Displaced By ISIS: Youth Pastors Are Helping Christians In Iraq
A youth pastor who fled from Karamles, Iraq to Erbil is now helping Christians suffering from persecution at the hands of the Islamic State.
Martin, 25, fled from his home with his church when the Islamic State conquered their village. He is now helping families in Mosul, Iraq with the organization called Open Doors.
Open doors equips church leaders like Martin to help families held in bondage in the Middle East.
Martin is one of many Iraqis displaced from his home.
"The displacement causes a type of stress that we haven't experienced before. You have to realize that IS didn't only take their house, the place they felt most comfortable," said Martin. "IS also seized their university and their future."
Martin could have chosen to immigrate with his family, but he stayed behind to help.
"This continuing situation has just solidified my calling. I am needed here at this moment to feed my people with charity and with hope."
Open Doors says that churches from the UK and Ireland have thrown persecuted Christians a lifeline over the past year, providing 27,000 families with monthly food relief.
The whole community in Karamles has been living as a displaced 'parish,' 45 miles from their home - first in tents and now in porta-cabins.
Another church leader working with Martin, Thabet, says that the first thing the people asked for was a church.
"While the church is made out of porta-cabin materials, it serves an important purpose. Without a church we are all spread around, but we need to be united. Here we can meet with each other and share our faith. It is being used for Bible study, prayer, and children's activities. Having a place to search for God is invaluable, he said. We need to proclaim the Word of God in this porta-cabin every day. By reading the Bible, we know how to be Christian in this situation. We don't have any other weapons."
Open Doors still provides for Martin's online pastoral courses which he's already putting into practice.
"The most important thing I want to teach the youngsters is that Jesus trusted His Father completely, even in the most miserable situation of being on the cross. I want them to know what we can trust in God, trust in Jesus," he said.
Martin and Thabet are still striving to bring hope to their displaced community, and await liberation for their people.
"It's because of their persistence in prayer and encouragement that they are slowly picking up their lives. They have hope again. Many of them feel the power to go back to our village and rebuild it. Now we are just praying it will be liberated soon."
