Memories from
Family and Friends

Levon Yergatian was a loyal friend and co-laborer in gospel outreach with Dick Knox and family from the year 1963.  Brother Levon had worked hard to have a family Bible camp that summer which he hoped would be the beginning of a yearly ministry for believers and for reaching the unsaved on the island.  Upon arrival in May 1963,  Dick and Martha and their three children. John, Janice and Steven were welcomed into the Yergatian home at 11 Phidias Street, Larnaca.  Levon's sister and husband, Angel and Savaas Michaelides, lived and worked at the American Academy nearby.  They also went out of their way to acquaint us with life in Cyprus and to introduce us to their friends. 

Brother Levon was a man of vision and action for the Lord.  He demonstrated strong faith, determination and generosity.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and could tell many inspiring stories.  His burden for the lost and a desire to disciple new believers was an inspiration and challenge.  He had the beginnings of a Bible book store in his home and longed for the day when it would be set up in a prominent place in town.  With his warm personality and love for people he made friends easily.  Knowing the languages in Cyprus such as Greek, Armenian, Turkish and English, he was a natural leader.  The Lord led Levon in making friends with the authorities at the Kornos Forest Station between Nicosia and Limassol.  It was an ideal place for a camp being close to the three main towns and having trees and a good water supply.  He found some British military friends at Dekhelia who were believers and his enthusiasm for a camp excited them.  They said they knew officers in charge who would bring a truck loaded with camp supplies to the site, unload it, and come back to take it to their base when camp ended.  To our surprise it was accomplished without any red tape or cost.   We experienced many answers to prayer that summer with souls being saved and believers being revived.   A good number of Greek people from the village of Kornos responded when they knew there would be a Greek meeting for them every night with a godly brother, Mr. Barnabas Constantinoplis, speaking.  The main service was in English and a British officer played the little pump organ for everyone to sing praise to God.  The idea of a summer camp continuing the following years did not materialize because of political problems around the island.  Later on Brother Levon invited George Clark and Dick to conduct evangelistic services in Limassol the early part of June 1967.  They were serving the Lord in Lebanon at that time and continued to have a burden to help Brother Levon with his ministry in Cyprus.  That was the time of the Six Day War with Israel and Egypt having an all-out conflict affecting the entire region.  The foreigners in Lebanon were evacuated to other Mediterranean countries.  Dick and George could not return to Lebanon to help their families leave the country.  By a miracle of God's grace their families and some other missionaries were able to find refuge in Limassol.  Brother Levon went into action finding housing and household items to provide for these families.  He along with George and Dick discussed the possibility of having a Bible camp in a cooler area which would help meet the spiritual and physical needs of this group of evacuees and encourage the local believers.

There are people all over the world today who have precious memories of Logos Camp at Saittas.  Many testimonies can be told and many personal photo albums reveal God's blessing over these years. 

There are so many thoughts and stories that could be shared about your dear Dad.  Perhaps some others will cover things that we have not included.  We know he loved the ministry and the years he put into Logos Camp at Saittas.  We cherish those memories and have spent several lines on it here.  Please tell your mother that we are praying for her and appreciate her hospitality so many times in your home and fellowship times together over the years. 

God bless you all and the extended families.

We love you and praise God for you and your witness for our wonderful Saviour.  

