FROM IRAQ: this story came today from an Egyptian who works across the Middle East.

(This came through the Facebook Page of an Uncle, distant Mentor and Friend)

He says that, "It describes the plight of Christians in war-torn Iraq as the ISIS group advances. Please read it prayerfully in the spirit of Hebrews 13:3." (If you hit "Like" on Facebook or write a prayer on eberesamuel.blogspot.com, I'll interpret this to mean " I will pray..."
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My name is Victor, I am Christian, I am 57 years old. Together with my family I enjoyed life in Mosul (Iraq) where I had a good private business which secured a comfortable life for us. We lived there till Saturday July 4, 2014

In June militia from the fundamental, violent Islamic forces ISIS, entered Mosul with no resistance from the Iraqi army. With their arrival our lives changed drastically.
Within one week of their arrival, crosses were removed from on top all Churches in the city and replaced with their black flag. They ordered that all women and girls in the region (they control) must be circumcised, a tradition which we never practiced in our area of Iraq.

Then they ordered all Christians to leave the city before Saturday August 12 – they announced that all their property would be confiscated. If Christians chose to stay they would have to pay high tax or convert to Islam otherwise they would be killed.

Several days ago, they arrived at my house, they searched every room, they found a New Testament in English, I was beaten and accused of being a traitor. I am not sure what that meant, but I knew that killing people was very easy for them and happened very fast, they had already executed hundreds of people since they arrived. It was God’s mercy that they didn’t kill me on the spot.

On their way out they painted the sign “Christian” on the door of our house – the Arabic letter “N”, an incomplete circle with a dot on the top. Next to it they wrote “Property of the Islamic republic” !

Next day early in the morning we left out home, we were not allowed to take anything with us, we left with the clothes on our back. They searched each one of us, they took the money, the passports, even my medicine, I’m diabetic and have high blood pressure, they confiscated my medicine!

We, together with all the Christian families in the city walked for more than 50 km to the nearest Kurdish town. There was no place for us to go except to a monastery - they received us.

In one day we lost everything we possess, we turned from being owners of a house and a business to being refugees. That is where we live now. It is devastating, so embarrassing. That is where we sleep. That is not just us, but that is how each family lives, just take a corner and stay together, surrounded by hundreds, each in his spot.