Mission Journals from Tim & Mustafa’s trip in May of 2021.
Entries are chronological, beginning a the bottom of the page.

May 21, 2021

Today we leave Iraq, and Mustafa and I part company. He will head south to Baghdad to surprise his family. I’ll head to the Erbil airport and fly to Dubai, then catch a plane back to the US. I always leave with mixed emotions—wanting to stay longer, but knowing I have a post to maintain back home. I trust that God will carry on His work here with the faithful leaders He has anointed to serve in this challenging and complex land.

Fadhil and his family invited us to come over for a farewell lunch so he picked us up at the Habibi House as we were turning in our keys and checking out with Kaizak, our host. When we got in the van with Fadhil, he told us he needed to make a quick stop by the Zakho church building. Some people wanted to see us and have us pray with them. It was Hamza and Layla, a couple who had attended our discipleship training class in 2019. Layla was the first in that class to memorize all the Scripture that we’d assigned to the students for their memory work.

We asked them to tell us how they arrived at the Zakho church and they shared the heart-wrenching story of fleeing Syria as the civil war intensified and leaving everything and everyone behind. They made it to Zakho, found temporary shelter and work, and have been surviving here ever since. They are both MBB (Muslim Background Believers) and they became followers of Jesus in Syria after they’d met some local believers.

Layla’s family was indifferent about her decision to follow Christ, but the family of Hamza was enraged and determined to kill him. Hamza’s family wanted to be free of Layla anyway because she’d had difficulty conceiving children at the beginning of their marriage. Hamza’s family was constantly pressuring him to divorce her or find other wives who could provide him with children. Finally, Layla did have two children, Rammi and Sabin, and as the civil war in Syria began to escalate, Hamza and Layla decided they needed to leave everyone and everything behind and escape Syria with their children while they were able.

They lived in the northeastern corner of Syria, near the borders of Turkey and Iraq, so they chose Iraq and the Zakho area for asylum. They were immediately directed to Fadhil and the Zakho church and have been a part of it ever since.

They asked for prayer support for Hamza. He’s had trouble finding steady work since they arrived. They asked for salvation for their families back in Syria, too. But the most pressing issue is Rammi’s health. He has a medical issue and needs a kidney transplant. The doctors they’ve seen have told them that if he doesn’t receive the transplant in the next few years, he will not be able to survive. They are praying for a miracle—either for God to heal Rammi or God’s provision of a kidney donor and surgeon to perform the procedure. Fadhil, Mustafa, and I prayed over this precious family, took some photos, then said our goodbyes.

We then drove to Fadhil’s house for a traditional Iraqi lunch—grilled lamb over basmati rice with vegetables, pickled mushrooms and cucumbers, salad, yogurt, fresh bread, and fruit. The Iraqi’s know how to eat! We were able to visit and pray and take pictures before Mustafa and l left. We love this family and are so grateful that we’ve been uniquely bonded with them for all these years.

Fadhil arranged for a cab to drop off Mustafa in Duhok (he’ll spend the night before heading to Baghdad tomorrow) and take me on to the Erbil airport ($40.00 USD). We took Mustafa to his hotel in Duhok, said our farewells, then the driver and I headed to Erbil. It’s about a 3-hour drive to Erbil (2 hours from Duhok) and since it was Friday (the Iraqi holy day), there was little traffic on the roads.

There are two airport buildings in Iraq—one is for the first round of check-ins that scans your luggage, and checks all your documents. A shuttle bus then takes you to the terminal building where you go through another series of even more intense checks—passport control, COVID-screening, and more baggage checks and pat-downs. After getting through all of the security measures, I made it to the boarding gate, got on the plane, and flew from Erbil to Dubai (about a 2 1/2 hour flight).

I arrived in Dubai about midnight, but it was close to 2:30 by the time I cleared all the hurdles for a connecting flight arriving from Iraq. Fortunately, there’s an airport lounge that was opened and I was able to go there and rest until my connecting flight for San Francisco left at 9:10 am.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

Our hearts are full, our spirits are encouraged, and the bond we share with the Body of Christ — both locally and globally — is stronger than ever! We praise our God and King for this rich opportunity to be His hands and feet to our brothers and sisters at the church in Zakho, and allow the light of Jesus’ hope to shine in the darkness.

Honored to serve the Savior and share abundant life with you all,
Mustafa & Tim

May 20, 2021

Today was our last full day in Iraq and there was a lot of administrative work we had to manage. We both stayed up late last night with Dawod, Fadhil’s son, who’s been a constant help to us throughout the week. He and all of his brothers are highly committed to their academic studies and this week and next week are their final exams for the year. But Dawod especially made himself available to us in so many ways and we’re so grateful for all the assistance he gave us.

After we spent some time in the Word and in prayer, Fadhil picked us up at the Habibi House and drove us to the university hospital so I could take a COVID test. I’m not able to fly out of Iraq without a negative test and so we went to the hospital, I took the test, and we’ll have to come back this afternoon to get the results, and then drive to Duhok (about an hour away), to get an official seal stamped on my paper work from the Health Department’s administrative offices there.

When we left the university, Fadhil wanted to show us around Zakho, and so he took us on a tour of parts of the city I’d never seen before. We drove through New Zakho, an area that’s just been developed in the past few years. It’s being developed as a high end district with trendy shops and restaurants and large, estate style homes. There are no churches or mosques there so this may be an area to see the church expand in the future.

