Afrouz*, a young female viewer from Afghanistan, was feeling hopeless and sad when she stumbled across SAT-7 PARS and got in touch.
ESCAPING EXTREMISTS
“I am 19 years of age from Kunduz in Afghanistan,” Afrouz said, sharing her story with the SAT-7 PARS Audience Relations team. “I have five brothers and two sisters. I was just into my teens when my mother died and a year later my father remarried. When extremists attacked our town, my father smuggled us to Iran, while he, his new wife and their daughter remained in Afghanistan – he is not well and suffers from leg pain.
“We were caught at the Iranian border, but four of my brothers and I were able to escape the officers and enter Iran. Three of my brothers have married and returned to Afghanistan.”
ALONE IN A NEW COUNTRY
“Now my 15-year-old brother and I remain in Iran, where we are alone,” Afrouz continued. “Sometimes I feel very sad and sorrowful and I don’t know what to do. My brother works and our life is passing by.
“I was watching satellite television, and by chance I saw your channel, and I noted your telephone number to call and speak with you. Listening to your programmes fills me with peace. My brother is not literate and is very sad. Please help me to be free of the sadness I feel in my being – I am very tired.”
COMFORT AND PEACE
Thankfully, the SAT-7 PARS team have been in touch with Afrouz and have offered her prayer, comfort and support. “We spoke with Afrouz about the love of the Lord and told her about how much she is valued,” an Audience Relations team member says. We told her that she doesn’t have to be alone; that we can support her and help her to be filled with the peace of the Lord and freed from sadness.”
The team arranged to send Afrouz a Bible and some other books, and have now arranged to be in touch with her every week to pray for her and spend time with her over the phone – which has helped Afrouz feel thouroughly encouraged. “Even though you cannot see me and don’t know me, you have been kind to me and spoken to me with kindness,” she said.
*Name changed and image used for representation only
PRAY
- Pray that God will be close to Afrouz and continue to work in her life. Pray that she will continue to read her Bible and grow in her faith in Jesus.
- Praise God for the kindness of the Audience Relations team, who have come alongside Afrouz in her distress.
- There are an estimated 2 million undocumented Afghan refugees in Iran. Pray that they will know the Lord’s peace and be freed from sadness.
- Pray that isolated and vulnerable people will, like Afrouz, come across SAT-7 PARS and find the fellowship, prayer and guidance they desperately need.