From Egypt to the Unknown

Dr. Fayrouz’s Ministry in Kurdistan

For many years, Dr. Fayrouz was a beloved and faithful partner in HOME’s ministry across Upper Egypt. Serving with compassion and humility, she was the hands and heart of Christ in our mobile medical clinics, reaching underserved communities, treating the sick, and gently sharing the message of salvation. Her name became synonymous with grace in action - an Egyptian female physician devoted to “serving the least of these.”

But in May 2024, God began writing a new chapter in her life…

Her husband shared unexpected news: “We are being called to serve in Kurdistan, Iraq.”

The announcement landed like thunder. After over a decade of stable ministry and community, the idea of moving to a region marked by conflict and uncertainty seemed nearly impossible - especially while her mother-in-law was in the final stages of a battle with cancer.

“I cried. I prayed. I asked God, ‘Are You really sending us there? And why now?’”

Yet in God’s perfect timing, just days after her mother-in-law’s passing, the path became clear. With weary hearts and faith in God’s calling, Dr. Fayrouz and her husband relocated to Duhok, in Northern Iraq.

A Clinic Among the Forgotten

For months, she didn’t know why she was there - until she met an American doctor working in a small clinic within a Yazidi refugee camp. He served once a week. When she asked what would happen if he left, his answer pierced her heart:

“Then the clinic will close. There’s no one else to run it.”

That moment gave her mission its name. With HOME’s support and in partnership with STLI, Dr. Fayrouz stepped into the role. Today, she operates the only functioning medical clinic in a camp of over 12,000 Yazidi refugees - one of just a few essential services available to this forgotten community. In a humble tented facility with minimal resources and no formal transportation, she receives around 15 patients a day, offering more than just physical care. She listens. She prays. She brings peace to those who have forgotten what peace feels like.

Stories from the Tents

Every patient who walks into the clinic comes carrying more than a medical complaint. Many carry the weight of suffering too deep for words—stories that span generations of trauma, abandonment, and survival. Over time, and with gentle listening, some of these stories surface.

The Mother Who Waits

She comes every week. Quiet. Frail. Repeating the same complaint—pain in her back, fatigue, poor sleep. After several visits, Dr. Fayrouz sat beside her and asked softly, “Is there something else behind the pain?” The woman broke into sobs and whispered in the Shingali dialect—a regional form of Kurdish spoken by Yazidis from Sinjar: “My three sons were taken by Daesh (ISIS). That was 11 years ago. I don’t know if they are alive or dead.” There was no resolution. No closure. Just a mother returning week after week - because the clinic is the only place where someone will sit beside her and listen.

Aliya’s Second Chance

Aliya was young, but her spirit was worn down. Diagnosed with breast cancer, abandoned by her parents, and living in a tent with her ailing grandmother, she was both caregiver and patient - child and adult - all at once. Her world had shrunk to survival and silence. Dr. Fayrouz began to meet with her regularly - not just for medical care, but to give her space to be heard. One day, Aliya looked up and smiled: “I don’t know how, but I want to live again,” she said. Today, she comes not as a patient—but as a friend, having rediscovered her will to live in the heart of a clinic among the tents.

The Girl Who Couldn’t Forget

She had no wounds. But her body trembled, and her eyes darted with fear. A survivor of ISIS occupation, she was haunted by what she had seen - and what had been done to her. “People around me say I shouldn’t complain,” she whispered. “But here… I found someone who listens.” For her, being heard was the first step toward healing.

A Call from the Mountains

One evening, Dr. Fayrouz received a desperate voice message from a young girl: “Doctor, please... my grandmother is very sick. We’re up in the mountains. No one else can help.” The next morning, she made the difficult journey to the remote village. There she found a frail, elderly woman in urgent need of care. With love and determination, Dr. Fayrouz provided treatment, comfort, and supplies. It was more than medicine. It was presence. It was faith made visible.

More Than a Clinic: A Ministry of Presence

This is not a facility of luxury. It is a tented refuge amid loss. But within it, the love of Christ is alive. Through every patient, every tear, and every prayer, Dr. Fayrouz is living out HOME’s mission: to heal bodies and souls, to reach the unreached, and to be Christ’s presence in the darkest corners of the Middle East.

“When I asked why God had sent me to Duhok, I never imagined He would answer through the eyes of the hurting. But now I know—this is my purpose. This is the ministry He prepared me for.”