Despite Facing Persecution

As the Persian-speaking churches have closed in Iran, many home churches have started without a pastor. Christian leaders are providing training outside the country for the house church leaders of Iran. A leader in this church network brings small groups to train and sends them back to continue their work in the house churches.
He shared about Maryam (not her real name), a new member of a group with which he’d been working. Maryam shared her testimony while showing her wound-covered arms. Maryam explained she had approached one of her classmates, asking about her loving behavior. Maryam noticed she was different. Her friend answered that she is a believer in Jesus and shared Christ with Maryam. As Maryam read the New Testament her classmate had given her, her eyes were opened. She invited Jesus into her heart.
Maryam began attending house church meetings with her friend, and her mother found out about her faith. Her mother told Maryam’s father, a practicing Muslim with a high government position. After discovering that Maryam was serious in her faith, her father threatened her in hopes of causing her to stop following Jesus. As Maryam resisted, he began beating her to death. She cried, “Jesus, save me.” Suddenly her father stopped the beating and started crying, asking for her forgiveness. Her father said, “As I was beating you, I saw Jesus covering you; the belt was hitting Jesus. I realized I was beating Jesus, and I stopped. Like you, I believe Jesus now.”
We literally hear dozens of stories like this from our Campus Crusade missionaries and from our partners. And not just from the Middle East, from every corner of the planet. God is at work, and we are blessed to join Him! Thank you for your part in enabling us to be part of the Church planting efforts around the world.
Your prayers would be appreciated for the following:
  1. Stefan is traveling from 16- 28 January to first meet with some of our church planters in Western Europe (Dresden) and then he joins the Eastern Europe team for their staff conference. Both these teams face their own unique challenges, so pray for wisdom as Stefan encourages and helps them think through their challenges.
  2. Kenneth turned 15 on January 6th. Turning 15 means he can now earn his learner’s driver’s license. Pray for his test preparation. (And for his parents …)