Yegor Hambaryan + Camp Counselor on a Cross

[00:00:03] Welcome to the Ask About My Faith Podcast, where our hope is to inspire everyday faith conversations.

[00:00:09] I'm Jess.

[00:00:10] And I'm Abbey. Today I'm excited to introduce Yegor Hambaryan, who is joining us to share

[00:00:16] his incredible story. Yegor is originally from Armenia. He currently works in retail and spent

[00:00:23] nine years doing mission work overseas. In part one today, he talks about his journey

[00:00:29] from breaking windows as a troubled kid to bringing prayer back into schools in the country.

[00:00:36] His story includes a life-changing encounter with Jesus at a Christian camp where he vividly

[00:00:44] experienced the power of the cross. Yegor was also miraculously healed and has boldly lived

[00:00:50] out his faith ever since, even finding favor in his time in the military. You will want to

[00:00:56] miss this inspiring conversation. Let's jump in.

[00:01:04] Yegor, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today.

[00:01:09] Thank you. Yeah. Thanks for inviting. Thanks for having me.

[00:01:12] Oh man, it's been so fun getting to know you a little bit as we're preparing to have our

[00:01:17] conversation. I know our listeners are going to have so much fun.

[00:01:20] Oh yeah.

[00:01:22] Let's have you start by sharing how you came to know the Lord and give us some of the backdrop

[00:01:27] of kind of where you're from and all that.

[00:01:31] Yeah, I always start sharing part of my story saying that it's not about me. It's about

[00:01:37] like how God used me and all glory to God. So there's nothing special about me. There's

[00:01:43] just a childlike faith that is only has set a default by birth to just give praise to God in everything

[00:01:53] I do. So I can share hours and hours who God is. But the one favorite part is I was born as a

[00:02:05] disabled child. And God did a miracle. And then I started walking and at age 10. And when I was

[00:02:14] disabled, I was very selfish and very mean and very, very, very bad kid.

[00:02:21] Very, very mean.

[00:02:22] Yegor, so was it, was it both, when you say disabled, was it both like in your, in your brain and kind of

[00:02:27] developmentally as well as physically kind of, is that what you're saying?

[00:02:30] No, I was born without kneecaps. So I was born with two leg bones without kneecaps and then had a

[00:02:38] lot of, yeah, I had a miracle surgery and I was told that I will never grow up. So now I'm five,

[00:02:45] six age. And so it's, yeah, it's like that's, that the whole thing needs a whole hour to share how

[00:02:53] all the miracle happened. But, but yeah, just telling how I kind of know Jesus. So I met Jesus

[00:02:59] at age four on, in my room when I was like kind of sitting on my wheelchair, tiny wheelchair. And

[00:03:09] then I saw this light appeared and then after the light, I see this, there's a man. Yeah, it's super

[00:03:15] shiny. Like I couldn't hold my eyes on that direction. And then he spoke to me, he was like,

[00:03:21] hey, go tell your parents to call this person to fly this city, to connect with this doctor,

[00:03:29] to call this person this day, this hour. So, and I told my parents and my parents were like, well,

[00:03:35] if this is all we're going to do. At four? Yeah. Oh my goodness. At age six, to make it short,

[00:03:41] I started walking and then that disability created a lot of selfishness and, you know, just bitterness

[00:03:50] because I wasn't held as a baby. You know, I was always in pain and I wasn't loved. So.

[00:03:58] Yeah. Were you adopted or were you with your birth parents all along?

[00:04:03] Yeah. So, uh, this is my parents and I will actually share most what happened. Uh, yeah. So, um,

[00:04:12] and then to make it like really short, uh, so I, I had a implant surgeries and the surgery worked

[00:04:19] and miraculously I started walking. Now I love running. So grew up. Um, and then the best part of it is that,

[00:04:28] uh, my favorite sound was breaking my neighbor's windows. So yeah, like my neighbors hated me and

[00:04:40] like, yeah, get rid of Yegoran. You know, it wasn't like the best, I wasn't the best known for as a good,

[00:04:47] good child. Sure. And so, um, um, evangelical church, uh, I'm from Armenia. So Armenians are all

