Last year thousands of families in Iraq lost their homes to ISIS and fled to nearby refugee camps. Our teams in Iraq have been working hard to love and serve these families. Today, ISIS has been pushed back and we are excited to help the first of these families return to their homes. To help, [...]
The vastness of Kurdish hospitality floors me. If you go to someone’s house they give you the best food, the best seat, and make you eat everything until you don’t think you’ll be able to move. They aren’t satisfied with you being at their house for an hour, you should be there for three… minimum. [...]
My home in Iraq was flooded with refugees. In less than 3 months the population doubled. There were estimates of over 2 million refugees living around us – in empty schools, unfinished buildings, and, if they were lucky, in someone’s home. Most of them were not so lucky and there was great debate over what to [...]
One of the many lives impacted by our teams in Iraq is this one. Kajan, a teenage girl at one of our schools. Hear her perspective on what her teachers from the United States have brought her. I need more and new Americans to come. With them I explore more, learn more, and love school more. Everything [...]
WORLD Magazine has just named our refugee school in Iraq as the International Winner of its annual Hope Award. We are so glad to have been a part of this project and to have so many of you joining with us to bring hope in the shadow of ISIS. 2015 Hope Award International Winner: Khanke Refugee School, Iraq [...]
We now have five teams serving in Iraq: at each Medes School serving over 3000 students, in refugee camps serving Yazidi, Ka’kai and Christian families, an English training center, and a prison ministry partnership.
Despite hopes to return to their villages later this year, most of the 4 million refugees in Iraq will probably have to remain in the camps for much longer. In Iraq, we’ve been asked to help start a third “Shepherd School” in yet another refugee camp. We’ll keep you updated as this moves forward! Our [...]
"I will miss the good-byes and "see you tomorrows!" at the end of the day, and the good morning cheek kisses at the beginning."
"I will miss encouraging another teacher when they are discouraged about the same group of kids that has recently been driving me crazy."
There are many families spread out in various types of homes throughout Iraq and the surrounding areas. In one major city, twenty-two families are living in an old church building, sharing three washing machines, four cooking stoves and couple showers. The auditorium, hallways and stairs are draped with striped canvas to divide small living areas. [...]
