Ibrahim

"I came to die with you." These are the remarkable words that Ibrahim (the man in the middle) said to Abu Georges during the most dangerous time for the monastery, as the army and rebels fought over the village of Qara in November 2013. At the time of this great battle Abu George was with us and surveyed the premises. At this point Ibrahim was on his nearby farm. Ibrahim’s brother called him that morning to warn him: "Brother, you must leave Qara right away! The army entered the village and the terrorists are fleeing."  Stepping into his car he thought to flee to a nearby village, but then he thought of the monastery where we (the community) were all gathered as refugees and without knowing why he decided to come join us. Under a rain of shells and machine gun fire he arrived at the monastery. He was welcomed by his uncle, Abu George, who asked him "What brought you here? Are you nuts?" - to which Ibrahim replied: "I came to die with you". When all the citizens of Qara were fleeing the region Ibrahim decided to stay with us. 

Today our brother Ibrahim works with his whole heart in the lands. He is an agricultural engineer and invests all his know-how in order to make our land profitable ... for the first time since our arrival. He is a gift from heaven that was sent to us by the intercession of Saint Joseph. His faithfulness in little things amazes us every time. May the Lord Jesus be praised!