Farzad* was sentenced to be executed when he was 16 years old for accidentally killing a man in a fight. After two years in juvenile prison, he was transferred to an adult facility where the warden offered to release him for 10 days to ask the victim’s family for mercy. But first, Farzad was to be placed in a cell with a man who had been arrested as an enemy of Allah.
The warden encouraged Farzad to torment the man in any way he pleased, but the man remained calm and friendly. Finally, Farzad asked him why. The man explained, “I was a violent person before, but God changed me. The reason I am here is because I love and follow Jesus Christ.”
The warden released Farzad, and when he arrived home, he asked his sister what she knew about Jesus. “Nothing,” she replied, “but I am interested to learn.”
Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, they were able to receive a Bible. As Farzad read the book of Matthew, he began to weep in response to the peace he felt.
When Farzad returned to prison, he told his former cellmate that he had surrendered his life to Jesus. Both men were sent to solitary confinement afterward, but Farzad sent word to his family, stating, “I know that now I will be with the Lord if they execute me.”
Thank you for your faithful commitment to helping share life-changing Bibles with unreached people in the Middle East like Farzad!
* Name changed to protect privacy
