Hope, Helplessness & Healing in the Homeland
A man stands in the ruins of his bombed-damaged home in Iran – tears stream down his face to meet a smile.
“If my home is destroyed at the cost of Iran being rebuilt and my people becoming free, I am not upset,” he says. He is standing physically and spiritually in a place where grief and hope coexist.
Even before intense military action began in Iran on Saturday, February 28, as protests against the Iranian regime rose inside the country, The Outreach Foundation and our church partners have been passionately in prayer for our mission partners who are doing God’s work for the people of Iran. We pray alongside our Iranian brothers and sisters for an end to conflict and the beginning of transition that will usher in religious freedom for the people of Iran. But birthing that essential, God-given freedom will not be easy and the complex mix of deep emotions Iranians are experiencing can’t be understated.
The Outreach Foundation stands, as it has for more than four decades, in a unique space that connects believers in the United States with partners who serve God’s people in the furthest reaches, like conflict-torn Iran. That work has connected us to multiple Iranian-born believers who find themselves outside their homeland. While they cannot yet return home, they tell us they feel a thread of helplessness during this time of struggle. At a distance from their home country, anxiety is high, and the ability to communicate with loved ones in the country is low. They express with confidence that through their trust in the Lord, hope and helplessness will ultimately lead to healing. Healing for their land and in their hearts.
Pastor Ahmad of the Iranian Church of Brussels tells us their hope is steadfast.
“I truly believe that injustice and violence do not endure anywhere in the world, and one day all of this will come to an end. So together with brothers and sisters like you, we stand in prayer before God,” he said, “thank you for remembering us.”
While our hearts remain with Iran, we continue to receive updates from other global partners detailing how the current unrest impacts their work. As the conflict casts a long shadow across the entire Middle East, messages from our partners remind us of our shared hope.
“Our confidence is not in political powers, nor in human systems, but in the Lord who reigns above all nations." (Bethlehem Bible College, Palestine).
“We are reminded that our life is not only about enduring and holding strong, but also about serving in the hardest conditions. This is what turns us from victims of political whims to actors with agency to bring change and comfort to the suffering" (Near East School of Theology, Beirut).
And so, we add our prayers for courage and endurance for all those continuing ministry under pressure.
Iranian friends of The Outreach Foundation in The Netherlands celebrate hopefully that a regime change will happen soon in Iran.
THE OPPORTUNITY
And that’s where we turn to you and ask for your partnership in this effort. Please pray. Specific requests from our partners include:
(1) for protection for our partners serving on-the-ground in the risk-filled environment in Iran.
(2) for peace for Iranians who find themselves far from home.
(3) for the safety of all those involved, especially for civilians.
(4) for peace and swift end to the conflict in Iran and the surrounding region that leads to a stable future for all.
(5) for wisdom among regional and international leaders.
(6) for courage and endurance for those continuing in ministry throughout the Middle East even under pressure.
(7) for ears to hear and eyes to see the love and grace that comes only from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask that as you pray, you consider making a financial gift in support of families through our trusted mission partners. There are tangible ways you can help them meet immediate needs and share the word of God during this volatile time in Iran. Our Iranian partners in diaspora are already making plans to return to their homeland with gifts provided by friends of The Outreach Foundation so they may directly fuel the reignition of Christ’s Church and help bring the world’s largest underground church network into the light. Friends, this is an exciting time for us and our partners as we anticipate this next phase in the Iranian journey to freedom.
You may make a gift by sending a check to the address below with “Elam Awakening” in the memo line or donate here.
