Dear Friends, I recently returned from two weeks in the earthquake zone in Turkey. I want to update you on what we saw and did, but first I want to thank each of you who have given and prayed. Your generosity and intercession are making a real difference for our partners on the [...]
Sustainable Living in Iraq This isn’t about what you think it’s about. Sorry? Too often we associate “sustainable living” with recycling, cutting emissions, gardening, and getting rid of single use plastics. But what about living in a way that we are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually able to sustain for the long term? One of the [...]
What is the Chaldean Church? (Part 1) Hannah teaches Colleen about the origins of the Chaldean Church in this, the first episode of THREE episodes on the history and beliefs of the Chaldean Church. The splits, lines, and practices help illustrate how the Christian community in Iraq came to be there and their long history [...]
What's it like going to church in Northern Iraq? Colleen and Hannah talk about what "going to church" looked like in Iraq. A lot of people have questions about this and a lot of preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian living in a pre-dominantly Muslim country. Learn [...]
Remember our Kubba Video? We just pulled some out of the freezer this week. It's a great quick and easy dinner option at this point! We recently got some new photos of the ladies working and another update on the progress of their business. If you remember, we met some Christian ladies in Iraq whose [...]
1996-2000 Adapting to Change In the years 1996-2000, Servant Group staff and volunteers learned to adapt, a great quality to possess in any cross-cultural service. In Nashville, that meant a new approach to interfacing with the existing Kurdish community and a new platform for welcoming thousands of those newly arrived. Internationally, that meant responding to [...]
Elizabeth was part of our team living in Athens for two months this summer. I have been back in America for a week now, and my thoughts are constantly returning to the friends I left in Athens. So many of these moments and relationships are cherished in my heart – many of them in a [...]
By Andy McNeely Today was filled with emotions as so much of the trip has been. Sorrow for the plight of the homeless refugees, joy with our new Syrian friends, and shock at the ability of people to survive. The most recurring emotion I have had over the duration of our trip has been that [...]
There are candles lit in the living room, the wind is howling outside and we had a snow day last week. Were it not for the constancy of baklava and old men in huge pants, I could think I was in the US. (Though, honestly, my city in the US has baklava and big pantsed-men in spades.) This [...]
I served with a Servant Group International team on a Greek island. Each day we accompanied approximately 1,000 refugees arriving on the northern coast. The refugees arrive on shore wet, hungry, thirsty, exhausted and frequently in shock from the 6-mile journey. Most have been displaced from their homes for at least a month – many [...]