Then we drove to the Christian district of town. Fadhil explained that before 1948, there were three very distinct districts in Zakho - Muslim, Jewish, and Christian. But once Israel became a nation in 1948, most of the Jews immigrated there and abandoned their community here. Over the years, the Christian community has also dwindled due to war, politics, and other factors. There is definitely still a Christian presence in this area, but it’s not like what it once was.

We went back to the Habibi House, started cleaning and packing, and waited for Dawod to pick us up and drive us to pick up my paperwork from the university hospital and then take those documents to Duhok.

Thank the Lord I tested negative again for COVID, so then we could drive to Duhok and get the official stamp on my paperwork from the Health Department, enabling me to leave the country tomorrow. Duhok is a large town and district in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Erbil is the capital of the area, but Duhok is also a sizable area, much larger and more populated than Zakho. Dawod showed us around the area, then we headed back to Zakho to meet with Kaizak and his family for dinner.

Kaizak and his wife, Nashwa, invited one of our friends, Zina, to join us for dinner. Zina is a young, college grad who has worked as a translator with many of Habibi’s teams. She’s bright, energetic, ambitious woman from a Muslim background, yet very open to the gospel. She asks lots of questions, attends evangelical church worship services, and is invested in by a lot of godly people, both in Zakho and internationally.

We were also joined by some new friends, Martin & Monique, from Switzerland. They’re part of the Evangelical House Church movement in Europe where Martin was a pastor. They were led by the Spirit to move to Zakho and serve the Kurdish people. They arrived in January and are in an intensive language training program to learn Kurdish. They’re also ministering to poorest of the Kurds in Zakho, providing basic human needs, and sharing the gospel as they do. They’re a delightful couple. We exchanged contact information and I hope to maintain communication with them, especially when we’re visiting Zakho.

It was such a delightful evening to be connected with so many people from so many backgrounds and to place Christ as the focal point of the evening - what He’s done in our lives, how he’d brought us all together, and how to respond to his movement in our lives. We enjoyed an encouraging time to pray, feast on a sumptuous traditional Iraqi dinner (Chicken Biryani, roasted vegetables, homemade hummus, baba ganoush, fresh bread, fresh fruit, followed by tea, baklava and other pastries - ridiculous!), and linger in sweet fellowship with one another until we said our good-byes.

Kaizak and Nashwa showed us the new home they’re building (about two blocks away) that will be completed in about four months. They sent us off with a goodie bag of leftovers, put us in a cab, and we came back to the Habibi House for our last night.

Mustafa and I stayed up late again, reviewing all that had happened this week, praising God for what He showed us, how He used us, and where we go from here. Some of the things we were able to learn and accomplish:

⁃ Share a message of encouragement and an update from the VBC family to the Zakho church
⁃ Visit Yazidi camps, share the gospel, pray, and distribute gifts from the VBC family for those in need
⁃ Gain much more insight about Sinjar (Shingal) and how to proceed with a church plant in that region. It’s still a highly volatile area, but as more and more Yazidis return to rebuild their homes and lives there, it becomes more and more exciting and urgent to proceed with plans for a church (we’re not necessarily talking about a building; we’re talking about a New Testament church model composed of believers gathering together in a home, or some other venue, with an Acts 2:42 emphasis.)
⁃ Greater understanding about the alliance of churches (13) with which Fadhil is associated and how they are meeting and praying about the future work in Sinjar.
⁃ Future possibilities for English classes, camps, and other activities which could be facilitated by teams from VBC

There was much more that we were able to do and contribute, but these were some of the highlights. We spent time in prayer before heading to bed, in anticipation of leaving Zakho tomorrow.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the privilege of coming to Iraq and serving here. We’re thankful for all of you who have been praying and provided generous gifts to share with those in great need here. It’s difficult to describe the enormous sense of gratitude the people here have displayed, not only for your gifts, but simply for our presence. May the Lord our God continue to move powerfully in this region, and in this nation. May the name of Jesus and the eternal hope he offers be proclaimed more widely, and compassionately, so that the seeds of the gospel will produce a bountiful harvest for the King of Kings!

Your brothers and co-laborers in Christ,
Mustafa & Tim

May 19, 2021

This morning, after Mustafa and I spent time in the Word and in prayer, we went on a walking tour of Zakho while we were waiting for our first meeting with Fadhil. We walked along the Habor (Khabur) River (2 Kings 17:6), a tributary of the great Tigris River (Genesis 2:14; Daniel 10:4), to a famous ancient bridge in Zakho, estimated to have been built sometime during the Roman Empire.

We ran into Kaizak, our friend from the Zakho church who visited us a few days ago. He and his wife invited us over to dinner tomorrow so we’ll be dining with them for our last night in Zakho.

After our walk, we made it back to the Habibi House and Fadhil picked us up to go and visit some old friends, Abu Zayed and his wife, Theresa. When we arrived at their home in the countryside of Zakho, they both came out to greet us and couldn’t have been more excited to see us! They invited us inside their home, a sort of farmhouse nestled in the hills outside the city limits.

Immediately, Theresa began serving us a non-stop variety of treats and sweets. She’d prepared a yogurt drink that she’d made from the milk of the mountain sheep living in their region (far superior, she claimed, than the yogurt made from the local goats). Then she served us a sticky, sweet date dessert that she insisted paired well with the yogurt. Then came the bananas, and cucumbers, and cantaloupe, and watermelon. After that, she brought out hot, Turkish coffee, Iraqi chocolate candies, and fresh water. It was way too much for any of us, and even Fadhil and Mustafa didn’t come close to eating most of what she served us, but she was absolutely delighted to care for us and share her gift of hospitality.

