Kurdistan Departure Update: Hurry up and Wait

President Barak Obama “said there's ‘no doubt’ the Islamic State's advance on Irbil ‘has been more rapid than the intelligence estimates’" reports the AP (Los Angeles Times, 9 August, 2014). The advancement of ISIS/the IS north, east, and west from Mosel has been a blitzkrieg of a kind. A month before, when Mosel had freshly fallen to the IS, a noted military analyst had half a dozen reasons why this extreme terrorist group once associated with al Qaida, but now their own entity (al Qaida kicked them out of their terrorist organization for being too mean) would not move on Kurdistan. Though war would be a neighborhood away, the analysis seemed sound and I bought my tickets, feeling confident that yesterday I would wave goodbye to Mamma and Daddy en route to my new job in a new, Middle Eastern home.

But then Sunday happened and all the days in between: the IS’s movement outpaced military intelligence, analysis, and estimates. It made a tactically shocking turn, pushing towards Kurdistan through invading smaller minority villages on its march for the Kurdish capitol of Erbil. First hesitant, Monday a phone call with my sending organization confirmed my original confidence. Tuesday I wrestled fears through preparation busyness and by rehearsing the Journey up to this point. Then Wednesday the email prompted the text message which directed the call that delivered the message: The IS is on Erbil’s border. You’re on standby. We’re keeping you stateside. Numb Thursday, and glued to Al Jazeera reports and Facebook updates. Friday my tickets were cancelled. As Kurds fight for sovereignty, Christians, Muslims, and Yazidis seek asylum, and American/coalition fighter jets drop death and hope, respectively, I’m grounded in Indiana indefinitely.

Within my personal narrative God has done a few things over the past three weeks that make this turn of events very confusing. They are here enumerated: 1) He provided for my financial support to teach in Kurdistan this year 100%. 2) He surprised me with a church family who has not only loved me throughout this long Indiana summer but has also taken specific interest in the work I am to do at CSM. Last Sunday afternoon they sent me off with prayers, encouragement, and gifts. 3) He recently invited me into a hard conversation that finally severed my last tie to Sacramento, the tie that has mostly distracted my focus, scattered my thoughts, and maddened my soul. After this conversation, I was a free woman, smiling at the future, no looking back: On Sunday I was flying to Kurdistan, ALL IN!!!

In the mountains of Sinjar tonight the Islamic State surrounds anywhere between 50,000 to 150,000 Iraqi civilians. The IS wants one thing: death to these ‘un-submitted ones,’ the Yazidis, a peaceful religious minority. Death to the old women, bent with wisdom and the labor of years; death to the teenagers, knowing more than their parents; death to the babies unborn in wombs of their young mothers; death to professionals and shepherds, mechanics, bakers, priests and teachers, death. That is what this advancing horde promises to all non-conformists. The Yazidis have taken refuge in these mountains since fleeing their homes last Sunday. Temperatures during the day reach as high as 120 degrees and, until Saturday’s first humanitarian airdrops, they had no water.

Erbil swells with Mosel’s refugees. Christians who would not wait to see if the IS could truly be pacified by a tax from the unconverted have flooded the city. Mosques, churches and even open-air public parks are better shelters for these persecuted ones than the false promise of protection through paying the jizya; it is being reported that Christians who stayed in Mosel are being hung; their children “systematically beheaded;” the young women forced into slavery. (http://m.cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/barbara-boland/leader-isis-systematically-beheading-children-christian-genocide#.U-QTbfgppNc.facebook) Servant Group is partnered with the Classical School of the Medes, where I was to teach. Through this partnership, we are able to get much-needed funding to the churches in Erbil. These churches, coordinating with the city of Erbil, are the hands and feet meeting the needs of these refugees: food, water, bedding, and spiritual support. You can give directly to this relief effort: http://www.gofundme.com/iraq-refugee-crisis

Christians, thank you for praying for Iraq. Let’s keep praying.

Terrorists advancing on a civilized people, kids starving in the mountains, old women collapsing with thirst, cities swelling with refugees. God seeing all, getting His hands dirty, in favor of the imprisoned, not forgetting. Please don’t forget them. And I am not too small. You are not over-taxed, spent, exhausted to ignore me, or think me unimportant while engaged in the life-destiny of thousands. So I ask, Meet with me? Give me the same guidance I needed yesterday? Refresh me and satisfy my agitated spirit, limited body?

I needed to remind myself that, in the shadow of prayers for the horrors happening in real-time a world away, the petitions I have to God for His help today are no less significant; He still welcomes my needy cry for His guidance and favor and I still need to ask. I and fellow SGI teachers must re-evaluate God’s invitation for the Now. We’re in a holding period, waiting for further marching orders on a Call we all answered months ago in our hearts. What to do in the interim? Christians, thank you for praying with us.

In these early hours of this conflict God’s little and large providences are yet to be uncovered. Let’s hunt for them together. It’s likely we can’t transcribe them all, but here are the few that, from within my own little narrative, I’ve discovered thus far:

…The internal intelligence of our partners on the ground worked. Because of their connectedness and decisive action my leaders were able to make the call sooner than later.

…The timing of these events and my and other teachers’ travel plans: very thankful none of us got there only to turn back around. Or, got stuck somewhere in between here and there. What a kind protection by God of our limited resource$.

…Our travel agent’s assistance to cancel the tickets; a decision made quickly, again, which saved both time and money.

…My church immediately forwarding my email about the change of plans last week: many people began praying for Kurdistan before it made the headlines.

…A hang up Tuesday of last week in the processing of my international medical insurance application after weeks of tangoing unsuccessfully with my agent prevented the policy from being accepted; yet another provision and HUGE conservation of funds.

…My sister was able to finish her final college paper yesterday instead of, sacrificially, seeing me off to the airport.

…Because of my connection to Kurdistan I see amongst my personal contacts, family, and friends a greater interest in the work God is doing there and a more defined fervor to pray for this region and the decision makers who rule it.

I thank God for President Obama’s decision to take action on behalf of Iraq’s persecuted minorities. And with our president I also agree: “U.S. troops can't bring peace to Iraq. ‘We can conduct airstrikes, but ultimately there's not going to be an American military solution to this problem. There's going to have to be an Iraqi solution that America and other countries and allies support,' he said” (Los Angeles Times, 9 August, 2014). Well, mostly, I agree with you, Mr. President. I believe the solution that the Middle East waits for, that the whole world unknowingly craves, is a divine one. A Jesus Solution.

My friend and former CSM teacher writes:

“I do not know what God will do to redeem this or how he is using it to work in the hearts of the people. Some have had visions of a hope that Kurdistan is becoming a pool or reservoir of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will rain down on the Kurds until it overflows into the nations surrounding. This is my prayer; that the persecution of Christians in Iraq will spread the gospel just like the persecution of believers in the early church. So pray.” http://livealifeworthy.blogspot.com/

To pray informed, three excellent Facebook groups I recommend that you follow are:

-Humans of New York: poignant photojournalism and the best use of social media I've encountered

-Unicef Iraq: up-to-date reports of on-the-ground relief efforts

-Servant Group International: veteran servants to Middle Eastern minorities

There are many reports reverberating throughout cyberspace on the situation unfolding in northern Iraq. Be sensible, not sensational, and keep praying!

Indiana corn grows lush. We pray that in the Middle East, God is preparing for another kind of harvest.