Joey L.

Aba Yohannis monastery - 74 years old
"My father was a priest and when my mom died, he became a monk. I followed."

Aba Yohannis monastery - 74 years old
"I came from my village, from the countryside to learn. I didn't go home. I preferred to stay here. I've been here for 43 years. "

Gashaw Mesganaw, a deacon of Abuna Aron, will continue to study for 30 years under his elders to become a monk. The cave monastery is highly worshiped for it's beam of light, which casts only for short periods during the day when the sun is aligned with a hole in the roof.
"Fear? I have no fear because I follow God"

"Fear? I have no fear because I follow God"

Aba Geafael Asyashaye- 52 years old, Abuna Yemata Guh

Aba Gebha Madhen Bahta lives in Debre Damo, a remote monastery in Ethiopia accessible by rope leading up a 17 meter wall. No women are allowed to enter.

Debre Damo

"I became a nun when my daughters passed away."

Mother Harya, a nun of Abraham Atsbeha. She poses against the ancient doors of a former Pagan church, which has been converted to an Orthodox Christian place of worship. Only on one day of the year, the stone pillars inside leak holy water.

"Perhaps I will live even longer than 101, maybe 101 years more. I know a monk who is 80 years old, but he acts very old. He is not like me."

Aba Kenafa Tesfamarem, Debre Damo

Yemrehanna Kristos - 25 years old
A regular worshipper of Yemrehanna Kristos.

Keas Hable Mariyam, the monk of the cavern church, poses on top of an estimated 5740 remaining pilgrim corpses. "Most of them came from Jerusalem and now they remain here to rest." Lalibela, Ethiopia

A pilgrim's corpse rests at Yemrehanna Kristos, Lalibela Ethiopia.