Preemptive Love: Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time by Jeremy Courtney (English)

Description: Preemptive Love by Jeremy Courtney A personal account of the Courtney family and the Preemptive Love Coalition, as they help children obtain lifesaving surgeries in Iraq using one simple but powerful tool: a love that strikes first.In the middle of the Iraq War, Jeremy and Jessica Courtney found themselves with their two children caught up in the turmoil, just hoping to make a difference. After an encounter with a father whose little girl was dying from a heart defect, they began to investigate options for helping and learned that untold thousands of children across Iraq were in similar need, waiting in line for heart surgery in a country without a qualified heart surgeon. With the help of their closest friends, they dived in to save the lives of as many as they could, but sending children abroad proved to be expensive and cumbersome, and it failed to make an impact on the systemic needs of Iraqi hospitals--the place where these children really should be saved. Despite fatwas, death threats, bombings, imprisonments, and intense living conditions, Jeremy and his team persevered to overcome years of hostilities and distrust in an effort to eradicate the backlog of thousands upon thousands of Iraqi children waiting in line for much-needed heart surgery. "This true story of people coming together to live the doctrine of love first, ask questions later by building bridges and saving lives is powerfully inspiring, touching, and, unfortunately, urgently relevant" (Publishers Weekly). "Courtneys moving story gives us some of the best news to come out of Iraq in ages" (Los Angeles Times). FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Jeremy Courtney is cofounder and executive director of the Preemptive Love Coalition (PLC), an international development organization based in Iraq that provides lifesaving heart surgeries to Iraqi children and trains local doctors and nurses. Jeremy resides in Iraq with his wife, two children, and an indispensable team of dear friends. Review "Courtney gives an honest, and at times poignant, account of his efforts to establish the Preemptive Love Coalition in Iraq. Courtney relates his riveting story through the inner thoughts of both patients and adversaries, describing events like the chemical bombing of Halabja and the attack of a roadside bomber from a personal perspective. . . . powerfully inspiring, touching, and, unfortunately, urgently relevant." -Publishers Weekly Review Quote "This is a wonderful book with a powerful, time-tested message: love wins. But Jeremy Courtney and his wife arent just writing about love in theory or theology. They are showing us all the power of Gods love in practice evidenced through the love of His people for others very different than themselves. As a former US diplomat and Ivy League professor I highly recommend this book. But more importantly, as a human being looking for Gods love in this war-torn and weary world, I thank God for this book." -The Honorable Gregory W. Slayton, author of national bestseller Be a Better Dad Today Excerpt from Book Preemptive Love CHAPTER 1 Chai in an Iraqi Hotel How many times have I sat behind the ominous blast walls in this Iraqi hotel? Will I really be protected if a car bomb goes off outside? (I would get that answer soon enough.) The gaudy orange decor was offensive at first, but I eventually resigned myself to it. It can be so difficult to see things for what they are, even more so to see what they could be. I never had a room there at the hotel. Unlike most of the journalists and aid workers who frequented the hotel, I wasnt on assignment. With our families expressing deep concern over the targeted killing of Christians in Iraq, Kurdish-Arab tensions on the rise, and the Sunni-Shia civil war in full effect, my wife, Jessica, and I felt compelled to take our beautiful baby girl and move to Iraq. We lived in a house down the street from the hotel, in a neighborhood called Peace. In the winter, when the neighborhood only had about three hours of electricity per day, our home was frigid and dark. But it taught us an invaluable lesson: we dont need power to live in Peace. Sure, we longed for power. It would have made everything easier! We even bought a small gasoline generator to run the lights and our computers, but using it was like announcing, "We have money, and you dont!" So after a few cant-live-without-it moments, we decided not to use it again. The spring was pleasant, but by the summer our house had become a brick oven. Jessica was pregnant with our son while trying to care for our daughter. Most days she navigated life in Iraq with little or no water and electricity. Without a working knowledge of local languages or a car to get around the city, she felt like a prisoner. It was becoming increasingly clear that we had not chosen an easy path, and our marriage was suffering. One thing that simultaneously made my life better and her life worse was the hotel up the road with its Hollywood classics on the lobby big screen, air-conditioning, and table-side tea service. The hotel served as an office for my work with war widows, but also as a place of retreat from the difficulties of life outside. It gave respite. It was an oasis, far away from some of the difficulties of life in Iraq. If my clothes smelled of burned coffee and other mens cigarettes when I walked in the front door, Jessica knew where Id been. And I could pretty much guarantee I wasnt getting that "Honey, Im home" hug. If there is one thing Jessica cannot abide, it is the feeling that everyone is not getting their fair share. And she certainly was not getting hers. It was Jessicas beauty and her utter lack of pretension that first drew me to her in college. But it was her passion for fairness that kept me close. Sure, I found it easy to mock ("Lifes not fair!") as I awkwardly groped for attention and security with a woman who was utterly out of my league. But there is something completely enchanting about a woman who believes that life should be fair, not for her own sake, but for the sake of everyone else. Still, talk is cheap. Few women are serious enough about fairness and justice to run toward the broken, forgotten people of the world. Thats Jess. She doesnt have a vapid bone in her body. And it was ultimately