When I hear “Mosul,” I think of the Church in that place, specifically the Presbyterian Church there which I first visited in 1998 (my first of 15 visits to Iraq). Where I was led on foot through a winding “rabbit warren” of streets — too narrow for cars — to stand in front of an ornate, carved doorway in a wall with my eye drawn upwards to see in a tear-shaped rondel the words, in English, “The Protestant Church.”
Read MoreUpheaval and Renewal
Over the 24 years I have known the Presbyterian Church in Iraq, I have been continually inspired by its faithful presence and witness through many trials: life under Saddam Hussein, the American invasion in 2003 which toppled the government (along with its ability to care for and protect its own people), the reign of terror by ISIS and the assorted sectarian conflicts which have destabilized the country and hindered its peace and prosperity. Two of the five churches I knew well from when I first traveled to Iraq in 1998 would, eventually, be shuttered: the Assyrian Presbyterian Church in Baghdad (isolated in what became a dangerous neighborhood) and the historic Presbyterian Church in Mosul, located in the Old City Center (“ground zero” for ISIS).
Read MoreWithin 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.
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