Dear friends,
Do you feel sometimes pressured and discouraged like me? It helps to
pause and appreciate the fruit of what God is doing through our shared
work together.
Four of the seven Iraqi children sent to Israel have already had their
heart surgeries! Asan, a nine-month-old boy, and Banaz, a five-year-old
girl (both pictured to the right) are doing great, as is a six-year-old
girl named Aala. Howraz, the seven-year-old boy pictured below just before
his surgery on Monday, has had a difficult time and doctors have been
fighting for his life all week. But as the Sabbath rest begins now in
Israel, ICU head Sion Houri reports that Howraz is “much better”
and that they hope to get him off the ventilator over the weekend.
Four of the seven Iraqi children sent to Israel have already had their
heart surgeries! Asan, a nine-month-old boy, and Banaz, a five-year-old
girl (both pictured above) are doing great, as is a six-year-old girl
named Aala. Howraz, the seven-year-old boy pictured below (third from
top) just before his surgery on Monday, has had a difficult time and doctors
have been fighting for his life all week. But as the Sabbath rest begins
now in Israel, ICU head Sion Houri reports that Howraz is “much
better” and that they hope to get him off the ventilator over the
weekend.
Of the remaining Iraqi children selected for surgery in last month’s screening in Amman: two returned last night to their homes in Iraq to await visas to Israel (after passport irregularities prevented their travel to Germany); one child did make it to Germany and is awaiting surgery there; and the three children pictured below who went to India for surgeries are already safely back in their homes in Iraq and send their gratitude.
We too are grateful to see God’s grace touching families across Iraq, as well as the families from Gaza who continue to come weekly to Israel for surgeries. We now have two Arab Christian girls in Jerusalem, Loret and Rajaa, who are regularly visiting all the families in the hospital to care for and share with them in Jesus’ name.
I ask also for your continued prayer, encouragement and support for our volunteers in Jerusalem and Amman. We have been stretched in many regards by receiving this many children at once, and after covering the children’s needs we still need help covering our volunteers’ living expenses so that they may continue to serve.
God bless you,
Jonathan Miles
International Coordinator, Shevet Achim
“Behold how good and how pleasant for brothers to dwell together
in unity” (Psalm 133:1).
