Last year, God opened the doors for our Field Ministry Team to operate inside Iran. This was a miracle—Iran is an extremely dangerous environment for Christians. Simply joining an online church meeting in-country can lead to immediate arrest and interrogation.
Iranian Christians often lose their jobs when employers suspect their conversion to Christianity, leaving them destitute and without a steady income to support their families. If their husbands are jailed for faith in Christ, many women have no livelihood and often resort to begging on the streets.
Maryam and Aseel have watched their lives change through your generosity. Here are their stories:
Maryam
When Maryam came to know Christ, she said,
“God healed me. He gave true peace to my life, and today I have peace and salvation in God. I have been through a difficult time, but God has been by my side always.”
Soon after, she lost almost everything because of her faith in Christ.
Her house.
Her livelihood.
Her family.
They tossed her out of her home, calling her an “impure infidel” for converting.
Her husband started using drugs and getting in trouble with authorities. And then, he left her. Maryam was suddenly alone.
When our field team met with Maryam, they were amazed by her faith—and impressed by her ability to cook delicious food! Through an Enduring Livelihood grant, Maryam’s life is being rebuilt. She is earning an income doing something she loves, cooking at a small restaurant with equipment purchased with her grant!
“I thank God for you and your service…now I love my job because of the new equipment I bought with your help…because of the help you gave me, I want to cook food one day a week and take it to poor people and distribute it for free.”
Aseel
Aseel immediately joined a secret house church in Iran upon giving her life to Christ. But when her pastor was arrested and interrogated by the government’s Intelligence Service, she knew she could be next. In hopes of maintaining her freedom, she fled to Turkey.
Her plan dissolved when her life savings was stolen from her, forcing her to return to Iran. She knew more persecution awaited her back home, but she had nowhere else to go.
A talented seamstress, she had always dreamed of owning her own wedding dress shop but had no means of getting started. Through an Enduring Livelihood grant, Aseel received sewing equipment and a few months’ rent to make her dream a reality. She has seen tremendous success in her first few months of business, using her giftings to provide for her needs. She is in the process of hiring another persecuted believer to fill orders for her growing clientele!
Thank You for Helping Persecuted Believers in Iran
The Persian Church continues to grow, and our on-the-ground Field Ministry Team is privileged to continue to come alongside these brave believers who count everything as loss but for the surpassing joy they have found in Jesus Christ.
You can partner with us today to bring Enduring Livelihood to more persecuted Christians in Iran.