The front door opened and Somayeh’s* husband came in. Somayeh glanced at the table in panic. It was too late. Her husband had seen the Bible…
“He took the baby from my arms, laid her on the table. Then he began beating me with his belt,” remembers Somayeh, her voice strong despite the horrific memory.
“All I could think about was stopping myself from screaming, hoping the baby wouldn’t sense what was happening and fall off the table.”
But as her husband brutally hit her, Somayeh felt something miraculous. “A belt whipped my body, but I didn’t feel the pain. Jesus was holding me, and it was Him being beaten, instead of me. In those moments, my faith increased a hundredfold.”
Fearless faith
Somayeh had been on a long spiritual journey before she became a Christian.
She’d been a devout Muslim growing up in Iran, and prayed for hours. But it wasn’t until Somayeh set foot inside a secret church that God touched her heart.
“The presence of God was overwhelming,” she said. “It was everything I had longed to feel in my
prayers but never did. When I walked out of that church, I felt like a bird released from a cage.”
Somayeh’s husband hated her new faith. He became violent, and the stress of their volatile
relationship caused Somayeh to miscarry their second baby. But Somayeh’s faith was fearless…
“I couldn’t keep it to myself.”
She started an underground house church, and it filled with 50 people. She began discipling women, and their faith deepened. But when you live somewhere as dangerous as Iran, persecution is just around the corner.
Closing in
“I received a call from the intelligence service,” says Somayeh. “They detailed all my information and said, ‘We will see you soon’. I was terrified, not only of the authorities, but also my husband. I had to flee.”
Somayeh escaped with her daughter. Now, safe in a new country, she’s been strengthened
by your support – and today Somayeh has a ministry helping other secret believers.
To equip her in ministry, Somayeh attends leadership training sessions organized by Open
Doors partners. “I’m able to share these insights online with those who, for security reasons, can’t attend. I’m blessed to pass on what I’ve received, to bless others in return,” smiles Somayeh.
Thanks to you and despite extreme persecution, Somayeh can’t help but talk about her faith.
“It’s like being sick and finding a great doctor. Or discovering treasure that gives your life
meaning… I couldn’t keep it to myself,” she says.
“I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart to you, who make all this possible. Thank you.”
* name changed to protect her and her family
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