*

THIS WEEK ON "JERUSALEM

DATELINE," ISIS STRIKES

AGAIN.

THIS TIME IN THE HEART OF

PARIS.

PLUS...A LOOK INTO THE

SUFFERING CHURCH IN THE

MIDDLE EAST.

IMMEDIATELY WHEN THEY

HEAR SOMETHING BAD, WE'LL

HEAR THEM SAY GOD IS GOOD.

Chris: AND "OPERATION

BLESSING" BRINGS BREAD AND

HOPE TO A NORTHERN IRAQI

TOWN DEFENS DEVASTATED BY ISIS.

> HELLO, AND WELCOME TO

THIS EDITION OF "JERUSALEM

DATELINE," I'M CHRIS

MITCHELL.

> ISIS CLAIMED

RESPONSIBILITY FOR A

TERROR ATTACK IN THE HEART

OF PARIS.

CHARLENE AARON REPORTS.

Charlene: THE ATTACK

HAPPENED JUST AFTER

9 p.m. IN THE HEART OF

PARIS.

A GUNMAN, ARMED WITH

MILITARY-STYLE WEAPONS,

WALKED UP TO A POLICE VAN

AND OPENED FIRE.

I SAW THREE GUYS COME

IN AN AUDI AND SHOOT ON

THE POLICE AND KILL ONE OF

THE POLICE AND INJURED

ONE.

AND THEN I HAD TO RUN

AWAY.

Charlene: THE GUNMAN

KILLED ONE POLICE OFFICER

AND SERIOUSLY WOUNDED TWO

OTHER OFFICERS BEFORE

OTHER POLICE KILLED HIM.

A WOMAN TOURIST WAS ALSO

INJURED.

ISIS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

AND MAY HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY

INVOLVED, RATHER THAN JUST

INSPIRING THE ATTACK.

FRENCH AUTHORITIES SAY THE

SUSPECT WAS REPORTEDLY

DETAINED IN FEBRUARY FOR

THREATENING POLICE, AND

THEN FREED.

POLICE SEMPED HI SEARCHED HIS HOME

IN EASTERN PARIS

OVERNIGHT.

PRESIDENT TRUMP CONDEMNED

THE ATTACK.

President Trump: OUR

CONDOLENCES FROM OUR

COUNTRY TO THE PEOPLE OF

FRANCE.

IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER

TERRORIST ATTACK.

AND...WHAT CAN YOU SAY?

Charlene: THE ATTACK

COMES JUST DAYS BEFORE THE

FIRST ROUND OF THE FRENCH

ELECTIONS ON SUNDAY.

SOME THINK IT MIGHT HELP

MAMARIE LE PEN, WHO HAS

TAKEN A HARD LINE ON

IMMIGRATION ISSUES AND

TERRORISM.

THE ATTACK SHOWS THE

ONGOING THREAT IN FRANCE

AND ELSEWHERE IN EUROPE,

AND IT COULD LEAD TO

GROWING PUBLIC PRESSURE ON

GOVERNMENTS TO STOP

ISLAMIC TERRORISM.

CHARLENE AARON, CBN NEWS.

Chris: ON ANOTHER

FRONT IN THE WAR AGAINST

ISLAMIC TERROR, ISRAEL HAS

A WARNING FOR THE WORLD:

ITS DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY

SYRIA STILL HAS UP TO

THREE TONS OF CHEMICAL

WEAPONS.

LABORATORY TESTS SHOW

VICTIMS OF THE APRIL 4th

CHEMICAL ATTACK WERE

EXPOSED TO SARIN NERVE

GAS, OR A SIMILAR TOXIN.

THEY BELIEVE BASHAR

al-ASSAD'S WEAPONS

KILLED 90 PEOPLE INSIDE

SYRIA.

A SENIOR ISRAELI MILITARY

OFFICIAL SAYS SYRIAN

MILITARY COMMANDERS

ORDERED THE ATTACK AND

ASSAD KNEW IT.

AND EVIDENCE ALSO SHOWS

THAT ISIS AND OTHER

INSURGENTS HAVE ACQUIRED

SOME OF THESE CHEMICAL

WEAPONS.

IRAN CELEBRATED ITS ARMY

DAY WITH A MILITARY PARADE

IN TEHRAN.

THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAID

THAT IRAN'S MILITARY POWER

STANDS AS MERELY A

DETERRENT AND SERVES ONLY

A DEFENSIVE PURPOSE.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF

THE PARADE WAS AN AIR

SYSTEM CALLED THE S300.

FOR YEARS, ISRAEL TRIED TO

PREVENT THE SYSTEM FROM

BEING DEPLOYED SINCE IT

MAKES ANY FUTURE MILITARY

STRIKE AGAINST IRAN'S

NUCLEAR PROGRAM MUCH MORE

DIFFICULT.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

REX TILLERSON ADDRESSED

IRAN'S PROGRAM, AND

CRITICIZED OBAMA'S

PREVIOUS NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

WIN IRAN.

HE WARNED JUST HOW

DANGEROUS A NUCLEAR IRAN

COULD BE.

AN UNCHECKED IRAN HAS

THE SAME POTENTIAL OF

TRAVELLING THE SAME PATH

AS NORTH KOREA, AND TAKING

THE WORLD WITH IT.

Chris: HERE IN

JERUSALEM, U.S. DEFENSE

SECRETARY JAMES MATTIS MET

WITH ISRAELI PRIME

MINISTER BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU.

THEY BOTH SPOKE OF THE

NEED TO CONFRONT THE

DANGERS IN THE REGION.

THE COMMON DANGERS ARE

BASED ON THE TWIN THREATS

OF THE MILITANT ISLAM, THE

SHI'ITE EXTREMISTS LED BY

IRAN, THE SUNNI EXTREMISTS

LED BY DAESH.

AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO

THWARTING THESE DANGERS AS

WE ARE COMMITTED TO SEIZE

THE COMMON OPPORTUNITIES

AND GREAT OPPORTUNITIES

THAT I THINK ARE BEFORE

US, MR. SECRETARY.

I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT

THAT WE REMIND OURSELVES

THAT IF GOOD PEOPLE DON'T

BAND TOGETHER, THEN BAD

PEOPLE CAN DO A LOT OF

DAMAGE IN THIS WORLD.

AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO

STOPPING THAT AND DOING

WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PASS

ON PEACE AND FREEDOM TO

THE NEXT GENERATION.

Chris: WASHINGTON'S

NEW MUSCULAR APPROACH TO

FOREIGN POLICY HAS CAUSED

ISRAEL TO RE-THINK ITS OWN

STRATEGY TO BOTH ALLIES

AND ENEMIES.

WE SAT DOWN THIS WEEK WITH

TWO MEN HAVE BEEN KEY

FIGURES IN ISRAEL.

MICHAEL HERTZZOG IS WITH

THE NEAR EAST INSTITUTE,

AND HIS BROTHER, ITZOG

HERTZOG.

> NORTH KOREA SEEMS VERY

TIED TO IRAN AS WELL.

WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE

THREAT OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR

PROGRAM THAT MUCH GREATER

THAN EVEN NORTH KOREA'S?

NORTH KOREA HOLDS THE

NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES,

WHICH IRAN DOES NOT.

BUT I THINK

NOTWITHSTANDING THE

NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN,

THE THREAT IS STILL THERE.

JUST MAYBE THEY BOUGHT

SOME TIME, BUT THE THREAT

IS THERE BECAUSE THE

INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE,

THE AMBITIONS ARE THERE,

AND ONCE THE RESTRICTIONS

ARE LIFTED WITHIN 15

YEARS, IRAN COULD BE VERY

CLOSE TO THE THRESHOLD.

AND IT WOULD BE VERY

DIFFICULT TO STOP IRAN.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT

OCCUPATION IN IRAN AND

NORTH KOREA.

THERE IS A HISTORY OF

MISSILES, AND NORTH KOREA

HELPED SYRIA BUILD A

NUCLEAR REACTOR, WHICH

ACCORDING TO THE

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA WAS

DESTROYED BY ISRAEL.

SO I WOULD LOOK VERY

CAREFULLY AT THESE TIES.

I WOULD ADD THAT THE

SUMMER OF 2007, ACCORDING

TO FOREIGN SOURCES, ISRAEL

DESTROYED A NUCLEAR

REACTOR, WHICH WAS BUILT

BY BASHAR al-ASSAD.

THE BUTCHER FROM DAMASCUS.

AND JUST BEFORE IT WAS

ABOUT TO BE TURNED ON.

THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD

HAVE BEEN THE

IMPLICATIONS.

IT WAS A NORTH KOREAN

REACTOR.

