Bahar: "My mother left me when I was only three years old"

From our partner we received this testimony about the Iranian woman Bahar. A few years ago, Bahar came to faith after a traumatic childhood where her mother abandoned her when she was just three years old.

She says: "I don't remember the day my mother left us. I was only three years old. But my father remembers it clearly: He came home from work and discovered that mom and all our belongings in the house were gone. Our home was empty. It was empty. There was no warning.

We didn't hear from her again and my grandmother became my new 'mom' to my brother and me.

My father lived for years with a deep pain. He struggled with deep depression and became physically ill with seizures. I didn't want to see him like that.

He tried to get help through Islam. He followed all the rituals to the letter, the prayers and fasting. Nothing changed.

A little red book

When I was ten years old, I came home from school one day and saw my father reading a little red book. On the cover it said "Injile Isaaye Masih" (The Gospel of Jesus Christ). I was surprised because he usually read the Quran.

He had no one in his life who could explain this book to him, yet he read it often. He told me it was life-changing.

My family moved to Germany for a new life. Dad left first, and when my brother, grandma and I arrived a year later, we couldn't believe how different he had become.

He was full of joy. His seizures had stopped. To me, he had never looked better.

We found out that he had joined a church and that he was now a devout Christian. The first following Sunday he took us to church. It was new and exciting. But it wasn't until I was 14 that I met Jesus myself and gave my life to Him.

A vision

I got very sick with a high fever. Father prayed for me. Then I had a vision: On one side of me everything was dark. On the other, a beautiful light was shining. I saw two outstretched arms pulling me from the darkness into the light.

At this moment, my fever disappeared. I felt better immediately. That night, after I explained to my father what had happened, he led me, my brother and my grandmother into the new life in Christ.

In my teenage years, my faith grew stronger. When I was in my 20s, I moved back to Iran. It was my privilege to lead my grandfather to faith just months before his death.

It was hard to find a church in Iran. But a friend told me about a house church. My life was good.

An unexpected call

But then something totally unexpected happened: after 20 years of silence, I received a call from my mom.

I was in shock.

I was unable to talk to her.

But my father - who had suffered because of her for so many years - generously suggested I give her a chance.

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she came to visit me in my new city. There I was at the airport with my mom hugging me - she was a stranger to me. She was crying. But I stood there like a statue, completely paralyzed.

I knew Jesus wanted me to forgive her. I fought against it. I didn't want to forgive her.

I let my emotions run wild

But later, after I moved to a neighboring country, I got engaged to Peyman. We decided to invite my mom to the wedding. A few days before the big day, I opened my heart to my mom and told her all the things I had felt for so many years: all the questions, all the pain. There were many tears. It was a difficult night.

After that night, my heart began to change. Jesus did it.
possible for me to forgive.

My mom often visited Peyman and me after our wedding. We shared the gospel and she started going to church with us. Then one Sunday in church, my mom gave her life to Jesus. Tears rolled down both our cheeks.

This woman who had hurt my family so much was now my sister in faith. And Jesus keeps teaching me to love her. God is working, Bahar concludes.

Many Iranians long for the love of God in Jesus. A wind is blowing across the country and touching people. The number of Muslims who have converted to the Christian faith may be over 800,000, according to a brand new poll conducted via social media in Iran.

Some are reached through Christian TV, but often God uses ordinary Christians who have to be careful how they share their faith. Several of them boldly hand out copies of the New Testament, and this creates faith and transformation in the hearts of Iranians as they read about Jesus.

Thank you so much for praying for the Iranian Church. Like the rest of the population, the Church is challenged by COVID-19. But it has a hope in the midst of it all that it can pass on to others. You can also ensure that a copy of the New Testament is smuggled into Iran and neighboring countries where Iranians live.