August 22, 2007

Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Friends,

Leyla Ghosinasab, 34, had a heavy load and she had been carrying it for several years. She had left her husband in Iran and come to Germany to seek for asylum. As usual, her case went on for several years and during that time the family went through a difficult time.

Layla and her children.

Leyla’s daughter Melika, 13, and her son Arman, 11, missed their father, and their father could not come to Germany to join them. They asked different people and institutions for help, but they were in mostly in need of spiritual support. Finally, they heard about the Iranian Evangelical Church in Berlin and asked for help there.

They lived a good distance outside Berlin. To get to our church they had to take a bus, a tram, and two subways. They didn’t have the money for the transportation. So we visited them regularly and brought them the Word of God and showed them how God loves them. We gave them a New Testament and other Christian books in Persian translations. We held a Bible study and a class to prepare them for baptism, and they finally testified that they had found peace. They opened their hearts to Jesus, and He promised them rest and peace. They came to one of our worship services and were baptized, and now they feel much better. A door has been opened to them so that when some technical problems are solved they may be able to go to Canada. Please keep praying for this family—that God will lead them to a place where they can be joined by Leyla’s husband.

Tahere (in orange jacket) assists Sadegh Sepehri during the baptism of Leyla's children.

Tahere Emamgholi, 46, came with her husband to Germany and applied for asylum. Like many others, they have waited several years for an answer. Most of Tahere’s family is living in Hamburg, where her sisters have come to Jesus and are church members. They tried to tell her about Jesus and God’s love, but she did not want to accept it. It took a long time for her to decide to come to our church in Berlin.

After visiting us several times, she asked for some Christian books, which I gave her. She suffered from an illness. When she heard about the power of prayer she started to pray that she would be cured, and her sisters also prayed for her. Finally, her prayers were answered and she was released from her sickness. After this miracle, she gave her testimony and asked me to be baptized. For several months she came to my baptism classes and after that she was baptized and her life was changed. Though all asylum seekers worry about their situation, but Tahere says, “I have peace in my heart and am sure that the Lord will help me.” She is praying that her husband may come to Jesus and be saved. It is difficult to tell those who do not believe in God about God’s love, but she is sure that God will in the end touch his heart and he also will be saved. Please do pray for her and her husband as well as their asylum situation in Germany.

Rev. Sadegh Sepehri
Iranian Presbyterian Church in Berlin

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 177