Josh, Abel, Tracy, and Ananiah Carpenter

Iraqi Kurdistan Peace Delegation

Hello, my name is Josh Carpenter. I was born and raised in the Church of the Nazarene. I have
been an active member for the past 21 years. Being a child of the Nazarene church, missions
were almost innate and I always looked forward to helping others in different parts of the nation,
as well as the world.
My missions experience reaches into Norway, Sweden, and Denmark where I joined our college
football team in putting on a series of football camps and playing against a variety of European
semi-professional football teams. I also worked with a group to build one room houses for the
impoverished in Juarez, Mexico. I have been to Phoenix, Indianapolis, and a variety of other
American cities for mission trips as well.
In September I will be going to Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT.) CPT is
considered a nongovernmental organization. They are currently in 5 areas throughout the world
including Palestine, Columbia, and northern Iraq (aka Iraqi Kurdistan.) They are a Christian
organization that works with different international agencies to document and publicize human
rights abuses, train citizens in peacemaking techniques and strategies, and stand in solidarity
with lowly citizens during protests. Their main objective is to bring peace through peaceful
means. They do not use military escorts or carry guns. They are completely dependent upon
God for their safety.
Throughout the history of CPT, starting in 1984, only one fatality has occurred. His name is Tom
Fox. It was in 2006 when a group of four were on their way, in downtown Baghdad, to meet for a
group discussion with some of the religious leaders of the area. About a football fields length
away from their meeting spot the four were kidnapped and held hostage for four months.

Despite calls for the hostages to be released many of which were from Muslim extremist
leaders they were not released.
On March 10th, 2007 the body of the only American of the four was found in Baghdad bound
and shot in the head and chest. Upon Fox's death CPT released a statement of condolences,
asking that the world not "vilify or demonize others, no matter what they have done." They then
quoted Fox himself, saying, "We reject violence to punish anyone ... We forgive those who
consider us their enemies."
It took me a while to understand what it means to be a peacemaker. What does it really mean
for me to love my enemy? What about loving my neighbor as myself? What exactly does that
entail? And if Im called to be like Christ, how in the world can I be ready and willing to lay down
my life to bring about the peace that came through Christs death?
I honestly believe that Tom Fox died at peace. Not only that, his martyrdom exemplifies the
peace that so many in such a violent place of the world need. That is the type of peace that only
Christ can bring. The peace that forgives. The peace that seeks not to condemn, but to build.
It wasnt until 2011 that I began to study peace. And I have been doing so ever since. This past
year, I began to feel like a fake. I felt like I was always preaching about living peacefully, but
outside of my social media posts, I wasnt really living it. Living in America can sometimes numb
you to what it really means to follow Christ relative to the rest of the world.
That is why this trip to Iraq is so crucial to my faith. It not only gives me a chance to live out all
that I have learned about peace for the past five years, but it provides me with the experience to
come back, teach others, and tell them, not just from knowledge, but from experience, about the
power that can be found in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.
In order to go on the trip I need to raise $3700.I have about 14% of that goal as it stands. I know
you have other obligations. And I would not ask you to consider that I replace something you
have already planned. But I am asking you to take three days to pray about it. And while you
pray, ask God to show you clearly if this is a challenge he wants you to take on.
I really believe that the people of Christ - especially those of us in America - need to hear about
what peacemakers working abroad face so that they can start to see not just what the peace of
Christ truly is, but how powerful the peace of Christ can be.
Grace and Peace,
Josh Carpenter
142 North F Street
Hamilton, Ohio 45013
513.939.4342
josh@thepeaceablerevolution.org