The two brothers Minas and Raphael are born in a village near Kharpoot. Their father was a rather prominent man, and the two boys had a happy childhood.  

                  Suddenly all was changed! They remember how one day the soldiers came and took their father to the prison where he was tortured and later killed.  

                  Sometime after the order of deportation came and they had to leave their nice home and came on the road with their mother, 2 sisters and the remainder of the village.   

                  They, suffered from hunger and thirst. In the night they slept on the bare ground and in the day they walked under the burning sun. They reached the villages near Mardin, there they were surrounded by Arabs and Kourds, who began to rob, violate and kill the people. Their mother was taken away by a Kourd and they had to see how their sisters were killed. They themselves were dragged away by an Arab to a village Djuburr. They came in different houses and were treated as slaves in the most cruel way. They became more blow than bread and had to be with the sheep, even if the weather was very bad. Also they suffered much, because the Mohammedans wanted to convert them to Islam, but they knew that they were Christians.

                  My heart was aching, when I saw the two poor lads, meagre and scarcely able to walk. The sufferings are written on their faces. Minas specially has been beaten so cruelly that his spine is hurt. A great operation is needed. By Raphael the legs are hurt, but by nursing we hope it will be all right.

 

Left our care: July 20, 1928. Selfsupporting.