Healing and hope: reviving futures in Iraq

Jubran is a courageous young man who’s chosen to stay in Iraq and serve the church there. He runs a Centre of Hope – with support from Open Doors – which helps around 500 people to heal from their trauma and strengthen them in their faith. This is all possible thanks to your gifts and prayers.

Jubran (28) was one of 120,000 Christians who fled his home in the Nineveh Plain when so-called Islamic State (IS) invaded in 2014. As a young man who’s lived through war, persecution and displacement, he knows just how much Iraqi Christians have been traumatised by the events of the last decade. Young Iraqi Christians, particularly, feel hopeless about their future. And, thanks to your prayers and support, he now offers help and healing to around 500 people.  

Jubran manages the Pool of Siloam Ecumenical Centre, a Centre of Hope just south of Erbil, which helps people connect with their community and heal from their trauma. “We offer many activities, but our main goal is to bring the healing message from the Bible,” Jubran says. “In all our activities we open the Bible. [It] says so much about trauma and how to help people with it. From the Bible we can learn how to deal with our pain, how to live in peace.” 

Using the Bible to break down barriers 

The activities range from football to a devotional time, from one-to-one conversations to creative group activities. At the centre, people in the discipleship activities are also encouraged to read Christian books that also speak about healing. “We hear many stories, children that lost both parents, parents who lost sons or daughters, persons who lost brothers or sisters because of bombing or accidents,” Jubran says. “But also, all those who were displaced for a long time. Some struggled with questions like ‘Where is God?’ and ‘If He exists, why doesn’t He intervene?’ Some even stopped believing. By using the Bible, we can help them to find answers, to discover why things are happening in our lives.” 

“Because you help us, we can give help!” 

Jubran felt called to this very specific ministry by God: “There was a vision, a message from God, a calling. One day I opened my eyes and saw myself involved in this work.” After beginning a ministry on Facebook, he later worked with Father Daniel – now Bishop Chimon Daniel – to set up a Centre of Hope that focused on trauma care. All the workers in the centre are trained before they start working there – and there is an emphasis on empathetic care. “When we say that people should express their feelings, we have to do that in the first place ourselves,” Jubran explains. “We cry with them. We cannot teach something that we do not do ourselves.”

The centre currently runs activities three to five days a week, and Jubran hopes that the work will expand. “That is why Jesus called us. He believed that we would be able to give hope, He gave us a message to the people. I hope the work will multiply, that there will be more people at more places  offering this help. There are millions who need hope, healing.” This is the kind of work that enables Iraqi Christians, particularly young Christians, see that there is hope for their future in the country. 

“There are no words that are enough to say how thankful I am to the doners of this centre,” he adds. “Because you help us, we can give help, give healing through the Bible. Thank you!” 

Bishop Chimon Daniel: “My big dream is that the youth will stay”  

You may remember Father Daniel – now a bishop – from previous magazines and Standing Strong events. As a young man himself, a large part of his ministry is focused on helping young Iraqi Christians to stay in the country. “I think youth is our today and our future,” he says. “If we don’t help them today, we will not have any future for the church.  

“Most of our activities in Iraq focus on bringing the hope of Christ to the lives of our young people. We also offer vocational training for young people to increase the possibility of finding job opportunities In Iraq. In addition to that, we’re doing leadership training, we are empowering our young leaders. 

“The existence of the church in Iraq depends on our brothers and sisters in the western world. We believe that the church is one body, we are in this together. I thank you for the help you are giving to the Centres of Hope here in Iraq. My big dream is that the youth will stay, and that they become the salt and light of this country.” 

You can help make hope last for young Iraqi believers 

When asked what Christians around the world should pray for him, Jubran says, “That God will give me and others the power to help. That He will give us patience and love, so that we can give love to the people.” Your prayers and gifts will help more young people like Jubran and Bishop Chimon Daniel reach young believers who are living traumatised and without hope.