Abu Zayed and Theresa are actually cousins from Baghdad and were married when he was 17 and she was 14! He was a decorated general in the Iraqi army during Saddam Hussein’s rule. He shared so many stories with us of serving under Saddam, spending seven years in an Iranian prison while his wife raised their three young children, and living his life today for his Savior who has provided his pardon and redemption for too many regrets to count.

As we listened to him share his stories and his heart for Jesus, it was so clear that he has a firm grasp on his deliverance from the past and his security in the certainty of his life now and forever in Christ. I suggested that he and Theresa write a book about the story of their lives, and God’s faithful provision—and Fadhil could help them! People would be captivated to read about what they’ve both been through and the immovable faith that now sustains them.

We spent several hours in their home and when it was time to leave, they pleaded with us to stay longer. Iraqi hospitality is so different from what most of us are used to in the US. People spend hours just visiting, not distracted by cell phones or other technology, and simply engaging in conversation, eating food, drinking coffee or tea, and enjoying the simplicity and joy of just being together. We could learn a lot about this kind of interaction from our Iraqi friends.

From there, we drove to a village called Diarabuna. Fadhil has many family members who’ve lived in this village for generations so he wanted us to visit them and pray with them. We first visited his young cousin, Donia and her new husband, Ramses. Ramses is actually from Sinjar (also called Shingal) and continues to work there for Samaritan’s Purse. Although Sinjar was heavily populated with Yazidis, others who are not Yazidi lived there prior to the invasion by ISIS, too, including Ramses and his family. His dad has an apiary (a site where bees are collected usually for honey) there and produces Shingal honey which Ramses claims to be world renowned. They actually made some biscuits and served them with Shingal honey and even though I’m not a big honey fan, I have to admit it was extremely tasty!

Ramses is very excited about inviting me and Mustafa to Sinjar to see the work that’s happening there, although he admitted that currently it wouldn’t be easy for us to enter the city on our own because of the heightened security since they’ve reopened. He said through Samaritan’s Purse, he could get us in as visitors whenever we’d like though, so that’s another option to consider in the future.

Before we left, we got to pray for them, then we headed to our next stop, the house that Fadhil rents to a couple who are teaching English classes to people in the village. Their names are John and Yvonna and they came to minister to the Yazidi in the camps. But when COVID hit, they lost their access to the camps and so they had to decide whether to continue serving in the area or go elsewhere. They spoke with Fadhil about their dilemma and he suggested they pray about moving to Diarabuna where a smaller camp for the Yazidi is located nearby and they could teach English. He offered to let them use a house he owns that’s vacant and they quickly accepted his offer. They’ve been busy cleaning and restoring the house and simultaneously using it for English classes (they currently have 18 students!). They’ll use this ministry as an opportunity to not only teach English to the Yazidi—something many thought would never be possible—but also to develop relationships with them to share the gospel.

On the way home from Diarabuna, Mustafa and I discussed the possibility of teaching English in other locations. Fadhil doesn’t think that teaching English classes from the church building would be ideal for children (Muslim parents would be hesitant to entrust their kids to Christians), but it could be an ideal setting for young and older adults. This might be something we can consider in the future as we continue to maintain our partnership with Fadhil and the Zakho church.

We met Fadhil’s family in an area of Zakho called ‘New Zakho’ (we’ve actually been there several times this week). We enjoyed delicious outdoor dining and encouraging conversations with Fadhil, his wife Ekhlas, and his sons. Ekhlas is a school teacher and she shared some of the challenges that are trickling into the school system here regarding the changing influence of educators verses the values of families.

We shared with her that this is also a dilemma in the US. It’s become more imperative perhaps than ever that godly parents take time to debrief with their children the messages that they’re being taught in school. Children need to be trained at an early age to be very aware of any teaching that contradicts the values taught in their homes so they can bring this up with their parents for discussion and clarification. Some parents are either unaware that their children are being taught information that actually undermines biblical teaching and family values, or they’re just not as vigilant about these matters as they need to be. She was grateful and encouraged to have a conversation about all of this and we were thankful that she’s a concerned educator who’s an advocate for parents to be the primary source of discipleship in the lives of their children.

After dinner, Dawod took me and Mustafa to a new dessert cafe near the Noble Hotel, where medical & dental teams with Habibi International often stay. We enjoyed fresh baklava, kanafeh (a toasted dessert made of shredded filo pastry soaked in sugar, filled with cheese, pistachio, and clotted cream), and Gelato—delicious! We came back to the Habibi House, stayed up way too late, and finally said good night to Dawod until tomorrow.

Please pray for Abu Zayed and Theresa—that they will influence their community with the light and truth of the gospel. Pray for Ramses and Donia as they enjoy their new marriage and grow to embrace the full power of the gospel (currently, they’re visiting the Zakho church, but Ramses claims to be Orthodox and Donia claims to be Catholic). Pray for John & Yvonna as the teach English and share the gospel to Yazidis in Diarabuna. And pray for Ekhlas as she teaches children, models to the truth and grace of Christ, and encourages others godly parents to lead the way in discipling their children (pray the same thing for godly parents in the US, too!)

