Betrayed but not forgotten...the continuing crisis of Saeed Abedini.

"I pray for this innocent man....
May God bring freedom for us all..Amen.
       (My dear Iranian friend...
         name withheld for security reasons.)


 "I never anticipated that I would have to battle my own government to secure his freedom!"
 In a tone of despair and frustration, Naghmeh Abedini, publicly proclaimed her outrage during her testimony at the congressional hearings concerning the fate of her husband Saeed who has spent the last 444 days of his life in an Iranian prison.
Naghmeh feels betrayed by her own government! Just recently when Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Geneva for the nuclear talks, the opportunity for a good faith initiative between the United States and Iran was right there at the table, but....nothing happened!
 The American Center for Law and Justice, (ACLJ) representing Saeed and his wife Naghmeh, were astonished that the United States passed by a golden opportunity to secure the release of Saeed as "pre-condition" before any negotiations for Iran's nuclear program were discussed. Instead, Iran was put on a six month probation and the weight of the international sanctions were eased against them, restoring millions of dollars to their economic woes.
The Obama Administration was satisfied that after 34 years, a new relationship with Iran was finally emerging and there was finally hope..but there is just one problem..
 An American citizen was left behind in the midst of the celebration and instead of addressing the horrors of the Iranian human rights violations, the United States instead rejoiced in the success of a major nuclear arms agreement.
While Iran and the U.S. shook hands, Saeed continues to experience deteriorating health conditions, internal bleeding and torture after being transferred to Rajar Shahr prison in Karaj, Iran. Rajar Shahr is "home" to murderers, drug addicts, and rapists on death row, placing Saeed in a very dangerous environment. The Iranian regime puts prisoners here that they want to disappear in an atmosphere of "silent execution," depriving them of any medical treatment or drugs and eventually they either die from disease or at the hands of other violent inmates.
Even though it appears that our government has betrayed Saeed by not mentioning him in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, there is one dear friend of mine who has not forgotten him.
For security reasons, I cannot mention her name except to say that she lives in Tehran. She is secretly a Christian. We have texted each other many times and I have helped my friend by sending her translations of the Bible in the Farsi language.
A few weeks ago, my friend listened to my radio program, "The Cross in the Desert." The topic on that program was about Saeed and the nuclear talks.
After listening, my friend sent me a beautiful email message in which she shared her heart with me about the desperate situation of Saeed. The following message is exactly in her own words:

           "I just heard your radio program, Randy. It made me sad because I realized how indifferent I am. And I have no fault because when you live here you learn that if you want to stay safe you have to be indifferent. The problems here are too much! We citizens are drawn into so many problems and yet we don't dare complain. We do not dare to defend innocent people in prison like Saeed. We have to remain silent and just watch!
I pray for this innocent man. I pray for his freedom. May God bring freedom for all of us. Amen!

Words cannot adequately express how much I appreciate my dear friend's honesty! In the midst of being forgotten by his government, Saeed has a true friend living right there in the heart of Iran. A beauiful, young,  21 year-old University student who desires to publicly speak out for him but has to remain silent in fear for her life. Yet my friend is praying for Saeed. She has not forgotten him! 
My dear friend's beautiful message of love and prayer for Saeed should stand as a rebuke to our government! They ought to be ashamed for not speaking up for their own citizen and doing

everything possible to demand his release! 
Even though my government failed to speak out for Saeed, my friend didn't! She let her voice and prayers be heard in a country that would immediately imprison her for making her views public.
What courage! What conviction! God bless you my dear friend for not forgetting Saeed!

A Death in Borazjan: Remembering Shabnam

Fire ablaze within my eyes.
A smile concealing all my lies,
Screaming, begging, calling out,
A final, frantic, desperate shout...

