Letters from Iran, "We are in a hopeless situation."

 

                                                                     

  "There is a desperate cry for help coming from the people of Iran. The oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran continues to arrest and torture women for Hijab violations. They continually execute protesters who believe in that seven-letter dirty little word called freedom. For those Iranians who remain silent and submissive to the government, they suffer from the pains of addiction, poverty, and joblessness. Iran has become a culture of death and despair since The Iranian Revolution of 1979 that sent the Shah and his family into exile.

 Recently, "Transform Iran," A Christian internet ministry dedicated to preaching the gospel, planting churches in Iran, and discipling believers, asked three house church leaders to describe for the world exactly what life is like in Iran. They agreed and shared with "Transform Iran" a series of voice notes, detailing and explaining the hopeless situation that Iranians face on a daily basis. The pain and anguish in their voices were almost unbearable to listen to. 

 I want to share a sample of their "Letters from Iran" and educate us on the pain and suffering of a people desperate for hope and freedom.

                                                                     *************

                                                                                

   One house church leader describes the situation in his own words:

  "The majority of people are depressed. This is no exaggeration. The opportunity to earn a living and make a life for yourself is gone."

  Poverty is great. It is everywhere and growing constantly. People are hungry and powerless to change their circumstances. Prostitution is alarmingly high. Real value and worth is fragile. Dignity is lost. There is no joy.

  You look at women and they don't look normal anymore. Those that can afford it have had so much plastic surgery, that it's devastating to see. They are pursuing external beauty to mask the emptiness inside.

  Another house church leader points out the three major problems among the youth:

  Poverty, addiction, and joblessness are the three major problems facing the youth in Iran.

  Poverty is turning people against each other. The extreme poverty is leading to crime. To numb all of the pain, people are turning to drugs and getting high to forget their troubles even if just for a moment. They have lost all hope.

 Our girls, our younger generation, are being lost to prostitution. They make choices that will harm them in the long run, all out of desperation to survive.

 Little children who should be getting an education are instead out in the streets selling flowers, washing car windshields, and polishing shoes.

  Depression among men is very high. It is like 90% of our men are bound in deep and hidden depression and many don't even know it.

 It is very bad. Iran needs a miracle!

                                                                        

  People ask us if God has turned away from Iran. "Where is God?" they ask us. We always encourage them that He still remains, and He is listening to our voices, to all of our cries for help.

  These voice notes that were translated into letters are heartbreaking. They reveal a deep hopelessness among Iranians. The Mullahs refuse to listen to their voices or give them any relief. The government has used all of the sanction relief money courtesy of the Biden administration, to further its terrorist activities through groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

 However, God has not forsaken the people of Iran. He continues to bring believers to himself through dreams and visions of Jesus. Even though 50,000 mosques have closed their doors in Iran, God has been faithful to answer the cries of desperate Iranians. Iranians are abandoning Islam and embracing Christianity, becoming active members of the underground house churches.

  God hears the cries of aching and hopeless hearts. He is inviting them to come to the living waters of hope through Jesus Christ.

  Jesus is reaching out to Iranians with his arms of love declaring,

   "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

                                                          (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

   There is hope for Iranians. It is not in a new government or a strong charismatic leader promising utopia, but instead, it's in a living savior who cleanses us from all of our guilt and shame and makes everything new!

  

 

Ahoo Daryaei, "You don't control my body!"

 

   In another courageous example of standing up for women's rights, a 30-year-old student at the University of Tehran publicly defied security forces, stripped down to her underwear, and began walking shamelessly across the campus. Ahoo Daryaei is currently a student in the Science and Research Branch of Tehran's Islamic Azad University. 

                                                                   

Last week, Ahoo was confronted by security forces for not wearing a proper hijab. Instead of submitting to their harassment, she turned her body into a symbol of protest by removing her trousers and flinging them at the Morality Police. The video of her protest immediately went viral and at one point in the video, security officers can be seen finally surrounding her and forcing Ahoo into a waiting van. It was later reported that Ahoo was taken to a mental ward and treated for some type of mental illness.

  Is it a mental illness to demand freedom? Is it a crime to resist the demands of men for control over your body? For women living in Iran under the oppression of Islam, it is a crime to be free and it is a crime to control one's own body. Two years ago, on September 13, 2022, a young Kurdish woman was arrested by the Morality Police for showing too much hair and later beaten to death while in custody. The death of Mahsa Amini sparked a massive revolution known as the "Woman, life, Freedom," movement in Iran.