We thank our God for every memory of you all. We are greatly encouraged by your prayer support, loving friendship, and partnership in the gospel. We pray that our mighty God will equip each of you to serve Him with all your hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and that the name of Jesus will continue to transform lives in our community and to the ends of the earth!

Your brothers and co-laborers in Christ,
Mustafa & Tim

Mustafa and I feel like we’ve been given a whole new lease on life—our luggage has been returned! It’s such a simple pleasure, but having your own toothbrush and some fresh clothes (especially when it’s been 100 degrees outside every day!) is so refreshing to both of us.

After breakfast and spending some time studying the Word and praying, Fadhil came over to the Habibi House where we’re staying. We planned out our day, spent some time in prayer, then drove to a wholesale food warehouse to pick up some supplies. Some VBC families donated funds to be shared with those in need here and Fadhil helped us select several Yazidi families who would benefit tremendously from this provision. We spent about an hour at the food warehouse, choosing which supplies would be most beneficial and speaking with the owner, a young business man named Didar. He was very moved by what we intended to do with the supplies we’re purchasing, so he donated a large portion of our purchases! We were able to share Christ with him, get a photo, and then head to the Yazidi camps.

The camps have now been in place for over six years. There are thousands of Yazidis living in these camps, packed into a grid of tent homes, side by side, with tight, narrow streets separating the grid into makeshift camp-city blocks. There are countless children running in the streets, boys playing soccer games in the streets, older men in traditional Yazidi attire who seem to be sitting on watch outside their tents, and Yazidi women, constantly holding babies, cleaning their tent homes, and chatting with their neighbors.

Our first visit was at the camp called ‘Chamisko’ in the home of a Yazidi man named Nief (pronounced ‘Knife’). He’s an influential man among the Yazidi, highly educated, and a leader in the Zakho church. He invited us into his tent-home and, in typical Yazidi fashion, we took off our shoes, were led into the tent-living room, and sat down, cross-legged, on cushions neatly spread around the perimeter of the tent. Immediately, we were served chai (hot, sweet tea) by his wife and daughters, and we talked to him about life in the camp, returning to Sinjar one day, and his love for Jesus. He invited Mustafa and I to visit him in Sinjar when he returns, hopefully within the next year. He told us that ISIS had destroyed about 85% of the infrastructure in Sinjar, but thankfully, his home had been mostly spared. He is so excited to return to Sinjar with his new faith in Christ, and was so encouraged to hear that we’re praying for and want to help support the establishment of a church in Sinjar.

Nief then became our guide and took us to visit several other Yazidi families. Just to provide perspective, we had to drive to visit each of these families, the camp is so expansive.

Our next visit was at the tent-home of Saba & Laila and their two children. Saba was waiting outside his tent, expecting us, and he welcomed us inside where, again, we took off our shoes, were led into their tent-living room, and sat down on the ground on cushions. Laila’s bed had been brought into this room and she was laying on it, fully awake. She and Saba are probably in their thirties, and they shared the story of their former lives in Sinjar, and their escape to Zakho during the attack of ISIS in August of 2014.

Unfortunately, Laila has an injured back and spends most of her day in bed. The pain has become crippling and Saba and his kids spend much time each day giving her massages on her back and legs to try and relieve her discomfort. They’ve seen countless doctors, received an inordinate amount of medicine (they dumped out bags of pills, syringes, and other medical supplies and created a mount in front of us), and they recently went to Turkey to see a specialist there. Nothing has provided her with sustained relief. A physician they’ve contacted in India claims that there’s a 99% chance to help her if she comes to his clinic in India, but they could never afford such a trip and they’re not confident that what he offers is that much different than what they’ve already received.

Mustafa and I told her about Chris Cline and his medical condition with his neck and back and in a lot ways, their situations sound very similar. We told Laila and Saba that when we get back to the States, perhaps we could set up a video call between the Cline’s, their doctor, and Saba & Laila. They were extremely grateful for the offer. Fadhil shared the account of the healed paralytic and Saba asked lots of questions about why Jesus came. Then we asked if we could pray over them both and Laila let me sit on her bed, and lay hands on her. As we prayed, we shared that whether or not we’re healed from the physical pains of this life, God wants all of us to experience the ultimate healing we can experience right now, but only through trusting Jesus. It was a powerful time of ministry to this hurting couple. Saba was in tears and Laila was exceedingly thankful for our visit. We gave them a financial gift to help with her medical expenses and a bag of supplies that we’d gotten from Didar’s warehouse. They were clearly overwhelmed by our visit and extremely receptive to the gospel. Fadhil will be following up with them next week.

Our next visit was to the tent-home of several women—all adult sisters, their elderly mother, and their children. I asked Nief where the men were and he said that all of them had either been killed or kidnapped by ISIS in Sinjar. The whole visit took on a completely sobering tone after that. We listened to them speak about life since fleeing from Sinjar and you could see the devastation in their eyes and hear it in their voices, even though the whole ordeal was nearly seven years ago. Fadhil asked if we could pray for them and afterwards, we gave them the gift of the food supplies, and said our good-byes.

Our last visit was to the tent-home of our old friend, Qaso. Qaso was one of the first Yazidi friends I made here back in 2015. He fled Sinjar during the ISIS massacre and arrived in Zakho with his wife, their seven children, and his dad (who claims to be 110 years old and his hair and mustache are still jet black!). Qaso isn’t sure if he’ll be retuning to Sinjar or not. We’ve found that the Yazidi who fled Sinjar are divided about whether or not they’ll return. About one third want to leave Iraq forever. Another third want to stay in Iraq but not return to Sinjar. And the last third want to return to Sinjar and rebuild. We’ll see if those percentages change over time.

