Armenian Wine Turkish Bread is the story of one group's journey to the land of their ancestors in search of reconciliation; reconciliation with the history that has haunted their people for a century; reconciliation with those whose forefathers were responsible for that dark time. This group's leader, Pastor Rafi Shahverdyan, will take you through the landmarks of his journey as you engage with his people's heritage and history. As you walk with Pastor Rafi through Istanbul's bustling streets, you will discover the remains of Constantinople and her modern-day children who are still working to keep the flame of the ancient faith alive. Visit Izmir and discover the land, which once embraced the famous Church of Ephesus, and find out how her spiritual heirs are fighting to reclaim the "first love" about which their Master spoke more than two millennia ago. Enter Ayasofya and remember that, below the coverings and defacements, a dormant Hagia Sophia waits to be awakened by those who still remember her name. Along this noble journey, you will also be introduced to those whose lives are yet pressed under the caliper of national hatred, rejection, and hopelessness. Hear their stories and feel the pain of a people whose grand history has been marred by the stain of genocide. You may be surprised to learn how deep this people's commitment has been to their national faith and cultural identity in a world that has tried everything to destroy their place and name. Certainly, however, the same One, whose name they took more than 1700 years ago, is still at work in their nation, not the least in Pastor Rafi's team and their colleagues.

Take a seat at the table, whose surface is adorned with Lord's Supper. Experience the transforming power of forgiveness, even forgiveness of a centenarian evil of the deepest and darkest kind imaginable. Celebrate the unification of historical enemies around the common ground of the Cross, whose victim and victor gave His people this divine meal. Raise the cup in worship, lift the food in remembrance; prepare to give thanks as you partake of Armenian Wine and Turkish Bread.

From the Translator's Introduction:

The greater context of this book is the Armenian people and the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian people became the first nationally Christian people more than 1700 years ago. The Armenian Genocide extinguished the lives of more than 1.5 million of those Armenians – along with about the same total number of Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian minorities – simply because they were a Christian people. As for the immediate context of this book – the idioms, the places, the names, etc. – I have endeavored to provide little windows, in the form of footnotes, into this decidedly Christian Armenian culture. You may read "Der Hayr" rather than "priest" and "Choban Rafi" rather than "Pastor Rafi." Reading the Armenian words makes you part of the experience, and reading the footnotes brings you into the bigger picture of that experience, enabling you to participate in it on an active level. You may even learn a little Armenian while reading this book!