They'll say I died of suicide
But no one knows how much they've lied,
It wasn't a rope, a blade or pills, that broke my soul and gave me chills,
I died inside so long before,
To live each day, an endless chore,
Pill could not kill what was already dead,
A twisted soul, an empty head....
        (Scarlet Tears...Coran Darling)



"Mouchette" is a 1967 French film directed by Robert Bresson and starring Nadine Nortier and Jean-Clauder Guilbert. 
Nadine stars as a a young troubled teenage girl named Mouchette, the daughter of a bullying alcoholic father and an ailing mother, living in an isolated french village.
Mouchette's life is filled with both tragedy and cruelty spending her entire day caring for her infant brother and bedridden mother. At school she is continuously mocked by her classmates and humiliated by her teacher when she sings off key.
One eventful day while walking home from school, her life is changed forever. She gets lost in the woods during a violent storm and seeks shelter at a nearby home.
The owner of the home, Arsene, is an epileptic alcoholic that takes Mouchette in from the storm and then schemes to use her in covering up the murder of a man he had a fight with.
After Mouchette agrees to help Arsene by repeating a cover story that absolves him of the blame, he then rapes her. Later on she reluctantly tells the cover story and explains that on the night of the murder she was with her lover Arsesne, giving him the perfect alibi.
Mouchette eventually returns home, filled with shame and humiliation, only to find her mother's condition worsening. Sadly, a few days later, her mother dies and Mouchette is devastated. Unable to cope with her grief and humiliation, Mouchette goes to a nearby lake and drowns herself.
Suicide. An all too common, sad ending to the lives of teenagers all over the world whose lives are broken from shame, guilt and misery. In Iran, suicide is the second leading cause of death. The major contributing factor to the suicide epidemic in Iran among the youth is the strict government supervision that leads to fear and oppression and an overall sense of hopelessness.
 The main victims of suicide in Iran are young women. In the Islamic society of Iran, women are viewed as subservient to men. The Quran, Islam's Holy book, proclaims that, "Men have authority over women, because God has made the one superior to the other...(Surah 4:34) Therefore the woman is treated as a possession of the man, relegated to the role of little more than a housewife and a mother who no expectations of becoming anything more.
The "superior male" worldview in an Islamic society is very oppressive to the woman. The Quran teaches a man can inherit twice as much as a female, (Surah 4:11), he can beat his wife is he suspects her of adultery (Surah 4:35) and can marry up to four women, (Surah 4:3).
 In contrast,  the woman must ask permission from her husband to leave her home and is forbidden from traveling alone. She is little more than a slave or a possession. In public she is required to wear a hijab and if the "morality police" discover she is showing too much skin or wearing makeup, she will be arrested and retained at the police station until a significant bail is posted for her release.

Shabnam Basiri, a 14 year-old teenager, full of life, full of great future expectations and dreams, 

was born into this kind of society, in Borazjan, located in the south of Iran.
Shabnam was like any other ordinary teenage girl, vibrant, full of life, excited to realize all of her dreams and yet underneath her smile, was an inner pain, a troubled soul, a deep despair. She witnessed the religious hypocrisy all around her and considered what her life would eventually become because of living in a male-dominated society. Reflecting on the destiny and fate of her life, Shabnam felt hopeless and trapped and decided to commit suicide rather than be another victim of female oppression. Like many other women in Iran had done before her, she set herself on fire, protesting against the dictatorship of the Islamic regime. 
Saddened and broken by her death, Shabnam's classmates laid flowers on her desk at school for several weeks, as a tribute to her life. Despite all of the sorrow and pain surrounding her, Shabnam found solace and comfort in the poems of Ahmad Shamloo, an Iranian poet of liberty, who was a humanist with a hope and passion for justice.
One of his most well known poems, "Aida in the mirror," is beautifully inscribed on her gravestone, a lovely tribute to a young teenage girl whose life was tragically cut short because of an oppressive society's archaic and medieval treatment of women.
In the midst of this painful tragedy, Nasim, Shabnam's beautiful sister, now carries the torch for women's rights through writing articles and speaking out. She has become a voice for impoverished and suppressed women in India and all over the world, working tirelessly to improve their societal situation.
There are many "Shabnams" in the world crying out for help, desperate for someone to hear their voices. This is the reason why I wrote my book, "The Rose of Nowruz: dreams of hope and freedom." My book is based on the stories and experiences of my friends  in Iran, struggling for hope and freedom in a society just like the one that Shabnam grew up in. 
The suicide rate among women in Iran is frightening! There is a brokenness, a hopelessness and despair that is tormenting the soul of every young woman. Their only desire is to grow up normally and realize their dreams through hard work and education.
Who hears the cries of the "Shabnams" of the world? Who is willing to listen?
I know one person who does hear and who does listen. He is near to the brokenhearted and he saves the crushed in spirit.
His name is Jesus. He says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Why not come to him today?
.