Qaso isn’t sure how long the camps will continue to operate. They’ve been funded primarily by the government and the UN for about six years and they were never intended to provide housing indefinitely. If the camps closed, many people would be displaced yet again with no where to go, so it will be important for the government and the UN to navigate through their decision very carefully and compassionately.

Qaso became aware of Fadhil and his help to the Yazidi shortly after his arrival in Zakho. He heard the gospel and quickly committed his life to serve and follow Jesus. He’s been one of the most faithful leaders in the Zakho church and Fadhil has invested heavily in him. Qaso would certainly be a leader in the Sinjar church, and would likely help to establish it. He’s currently a middle school teacher in Zakho and teaches history and English. He’s bright, trustworthy, devoted to the Savior, and an eager learner. It’s already been exciting to see God using his life here locally and we can’t wait to see how the will use his life in the days ahead.

We got back home by around 7:00 pm and we’d made plans to join some of the young adult men from the church for dinner at an outdoor Iraqi grill near the Turkish border. There were eight of us and we had an incredible time, eating delicious food, talking about what we’re learning from the Word, and how to apply God’s wisdom to some of the current perplexing situations going on in the world.

Afterwards, went back to the Zakho church building to play ping pong and we taught them how to play ‘Around the World’ — a ping pong game that allows a large group of people to all playing together at once. They loved it and we played for hours! Around midnight, we called it a wrap, said our goodbyes, and headed home. It had been an amazing day of ministry and we went to sleep with excited anticipation for tomorrow.

Please pray for Nief and his role of spiritual influence and leadership among the Yazidi. Pray for healing for Laila and for her and Saba, and their children, to put their trust in Jesus. Pray for the salvation of all the women who lost their husbands to the ISIS massacre. And Pray for Qaso and his role of leadership, both at the camp, in the Zakho church, and potentially in the Sinjar church.

We’re so grateful for your consistent prayerful support. We miss you all, but we’re where we’re supposed to be for now and couldn’t be more thankful to be here. May God care for your needs, and inspire you to live boldly for the sake of the gospel.

Your brothers, bonded with you through the blood of Jesus,
Mustafa & Tim

May 17, 2021

Mustafa and I got up this morning, went shopping for fresh bread and other supplies, came home, and made breakfast. After we ate, prayed, and spent time discussing the Word and the worship service last night, we considered how God would want us to spend our day. Well, we didn’t have to be too concerned about that! Within a few moments, one of our close friends and faithful leader in the Zakho church arrived for a visit. His name is Kaizak Sarkis and he’s from Iraq but is of Armenian heritage. We asked him to tell us the story of his journey to faith in Christ and service in the Kingdom. He was raised by Christian parents and became a follower of Jesus at a young age. He served in the Iraqi Air Force in the early eighties but was captured and detained during the Iraq - Iran war (1980-1988).

Some of you might remember that this war began when Iraq invaded Iran in an attempt to prevent the Ayatollah Khomeini from taking power after the Shah of Iran was exiled in 1979. Iraq wanted to replace Iran as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and they saw this moment when Iraq was transitioning from a monarchy to an Islamic republic as the time to declare war. The war ended in a stalemate, brokered by the U.N., although both sides declared victory. In total, a combined 500,000 soldiers died from both nations, 100,00 civilians perished, and billions of dollars were invested in the war, with no changes to any borders and no clear victor.

Kaizak was captured in 1982 and detained in an Iranian prison for 12 years. I was doing the math and I couldn’t understand why he was imprisoned for 12 years in Iran if the war only lasted eight years. He explained that he was held captive until the war ended in 1988, but for the next six years (until 1994) he remained in prison, waiting to be released, even though the war was over! Can you imagine?

He described the heavy persecution he endured, both militarily, racially, and spiritually as a follower of Jesus. He even told us about an experience he had where God spared him from even more severe persecution because of a bedbug outbreak in the prison cells that caused the guards to keep their distance. Last night during the message I shared, I told the story of Corrie ten Boom and while she was in a German concentration camp, God used fleas to protect her from torture and even execution from the Germans. Kaizak told us when he heard that illustration, he immediately thought about the miracle he’d experienced with bedbugs!

When he was finally released, he returned to Iraq, remaining faithful to the Savior, and became involved in the Zakho church through his friendship with Fadhil (the pastor of the church). He invited me and Mustafa to join him and his wife for dinner tomorrow night and we look forward to dining with the Sarkis family.

A short time after Kaizak left, Fadhil stopped by to visit. We had a great time with him, discussing the state and health of the church. He told us that God had been gracious to them and even though the government didn’t allow them to gather as a church for a period of time, now that the church is meeting again, it’s even larger than it was before!

During COVID, they lost one of the houses we have helped them rent and that’s when they decided to do the construction on the roof of the original house for the new sanctuary. Fadhil explained that they met a lot of opposition for that project—even from other believers and local pastors! It reminded us of Nehemiah and the opposition he faced in rebuilding project in Jerusalem after the exile (Nehemiah 4). But Fadhil and his team pressed on and finished the project, and it turned out better than any space they’ve had before to gather for worship!

The next door house that’s no longer in use by the church is now for sale ($300,000) and Fadhil believes that if a similar offer was made to purchase the house they’re currently renting, they could buy both properties for $600,000, bulldoze the current structures, and build one building. We agreed to pray for God’s guidance, favor, and provision for this plan.

