Evangelist Mark van Niekerk reports on his latest trip to the war-torn region

God is doing wonderful things!

We are delighted to bring you another update from Mark van Niekerk, a South African evangelist who has been partnering with believers in Iraq and Kurdistan to spread the Gospel, amid difficult and dangerous circumstances. Read on and be inspired!

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Dear family in Yeshua,

Once again I’ve been privileged to visit an area of the world very few manage to get to. If truth be told, without us knowing of someone going there and hearing about the people and their circumstances, we’d be none the wiser. I’m deeply conscious of the enormous privilege I have in being called to the Muslims of Kurdistan along with suffering Christian and Muslim refugees of the Nineveh Plains. Is there a place more needing of the good news, the great balm of Gilead, than the land where Jonah was sent and where Nahum served the Lord?

This was my third visit, each time flying into Irbil in the semi-autonomous region of Iraq known as Kurdistan. The ‘work’ in Iraq has pretty much settled into three different areas:

1. The Kurds living in the border region with Iran
   
2. Refugees in Irbil
   
3. Returning refugees and Muslim inhabitants of the Nineveh Plains

There is nothing easy about evangelism in this part of the world. Great care needs to be taken at all times. The costs of leaving Islam remain high - Shariah shows no mercy to apostates. Even though many Kurds are leaving Islam they are not necessarily all turning to the God of Scripture. Some who have turned to Messiah are bold enough, while others, understandably, remain cautious.

A young Peshmerga widow asking about the Jesus at a food distribution. I’m not sure we in the West can fully grasp the enormity of leaving a cloistered, structured and familial society to follow Messiah. An interesting aspect is this: it seems for the most part that it is the men who are coming to faith, while the women hold back. They are no doubt acutely aware of their close family ties and tribal identity which will be negatively impacted by any serious decision to follow Jesus. We need to be praying particularly for the wives of believers.

Coming together is not easy as groups of Christians draw unnecessary attention. Consequently, larger gatherings are held in the privacy of the mountains. Every single night we had visitors, both young and old, who came to meet with us to discuss Scripture. Bibles were handed out to all who asked. Peshmerga widows, a Mullah and numerous men took Bibles. It’s truly an incredible experience to hear a knock on the door at midnight and find men asking for a Bible! It reminded me of Nicodemus.

I’m not sure we in the West can fully grasp the enormity of leaving a cloistered, structured and familial society to follow Messiah.

A meeting with a brother who we visited on the way to Iran was hugely inspiring. He is taking Bibles into Iran regularly where he tells us home groups are exploding.

Writing in bibles destined for Iran. So, on to Irbil. Those fleeing from the marauding ISIS on the Nineveh Plains headed straight to Irbil as their closest place of relative security. They have languished here for four years in various refugee camps spread throughout the city and other Kurdish cities. All camps are divided into religions, Christians and Muslims. None are mixed. Tens of thousands were housed here.

The latest refugees arriving in Irbil are those driven out by the chaos in Syria. Those we met have left for good and seek asylum in any country that will take them.

We had daily meetings at the fellowship of a local pastor. He has been an incredible servant these four years, reaching out with food supplies and the Gospel to the cultural ‘Christians’ (mostly from Chaldean Catholic backgrounds). This group of people are so desperately in need of the Gospel. The notion of these Christians being beheaded by ISIS, literally going as sheep to the slaughter, is haunting. It would appear that most of them were proud of their Christian heritage and culture and were willing to die for it - as opposed to being born-again believers laying their lives down for Christ. This is deeply disturbing – but thankfully we serve a God who is able to know the hearts of all men and who we know judges righteously.

Messages to this ancient Christian community always include the need for God’s saving grace by faith. A works-based righteousness ethic remains entrenched. The Gospel is sneered at and attacked by bishops and priests. Their power is abusive and their spirit controlling. They are no doubt in the character of the Pharisees that Jesus condemned for shutting up Heaven to those wanting to enter.

In one camp, Syrians were flooding in literally minutes before I was privileged to address them. It is not easy delivering a message to a people already broken - mentally, emotionally, financially - and yet we know this is the message that gives hope. I’ve truly sensed the suffering of Messiah, to some degree, when speaking to these people. They too need to appreciate that the Lord enters into these trials with them.

It’s truly an incredible experience to hear a knock on the door at midnight and find men asking for a Bible.

After we left I was told the man sitting next to me was a member of ISIS, himself living in fear of being executed. While in this camp he cannot be arrested, but will be the minute he steps outside. Many of these murderers are back in their communities. They fled cities like Mosul with the liberated inhabitants. All they needed to do was shave their beards, change their clothing and merge in with those leaving.

Muslim women in refugee camp who have lost everything to ISIS - including husbands and children. One group of women were all open to listening to the Gospel. While we visited them three men walked in and sat down. The wife had immediately left once they entered and the conversation was stilted with these intruders. After a few minutes evaluating this new situation, a brother entered the tent and told us to get up and follow. We were leaving. The wife had told him they did not know who these men were and there was possible danger. They had obviously seen us walking around the camp and had caught up with us to hear what we were saying. It was not the first time this had happened to us. But this is life in a world that does not know Messiah.

I left this ancient land, which has been so torn apart, feeling burdened for this people I’ve come to know and love. There is so much to do and there is great need. I’ve realised major players can only do so much. Someone like myself with individuals supporting, along with one or two churches, can truly have a major impact – and just our encouragement, our going and being with them, means a great deal. Paul speaks so much about encouraging the brethren in Scripture. It’s an honour to do this.

I believe it’s the Lord’s will I continue supporting these brave men and women. Your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Again, I do not personally take any money for ministry; our business covers my costs. Finances that have been raised have gone towards provision of food and household materials, kerosene for widows and orphans during the winter, the purchase of Bibles, urgent medical needs and financial aid for Christian families in dire need.

I also value your prayers. I am under no illusion that this is your average mission. I’m desperately in need of being bathed in prayer, not only for my safety, but for those turning to the Lord from Islam who continue to live in these hostile conditions.

Thanking you all in Messiah Yeshua, who alone sustains us and enables us to serve him.

Mark van Niekerk

Additional Information

If you would like to give towards Mark’s work in Kurdistan, please make a direct payment to Prophecy Today (details below) and include the instruction ‘Kurdistan’ – we will collect the gifts and send them directly. Please do not give via our Paypal account – Paypal will take a cut!

Bank transfer details: Prophecy Today Ltd / Account Number: 19560260 / Sort Code: 77-66-03

Please click here and here to read previous updates about the mission work in Kurdistan.

Below, from left to right: Muslim refugee camp where we sat with Islamic fighters of ISIS and their families / A Muslim family who invited us to come and speak to them (this is nothing less than a work of God’s Spirit!) / Distribution to Syrian refugees / Our gracious hosts in Kurdistan - please pray for them.