ONWARD Page 2 March 2004

IRAQ MEDICAL MISSION

On February 22, 2004, I was commissioned by Pastor Tom Shelton and my church family at Friedberg Moravian through prayer. Then I was presented with Tom’s compass. The compass was symbolic of knowing where I was going, knowing God is in control, and knowing He would bring me home safely. From February 26 through March 6, 2004, I had the privilege to serve God through a mission trip to Iraq. Not so much by choice but through obedience to His calling. Nine people, including myself, assembled themselves together, in Christ, overcoming our fears through faith to serve God in an insecure country. We were one physician, a medical student, four nurses and three willing servants, all followers of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I was one of the nurses and I had experienced several short-term mission trips. The spiritual awareness and peace I felt prior to and during this trip was in some way exalted to an all-time high. I told my husband and children, I know I will be safe because God is sending me.

The trip was a great success; and in some ways proved to be much more than we had bargained for. After three long days of travel, having crossed the border from Jordan into Iraq, our trip included riding 19 hours across the desert on a two-lane road at speeds in excess of one hundred miles per hour, two bathroom stops, a driver who spoke only Arabic and no translator. Once in Baghdad we realized that our vehicle, one of three in our caravan, was driving around the city with the other two vehicles nowhere in sight. Our driver, seemingly angry, confused and lost, finally pulled to the side of the street after 45 minutes of going in what appeared to be circles. With the compass clasped firmly in my hand, I felt an uneasiness and spiritual calmness at the same time. Finally, the other two vehicles showed up; and after our driver scuffled out his frustration with the other two drivers, we continued on our way.

Finally, we were headed north out of Baghdad, toward our final destination of Arbil, Iraq. But soon we hit what seemed to be another bump in the road, a Kurdish political protest, which completely blocked the two-lane road we were traveling, and many heavily armed Iraqi police with guns drawn and aimed at us. Just as we came to a screeching halt, our driver took immediate evasive action, crossing deep ruts and mounds of earth in what appeared to be a median. Once the huge cloud of dust cleared, we realized we were traveling north on a two-lane highway, toward southbound traffic, at speeds in excess of 95 miles an hour. Lights were flashing and horns were blaring as the oncoming traffic ran off both sides of the highway in their attempt to avoid hitting us. Our driver abruptly slammed on the brakes one more time. When we found the courage to look out of the windows we found ourselves stopped once again with soldiers, weapons drawn, peering at us through their gun sights were our own troops, Americans and allies. But this time they spoke with the driver of the lead vehicle and he explained to the soldiers that we were Humanitarian Medical Relief Personnel from the Millennium, they waved us through and once again we were on our way.

Later, we found out that because of our driver’s erratic driving behavior, driving on the wrong side of the highway into oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed, the soldiers thought we might be carrying a car bomb and they were prepared to take us out had we not stopped when we did. Praise the Lord for good brakes and giving our driver the sense to finally use them!

Finally, after many more hours of vehicle travel, we reached our destination of Arbil where we were put up in a motel for our stay. We traveled two hours every morning to small villages in Kirkuk. Each day we would set up our clinic, which included triage, examining areas and a pharmacy, then travel two hours back to Arbil. We actually set up clinic in a building where we were told many Kurds were jailed and tortured during Saddam’s reign. The walls in the courtyard where prisoners were executed, were riddled with bullet holes. One of the local Kurds told us, If you were here one and a half years ago you would have been hanged in this spot!

During our four days of clinics we had over seven hundred Kurdish men, women and beautiful children pass through our open doors. Many we treated had minor injuries or illnesses and were given antibiotics. There were also many who had heart-wrenching stories to tell of abuse and torture under the direction of Saddam Hussein. Many of these poor souls wanted us to give them medicine that would make their nightmares go away. I offered up prayer with one such girl and her eyes were flowing with tears as she kissed my cheeks in the Kurdish tradition.

At each of the villages Dr. Marx, our mission team leader, was able to present the New Testament, written in the Kurdish language, to each of the village leaders. It was received with much gratitude! Dr. Marx told the Kurdish people that our Jesus Christ sent us to them to help them and bring them this book. He told them that the book being given to their leaders told stories of how Jesus was a part of our lives and that we were charged because of Him. The seeds of the Gospel were planted!

The translators were believers in Jesus Christ and found living in a Muslim country very hard and challenging. One interpreter named Hana was a young male college student studying English. This young man was having a very difficult time. Dr. Marx had the opportunity to witness to Hana while he spent the week with our group. Hana made the comment, You are Americans BUT you are different! On the last day of the clinic, as we were tearfully saying our goodbyes to the translators, young Hana came to my side of the vehicle and touched my arm, placing his hand over his heart and said, Do not cry. Because of you being here I am different. I have Jesus in here! In Christ, Debbie James