Then we talked about Sinjar and the possibility of visiting there in consideration of planting the first church in that region. This turned into a lengthy and complicated conversation. I’ll attempt to summarize what we were told as best as possible here.

First of all, our visit to Sinjar can’t take place as of now. Many Yazidi are indeed returning to this region where they were attacked by ISIS in August of 2014, and many are now followers of Jesus! In that attack by ISIS, thousands of Yazidi women and children were captured and enslaved and over 5,000 Yazidi were massacred by ISIS. The UN currently claims that over 3,000 women and children are still missing, after being trafficked and enslaved by ISIS. For this and many other reason, Sinjar remains today as an extremely dangerous and disputed region.

For a community that’s faced countless attempts at genocide, the past few years for this ethno-religious minority group due to their beliefs have been deeply scarring. It’s estimated that of the over half million Yazidis who live in this region, a significant proportion continue to live in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Seven years after the ISIS attack on the Yazidis, the group appears poised to face another round of threats as the status of Sinjar itself has become a matter of dispute.

The Yazidis have recently become torn between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the largest party in the KRG, and the PKK, which has been designated by the U.S., UK, and Turkey as a terrorist organization. Though the KDP has general control of the region, the PKK has over five thousand members stationed mostly in the KRG’s rugged mountainous areas, with the power vacuum left by ISIS allowing for a strengthened PKK presence in the region.

When ISIS invaded Sinjar in 2014, thousands of Peshmerga forces, another Kurdish military group, withdrew without resistance. The Peshmerga (literally means 'those who face the death'), are the military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Since the Iraqi army is forbidden by Iraqi law to enter the Kurdistan Region, the Peshmerga, along with their security subsidiaries, are responsible for the security of Kurdistan Region. The Peshmerga actually predates Iraq, starting out as a strictly tribal pseudo-military border guard under the Ottomans and later changing to a well-trained, disciplined guerrilla force in the 19th century.

Taking advantage of this security gap, the PKK moved into Sinjar and opened a safe corridor for people fleeing from ISIS by establishing a defense-line on Mount Sinjar. The PKK was then able to create a foothold there on the grounds that it was protecting Yazidis from ISIS. Soon after, the PKK established the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) and Sinjar Women's Units (YJŞ), which led to the foundation of the Sinjar Democratic Autonomous Council and the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the political wing of the YBS.

If all of this wasn’t confusing enough, let’s toss Turkey into the mix. Turkey’s become more highly involved in the region due to the ongoing presence of the PKK. The PKK seeks to undermine the Turkish government and help establish an independent Kurdish state in southern Turkey, and northern Syria and Iraq. Turkey, however, won’t allow Sinjar to become what it calls the ‘second Qandil’ referring to northern Iraq’s Qandil Mountains, which for decades have served as the PKK’s headquarters in Iraq. Turkey’s recent operations against the PKK in northern Iraq and Sinjar, which aimed to end the PKK’s presence, have added another layer to the complex KDP-PKK tensions.

The Yazidis in Sinjar have faced great difficulties, even before ISIS invaded. Mosul, Baghdad, and Diyarbekir (Turkey) pashas along with local Kurdish emirs were all involved in the massacre of Yazidis during the Ottoman period due to their religious beliefs. Sinjar’s status remained extremely delicate throughout other regimes and continues to be an area in conflict. To this day, Yazidis have good reason to fear that rising tensions in the Sinjar region will ultimately leave them paying the price.

Our God is the God of the impossible, but for now, the political and military turmoil make it extremely difficult for anyone to enter the Sinjar region, especially two guys from a church family in Pleasanton wanting to assist in planting a church in Iraq. In addition, when ISIS invaded in 2014, they not only killed scores of Yazidis, they decimated the infrastructure in Sinjar and destroyed the electrical plant and power, contaminated the water supply, and planted land mines all over the area (most of which are believed to have been detonated). It’s currently estimated that 350 thousand Yazidis staying in Iraqi camps for displaced persons can’t return to Sinjar due to all of these security and infrastructure problems. The ongoing conflict within the Kurdish region and the PKK's resistance to withdraw from Sinjar only increase the tensions there, and the Yazidi minority know that they’re a common target in Sinjar. So far, no international visitors have been permitted to visit Sinjar, so we’ll continue to wait and pray for the opportunity when it becomes available.

In the meantime, Fadhil explained that he’s a member of an alliance of churches in the area (about 13) who are committed to plant a church in Sinjar as soon as possible. But this is still a complicated process. First of all, the leadership of the church alliance is convinced that the pastor(s) of the church in Sinjar cannot be a Yazidi. In the Yazidi culture, it’s forbidden to convert to any other religion and the alliance leaders believe that if a pastor in the Sinjar church was a Yazidi, he would be assassinated because of his betrayal of the religious teachings of the Yazidi. Even Yazidi believers face persecution, but a Yazidi pastor in Sinjar would be intolerable as of now. So now it’s imperative to pray that when the time is right, there will be a team of leaders who have been raised up, ready, and willing to serve in Sinjar and shepherd the Yazidi believers who will return to their homeland.

