man brought back a piece of Jesus's clothing that he had been wearing when he was crucified. The man gave the garment to his sister who immediately died upon receiving Jesus Christ's robe. The woman was buried and St. Nino, the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia, asked for a church to be built on the grave of the woman. In order for the church to be built, St. Nino asked for seven columns to be installed. The seventh could not be installed until St. Nino prayed for its installation. Hence, the cathedral is named Svetitskhoveli because it means "life giving pillar" because the seventh pillar allegedly leaked a liquid that healed all ills. The most unique of the monateries that we visted had to be the monastery built out of the rock on the side of the mountain. Everyone had a great time taking pictures, and it was really neat to explore the underground tunnel that led to the opposite side of the monastery! Afterwards, we stopped for light refreshments and pleasant conversation with some of the members of the Baptist Church of Georgia at their residence in Gori before making a final stop at Stalin's birthplace, which is also located in Gori. We are looking forward to working more with our Baptist friends tomorrow after attending a memorial service in memory of one of the girls that had been killed in the recent train bombings in Norway. Please keep all of us in your prayers. May God bless you and keep you safe, always!
Sincerely,
Ashley Price, on behalf of the Mercer Service Scholars
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