It started out like every other Monday, I had just finished an interesting genetics lecture on Alzheimer's disease when the message from brother bato came in. I was to meet him and Pastor Angela's team at the church by 3pm. We were going to the mountains!!! I was so excited, I spent the rest of the day counting the minutes that went by. I couldn't wait! It was going to be my 10th trip to a mountain and another fact that got me thrilled was that I didn't know where we were going!!!
At last I was done for the day and I hurried off to the bus stop to catch a bus. It wasn't long before I got to the church and sure enough everyone was already there waiting for me. I felt special" and loved" haha not everyday you get to have everyone waiting and fussing over you. We got into the cars (bro bato had brought a friend over) and stopped over at the hotel where pastor Angela and her team were staying. A quick errand and we were all ready to get on with it!
At 4pm we set out to the mountains but made a quick stop over at the town of msketha where we went to the Church of Antioch. This was the first Christian church in Georgia that was started by Saint Nino!!! She was a georian woman who came all the way from Antioch in Greece envangelizing the gospel!! According to history, Saint Nino brought the light of God to Georgia; an area covered in so much darkness and as a result a large majority of the population gave their lives to Christ. People became born again and the land flourished. There were miracles and wonders that God worked through her. As I heard the tales of this maid servant of God, tears welled up in my eyes. I turned to bro bato and asked him "what happened to the Church to make practices like the (orthodox practices) creep in? Why did the people fall away?"
He replied sadly "because people no longer wanted to hear the truth. They rebelled against God and started worshipping idols. They rejected the truth and hence accepted the orthodox teachings. So many new things were being added into the true doctorine that were against what the bible taught. This happened hundreds of years after Saint Nino passed away.
As the years went by and the shaking continued many more fell away and many more were added also. True Churches started springing out in other regions also as disciples went about envangelising the gospel. As the years went by, the church building became a monastery and was renamed after Stephen the first disciple to be killed for The sake of the gospel. It still stands today but is rarely opened for visitors or tourists due to its very delicate state. We couldn't get inside but we were allowed to take pictures. It was emotional for me.
Later that night as I laid in bed exhausted and tired, I went over the events of the day and felt a warm peace in my heart when I remembered the monastery. I did pray for Georgia that God would again pour out his spirit upon all flesh and all would come to know Him once more as in the days of Saint Nino! Amen!
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