  Ahoo clearly understood what her fate would be if she submitted to the Morality Police. Instead, she boldly removed her clothing to make a statement not only to the University campus but to the whole world. She was saying no to control and oppression! She was loudly proclaiming, "Hands off! This is my body!"

  The common response of authorities is to claim that she is mentally unbalanced and must be removed from society. This tactic is continuously used by the government to delegitimize the protests of women who refuse to submit but instead oppose this evil regime. The government must discredit their protest and assign them to a group of unstable non-conformists who must be silenced.  Ironically Ahoo's name means, "deer of the sea" which translated refers to one who is resilient and brave. The government is deathly afraid of anyone who would dare to stand up and scream to the world that dirty little seven-letter world called, "Freedom!"

                                                                       

  The right to live freely, safely, and with dignity is a crime in Iran. Every person who protests is slowly chipping away at the foundation of oppression in Iran and that cannot be tolerated! Ahoo has raised the issues of bodily autonomy, freedom of expression, and gender equality. For the last four decades, Iranian women have raised their voices loudly to the silent world of feminists in the West who are more preoccupied and terrified of losing their "so called" rights under a Trump Administration and have no clue about the struggle of women in the Middle East.

   I am praying That Ahoo will not become another statistic like previous brave protesters who were tortured, raped, and then killed. One way to ensure that Ahoo will not become another statistic is to be her voice and tell her story. Flood the media with pictures of her protest and make her name known to the whole world. The ongoing struggle for freedom and justice in Iran must be met with your support and prayers.

  On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. While he was president in 2017, Trump was a huge supporter of the rights of the Iranian people. He was constantly on Twitter confronting the regime in Iran and warning them that the whole world was watching.                                                                  

  The whole world is watching you Ahoo! We have your back and we won't be silent until you are released and the oppression against women finally becomes a thing of the past in Iran!

                                                                   

Hasti Panahi, "Struggling to survive where freedom is a crime."

 

 "Here, all the butterflies die in their cocoons because freedom is a crime."

                                           (Hasti Hossein Panahi)

                             

 The day she heard about Mahsa Amini's death, her life changed forever! Fourteen-year-old Hasti Panahi, a young schoolgirl in the city of Dehgolan, took to the streets to protest during the "Woman, life, freedom," uprising in Iran. Besides having a passion for writing and poetry, Hasti also has a burning passion for freedom. She thought it was her duty to join her classmates and take to the streets for the rights of all Iranian women.

  However, November 9, 2022, would be Hasti's "day from hell,"a day that would alter the course for the rest of her life. That traumatic day is still very hazy and unclear for Hasti. All she can recall is saying to her mother, Samira, "Mom, If I don't go, if dad, uncle, and aunt don't go then who will? It is our duty to go to the streets."

  Hasti went out on the streets distributing leaflets with the slogan "Woman, life, freedom" printed on them. She placed them on cars and was seen tearing up pictures of the Supreme Leader. Unaware to Hasti, she was being filmed by one of the CCTV cameras of a local bank.  The bank manager secured the video footage and gave it to the Ministry of Intelligence.  

                                 

                                    

  Within a few hours, plainclothes security agents from the Ministry of Intelligence went to Hasti's school and interrogated her alone in a room without the presence and knowledge of her parents. Terrified, Hasti managed to escape from the agents and hurried toward her school bus. The agents pursued her, captured her, and dragged her back to school. Hasti feared that she would be raped and once again managed to escape after a lengthy interrogation.

  A few hours later, Hasti's parents were notified to immediately come to the local hospital. According to the security forces, Hasti had fallen off the bus and suffered a fractured skull. Doctors confirmed that Hasti had suffered a severe injury to the brain but immediately questioned the validity of the story. There were no cuts, bruises, or broken bones anywhere else on her body. If Hasti had fallen off the bus as the agents claimed, then why were there no other injuries to her body? Her parents immediately realized what had happened. Hasti had been beaten severely during the interrogations and they were trying to cover up what really happened.

  The next six months were "hell on earth" for Samira, Hasti's mother. Hasti was comatose. Day and night, she watched her daughter slip away in the ICU.  The doctors didn't give her much hope. The bleeding on her brain was not subsiding and would probably leave her in a vegetative state. The only procedure that could give Hasti a chance to survive was a delicate surgery to place a shunt and drain the cerebral fluid from around her brain.

