Story number 2 for 18 Jul 2003

(Iraq)–Next, there are fears that Iraqi Baath party members may attack Westerners, avenging the anniversary of their rise to power. But, Operation Blessing’s Bill Horan says their medical team has seen an entirely different experience in Southern Iraq. He thinks the sketch of an anti-Western Iraq grossly exaggerated. “The truth of the matter is the vast majority of people in Iraq are very happy that we’re there. They’re absolutely thrilled that they’ve been liberated and they come up to you on the street and thank you just because they can tell you’re a Westerner.” Horan explains that because their teams work from a Christian worldview, their faith comes through loud and clear. This can build the foundation for future outreach. “After a while, I would think, that repeated exposure to people, like our nurse and to our medical teams, are going to have a serious impact on folks on the spiritual side of things. But, we can’t stand on the street corners giving out bibles, at this point.”