her character and conviction that compelled us to move to Iraq. But conviction and naivety are good friends. We nearly destroyed our marriage trying to help everyone else. Like a Scud missile through the roof, our marriage came crashing down around us during a terrifying yelling match in 120-degree heat where I thought my life was ending. But things were about to turn around. I imagine it took days for him to get up the nerve to approach me. He probably had to talk himself into it, given the changing perspectives on Americans in Iraq and our inability to speak each others language. He may have even rehearsed his speech a few times. I had been visiting his hotel caf for months. We were familiar with one another, even friendly. But on this particular day, he had a favor to ask. In and of itself, this was not unique. I was constantly asked to give money, sponsor a green card, or teach English. Most of the Iraqis I knew were very accustomed to being rejected for these things. There was not often a lot of push-back or sense of entitlement for many of the favors we were asked to bestow. But this guy was different. I remember him being fairly solemn--as if it really mattered and he wanted to get it right. As he nervously asked for permission to present his request, I remember thinking . . . Nothing. I dont remember thinking anything. This was just another conversation for me. I had not been building up to this for days. I did not have anything riding on this conversation. I certainly did not know that his request would change my life forever. "Can you help my cousin?" he said. "His daughter was born with a huge hole in her heart, and no one in all of Iraq can save her life. Can you help?" If you are like me, you hear heroic stories and you wonder, What would I do in that situation? Im sure I would wear the white hat and save the day. My answer to his earnest appeal came quite easily. "I cant help you. I dont know anything about that." I did not need any rehearsal time. My list of justifications was waiting at the gate to be unleashed. Im not a doctor. Ive never done that before. I dont know anything about sending children abroad for treatment. I dont have that kind of money. My organization does not handle situations like that. At this response, my friend (he was obviously more a friend to me than I was to him) could have attacked my character, quoted how much money I had spent on coffee and tea over the past months, lambasted me for my hypocrisy, or come at me just for being an American. Instead, he did the exact opposite. Rather than condemn me, he praised me. Like Jessica and her conviction that the world should be fair, he was totally disarming. He appealed to my obvious desire to make things right in the world and said, "Mr. Jeremy, you are an American, right? Clearly you didnt move your family to Iraq to say no to people. You want to help people. You are a good Christian. You did not move here to say no. You moved here to say yes. Please say yes to my cousin, Mr. Jeremy." There was so much fear in my initial rejection of his need. I was so unsure of myself and where I stood in the world. I was not a leader in my organization, and my marriage demonstrated how lame a leader I was in my own home as well. I was so vulnerable to any number of attacks that he could have launched. He could have won the argument by laying waste to me and my attempt to hold his familys suffering at arms length. But he was interested in more than scoring points for the home team. He saw a life in the balance--a little four-year-old girl whose mommy and daddy loved her very much. He did not care to be "right"--he cared about saving her life. And his insight cut my hardening heart and made me alive again. I did move to Iraq to help people. I did not move to Iraq to say no. I was convinced that I could make a difference, and I intended to say yes as often as I could. Jessica always says, "You catch more bees with honey than vinegar." He clearly believed the same thing. I reversed my answer. He disarmed me, and I said, "Yes!" A few days later I was back in the hotel lobby to meet with the cousin and read the medical reports. I had no idea what I was doing. I couldnt read a medical report to save my life. I didnt have a background in social work. I was a complete novice. As the cousin walked through the door of the caf, my heart melted. He had brought his little girl with him--the best decision he could have made. When I saw her, I thought of my little brown-eyed girl, Emma. Was there anything I wouldnt do to save her life? How many doors would I knock on? How long would I beg? To what degree would I debase myself to see her live? I was a goner before the meeting ever began. I stood up to greet the man--a kindhearted father a few years my senior. He was shorter than I; I think he had a mustache. He was gentle, respectful, and very guarded, as though a single misstep on his part could cost his daughter her life. I realized how little I understood about the world, about power distribution, and about how it feels to be completely at the mercy of another. Its amazing how many thoughts can go through your mind in a few minutes. As I think back on that meeting, I have this image of myself begging on the street corner for money to pay for my daughters surgery. I dont think Ive ever done anything altruistic in my life. Everything I do is probably motivated by some sense of guilt or out of a desire to stave off my own demise. It is hard for me to ascertain whether I was compelled to help this dear man because I saw him in need or because I conjured up an image of myself in need. We regularly tell one another to "put yourself in their place" or "walk a mile in their shoes." I saw myself standing in his shoes, on the corner, begging for change with my little girl in my arms. I was terrified. But I dont think I was terrified pr Details ISBN1476733651 Author Jeremy Courtney Short Title PREEMPTIVE LOVE Publisher Howard Books Language English ISBN-10 1476733651 ISBN-13 9781476733654 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY B Pages 240 Illustrations Yes Year 2014 Publication Date 2014-09-02 Imprint Howard Books Subtitle Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time Audience General UK Release Date 2014-09-02 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:85332878;

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