                                                                                         

 After the surgery, Samira went into Hasti's room spraying perfume, sitting by her bedside, talking to her, and spent all night long, praying to God and pleading with him to return her daughter to her. "Please God, awaken Hasti and return my daughter to me."

 During this agonizing time, the security agents harassed Samira and urged her to disconnect Hasti from the life-saving machines. They tried to tell her, "That's not Hasti breathing, it's the machine." Day after day, they harassed and discouraged her, forbidding any visitors to see Hasti and pointing out the enormous hospital costs of keeping her alive. But Samira refused to listen to them and instead held out hope for a miracle.

 The miracle that Samira had prayed for took place on March 19, 2023, exactly six months after that traumatic day in November. Hasti began moving the finger of her left hand. and opened her eyes. She asked for a drink of water. She had finally awakened! Overwhelmed with joy, Samira quickly wet her lips with some cool water and began recording the miraculous event on her cell phone. Hasti managed to raise her hand giving the sign of victory to her mother. 

 Even though Hasti had emerged from the coma, half of her body was paralyzed and she still couldn't speak. A month later she was released from the hospital but the Panahi family continued to be harassed and warned by the Ministry of Intelligence to not speak to media or else they would be arrested. Unable to cope with the stress of the situation, Hasti and her family decided to leave their homeland. With the help of the "Munich Circle" group, they migrated to Germany in February 2024 where Hasti can now receive excellent rehabilitative care to begin walking and speaking again.

                                                                       

  Before her traumatic brain injury, Hasti wrote about the death of Mahsa Amini, the young Kurdish girl murdered by security forces, It was Mahsa that motivated her to protest out in the streets. Reflecting on her tragic death, Hasti wrote, "Here, all the butterflies die in their cocoons because freedom is a crime."

  The Islamic Republic of Iran desperately tried to silence Hasti Panahi for speaking out for freedom. They sincerely believed that she would never recover from her brain injury, but God had other plans. This evil regime could not thwart the plan of God for Hasti's life. This brave young Iranian girl just turned sixteen and is determined to walk again without help and speak fluently. She defied death by the grace of God and plans on pursuing her skills as a writer. Hasti Hossein Panahi is Iran's miracle child. She is a true survivor in a country where freedom is a crime.

                                                                      

                                                   

                                                                         

 

Nasrin Shakarami, "I refuse to be silent about Nika!"

 

  There is nothing more devastating to a mother than the loss of her child. For the past two years, Nasrin Shakarami has been on a personal crusade against the government of Iran. Despite being pressured to change her story to conform to the official government narrative, she has instead been very outspoken to the media, an act that may have resulted in her recent arrest.

                                                                      

  On October 16, 2024, Nasrin was arrested in the city of Khorramabad in Western Iran. Her daughter Aida told the media that she was unaware of the reason for her arrest, only that Nasrin was very upset that security forces had prevented her from having a special memorial ceremony for her daughter Nika.

  Nasrin is the mother of 16 year old, Nika Shakarami, whom she claims was abducted, tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, two years ago during the "Woman, life, freedom "uprisings in  Tehran.

 Nika had been distraught by the brutal death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl, who was beaten to death while in custody for an alleged hijab violation. On September 20, Nika left home and joined protesters in the streets to speak out against Mahsa's death. She had posted a video on her Instagram account, showing her standing on top of a dumpster, burning her hijab and shouting "freedom!"

 Nasrin remembers calling Nika on her cellphone, begging her to come home, but because of the noise level in the background, she was unable to hear her response. She discovered later that Nika had called her best friend informing her that she was being pursued by security officers. That was the last time Nika was ever heard from. Ten days later after a frantic search, Narsin was called to view her daughter's body in a morgue. She was horrified by the bruises all over Nika's face and the deep gash in the back of her head. The official autopsy report concluded that Nika had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

 From the very beginning, the official government narrative was that Nika was observed entering a high-rise structure and then leaping off the roof in an apparent act of committing suicide. Nasrin refused to believe that narrative and also denied it was Nika in a video provided by police that allegedly showed her entering the building late at night.

                                                                           

 Frustrated by Nasrin's refusal to accept their version of Nika's death, the government then arrested family members and forced them to confess on State TV that Nika's death was by suicide and had absolutely nothing to do with the protests. Nasrin refused to comply with their demands and continued to talk to the media and expose the deliberate cover-up of her daughter's death.

