Iranians in Diaspora #3: When you think you can't go on
when you think you can’t go on
By Sue Stevens
GRACE Church, Bethlehem, PA
The Outreach Foundation is on a week-long visit with our Persian friends in Europe. Our first leg has taken us to The Netherlands where we are visiting with Dariush and people within his ministry, Safehouse. While his ministry has a reach across Europe and back into Iran, in The Netherlands the ministry is focused on the material, emotional, and spiritual needs of the Persian refugees.
The day began with prayer and reflecting on what we heard and saw the previous days. Our team leader, Tom Boone, Associate Director for Mission with The Outreach Foundation, read a testimony from Mrs. Deborah Plumb Cochran, one of the earliest Presbyterian missionaries to the Nestorians in Persia (1847). We realize that we are living now in the harvest of that former work and Dariush told us of his respect for her and her husband who founded a hospital and schools in his homeland. It’s just as Jesus said in John 4, “I have sent you to reap what you have not worked for.”
Today the weather was beautiful – not too hot, not too cold and sunny. A perfect morning for a relaxing morning and good walk! In the afternoon we took a long drive to a town near Rotterdam where we witnessed and participated in a house church. The hospitality was incredible. The warmth and love of the people was special. We felt so welcome.
I was privileged to share a devotion with the group based on Psalm 119:89-95. Through my own story I wanted to share with them just how much God loves them and that in him they can have strength to carry on. They are enduring so much suffering and have fled from such horrible tyranny it was good just to bring them a word of encouragement. We enjoyed a time of praise with Dariush playing guitar and leading the singing as well as heartfelt prayer.
It was an emotional time due to it being day 40 of the death of Mahsa Amini. The women took up a chant “Women. Life. Liberty.” Those in attendance were open and shared individually with the team. I was able to pray with one woman, Miriam, who recently lost her mother who had been in a hospital in Iran. She was unable to speak with her prior to her death and asked for prayer for her family who are still in Iran. The painful separation of families is a constant theme that we are hearing.
We were there to give encouragement, but we were blessed to meet these wonderful, loving people and have the opportunity to worship with them. I can’t end without saying how delicious the food was! What a wonderful feast! Such generous hospitality!
