God Must Have Been Watching
In the midst of the Armenian Genocide, when despair threatened to extinguish hope, God intervened in the lives of many survivors. One such survivor, Mannig Dobajian Kouyoumjian, experienced this divine intervention firsthand. At just six years old, Mannig was deported from Adapazar and witnessed the horrific massacre of her family during a grueling journey across the Anatolian Plateau and into the Mesopotamian Desert. Despite the chaos and suffering, Mannig's faith was a beacon of hope. As she later recounted, "But God must have been watching over me. He placed me in the path of the Bedouin Arabs who were on a search and rescue mission for Armenian victims." These Bedouin Arabs, driven by compassion, saved Mannig and brought her to an orphanage in Mosul, where she was miraculously reunited with her sister.
Born a Christian, Leaving a Christian
Another powerful story of faith and resilience comes from Vartoughy, who, at just twelve years old, endured a 600-mile journey to Deir Ezzor in the Syrian desert alongside her siblings. When a Turkish villager offered to take her baby sister, Vartoughy's older sister firmly refused, declaring, "This baby came into this world a Christian, and she is going to leave a Christian." This unwavering commitment to faith in the face of overwhelming adversity demonstrates the profound role that faith played in the lives of Armenian survivors.
Never Forgotten
These stories of survival are not just tales of endurance but are testimonies to the strength of faith and God's presence in times of unimaginable suffering. They remind us that even in the darkest moments, God can provide protection and hope, leading survivors like Mannig and Vartoughy to safety and a renewed sense of identity. Their stories continue to inspire, ensuring that the legacy of the Armenian Genocide, and the faith that sustained them through it, is never forgotten.
