Vernon's Blog

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas was meant to change the world, and this year, you have helped us to do just that.

Thank you for meeting the needs of hurting people around the world. Through your help, we have been able to share the hope found only in Jesus Christ.

May you and your family have a blessed holiday,and may God continue to use you to change the world.

My mother, Vivian Brewer, went to be with the Lord this past March. As my sisters were going through her personal effects, they found this poem in her Christmas file. If you have lost someone close this year, I hope it will be an encouragement.

My First Christmas in Heaven
Author Unknown

I’ve had my first Christmas in Heaven,
What a glorious wonderful day.
I stood with the Saints of all ages,
Who found Christ, the Truth, and the Way.

I sang with the Heavenly choir, and how I love to sing.
And oh what celestial music we brought,
To Christ, our Savior and King.

We sang the glad songs of redemption,
How Jesus to Bethlehem came.
And how they had called His name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His name.

We sang once again with the angels,
The song that they spoke that last morn.
When shepherds first heard the glad story,
That Jesus the Savior was born.

Oh dear ones, I wish you had been there,
No Christmas on earth could compare,
With all the rapture and glory we witnessed so fair.

You know how I always loved Christmas,
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all the children around me,
And decorations to brighten the day.

Yes, now I can see why I love it,
And oh what a joy it will be,
When you and my loved ones are with me,
To share the rich glories I see.

So dear ones on earth here are my greetings,
Look up as the dawn appears,
And oh, what a Christmas awaits us,
Beyond our parting tears.

I’ll be waiting for you dear ones, in Heaven!
God is Working in Iraq

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I just returned home last night from an incredible and extremely encouraging trip to Iraq. A couple days ago, I was in Erbil, not far from the biblical city of Nineveh. Erbil is in Northern Iraq (the autonomous region of Kurdistan). We were in the cradle of civilization, where the Bible and our history began. Even though the evidences of war surrounded us, it is amazing to see how God is working.

We visited a church that World Help had a part in providing. It’s unbelievable to see what this church is now doing. They have 80 believers worshipping each week. They have also established 15 house churches throughout the area, with over 1,800 new Christ followers. In this part of the world, this is unheard of.

I had the awesome privilege of participating in a baptismal service where 15 Kurdish Iranian converts were baptized. The service was held at a local indoor swimming pool. One of those being baptized was the pastor. He has only been a believer for a short time, yet he is already assuming the responsibilities of a pastor while he is in training. This was my first time not only to baptize Iranian converts, but to baptize a pastor . . . it was truly amazing. The faces of these new believers were filled with joy and excitement.

World Help’s Senior Vice President Tom Thompson was involved in the training of 28 church leaders from Baghdad. They were there for a 3-day conference studying church leadership. Tom shared biblical principles from Matthew 26, “Making a Difference as a Leader.” His teaching was followed by a time of questions and answers. These leaders and church planters were so encouraged and grateful by what he had to share.

We also had the opportunity to worship in a house church with about 30 believers. Teams of leaders from this church are disciplining new Christ followers in four different cities. Once a month, two young leaders from the church smuggle Bibles into Iran. They don’t even own a car but take a taxi to the border at their own expense. They must work several days a week as day laborers to earn enough money to pay for the taxi. In just the past couple of months, these two committed young men have smuggled 3,000 New Testaments into Iran. They told us that thousands upon thousands within the oppressed borders of Iran are in need of the Gospel and welcome it with open arms.

Everywhere we went the request was the same . . . “We need more Bibles.” They are completely out and are asking us to help them. One believer told me that his Bible is his most precious possession.

I believe that Christmas is a time that was meant to change the world and this Christmas, it is clear that God is changing Iraq.
Vernon Brewer Meets with the President of Iraq

Thursday, December 04, 2008

On a clear March morning, little seven-year-old Sarko boarded his school bus in the city of Halabja, Iraq. On his way to school, Sarko’s bus was hit with a chemical bomb. He and his schoolmates were enveloped in a cloud of poisonous gas. Iraqi fighter jets began dropping chemical bombs all across Halabja, through the direct order of Saddam Hussein. It would later be described as the largest single chemical attack in history.

In a moment, the entire town was wiped out. The few who didn’t die instantly suffered horrible injuries and either lost their lives shortly thereafter or were left with life-long debilitating injuries. Little Sarko was the only child to survive on his bus.

He was left blind, disfigured, and crippled. He lost both his legs and stayed in a hospital in Iran for months, never knowing what happened to his family. Eventually he was released—an orphan with no home.

Today, I’m in Iraq and walking through Halabja with Sarko at my side. He is now a Christian and dedicated to helping those still affected by the attacks, just as I am. We came to a cemetery where over 6,000 victims are buried, often an entire family to a single grave.

I am here to meet with government officials who are asking us to help rebuild lives in Iraq. I met with the Governor of Halabja who on the spot graciously donated a piece of land valued at $500,000. His request was that the land be used for a complete physical and spiritual rehabilitation center for children still affected by the attacks.

I also met with the First Lady, her Excellency Hero Talabani. She is a very compassionate woman who has been working with orphans diseased from the continuing effects of the chemical attacks. I told her I had just been to Halabja and saw the memorial and cemetery. She said there were hundreds of villages in Iraq that have thousands buried, many in mass unmarked graves. In fact, Saddam Hussein murdered 200,000 of his own people with chemical weapons.