[00:04:55] apostolic, but an evangelical church had a camp hour away from my house and they were offering

[00:05:04] camps for every kid for free for a week. My parents lied me and told me, Hey, let's visit there. We

[00:05:13] will, you will have a free ice cream, an hour, a plate day, and then we'll come pick you up. So they

[00:05:25] would, uh, what I do and the phone, like the telephone wasn't as popular and yeah. So what I

[00:05:32] do, I, I like, I broke so many windows and rest so many camp workers and like hated. So the last

[00:05:41] day it's like, uh, there is like 400 kids in, in the auditorium, very emotional. And my camp leader

[00:05:51] is carrying a cross all in blood. And I had no idea who that was, drank across in the middle of the hall.

[00:06:00] And I walk in, I like, I got like shocked, like, Hey, why did you beat up this poor person?

[00:06:06] Like, do you have anything to say to me? So I come run to him in the middle of the service,

[00:06:13] grab the cross, help him, clean him up. And I'm like, yell at everyone. Hey, are you like not brave

[00:06:19] enough to beat me up? And like, what did you do to him? Oh no. Yeah. Yeah. And so, yeah. And my

[00:06:30] camp leader who is playing Jesus, he looked at me like, wow, you are such a bad child. This is the

[00:06:38] only pure thing that every kid has to enjoy. You even ruined this. And then, and I'm like, wow,

[00:06:45] I had no idea what's going on. So anyway, I'm like very offended, uh, like under a tree crying.

[00:06:54] And then, uh, then my camp leader cleanup came to me and said, did you know who that was? And like,

[00:06:59] I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm like, that was Jesus. He loves you. So at that age

[00:07:06] that someone loves you was like a rare, like thing for me.

[00:07:10] Yeah. And as soon as, and as soon as he said, Jesus loves you, it kind of like touched me. And I was

[00:07:15] like, whoa, I, okay. I want to, I want that love. I, I found someone who loved me. So I like, well,

[00:07:23] uh, and I, I was like very foolish. I said, what do I have to do? Yeah. I want to, yeah. I want to,

[00:07:33] like find that kind of love and he's right away. Well, well, I got you on your, like on your broken

[00:07:40] moment, pray this prayer right away. Like he kind of forced me to pray a prayer. So I prayed, uh, and

[00:07:46] I'm all my in tears. And then he goes like, well, uh, now you cannot do any, any bad things because

[00:07:52] Jesus is watching. They're like, Oh shoot. Can I pray back? So that was a, yeah, that was a

[00:08:00] beginning of a beautiful relationship between me and Jesus. Uh, that was, I was 10. So at age 12,

[00:08:09] my mom got cancer. She passed away in like a matter of 20 days. Oh my goodness.

[00:08:15] And at age 14, my dad passed away after drinking himself and all of that. So all I had was

[00:08:22] a faith in God. Okay. 14 years old. Yeah. And, um, God didn't design that to happen to neither of

[00:08:30] my parents. And I'm confident that just, um, just life. And I, I, I, in my, uh, in, in my mother's

[00:08:40] grave, I promised God, I'm never going to ask you why so that I can live trusting you. And at age 26,

[00:08:49] God responded to me and said, Hey, you never asked me why, but look, it wasn't what I destined for you

[00:08:56] to be. But so, um, at age 26, I was actually ministering a lot of orphans, um, overseas and

[00:09:03] said, Hey, look how many lives you have touched with just your one story. And the numbers were like,

[00:09:10] thousands and 10,000 of orphans that I have already worked with helped them shared my story

[00:09:16] that they don't have to be bitter on God. You know, they can trust in God. So, uh, the question

[00:09:23] you asked, yeah, the sheer and early age, like, uh, the early memories of sharing my faith. So, you know,

[00:09:31] it's like, it's like that, uh, person who, who gets an encounter with Jesus, you want to share to the

[00:09:38] whole city. So like at age 10, I was the Bible boy. I had my Bible with me. I didn't know how to read

[00:09:46] because I skipped the whole school. Uh, but then, uh, when my mom died, I kind of said, okay, God,

[00:09:53] you can correct me. I have no parents. You can parent me. I never lived in an orphanage. I have

[00:09:59] like a life story that like amazes beyond, but like, um, I asked my grandma to move me in a different

[00:10:06] city, rent me an apartment, come check on me at age 12. At age 13, I started working in a dishwasher.

