7 cents an hour

At the time I had written this article, we had been in Armenia only for 9 months but I had never seen anything like this before.

I was shocked at the living conditions. I was saddened by the plight. It was unbelievable.

“How can people live this way?” I asked myself repeatedly.

I’m referring to a mini outreach we did just 30 minutes north of Yerevan the capitol city, in a village that relied totally on manufacturing crystal during Soviet times but in recent years has been overcome by unemployment and despair.

We visited a family of 3 adults and 3 children living in a 12x10 foot room, their home. There was no refrigerator, and the only stove was a wood stove in the middle of the floor vented out through the window of this larger apartment complex. Everyone in this building shared one public toilet located somewhere in the building. The father worked as a baker, 14 hours a day. No we didn’t talk about vacation days, or a 401k or even health insurance: what we did speak of was the challenge to his life due to the low wages he receives. For 14 hours, he is given 500 dram which is $1, and 3 loaves of bread. You heard me right. He earns 7.15 cents per hour of work and bread. We provided this family with 45 pounds of rice, lentils and other grains. They received the Gospel and we prayed for them and for God’s grace in their adverse situation.

In another home, we learned that one man was employed by a chicken factory. He worked 12 hours a day. He didn’t earn money on this job but instead was compensated with 2.5 eggs for every hour of work. (30 eggs a day.) These eggs are then sold or bartered in this “capitalistic free market” society. On a good day, this man’s daughter, Anna, told us she could sell all of the eggs for her family and bring home $2.50. That translates to almost 21 cents per hour for her father, not to mention Anna’s time. As a Pastor and I held this family’s hands in prayer, I clutched this girl’s hand and felt like I was holding an icicle the whole time. None of these homes have any source of heat, or if they do, their supply of wood is inadequate to bring warmth to a room. I prayed a simple prayer, “Lord, the next time Anna goes to sell her eggs help her to sell them quickly, and bring your warmth to their lives in the form of your love and providence and blessing.”

Another man we visited was young, only 28, with a boy and girl under the age of 3. His response to our visit was, “I’m 28 years old and this is the first time in my life that anybody has said that they care about me.” This man’s hands were red and very calloused as he works outside but without gloves in winter’s bitter cold. As I clutched this man’s 85 year old grandmother’s hands in prayer, I embraced a cold that wouldn’t go away. It seemed almost cold enough in their apartment for her tears to freeze.
First of all we need to thank you for sending us to this country to minister. It has been the single greatest challenge of our lives. We covet your prayers for our family, for our health, for the language, and for God’s anointing to serve Him faithfully.

As I sit and write this I have wept. Thank you for allowing the Shanahans to minister in Armenia. We invite this burden from God if this is our purpose; yet, we want to do more than just feel compassion. We want to assist these dear people and help them not only with a sack of grain, but the True bread of life that brings abundant life to all who believe.

Counting our blessings and trusting you are doing the same,

Gary, Katy, Aaron and Sarah Shanahan
Missionaries to Armenia