Shane, Jamie, & Logan went to Iraq. Shane was previously there with Christian Peacemaking Teams, Logan served in the US Army and was stationed in Iraq & Afghanistan, and this was Jamie's first time.  Along with 7 others, they are the first unarmed civilians to visit Rutba since the war began in 2003. Revisit Shane's 2003 Iraq Journal and standby for more stories.

This is what Jamie writes:

Brian, it was amazing.  We have an amazing story to share.  Love from the other side of the pond.  Be back in a few.

And Shane has a few words:

In March 2003, I spent a month in Iraq as a Christian peacemaker and wrote many of my reasons for going to Iraq. I just had a chance to look over them again. Unfortunately, not too much has changed in the world over the past 7 years, and many of my reasons for going then are exactly the same now. I am convinced as much as ever before that we must embark on new adventures of grace and reconciliation as a witness to Christ and his scandalous love on the cross. Otherwise we should confess that we have never believed the cross is truly an alternative to the sword. So that is why I am going.

There are a few new reasons I am going to Iraq. As we were leaving Baghdad at the end of March in 2003, we had a bad car accident on the desert road out of Baghdad, a few hours from the border, near a little town named Rutba. With each of us suffering injuries, from minor to life-threatening, --we were welcomed by this town in spite of the fact that their city had suffered deeply from the war and bombing. The managers of the hospital greeted us with warm smiles, but quickly told us with tears in their eyes that our government was dropping bombs on them, one of which hit their hospital. It fell on the children’s ward. But the doctors insisted: “We will still take care of you. We do not see Iraqi or American. We welcome you here as sisters and brothers. We want you to know we love you.” And they set up a shanty clinic with a bed for each of us.

As some of you know… the story ends with them offering the most moving and marvelous act of hospitality we have ever seen. They would not take any money, but insisted that it was all simply because they love us… and they told us to share the story of Rutba with the world. Some of us on that trip started a community named after the town (Rutba House in Durham, NC). Others of us have now returned to Iraq to connect with old friends in Rutba and to say thank you to those who saved our lives and touched our souls. It’s the next chapter of the story of Rutba. The latest word is that the people of Rutba are glad to have us return to their magical town. It sounds like we will be welcomed by the Mayor, and that one of the doctors from 2003 (no longer living in Rutba) will drive many hours to meet us at the hospital in Rutba, where we will will be staying while there.

We hope to listen to the stories, both brilliant and tragic, from the people of Rutba. We will continue to trust, as always… that love wins, and that mercy triumphs.

Photography by Jamie Moffett for the feature documentary, The Gospel of Rutbah