She was visibly moved when she spoke of the children that are still suffering. Cancer is one of the biggest problems due to the residual chemicals and thousands of children are left without the medical care they need. I told them I was a cancer survivor and I understood how proper medical care can mean the difference between life and death.

Madam Talabani shared with me that there are thousands of children who have been orphaned through war and are in need of sponsorship. She thanked me for bringing hope to Iraq. I could not help but think of World Help’s vision statement to bring help for today and hope for tomorrow.

I also had the opportunity to meet with the President of Iraq, his Excellency Jalal Talabani and several members of his cabinet at his private residence. President Talabani thanked me for all we are doing to help the children. He also thanked America for liberating Iraq from the worst kind of dictatorship.

I shared with the President that there were many Americans who supported him and were praying for him. I told him I was praying for peace in Iraq.

As I walked out of his residence, my thoughts went back to standing in the cemetery with Sarko. I silently prayed for the children of Iraq.

I am asking you to please join me in praying for:

* the Iraqi people who face insurmountable hardships every day, especially the children

* President Talabani that God will give him wisdom to lead and unite the three factions of Iraqis

* true peace in Iraq
Breaking News from the Middle East

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Because of security concerns I cannot tell you the exact location where I am today. Also I cannot use the real names or show the photos of the people we met with. I can tell you that I’m in a country near Iran where there are several hundred thousand Iranian refugees. Most of them were forced to flee Iran due to severe persecution.

Last night Skip Taylor, Tom Thompson, myself, and several members of our World Help team met for 4 hours, in a secluded location, with over 20 pastors and students. Many of them were from Iran.

We listened to their stories of oppression. We realized they had paid a great price for their faith. They were there for 3 months of intensive training, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. They want to become church planters and effective leaders. They are also studying new methods to share their faith.

Every evening they go out on the streets, coffee shops and internet cafes, to establish friendships with other Iranian refugees. Once this is done they give them a copy of the New Testament as a gift. It is a new translation in today’s Farsi Language. Sometimes it takes months of searching and questioning before they come to faith, but they are doing so by the hundreds.

One young man told me that he left Iran 4 years ago. When someone gave him a New Testament he immediately started reading it. Every time he came to something he didn’t understand or disagreed with he wrote it down. He said, “My research was intense. I was always asking questions. After 3 years of searching I gave my life to Christ. When my father found out, in Iran, he disowned me and told me to never come back home.”

My friend has only been a Christian for a year, but he has already brought many other Iranian refugees to Christ. He is also preparing to be a pastor. His testimony alone is impacting everyone he comes in contact with.

The students had just received a new shipment of Farsi New Testaments a few days before we arrived. I had the honor to open the first box and dedicate the Bibles, praying for the distribution teams. These were Bibles that our World Help supporters provided. As I closed my eyes I tried to imagine who would be receiving each one of these New Testaments and how many new Christ followers there would be.

They told me they distributed approximately 7,000 in just 3 months. It will not be long until the new shipment is gone.

They asked me to please provide more New Testaments. I promised them we would. Hearts are being touched, lives are being changed, and hundreds of Iranian refugees are coming to Christ, more than any other time in history.
Hands and Feet in Uganda

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

My friends, it is a new day in Africa and for me . . . a new country. I am in beautiful Uganda, neighboring Rwanda just to the North East.

I came here to Uganda to meet with the First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni as well as our local partners and area pastors.

I met with First Lady Museveni yesterday here in the capital of Uganda, Kampala. I have to tell you, I was received with so much warmth and friendliness. We sat and spoke at length about the problems facing the people of Uganda and how World Help could partner where they need it most.

She is genuinely passionate about helping orphans and eradicating the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The First Lady explained that while HIV/AIDS infection rates had been declining, they are back on the rise. She told me that she is committed to doing all she can to eradicate this disease from her people.

She thanked me for being the hands and feet of Jesus to the people of Uganda.

I had the honor of presenting her with Children of Hope, the book I wrote with my daughter, Noel Yeatts. This book tells the story of children in northern Uganda, forced into being soldiers for rebel forces . . . some as young as 6 and 7 years old. It also tells the heart-breaking story of child mothers, and HIV/AIDS affected orphans.

This morning I addressed a large gathering of Ugandan pastors. I was still so jet lagged; it was 3 in the morning U.S. time. I told them that I was going to tell everyone at home that I had preached all night!

But in all seriousness, I spoke to them about compassion. Specifically, how important compassion is in the HIV/AIDS crisis. I told them that as pastors they needed to be reaching others for Jesus because you can’t change someone’s behavior, until Jesus changes their heart. That is when abstinence and monogamy become the new standards.

I also explained to them that it should be they who champion these values first and foremost, not the government and schools.

You know, I based my text on the story of the Good Samaritan. The reason is because the necessity and command for compassion is not just to the Jew for the Samaritan. It is not just to the Ugandan Government to the HIV/AIDS infected orphan. It is to you and me and the entire world . . . for everyone else.

It is because compassion has no borders, it has no fear, and it has no end.