Preface to this blog

When Prof. Donald Miller of USC asked me to join a small group to Rwanda, I never imagined it would have such a profound impact on my sense of identity as an American Armenian, and as a Christian.. It was an opportunity to see post-Genocide society, a decade after the atrocities. I called my trip "Rwanda 2006-Armenia 1925." In other words, I thought by going to Rwanda I’d have a peek at what Armenia might look like 10 years after the Genocide of 1915. The peek was, in fact, an eye-opener.

I am humbled to straddle the FIRST and LAST Genocides of the 20^th Century. Growing up with the horror stories of Genocide in Armenia, shared by my grandparents, and now witnessing first hand the atrocities of Rwanda gave me a unique understanding of the bigger issue, namely, it means nothing to commemorate a genocide if we're not willing to stop one today. Through In His Shoes Ministries we're working to eradicate genocide everywhere. We've taken this story and its message to thousands of people throughout the world.

This blog is an account of my journey. It was written during a two week period in March 2006, and written in Rwanda. It appears below in reverse chronological order.