This year we have an incredible opportunity to send the guys to Iraq for almost two weeks to work with the family of an alumnus. They are frontline workers who are working with refugees and internally displaced persons in northern Iraq. As you can imagine, the logistics of this trip are a lot more complex than most of our travel with ALERT, and the safety concerns are significant as well.

We’ve been in contact with various individuals and alumni who are either currently in the area or have contacts in the area, and the overall security situation seems good. They will be traveling to the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, which is generally more favorable toward the US than the rest of Iraq. In addition, Kurdistan, is not currently part of the major unrest happening in the region. However, as with everything in the Middle East, that can change dramatically based on events on the ground. So as the guys head over middle of next month, please be in prayer for northern Iraq, and the region as a whole.

Please also be in prayer for the guys to not stand out in a bad way. We are sending a team of military aged young men who carry themselves in a more professional way, and that can cause red flags. Iraq is one of the pathways that individuals take when trying to get into conflict in places like Syria or with ISIS, and so we are trying to make our guys look as non-threatening and civilian as possible so they don't get flagged. But please pray that they wouldn’t stand out and attract attention as they travel to and from Iraq, or while they are in country.