After our conversation with Fadhil, the airport contacted us and informed us that they’d found our lost bags! Unfortunately, airlines in Iraq don’t operate like airlines in the USA. They don’t deliver lost bags to their customers—the customers are expected to travel back to the airport and collect their bags for themselves—at their own expense. So Mustafa, Dawod, and I drove back to Erbil (six hours round trip!) to claim our bags. Once we arrived there, security officers tried to prevent us from getting our bags because we were wearing flip flops and our feet were publicly exposed which is a violation of Islamic customs. Mustafa eventually flashed his military ID and the guards let us pass, but with a stern warning.

After retrieving our bags, we drove back home, but stopped at Dawod’s favorite Shawarma roadside restaurant for dinner along the way. For those of you who’ve never had Shawarma, it’s a typical Arab dish—thin slices of meat, usually lamb or chicken meat, stacked in a cone shape, roasted on a slow turning vertical rotisserie spit (kind of like Sultan’s Kabob, only better!). It was absolutely delicious, and it cost less than $2.00 per sandwich!

We arrived home around midnight and went to bed, so grateful for the people we met today and the extended family of God with whom we partner in ministry.

We are extremely aware of your prayer support for us each day. We’ve encountered many obstacles and potential setbacks along our way so far, but God has allowed us to press through everything that we’ve encountered with His grace, trust, and peace.

Honored to serve with you all through the eternal bond of Christ,
Mustafa & Tim

Prayer Requests:

⁃ Pray for peace in Iraq and for many in this nation to turn to Christ.
⁃ Please pray for Kaizak and his role a spiritual leader in this community.
⁃ Pray for leaders to be raised up for the church in Sinjar—whoever they may, whenever the time arrives to begin that work.
⁃ Pray for the two Muslim guys we met at the Shawarma restaurant last night (Achmed and Gorman).
They really enjoyed interacting with us, one goes to school with Dawod, and we want them to come to trust Jesus.

We’re so grateful to be staying in the Habibi House in Zakho. It’s a spacious, secure home in the heart of the city and Mustafa and I can take care of lots of work here, but also welcome people over to visit. The weather has been quite hot—35 degrees C (that’s about 100 degrees F) and this weekend was a Muslim holiday, so most people have been staying indoors with family to stay out of the heat and enjoy time together.

Mustafa and I walked to several different markets to get supplies for the house and for our visit. It’s great to see Mustafa in his element here. He was born in Baghdad and most of his family still lives there (when I leave this Friday, Mustafa will go there to spend some time with them). He loves this country and the people and has a heart to see his people trust Jesus.

After we got back to the Habibi House, we made breakfast, spent some time reading, praying, and preparing for the day. Fadhil came over to bring us a gift, pray, and discuss our plans for the week. He’s called a special meeting at the church tonight for Mustafa and I to share an update on how we have navigated through COVID, and to share some insights from our current series in 2 Timothy. I asked Mustafa to share part of the message, too, so he’s been diligently studying and preparing.

Later this afternoon, Fadhil’s son Dawod (David) came by to take us to the Zakho Bizarre to buy some supples (our luggage has still not reached us and we’ve only got the clothes we arrived in and no toiletries). Dawod seems to know everyone in town and wherever we went, he either saw someone he knew, or made a new friend. He speaks four languages (Arabic, Kurdish, Chaldean, and English) and would jump from language to language in a single conversation between me, Mustafa, and the salespeople! He was able to open up some amazing conversations with the merchants in the shops about our faith and the Zakho church.

We came back to the Habibi House, got cleaned up, and headed to the church for the worship service. At one time, VBC was renting two side-by-side houses for the church to meet, but we’re currently only renting one. The second house wasn’t being used efficiently and so we decided to end our lease. But during COVID, the people in the church were able to do some construction and expand the usage of the house we are continuing to rent. They constructed a worship sanctuary on the rooftop and nearly doubled the seating capacity!

Mustafa and I were so encouraged to see the sanctuary packed—there wasn’t a single seat empty and many were standing in the back! People had come from great distances to be with us, hear our report, and receive prayer. There were local Muslims visiting, along with Syrian refugees, Yazidi IDP’s (Internally Displaced People), and other new and familiar faces attending the service. We sang, prayed, Mustafa and I shared, and then we had many opportunities to pray and share with many people after the service was over.

We were especially moved by our friend Kaswan, who was the caretaker of the church building here for years. He’s from Baghdad, but he fled to Zakho several years ago because of death threats he’d received for his boldness in sharing the gospel on the streets of Baghdad. Years ago, in one of the villages outside of Zakho, we’d heard of an Iraqi woman named Hannah who had some severe medical conditions requiring expensive care and additional plastic surgery to address some facial disfigurement. Kaswan had helped to raise funds and provide care for this woman. When we arrived at the service tonight, Kaswan was the first to greet us and introduce us to his new wife, Hannah! He’d married the woman from the village! We were so thrilled to see them both and hear about their marriage and their excitement to start a family together. Kaswan had to leave his position as the caretaker of the church and get work in town to care for his wife and potential new family. Before I left for this trip, a family from VBC gave me some money and asked for it to be shared with someone in need that we’d might meet on our journey. As Kaswan was telling us the story of him and Hannah, I knew that the gift we’d been give should be shared with them. So we pulled them aside, spent some time praying over them, and gave them the gift. They couldn’t have been more excited and grateful!

