Dear friends,
The three Iraqi childen pictured right are now due to fly out on Tuesday afternoon for heart surgeries in India. They are from left to right Rekar, age seven; Chero, age two; and Yahya, four years old. Thank God, we’ve had just enough funds come in to purchase air tickets for them and their escorts, even as our volunteers in Amman are still phoning, faxing, and e-mailing between Amman, Baghdad and India to secure visas.
They’re simultaneously doing the same thing for three children traveling to Germany, and seven to Israel, all in the next two weeks. Moreover, our Jordan coordinator Dirk and his wife Manuela are housing nine of the families in their own home! “It’s 20 souls all together,” Dirk says in good Middle Eastern parlance (both Arabs and Jews like to refer to people as souls).
I praised our staff for doing the equivalent of a year’s work within a few weeks; one replied, not too unkindly, “Next time let’s do a year’s worth of work within a year.”
They do need our prayer and support during these days. They will ask for another $5000 for transportation for the remaining ten families, and visa fees (unless waived) will average close to $200 per family. They’re also spending $200 a day to house and feed the families. Thank God he is always faithful, and this waiting period is allowing for meaningful discussion between them.
As our vision expands for touching the Middle East, so too will our circle of friends who are involved. Please feel free to share these messages with any who have interest.
Yours faithfully because of his faithfulness,
Jonathan Miles
International Coordinator
Shevet Achim
