Victor Marx was abused and left for dead at the age of five. His young life was marked by trauma, rejection, and unimaginable pain. Escaping from his dysfunctional home life, he joined the US Marine Corps where years of anger and rage turned towards the Arab people. Years later, he nearly took his own life due to post-traumatic stress and the suppressed issues that stemmed from his childhood.
For Victor, as a young Marine, tragedy turned into triumph when he was healed from his past through faith in Jesus Christ. After he shared his testimony with a group of incarcerated youth in 2002, Victor and his wife, Eileen, founded All Things Possible Ministries, a faith-based organization that works globally to free children from abuse and the effects of trauma.
Victor’s life story is chronicled in his documentary film and book, The Victor Marx Story. He has also launched an online ministry through YouTube and Facebook. His videos, including World’s Fastest Gun Disarm, have more than 100M combined views throughout social media.
As a humanitarian, speaker, renowned martial arts expert, and child/youth advocate, Victor speaks throughout the U.S. and around the world, providing inspiration and encouragement to widely-diverse audiences.
Victor and his wife Eileen both struggled with trauma in early life. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
Known as high-risk missionaries because of their work in sensitive areas, Victor and Eileen serve veterans and military personnel, as well as women and children in the Middle East, who have encountered debilitating trauma and promote healthy, Christ-filled marriages and families.
Sonoma Christian Home shares this profoundly significant interview with Victor Marx. SCH Editor at Large Dr. Diane Howard reports.
SCH: How did our Lord lead you to develop All Things Possible ministries?
VM: I was a martial arts instructor, settled in Hawaii, when I was recruited by Focus on the Family. I felt like young David against Goliath when I began to serve on the staff of Focus on the Family, but it was a great tenure there. A life-changing event moved me further into a new ministry, although we remain personal friends with the Dobsons, founders of Focus on the Family. This life-altering event happened when I spoke at a youth prison where I shared my real story and received the title of Karate Preacher.
SCH: How do you serve veterans, military personnel, and their families?
VM: I have learned that trauma is trauma. We have studied the best approaches to trauma recovery for veterans, military personnel, and their families. We have produced the movie and corresponding book for them: Triggered and Triggered Too. The U.S. Army is clearing the way for this movie and book to serve the military.
Helping veterans is incredibly important. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
SCH: What has surprised you about women and children in the Middle East?
VM: We have learned that they are just like us. We have brought Middle Eastern children in our secure, safe house there.
SCH: How do you serve children in the Middle East?
VM: We serve them with security and recovery. We have facilitated rescues with God’s perfect timing.
See many of our field stories. We rescued a young, Christian, female captive, which became an international story. The ministry gives specially outfitted plush lion and lamb toys that aim to decrease trauma through specially selected music along with words in Arabic and Kurdish played through a special audio component. To date, more than 30,000 Lions & Lambs Life Packs have been donated to people of the Middle East.
SCH: How does K9 protector and companion, Scout, minister to the children?
VM: Scout was donated to us by a former Marine, who is a Christian in Canada, who saw our work on social media. Scout helped us recover Baby Ali from ISIS.
We should always support our troops! Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
SCH: What surprising friendships have you established in the Middle East?
VM: General Mustafa provided a birthday party for me. He said that we have shown him what Christ is about. One mission led to another, and then another and suddenly, we found ourselves with a significant foothold in-country and relationships with many high-ranking government officials.
SCH: How do you serve women in the Middle East?
VM: We provide physical needs for them. We are about to deliver 4,000 “dignity kits” for women, children, and men, and we are involved with trials with the latest technology that includes a small headband connected to computers that instantly mirrors brain activity, slows down brains, clears, then resets brains, and counters depression for normal brain function.
Marx once himself served in the Marines. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
SCH: What have been some of the special blessings in this work?
VH: Living among Middle Eastern people, loving them, and developing friendships with them have been a special blessing. Praying for and sharing Christ’s love with an ISIS commander has been a blessing.
SCH: What have you learned about God as He has led you into this ministry?
VM: He is not just God of just Western Christians. He is a powerful God. He has led us to live the Gospel.
SCH: How can we pray for you?
VM: We have developed a short film for those involved with ISIS. It includes footage of my wife and being captured and sharing the Gospel. Please pray for this media outreach.
Victor, Scout and baby Ali in an armored vehicle. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
All Things Possible Ministries, led by high-risk missionary Victor Marx, and his wife, Eileen, deploy to Iraq for the ninth humanitarian effort later this fall with the goal to deliver comfort toys to children and dignity kits to women in high-risk areas. The ministry plans to give 2000 specially outfitted plush lion and lamb toys that aim to decrease trauma through specially selected music along with words in Arabic and Kurdish played through a special audio component. To date, more than 30,000 Lions & Lambs Life Packs have been donated to people of the Middle East. Additionally, the ministry will distribute 4000 kits with personal care and feminine hygiene items.
“Through our work in the country since 2014, we noticed a continual need for the basics,” said Marx. “Half of the displaced 3.3 million Iraqis are children. They’re traumatized, hurt, and still face terrorist threats. Because of the broken infrastructure, young women often lack personal necessities which contributes to loss of opportunities, dignity and feelings of hopelessness. We’ve raises funds specifically to help address these issues.”
Victor Marx is pictured here with an Iraqi soldier. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
K9 protector and companion, Scout, will also minister to the children one-on-one. A highly-trained Belgian Malinois, with specialized training to apprehend and protect, Scout also doubles as a therapy dog. “Scout has a unique therapeutic ability to bond with children,” said Marx. “Scout is often the highlight of our Iraqi children’s program.”
All Things Possible directly supports many persecuted Christian Iraqi families as well as Muslim and Yazidi Children, including orphaned children of ISIS fighters. The organization supports one orphanage in the region and operates the Third Option program where local leaders can receive specialized resources for dealing with ISIS.
Under constant threat from extremists, including a public call for his beheading, Marx cannot publicize the dates or exact location of the upcoming humanitarian mission.
The mission helps women, children and men. Photo Courtesy Victor Marx
A former Marine and renowned martial arts expert, Marx is also an author, speaker, and international child advocate with a love for people of the Middle East who have been brutalized by ISIS and warfare in the region.
“High-risk missionary” Victor Marx and wife Eileen continue to travel to dangerous regions to deliver humanitarian aid and share the gospel. A former Marine, Marx had a hatred for Middle Easterners until God changed his heart. Now, he’s known as a champion for their human rights. Marx’s ministry, All Things Possible, continually raises funds to deliver basic needs to people living in the region. Victor Marx and All Things Possible Ministries deploy soon to deliver compassionate care to women and children again in Iraq on their ninth humanitarian mission.
Others can help by praying for this ministry and going to Victor Marx.
Please learn more about this author at Dr. Diane Howard
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