We have just arrived home from our trip to the Middle East. I want to write a little about how the trip impacted lives, including mine.

Last year was my first mission trip, and I was grateful to go on one with my dad and his Team to the Middle East. On that mission, I learned a lot about what dad's been doing over the previous 40 years and the connections he has made. I also made many new friendships and connections with people and, on this trip, learned the impact I made last year was more than I ever imagined.

Thankfully, to God's grace this year, I joined him again with a team to Jordan, Kurdistan-Iraq, and Lebanon.  I was excited to meet with friends I had made the previous year and see how much they and their work for the Lord have grown.

What I saw when we met each of them was God's work is intensifying, and the work that has been going on is growing way faster than I could ever think.

In Jordan, we saw how Refuge City Networks is rapidly and tremendously evolving to help more and more families. Today, they have a medical clinic, a growing classroom full of kids with multiple classes and hard-working teachers, a sowing room for ladies to learn to sow

clothes and items to sell, and a devoted men's group. They are also building a dentist's office. Much of this was in the works from last year and has progressed quickly, thanks to God and many of you who support their work.

In Kurdistan-Iraq, we met with our Team, Ari and Aram. They have been the minds and hands of FPI in Kurdistan-Iraq.

We held our first conference here.

This was the third year, so I knew many who attended. This year, Pastor Dean and Pastor Tim joined our Team, teaching the Word and encouraging the church. And they did a great job. They were so engaged and grateful for our presence, and Pastor Dean and Tim

gave strong messages of encouragement. Our Team was also greatly encouraged and grateful to be there. It was wonderful to see the motivation at the conference and have fellowship in the free time where we would sit and talk together. Hearing the stories of God's

work in their lives and the church was awesome.

God has been moving these people who are doing beautiful work in his name. At the end of the conference, we had an unplanned baptism where five people were baptized, publicly proclaiming their faith in Jesus and desire to serve Him. We also met with Yazidi refugees my dad has worked with for many years. They have been through terrible difficulties but continue working hard to make a new life. They have a small chicken and turkey farm, which is growing and has been very prosperous, helping them raise income and food. They also have land where they can grow fruits and vegetables, many from the seeds we brought last year, for food and to sell to the market.