Brother Dick and Sister Martha Knox

~~~

My Tribute To My Friend And Brother In Christ,

Levon Yergatian

By John Metaxas

August 11, 2009

H. Ernest Nicholl’s “ We’ve A Story To Tell To The Nations” perhaps sums it up, in my view, the life and work of Brother Levon Yergatian while here on earth with us.

I was introduced to Levon by his sister Angel in the late 50s while I was attending the American Academy in Larnaca, Cyprus. I was about 14 and I was working as a waiter in our boarding school that helped pay for part of my tuition, room, and board. Mrs. Angel Michaelides was in charge of the kitchen and made sure that we were all well fed. She had recently taken over after Mrs. Athena Mavrides retired. Angel seemed very proud of her younger sibling, I could tell!

Little did I know at the time that Levon would be the one whom the Lord would bring into my life to guide and disciple me in my early Christian walk with Him. Another Armenian working with The Navigators, Levon Melkonian, whom the Lord sent about that time led me to the Lord. I was born in a Christian home but no one really showed me how to be saved. The latter was also a graduate of Bob Jones University, which was known for its strong emphasis on Evangelism. Later I would meet another graduate by the name Dick Knox along with his ‘famous’ trombone. A few years down the road I would enroll at King College, Bristol, TN. The Dean of women walked up to me and said she knew some people who were missionaries in Cyprus. At first I thought the people she referred to might be Levon Yergatian, whom I knew, but to my great surprise it turned out to be Martha Knox, Dick’s wife who graduated from King College a few years earlier. That to me was a confirmation from the Lord that he had brought me there. While in Cyprus Levon tried his best to get me into Bob Jones University, but there were no funds available at that time to my disappointment. Martha’s family lived about 20 miles from my college and when they were on furlough in the States, they looked me up and I spent some time with them.

Levon taught me Scripture as part of the Academy curriculum. If I recall, he may have been also the one who taught us “Pilgrim’s Progress” as a subject.

My favorite time of the week at the Academy was Thursday after school when some of us boys met with Levon for “Boys Fellowship” for Bible study, singing, and prayer. He taught us the Word of God and how to apply its principles into our every day life. We also learned new hymns and choruses. Some of the boys experienced some ’persecution’ from their peers.

As time went on, Levon would invite me to go places with him around the island wherehe was guest speaker. I tried to learn as much about the Lord from him. On one or two occasions he invited me to his home, which was within walking distance from our school, on a Friday all- night prayer meeting and Bible study. There would be 3-4 other believers there also. We would start with some refreshments as we all share needs to pray about. Around 10 PM we would get down on our knees and each one would take a turn praying for the needs (i.e the Evangelization of Cyprus and around the world, for the Lord to send the funds for the establishment of the Logos school, and many others). By the time we finished praying it was 6 AM the next morning. I remember returning to my dormitory afterwards full of joy that we have all been in the presence of the Lord. I will never forget that experience!

Everywhere Levon went, he would share with other believers the burden the Lord had put on his heart for evangelization of Cyprus, but especially, he felt the need for a Christian school to train young people. Although the American Academy was governed by a Mission board, it seems that it lacked the real evangelistic mission. It taught the English language and other subjects, with emphasis on moral values and Christian ethics, but stopped short on challenging young students on how to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This was the case with me until Levon Melkonian visited our school in 1961, and his sermon moved me to make a decision for Christ. Those all - night prayer meetings on our knees was the turning point in my life. The Lord began to open doors and almost caught me by surprise!

On one early morning class of Scripture in the Spring of 1962, Levon walked up to me andsaid, “ John, how would you like to work for the Lord in Europe this summer?” I answered him, “ Yes, I would like it very much, but I don’t have the money.” The next thing he said to me was, “Will you be willing to trust the Lord to provide for your need to make it possible for you to go?” Without hesitation, my answer was “Yes”. I suppose my confidence in my answer stemmed from his example as he trusted the Lord for his own needs and being around him, seeing how the Lord truly honored his prayers in meeting his daily needs. That afternoon he introduced me to the cofounder of Operation Mobilization ( OM), Dale Rhoton, who had come from Turkey, where he was doing missionary work, to seek young Christians from Cyprus who would join others from many countries in distributing Christian literature and books all over Europe. The Lord did provide for me to go. It was an experience ‘out of this world’ and which I still cherish in my heart.

In 1963 the Lord gave me another opportunity to join OM for a summer in Europe doingthe same thing. This time our group grew from 300 from the previous year to over 1000 or more young people speaking several languages, but yet united in Christ. This time Levon and I traveled together by boat to Genoa and from there to Paris by train. He was going on to England for some speaking engagements. I’m sure the Establishment of the Logos school was on his mind. The latter became a reality a decade later. At the end of August of 1963 the Lord opened the door for me to come to the United States on a plane chartered by the Americans participating with OM. Again the Lord provided for me in full to travel the Atlantic to the New World. That was a miracle for me coming from a poor home. Looking back now, I also see how the Lord spared my life from the communal fighting that broke out in Cyprus a few months later.

