Rescue Iraq

Journey into the Desert

A couple days ago Abdullah called me up and said, "Hey Billy, I want to show you my villlage and the place where I was born." So, we loaded up the cars with our families and headed down south. Abdullah phoned ahead to his cousin, the local leader of the village, who invited us to have lunch with him. Hitting two birds with one stone, we decided to fill our trunks with Samaritan's Purse boxes and hand them out at the local school as well.

As we were driving out of town the landscape opened up and leveled off revealing acres and acres of green fields stretching to the horizon. Sometimes in the big city of Erbil (population 1,000,000+) we forget there's a farming world out here. But, as we go over the next ridge line the green abruptly ends and endless brown, sandy hills take over. Abdullah pulls off to the side of the road as we approach a huge mound with hundreds if not thousands of graves all around and on top of it.

"In this cemetery," he states, "lies my father. We wanted to bury him in his home village, but because of Arabization and Saddam's forces we had to bury him here. They would not let us travel back to our homeland."

After another few miles we stop again, Abdullah continues,"Here, at this point, is where coalition forces bombed their own convoy killing not just American and Kurdish soliders but severely disabling Barzani's [the leader of Iraqi-Kurdistan] own brother." More on that here.

As we break off the main drag, we draw closer to Abdullah's village. Pointing to the ridge line running parallel with our course, Abdullah says, "This is all petrol. Full of petrol." No wonder Saddam wanted this land so badly.

Pulling into the village we head directly to the school -- perhaps the largest building in the community.
The boys were happy to help with distributing the Samaritan's Purse boxes,



 and the local children were all smiles in receiving them.

 

After the school we head on to the remains of Abdullah's family's village, long since blown away by neglect and the help of desert winds.

Abdullah just walks up and down the small hills recalling to mind what used to be: A healthy vibrant Kurdish village, the seat actually of his tribe with authority over miles in each direction, now just hardly distinct from the desert that has claimed it.

These are the last remains of the 'palace' of the tribal leader.

Just within view is a refinery seeking to coax the treasures of the earth above ground.

 

The fires remind one of many things. To the Kurds, fire is a huge part of their culture and the celebration of the New Year coming on March 21st. For thousands of years the Kurds have resided in these hills and cultivated these lands.

Saddam's policy of Arabization drove them from their homelands and nearly wiped them out, as we recall on this 16th day of March.

After a wonderful meal with Abdullah's cousin, we head on to the nearest city to see the actual place that Abdullah was born. The house, of course, has changed hands since he last lived there, but all proud and smiles is Abdullah and family as they take time to remember their heritage by taking a journey into the desert. I feel so privileged to share in these special places in Abdullah's life and in the history of his people.

 

Day 4-5: Tour of the Holy Land

Days 4 and 5 of our tour took us up to the Gallilee region where we spent time at the traditional sights of the Sermon on the Mount and Peter's mother's house in Capernaum, finishing up with some time at Caesarea along the Mediterranean coast. I've always enjoyed the Gallilee region far from the hussle and bussle of the streets of Jerusalem, it affords one those times of contempletory thought that makes one go to the Holy Land to begin with.

Still, at this point, the most significant experience I have had took place on Day 3 at Caiaphas' House within walking distance of the temple mount in Jerusalem. They've excavated underneath his house to find several cell blocks where they are almost certain that Peter, John, and even Jesus would have been imprisoned or faced beatings.

To think that the High Priest of Israel would have his own personal jail beneath his house goes to show you just how far away from God's laws the Sanhedrin had wandered. It was only the fact that they wanted Jesus dead that they sought the public trial with Pilate. Otherwise, Caiaphas for sure would have dealt with this up start on his own.

Touching the stones of those cells deep beneath the ground I imagined the apostles contemplating, "We have been found worthy to suffer for Jesus -- in the same cells in which He was held." As you recall, Peter and John left the prison spurned on by joy in the Holy Spirit.

To suffer for the name of Christ, perhaps there can be no greater joy in this world overcoming every adversary, even death itself.

Now, we're off for Istanbul to meet with a partner church from Moldovia that is doing some excellent work rescuing children from the trafficking industry. On Sunday, I'll be preaching to a Moldavian congregation in Istanbul... please pray for God's words to be granted me for the encouragement of the saints there.

Day 3: Tour of the Holy Land

Day 3 was filled to the brim with activity as we set out once again nice and early to view the city from atop the Mount of Olives. Then, over the next several hours we made our way down into the Kidron Valley, past the Garden of Gathsemene, up to Caiaphas' House, and finally to the Armenian Quarter for lunch inside the Zion Gate.

Day 2: Holy Land Tour

Getting up bright and early this morning we headed to the Temple Mount to see the Dome of the Rock.It's kind of hard not to take a jillion photos of the Dome of the Rock especially on the clear day that we had today.

Afterwards, we headed to the Temple Institute to learn about how they might build the 3rd temple... interesting. They said that they need to simply lift up the Dome of Rock, pictured above, to make room for the new temple. Now, doesn't that sound easy.

