Month: September 2013

Abuna Isaak

Berba where love resides.

Since the revolution of January 25, 2011 (which led to the deposition of President Mubarak), safety is very fragile in Egypt, and the legal system has unsolvable problems. Crime rate has increased dramatically: indeed a bottomless pit! Where should people hide when they could be killed without any obvious reason? When kidnappings of well-off persons, especially of Christians, happen every day without ever being resolved? A year ago, a young man from a neighbouring village was kidnapped; he has not reappeared till this day. Why? Since ransom was not paid in time? No, it was because the family and neighbours, witnesses of the kidnapping, had gone to the police instead! And so the booty that did not bring any money has probably been disposed of somewhere in the desert. Now, a man from our village, El Berba, has been kidnapped. He was on his way on his moped between the villages, when he was brutally dragged into a Toyota by a group of men. Osamer, the victim, is father of three children aged between 14 …

Jesus Baptismal place on the Jordan River.

Visit to Madaba

Our pilgrimage On Saturday morning August 31 we took a taxi at 9:00 o’clock to Madaba. In Madaba we went to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Frst we went into the Center where we could read all the information about Madaba. Madaba is sometimes called the “City of Mosaics”. In the church we saw the “Mosaic Map” Showing Jerusalem and many holy places. The mosaic had two million pieces. Then we drove to Mount Nebo. At Mount.Nebo God showed Moses the promised Land. Deut 34. 1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan. We saw the Cross showing a brass serpent. Pope John Paul came to visit Mount.Nebo. We then drove down, down, down to the Jordan where tradition says Jesus was Baptized. At the Jordan we could see the people on the other side in Israel. It was very narrow. I put my hand in …