 In one more bold attempt to oppress a grieving mother, security forces secretly stole Nika's body before her funeral and had her secretly buried in another location to prevent a large gathering and more anti-government protests. Yet Nasrin refuses to be silent and back down. In the last few months, more pressure has been put upon her family. Her other daughter Aida was arrested for a hijab violation and held in detention for a week. After being released, Aida went back out publicly without wearing a hijab, refusing to comply with Islamic Law. 

  Nasrin is very proud of her daughter's courage to protest. She vividly remembers on October 2, 2022, what would have been Nika's 17th birthday, she posted on social media a special commemoration to her: "It was your birthday today, my love. Today I must congratulate you on your martyrdom."

 Nasrin is a warrior. She is unafraid of speaking out against a dictatorship government, understanding the risk that it is for her life and well-being. She refuses to cower in fear and agree to the false narrative put out by the government. She refuses to go on State TV and tell a lie in order to protect her life. Nasrin refuses to keep silent about the murder of her daughter and is busy exposing the lies of this evil regime and telling it to the whole world via social media. The government has been very busy for the past two years punishing the families of slain protesters, but they picked the wrong person to punish. Nasrin will not keep silent!

  You can read the full story of Nika's last night on earth as she bravely stood up to the Islamic Republic of Iran, by reading my book, "Uprising: We are the Revolution," available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook," on Amazon.

                                                                                

Lana Silk, "Iranian daughter of destiny."

 

     "That religion that costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing."

                                      *Charles Spurgeon

                                                                   

   Lana Silk is extremely passionate about Iran. God has given her a calling and a mission to reach all Iranians with the gospel. She is currently the CEO of a ministry called, "Transform Iran."

  "Transform Iran" is about reaching all of Iran with the power and love of Christ," Lana proclaims. "There are 88 million people in Iran. We believe Iran is on God's agenda, and He loves the people of Iran. He has given us the mission and mandate to bring his life-changing love to all Iranians."

   Lana's incredible story began more than four decades ago during the tumultuous beginnings of the Iranian Revolution. This is her story, her calling, and her mission.

  September 8, 1978. Tehran 

  Famously known today as "Black Friday," More than 64 protesters were shot and killed during a confrontation with the military in Jaleh Square. Dodging bullets and racing toward the hospital, Lana's mother, Maggie Yeghnazar was just about to give birth. The violent and bloody incident marked the beginning of the end for the Shah and the Pahlavi Dynasty, ushering in the Iranian Revolution.

   Reflecting back on that pivotal day, Lana felt that God was honoring her by being born on such a dramatic historical day. It would be a day that would shape the course of the rest of her life. As a young child, growing up in Iran, Lana was forced to wear the hijab while attending elementary school. She remembers that young girls coming to school in blue jeans were instructed to return home and come back wearing the proper clothing according to Islamic law. The schools were segregated because of the new Islamic Republic and one of the daily mandatory rules required of all school children was to daily chant, "Death to Israel and death to America."

 In 1988 the long, exhausting war between Iran and Iraq finally came to an end. It was at that time the persecution of Christians began. The government was now able to focus its attention back on the issues in Iran. Lana's parents, Lazarus and Maggie distinctly remember a life-changing dream that God gave both of them, in which He instructed them to leave Iran. It was a devastating experience for them. They loved their people and didn't want to leave their flock. Immediately they discussed the dream with their pastor, Haik Hovsepian. Haik persuaded them both to stay, that their Christian ministry was needed in Iran. Ironically that night however, God spoke to Pastor Haik in a dream and made it abundantly clear that it was His plan for them to leave.

  Giving away everything they owned, Lana and her parents reluctantly left Iran, not sure exactly where God was leading them. For the next several years, they met with many Iranians in the diaspora, who like them, had to leave their country because of the growing persecution. Traveling across Europe, the Yeghnazar family prayed and worshipped with many Iranians in exile, sensing that God had a special calling for them to revolutionize their homeland with the gospel.

 When Lana turned 15, she remembers the second pivotal event in her life that shaped her calling. She was about to be baptized as a committed follower of Jesus, when her younger sister ran up to her in tears screaming, "They've killed him!" Their best friend and Pastor, Haik Hovsepian had been brutally murdered by government security forces.

