The Storm in the land of Persia
|
Need - $195,000
The Storm In the Land of Persia Background; About 18 years ago, God opened a gate for us to reach the land of Persia through a Shiite man who visited our country. The Lord miraculously guided his steps so that he would come to our House Church and hear the message of salvation. Then he accepted a Bible and began to read it. After a few weeks, he came to the knowledge of salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. I'll never forget what he said to me on the day of his salvation, "My family and friends need this Book so that they can know the Divine Truth, because we are living in the biggest lie." I believe the Bible is the only bridge between Muslims seeking Divine Truth and us; therefore, the Lord has helped us bring thousands of Bibles to Persia and other lands. Time and time again, we would tell ourselves that perhaps this would be the last time we would need to procure such a large quantity of Bibles, yet, to our surprise, we always found ourselves in need of more—thousands more. People were and are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God. Day after day, we witness the Lord adding new members to our House Churches in this land despite the challenges, difficulties, and persecutions that are indescribable. The current situation; Based on our personal experience, war invariably brings poverty. In its wake is destruction, death, disease, and the loss of businesses and property. Indeed, war transforms the lives of countless people, not only those who volunteer to fight, but also the forcefully conscripted and innocent civilians. Our brothers and sisters living in Persia are in dire need of help, not next month, but right now. On television, we watch the military destruction of an evil empire, but we do not consider that, as long as they have guns, swords, and life, the remnants of their displaced army continue to rise against their own people, killing thousands of innocents and, most particularly, Christians. You do not see that on television. They survive day by day as scavengers, in circumstances marked by devastation. Many have lost everything they possess and have only severely limited resources for existence. We had a brother for whom we provided a street vending coffee cart years ago. He found Christ as a beggar, and so we made him a businessman. His blessing was so great that he eventually employed six other men to help him, paying them good wages to care for their families, and in addition, he gave the balance to support Persian church planters on his own, removing the burden from us. (To them, the issue of tithing is never considered. They give all they can after their necessary needs.) Two weeks ago, as the seven men met on a street corner to begin work, they stopped for a moment of prayer, keeping their eyes open so as not to signal their intention. Soldiers, maybe thirty meters away, saw what they considered to be an "illegal gathering" and, with their machine guns, killed all seven men. Such is daily life in Persia. It doesn't begin to compare to ours, does it? The local house churches have depleted their resources, striving to support their own families and Muslim neighbors. There is no more powerful witness than one accompanied by food for the hungry. They have no choice but to reach out to the wider church family for help. We must quickly deliver 6,500 Bags of Hope to our local house churches in that region. Each bag includes a New Testament, personal hygiene supplies, medicines, various essentials, daily food, and clean water. This is especially important for those who have children and have lost their jobs. (Which includes anyone known to be a Christian who is not yet martyred). Each life-saving Bag of Hope costs $30. Yes, in months and years past, they were cheaper, but inflation is ravaging economies worldwide, and unemployment rates are passing 70% in Persia. Food prices have increased by 112%, inflation has risen to 67%, and their currency has lost 98% of its value. You know this. You have heard it on television. Sadly, by the time your help arrives, that amount may buy even fewer life-saving supplies. That's why we must act now. Here's how we will accomplish this: 
Delivering food to a safe location
Food prepared for indivual bags
Packing bundles for distribution
For safety, we spread our people out like tentacles and purchase these items without attracting attention by buying in bulk. (Persia no longer has bulk discounts anyway.) Then they have to be transported to constantly moving safe locations, where we pack each bag for regional distribution points and deliver them. All this has to be done covertly, so we pray for God to blind the eyes of the soldiers at checkpoints and the highway robbers along the way. Last year, one of our teams nearby, three young men training for ministry, successfully delivered their packages of food and Bibles. Though instructed not to tarry but to get in and get out, they stayed to encourage the new Believers until all the bags were distributed and the church members had left, one by one. They did not realize that upon entering the town, their vehicle had been noticed and reported to the police. Before our three disciples had driven two miles from the house church, a member walking home saw military and police blocking the road to stop their car. They knew what our young men had done, but our men refused to give any names or the location of the house church. They were executed in the street, on the spot, and left for dogs to devour. It is easy for me to write a check or click a link to donate. Still, when a charity asks me to donate, I want to know what it's for before I decide. I also want to know how much I'm being asked to give before I choose to do so. However, for some reason, when I go out to a restaurant, my eyes automatically scan the menu to choose what I most want to eat, long before I look at the prices and decide. If the price is unreasonable, I may try another place; if not, I will enjoy the meal. I have listed the menu for Persia above, underlined. Now, you decide if it's worth the price. Enjoy! Important Disclosure: Please be confident that we are not in any way involved in disregarding the current blockade. We are strictly obeying the "Law of the Land" (our land—America). --- Jon Nelms |
|
