Iraq Partnership - July 2021 Update
A new Presbyterian congregation gathers in Erbil
Within a week of hearing that a crucial generator for the Kirkuk Presbyterian Church had failed, The Outreach Foundation was able to supply funds to allow for the installation of a new one. Rev. Haitham Jazrawi sent the following letter of thanks, along with exciting glimpses of how God is renewing the Church’s presence in Iraq…
Marilyn Borst, Associate Director for Partnership Development
July 18, 2021
Dear Sister Marilyn,
Greetings and Peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to write to you today to share both my gratitude and appreciation for your (and The Outreach Foundation’s) continued support to us over the years, and to also share some reflections I’ve had over your most recent gift to us this summer.
I know that to many people, the idea of supporting Christian ministry by providing funds for power generators might not be immediately obvious. It might even seem unusual, or dare I say wasteful. But if you’ll allow me, I’d like to share why the most recent financial gift you sent us weeks ago has been, in a way, one of the most critical gifts we’ve received in order to maintain and build upon the work we’ve started since we first met almost 2 decades ago.
As you know from your previous visits to Iraq, the temperatures in the summer months are unforgiving. In 2021, Kirkuk has recorded temperatures as high as 49 degrees Centigrade (or 120 degrees Fahrenheit) in the shade. I want to stress that this is the temperature in the shade, and not directly under the sun. We haven’t even arrived at August yet, which is typically the hottest month in Iraq.
Iraq’s public infrastructure has been marred by neglect, disrepair, and corruption since the start of the War of 2003. We’re currently averaging 7-8 hours a day of public utility electricity, provided at 1-2-3- hour increments throughout the day. The other hours, we (as citizens) are left without electricity. Simply put, surviving Iraq’s summers without steady electricity is nearly impossible. The church compound, which contains the main worship hall and its axillary rooms, church offices and church apartments, the guard’s residence, the pastor’s residence, the radio station, and the children’s Sunday School rooms, all need electricity in order for the various ministries to function and continue.
We’ve used the same generator for 15 years. However, a few weeks ago, we faced a major breakdown of the generator that was going to cost $4,800-$5,200 to fix (rough estimate). The repairman advised us against fixing it, against the benefit of his own business. Therefore, we knew we had to get the funds to secure a new generator, especially since we’ve already returned to in-person worship for most services since the start of 2021.
The Outreach Foundation came through for us with an incredibly quick response time that allowed us to purchase a new generator to replace the existing one. I want our friends at The Outreach Foundation to know that this generator is a decades-long investment they’ve made in our church ministry – it’s not a one-time gift that has an expiration date. On the contrary, it is because of this gift that we’re able to worship together, minister to our children, minister to our women, and ultimately expand our outreach beyond our church walls. I’d like to briefly elaborate on that final point if I may.
Maintaining a well-functioning church in Kirkuk (in large part due to your continued support over the years) has allowed us to establish a new Presbyterian congregation in Erbil. This church is now pastored by (Egyptian) Pastor Samer Karem. I’m pleased to share that we were finally able to secure his residency in Iraq, after many months of legal hurdles. Thank you for your fervent prayers and support as we worked hard to get this ministry off the ground. The church is attended by 40+ people, most of whom are former members of our Mosul, Kirkuk, Baghdad, and Basra Presbyterian churches. For whatever reason, likely due to threats or experiences of violence, these families have all relocated to Erbil over the past 18 years, some willingly and others unwillingly.
The church body is worshiping on Saturday afternoons at the Campus Crusade worship hall. Our members are elated to finally have a church with a dedicated pastor that will oversee their spiritual well-being. Having a new home church in Erbil has been especially meaningful to our members who hail from Mosul. These members were forced to leave Mosul under brutal conditions due to ISIS. Being able to worship at the new Erbil Presbyterian Church has been a source of deep hope and peace for these congregants.
Even as our Mosul congregants enjoy worshiping in the newly founded Erbil Presbyterian Church, we continue to pray for the Lord to pave the way for us to finish rebuilding their home church – Iraq’s oldest Presbyterian church – the Mosul Presbyterian Church, which the Outreach team visited in October 2019. The vast majority of funds we’ve received to assist us in this effort have come from The Outreach Foundation. Thus far we’ve managed to rebuild the church’s outer walls, repair the ceiling crater that was formed with an ISIS rocket, replace broken windows and doors, rebuild the electric infrastructure (wiring, fuses, transformers, etc.), and retile the church’s floors and patio.
Every dollar sent to us by The Outreach Foundation has always gone and will always go toward furthering the work of God’s Kingdom in Iraq. It’s cliché to say that we live in “uncertain times” because, in reality, Iraqi Christians have existed in uncertain times for the better part of 40 years. And yet we’ve remained and will always remain confident that our Lord never leaves or forsakes his children anywhere. He blesses his church through organizations like The Outreach Foundation that recognize the need for standing alongside and defending “the least of these.” And for that reason, I and my church family will always remain indebted to you, our dear friends, for your trust in us, for your faith in us, and for your continued support of us as we walk further together toward bringing glory to his name.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Haitham Jazrawi
Gifts for the Iraq Partnership, which supports the mission and ministry of the three Presbyterian churches in Iraq along with relief efforts for Iraqis displaced by war, may be made HERE or by sending a check to our office.
Read more about the Iraq Partnership HERE.