Shiva Mahbobi: A Voice of Hope for Political Prisoners

"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself.
 Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt 
their pain in your own bodies."
                     (Hebrews 13:3)
                           


 The writer of Hebrews reminds us to never forget Christians being persecuted for their faith in prison. In fact he wants us to "feel" their pain in our prayers so much so as if it were actually happening to us!
Shiva Mahbobi understands that level of pain. At age 16, she was arrested by the Islamic regime and put in Iran's most deadliest prison for three and one half years of intense torture because she spoke out against the evil atrocities of her government.
When Shiva was finally released she vowed to never forget the cruel treatment of fellow prisoners. She has dedicated her life to being a voice of hope for Iranian political prisoners.
Just recently, Shiva was a guest on my blog talk radio program, "The Cross in the Desert," live from London, England via Skype. Shiva explained her role as Spokesperson for the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) as an outreach of compassion, hope and awareness about the unjust treatment of Iranian political prisoners. One such example of unjust treatment, is Zeinab Jalalian, a political prisoner that she features on her TV program and Facebook page. Zeinab was originally arrested by Iran and scheduled for execution. After much political pressure from human rights groups her sentence was downgraded to life. However Zeinab is suffering from a serious eye disease complicated by periods of intense torture and is being refused any medical treatment. Unless she receives immediate medical treatment she will go blind. This is where Shiva and the CFPPI come in. They begin by sending emails, letters, creating petitions, producing TV programs and making their case known worldwide throughout the media. Shiva interviews the parents, friends and loved ones of the prisoners on her television program, speaking out for their injustices and calling for their freedom. By creating worldwide awareness, CFPPI puts pressure on the Iranian regime and in some cases they listen and slowly respond by providing adequate medical care for the helpless prisoner.
"Don't let their heartbeats stop," is a recent media campaign with videos featuring political prisoners like Zeinab who are in hopeless conditions. Iran subjects most of its prisoners to what is called, "silent death' where they gradually let them die from lack of medical care and deplorable prison conditions. In this way the regime can plead  "innocent" because they didn't directly execute them.

Shiva told me that we must be relentless in sending letters and emails, organizing rallies and keeping the case of political prisoners in the media spotlight so they are never forgotten. She tells anyone who wants to be involved that

 the most important thing they can do is donate their time and their voices for these helpless prisoners who have no voice of their own.
The passion of what Shiva does comes from an unforgettable experience she had while in Evin Prison in 1984. Right before her eyes she witnessed her best friend being executed!
Shiva has never forgotten that experience. She has dedicated her life to being a voice of hope and compassion to the voiceless.
The write of Hebrews reminds us to never forget those who are in prison. Shiva has not. Her prison house of suffering became the catalyst for her mission in life. Shiva has dedicated and sacrificed her life for those behind bars in Iran.
She is calling us to join her in the cause. What will you do?

For more information or to become involved. Click on this link.
http://www.iranpoliticalprisoners.org/about-us.html

Shadi Paveh: A compassionate "voice for the voiceless."

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves:
ensure justice for those being crushed.
Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice."
       (Proverbs 31:8-9)


A continuous, reoccurring theme in the Bible is standing up for the oppressed and seeking justice for the helpless. As a Christian, this is the passion of my heart and in particular, I have this passion for my friends in Iran. 
Recently on my "Cross in the Desert" radio program, I had the privilege of interviewing Shadi Paveh, a prominent Iranian human rights activist, who shares the same passion that I have in speaking up for the hopeless and oppressed. Shadi is a witness to the inhumane torture and oppression of people having grown up in Iran during the 1979 Revolution.
One of the most painful experiences she experienced was saying goodbye to her father at the airport in Tehran. Her father was a military man under the Shah and was involved in a coup to overthrow Ayatollah Khomeini, the new dictator of Iran. Shadi vividly remembers her father telling her that if the coup was successful she would see him again and if not, she wouldn't. "There are some things worth dying for, "Her father proclaimed to her. Unfortunately that was the last time that Shadi saw her father. He and many other generals were later executed by Khomeini.
The unjust treatment of religious minorities in Iran