Levon’s walk with the Lord left a great impression on my life while I was attending the American Academy in Cyprus and later when I came to the United States. It was his example by being a great prayer warrior at all times that kept me going at hard times. This was more evident six months after I left Cyprus, when fierce fighting broke out in Cyprus during the Christmas week of 1963 and my entire family of seven were captured by the Turks at gun point and held hostage for several days. I did not know then if I would ever see my family alive again or not after seeing on national TV the fighting in my neighborhood. But my faith in the Lord kept me at peace that all things will work together for good. This, again, I learned from Brother Levon a few years earlier. My family lost everything to this day, but all were released unharmed. To God be the glory for His faithfulness in protecting His own! Later on, the rest of my family migrated to the US where they settled in Cleveland, TN.

Levon had a great desire to establish relationships as a good way to convey the Gospel. He started a hobby shop in our school’s workshop. He showed us how to do wood work and a few other things. The boys enjoyed it very much. At other times he would ask us to help him with the sound equipment of the 50s at the city soccer field where the Shield sports between the American Academy and the English School were held every other year I believe. And of course, the announcer at some of these events was none other but Levon. Does anyone remember the old megaphones? We enjoyed working with him. I remember on another occasion when a new technology had arrived on our school campus! Out with the old and in with the new. Time for a change. It was decided that the bell ringer was no longer needed since they could no longer count on him to be on time. If he forgot to check his watch (courtesy of the Administration), he would turn his watch backwards and then tell the officials that his watch needed tuning! Finally, the administration called upon Mr. Yergatian, also the Chief Electrical Engineer, to install

a state-of the art bell system that would cover the whole campus. I remember Levon climbing up ladders to wire the whole campus with many bells installed in buildings and on outside posts. He did a great job. From that time on, no one would dispute the performance of the master control panel! Things haven’t changed much since those good old days. We still replace humans with machines, even in our ‘modern’ time!

Another fond memory of Levon and Esther was those times when as newlyweds lived in an apartment attached to our boarding quarters (Memorial Hall). Oftentimes, he and Esther at the piano would sing in harmony for hours, as it seemed, the Melodies of Praise to Lord! What a harmony, what a blessedness as I would stand on the back staircase of the building for several minutes listening to their singing, which was so refreshing to my soul. Their voices still ring in my ears as if it were yesterday! Oh how I wish I had a recorder back then to capture their voices. Those were precious moments that I have cherished through the years every time I hear ‘Standing On The Promise’, ‘At The Cross’, ‘The Old Rugged Cross’, or ‘Love Lifted Me’, just to name a few of the hymns they sang.

Mr. Yergatian, as we used to call him, had a humorous side as well, besides the serious disciplinarian that he was when he would come around at bedtime to make sure the lights were out by a certain time and no talking was allowed after that. We highly respected him for looking after us for our good. There was one occasion, however, that Mr. Yergatian may have broken his own rule, being serious! One night one of the younger boys in our dormitory of 11 students started snoring very, very loud after the lights were out for the night. We thought this fellow was going to bring the walls down from the vibration! The rest of us in the room started laughing very loud. Apparently, we made enough loud noise to alert Mr. Yergatian to rush to our room to check out what was going on with all the commotion. When he turned the light on, this guy was still fast asleep and still snoring! Mr. L. walked to this fellow’s bed and asked him to turn over to the other side. This student suddenly, woke up and wandered what on earth was going on. Mr. Yergatian told him that he was snoring too loud and he was disturbing the rest of the others in the room. To which this student humbly apologized to him and then, very seriously, he said to him, “Next time I snore, will you wake me up so I can hear myself?” Just at that time, Mr. Yergatian, who was supposed ‘to restore law and order’ got so tickled and burst into laughter himself, and we joined in. All ended very peacefully!

Still another fond memory of Levon in Cyprus was when he asked me and some others to assist him in setting up camp at Kornos, near Stavrovouni, on the road to Limassol in June of 1963. Some of our speakers among others were Dick Knox and Levon Melkonian, about whom I mentioned earlier. We had a memorable week of Christian Fellowship withbelievers coming from several places of the island.

Several years later, while here in the States, my family which had moved to Cleveland, TN had the honor of having Levon and Esther visit them at their home. Also Tony and Elli Charalambou were present with us. Both were attending college in that city. We had so much to talk about.

My last visit with Levon was in 1975 while I was working at Indiana University Medical School in Indianapolis, IN when he spoke twice at the Cedar Baptist Church. It was one year after the Turkish invasion of 1974 and he brought us up to date with those terrible events and the ongoing suffering of one third of the population which was displaced by the advancing foreign troops. I have in my archives two cassette recordings of his two messages, which I have cherished through the years.

Words are not sufficient to express my great gratitude for the many things Levon taught me during those few years at the American Academy. Over the following years he would continue sending me newsletters on the progress of the work in Cyprus and about his family. I still have some of his communications.

A couple of years ago while surfing the Internet to see if I can locate old friends, I was privileged to get reconnected with Levon and Esther via e-mail through the Evins and Pilibosian families. That was an answer to prayer because I wanted to tell him how much I appreciate him for what he has meant to me all these years. The Lord also made it possible to reconnect with Levon Melkonian with whom I have regular e-mail exchanges.

In closing, Brother Levon’s admonition to each one of us today might be,“ Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”II Tim. 2:12

May the Lord Bless and comfort all the Levon Yergatian family.

