by Nuhad Tomeh

Through this Extra Commitment Opportunity, Presbyterians in the United States are touching the lives of sisters and brothers in Christ in Iraq.

In Baghdad the Presbyterian Church has a health care ministry in the form of an outpatient clinic where people from the church or the community come to receive treatment. The clinic provides physical checkups, medicine, and lab tests. if needed. The Peace Fund helps support the ministry of the clinic.

The church in Baghdad also has a fascinating ministry with children and youth. The Peace Fund is used to provide Christian education materials and transportation. With the bad security situation, parents are not able to bring children to the church so the church provides buses to bring the children. The church also provides transportation to a prayer group that meets every Saturday.

In Basrah (in the southern part of Iraq), the Peace Fund helps the small Presbyterian church (50 families) engage in ministry with the children in the community through the pre-school that was established some years ago. The Peace Fund also helps the most needy families who have lost jobs or have very little income. Transportation is also provided to bring the elderly and children to the church services.

In Kirkuk (in the northern part of Iraq), the Peace Fund help helps provide transportation and supports a reading room ministry where people can borrow Christian books videos. The reading room serves as a place where interfaith dialogue takes place which leads to peace building and reconciliation .

In Mosul (in the northern part of Iraq), the Peace Fund helps support the ministry of the clinic that the church has established to give health care to the church people and the community. Through the clinic, natural dialogue among the people of the community takes place which leads to peace building and awareness. The church in Mosul has also established a training program to train young people in leading bible study groups and prayer meetings. The Peace Fund support helps provide material for this program.