and particularly the Baha'i Faith, was the catalyst for Shadi to begin her campaign for human rights. Today she is busily involved in translating documents and letters from political and religious prisoners in Iran in order to expose their gross human rights violations and make them known to the world.
Shadi explained the emotional toll the letters she translates has on her and described how she finds herself weeping and sobbing for hours over their horrible conditions.
One prisoner urged her in a letter to tell the world that since Hassan Rouhani, the new president in Iran has taken office, the conditions in the prisons have worsened. Shadi pointed out that there are now approximately ten executions a day, instead of ten a month, since the installation of the new president. 
The conditions in the prisons are deplorable according to Shadi. There are 60 to 80 prisoners crammed in a small room together with no beds or pillows. Therefore the prisoners are forced to sleep on the floor together. Prisoners have no access to medicine. Many of them will die from infections and poisoned food if they don't first die from the continuous beatings and tortures that regularly occur almost every day.
When I asked Shadi how does she emotionally cope after reading about suffering and evil in Iran, she responded by saying that every time she receives a letter she prays and asks strength from God.
Despite the 34 years of grotesque crimes that the Iranian government has committed against its people, Shadi still has hope for a "Free Iran," one day. She believes that democracy and peace can only be achieved through forgiveness and hope. "Goodness always triumphs over evil," according to Shadi.
Being a "voice for the voiceless" is near and dear to my heart and Shadi Paveh exemplifies this is in so many wonderful ways. She approaches her job with much humility and grace with no intent to harbor hatred against the most vile of offenders. In our interview she continually emphasized forgiveness.
Forgiveness is what Jesus taught us to do when persecuted by our enemies. Forgiveness and mercy is who God is!
Shadi doesn't receive an income for her tireless work. She spends endless hours translating letters and being a voice for the hurting and oppressed. She remembers where she came from and has dedicated her time, life and energy to those who cannot speak up for themselves.
I truly respect and admire this courageous woman. Like her father told her for the last time, "Shadi, there are some things worth dying for."
Shadi has taken the last words of her father and given her life as he did in standing up for the voiceless. God is calling us to do the same. Will you be a voice today?

Who will speak up for the little ones?

"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them!
 For the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who
 are like these children."
                              Jesus...(Matthew 19:14) NLT



Over three decades ago, the brilliant guitarist and Christian musician, Phil Keaggy wrote
a beautiful tribute song for the unborn, entitled, "Little ones."
The song was written to give a voice to the unborn children who were being selfishly sacrificed on the altar of "choice" by abortion rights activists.
 At the beginning of the song, Phil asks the all important question, "Who will speak up for the little ones, helpless and half abandoned? They have the right to choose life they don't want to lose. I've got to speak up, won't you?"
I immediately thought of this song after reading the horrific story of a three-year old girl that was gang-raped by Muslim men in Saudi Arabia. Police in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, reported that three men and two women have been taken into custody as suspects in the gang-rape of a three year old girl.
On September 13, a private hospital discovered the body of a three-year old girl that had been dumped off at the front gate. The young child was screaming in pain. Her clothes had been torn, her body was covered with bruises and she was suffering from vaginal bleeding. Shortly after being found she lapsed into a coma.
I was speechless after reading this story. To say that I was outraged would be an understatement. What kind of animals would do such a thing like this to a precious, innocent child? How can anyone stoop to such a level as to commit such a crime? How deep the human depravity! How deep the darkness and deceit of sin! Words fail me at this point! Needless to say, I was broken and in tears after reading this and I immediately posted the story to my Facebook page.
What kind of punishment do these animals deserve from such an act? In Saudi Arabia, under Sharia law, men and women are stoned for committing the act of adultery. The Judicial system beheads women who are guilty of practicing witchcraft and sorcery.  Women are banned from driving and obtaining licenses. Obviously, Saudi Arabia is a country that is well recognized for its discriminatory practices against women. That being said, my question is, in the case of this three-year old girl, will the judicial system stand up for her rights and severely punish those responsible for this atrocity? Whenever you read about rape cases in the Muslim world, the woman who has been victimized ends up being punished, because it is believed that in someway her behavior and dress contributed to the crime, bringing shame to the community. Will there be real justice for this precious and innocent child?
When I think of little children, I am reminded of the love and compassion that Jesus had for them. There is an incident in the Bible where parents brought their children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. In response to this, the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus.  Yet Jesus responded by saying, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children."
The lives of children are precious to Jesus. Like the old nursery rhyme, "Jesus loves the little children..all the children of the world..red and yellow black and white, they are precious in his sight..."

