Georgia, an exquisitely beautiful country of 5.5 million people, is ringed by the Caucasus Mountains and set at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.  It lies between the Black and Caspian Seas and borders on Turkey, Russia and Armenia.  Since recorded time, Georgians have been famous for their hospitality to strangers.  The visiting ancient Greeks knew Georgia as the land of the Golden Fleece.  It was a woman, St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in 330 A.D.  Georgian wine has been produced for over 3,000 years and Georgian literature dates back to the fifth century A.D.  Scholars have compared the 12th century Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli to Dante and Shakespeare.

View of Tbilisi, Georgia. Photo by Annie Pickert.

View of Tbilisi. Photo by Annie Pickert.

In May 1991, Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union.  In spite of major efforts towards stabilizing the economy and instituting democratic practices, Georgia is still struggling economically.  The new Georgian Government under President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was elected in January 2004, is endeavoring to restore the Georgian economy and renew the hopes of the Georgian people.  Currently, the Georgian Government is unable to provide most of her people with gas, electricity or social services.  Georgian industry, still suffering from the Soviet legacy, has collapsed leaving many workers without pay or without jobs at all. Georgians who once enjoyed one of the highest literacy rates in the world now have schools struggling from a lack of heat and unpaid teacher salaries.