CLEARLY THE NORTH KOREANS

AND THE IRANIANS ARE THE

ROGUE STATES OF THE WORLD,

AND ONE NEEDS TO BE VERY

TOUGH AND CLEAR WITH THEM

ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES.

Chris: A FINAL

QUESTION FOR BOTH OF YOU:

THERE IS A NEW

ADMINISTRATION IN TOWN:

HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE

CALCULUS HERE IN THE

MIDDLE EAST?

AND WHAT DO AMERICANS IN

PARTICULAR NEED TO KNOW?

AND WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE

THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO

AHEAD AND DO NOW IN THE

MIDDLE EAST?

FIRST OF ALL, RELIES IT

IRELIES ITIS A VERY COMPLEX REGION.

THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE AND

NATIONS HERE AND

CONFLICTING NATIONAL

MOVEMENTS HERE.

ISRAEL NEEDS TO BE VERY

STRONG.

ALWAYS HOLD THE EQUAL

EQUALITATIVE REASONS

AGAINST BOTH.

THERE IS HATE AND

INSTABILITY IN THE REGION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE

ARE OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS IS A TRANSITIONAL

HISTORICAL PERIOD.

WE SHOULD BE ON TOP OF

THINGS AND LEAD THINGS AND

USE THE GREATNESS OF

ISRAEL AS PART OF IT.

THIS -- FIRST, I THINK

THE U.S. HAS TO REBUILD

DETERRENCE AND CREDIBILITY

IN THE REGION BECAUSE

THERE IS A DEFICIT THERE,

UNFORTUNATELY.

I WOULD SAY MY FIRST

PRIORITY IS TO CHECK THE

STABILIZING POLICIES OF

IRAN, WHILE DEFEATING

ISIS, AND NOT ONE AT THE

EXPENSE OF THE OTHER.

Chris: ANYTHING YOU

WOULD LIKE TO ADD, EITHER

OF YOU?

ALL I CAN CONCLUDE IS

SAYING THAT I THINK THE

MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT BY

PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ASSAD

BY THE 59 TOMAHAWKS RES

INTERSTATES THROUGHOUT THE

MIDDLE EAST, VERY CLEAR

WITH NO IFs AND BUTs,

AND IT WAS A VERY CLEAR

MESSAGE.

I HOPE THESE MESSAGES WILL

EXPLAIN THERE IS A NEW

GAME IN TOWN.

Chris: SOME PEOPLE

WOULD SAY A NEW SHERIFF IN

TOWN.

YES.

WE'RE POLITE.

Chris: THANK YOU SO

MUCH.

YOU CAN SEE MORE OF

MICHAEL AND IZOG IN OUR

NEW DOCUDRAMA, "IN OUR

HANDS: THE BATTLE FOR

JERUSALEM."

TICKETS FOR MAY 23rd ARE

NOW ON SALE.

YOU CAN GO TO inourhands

inourhands1967.com FOR

MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO

GET TICKETS.

> UP NEXT, STANDING IN

THE FIRE, THE HEROIC

STORIES OF CHRISTIANS IN

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO "JERUSALEM DATELINE."

MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS ARE

STANDING RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE OF A BLAZING

INFERNO OF RADICAL ISLAMIC

EVIL.

EVEN AS THEY FIGHT TO

SURVIVE, THE GOSPEL IS

GOING FORWARD.

IT IS BEING SHARED BY AN

UNLIKELY BAND OF

BELIEVERS, RISKING THEIR

LIVES TO SHARE THEIR

FAITH, NO MATTER HOW HOT

THE FIRE MAY GET.

TAKE A LOOK.

Reporter: GLOBAL

TERRORISM IS AT AN

ALL-TIME HIGH.

MILLIONS OF MIDDLE EAST

CHRISTIANS EXPERIENCE

BRUTAL PERSECUTION FOR

THEIR FAITH EVERY DAY.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE

STORY.

IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS

CAUSED BY ISIS AND OTHER

JIHADIST FACTIONS, A

GROWING NUMBER OF FEARLESS

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST

ARE RISKING THEIR OWN

LIVES TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.

SOME OF THESE COURAGEOUS

CHRISTIANS ARE FORMER

MUSLIMS, AND SOME WERE

ONCE TERRORISTS.

