They Risked Everything for their First Christmas

Do you remember the first time you celebrated Christmas?

For a group of Iranian believers, it was two and a half weeks ago.

Imagine the quiet tension as they packed their bags in Iran and headed to the airport. Their destination? Something that would be life-threatening in Iran but possible in Turkey, in utmost secrecy: a Christmas celebration.

Among them was Roya. For two years, she had carried her faith in her heart. But the weight of persecution and constant fear had left her wounded and hurting, filling her with resentment.

"When Roya first arrived," Qasem, one of our Field Ministers, shared, "you could see the deep concerns and fears she carried.” But then, during the biblical teaching, worship, and fellowship, something broke free in Roya's spirit. The walls of resentment began to crumble as God's mercy washed over her. When she emerged from the baptismal waters a few days later, she was radiant with joy—transformed by love rather than hardened by fear.

Then there was Pirouz, who arrived by himself, his shoulders heavy with three years of persecution and crushing hopelessness. "I don't understand who I am in Christ," he confessed on the first day. But as the conference progressed, as he witnessed the joy of his first Christmas celebration and he heard the testimonies of others who shared his struggles, something remarkable happened. Like Roya, he found new joy in Christ. At the end of the conference, “He embraced his true identity in Christ with renewed faith,” Qasem said.

In all, 13 were baptized. Picture the scene: Thirteen believers, including Roya and Pirouz, standing together in white baptismal garments. Some trembling with emotion, others beaming with uncontainable joy. Behind each face, a story of risk, courage, and a love that would not let them go. After their baptism, they celebrated the Lord's Supper together.

They also enjoyed times of fellowship, worship, and teaching on Christian doctrine. Rida, a young woman who attended the conference, shared, “I faced difficult circumstances. My situation became tough. I always had many questions. But when I participated in this conference, I understood that there were many things in the Bible that I didn’t know, and this had caused confusion in my life. But I thank God that I now understand the truth!”

When these participants boarded their flights back to Iran, marriages had been restored. New hope had flooded into their hearts. And downcast spirits were looking upward, rejoicing in the God who saw them in Iran and never let them go.

But this is just the beginning.

Right now, countless others in Iran long for this same opportunity. They long to have an opportunity to worship freely, to be discipled deeply, to experience the joy of Christian fellowship. Your gift today doesn't just fund a conference—it launches stories of transformation that ripple through families and communities… and is helping the persecuted church flourish in the Islamic World.

In 2025, we believe God is calling us to welcome even more Iranian believers to our Enduring Faith Conferences in Turkey, led by our faithful Field Ministers Qasem and Laith. Will you minister to them—providing everything from flight tickets, to housing, to food, to that soul-deep nourishment that happens at these conferences?

Will you join us in making these miracles possible? Every gift, every prayer, every act of support is woven into God's greater story of redemption and hope…in Iran, and all around the world, so that the persecuted church will flourish.