“Nothing in the world could bring me any joy,” says Ladan*, a SAT-7 PARS viewer from Iran, as she shares her radical testimony. “I chased everything you can imagine, but instead of finding peace I found myself drowning in darkness.”
Ladan was born to her father’s second wife. She grew up in an environment filled with hatred and conflict, resulting partly from the struggle between two women competing for a husband’s affections.
SEEKING A WAY OUT
“I stayed with my extended family for a month at a time,” says Ladan. “I preferred to be with relatives rather than at home.”
Ladan lacked love, attention, and discipline from both parents. After leaving for university she tried to fill the vacuum by seeking affection from the men she met, and eventually ended up on drugs.
Ladan’s assessment is blunt: “By this time, I was wrecked. I was depressed and on medication. I longed for death to take me, yet I feared suicide as I knew there is a God.”
THE LIGHT SHINES
Then, she ran into an old friend from primary school who told Ladan about Jesus and gave her a Bible.
Ladan explains what happened next: “As I read the Bible it brought me peace. I read the New Testament in a few days and I noticed that I was beginning to change and told my friend that I wanted to commit myself to Christ. She asked me to wait and watch some programmes on Christian networks like SAT-7 PARS. After about two weeks I gave myself to Christ. The Lord restored my life, and I was able to forgive my mother.”
As I read the Bible it brought me peace… the Lord restored my life.”
A NEW LIFE
After embracing faith in Jesus, Ladan threw out her tablets, quit smoking, and has never looked back: “My life has changed, and I now see His nature and beauty and I give thanks to the Lord.”
Ladan began to actively reach many others with the Gospel to help them come to faith, and visited churches to encourage believers. This did not remain unnoticed by the authorities – she was arrested and spent 10 days in solitary confinement.
But God was with her the whole time, and she continues to praise Him: “I give thanks to the Lord for the transformation He has brought about and for the new life He has granted me.”
*Names changed and image used for representation only
PRAY
- Pray for Ladan, that she will continue to experience God’s peace and freedom in her life.
- Pray for Ladan’s wider family, that they will notice the difference in her life and want to find out more.
- Thank God for SAT-7’s Iranian channel, which helps seekers like Ladan find the answers to their questions.
- “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison” (Hebrews 13:3). Pray for Iranian Christians who are currently being imprisoned for their faith.