Responding to Children in the Middle East With Medical Needs

Last month we shared the medical needs of two of the children in our N. Iraq Child Sponsorship Program. Your response has been so heartwarming! Several of our ministry partners immediately responded to help these children. We’d like to share with you one of the good stories:

We asked and you prayed for these children and many of you gave to the new fund, “Children’s Medical Emergencies.” Marta’s care of $2500 to replace her glass eye (she lost her eye to cancer a few years ago) has been covered. The $1000 for Esther’s surgery (see below) has not yet been fully covered. The goal is to raise $10,000 for this fund to help medical needs of other children we minister to as they arise. We’ll keep you updated.

Wednesday, April 7: Tonight John, Fadi (one of our Iraqi team) and I sat with “Esther,” (not her real name) who had emergency abdominal surgery. She almost died last month; the one huge cyst/tumor on her uterus had already burst when she arrived at the emergency room, a second was ready to burst. Needless to say, her situation was dire, but thankfully she received the medical care she needed and is recovering.

She and her brother (right next to her mom) were some of our FIRST kids in our Child Sponsorship Program in Northern Iraq in 2017. IMI helped them with aid when they left Mosul in 2014, as they lived in a tent, then moved into an apartment with seven other families, and they live a home with three generations living together. Because of the generous donations YOU have given, our IMI family, we were able to give the mother the full amount for the surgery which they didn’t have the resources for. We gave Esther a Bible which brought a very big smile to her face. John shared with her where to read to deepen her faith as she becomes familiar with her Bible. She listened carefully and shyly thanked us several times.

Esther’s father works as a security guard making $340 a month, not enough to take care of his family, but is is part of their ongoing survival. With food prices skyrocketing here, the food they receive from the Indigenous Ministries Child Sponsorship Program is vital and they are deeply grateful. Esther’s father balances the three children on his small motorcycle as he drives them on a dangerous, busy highway to school 10 miles away…there are closer schools but as refugees they’re not permitted to attend those.  Before we left, Esther’s mother, who was quiet for most of our visit, spoke. She wanted us to know that the backpacks, school supplies and uniforms from IM are so appreciated…they enable them to attend school.

Mixed emotions always wash over us after a visit to a home like this: on one hand we’re glad that Esther is alright, and so privileged that God met a need for them through this ministry, and yet obviously our hearts can’t help but be heavy at the burdens they carry. It begs the question: is it enough? We rest that question in the Lord’s hands, because he is the one we give those burdens to; they are too much for any one to carry. So when this family received a visit tonight from us, they were greatly encouraged in the Lord. For our praying ministry partners and sponsors…you were there too. God is using you to bring the light of his presence to those in need of hearing the Good News and receiving help. Thank you.

If you’d like to donate to this fund, visit the Indigenous Ministries website, indigenousministries.org, and on the right you’ll see a tab “Projects for Children in Crisis,” click on the link, “Help With Emergency Medical Care.” God bless you.