Out of the horror of Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people of northern Iraq, God spared one boy to be His witness among Kurds in the Middle East. The Kurdish missionary, whose name must be withheld for security reasons, has worked among refugees in Jordan and is now back in his native Iraq to spread the gospel. His story is nothing less than miraculous.

Efforts to dominate the Kurdish people of northern Iraq lasted from 1963, when the Ba’ath party came to power, to 1989. The brutal work was at its worst in March, 1988, when a chemical and assault weapon attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja killed up to 5,000 Kurds in one day.

Caught in the Halabja attack were thousands of women and children, including one 7-year-old boy. He was on his way to kindergarten when his bus, full of 30 children, was hit by a rocket. Everyone on board except him was killed instantly.

Barely alive, and having lost both legs, he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Iran. He spent three months unconscious, finally awakening to learn that all his immediate family members had been killed by chemical weapons.

The boy spent 10 years in Tehran, receiving treatment for his legs, stomach and disfigured face. Having been introduced to the idea of Christianity as a child, he found himself often pondering God. He writes, “During this time I contemplated Christ’s cross, its meaning, and why the Lord saved me among the 30 children who died. I wished there would be a Christian who would pray for my healing, but there were no local Christians at the time, only a few foreign ones who wore crosses.”

When he became a teenager, the young man moved to Jordan as a refugee. There he met a fellow Kurd who introduced him to the gospel of Christ and the idea of a personal relationship with Him. In June 2001, he gave his life to the Lord.

His first prayer was that God would spare at least one member of his family for him to see. The young man prayed this prayer every night until, he writes, “God assured me that my prayer had been answered but told me to be patient and to continue to praise Him.”

Months later, his school headmaster pulled him aside to tell him that someone claiming to be the young man’s brother had called from Switzerland. It was verified through other relatives: the young man had a living family member.

He writes, “When I arrived at school the next day, there was a banner on which was written, ‘Congratulations! One of your family is alive!’ All the teachers welcomed me with music. God encouraged me so much through this incident, which caused me to love God more.

“I had a desire to reach the Kurdish people with my testimony, and God honored my desire by giving me a home ministry with them.

“I also asked God to help me walk without crutches, which He did!” Those crutches that he had no need for anymore became a tool for spreading the gospel. As part of his ministry among Kurdish refugees in Jordan, he went from home to home developing relationships with Kurds and talking about the Lord. One elderly man he met was very ill and could not walk. The young missionary visited him one day to pray for him, bringing crutches along. After praying for an hour, the older man took the crutches and began walking.

The young missionary, now 23 years old, has returned to Iraq to work among Kurdish people. Please remember him in your prayers. For more information on native missionaries to the Kurds in Iraq, write insider@christianaid.org  and put MI-603 444-HALM on the subject line.

Via MissionNet