For the rest of the evening, we kept meeting with more and more people, hearing their stories and praying for their needs. It was an exhausting, thrilling, wonderful night of ministry! We stayed at the church building until about 10:30 pm until Fadhil and Dawod decided it was time to take us to get something to eat. So we went to a local restaurant and we were joined by another of Fadhil’s sons, Oneal. It was a warm clear night and we ate outside, enjoying amazing local grilled food, and just soaking in the beauty of what God had done at the service earlier tonight. We left around 1:00 am to head back to the Habibi House and get to bed. What a day!

Please pray for Kaswan and Hannah, their new marriage and their hope for children. Pray for the refugees and IDP’s - that God will care for their needs, heal their wounds, and deepen their trust in Christ. Pray for the church in Zakho to continue to be a haven for people to gather, worship, and hear the gospel.

We’re so thankful for the prayer support we know we’re receiving from so many of you. We miss you all but we’re so honored to be here, encourage our brothers & sisters, and share the hope of the gospel!

Mustafa & Tim

May 13-15, 2021

Mustafa and I left San Francisco on Thursday and arrived in Dubai on Friday. We had an extended layover there and had hoped to meet with a local contact, but a family emergency came up for him and we were unable to do so. So we spent the day walking around Dubai and getting to know this area.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this part of the world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (think US states) along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Most of us haven’t even heard of the seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. The largest is Abu Dhabi (Abu Zaby), the capital, and it takes up more than three-fourths of the federation’s total land area. It’s the center of the UAE’s oil industry and borders Saudi Arabia on its southern and eastern borders. The UAE peninsula portrudes north toward Iran forming the Strait of Hormuz and links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

Mustafa and I were in the port city of Dubai. It’s also the capital of the emirate of Dubai and is one of the region’s most vital commercial and financial centers, housing hundreds of multinational corporations in a forest of elaborate skyscrapers. Because of the lucrative oil industry, there’s so much wealth and lavish living in this area it’s difficult to describe. They’ve even created islands in the Persian Gulf - one sculpted in the shape of a palm tree—for the wealthiest of the wealthy to escape to their vacation homes or enjoy a coastal holiday.

Historically, the UAE has belonged to various Arab clans and families. The area has been heavily influenced by both the culture of Iran and its coastal borders which, for centuries, have invited migrants and traders from all over the globe. In the 18th century, Portugal and the Netherlands had heavy holdings in the region but ended up exiting as the British naval power increased. After a series of truces with Britain in the 19th century, the emirates united to first form the Trucial States (also called Trucial Oman or the Trucial Sheikhdoms). The states were granted autonomy following World War II (1939–45), when Bahrain & Qatar declared independent statehood. By December 2, 1971, all seven of the Trucial States agreed on a Federal Constitution for their independence as the United Arab Emirates. The stability of the federation gets periodically tested by rivalries between the families governing the larger states of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but at the same time, the Persian Gulf War (1990–91) and ongoing territorial disputes with Iran have actually strengthened the emirates’ political solidarity.

Spiritually, it’s a Muslim majority region, although Christianity is free to exist. We met Muslims, Catholics, and Christians during our brief visit. We actually spent time with a couple of workers at a coffee museum in Dubai and they were so excited to hear about our online church services. They were both from the Philippines and told us that they’d been looking for an evangelical church for years! Once again, we were reminded of some of the ways God has been so faithful to us during the COVID era, and establishing an online presence for our weekly worship services has been one of the greatest contributions imaginable!

We left Dubai Saturday afternoon and caught a connecting flight to Erbil, Iraq—which is north of Baghdad in what some refer to as the Kurdish region (Kurdistan) of northern Iraq. Unfortunately, our luggage got lost and won’t arrive until Monday, but we were just grateful to be here! We were required to take another COVID test in the airport ($30), pick up a visa ($70), and proceed through passport control, customs, before we could take the shuttle bus to the arrivals terminal where our friend Dawod (David) picked us up (he’s one of Fadhil’s sons, our main contact and Global Missions Partner in Zakho, Iraq). We drove three hours from Erbil to Zakho and enjoyed great conversation with Dawod, catching up on his faith, family, and how COVID has impacted their nation. Iraq has been hit hard by the pandemic and a lack of medical supplies and resources has added to the problem. But they are beginning to see progress and are encouraged that the number of COVID cases and deaths is on the decline.

We stopped for a late night dinner (around midnight) in Zakho at an outdoor, open air restaurant called ‘Montana’ (we had fun explaining the origin of that name!). We ate fresh grilled kebab (an Iraqi specialty) drank lots of chai (hot sweet tea), and Fadhil was even able to come and meet us. He told us the church will be gathering tomorrow (Sunday) and they’d like to hear of how God has been faithful to us during COVID. We have a lot of share about that topic!

After dinner, Dawod drove us to the Habibi House where we’ll be staying for the week. This home is owned by a Christ-centered NGO (non-governmental organization) directed by Willie Tan, a friend from Singapore. He has graciously allowed me and Mustafa to stay here. COVID and the summer heat have prevented any Habibi teams from traveling to Iraq for the time being, so we have the entire house to ourselves. The caretaker of the house, Kaizak, is a dear friend of ours and he met us around 1:00 am to give us a tour of the complex. Afterwards, we all said good night and went to bed, excited about what tomorrow and the rest of the week will hold for us!

Pray for our friends in Dubai (Cherryl & Kia), their possible connection through vbc.online, and the message we will be sharing at the Zakho church tomorrow night.

We pray for you all - that the Lord will bind you together in his grace, empower you to maintain his peace in your midst, and allow his love and goodness to flow from your lives to all people in all places.

Your co-laborers in Christ,

Mustafa & Tim