~~~

Dear Sarah:

Greetings in Jesus' Name.

Ellie and I were deeply grieved with the news of your dear father's departure. At the same time we have to confess that it was a very pleasant surprise to hear from you. We remember you since the time you were born.

I'll try, as briefly as  I can, to go through memory lane and reduce to writing some of the precious memories I have of your father and his ministry.

I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour about the time I was graduating high school, and I was attending a small fellowship made up mainly of elderly people. Shortly after that I met Levon, who had returned from the States, having finished his studies at Bob Jones University. Even though his was a little older than me, he was, at the time, the only young person I could share fellowship with. He was a great encouragement for me at that stage in my christian walk.

Sometime later Levon announced to me and some young men who were doing their national service in Cyprus, that there would be a youth conference in Nicosia, at the American Academy.

That event was a sign post in my Christian life. For the first time I met so many Christian young people, among which was a beautiful young lady who was a student at the Academy. He name was Ellie Kounnas, the daughter of a pioneer missionary, who later became my wife. Thank you Levon for inviting me to attend that Conference, which of course was the first of many to follow.

Levon was a visionary. First, he dreamed of having a Christian bookstore. He got in touch with a literature mission in England who were willing to supply the English books. I went to Athens, Greece, and was able to secure the supply of Greek books from Logos publishers.

Levon was soon able to rent a shop in the center of Limassol, and the first Christian Bookstore began its operation. The bookstore is still in operation, even though it has changed its name.

Then, Levon introduced the Bible correspondence course from Christian Literature Crusade. We travelled extensively together throughout the island promoting the courses.Through the years hundreds of people went through the course, many of them testified of having accepted Christ  as their Saviour, and many hundreds of New Testaments were distributed among those people.

The grand project that Levon and I found ourselves involved together was the pursuit of his vision to establish a Christian  School. First, we had to find some land. At the time  I was working  for the Cyprus Government, at the Land Registry Department (Ktimatologio). I had recently helped a big land owner to go through a complicated process of developing a large area into building lots. He was very greatful, and he offered to pay me, which, of course, I refused. He then told me, "If you ever need my help, please call me." Well, I did. I asked him to help us secure a piece of land to build a school. As a result we ended up securing a nice piece of property in a very good location, for a very reasonable price. Sometime later, the Logos school was built there.

Another vision Levon had was to develop a Greek youth summer camp. The land owner I mentioned above, had several acres of wooded property at Saittas, near Limassol, where he also had his summer home. He  kindly let us use some of that area for the camp, which became a significant youth ministry.

Later, Ellie and I went to the States preparing for the ministry, returned to Cyprus just before the Turkish invasion, and after ministering in Cyprus and Greece for almost ten years we found ourselves in Toronto, Canada, where we pastored a Greek church, started another multinational church, and co-directed an evening Bible School. Five years later I was called to teach at a Bible College in Tennessee. Meantime, Levon was traveling for ministry, and we vividly remember one Christmas when we received a call that he was in Tennessee visiting some friends. We invited him over to our place, and we spent many hours sharing our experiences and reminiscing of the past adventures and blessings.

We always admired Levon for his humble spirit and servanthood attitude in his ministry, and his steadfastness and faithfulness.

Sarah, thank you again for writing to us. Give our best regards to Craig and your mother, as well as the other members of your family.

God bless you,

Tony & Ellie Charalambou

~~~

Dear Yergatian Family...

Levon and I first met and worked together on a project when he was in the major maintenance department of Bob Jones University and I was on the staff of their radio station WMUU. This would have been in the mid 50's.  We were anticipating a first effort at providing broadcasts from the scene of Donaldson AFB in Greenville during the annual Armed Forces Day celebration. So our engineers had drawn up the specifications for a case (a box with a lid) which would hold one of the radio station's studio, rack mounted tape recorder. It was a two chassis piece of equipment that probably weighed 50 or 60 pounds and would be portable only by the fact we mounted four handles on the case.

Levon was in on the planning and we developed a drawing of the steel frame made out of angle-iron we would need for him to weld together, to which we would attach plywood panels on the outside, and paint it with the WMUU-1260 AM letters in white with a bright blue background. My job was to get the unit built and ready for the broadcasts about two and a half weeks away.

As the broadcast event drew closer I got nervous about us getting this piece of equipment ready in time for the event. There was little 'cushion' -- we had to be broadcasting on a particular Saturday in May. Finally, Levon got somewhat "fed up" with my continual checking-up -- looking over his shoulder as it seemed I'm sure, and during the last week before the broadcasts he finally confronted me with the words: "You radio guys... you're always in such a hurry! Be careful -- slow down -- calm down or you'll end up with BOTH FEET IN ONE SHOE!"

I was taken aback -- but didn't respond -- except to laugh and let him know OK... I was sure he would get it done in time -- AND HE DID! It worked well - and we were very proud of his workmanship.

But forever after -- even when I met him years later when visiting Cyprus -- as well as in America -- we would greet each other with the question... "Have you got both feet in one shoe?" He told me it was an Armenian description of someone in too much of a hurry.

Levon was a dear friend over the years, and faithful in his ministry. I was always impressed with that. I know he's happy to be with his Lord and Saviour. I never think of him but with fond memories of what a good and faithful worker he was in every way and always friendly. Heaven is richer for his presence -- and I look forward to being with him again. I guess we'll ask each other the same question with the same greeting. "Have you got both feet in one shoe?" -- and we'll laugh!

God bless you all and continue his faithful ministry!

Amen. -- Jack Buttram

