Jerry Hogan - Columnist
Rockwall County Herald-Banner
June 27, 2008 07:38 pm
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This is a different type of story from what you normally see in this column.
In fact, this story has nothing to do with the military … but it does have to do with a remarkable young family that has committed themselves to helping the people of Iraq … or really the people of Kurdistan.
In 1995 Billy Ray graduated from Baylor and three years later Dawn Delp, daughter of Don and Ann Delp of Rockwall, also graduated from Baylor. They didn’t know each other and they didn’t even meet until 2000, but has life been a whirlwind and an adventure for them since that date.
When Billy first graduated from college with a history and education degree, he was not sure which path he wanted to follow in life, so for two years he worked in a variety of odd jobs. In 1997, however, he entered a year-long training program in the Antioch Training School in Waco which changed his life. This school focused on the practical aspects of missionary work in overseas countries. Billy was destined to go to Turkey.
In the spring of 2000, he and eight other adults and three children from his church, went as a team to central Turkey to a town called Eskisehir where they established a humanitarian aid company and brought in medical supplies to be used in outlying medical clinics. They also, working with local Turks, helped establish the first Protestant church in that part of Turkey and only the second recognized Protestant church in all of Turkey. He also met his wife who was in Turkey working with Campus Crusades. They were married a year later in June of 2001.
Three boys were born into their family in the five years they were in Turkey; Peter, Andrew, and Jonathan. And Jonathan became the miracle child.
Jonathan was born with three heart defects. And after six weeks of life, he was dying even though he had been evacuated to the major hospital in Istanbul and they had done all they could to help him, It soon became obvious he needed an operation and that meant he needed to get to the States as quickly as possible or he would not survive.
As usually happens in a crisis, other events happening in Turkey at the same time Jonathan needed to leave, caused a severe problem; there were no vacant available airplane seats out of Turkey. Contact with all of the airlines, the U.S. military, and with their U.S. Senator failed to help. But out of the clear blue, a friend in the US called to say that she had found through Orbitz one seat on an aircraft leaving Istanbul in eight hours; could they make it from where they were located six hours away by road? Quickly packing a bag and throwing it in the car, they started out over the mountainous terrain for the airport.
On the way Dawn realized she didn’t know what to expect and didn't know what to do if the baby started having problems. She was facing at least 16 hours in the air with no help and no assistance if she needed it. But Dawn’s best friend worked for Perot Systems and they called her. She contacted Ross Perot who then made a phone call to the head of Southwestern Medical Center. Dawn almost immediately received a call on her cell phone from the head of pediatric services at Children’s Hospital in Dallas who then proceeded to walk her through what to expect and what to do if issues would arise.
Arriving in the states at DFW airport, the plane was met by medical personnel and an ambulance and the two of them were whisked to Children's Hospital in Dallas where successful surgery was completed and then six days later Jonathan was discharged from the hospital totally healed. See why he can be called the Miracle Baby?
By this time, Billy and the other two boys had arrived back in the States. Since it had been six years since either Billy or Dawn had lived in the states, they were uncertain where they were going to settle or what they were going to do. As time wore on it seemed like their missionary career had ended with their departure from Turkey. They came to the Rockwall area and started establishing their life in this area receiving lots and lots of moral support from friends and family.
And then late in 2007 an opportunity presented itself to Billy, “How would you like to become the Regional Director for World Orphans in the Middle East and North Africa?” In this position, Billy would be supervising the building of orphan homes throughout this area starting in Northern Iraq. Both Dawn and Billy decided this was exactly what they wanted to do.
But you might ask how this could be done in a Muslim country that is engaged in a major war? If you remember, there are three major ethnic groups in Iraq: the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. Northern Iraq, or specifically Kurdistan which is located in the top northeastern part of Iraq, is composed mainly of the Kurdish people. These people, while Muslims, are not Arabs and are fiercely independent. They believe they should be a separate state and not part of Iraq. This is one of the reasons that Sadam Hussein, while in power in Iraq, used poisonous gas in the Kurdish cities killing over five thousand of the Kurds.
There are a total of about 30 million Kurds in the world today. They do not have a country they can call their own. In Kurdistan in Iraq, with a population of about 5 million Kurds, they have their own Army of 175,000 soldiers, their own Prime Minister, their own border patrol, and their own flag. They have very modern cities and a culture not really touched by today’s war that rages in the rest of Iraq. In fact, the war today has really not touched or affected Kurdistan. For example, when the US Army General responsible for northern Iraq was recently interviewed and asked how many US troops were located in Kurdistan, his answer was “about 60 or 70. We don't need any more than that.”
Because of this environment, the World Orphans organization was successful in negotiating an agreement with the Kurdish leadership for church based family-style orphan homes to be built in conjunction with the Christian churches located in that area. In addition to the local government agreeing to this plan, the President of Iraq is also Kurdish which should strengthen the arrangement.
The World Orphans group is currently attempting to raise $1 million to be used for the construction of these homes on church lands in Iraq. The plan is to build up to nine homes over the next five years with each home having the capability of housing and raising ten to fifteen orphans.
The Ray family will be leaving the end of July for this new assignment in Iraq. Billy has already been there twice in the last six months; they have arranged for an apartment to live in and an office has already been established in the capitol of the Kurdish area, Erbil which is a city of around one million people.
But wait a minute; are you telling me this family of Billy and Dawn and their three little boys are moving to and will be working in Iraq where we have 160,000 troops and an active war is on going? Yep, that’s what they're doing. I asked the same question and Billy is convinced it is the right thing to do; there have been no U.S. casualties in this area since the war started, the government of the Kurdish area is totally behind this effort, the support of these orphans is totally non-political, and other Westerners are already located in this area doing similar humanitarian efforts. In addition, they have the faith that this is what they are being called to do and they are convinced it is the right thing to do.
It should be also mentioned that while the World Orphans organization does provide funds for the building of the homes, no support or payment is provided to the Rays. It is their responsibility to raise the money to support them while they are deployed and working in this assignment. For them to start their assignment, they still need a one-time donation of $10,000 and then reoccurring monthly contributions of $1,500. These monies can be donated to the World Orphans Organization at www.worldorphans.org or 1-888-ORPHANS. You also can contact Billy directly through their web site at www.rescueiraq.com or through his cell phone at 817-690-0158.
It really does kind of blow your mind when you hear that a family of five from Rockwall is preparing to leave for Iraq where they will be living and helping the local people. I was shocked myself. But when you look at how different Kurdistan is from the Iraq we see on the evening news each day and when you listen to what the Prime Minister and other leaders of Kurdistan say and when you hear the determination in Billy’s voice, I believe they will be successful and safe. Because when you think about it, how can a family with the “Miracle Baby” be anything but safe and happy?
To have the story of your friend or relative told in this column, please contact retired US Army LTC Jerry Hogan at 214-394-4033 or jerryhogan@sbcglobal.net
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