Countering Hate With the Love of Christ NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN IRAQ, JORDAN, & LEBANON |  |
During a regional mission conference held in Istanbul in October I (Denny) reconnected with some old friends and made a few new ones, too! We had a good time catching up with each other, prayed together and spoke about ways we could better serve the Lord, share the Gospel, and help the refugees & IDP’s from Syria & Iraq. Americans Paul & Wendy Tilman live in Iraq and they introduced me to Elizabeth Hirmiz, a Syrian-American that spends her time ministering with refugees in both Iraq and Turkey. While all of us are willing to help any refugee that is in need, we all have a special place in our heart for Iraqi Christians. As a religious minority in Iraq, Christians have often faced persecution for their religious beliefs. More than two-thirds of the Christian population in Iraq fled the country after the American invasion in 2003 when their Muslim neighbors took the opportunity to persecute them. The Islamic State’s latest campaign is the most recent threat facing Iraq’s estimated 400,000 remaining Christians.
From the start of 2014 many of those who stayed have had to flee their homes only to become refugees and IDPs as Islamic State advances gained momentum in Christian regions. While we hope the leaders of the free world will subdue IS, we are waging our own campaign to counter their Islamic hate with the love of Christ! So, Paul, Wendy, and Elizabeth told me of a school in the Nahla Valley of northeastern Iraq, an area populated by Christians. The school had little funds, lots of kids, and needed a new roof. The school was built in a square shape of classrooms with an open courtyard in the center. Elizabeth reported that every time it rained or snowed the courtyard could not be used. The conditions make everyone miserable. The existing roof also leaked in several places. Could we help? Well, with God’s grace & the wonderful financial supporters of Dreams Alive we certainly could help!!! Paul hired a structural engineer and a local building crew. We all prayed that the work, which began in late November, would be completed before the first snows. Praise the Lord – the Mission was accomplished!
From the start of 2014 many of those who stayed have had to flee their homes only to become refugees and IDPs as Islamic State advances gained momentum in Christian regions. While we hope the leaders of the free world will subdue IS, we are waging our own campaign to counter their Islamic hate with the love of Christ! So, Paul, Wendy, and Elizabeth told me of a school in the Nahla Valley of northeastern Iraq, an area populated by Christians. The school had little funds, lots of kids, and needed a new roof. The school was built in a square shape of classrooms with an open courtyard in the center. Elizabeth reported that every time it rained or snowed the courtyard could not be used. The conditions make everyone miserable. The existing roof also leaked in several places. Could we help? Well, with God’s grace & the wonderful financial supporters of Dreams Alive we certainly could help!!! Paul hired a structural engineer and a local building crew. We all prayed that the work, which began in late November, would be completed before the first snows. Praise the Lord – the Mission was accomplished!
The Civil War in Syria has spilled over into Lebanon with fighting in the northeast and at least 1 million refugees flooding the nation. We are praying that the war will not last much longer; when it does end we hope to go and begin rebuilding, not just churches and homes, but
 | Christmas in Bahrain is wonderful. Yes, we miss family & friends but there is no lack of Christmas joy in this part of the world. Christmas trees are everywhere, everybody says Merry Christmas to us, and once again we caroled in the Bahrain Mall. Many of the Muslims have adopted Christmas as a family holiday celebrating the birth of the “prophet" Jesus, which gives us the opportunity to tell the birth story of God's "Son" Jesus. What more could we ask? As the old song goes, "Its a most wonderful time of the year." |
| The new roof on the school in the Nahla Valley, Northeastern Iraq; New Oasis Playground in Beirut  Meanwhile, we’re sharing the love of Jesus as best we can! In September Sue & I traveled to Lebanon with our friend Sabah. We found a Christian school and children’s home in need of financial help. |   |
sThe schools name is Dar Al Awlaad, which simply means “Home of Children” and they refer to the overall ministry as “Kids Alive.” A big need was a playground for the kindergarteners & early primary grades. After a short prayer we knew that Dreams Alive was going to provide that playground! Recently, I received a note from Director Joseph Ghattas: “The rest of the playground equipment finally came! The Oasis children are so excited about it! I've attached some pictures of the new play area. I would like to thank you again for your generous gift! Looking forward to seeing you when you're visiting Lebanon again.” That 'thank you' goes to YOU, our Dreams Alive friends.
Joseph also told me that if any of you want to bring a team to do a VBS style mission trip they would be more than happy to serve with you. They’re also in need of teachers. Write to me if interested.
Our third new partnership is with a young couple named Bri & Rachel. I met Bri several years ago at a mission conference in Florida. Meeting him in Istanbul was especially rewarding as he spoke of how I had inspired him to move to Jordan. Bri and Rachel just had their first child & they are primarily serving as evangelists. Recently they attended a big family dinner with some Muslim friends and wrote: “The dinner went great, thanks for praying. Men and women were separated, but my wife and a girl from our fellowship went and ate with the women, while two friends and I were with the men. We had a serious talk for almost two hours with the group of men, while the women were having good conversations too. I think the Holy Spirit's presence was as thick as the smoke from all the guys' cigarettes! We wanted to share about the Christmas story, but they asked so many questions we ended up sharing most of the main stories from Abraham to Jesus!”
We continue to support the work of Pastor Haythem in Jordan. Don’t forget our first Medical Missions Team is forming to go to our recently built clinic from April 1-8. If you’re a medical professional & would like to go please contact us!
Joseph also told me that if any of you want to bring a team to do a VBS style mission trip they would be more than happy to serve with you. They’re also in need of teachers. Write to me if interested.
Our third new partnership is with a young couple named Bri & Rachel. I met Bri several years ago at a mission conference in Florida. Meeting him in Istanbul was especially rewarding as he spoke of how I had inspired him to move to Jordan. Bri and Rachel just had their first child & they are primarily serving as evangelists. Recently they attended a big family dinner with some Muslim friends and wrote: “The dinner went great, thanks for praying. Men and women were separated, but my wife and a girl from our fellowship went and ate with the women, while two friends and I were with the men. We had a serious talk for almost two hours with the group of men, while the women were having good conversations too. I think the Holy Spirit's presence was as thick as the smoke from all the guys' cigarettes! We wanted to share about the Christmas story, but they asked so many questions we ended up sharing most of the main stories from Abraham to Jesus!”
We continue to support the work of Pastor Haythem in Jordan. Don’t forget our first Medical Missions Team is forming to go to our recently built clinic from April 1-8. If you’re a medical professional & would like to go please contact us!
Sue sends her gratitude to all who prayed for her during her recent gall bladder surgery. It slowed her down, but if you know Sue – it won’t keep her down! We are also in the middle of negotiations for a new worship center in Bahrain. This is an exciting “venture if faith” That will give us more room for the Kids Church, a permanent worship home, and possibly a Mission Training Center!!! Of course none of these things happen without our supporters on the Dreams Alive Team. Thank you for your love and friendship! For more recent updates see our webpage: www.thearabamericanalliance.com
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