~~~

Dear Family,

Here are my thoughts:

Levon Uncle was a man of God, and he is now in glory with Jesus.  He lived his life in holiness and righteousness.  All he wanted was to glorify Jesus in all of his life's work.  Levon Uncle was also a loving husband to Esther Mokkour and a wonderful father to his children and grandfather to his grandchildren. He was a man that was very well spoken.  Everything that he spoke was wise and profound.  He also was humorous, and made me laugh many times.  I will always remember him with joyous memories.

I love you Levon Uncle,

Your nephew,

Luther J. Doctorian

~~~

Dear Sarah, thanks for letting us know about your Dad's passing. This was the first we had heard about it, and I have let the Andersons and a few others who worked at Logos know too.

I would like to recall how back in March 1976 when a group of us came out of the civil war in Lebanon we were given a very warm reception by Levon and other Christians in Limassol. We were so grateful to be given the use of the campsite at Saittas as a base while we sorted ourselves out and discovered what God wished us to do.  We give thanks to God for Levon’s Christian faith and witness, his vision and devotion to our Lord. 

Lots of love,

Brigid and Phil (Bourne)

~~~

Dear Esther and loved ones:

First of all, we would like to extend our condolences at the passing of your loved one, Levon.  The separation will be difficult for you all, but the reunion in heaven will be glorious.  And Levon's body is whole now and the pain is gone. 

You asked for a few of our memories for the book you are compiling about your Father.  When you mentioned that he founded the Logos School of English Education in 1973, I think we met him close to that time or maybe a little before.  I think he was being supported out of Community Baptist Church, Arvada, Colorado, and came to a missionary conference there, and we continued supporting him after we left that church in 1970. We had a burden on our hearts for the Armenian people because we have a dear friend who is Armenian.  In fact, when your parents came to visit us one time, we introduced them to our friend Paranzam Narcisian and we all spent an evening together.  She was a refugee from the Turk purge of Armenians in the early 1900's.  She passed away about 18 years ago at 84 years of age.  Her son is still a dear friend of ours.

I am sure that each of you carry on his work for the Lord in your lives.  We will keep supporting the work through you as well.  It has been our pleasure to have known your Father and help his tremendous work in the small way that we could.

Our prayers for you all for the upcoming Memorial and
as you continue on your paths.

May God Richly Bless You All,

In Jesus

Butch and Carole Salter  (July, 2009)

~~~

Uncle Levon has been a special uncle to me (& my whole family).  Every time I think of him I think of a servant of God who served Him faithfully for so many years.  I think of Uncle Levon having so much knowledge of the Word of God & of life in general.  I loved the way he explained the scriptures so clearly.  I also loved when I talked with him regarding life in general, particularly history of the world.  When our families got together, it was joy to hear him speak & share with us his wise sayings, & listen to his great life stories.  He was a kind & gentle man, considerate and even humorous at times.  

We will always remember our dear uncle Levon.  He lived a life that demonstrated how Christian’s should live in today’s world!  As the Scriptures say in Rev.14:13, “Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.”  Praise the Lord for Uncle Levon’s life here on earth!! 

Sam Doctorian, Jr., Arpy

& children (Samuel III, Noelle Faith & Rachel Joy)