  The death of Haik Hovsepian was a major wake-up call in Lana's Christian walk. She remembers the shock of his death caused her to seriously evaluate what she was living for and why she was following Jesus. "God used this event in my life, " Lana recalls, "To remind me, and to give me an eternal perspective that, we are here for something much bigger than ourselves."

  In 1991, God once again spoke to Lana's parents about the direction of their ministry. He impressed the number 222 upon their minds. Through careful research, they came upon a text of scripture in 2 Timothy Chapter 2, verse 2, which says,

   "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

  They immediately recognized this as a verse about discipleship and understood what the Lord was instructing them to do. Their mission was to train leaders who would then train others. The picture of God's calling had become very clear to them. Their passion was to train Iranian leaders for the underground church in Iran. They now realized why God had called them to leave Iran. He knew that the persecution would force the church to meet secretly underground. He had called them to teach and train Iranians to impact and lead the house church movement. Thus, The 222 Ministry was born, which would later become a worldwide ministry known as Transform Iran.

                                                                

  At this time, Lana was struggling with her part in the calling on her life. She had a burning passion in her heart for her homeland, for the people of Iran. Since living in the UK, she had earned college degrees in marketing, engineering, and fundraising. Lana wondered how her secular education could play a role in what God had planned for her life. Then one day, her prayers were answered. Lana's parents needed help in organizing a worldwide impact for their ministry. They asked her if she would use her skills and expertise in marketing, fundraising, and communication to oversee the outreach of the 222 Ministry. She happily agreed and once again, God had plans to move her to accomplish the next phase of her destiny.

  "You invest. You put down roots, but never assume that's where God will leave you," Lana tearfully remembers the day she left the UK to join her husband in America, while her parents kept her children. "Stretching your tent, expanding your ministry, God stretches us. It's uncomfortable, but you follow."

                                                                          

  Today, Lana is fulfilling the passionate but challenging call that God has on her life. She is the very busy CEO of "Transform Iran," a worldwide ministry whose mission is to preach the gospel to all Iranians, plant churches, and activate the body of Christ into nation-transforming missions. Her goal is to reach all of Iran with the gospel. At present, the ministry is just reaching the Farsi-speaking community with the gospel, but Lana has a vision for reaching the entire nation with the good news of Christ, where no churches are planted, and where Iranians speak different languages.

  Reflecting on the church in the West, Lana laments the reality that here in the West, we have a cheap grace, a cheap spirituality. "We have everything free. It doesn't cost us anything," she points out. "It's only when you are truly living for Christ, that it costs you something, and then your faith becomes precious." 

 There is a cost for following Jesus in Iran. If a Muslim changes his religion and converts to Christianity, it is considered apostasy and the result is either life in prison or execution. "The Ayatollahs force the people to believe in Islam. There's no choice," Lana explains, "This creates a hunger and thirst in them. In an environment where people are controlled, they are fighting and looking for water in a desert. We know that Jesus is the source of that life and they're finding him!"

  Lana is grateful for the pivotal events He has used to fulfill the calling on her life. One of her favorite quotes is by the famous British preacher, Charles Hadden Spurgeon, who once said, "That religion that costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing."

  The story, the calling, and the mission that God has placed on Lana's life has been very costly, but she is living out the dreams and the passions of her heart. From being a Sunday school teacher and worship leader in the UK to becoming the CEO of one of the largest ministries in the world is the fulfillment of a precious promise from the heart of God.

  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11)

  The Lord has indeed prospered and given this Iranian daughter an incredible future and an incredible destiny!

                                                                         

  

 

PM Netanyahu to Iranian people, "Israel Stands With You."

 

"The people of Iran should know, that Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace."

                                                                

  Within days of a major military operation by Israel resulting in the death of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare direct message to the people of Iran, expressing hopes for peace and prosperity for both countries.

  Netanyahu declared that "Iran's puppets were being eliminated," emphasizing that "There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach and nowhere we will not go to protect our people."

 After explaining Israel's commitment to eliminating the proxy terrorists funded by the Islamic Republic, Netanyahu spoke more directly to the heart of all Iranians, exposing the regime's malicious treatment of their own people. "With every passing moment, this regime is bringing you, the noble Persian people, closer to the abyss. The vast majority of Iranians know," Netanyahu emphasized, "Their regime doesn't care a whit about them. If it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives."

 Netanyahu referred to the sanction relief monies given to the regime, beginning with Obama in 2015 and now more recently, The Biden Administration. The wealthy mullahs continue to finance terrorist proxy wars across the Middle East while neglecting their own people who are poverty-stricken and hopeless, struggling to survive in the midst of sky-rocketing inflation.

