Prior to “Operation Iraqi Freedom” Iraq was a country of fear and distrust. Loyalty was just a word used for “Arab pride”, because they understand no other culture.

Driving across the boarder into Iraq this year was a feeling of freedom and opportunity. Freedom to choose what they want in life and how they want to live it. Freedom of speech, freedom to protest things they do not agree with.

Iraqis have no fear of the American troops in their land. Iraqis fear their neighbor Iraqi.

Iraqi people understand if America left there would be more killing, more vengeance, more looting, etc and it would not stop until everyone gets back at another for killing their father’s and sons.

Revenge is a horrible fuel and the Americans being there are actually protecting the Iraqi people from each other. Time will heal all things, but it’s our opinion the Americans can’t leave yet because if they did it could be catastrophic.

Iraqis like Americans in general. The average Iraqi desires to have the freedom to learn, the freedom to have whatever future they are willing to work for.

There is now hope in the eyes of even the poor children standing on the streets to the well to do. Hope for the opportunity to have business and do whatever is in their heart to do.

Saddam regime expelled all the American missionaries from Iraq in 1969. The growth of the body of Christ was slowed down by the persecution of Iraqi believers.

I could say there is more Iraqi believers outside Iraq than inside it, you could imagine a country which Christians is 3% of it is population does not have more than 10 evangelical churches with members of no more than 10,000

Internet access is ready and available all throughout the streets in Baghdad. Everyone able is reaching out to other communities, other countries via news websites, websites with open views on religion, politics, and business.

Some people are able to now communicate freely with their family members living outside of Iraq.

Internet is now becoming just a popular in Iraq as 50% of Iraqi households have Satellite TV which was not allowed before. Internet is a way of communication, way to get information, and a way to even question their beliefs.

In the last few months the internet ministry has been working with seekers from Baghdad.

A young Muslim Iraqi man sent us our first seeking email from inside Baghdad. He wants to know more about Christ as he is in a quest for finding the truth.

He said that he do not believe in Islam anymore and he wants to know about our faith, but he is afraid to ask in Iraq because Muslims will kill him if he dare to ask.