~~~

Memories of Levon Yergatian

Levon Melkonian

Sacramento, CA

~~~

Sarah and Craig, July 28, 2009

Greetings. Yes, I want to say some things about my dear friend, Levon Yergatian.  I will miss him. His passing makes my looking forward to heaven more sweet. I thank God for Levon and the impact he had on my life and ministry. He helped to sweeten the memories of our two years on Cyprus, 1960 to 1962.

I would  like to take Kit back to Cyprus the fall of 2010; that would be 50 years after I had met Levon and we set up our first home; we were a young married couple. Levon would speak at the American Community Church and he was a major blessing. I remember the first message I hear him preach; it was from Isaiah 6. believe me, when I read that passage, I still hear his voice. 

I do not want to go to Cyprus to spend a few days and come home. I long to minister a word of professional and spiritual  encouragement to the faculty and student body for several reasons.

1. I view the Logos school as a wonderful example of your dad’s faithful ministry.

2. He wrote me while I was teaching at BJ and asked me to leave that good school to help him.

3. I resigned my position and BJ hired a replacement. Then your dad wrote that he was not being allowed to start the Logos school. He would press on; he urged me to raise funds and come for the time being on a visitor’s visa. I did not have peace. Our son, Joel, was very young; I could not see myself traveling to churches looking for missions support to go to Cyprus and start a school to which the government had said, “no.” Levon had more faith than I.

4. As a result of leaving BJ I took my first position in school administration and developed the curriculum to begin the high school at Southside. Three years later,  1973, I started the school in Memphis; we began grades  K-10th with 460 students. Thrifthaven continues today. Six years later the Lord led us here to head-up Tri-City

Christian Academy and within 4 months Dr. Singleton began talking with me about our  starting a Bible College. Wow!

5. Levon was used of the Lord to move me from the classroom to administration. I believe your folks have visited us in every home we owned. I cherish the memories.

Sure, we wanted to return to Cyprus to hold your dad’s hand and pray with him again. It could be even better to return in September or October 2010 and minister to the faculty, staff, and students at the Logos school; it stands as a continuing testimony to Levon’s life’s work.

Okay, perhaps my greatest debt to your dad is that he was the most substantial influence on my life that increased my hunger to pursue college education at BJU after my 4 years in the Navy. In addition, I never will forget how Levon modeled love for people in need. I remember how the Lord used him to raise funds to help those who suffered in Lebanon and those in Armenia. He loved to sacrifice, challenge others to do the same, to help in the Lord’s name. May God give us more true servants like Levon Yergatian.

God bless.

Brother Jerry Tetreau;

Chancellor, International Baptist College; Arizona

~~~

Dear Yergatian Family,

I received a message from Hamilton Adams about the death of Levon. On behalf of myself, my family and the Finnish people that knew him, we send our sincere condolences to your family. We are very thankful to the Lord for the friendship and partnership that we had with our Brother Levon in ministry during the years of persecution in eastern countries.

I remember Levon as a man who was willing to take great risks for the sake of the Gospel. When I think of how dangerous it was for him to work with us, I will always respect him for his willingness to put his own name, reputation, school and many other things on the line. Now looking back, I believe it was God's divine leading that He had placed Levon and his family in Cyprus. Levon was a man of integrity and faithfulness. He was willing to serve in the background without getting acknowledged before people for his deeds. Those deeds of service that he conducted over the years, including serving the persecuted church, have definitely been acknowledged at the Heavenly Throne. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself will reward Levon for all that he had done for God's Kingdom. We would like to thank you, on Levon's behalf, for the privilege of serving together with him over these years.

May the Lord Jesus bless you as a family and comfort you in this time of sorrow.

Yours in Christ,

Esko Mäki-Soini

~~~

Dear Craig and Sarah:

We were both very sad to get the news of Levon's death. Of course, we look forward to the certainty of a joyous reunion with Levon, "When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore"! However your Dad's departure from this world is heart-wrenching to those who loved him while he was among us.

Arpine remembers Levon from before the time he left Cyprus to study at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. He was always active in the spread of the Gospel, and he combined his spirituality with a practical ability. He could help setting up a camp, erecting tents and fixing the electricity, and inspire the young people with the word of God with equal success!

I, myself, recollect being in Levon's devotional group, in the early 1950's, at a conference sponsored by the American Academy of Nicosia which took place at Troodos in the lovely mountain range in the S.E. of Cyprus. It was at this conference that I first saw the young girl who, years later in England, was to become my wife.

We emigrated to Canada in 1966. We kept in touch with Levon and followed with interest and prayer Levon's witness in Cyprus which included the setting up of the Logos School in Limassol. Several times, during preaching engagements in the States, Levon was able to come and spend a couple of days of fellowship with us in Canada before flying off to some other place in the service of the Master.

In 1997, Arpine and I attended a reunion of the members of the British Forces who had witnessed for Christ among their fellows in Cyprus. Levon who had been a great help to many of these young Christians, was one of the speakers. During this time, Arpine and I visited his home near Limassol, and enjoyed his fellowship.

Later, in 2001, Arpine and I went on a mission to Armenia where we spent two months in a small town called Talin. This was about half way from the capital, Yerevan, to Giumri where Levon had started a Brethren Assembly. We were able to visit Levon's daughter and son-in-law, Virginia and Toros, who were carrying on the lively work here. While here, we also visited two soup kitchens where elderly and infirm people, destitute because of Armenia's fractured social system, were able to receive a decent meal. Of course, Toros and his fellow workers were ready with the Bread of Heaven when they perceived anyone hungry for the Word.

WE heard that, in spite of the aftermath of a very serious operation, Levon actually took a trip to Armenia to try to help in the work. What a true servant of God! we know his Maker received him with "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"

With Love to you all,

Colin and Arpine Morris.

