{"id":5811,"date":"2022-09-15T01:27:27","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T01:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/?p=5811"},"modified":"2023-07-05T18:47:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T18:47:42","slug":"providing-community-where-churches-are-not-allowed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/providing-community-where-churches-are-not-allowed\/","title":{"rendered":"Providing Community Where Churches are Not Allowed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Providing<\/figure>\n\n\n

Raha is one of our online church family members. The 56-year-old grandmother of four accepted Jesus as Savior through our programming. In our broadcasts, she says, \u201cI found my place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raha grew up in a devout Muslim family. Her mother read to Raha and her siblings about the prophets from the Quran. Stories about Jesus were always Raha\u2019s favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Christmas season, she eagerly anticipated visiting an aunt who lived in a neighborhood that included Christians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristmastime was fascinating and beautiful for me as a child when I was in my aunt\u2019s house,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But based on Muslim teachings, Raha viewed Jesus the same as the other prophets. She believed all could equally answer her prayers when she prayed in their names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Raha had left home, married, and started raising her own kids, a Christian invited her to a small prayer and worship gathering. Her parents disowned her when she joined the group. Shunned by her family, Raha struggled to find hope. Her passion for life was drained out of her. Her only happiness came from her children. Fourteen years ago, Raha traveled to northern Iran. A friend recommended she watch Iran Alive\u2019s satellite TV channel. She listened intently as the pastor talked of Jesus in a way she had never heard Him described\u2014not as one of the prophets, but as the Savior of the world. When the pastor invited viewers to join him in saying a prayer for salvation, Raha repeated his words, and Jesus entered her heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raha soon learned that becoming a Christian does not guarantee an easier life. The family that once had been her only source of happiness began experiencing difficulties. Included was an unmarried daughter who became pregnant. The father abandoned Raha\u2019s daughter when he learned of the pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under Islamic law, children born to unwed parents cannot obtain a birth certificate\u2014they are considered what is known as \u201cpaperless.\u201d In the Iranian legal system, paperless children do not exist. Schools can deny them enrollment. They often are forced into the outer edges of society. Many unmarried pregnant Iranians choose to undergo an abortion rather than subject their child to a lifetime of marginalized existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raha\u2019s daughter had a dream in which Jesus told her that the unborn child belonged to Raha. Raha decided to raise the child, and when her daughter gave birth, Raha named the girl Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the family issues piled up for Raha, friends blamed the problems on Raha\u2019s decision to leave Islam for Christianity. But Raha remained committed to Christ. She lacked connection with members of any underground churches. All Raha had to help her stay strong in her faith was the Bible she read alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One evening, Raha contacted Iran Alive through Instagram. We provided her our broadcast church\u2019s schedule so she could at least have a regular connection with us until an opportunity arises to join an underground church. Our broadcast church is the \u201cplace\u201d she said she has found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raha recently shared some of the blessings she is experiencing. All of her children and grandchildren are Christians. Mary\u2019s father was located\u2014\u201camazingly,\u201d Raha said\u2014and he agreed to go through the process that resulted in Mary receiving a birth certificate and identification cards. That alone brought great peace to Raha\u2019s family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a mother, Jesus freed me from all my worries and difficulties,\u201d Raha said. \u201cI am filled with Jesus\u2019 love!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raha is one of our online church family members. The 56-year-old grandmother of four accepted Jesus as Savior through our programming. In our broadcasts, she says, \u201cI found my place.\u201d Raha grew up in a devout Muslim family. Her mother read to Raha and her siblings about the prophets from the Quran. Stories about Jesus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":6395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5811"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5811"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6345,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5811\/revisions\/6345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iranalive.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}