I meet Mojtaba in a beautiful old garden near London. You can't tell that this man has been a drug dealer for many years. Mojtaba's eyes are warm and he is moved as he talks about his past and memories come flooding back.
- I was born into a Muslim family in Iran, where I grew up in the capital Tehran. When I was 7, I started smoking cigarettes. When I was 9, I started working. When I was 14, I started drinking alcohol. When I was 16, I started smoking opium. When I was 18, I traveled to Turkey with some friends and they encouraged me to smuggle drugs from Tehran to Turkey. From the age of 18, I started taking drugs," says Mojtaba.
Worked with the mafia
When Mojtaba was 25, some friends encouraged him to go to Japan, where he lived for five years. Here he got to work with the Japanese-Chinese-Korean mafia.
When he returned to Iran after five years, he had everything you could wish for: Several cars, houses and businesses, including a printing house and a company where he sold spare parts for cars.
Family life did not fill the void
- I had everything, but felt very empty. After all this, my family said to me: "If you get married, it will fill the void". I got married, but the emptiness was still there, Mojtaba recalls.
So he continued his search to fill the void. He went to Germany, France, Azerbaijan and worked as an engineer, but that didn't help either.
- In the meantime, God gave our family a son. But after some time I left the family again, this time to Italy. Here I found a drug dealer and people smuggler," he says.
Featured in TV show about crime
Mojtaba stole a passport and headed to England.
- I flew from Venice to Gatwick on October 20, 1999. I arrived as a refugee and sought asylum. Again I found drug dealers, this time in London. I was selling opium, hashish and duty unpaid cigarettes. I was arrested twice. The first time my face appeared on ITV. I was on a special program where they were looking for dealers of duty unpaid cigarettes. The second time I was warned to stop or I would go to court and jail," says Mojtaba.
Jesus called Mojtaba at a disco
Mojtaba was encouraged by some friends to sell drugs at a disco. But one day he got a phone call with a difference:
- In 2003, in August, a friend called and said: "I have good news". I asked: "What good news? Do you want drugs?". He said "no". My friends warned me about Ali, as he was called, who had become a Christian. I said to him: "I negotiate many things, but not my religion", says Mojtaba.
Ten days later, he was high on drugs and going to a disco: "I went into another room and a voice called me: "Mojtaba, I have chosen you for another job. This is not your job!" I tried to get out, but I heard the voice again. Fear came into my body - there was someone there, but I couldn't see him," says Majtaba and continues:
- I jumped out of the room and called Ali. Then I went to his house and there I saw happy people singing and playing guitar. I asked: "Is this a birthday party?" He said: "No, my birthday is not until February".
The fire of the Holy Spirit burned in Mojtaba for a whole night
At 22:00, some of the guests went home, but others stayed behind and told Mojtaba about Jesus. "Jesus is not only a prophet, but the Son of God - he died for your sins," Ali told him.
- I said to Ali: "I'm a drug addict and drug dealer", but he replied: "It doesn't matter", Mojtaba remembers and continues:
- Then I heard the word: "I cleanse you with my blood and fill you with my Spirit". Then I confessed my sin. I opened my heart to Jesus. It was as if the ceiling disappeared - fire came from above and down, and all night long there was fire in me.
From that morning to this day, there were no more drugs or drug sales in Mojtaba's life.
God saved Mojtaba's marriage
- In 2009, I got a visa and at the same time I got bad news - my wife in Iran filed for divorce, but by the grace of God she changed her plans and went to Turkey.
In Turkey, my wife had a vision from the Lord and subsequently confessed Jesus as her Lord. My son was 12 years old at the time, and a month later he came to know Jesus as his Lord.
Now I am a priest and we all serve Jesus together. My wife was the daughter of a mullah," says Mojtaba.
Mojtaba's sister-in-law, who had been to Mecca twice, also met Jesus. It happened when Mojtaba invited her and her children to church in Turkey. On the first day, the Spirit of God touched her. She said: "I have been to Mecca twice, but I have never felt this". She and her children accepted Jesus.
- Many of my friends are dead or in prison, but by the grace of God I am saved. As a pastor, I meet people with the same background. I share my testimony with them and say: "Trust in Jesus!" Paul said: "I was the greatest sinner." So was I, but the grace of Jesus saved me," says Mojtaba and continues:
- "I have baptized more than 120 father figures so far. Among other things, I've baptized my own wife," concludes Mojtaba, who today lives in London and is a pastor in an Iranian church.
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