Hospital authorities sadly confessed that this child will be traumatized for life. I can picture, I can visualize, Jesus holding this precious child in his arms and praying for her.
The innocent lives of children are under attack. Just recently in Iran, a law was passed granting fathers the right to marry their adopted daughters.
We must speak up for the little ones! We must not allow any society to engage in the psychological and physical abuse of our children in order to gratify their sexual depraved lusts!
There must be justice for their precious and innocent lives. Please join me in praying and speaking out for the little ones so that they can grow up normally and not be traumatized for the rest of their lives!

A loss of shame and guilt

"Therefore the showers have been withheld and no spring rains have fallen.
 You have the brazen look of a prostitute. You refuse to blush with shame."
                                                ( Jeremiah 3:3)




Twenty years ago, when famed Actor-Director, Woody Allen, was accused of having an affair with the adopted daughter of his ex lover, Mia Farrow, he staunchly defended his actions by saying that he hadn't crossed the line. Allen denied that his affair was incestuous and explained that Soon-Yi Farrow had asked him to take nude photographs of her.
The example of Woody Allen should result in a cultural outrage by the public, but instead it is carefully explained away by Woody Allen and a liberal media that excuses and justifies indecent behavior under the claim of, "it's none of your business. It's my life!"
 Sin has a numbing effect. When sin is denied and left un-confessed, the conscience is seared and there is a loss of shame and guilt. That is the problem with our culture. We have created a "god" in our own image to justify our sin and because of that, we have ignored His holy standards, resulting in a loss of shame and guilt.
Unfortunately, there is another outrageous example making news headlines. Just recently, the Islamic republic of Iran passed a law allowing stepfathers the legal right to marry their adopted 13 year-old daughters. The Iranian parliament passed a bill to protect the rights of children and instead opened up the door for incest and pedophilia. Under this new law, the "caretaker" can marry his adopted daughter if the court ruled that it would be in the best interests of the child. According to statistics, some 42,00 children between the ages of 10 and 14 were married in Iran in 2010. 
While the Guardian Council has the final say on the implementation of this new law, it should be noted that in passing this bill, the Iranian parliament is in essence justifying incest. The young children of Iran are not being allowed to grow up and mature normally. Their childhood is being stolen away for the sexual gratification of older men!
 While most Muslims will deny that is consistent with Islamic practice, yet all one has to do is examine their history.  One of the wives of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was six year-old Aisha. Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph to succeed Muhammad after his death. Historical sources say that Aisha was only 9 years old when Muhammad finally consummated their marriage.
The history of Islam seems to play a major role in the justification of the new child marriage law in Iran.
This new law if implemented by the guardian council of Iran would pave the way for rape and child abuse. Young children would no longer be allowed to grow up normally but could potentially be victimized for the rest of their lives with the painful scars of sexual abuse.
 When we ignore the "warning sirens" of our conscience, screaming at us to stop and not do that, we slowly become numb to the shameful acts we are engaged in. When a pilot is flying his plane too low, there is a warning siren that goes off in the cockpit, urging him to pull up! If the pilot ignores that warning, the plane is certain to crash and everyone will perish.
In the same way, when we ignore the warnings of God's Word, we too will perish.
 God declared to his people, "You refuse to blush with shame."
Our only hope is repentance. The only remedy to keep the plane from crashing is to obey the warning sirens and pull up!
My prayer is that Iran will understand the horrible consequences of implementing this new bill and instead recognize what it will do to thousands of innocent children. 
Please go to my Facebook page and sign the petition and speak out for these innocent children!
 Let's together put an end to this shameful act and save the childhood of these beautiful young ladies!