FORMER PASTOR AND MIDDLE

EAST MISSIONARY TOM DOYLE

TELLS THEIR AMAZING TRUE

STORIES IN A NEW BOOK,

"STANDING IN THE FIRE:

COURAGEOUS CHRISTIANS

LIVING IN FRIGHTENING

TIMES."

Chris: TOM DOYLE

TALKED WITH WENDY GRIFFITH

ABOUT THESE COURAGEOUS

CHRISTIANS.

Wendy: WELL, HOW DID

YOU GATHER ALL OF THESE

AMAZING STORIES?

WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT

THEM?

YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE WORK WITH MANY OF THESE

PEOPLE.

AND WE WORK ALL THROUGHOUT

THE MIDDLE EAST.

WE WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK

ABOUT THOSE THAT ARE

ALIVE, THAT REALLY SHOULD

BE DEAD, BUT JESUS HAS

KEPT THEM ALIVE.

SO IT IS A FORMER ISIS

LEADER, A FORMER TERRORIST

GROUP IN SYRIA, A SECRET

POLICE, A WOMAN MARRIED TO

A MUSLIM IMAM, AND GOD IS

USING THEIR LIVES.

THEY'RE ALWAYS ASKING TWO

QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY GIVE

THEIR LIVES TO JESUS.

ONE, ARE YOU WILLING TO BE

PERSECUTED.

AND IF THEY ANSWER YES,

THE NEXT QUESTION: ARE YOU

WILLING TO DIE FOR JESUS?

AND I THINK ABOUT THAT,

WENDY.

CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WE HAD

THOSE QUESTIONS IN THE

CHURCH HERE TODAY IN

AMERICA, THAT WOULD THIN

THE RANKS QUICK.

Wendy: AND A LOT OF

TIMES THEY NEVER SEE THEIR

FAMILIES AGAIN.

THEY TOTALLY REJECT

THEM.

IN FACT, THEY MAY BE

PERSECUTED BY THEIR

FAMILY, WHICH IS SO

FOREIGN FOR US, THAT THEIR

OWN FAMILY COULD PERSECUTE

THEM, AND EVEN KILL THEM,

AND IT IS SO SAD.

Wendy: WE HEAR A LOT

TODAY ABOUT CHRISTIANITY

DISAPPEARING IN SOME PARTS

OF THE MIDDLE EAST?

IS THIS TRUE?

WHAT ABOUT THE MUSLIMS

THAT ARE COMING TO FAITH

IN CHRIST?

WHAT ABOUT IN THE LAST 10

TO 15 YEARS, MORE MUSLIMS

HAVE COME TO FAITH IN

JESUS THAN IN 1400 YEARS.

THERE IS AN UNDERGROUND

REVOLUTION THAT PEOPLE

DON'T KNOW ABOUT, AND

THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO

TELL THE STORIES.

Wendy: WHY DO YOU

THINK THEY ARE COMING TO

FAITH IN CHRIST?

BECAUSE WE DON'T HEAR

ABOUT THAT ON THE NEWS.

WE JUST HEAR ABOUT ISIS

AND al-QAEDA AND ALL OF

THE TERRORISM.

ONE, I THINK JESUS IS

REACHING OUT TO THEM.

WE KNOW ABOUT THE DREAMS

AND THE VISIONS AND THE

SPECTACULAR MIRACLES THEY

ARE SEEING.

AND, TWO, THEY'RE SEEING

ISLAM FOR WHAT IT REALLY

IS, AND THEY DON'T LIKE

IT.

AND, THREE, THEY'RE SEEING

CHRISTIANS WITH LOVE, THAT

ARE REACHING OUT TO THEM,

THAT THEY TRUST, AND THEY

WANT TO KNOW MORE.

Wendy: TELL US THE

STORY OF ONE OF THESE

BRAVE NEW CONVERTS TO

CHRISTIANITY.

ONE OF THEM THAT HITS

ME IN THE HEART IS MITO,

WHO WAS WITH THE ISLAMIC

STATE IN MOSUL WHEN THE

CHRISTIANS WERE DRIVEN

OUT.

MOSUL IS BEING CLEARED OUT

OF CHRISTIANS.

AND HE SAW THREE MEN HUNG

ON CROSSES.

AND HE DIDN'T KNOW THIS

WAS GOING ON.

AND HE WALKED UP TO THEM,

AND HE WAS TRANSFIXED ON

THEM.

AND ONE OF THE MEN LIFTED

HIS HEAD, PROBABLY WITHIN

THE HOUR HE WAS GOING TO

DIE, AND HE MILD AT MITO.

