This article is about a courageous group of Iranian Muslim background believers, who are very poor and left their country. Many got locked up in prison for no legitimate reasons. They struggle to find jobs, and when they do, it is hard labour, for three times less the ordinary wage. Many have not seen their families in years. Yet some want to reach out to other Iranians, but they have no means. No car, no materials to distribute, or money to buy materials. This group could become a very strong and strategic church with great influence in the future and sending their people back to Iran, once God opens the doors as mature Christians. In this article we would like to share some of their stories and ask prayer for the Iranian refugee Christians we have met in a training course, somewhere outside Iran.
Sarina and her husband Milad
Sarina and her husband Milad came from Iran many years ago with their 4 children. Milad is a gentle man who is very dignified. Like many of this group, they are poor and struggle to make ends meet.
Sarina shares: “My husband became a believer first. When this happened this was a disaster for me and I first didn’t know what to do. But it didn’t take long and I thought I need to take my children and leave him, and that is what I did. I went back to Iran and lived with my family. We were separated for 10 months. I hoped that he would leave his new faith and come back to Islam. I was so desperate for this that I went to an Islamic magician and asked for him to put a spell on my husband to bring him back to me! But it was amazing, when this man tried to do this he said to me: ‘This spell will not work on him. I have no access, because he is held by a stronger power!’ When I heard this and also after some time passed I started to have remorse. Some time later my husband called me on the phone and he really broke down. He was desperate to have me back and was pleading with me. I had been waiting for just a moment like this, so I went back.
When I came back, I started minimizing the problem. I said: oh- the God in Islam is the same God as in the Bible, so there is no problem. But my husband wouldn’t compromise. He said: ‘no it’s not the same God’. But it was very hard for me to hear and I became afraid, because I felt that evil spirits were haunting me. My husband was very patient with me and encouraged me and prayed for me all the time. He was also very insistent for me to start reading the Bible myself. When I finally read the bible I was amazed: it was a book full of love, kindness and respect. I really was shocked and thought: ‘How can it be that people say that this book is dangerous and not good. How can somebody not want to believe in this’? I gave my life to the Lord quietly. But still I am haunted by fear sometimes. Please would you pray for me to overcome my fears and that the Holy Spirit would set me free from all the evil of the past?”
Training
Sarina: “For me the teaching was inspiring and encouraging. It was wonderful to share with each other. God touched some of the doubt in my heart and has lifted me up. The teaching on self esteem was very helpful. I think so lowly of myself most of the time. I also compare myself with others. I didn’t know that this is wrong. God wants me to look to Him. This is good news!
Also the teaching on Christian marriage was very helpful. I always thought that a man is high up and a woman is down. I didn’t realize that it is so different in the Bible. This is very special to realize that God doesn’t think of woman as being unimportant, but that we also have an important role to play.”
Milad: “I enjoyed the style of learning and being able to ask questions. This is so helpful, because this makes us think. I learned that a man and wife need to discuss and think about important things together and that they must seek the Lord together. I really was touched, because I understood that the more I know about the love of Christ, the more I will be able to love my wife the way God wants me to. This is a good challenge.”
Minou (35 year old single mom)
Minou is a beautiful young lady, who has the glow of ‘the First Love’ still all around her. She became a Christian several months ago. She is 35 and her husband left her before her conversion, so she has a very difficult life. She has an 18 year old son and both live together in a very small space in somebody’s garage. The owner parks his car outside of her little space and she has to live with the constant smell of fumes and grind. Her own family doesn’t want to take her back because of the shame that it would be to them. But for a woman to find housing on her own is dangerous and difficult. There are many bad people who have tried to take advantage of her vulnerable position.
Son
Her son has grown up also knowing the shame of being rejected. Last year he wanted to commit suicide. Minou’s parents didn’t like her son, because he reminded them of Minou’s former husband.
Minou shares: “They said that my son was going to be a bad man just like my husband! I knew that in many ways he was like his father, but of course I love my son! I was afraid that my son would commit suicide and I prayed to God to help me. In those days of being a Muslim, I was very afraid of God and that he would do something terrible to me. From my sister I heard about Jesus and from the Koran I knew about Jesus’ power to heal. In my desperation I asked Jesus to heal my son and to give him hope. To my amazement God answered my prayer! I clearly saw how the darkness that had haunted him went away and how hope and love became part of our life.”
