The time was 1997 and Nara Melkonyan sat in an office at the American University of Armenia, with her degrees in political science and international studies and her ambition to be an ambassador. In fact, she had applied for a job at the US Agency of International Development and was waiting for a response, when the Reverend Charles Davis, director of Project AGAPE, came in with a request for some copies to be made.

This was not the first time Rev. Davis had come in and each time he visited, he’d have the same question. “Nara, would you consider working with Project AGAPE?” Not seeing how this position would further her plans to be an ambassador, each time he’d ask, Nara would respond with a polite “no.”

It wasn’t until Nara was “kidnapped” by her cousin and some friends and driven to the AGAPE office for an actual conversation with Rev. Davis, that she considered giving it a try.

“I liked what I learned about the Project, especially how they were helping the people who were suffering due to the war with Azerbaijan and the earthquake [in 1988.] And it actually did fit my character. I truly loved helping people and I would certainly get to do that regularly if I accepted the position.”

Recounting that first exposure to Project AGAPE, Nara is not angry about being “kidnapped.”

“It was God’s hand at work. Looking back, after my 17-year path of being here, I am confident in one thing. I will never regret it.”

One thing is certain. Nara’s dream of being an ambassador has come true. Her role at Project AGAPE and her outstanding works, make her an ambassador in every sense of the word.