When do you stop remembering? How does ‘looking back’ change into ‘looking ahead’? What makes a memory powerful enough for the future? For Brother Andrew de Carpentier, earthly life ended on October 1st, 2020. Those he left behind saw an empty place… But from heavenly perspective, a place has been filled! And did not a new heavenly life begin for him?

It takes a long time for earthly mourning to gain perspective. At least that’s my experience. Missing him does not diminish, but in one way or another the suffocating mourning has turned into acceptance after two years. And then, instead of inhibiting, it has a reinforcing effect. Because so much has happened in the past two years! People continued to pursue his vision. Or should we say: God’s vision?

For as long as we realise that our Heavenly Father has a plan for this world and for us as humans, we can trust that He will go with us and inspire us as well, just as He did all these years with our beloved Brother Andrew.

Sometimes I think: how would Brother Andrew have reacted, if he had seen that last June, 42 Deaf adults and 8 children from Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories were present at a Summer Camp? They went to the place where prophet Elijah worked and they shared Bible stories about John the Baptist and Isaiah. All this was organised by the Deaf club Peace Dove for the Deaf Deaf, which is led by former HLID-student Sahel, who Brother Andrew personally trained in pastoral care. He would have loved it!