[00:10:13] At age 15, I owned my first restaurant. I was a business person, graduated with the best numbers

[00:10:21] of high school and then, um, finished so many schools and all of it. So it's like when God touches

[00:10:27] you, you know, you change. Uh, and then, uh, yeah. So, um, I was a Bible boy. Yeah.

[00:10:36] Yeah. Were you still, were you still kind of also the kid who liked to break windows or did that

[00:10:42] kind of, that kind of go away? Yeah. So, uh, at the camp, my camp leader gave me a bracelet. It was

[00:10:49] like, um, colored bracelet that explained the journey of salvation. It was like red, green,

[00:10:56] and each color meant like a white, each color meant a thing. So I was very afraid of that bracelet.

[00:11:02] So I was behaving my best because he put like a bracelet like Jesus is watching. Like, okay,

[00:11:11] that's kind of scary. So the fear of God is real. Yes, for sure. Okay. So no more broken windows,

[00:11:20] but you go back and you're a Bible boy. Now I'm like in, in my school everywhere. I take my Bible with

[00:11:26] me. And so I got saved in an evangelical church and then, um, like, uh, my whole country is apostolic.

[00:11:36] So, uh, when I told the priest that I found Jesus, he kind of like got excited. But when I told him

[00:11:44] what church I found Jesus in, he beat me up with his Bible and kicked me out of the church.

[00:11:50] And then I went and yeah. And then I went and I told my grandma, like grandma, you have to come.

[00:11:56] But this, this priest beat me up. So it's like having that, even being a, being a Christian,

[00:12:05] finding a Jesus, you know, religion will also be on a way for you to have a relationship with him. So

[00:12:13] I was at my school, uh, and, um, they had like, uh, every year they do these talent shows.

[00:12:21] Uh, and I have never done a spoken word and I have memorized, um, to do the, our father, the prayer.

[00:12:29] Yeah. Uh, so I tricked the school board that I'm going to do this beautiful,

[00:12:35] beautiful. Yeah. Like, uh, spoken word, spoken word. And then they, they trust me with a microphone.

[00:12:42] Yeah. And then they're like, no, and I like, no, S3, one, shut up. And they're like, what?

[00:12:48] Bow your heads, close your eyes. And then if I look at you and you have your eyes open,

[00:12:53] I am coming to have fight with you. And they're like, now repeat after me, you sinners. So I was like,

[00:13:00] very bold. Wow. So yeah, the, the whole school, the parents, like, they actually love that.

[00:13:09] Uh, I had so many parents like, Hey, this country is based on faith. Uh, we, we want nothing, but

[00:13:16] like, uh, firm, you know, someone who, who is, has childlike faith and can speak. So, uh, and, and,

[00:13:24] and then I had like a great, like, uh, kind of, I have never missed my prayer time. I've never missed

[00:13:31] an opportunity to say hello and good night to Jesus. And my prayers are like very, if I'm talking

[00:13:38] to God, I'm talking to God, like everything goes away and I'm talking to God. And I know,

[00:13:43] like kind of, I, when I met God, like accepted God, that's the confidence I have that I'm talking to

[00:13:52] God. There's nothing else I am, you know? So yeah. And I have so many funny stories. Like

[00:13:57] we had a parade that, um, the mayor of the city comes and, um, he's like doing his, you know,

[00:14:05] it's actually election season. Yes. So it was election season and they come and they do their,

[00:14:11] uh, you know, speeches and, um, and I like yelled out of a crowd, well, what do you have for the,

[00:14:19] uh, you know, the things to be restored at school so we can pray before and after the classes? So he

[00:14:25] actually promised it and he did it. So I was like, yeah, till this day, uh, they continue to pray for

[00:14:34] the classes. So yeah. Uh, and yeah, I have so many stories, but I got baptized with Holy Spirit at age

[00:14:42] 18. Like when I say God baptized, it was, uh, like a very powerful moment. I was in an army.

