Editor’s Note: The testimony below was provided by an SGA-supported pastor in Armenia.

A pastor’s work is not for the fainthearted. The Word preached one day often does not yield spiritual maturity for a congregation until the next, or even later. Serving the Lord requires faithfulness in sowing seeds, and seeing Him bring the harvest in His time.

Here, SGA-supported Pastor Vardan shares his testimony of God’s sovereignty and grace and how this servant looks to Him for guidance through both difficulties and blessing . . .

Thanks to God, I’ve been living and serving God in Sisian for 18 years. I am married and have two kids. My wife’s name is Lusine, my daughter’s name is Hamest and my son’s name is Martin. I am thankful to God for my family, and I am happy because my family also serves God.

I’ll try to tell my testimony — how it began and what kind of difficulties we met.

Since April of 2004 I have been serving God in Sisian. I got married in 2004 and started to serve God with my wife. At first, everything was good and smooth, but there were times full of difficulties, which was unexpected for me. There was a large group of teenagers who came to church happily. That was a blessing for me but I did not want to see it. I had a problem. I had to provide my family financially. I decided to go back to Yerevan in Armenia, my home town, thinking it would be the best way to solve my problem. I told everyone at church about my decision without thinking what would happen after that and how people would react. And an unexpected thing happened to me. God stopped me through the youths whom God had given me as a flock, for whom I should have done everything. Seeing them crying I changed my plan. I continued to serve God at church. There were so many failures. There was time when no one attended Sunday school.

After all this, I decided to leave Sisian the second time. I started to discuss my decision with my wife thinking that no one would stop me. I was thinking I failed in everything — in church, family and in my life. I told brother Asatur about my decision in 2012 and said that I was going back in March. He said ok but till March we have time and told me to pray. I thought everything was over but continued praying with my wife. Something new was waiting me. My wife’s tears. She said; “If we go back, I’ll become terminally ill.” These words were the most unexpected thing for me and the most painful. Honestly it was a cold shower for me. God gave me a loving family, something that many people are dreaming about, but what I was doing? It was my decision not God’s–and God talked to me when I failed. “Who am I, just no one”, I was thinking. And God talked to me saying these Bible words — 1 Corinthians 3.6-7 “The Lord is what matters”. I understood that God is more than everything. God is the only One who can bless us and make us grow, and we are just tools. After I changed my decision, I informed brother Asatur that I was not going back and he all he said was God bless you and I have been blessed till now.

I want everyone, who will listen this testimony, to remember. There are difficulties everywhere and only God can change it. We don’t see many things but God sees. Let God help you. God blessed me and my family and now we let God help us to solve all kind of problems and difficulties. We serve God now without thinking of going back. God bless every faithful one.