AND THEN HE GOT CLOSER,

AND HE HEARD A NOISE, AND

THEY WERE SINGING.

Wendy: OH, MY

GOODNESS, ON THE CROSS?

THEY WERE SINGING SONGS

TO JESUS.

AT THAT POINT, HE FELT

LIKE TAKING HIS OWN LIFE.

HE SAID, I COULD HAVE

KILLED MYSELF THEN.

HE MADE A PLAN AND ESCAPED

THROUGH NORTHERN IRAQ AND

GOT INTO TURKEY AND MET

SOME BELIEVERS.

WITHIN ABOUT A WEEK, THEY

LED HIM TO CHRIST.

BUT REALLY WHAT HIT HIM

HARD IS THEY TOOK HIM TO

AN UNDERGROUND CHURCH

MEETING.

AS THEY WALKED IN, HE

STARTED TO BACK PEDDLE.

BACK PEDAL.

AND THE MAN SAID, WHAT'S

THE MATTER, MITO, AND HE

SAID, THAT'S THE SAME SONG

THEY WERE SINGING ON THE

CROSS, AND IT PIERCED HIM

AND HE CAME TO CHRIST.

Wendy: WHAT CAN WE IN

THE WEST LEARN FROM THESE

GREAT CONVERTS?

WE HAVE THREE

TAKE-AWAYS IN THE BOOK.

FIRST, WE TALK ABOUT

CHOOSE WHAT VOICE YOU'RE

GOING TO LISTEN TO.

IF WE JUST LISTEN TO

SECULAR NEWS, WE'RE GOING

TO BE WORRIED AND

PANICKED.

NONE OF US SHOULD SURPRISE

US, THAT THE GOSPEL IS

SOARING THROUGH THE MIDDLE

EAST.

MAKE FAITH YOUR FILTER.

I MUST CONFESS, WENDY, IT

IS EASY FOR ME TO WORRY.

WE HAVE SIX CHILDREN AND

FOUR GRANDCHILDREN.

JOANNE AND I THINK ABOUT

THEM AND, OH, MY GOSH,

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH

THIS ONE AND THAT ONE.

THEY DON'T THINK THAT WAY.

IMMEDIATELY WHEN THEY HEAR

SOMETHING BAD, THEY'LL SAY

GOOD IS GOD.

AND, THIRD, I THINK IT IS

TIME FOR BELIEVERS TO GET

ON THEIR FACE AND PRAY.

THAT'S WHAT I SEE THEM DO

IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

WE THINK OF FACE TIME IS

AN APP ON OUR PHONE, BUT

BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN

GETTING ON THEIR FACE FOR

CENTURIES WHEN THEY NEEDED

GOD TO MOVE.

THOSE ARE THREE THINGS

WE'VE LEARNED FROM THEM

AND A LOT MORE.

Wendy: YOU'RE EIGHTH

BOOK IS CALLED "STANDING

IN THE FIRE: COURAGEOUS

CHRISTIANS LIVING IN

FRIGHTENING TIMES."

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK.

TOM DOYLE, THANK YOU SO

MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE

DOING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

WENDY.

Chris: ANDREW

BRUNSON, AN AMERICAN

PASTOR, AFTER SERVING IN

TURKEY FOR 22 YEARS, HE

WAS JAILED LAST OCTOBER,

ACCUSED OF BEING IN AN

ISLAMIC TERRORIST

ORGANIZATION.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT

YOU CAN FIND THROUGHOUT

THE WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

BRUNSON WROTE A LETTER TO

PRESIDENT TRUMP, ASKING

FOR HIS HELP IN OBTAINING

HIS RELEASE.

LET'S REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR

PASTOR BRUNSON.

> UP NEXT, SEE HOW ONE

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR USES

Chris: WELCOME BACK.

THIS WEEK ISRAELIS ARE

MARKING HOLOCAUST

REMEMBRANCE DAY.

ONE OF THE COMMEMORATIONS

IS THAT ISRAEL'S MEDIUM

REAL.

MEMORIAL.

ABOUT 200,000 SURVIVORS

STILL LIVE IN ISRAEL, AND

ONE OF THEM SHOWED US HOW

SHE SHARES HER EXPERIENCE

DURING PERHAPS ONE OF THE

DARKEST TIMES IN MODERN

HISTORY.

