Crosstalk: November 14, 2017

​Paul Popov is the CEO of Door of Hope International. They are a voice and a helping hand to persecuted Christians worldwide. When he was five years old, his father, Haralan Popov, a prominent Protestant minister, was brutally taken from his family by the KGB in 1948 and arrested on false charges of being a 'spy for America'. Paul, along with his family, were branded as 'enemies of the state'.

Paul chose to go to Kurdistan during a time of a referendum. Through this he noticed an enthusiasm and desire among the Kurdish people to be an independent nation apart from Iraq much like Israel is today.

Paul met with his people in the northern part of Kurdistan, people that have been doing ministry since the jihadis took over a lot of Iraqi and Kurdish territory. He also met with individuals in other parts of the country who are working with people in Syria, especially refugees. This includes young people who don't get any education, and one of the efforts involves getting them God's Word.

Paul had been in trouble because suddenly Turkey, Iran and Iraq closed all the borders and airspace. He believes it had to be a miracle for him to get out. He took a step of faith and went to the airport at 3am and a young man helped him find a single place left on a plane and he ended up in Sweden where he needed to go.

He noted that the government in Kurdistan is very pro-Christian, but ISIS still has cells within the Kurdish borders. So the #1 request from the Kurdish brothers is to pray for their security. The next priority is training for home-church leaders.

Paul went on to describe the factions involved in this scenario for independence, what independence would mean for religious freedom, the backlash from Iraq, why America is turning its back on Kurdistan, the 'returning home' project, and much more.