[00:14:52] So in an army, uh, I'm a Christian. Like I have to find my people and I like, I don't know how to

[00:15:00] explain that. Like if you ever been around someone who has been in army, the whole army people swear,

[00:15:08] they use profanity. And I, I respect God. I know that your enemy has no even a place in my mouth.

[00:15:19] So I've never sweared in army that, that was one of the things I was different. I'm sure.

[00:15:25] Yeah. And I was teased at the beginning, but, but I had the most respect. Like if I tell you

[00:15:33] the story, how I even got the position I got, you will be laughed at. So, okay, I'm going to tell you.

[00:15:40] So in Armenia, every 18 year old has to go and serve. So because I was disabled, I was excluded from it.

[00:15:51] And my, I have two brothers, my older brother is like, well, uh, you never gonna serve. Um, like you

[00:16:01] are like this soft spoken person. You are the Jesus freak. You, you talk about Jesus all the time. You

[00:16:08] will be beaten. You will be cleaning the bathrooms, but you will be the disrespected person in army.

[00:16:14] The army is not your place. Well, and I was like, you know, in my brain, I was like, well, you can't, you,

[00:16:22] you can't speak something like that and challenge God and don't take the challenge. So then I was like, okay, watch me.

[00:16:30] So I, um, I secretly sign up to go to army. Uh, I was supposed to, uh, show up and we have like a

[00:16:41] center that they pick everyone and then they take and spread all the, you know, battalions. I was

[00:16:48] supposed to show up at the June, I think 27th to, to trick the system. I show up June 22.

[00:16:58] Okay. So there is a guy who is, uh, like he works for army. He's a general. He has a son who has the

[00:17:10] same name that I have, the same last name that I have, the same birthday that I have. Oh, wow. Okay.

[00:17:21] That's a guy. You will understand why. Yeah. When I show up, they look at the name and like, oh,

[00:17:28] we weren't expecting you to come this early. We're expecting you like tomorrow. But since you are here,

[00:17:35] your father already paid us $10,000. Let's keep our promise. Let's send you the place that we told him

[00:17:44] to, to go. I was like, what are you talking? My father is dead. And like, and they were like,

[00:17:49] just shut up, just follow us. I was trying to explain like, you got the wrong idea. And I didn't

[00:17:55] know that they did. I was like kind of confused what's going on. You didn't know that they'd make

[00:18:00] this a mistake. No. Wow. So I am like in an army. I'm like respected by everyone. And I have this best

[00:18:11] job and I'm like, just enjoying life. It's vacation for me because you got a few privileges. Yeah.

[00:18:19] Because of the father paid. Being the general side or whatever. Yeah. So two months later,

[00:18:27] and the position I had was actually being an assistant for the main leader. Someone knocks the door and

[00:18:36] I opened the door and this guy like just says, Hey, can I speak with the general? And yeah.

[00:18:43] He's like working, but what, who is asking? And he's like, well, tell him that this is Hamburian

[00:18:51] and I'm here to kind of talk with him. And they brought the same guy, the same place. I am enjoying

[00:18:59] life. He's serving in a hot line, in a frontline fighting for our country every single day. And then

[00:19:07] he's like, I'm here for two months. No one asks my name. Like no one even invites me to take care of me

[00:19:14] because I took his place. And I'm like, well, what's your last name? And he's like, Hamburian. And I'm

[00:19:19] like, oh, no kidding. That's my last name. What's your name? Igor. Oh, no kidding. That's my name. And he's like,

[00:19:26] wait a minute. And so we got the idea. He shared me the story. He figured it out.

[00:19:33] And I'm like, well, uh, you know, sometimes when you are in a situation, there's like hot,

[00:19:37] cold shower, it comes on you. And I was like, well, I kind of know from this second,

[00:19:44] I might be kind of switch places. I have been enjoying two months. Uh, but then the, the Holy

[00:19:52] Spirit inside of me was like, wait a second. Like, have you ever trusted God and God abandoned

[00:19:56] you? Like just trust God. Be bold. Like don't give up. Oh, okay. And I invited the commander.