THIS PAINTING IS A

RECENT ONE.

I NAMED IT "THE WOUNDED

SURVIVOR."

Chris: RITA WAS SEVEN

YEARS OLD WHEN THE NAZIS

INVADED HER HOME TOWN IN

POLAND.

IN 1941, NAZIS ROUNDED UP

THE JEWS THERE AND PUT

THEM IN A GHETTO.

RITA IS NOW A RECOGNIZED

HOLOCAUST ARTIST, WHO HAS

WORKED AS AN ART

THERAPIST.

HER SURVIVAL EXPERIENCE IS

THE THEME OF MANY OF HER

PAINTINGS.

I'M THE WOUNDED

SURVIVOR.

I ALWAYS PAINTED MYSELF IN

WHITE.

I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH

NOT SO WHITE NIGHTGOWN

THAT I SURVIVED THE WHOLE

JUDGHOLOCAUST IN.

Chris: RITA IS BUBBLY

AND VIBRANT, AND YET SHE

CARRIES HER MEMORIES WITH

HER EVERY DAY.

I'M NOT SURE THAT

TOTALLY YOU CANNOT HEAL

THE WOUND.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT STILL

WORKS IN YOUR MEMORY AND

AFFECTS YOUR DAILY LIFE.

Chris: HER STORY IS

TOLD IN THE BOOK "PORTRAIT

OF A HOLOCAUST CHILD:

MEMORIES AND REFLECTIONS."

SHE TOLD CBN NEWS HOW SHE

AND HER FAMILY ESCAPED THE

GHETTO AND SURVIVED IN

WHAT THEY CALLED "THE

GRUB."

AND MY FATHER WENT AWAY

FOR A FEW DAYS.

AND WHAT HE DID WAS FOUND

ANOTHER CHRISTIAN FAMILY

IN A LITTLE TOWN CALLED

MALEKI.

AND THERE HE FOUND

SOMETHING UNDER THE AREA,

WHERE THERE WERE POTATOES.

AND MY FATHER AND MY

MOTHER AND THE TWO LITTLE

KIDS WERE WITH THEM.

ONLY MY LITTLE BROTHER

COULD STAND UP.

AND I WAS LYING IN THE

PASSAGEWAY, FROM THE AREA

TO THE POTATO BINS.

THESE IS HOW WE LIVED 20

MONTHS.

WE WERE HUNGRY AND FEARFUL

FEARFUL.

AND IT WAS JUST A LIVING

HELL.

WE CALLED IT -- IT WAS A

LIVING GRAVE.

Chris: BEING AWAKE

WAS A NIGHTMARE, SHE SAID.

HOUR BY HOUR, SUFFERING

DAY AND NIGHT.

MOST OF HER FATHER'S 12

SIBLINGS DIED, BUT HER

LITTLE FAMILY OF FIVE

STAYED ALIVE.

BEING CREATIVE HELPED

ME SURVIVE, NOT ONLY

SURVIVE, BUT KEEP MY

SANITY.

Chris: IN 2006, RITA

REVISITED POLAND FOR THE

FIRST TIME TO JOIN THE

MARCH OF THE LIVING.

WHILE THERE, A SPIDER BITE

WAS SIGNIFICANT.

IT WAS A SPIDER BITE

THAT LOOKED A LITTLE LIKE

A SWASTILA.

Chris: A MOTHER OF

TWO AND GRANDMOTHER OF

THREE, SHE HAS SEEN MANY

MIRACLES IN HER LIFE.

WE HAVE KIND OF A

SURVIVAL INSTINCT, WHICH

WAS VERY STRONG.

BUT NOW IT IS WEAKENING

BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET

OLDER, YOUR DEFENSES GO

DOWN.

AND SO THE ONLY THING THAT

WE HAVE IS BECAUSE OF OUR

CHILDREN AND

GRANDCHILDREN.

THAT'S OUR VICTORY.

Chris: UP NEXT, A

PLEA FROM THE LAND

DEVASTATED BY ISIS.

Chris: WELCOME BACK.

CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ ARE

RETURNING TO THEIR HOMES

AND CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN

LIBERATED FROM ISIS.

AND "OPERATION BLESSING"

IS THERE TO HELP THEM

START OVER.

GEORGE THOMAS HAS THAT

STORY.