  "Imagine if all of the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars, instead were invested in your children's education," Netanyahu pointed out, "In improving your health care, in building your nation's infrastructure, and all the other things that you need."

  As The Prime Minister reached the end of his personal message, He made sure to leave the Iranian people with the promise of a hopeful future. "When Iran is finally free, and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think," Netanyahu said optimistically, "Everything will be different. Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish and the Persian people, will finally be at peace. Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace."

  Netanyahu's face glowed with optimism as he stared confidently into the camera, "When that day comes, Iran will thrive as never before, Global investment, massive tourism, brilliant technological innovation. Doesn't that sound better than endless poverty, repression, and war?"

  Netanyahu concluded his speech with powerful encouraging words meant to instill hope in the desperate hearts of all Iranians.

  "Don't let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams. You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better. The people of Iran should know, that Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace."

  It is a well-known fact, the hatred Iran has for Jewish people. But it is also a lesser-known fact, of the unique friendship that exists between the Jewish and Persian people. The Islamic Republic wants the destruction of the Jewish state, but the people of Iran don't share the convictions of their government. In April of 2023,  Israel reached out to Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, and invited him to a historic meeting. The Crown Prince visited Israel a few months after the bloody uprising in Iran, when thousands of protesters marched in the streets, condemning the murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after being beaten in custody for a Hijab violation.

                                                                          

 The purpose of Israel's invitation to Reza Pahlavi was to recognize and support  the Iranian's demand to overthrow the brutal regime and to establish a stronger friendship with the Crown Prince, identifying him as the central leader of the opposition. The main message that Netanyahu wanted to convey to the world as a result of their visit, is that Israel is in favor of a strong democratic Iran in the near future. During the visit, Pahlavi explained, "We have a strong Biblical relationship with Israel, long before it became a state."

  The relationship that Pahlavi referred to centers around Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible. Cyrus reigned as king over Persia between 539-530 BC. It was under his rule that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. He actively assisted the Jews in rebuilding their temple in Jerusalem, by restoring their temple treasures which paid the expenses for the massive project. More than 150 fifty years before The Persian King lived, The God of the Bible, decreed that Cyrus would accomplish this great rebuilding project for his chosen people.

 "This is what the Lord says to his anointed," God declared, "To Cyrus, Whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him. I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor though you do not acknowledge me." (Isaiah 45:1)

  Last month, Reza Pahlavi gave a powerful speech at The Israeli-American Summit in Washington D.C, mandating a coordinated cooperation between Iran and Israel to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He declared, "Now is the time to do more than stand side by side. It is time to act hand in hand."

  The vile hatred and contempt that the Islamic Republic of Iran has against the Jewish people cannot sever the true friendship that exists between the Iranian people and the people of Israel. Both Netanyahu and Pahlavi have made that abundantly clear to the world. Their friendship goes back thousands of years ago when the God of the Bible orchestrated an amazing relationship between a great Persian King and a Jewish nation that was in exile. That same God is preserving that true friendship today in the midst of chaos and violence and the imminent threat of a third world war.

  While it is tempting for our hearts to be filled with anxiety about the powder keg in the Middle East getting ready to explode, Scripture comforts us with the truth that our sovereign God has "All wisdom and power and He controls the course of world events." (Daniel 2:20 NLT Translation.)

                                                                                         

"Jesus is worth the cost," Simin's testimony

 

 "They said if I return to Islam, I could have it all. But how could I forget what Jesus had done for me? The price was huge!"

                                             Simin

  Simin distinctly remembers when she first held a Bible in her hands. Her boyfriend, Moshen urged her to read it. He proclaimed that the message of the Bible was life-transforming. She explained to him that her life was so busy being a nurse, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. So Simin finally agreed and what she read stunned her!

  Being a woman in a man-centered Muslim culture, Simin understood the difficult societal challenges. What impressed her so much about the Bible was the way Jesus treated women. "The Bible became very attractive to me, because of its attitude toward marriage," Simin explained, "It was very different than the world of Islam. In the Bible, women have so much value."

   As she continued to read the Bible, one day, she watched a movie about Jesus on satellite TV and remembered the emotions she felt watching him carry the cross. It left such a dramatic impact on her that she knelt down and cried for hours.