[00:20:04] He came and I don't know if it was made by God that he would speak with such an arrogance,

[00:20:11] but he was like, wow, you were supposed to call me. My father paid you. Like I'm waiting. Are you out

[00:20:20] of your mind? And the commander looked at me, looked at him, looked at me, looked at him and like,

[00:20:27] looked at me and like pointed and he's like, you stay. And then it is like, you go,

[00:20:35] you get out of here and tell your father, he can come take his money. And I was like speechless.

[00:20:42] So I don't have father. I like the commander decided to be a father figure for me for two years,

[00:20:50] mentoring, helping. Uh, and he wasn't a Christian. Uh, and the thing is I had so many miracles.

[00:20:58] One of the miracles in the first year of my service, he had a brain tumor. He was supposed to die.

[00:21:09] And he's like, he lost his speech and all of it. And he is in his bed, uh, in a hospital.

[00:21:16] When I visited him, he's like, well, I want someone to pray for me. So they had to drive me

[00:21:22] two and a half hours to go see him. And they had a lot of priests and all of it. I mean,

[00:21:29] I was like kind of ready to say goodbye to him. I kind of had this idea that I have seen a lot of

[00:21:34] people die in my life already. I'm okay. You're dying too. But then inside, I'm like, wait a minute.

[00:21:41] Like, Hey God, like, let me, let me just like pray, you know? So to make it short,

[00:21:48] I prayed, he's still living. He's super healthy. Wow. And he was not a believer.

[00:21:55] No, God healed him. So what was that like for him to have you pray over him? Yeah.

[00:21:59] For him to receive healing when he's dying? He did not receive healing. I think God just gave it to him.

[00:22:06] Okay. Okay. Yeah. And he, he's now a believer. Um, one of the, one of the miracles that God did,

[00:22:14] God saved me, uh, from a lot of fires and, you know, a lot of things. And, um, basically, um,

[00:22:25] like what that prompt him to do now, our army, it's all over Armenia doesn't go to any place

[00:22:35] without morning and evening prayer. That was kind of like, and then praise God and nothing has to do

[00:22:42] with me. Just like, God, it's like God uses people to simply remind others that he exists.

[00:22:48] Wow. And that's why I say my story is not about me. It's about God who, who can do things. So yeah.

[00:22:54] You made some real like systematic changes to have prayer, like reintroduced into the schools.

[00:23:02] Whoa. I would love that to be the reality. Oh yeah.

[00:23:05] Yeah. For prayer to be introduced in war and like getting wisdom from God before,

[00:23:12] at the beginning and the end of the day, that is incredible. And a lot of it just,

[00:23:16] it sounds like you living your life, being bold, using your words, but showing up every day

[00:23:23] makes, uh, it like, it marked that guy.

[00:23:27] Yeah. So it's my, I mean, if you trust God, I don't think there is a thing he will hold for you.

[00:23:35] I think it's just, um, like I cannot give an opportunity to an enemy where I can give a

[00:23:46] praise to God. It's, it's, it's as simple. I cannot hold the jealousy of God getting all the praises and

[00:23:55] kind of like, uh, be sitting in a place where enemy takes the, you know, so I am jealous with God for

[00:24:02] his glory and for his praise. And I'm jealous with God to have his name glorified. If my life should

[00:24:10] be testimony. And so, so should every Christian's life should be a huge testimony when they live a

[00:24:17] life with God and when they trust Jesus. So that's, that's the way I see it every time. And that's the

[00:24:24] way I challenge every Christian. It's like, yeah. Yeah. So.

[00:24:28] Oh my gosh. Snaps.

[00:24:30] I feel like that is such a great way to end part one and we'll just invite everyone back

[00:24:36] to keep on listening to what else Yeager has to share.

[00:24:40] Thank you for listening to the Ask But My Faith podcast. We'd love your support in continuing to

[00:24:45] bring you encouraging and inspiring stories. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you're

[00:24:51] listening. And you can learn more about us and donate at askbutmyfaith.com. God bless you this

[00:24:56] week as you go out and share your faith.