Iraq monk who fled ISIS now obeys God's calling by serving Christians at refugee camp
A monk from the Christian town of Qaraqosh in Northern Iraq is now serving Christians at a refugee camp in Erbil after he fled from his own monastery in Northern Iraq when Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) invaded the city.
The monk only known as Raeed joined the monastery back in 2001. During the United States-led invasion of Iraq, the taxi that he was riding with a fellow monk was ran over by a U.S. tank. His friend was killed and he was left in a coma. He woke up to realize that he was the only survivor of the accident, the World Watch Monitor reports.
The incident challenged Raeed's faith, but he was determined to follow God's calling.
"But what happened [in the end] deepened my faith. It brought me back to my calling. I'd promised to obey Jesus, and He said 'Whoever follows Jesus should not look back,'" said Raeed.
The next challenge to his faith came when ISIS invaded his city.
"The sound of honking car horns disturbed the silence of our prayer room. Beyond the street noise, there was the sound of explosions," he recalled.
He and the other monks fled to Erbil along with thousands of people who feared for their lives. In Erbil, he remembered his calling to "Follow Jesus no matter what" and helped to build a monastery at the refugee camp.
The church is now packed with people that some have to remain standing at the doorway during a service. He would often conduct the services when there are no priests around. He stated that he did not expect to serve at a refugee camp, but he has come to accept it as his calling.
"I just have to be here with the people in the church because God needs me to be here...It is all about Jesus." he says, adding, "Jesus is the core, He is the Rock we build on. And whatever might happen, our Rock will never disappear. He will always be here."
Raeed may soon be joined by others who have previously fled Iraq. The Catholic Chaldean church has recently ordered priests and monks who left their posts in Iraq without permission to return immediately.
