Heaven's Family Magazine
January 2017 Issue

Dreaming Beyond Jordan

A refugee family wonders what the future holds for them

Becky Servant

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Yasir, with his wife Sarah, and their children Malik and Matti

So, it’s come to this! Yasir thought. Fear gripped his heart in that moment, and all he could think about was his family…and getting them to safety. He rushed home without hesitation hoping and praying that his wife and two young children were unharmed.

The sun had faithfully risen that morning, as did Yasir. His job at the welding shop wasn’t making him rich, but he was thankful for the steady work. His employer tasked him with opening the shop each morning, and that day dawned just like any other.

Life in Iraq had not been easy under the ruthless regime of Saddam Hussein, but at least he had kept the competing Muslim factions, particularly the turbulent struggles between the Sunni and Shia, at bay. Yasir’s family and the many other Iraqi Christians enjoyed relative peace, especially in Baghdad, where they lived.

The Iraq War and the death of Saddam changed that. The resulting power vacuum opened the door for Muslim hardliners and fanatics, who at least could agree on their mutual hatred of Christians, to begin widespread and frequently violent persecution. Even moderate Muslims, seeing an opportunity to seize property, united against their Christian neighbors.

Yasir and his family had been nervously eying these ominous developments, hoping they’d somehow be spared, but when he arrived at his shop that morning he knew their time was up. On the door, an angry note read, “Leave this land! Get out, you infidel!” He knew the message was meant for him.

He didn’t have time to spare. Yasir had seen others try to stay, insisting the threats were just meant to intimidate, but he didn’t want to take that chance with his wife, Sarah, and their young children, Malik and Matti.

His fears were confirmed moments after he arrived home when the phone rang. “We saw you reading our note,” the hate-filled voice said, “We know where you live…we can harm your wife and kids if you don’t leave.” Any lingering doubts vanished.

Taking only those possessions they could hastily gather, the young family fled to Irbil, a safer location in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Irbil, however, had been overrun by both Christians and Muslims fleeing the advancing ISIS forces.

Overcrowded tent centers filled the city, so after a brief stay, Yasir led his family across the border into Jordan, after first making a risky stop in Baghdad to collect important papers he’d left behind earlier in his haste—papers that would be needed to cross into Jordan and, one day, emigrate to America to join his parents and siblings who had also fled the persecution in Iraq.

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A general view of a refugee camp in Jordan

But Jordan has been a hard place in which to live because the government will not allow foreign refugees to work—and a difficult country to leave. It’s been almost three years since they arrived, and their application for permanent refugee status in a host country seems to have stalled—along with their hope of ever seeing other family members again.

What little savings they brought with them is now gone, and they’re waiting for their third and final interview with the UNHCR, the branch of the UN that helps refugees find new homes. But time is running out for them, and they’re fearful their approval to emigrate will come too late. And with anti-immigrant sentiment running high in most Western nations, they began to wonder if anyone in “Christian” nations knew—or cared about—their plight.

Yasir and his family have not been forgotten by God, however, nor by His heavenly family—those who obey Jesus Christ. In order to keep Yasir’s family, and other families like them, afloat during this stressful waiting period, the Refugee Ministry has been supplying them with food staples, simple heating units for the cold winter, and rent assistance so they are not forced to become homeless.

As of this writing, Yasir and his family continue to wait and dream of a new life beyond Jordan. But they’re thankful for God’s provision and encouraged by their brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who demonstrate their love for them. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support of the Refugee Ministry of Heaven’s Family.

THE BIGGER PICTURE:

Becky Servant

Becky Servant

More than 3,000 Iraqi Christian families fled to the nation of Jordan, hoping to emigrate to a safe nation in the West. Requests by Christians for asylum have largely fallen on deaf ears, even though Syrians and Muslims have been routinely accepted—causing these believers to feel rejected, forgotten and as though they have no voice. The Refugee Ministry of Heaven’s Family has adopted 20 of these families and helped to meet some of their most pressing needs. We continue to pray, asking God to open up a way for them to live in safety and serve Him!

Provide emergency supplies and shelter for Christian refugees:

$10  |   $50  |   $100  |   $500

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This Month's Articles

Your 2016 Contribution Receipt

Thank you for your gifts in 2016!

If you need a consolidated contribution receipt for 2016, you can request one at www.HeavensFamily.org/statement or just call us toll free at 1-855-333-2211, M-F, 9-5 EST, and we’ll send your receipt via email or snail mail.

Parting Shot: The deadly discount

During a recent trip to the Philippines, I noticed this sign advertising the hotel I’d stayed at the night before, which mentions the “Regular Time” price of 599 Pesos per night (about $12.50). The “Happy Time” price, however, is only about $8. Without going into too much detail, “Happy Time” in the Philippines is anytime someone wants to rent a hotel room for just a few hours.

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