One Refugee Family’s Story of Transformation in Christ

As this plant thrives in crevices, so too the Church is on the grow and thriving in difficult areas globally. The fields truly are white with the Harvest, which are waiting for workers.

Abu-Abdullah, an Iraqi Muslim, watched as his beloved country continued to be torn apart by the sects of his religion. He was an engineer in the oil fields of Samawah and because of the turmoil in his country and infighting of religious and political arenas after the war he set his sights on immigrating to the Netherlands.

He sent his family to Syria thinking they would be safer there as they awaited permission for immigration. Things went from bad to worse as the situation in Syria deteriorated and his family’s safety became unstable. Their nightmare continued as immigration officers told Abu-Abdullah that his request was denied. Not wanting to return to the unsettled and disputed areas of Iraq, he once again uprooted his exhausted family, this time to quieter northern Iraq.

There, in a refugee camp, they met Pastor S., and in their discouraged state he prayed for them. They developed a relationship with our pastor and his wife, and soon responded to the love of Jesus Christ. What a transformation that took place in his life and that of his family! They are now serving in the church and assisting where ever needed, especially with refugees. Often refugees state, “only the Christians care and help us – why do they do this?”

Think with me a moment, what if…. what if the Lord had not placed Pastor S. in northern Iraq? What if this pastor had decided to emigrate out of Iraq along with so many others? IM’s Global Church Planting Initiative is directly impacting many thousands each month for Christ in the Middle East by keeping pastors in-country and caring for their needs.