~~~

Dear Sarah and Craig,

Thank you for your very kind email, informing us of your beloved father's Home-going ... We do continue to pray for you dear ones; and at this time of sorrow in your loss and yet joy in your great expectation and hope, we trust that our loving Savior's victory over sin and death in behalf of sinners will bring comfort to your aching hearts, as you look forward to a wonderful reunion in Heaven one day. May Christ's promise that He will "never leave us nor forsake us" uphold your dear mother Esther in her loneliness without her sweetheart Levon at her side ...

We, too, have wonderful memories of our 1967 summer in Cyprus, having been received with such loving and generous hospitality and provision, as we were evacuated from Beirut during the Arab-Israeli "Six-Day War" to set up housekeeping for our several-month stay there, before being allowed to return to Lebanon ... Levon and the church family provided us with the loan of furniture and necessary household items, and arranged for our group of five American missionary families (including Dick and Martha Knox and their three children) lovely and comfortable rental homes in which we spent most of the summer ...

I say "most ..." because the highlight of that summer was our working with Levon and the church family there to set up their Summer Camp ministry in the mountains (I believe it was near "Saitos"??). The camp kitchen and bathrooms were constructed, and the meeting place was a large tent with ample seating, a lecturn, and a piano ... And those of us who stayed on to minister, each enjoyed our own family tent -- where we slept, dressed, */and/* brought buckets of water to bathe. (Our two young sons thoroughly enjoyed their first camping experience!) What a special time of sweet fellowship and shared testimonies that was -- a little taste of Heaven! And throughout that summer, we were led and encouraged by the Lord, as He ministered to us through dear Levon's loving friendship, his steadfast faith and vision for reaching people for Christ, his remarkable sense of humor, */and/* his untiring servant heart ... (I believe just you, Sarah, and your sister Virginia had arrived to bless your family by that time ... At any rate, we all thought you were such beautiful, little curly-headed, dark-eyed "live dollies" scampering about in our midst!)

About a year after we had to return to the U.S. in 1969, your parents paid us a delightful visit in Arizona. We were looking forward to the possibility of rejoining them in Cyprus, in the establishment of a Bible School/College ministry to train young people for leadership in the church of Christ in the Middle East ... They spent several days with us, and we did so want them to be comfortable in our home. So, after their first night of rest we inquired as to how well they had slept ... "Oh, we slept very comfortably," replied Levon, "*/except/* for when the 'little bird' sang ..." It seemed that our cuckoo clock had wakened them every hour, all through the night! /(Needless to say, that "little bird's" door stayed shut as we silenced the clock for the remainder of their visit!)/

We shall keep you dear ones in our hearts and our prayers, as you plan and carry out the memorial service for your dear father, and as you continue to minister to your beloved mother. And if ever you come to the north Tampa, Florida area, we would *love* to have you in our home for a visit ... We have a little guest room, with a queen-size "Sleep Comfort" mattress, and your own little guest bathroom ...

Lovingly, with BIG hugs and great longing for the return of Christ,

Sherie & George Clark

~~~

Dear Sarah,

I had a lot of contact with brother Levon in the 1980s as we were involved together in projects to support persecuted Christians in Eastern Europe. I appreciated that Levon was prepared to let his name be used, and to take risks to bless some of God’s people who didn’t have the same opportunities as we did.

Levon was a busy man with many responsibilities in Cyprus, but he was one of those rare people who always had quality time to give to God’s work. He made me feel that I was the most important person around. I remember once I arrived just before the week-end and he was planning to stay up in the Troodos mountains. I was invited to go along and my main memory is the wonderful breakfast which he prepared the next morning- all of the eggs seemed to be double-yolked.

Levon also knew Cyprus. He seemed to have contacts or friends in every area of life who knew and respected him. He was always able to keep me up-to-date with the political or church happenings in the country. When we needed advice in any area he was able to send us in the right direction. He also knew some wonderful restaurants, and I’ll never forget one stormy evening when we drove through the rain to Paphos to eat in a fish restaurant beside the sea.

It was a privilege to have known Brother Levon and I thank God that He brought us into contact with each other for those years. Please pass on my sympathies to the rest of your family.

Your brother in Christ,

Hamilton Adams

~~~

Dear family of our late brother Levon,

In response to your request, found this morning among my e-mails, I would like to express my full sympathy to all of you regarding the home call of our beloved friend and estimated brother Levon, your dear husband, father and grandpa.

