From the Field | God Has Not Forgotten Iraq

I’ve spent this past week in the broken nation of Iraq, where World Help teams are working around the clock to reach children, persecuted Christians, Yazidis, and so many others in dire need of care and support.

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq is a crushing blow to its future. Millions of people are displaced, without any way to make a living or plan for what’s next. Their lives hang in the balance, fighting every day for survival, stability . . . for hope.

As ISIS continues to gain ground and inflict unthinkable evil on families and innocent lives, it’s hard not to wonder, what difference can we possibly make?

But I want to set the record straight: There is hope. God has not forgotten Iraq.

This week I watched as refugee women used small enterprise training to secure healthy sales and earn a living for their families.

I listened to teachers explain how their students were overcoming trauma through the safety and stability of their classrooms.

I observed as men and women kissed their own copies of the Word of God after being forced to leave their Bibles behind when they fled from ISIS.

I shook the hands of dozens of refugees who were overwhelmed by the care they received through World Help programs.

You’ve read the stories and seen the videos. Hope is spreading through Iraq . . . one life at a time. God is moving here among these people—it’s undeniable.

And I believe He’s calling the Church to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to Iraqis. Yes, the situation in this country is overwhelming . . . but we can do something about it. We must do something about it.

If you have been following along, unsure of how you can help, I want to challenge you to move from being an observer to an intercessor. There are several ways you can become involved:

1. Give to provide refugees with the resources, opportunities, and support they so desperately need right now. Learn more about the ways World Help is interceding at worldhelp.net/crisis.
2. Talk about the needs, and what God is doing in Iraq. Help us spread the word by sharing the stories and videos from Iraq on your social media platforms. We’ve made it easier than ever to share on Facebook, Twitter, and more.
3. Pray for Iraqi refugees. Pray for the families who are vulnerable this winter. Pray for our partners working on the ground. Ask God that many will step forward in answer to the pleas of desperate Iraqis.

Winter is coming. If we don’t act today, helpless individuals will die. Please partner with World Help to share hope with some of the earth’s most hopeless people.

I truly believe the modern Church has been called to “such a time as this.”

Take action today. Don’t wait. May we care for our brothers and sisters in Iraq as we would care for our own families. God is waiting to use you to transform lives.