Then, we walked over to the Garden Tomb to experience a worship service there in celebration of the grand opening of a new Prayer Center in the heart of Jerusalem.

The bulk of the rest of the day was spent at the new Prayer Center just a few blocks away from the Damascus Gate. I can't tell you what a good job they've done there to make it truly a house of prayer for all nations.

While at the grand opening I ran yet again into a member of the esteemed organization Shevet Akim that brings Iraqi children with heart defects to Israel or Jordan for restorative heart surgeries. Because of our experience with Jonathan, this ministry has really touched my heart and have been quite glad to meet some of those involved.

Day 1: Tour of the Holy Land

On Sunday morning at 1:15 I awoke early to catch our 4am flight to Jordan. By 3:35am we were in the air, I suppose we didn't leave anyone behind. By 5:10am we landed in Jordan and began a 13 hour vigil before our final flight to Israel. Safely arriving in Israel after a lenghty 25 minute flight, I engaged in yet one more bitter struggle against the clock having just 3hrs. of sleep in the previous 48hrs: the passport security office in Tel Aviv.

No one blames Israel for being completely thorough in their tenacious drive to secure their borders, but, no one likes to experience it first hand.

After nearly 150 minutes and several 'interviews' (read - questioning), I was finally allowed into the Holy Land, by then, I could have hardly cared where I was going just so I wasn't waiting any longer.

Arriving at the hotel and ready to flop into bed, we found that there was only one double bed. Grown men have been known to cry for less, but an hour later a rollaway was miraculously discovered and my head finally got the rest it deserved.

Jumping out of bed Monday morning feeling thoroughly refreshed we made a full day of it visiting the new Prayer Center (opening tomorrow with much fanfare), Masada, Qumran (where the Dead Sea scrolls were found), and the Old City including the Western Wall or Wailing Wall.

Check out more pics by clicking here or clicking on the photo album in the left-hand column.

 

 

An African Adventure

Stepping into Africa one would suppose that there is a sign above the entrance that says, “Welcome to Africa, Extroverts Only”, such is this country blooming with excitement, spontaneous outbursts of affection, and high octane fun.

We found no lack of affection in Equatorial Africa as we trekked through Nairobi Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, and on to Uganda, with it’s beautiful lush jungles and the source of the Nile River as it flows from Lake Victoria (the largest lake in Africa and largest tropical lake in the world).

  But, we didn’t just come to see the sights. We came to touch the lives of children forsaken or abandoned by their parents, to offer a bit of hope to a hopeless generation riddled with the ravages of HIV/AIDS and malaria.

I have never been on such a diverse trip. We visited the biggest slums of Africa in Nairobi, then, visited the churches that are rescuing the orphans right out of those same slums. The contrasts were simply amazing.

We set up free medical clinics in partnership with World Orphan’s church partners in the area, helping parents and children alike with simple vaccines, but more importantly testing for HIV/AIDS.

We were also able to put on a couple sports camps for the orphans and a couple arts classes that were a big hit with the kids.

In Uganda, we got to participate in a Crusade drawing a crowd of over 2,000 people. Over a hundred Ugandans gave their lives to Christ that night.

On one of our last days we were able to baptize one of our own team members who had never taken that step before right on the very spot where Lake Victoria flows into the Nile River (the acclaimed ‘source of the Nile’).

Our days were a blur of activity as we sought to build up and partner with the local churches in ministry to their own.

And to wrap up our trip we were able to experience a true African Safari and a visit to the first rapids of the Nile.

Africa tugs at your heart in a variety of ways. The sheer beauty of the Great Rift Valley, the tropical gardens of Uganda, and the serenity of a boat ride on Lake Victoria are experiences that I will not soon forget.

But, perhaps the most compelling image I left with apart from the spectacular visual displays were the kids clamoring all over you, tugging at your arms and hands, striving for affection that is missing in their worlds.

Being a "Mzungu" or white person, the children loved to just feel the hair on my arms and never tired of being close to me. It's true. Africa is for extroverts. If you ever happen to get the opportunity to go, make sure you leave your 'introvert' hat behind. You'll be glad you did.

For a few more specific stories of my time in Africa just scroll down or click on the following links: ‘Revolution’, ‘A Story from Africa’, ‘Back from Africa’.  For a slideshow of my best pics click here.

A Story from Africa

In the year 2000, at the age of 50, a man named Paul went to a local medical clinic to get tested for HIV. The result shook his world. Married with children, Paul could think of nothing else but the desire to one day see his own kids grow up to start families of their own.

In his desperation he prayed a simple prayer, though, prayer up till that point had never been something that he had been accused of practicing before. “God if you are real, then please let me live to see my children’s children.”

Back then, those with HIV were not expected to live but a few months. Education was slim, and for all he knew, Paul thought he would not make it past the year.