http://forcechange.com/85357/stop-child-marriage-in-iran/

The Prayer Vigil: A Tsunami of God's Glory

Today, September 26, 2013 marked the one-year anniversary of Saeed Abedini's captivity in an Iranian prison.
It has been an incredible year for Saeed's wife Naghmeh as she worked non-stop day and night traveling all over the nation, giving interviews, appearing at fund raisers and speaking at the United Nations in Geneva.
Saeed's imprisonment has thrust Naghmeh into becoming a single mom for her children, Rebekkah age 7 and Jacob age 5.
This courageous "single mom" spent the last three months organizing a world-wide prayer vigil that went way beyond anyone's expectations. Over 70 cities hosted groups of loyal Christians gathering at their state capitols and government centers to cry out to God for Saeed's release. Amazingly, the prayer vigil was not restricted to the United States alone but extended out as far as East Jerusalem and the country of Spain to name just a few!
Leading up to this very special day, Naghmeh was able to hand deliver a letter written by Saeed to the delegation of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. President Rouhani just happened to be staying at the same hotel as Naghmeh. To add to the list of unbelievable occurrences this week, world renowned evangelist and statesman, the Rev. Billy Graham, now 95, wrote a special letter to the president of Iran, pleading for Saeed's freedom.
This incredible, emotional week for Naghmeh culminated today in the worldwide prayer vigil.
 As I sat in front of my computer today, worshiping to songs by Chris Tomlin and praying for Saeed and Naghmeh, suddenly I experienced what I can best describe as a vision of the effect of thousands of Christians praying! I rarely have experiences like these so I was totally taken by surprise. I saw "in the spirit" a huge wave, like a tsumani, towering hundreds of feet into the air and washing over everything in its path. Then I heard a "still small voice," which turned out to be an exhortation, an encouragement for Christians participating in the vigil all over the world. I immediately downloaded a picture of the wave that I saw in my "vision and quickly began typing out what I heard the Lord speaking to me. I have never done this before and I was both excited and fearful!
Here is what the Lord gave me for Naghmeh and all Christians participating the prayer vigil today:

"As you pray today, as you raise your hands and hearts to surrender to me, I will unleash an unstoppable wave of my glory..I will unleash a wave of my power for you.
This is a wave of cleansing, a wave of My glory that will cover the whole earth.. a wave of unstoppable love to melt the hardest of hearts..it is a tsunami of My glory.
Come..come now and jump into this wave..ride this wave of my glory..be cleansed..be refreshed.
As you pray today, I'm coming to you as a wave..prison walls are falling..hearts are being cleansed.
\There is no stopping my wave. I will speak to the nations..This is My glory wave..
So lift your hearts and voices...I'm answering your prayers..I will confound the enemy..The battles is mine..prisoners will be freed today!"

When I finished typing, I was astonished at what I wrote! This very rarely happens to me. I am humbled by this powerful word that God gave me. As I carefully read it, Im not surprised! This is consistent with the character of God. He wants to encourage all of us who have been working so hard together with Naghmeh to keep Saeed's perilous situation alive in both the media and government.
There is enormous power in prayer when Christians come together with one heart and mind and spirit and cry out to God! God desires to answer the prayers of His children. For His sovereign purposes God delights in using the prayers of His children to shape history. One of the many "pictures" of the character of God in the Scriptures is that of a well of living water that quenches the thirst of spiritual seekers. It is easy to understand that God describes himself like a wave washing over the earth and cleansing our hearts. He is the living water, the mighty wave that is unstoppable, a wave of unconditional love cleansing us from our guilt and shame.
Prayer is powerful because it is ordained by God in our hearts. The Bible proclaims in James 5:20 that, "the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,"
(NLT)
It was a beautiful sight today to see our elected officials in Congress on their knees praying for Saeed's freedom. The mighty wave of God's spirit was indeed washing over the hearts of thousands, perhaps millions of Christians today as they set aside an hour of their busy life to cry out to God.
God visited each of us today in a profound way. Has His mighty wave visited your life yet?
He is the well of living water. Drink from his well today. You will never be thirsty again!