  "Something broke inside me," Simin declared, "Something changed inside of me!" It was an experience that changed her life forever.

                                                                          

  Both Moshen and Simin had a deep desire to grow in their faith but were faced with another difficult challenge. They were afraid to attend any "above-ground churches" in Iran. The government kept meticulous records of everyone who attended and monitored the services, to make sure that Muslims were not evangelized. Pastors were forbidden to preach in Farsi and because of the strict guidelines, very few of these types of churches remained open. The only other option was the secret house church. New believers could be transparent about their faith, worship, pray, and sing within the walls of private homes with much more freedom. 

  Six months after her conversion to Christ, Simin attended her first house church meeting. She didn't know what to do during the service but remembered that there was tremendous joy among the other believers. "I didn't understand the reason for their joy, but during worship, I tasted the sweetness of God's presence."

  A few weeks later, the pastor married Moshen and Simin. The house church experience strengthened Simin's faith and gave her the boldness to begin sharing her faith. One day at work, there was 5-year-old child who was very ill after heart surgery. The doctor didn't give him much hope of living. Moshen and Simin prayed together, believing in the power of Jesus, and to their amazement, the next morning the little boy was completely healed! The doctors were shocked by his sudden recovery. The dramatic answer to prayer strengthened her faith and caused to her begin praying for every patient in the hospital.

                                                                        

  Growing stronger on her faith, Simin decided that it was finally time to tell her parents about becoming a Christian. They were shocked and told her that she had lost her mind. She realized that it was time to move to another city to escape the discrimination and persecution from her parents. However, the culture in the new city was much more conservative. Simin began receiving warning letters about not conforming to the Islamic dress code. The pressure also began mounting at the hospital where she worked. Her colleagues noticed that she didn't join them for Islamic prayers or fast during Ramadan. Simin realized what the consequences would be if they discovered that she was a Christian. Being forced to sign a commitment paper, she reluctantly began attending the prayer meetings and for the next few months, life became very stressful.

  When Moshen and Simin learned the shocking news of their pastor being arrested, they became very discouraged. What would happen to them? Would they be arrested next? Where would they go to fellowship now? They knew they had to avoid contact with the other members. Yet, God had other plans for them. They both decided to keep preaching the gospel, despite the danger and persecution. Soon their house was filled with hungry and thirsty ex-Muslims. They began conducting services, making sure all of the doors and windows were closed and that they controlled the volume of their voices during worship.

  However, being careful was not enough. Simin remembers the devastating morning when 12 security officers burst through their front door in 2019. They later found out that a family whose son had become a Christian through their witness reported their activities to the police. The entire house was searched, and boxes of Bibles and Christian CDs were confiscated. Simin's daughter was very sick with a digestive disease but the police refused to let them bring along her medicine.

  The interrogations were very stressful for Simin. They demanded to know the names of other believers and threatened her if she didn't return to Islam, that she would spend years in prison. The police warned her of the consequences of what would happen to her child. All she could do right now was to trust in Jesus.

 After 18 days of imprisonment, emotional torture, and interrogation, Mohsen and Simin were released on bail until their court date. A few days passed and they finally appeared before a judge charged with "propaganda against the regime" and accepting "Zionist Christianity. Mohsen was sentenced to a year of penal servitude and banned from the city where he lived. Simin was fined and later received a call from the hospital informing her that she was fired.

  Both Moshen and Simin were determined to serve Jesus and realized that the only alternative was to leave Iran. For the next seven months, they hid in a small, dirty room in a smuggler's house during the COVID-19 epidemic. When it was finally safe to travel, they crossed over the border to freedom in another country. Not once during their ordeal was Simin ever tempted to deny her faith. "God was with us, every step that we took," she recalls. During their 18-hour ride in a truck across the border, Simin's sick daughter received a touch of healing from God and slept peacefully the rest of the way.

  After the suffering and persecution, workers from Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted church, contacted Moshen and Simin and gave them intense discipleship training. For the next year, they were taught how to begin an online ministry. Simin now teaches the Bible to women in Iran, preparing them to be leaders in house churches.

  "Islam and the regime in Iran have destroyed the identity of women and so many of them are broken," Simin laments, "But now I can give them hope by sharing with them online." 

  Looking back on their suffering and persecution, Simin says, "Jesus is worth the cost. In the journey of my life, I experienced persecution a lot, but I always witnessed God at work!"

  *Adapted from an online article by Open Doors/March 2024