Journey with me to the far reaches of Georgia, nestled closely to the cradle of civilization—where Christianity took its fledgling steps into Europe. Here, in Ajara, near the border with Turkey, stands Sarpi, a village cradled by antiquity and serenity. The place pulses with sacred echoes of Saint Andrew—the very first disciple of Jesus—who baptized the inaugural Christians and laid the foundation of faith that would be carried across the continent.
Unfolding across the pastoral landscape of Sarpi, legend and reality intertwine. It's whispered that Saint Andrew himself sought respite here after his arduous journey to spread Christianity. There, on the craggy cliffs, a waterfall sprang forth to slake his thirst—a divine miracle. Now known as St. Andrew's Waterfall, it cascades in perpetual testament to his journey, its cool spray still quenching the thirst of modern travelers under the hot Georgian sun.
The waterfall's ceaseless dance is punctuated by an imposing figure, forever watching over the land— a statue dedicated to Saint Andrew. Chiseled from stone, it captures his stern yet loving spirit, seemingly ever ready to embrace those seeking solace. Next to the waterfall is a stone-carved throne, a picture-perfect spot for sightseers, complete with an inscription that stirs the soul, "Here is where Jesus' disciple Andrew first preached Christianity."
Consider, then, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called's monument, resting resolutely in Adjara, within the Khelvachauri Municipality, in Sarpi. A stoic witness to the first whispers of Christianity in Georgia. Indeed, it was here in Adjara that Andrew, the first of Jesus Christ's apostles, sowed the seeds of faith that would burgeon into a major world religion. As the cascading water of the falls echoes across the mountains, so too does the spiritual significance of this place reverberate across history.
Join us, won't you? Step into the echoes of a spiritual past, and trace the steps of Saint Andrew in this divine corner of the world. Stand where he once stood, baptizing the first of many believers. Drink from the same wellspring of faith that has quenched the spiritual thirst of countless followers for centuries. A journey here is not just a physical voyage, but a pilgrimage into the very heart of faith's origin.