I love to recall his visits in our home, as his teacher's heart took a genuine interest in our children, and as his heart of a father gladly shared the news of his own dear family. There were always two subjects: Logos School and the Lord's work in Armenia. His love to the Lord, his devotion to His work, as well as especially his practical faith, always willing to go one step at a time in full confidence on the Lord's faithfulness, without any human guarantee for the next step, was spiritually refreshing. Sometimes I was thinking that we would need many more of such "Levons"!

God honoured him by allowing to see a number of his visions come true, and last not least to see his own beloved family in active service for the Lord.

May the Lord continue to bless his memory, as the services that he started, both in the school project as well as regarding the printed page, go on for the glory of Christ and the blessing of precious souls.

May the Lord bless you all.

In Him,

Eckhard E. Bubenzer

~~~

Levon Uncle was very special to me. I always looked forward to seeing him when he visited us here in California. 

When Hovsep and family moved near our home and then to Pasadena, it was great to see them all the time. He always gave good advice, and his love for us was great. Spending time with him was a blessing.  Especially when Hovsep, Sam and I watched the Raiders game, he’d say, “What are you watching? This is the foulest game; they all fall over each other.”  He had to watch because we were watching it.

Going to Bullhead City, AZ with him and Hovsep and Esther Mourkour and having Starbucks coffee or even drinking Armenian coffee at his home was a treat.  He lived a great life serving God and had faith.  My wish is that I would do my best serving Christ as he did. I will truly miss him  

We will see you soon,

Love Bill

~~~

Levon = Live on

God said Levon, live on to tell the world about my son ("Jesus").

I give you the wings to fly, under the moon, under the sun.

From Cyprus to Armenia, USA and Lebanon.

Just Live on, until we meet, for Eternity just begun.

(Welcome home my son)

By Giragos Derederian

~~~

Sarah

I have fond memories of your dad. John Barbas is married to my sister Ann. I forwarded your email to them.

If you recall Virginia and Yosep ( whom we called Joe) spent the better part of a summer with us. Our youngest daughter Stacey lives in California and is about the same age as Virginia i think. We sent Joe a trumpet one time and your dad a microwave oven while they were still in Cyprus.

I always remember the first time we met, maybe 40 years ago. The John Barbas was at BJU and I think your father sponsored him. Levon thot it amusing I had difficult pronouncing his last name with a Grrr sound rather than as it is. He said 'I'll be gone and back in Cyprus before you are able to pronounce it correctly'. A bit of humor I suppose but I often communed with him while in the area. We went down to the 'Greek Store' at the city market so he could talk to those fellows buy some Gouda cheese and baklava. He more than once jokingly called me 'incorrigible' because I often ate steak and eggs for breakfast. It became a years long joke with us.

I like many others will miss your dad until we meet later in our Lord's presence but find comfort in the word Ps.116:15. I still have a wonderful daily devotional book he sent me from Cyprus maybe 35 years ago. Its unusal in that the daily title or subject has every scripture verse one may consider in meditation on the subject matter. Its the only one like it I have ever seen.

I suppose your mom is with you there in Arizona. Oddly I can not recall ever meeting her. Give her our best.

Love from all in our Lord Jesus Christ

Tom & Joan Hale

~~~

Dear Sarah,

We were saddened to learn that your father passed away recently but are comforted to know that he is with the Lord. While I was at the Academy I sometimes went with your father to Dhekeliah where he preached. Levon was a down to earth teacher and preacher and he practiced what he preached. It was refreshing to be with him. One day I was walking across campus and Levon was in the car on his way to Dhekeliah. He asked me to go with him. I told him I needed a few minutes to change but he said we have no time to wait we must go now. So off we went.

I remember when you and your sister came to visit us in Montevallo, Alabama. I picked you up at the home of one of your Alabama friends. We left Alabama in 1982 and I have been a professor of chemistry at Valdosta State University in south Georgia. We have around 12,500 students and many international students. We had a lot of students from Cyprus. For the last 25 years we have been hosting students from overseas in our home. Right now we have a coed from Germany who will be with us till the end of July. We find this a good way to minister to international students. Our daughter, Laura, is a professor of Spanish in Spartanburg, SC and our son, Jason, is a physical therapist in Chicago. Laura has two boys, 5 and 2 and Jason has one boy 3. Annie will visit Laura and her family on Wednesday.

Do you remember Roupen Berberian? He was my classmate at the American Academy and his home was near the home of your parents in Larnaca. He is in Florida, about 100 miles from here. We get together once a month. His wife is Sally and they have two daughters. Recently his oldest brother passed away. Another brother, David, is in Houston and they have a sister in London.

Many greetings from Annie and our deepest sympathies.

Love,

John and Annie