In 2020, donors to the Danish European Mission ensured that around 25,000 copies of the New Testament can be printed and distributed in Iran. We hear that people long to read them and that some of the copies are read several times. From our partner, we received this testimony about Peyman.
A life full of challenges
I never experienced love from my father. Throughout my childhood, my father had a serious problem with gambling addiction and was abusive to my mother and me. His abusive behavior filled us both with pain and anger. Then, when I was 16 years old, he divorced my mom and left us. He left us with nothing. I had to drop out of school and start working to support my mother and sisters.
But the money was small, so I did what my father had done: I played a little here and there in the hope of winning the big prize. It quickly escalated and became an addiction. Even in his absence, my father's destructive choices shaped my life. My life was being destroyed because of gambling.
Finally, I told my mom what I had done. I knew she had a fiery temper and expected her to be furious. But to my surprise, she was completely calm and understanding. Instead of scolding me, she lovingly helped me for months to break free from the addiction.
An encounter that changed my life
Around this time, my family had a new beginning. My mom radiated so much peace. She had been watching Christian TV programs. We started watching these programs together as a family. Then one day our satellite dish stopped working, so we called a repairman. When mom asked him to tune the dish to receive the Christian channels, the repairman, named Michael, was happy to do it. He was also a Christian himself. He was very happy to be able to talk about Jesus with us.
We immediately liked Michael and invited him to come back and share more with us. He often came twice a week. Finally, on a beautiful and unreal evening, our hearts were ready. My family and I sat and listened to Michael explain the good news to us in our living room in Iran. All five of us knelt down together and asked Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior.
A new challenge: Forgiving
Afterwards, I became very interested in the New Testament. When I read the Gospel of John, I was amazed to discover that Jesus has given me permission to call his Father my Father. I had never experienced my own father's love, but now I had found the love of my heavenly Father. I was filled with joy.
When we realized that we would not be able to go to church in Iran, my family moved to a nearby country. We joined a Persian-language church where we were taught by great teachers. I realized that my heart was filled with incredible anger and bitterness towards my father. One of the first sermons we heard in our church was about forgiveness.
"You have to forgive your father, Peyman," the pastor said. I knew he was right
- Peyman
The congregation was encouraged to come forward to intercede. Part of me knew I had to come forward and forgive my father. But I resisted. The pastor spoke to me and challenged me: "You have to forgive your father, Peyman." I knew he was right. After much prayer and with God's help, I finally managed to forgive my father and let go of my bitterness. I thought that was it. I thought a new chapter had begun and that I didn't even have to think about my father anymore.
But then I met and got engaged to my wife, Katty. Both Katty and I felt that my father should be invited to our wedding. I hadn't seen him in six years. It was strange to have him at the wedding. When we got back from our honeymoon, I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to tell my dad that I had forgiven him.
"Father, I have forgiven you"
We met and as I described the pain I had been through and the bitterness I had felt, my father began to cry. "Father, I forgive you because there is one who has forgiven me," I explained, "and his name is Jesus Christ." I shared the gospel with him and told him how my Heavenly Father had made my heart whole again.
Then something amazing happened. My father went to his room and came back with a small book in his hand: the New Testament! He explained that a friend had given it to him in Iran a few months earlier and that he was reading it. That night I had the great privilege of leading my father in a prayer of repentance and faith. God truly works in mysterious ways!
Today, Peyman and his wife Katty are part of the Danish European Mission's partner, Elam's, media work, making programs like the ones he and his family saw in Iran.
Thank you to everyone who prays for the Church in Iran and ensures that the New Testament can be smuggled into the country.
Facts: Prison sentences for Christians
- At the time of writing, 16 Christians are in prison for their faith in Iran.
- In 2020, 6 Christians were sentenced to 5 years in prison, while one was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
- The Iranian population is highly frustrated with the regime and a 2020 poll indicates that around 800,000 Muslims have converted to the Christian faith in Iran.