George: ON A RECENT

TRIP TO THE FRONTLINES,

"OPERATION BLESSING'S"

PRESIDENT, BILL HORAN, SAW

FIRSTHAND WHAT ISIS DID TO

IRAQ'S LARGEST CHRISTIAN

TOWN.

I'M STANDING HERE ON

THE ROOF OF A CHURCH, AN

HISTORIC CHURCH IN

QARAQOSH, IRAQ.

THIS IS A COMMUNITY OF

OVER 50,000 PEOPLE.

EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND

CHILD WAS A CHRISTIAN THAT

LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY.

George: ON AUGUST 6,

2014, CHRISTIANS OF

QARAQOSH FLED JUST HOURS

BEFORE ISLAMIC FIGHTERS

OVER RAN THE AREA.

ISIS PRACTICALLY DESTROYED

THE ENTIRE TOWN OVER THE

NEXT TWO YEARS, TURNING

ALMOST EVERY CHURCH, LIKE

THIS ONE, INTO THEIR

PLAYGROUND OF EVIL.

EVIDENTLY, THEY DIDN'T

HAVE ENOUGH EXPLOSIVES TO

BLOW IT DOWN.

THEY USED THE COURTYARD

DOWN HERE FOR A SHOOTING

RANGE.

THEY TOOK ARTIFACTS FROM

THE CHURCH, SACRED RELICS,

SOME OF THEM HUNDREDS OF

YEARS OLD, AND USED THEM

LITERALLY FOR TARGET

PRACTICE, AND EXPENDED

THOUSANDS OF ROUNDS IN

THIS COURTYARD, PRACTICING

HOW TO KILL PEOPLE.

George: THEN IN

OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR,

IRAQI TROOPS RECAPTURED

QARAQOSH.

RESIDENTS ARE SLOWLY

TRICKLING BACK.

"OPERATION BLESSING" IS ON

THE GROUND, HELPING SOME

FAMILIES REBUILD.

THIS MONTH THE CHRISTIAN

HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION

STARTED THE CITY'S FIRST

BUSINESS SINCE ITS

LIBERATION, BY ASSISTING

THIS FAMILY START A BAKERY

TO SUPPLY FRESH BREAD TO

PEOPLE COMING HOME.

BUT MANY RESIDENTS ARE

STILL TOO AFRAID TO

RETURN, AS FIGHTING WAGES

ON IN IRAQ'S SECOND

LARGEST CITY OF MOSUL.

FOR NOW, MOST ARE LIVING

AT REFUGEES IN NEIGHBORING

JORDAN.

"OPERATION BLESSING" IS

FEEDING OVER 200 CHILDREN

AT A SCHOOL IN QARAQOSH.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE

MEANS TO FEED THEIR

CHILDREN.

SO THEY COME TO US AND

THEY GET THREE MEALS.

SO WE SEE THAT THEY HAVE A

GOOD MEAL AT THE SCHOOL.

George: FATHER CALIL

RUNS THE FACILITY.

BEFORE WE STARTED THE

SCHOOL, THE KIDS WOULD

MEET ALL TOGETHER.

THEY WERE LEARN THE

LANGUAGE OF OUR LORD,

JESUS CHRIST.

George: AND

"OPERATION BLESSING" RUNS

A CLINIC HELPING REFUGEES

DISPLACED BY ISIS.

PEOPLE IN AMERICA HAVE

TO BE MORE AWARE OF THIS,

AND HAVE COMPASSION FOR

OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

HERE.

THESE ARE ALL BELIEVERS IN

CHRIST.

WE NEED TO DO ALL WE CAN

DO TO HELP THEM REBUILD

THEIR LIVES.

George: GEORGE

THOMAS, CBN NEWS.

Chris: AFTER HAVING

SEEN THE DEVASTATION IN

QARAQOSH FIRSTHAND, I

BELIEVE PEOPLE IN AMERICA

AND AROUND THE WORLD NEED

TO BE MORE AWARE OF THE

CRISIS MANY CHRISTIANS ARE

FACING IN NORTH IRAQ.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE

PEOPLE AND DO WHAT YOU CAN

TO HELP.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO

CONTRIBUTE TO "OPERATION

BLESSING," YOU CAN GO TO

ob.org.

> THAT'S ALL FOR THIS

EDITION.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FOLLOW

US ON Facebook, TWITTER,

AND INSTAGRAM.

AND PLEASE SHARE US WITH

YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL, AND

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

"JERUSALEM DATELINE."