Ted Rondeau, executive administrator and missions and outreach director at Grace Community Church, Goshen, Ind. (Jim Brown, pastor), reports that God is continuing to work in Iraq following a September visit by a team from the church. He recently spoke with Malath (pastor of Alliance Church of Erbil) and Insaf (Iraqi m-worker with International Teams Canada, and Malath’s mother-in-law). “It was great to hear their voices and even cooler to hear the report of how things are progressing on the housing project,” he reported. Among items on his report:
- The political situation remains unchanged.
- Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) continue to occupy the city.
- Unseasonal heavy rains have come making life miserable for the IDPs.
- Winter temps are settling, also hard on the IDPs.
- Influx of newcomers to the church brings about the need to go to two services; they are praising God for this.
- The Erbil church family finds new enthusiasm for their faith, their church, and the mission before them
- Ten apartments have been secured; two families moved in, four in process, and 25 in line for processing
- Costs for the project prove out to be right and sustainable
- A minor tweak to the project to add a second manager and a small amount for manager’s operating budget. All other costs hold true. In addition to the managers, a volunteer committee has been formed from the church to help with the project
- From the giving to date, we will move forward with: the remaining balance on the initial six apartments started while the team was there; funding the 2nd manager and operating fund for six months to start; and funding 35 additional apartments.
The result is a total thus far of 41 apartments for 82 families (no less than six people per apartment, therefore 250 people). More apartments can be secured.
The church has raised nearly $250,000 for this project, which includes medical supplies that the team took with them to Iraq plus funding apartments for refugees. For more information, see Grace4Iraq.com