This present phase of the winter relief mission that actively began in mid-December is now finally, officially completed. The last remaining team safely left Iraq and will soon return to their homes, while some are already there. To all those who have been praying since December, or even well before that, I thank you for your perseverance. Had we known at the onset that this mission would entail three distinct teams of people from all walks of life (and various countries too) leap-frogging each other from December to February to ensure relatively unbroken continuation of the mission in Iraq, I don’t know that we would have thought it possible. God alone knew what it would take, and I can honestly say when I flew in with the first team almost a month and a half ago now, we didn’t even know for sure who was coming to replace us, much less if there’d even be people as far out as a month later willing and able to step into this increasingly volatile region to offer their help.
Security Concerns In A Destabilizing Region
Some may be wondering why there were less frequent reports the past few weeks from the third and final team in Iraq. A great deal of that is due to growing security concerns in the region, as fighting intensifies and ISIS grows bolder in their attacks on the outer perimeter of Irbil governate. There are known ISIS ‘sleeper’ cells within the city who had also recently started stirring up trouble. Having a noticeable presence of foreigners in the same place for over a month can draw unwanted attention as well, and it should be assumed that digital forms of communication are likely monitored and read by both friendly and not-so-friendly organizations in the region. For these reasons and others, a lower profile of operations seemed prudent.
The Container Finally Did Arrive!
For those who had not seen a few of the brief reports over the past few weeks, the shipping container of winter clothing finally did arrive after an almost one-month delay due to paperwork and border crossing issues. A local pastor and some Syrian refugees were very diligent in helping to organize the unloading of the entire container that had over 30,000 pounds of clothing and blankets, which was no easy task for the refugees. Following the unloading, numerous Syrian women volunteered to help over the next few days in opening up the bundles and boxes to make thousands of bags of family clothing packs to be distributed to refugee families.
Help Came Just In Time
While the preparations for the large distributions of winter clothing were underway, the team continued to meet with and deliver clothing packs to the smaller family groups we had established a relationship with in the previous weeks. They gladly received the clothing that came at just the right time, with recent lows in the 30s, and a reported snowstorm about a week or so ago as well. Prior to the clothing arriving we were also still delivering gallons of heating oil to help families endure the frigid desert winter as best they could. The team was also able to bring in a couple hundred solar powered audio Bibles in the Arabic language that were graciously donated by HeartCry Missionary Society for us to distribute over there. With many refugees being illiterate or barely literate, the audio players seemed to be a valuable addition to the other materials available to be given. Many refugees, particularly the Syrians directly affected and brutalized by ISIS, are showing a great openness to hearing the Gospel for the first time.
God’s Gracious Provisions
The bulk distribution of the winter clothing packs occurred just a couple days ago, right before the final team left the region. A week prior to that we had prayed it may be possible to have enough money to also provide food packs for the hundreds of refugee families coming to get these winter clothing items. For that to happen, we would need tens of thousands of dollars within a matter of days to adequately meet all the needs of the groups identified for help, specifically one group of 500 families that were either led by widows or wives whose husbands were away fighting ISIS. We certainly didn’t have it, but knew God could provide if He wanted to. The Bible says a lot about God caring for the widow and the orphan. Within a few days I received an e-mail from a Christian businessman in the region who had earlier mentioned he might want to help, but had since lost contact with us weeks ago. He apologized for not contacting us sooner, and wanted to immediately help the refugees if possible. Through this man the Lord answered our prayer and within almost a week from asking, provided beyond the amount needed for the food for the 500 families, and through other means that week the Lord provided for hundreds more families in a different part of Iraq to get food packs as well as the winter clothing.
The Yazidi Boy With Cancer Had Much-Needed Surgery
Many of you may remember Majid, the young Yazidi refugee with bone cancer who had a huge tumorous cyst on his left shoulder. The team continued to meet with Majid and his family and try to help advance the medical care situation for him. We tried every hospital we could think of in the United States to try and find a willing facility to treat him, from the Cleveland Clinic, to St. Jude’s, to local and regional children’s hospitals. We even had a brief inroad in a South African hospital as a potential receiving facility. But in the end every door was shut and no one could or would help. The boy got worse, and when he seemed on the verge of death a Swedish orthopedic surgeon from in the region coordinated for him to receive the much-needed amputation of the arm with the bone cancer. The surgery was a success, and the boy recovered strength and was able to go home. Pray for this boy and his family. He’s lost his home to ISIS and his arm to cancer, but God has yet spared his life.
God Will Determine The Next Chapter…
This phase of the winter relief is now effectively over, at least for our group, but we pray that God might raise up more laborers to go into this region to help. The need far outpaces any one ministry or relief group. If we had 100 laborers to enter into this region full time, not looking back, laboring amongst the refugees throughout the Middle East, it would still seem as a drop in the bucket to the over 3.7 million registered refugees in the region, and the millions of others who are not counted or known. Of the list of things Jesus did tell His disciples to pray for, laborers was one of them (Luke 10:2). Pray with us in this regard!
Thank you for reading these letters over the months, sharing them with others, and praying about these things. It has been a truly difficult, but truly blest, time of labor these past couple months. Though I do not know what God’s plans are for the future, I do know that right now there seems to be an open door, and a great need, and a call to some to keep helping in this region as they can. I will keep you all updated accordingly as future labors in the region unfold.