Now, 8 years later, Paul has indeed seen his first grandchild and rejoices at the chance that God gave to him, but still something was missing.

On our first trip to one of the largest slums in all of Africa, with an armed guard at our side, we were led to Paul’s house.

World Orphan’s church partner, Fountain of Life Church, had been cultivating a relationship with Paul and his wife, Mary, for some time. They live in a one room shack with a single light bulb attached at the ‘ceiling’.

Paul spends his days cooking in the front of his house in order to make a living. If he sells everything he makes in a given day, he earns just $2.50.

After talking with Paul and Mary, hearing a bit of their story, one of our group, Scott Vair, felt bold enough to ask our translator, Lameck, to ask him if he was a believer or not. Lameck asked him, and Paul responded:

“I’m not a Christian, but I do believe in God. I had been an atheist all my life until 8 years ago. After learning that I had HIV, I prayed to God and asked him, that if He was real if He would please allow me to see my first grandchild before I died… He has answered my prayer now, so I know that He must be real.”

Once Lameck heard Paul’s response he immediately asked him, “Paul, what are you waiting for? God has shown Himself real to you through answering your prayer, so why don’t you accept Him into your life?”

After a long pause, Paul agreed and said, “Yes, I would like to become a Christian.” Lameck nudged me and said, “Why don’t you pray with him to become a believer. He says that he is ready now.”

So, on my first visit to the inner slums of Africa, in the first home we visited, I got to pray with Paul to received Christ.

Lameck then, encouraged Paul and said that we would have the pastor come by and visit with him some more.

It’s amazing what God can use to bring sinners to repentance, any of us to repentance. I am just glad that brother Paul did not wait an extra day to get his life right with his God.

Everywhere we go God is working on individual’s lives, and we have no idea at what stage someone is at, unless we happen to ask. I’m sure happy Scott spoke up that day and asked the question that needed to be asked, helping Paul see his need for a Savior bringing salvation to the hopeless.

Paul's story is one of the good cases out there. Presently, there are over 14 million children left parentless due to HIV/AIDS, most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pray with us that the Gospel continues to penetrate even to those without hope, and that the church rises up to tackle one of the biggest epidemics of our time.

Revolution

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (I Corin. 1:3-4)

I got the chance to see this verse lived out amongst the orphans of Nairobi, Kenya.

Some years ago World Orphans partnered with a church called Fountain of Life that was ministering in one of the largest slums in Africa.

As their ministry progressed they stumbled upon child after child that was abandoned either through the loss of their parents because of sickness or disease, or through deliberate neglect. The church was able to step in with some financial help from World Orphans and take in over 30 boys whose parents were no where to be found.

These boys are now being raised outside the slum next to the church in quarters where loving adult families raise and take care of them.

One late afternoon, we packed up the bus and headed out bringing many of the orphan boys along with us. We headed back to the very slum that they had come from.

It’s hard to believe the transformation that has been wrought in so little time in these kids’ lives. Now, returning to the slum, they would easily be considered ‘outsiders’, because they have hope in their eyes, clean clothes to wear, and a smile on their faces.

They led us to a make shift kids' home overcrowded with 60 children crammed into its small structure. They passed out Bibles, sang some songs, and encouraged the children that may have even been their neighbors months or even years ago.

Their prayers for these children reminded me of the verse above, and I reflected: “If a generation of children learns at such an early age to comfort those in trouble with the comfort that they themselves have received, nothing less than a revolution is in store for Kenya.”

This example could not more clearly represent World Orphans’ goals to bring comfort to the afflicted, defend the cause of the fatherless, and in the process strengthen the church and revolutionize communities all over the world. I was touched to the core.

Pray with us that the orphans’ lives we encounter will know the comfort of God and, in turn, comfort those in any trouble with the comfort they themselves have received.

Back from Africa

Just returning from 12 days in Kenya and Uganda. I met up with World Orphan's staff and 12 others from the States in Nairobi to encourage our church partners in these countries, to join in the work of caring for the orphans, and to become better acquainted with WO's work around the world.

I'll share more of our time there, and the lessons I learned on this trip after I get a little rest. The conditions we stayed in were quite primitive in Uganda with one of our team contracting malaria, but all in all God kept us strong and healthy able to touch the lives of the orphans in these areas.

Below are some pics from our trip. If you'd like to view more click here.[make sure to click the 'show captions' option to get a description of each photo]

 

Journey 117 Launched

 

Journey 117 is a bold new initiative about going, serving, and mobilizing to truly impact churches, children, and communities all over the world with the hope of the Gospel.

In collaboration with World Orphans, Journey 117 hopes to bring together the comfortless and the comfortable to see each church, each child, each community touched with the tender compassion of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Inspired by the verses Isaiah 1:17 and Psalm 117, Journey 117 is about joining in the mission of God on a journey of hope, restoration, and healing touching the orphans of our world and in the process reaching churches and whole communities for the cause of Christ.

Won't you join us on the JOURNEY. Click here for more.