Tis Grace

3 hours ago5 min read

Ayhan, Director of the Hope Centre

“As we have arrived to the end of 2024 and opened the door on 25, it’s time to reflect on the journey of the past year filled with moments of love, hope, challenges and triumph. We have given our all to serve and bring hope to those in need, opening doors and changing lives through ongoing work and initiatives.

None of this would have been possible without the support of kind-hearted individuals, you good people, who selflessly donate to our cause.

Each one of us has a role to play, and the contributions of you, our often unsung heroes, are truly transformative. Your generosity touches the hearts of those with whom we do life here in Northern Iraq, and makes the impossible possible.

I want to personally thank you for being the angels that our tribe did not know existed. Thank you for being there for those who have no one else. I have witnessed the difference that you make, and I am deeply grateful. May God bless you and keep you this year."

Ayhan, Director of the Hope Centre

Natik, Director of the Hope Academy of Music

"When you pour your heart into the work and feel exhausted but the tiredness fades because you have achieved something truly meaningful with the support of incredible people standing by your side - that’s when you realise how special and unique your mission is.

On behalf of myself, my team and the children and young people who live in tents but are being raised inside The Hope Centre, growing up with a clarity of vision and purpose founded and grounded in hope, I want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We are filled with gratitude for your unwavering encouragement, reminding us to keep going and never give up.

Your support has ensured that the tent dwellers, those displaced by ISIS, are not deprived of the joy of music and the beauty and healing that it brings. May God bless you abundantly for your compassion and generosity."

Natik. Director of the Hope Academy of Music

Salam, Director of the Hope Academy of Art and Kids 4 Hope

"As the Director of the Art Department and of Kids for Hope, (our work with the local orphanages ) I wish to thank you.

Our students came to us, closed, shut down and broken. Whether they were rescued from captivity or displaced in tents, there was no room for art in their lives. Their souls were too fragmented and broken to receive anything of beauty. Through the years we have watched them heal and embrace creativity.

This year in particular was the year of expansion for many of our rescued students, who discovered hidden talents and replaced the black of captivity with dreams, and expression accompanied with bright, life giving colours.

We have been able to take our hope and joy out into the community, to schools and places which are off the map, places where no one goes, and to improve life for those communities.

You, our friends, our supporters, have big hearts. Thank you for your partnership with us. We love you. God bless you all. I wish you a good year."

Salam, Director of the Hope Academy of Art and Kids 4 Hope

Musa, General Manager and Finance Administrator

"First of all, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year, and thank you for your help in 2024. Thank you for staying with us, we could not handle this journey without you. It would be too great for us alone.

Thank you for trusting us with your finances, thank you for choosing to invest your money in us and for helping to make an invaluable difference in the lives of the individuals and the communities in this region.

Throughout this year, with your help we have worked across the board, with Kurdish Muslims, Syrian Kurdish Muslims, the Christian community, and of course our Yezidi tribe. We value and respect everyone who comes to us, and welcome them into our family.

This actually has been a hard year for us, we have faced many and various challenges which have threatened our work and ongoing presence in the region. One of the challenges is finance, we have struggled to make ends meet this year. Thank God, and with thanks to you we have not just survived but have written a beautiful, life giving chapter in a hard year where we have cut back as much as we can.

We do pray for a turn around this year, and to continue our journey of changing lives for generations to come in our region. Thank you for your care for us. Without you none of this would be possible. God bless you all."

Musa, General Manager and Finance Administrator

I keep returning to the words of the slavery abolitionist, John Newton who in one of his hymns wrote "Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. Tis grace that has brought me safe thus far."

It has been our hardest year in a decade. Regional swirlings, wars, rumours of wars, the overnight global suddenlies have pressed into us. As the world heaves our finances have dropped to the level that we have, once staff salaries and student support is given, between $1000-2000 left for us to operate with for an entire month, which means we are unable to function. We need, bread and butter calculations only, an additional $10,000 a month to continue to say "yes" to our students when they need to go out of the camp on a picnic, to fix my vehicle which should have been pensioned off years ago, to mend our generator which is old and needs replacement and gradually replace the rotting wood fences in the stables. To name but a few immediate necessities. To do the basics.

We have gone through so many personal dangers in this past year, dangers and threats that should have caused us to back off, to say, "enough is enough, my life, my security is of higher importance", yet no. We have pushed through and become closer, stronger and more determined to see the fullness of our mission here in the Kurdish Region of Iraq. Everything has pushed against us, yet we have strongly pushed back. We have resisted the struggles, the hardships and the threats from outside, because we believe that we are still deeply planted in this land.

We deeply value your friendship and your partnership. We also know that the butter is scraped thin for many of you, yet you still sacrifice for this region which was spoken of by the Hebraic prophets.

We do however ask you to consider networking on our behalf, getting the word out, and for those of you who are praying people to pray for the increase that we so need in order to continue to bring life to our communities.

Tis Grace, dear friends, Tis Grace.