Minou continues: “I used to be a good Muslim, who fasted and prayed, but at the same time I knew that I also lied and got angry at the people around me. In talking with my sisters, who had already become believers, I realized that I didn’t want to live this way. I felt shame and anger and fear, but they told me that Jesus could come and forgive me and find peace in Him. This sounded so good. It is only a few months ago that I decided to follow Jesus. I love the way He has made me feel clean inside and it is like, even with all difficulties, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Miracle
“There is another amazing thing that has happened to me,” Minou shares, “I lost my job a few months ago - right around the time that I made a decision to follow Jesus. My former boss gave me a last payment, which was a double salary and said good-bye. Really I am poor and it is difficult for me to find a respectable job, because there is no man looking out for me. But until now I can draw money from my bank account and the money has not run out! I really don’t know how this is possible! I am quite sure that this is a miracle! Praise God that He is providing for me.”
Baptism
During this training, Minou also made the decision to be baptized. This was a very special occasion and she cried a lot and smiled and then cried again. For these believers to get baptized is very much the end of an old life. Once they are baptized they cannot go back to Islam. While the small congregation sang songs and prayed, Minou was baptized in a small plastic tub. It was a moving and life changing experience.
Training
Minou: “I learned so many new things in this course. Really you answered so many of my questions. I also will hold onto what I learned that Jesus is taking care of me.”
Prayer
- Minou asks prayer for her son that he would come to know the Lord as his Savior more and more.
- She asks prayer for protection that no bad man would take advantage of her.
- She asks for prayer, because she is so alone and can’t have much fellowship, that God would be close to her and his Holy Spirit would be visible in her life.
Melika (young girl in her twenties)
Melika is a spunky young girl and full of life and fun. It is hard to imagine that in her home she wears the ‘hijab’ and that when she walks the streets nobody can see her lively green eyes and the joy that emanates from her. She has visited her sister, who lives on a far distance, many times in the last few years and her sister has always been telling her about Christ.
Melika shares: “My mind is strong and I was sure that it was just a matter of time until my Christian sister would realize that she was going way off the course. I used to argue a lot with her and we would compare Mohammad and Jesus and we would speak about the Koran and my sister would challenge me to read the Bible. It was always interesting to visit her and to hear her tell me things that I had never thought of before and for her to ask me questions that made me think. It took a long time, but finally I became convinced that Jesus had something very unique and that He was so loving and attractive! I just couldn’t resist any longer. It was difficult though because I live at home and my parents noticed a change in me. They saw me pray before I eat and they saw the joy in my life and they asked me why. I told them that I became a Christian.”
Melika continues: “Now they want me to leave the house, because I have become a shame for them. I am old enough to get married and they put a lot of pressure on me to find a husband. They say ‘then it is his business if he allows you to believe in Jesus’.
Men do propose to me, but what should I do? I don’t want to marry a man that will be against my faith.
Security
It is very difficult for me that I can’t be with other Christians. Once I went to a church and just wanted to slide in the back row and listen, for I had many questions. Then a man came up to me. He was very friendly, but he was worried for the safety of his church. He said: ‘you are a Muslim lady, we cannot accept you to come here’. Also my internet and my mobile are checked. We found this out, because my sister and I used to write each other encouragements and share Bible scriptures with each other, but then somebody came to my house and started asking strange questions. We then figured out that he was from the security, so I became afraid. I would love to share the good news with everybody, but how can I do this? Many of my friends told me that I’ll come back to Islam, but I will never ever. Jesus is the love of my life.
Training
This course was very helpful for me. I learned so many things about how to read the Bible and how to study the scripture. I am sure that this is what God wants to do in my life now. He wants to teach me so much more about Himself. I have only just started to understand about how He is and I want to know so much more! Thank you so much for coming!”
Prayer
- Melika was recently diagnosed with MS. Pray that God would heal her body.
- Melika is pressured to get married. Pray that God would provide the right answers and behavior in this difficult situation.
- As Melika has such a heart to tell about the love of her life, pray that God would give her the opportunity to do so and wisdom when and how to speak to people.