When VOM offered a free DVD about the church in Iran during the month of April, there was an overwhelming response! Thousands of believers across the United States requested the DVD, inspired by the hope of God’s amazing work in a culture dominated by Islam.

• “My husband and I enjoyed the faith that just spilled out when they spoke with such passion and desperation for a new life.”  —Carly S.

Realizing the powerful effect of the Iran Alive DVD, VOM has extended this FREE online offer through the month of May.

• “GREAT DVD that moved me to tears several times!! I will be passing these out to friends and family.” —Mike C.

Iran Alive brings to life the powerful testimonies of Muslims in Iran who are turning to Christ, as well as the challenges faced by the Iranian church.

• “The testimonies were incredibly heart touching. It’s great to see God moving in Iran!”  —Brad E.

If you've already requested a free DVD for yourself, invite your Christian friends to request one, so that they too can be inspired by the faithfulness of Iranian Christians. You can also purchase a 10-pack of DVDs for only $10 to pass out to your Sunday School class, your pastor or other Christian friends.

Request your free DVD today.

Free DVD offer limited to U.S. residents only; one request per household please. Please allow 3–6 weeks for delivery.

Today we will wrap up the excerpts from the testimony of “Mohammed,” a former Muslim who decided to commit his life to Christ, even if it meant he would face rejection and persecution in his native Iran. The words are his, unless otherwise noted in italics. You may want to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 prior to reading today’s post.

I know those who have worshipped in jail; when they come out they never can repeat that experience. Prayer in jail is different than when you pray outside.

After 21 days they took us to a group jail where everybody is there. They took us to a place where there were 400 detainees. In one room there were 12 murderers. There were 65 gay people that had committed other very serious crimes. One of the people who was arrested with me, one of his relatives was in charge of jail. So they took care of him well during those 21 days. They sent him to a better room where there were fewer people. He met me in the jail yard and he took me to his room and gave me tea. And they told me that your room has changed. He was there earlier so they had assigned him a room. He said be careful because the room they are sending you to they are crazy, full of murderers or drug addicts and I will ask my relative to change your room and bring you in with me.

I said if God is sending me there I don’t want to be here. So I drank the tea and I went to my room. It was 65 people in one room. There were 45 beds and 20 people would sleep on the floor.

Fifteen beds, each three bunks, so there were 45 beds with 20 [sleeping] on the floor. I entered and I saw this scene and I was shaken. My knees were weak and I just knelt down, it was really bad. It was too tight and when I sat down there were two people on both sides of me sitting because there was not enough space. Someone asked me if they had just brought me to jail and I said no, I have been here for 21 days.

This person asked me, “Where were you before? If you were in solitary haven’t you gone crazy for being alone there for 21 days? I was in there for six days and went crazy.”

I said, “I was not alone in my cell, I was with God.” He was shaken. When I said I wasn’t alone I was with God, he was shaken and said I want to talk to you. I knew then I was sent there to give him the message and I said we will talk later.

Another person by my side said, “they arrested me four days ago; I haven’t used drugs for four days and my body is hurting a lot.” I put my hands on him and I prayed. Right there he said, “My pain is gone.” So it was confirmed that God had sent me there for a mission. There were three cameras in that room. I was there eight days. In the eight days I was there in that room 24 people came to Christ. Two of those who came to Christ were on death row. They would never come out. So I said God had sent me.

We would go under the beds; I would witness and pray with people under the bed. Because of the cameras I would take people under there to pray the prayer of salvation there so the cameras could not get us. It was the sweetest time of my life.

After five days there they said I could put up bail and get out. I was postponing paying bail to come outside so I could have more time to witness. I was not worrying about my family because I knew that God was taking care of them. All my life belongs to Jesus. So they said you can go, we told you – you can put up bail and go so why don’t you? They were suspicious why I was here when I could go out. So I postponed it for three days but then...I came out...

I was a very violent person before I came to Christ. It was God’s love that made me like this. In jail when the food came everybody was attacking the food, but I would wait until last and would get the least amount of food. It was because of the other prisoners watching out for me, making sure that I would get food. The guards all heard about Jesus...

The day I was out of jail I continued my ministry. And until my last breath I owe Jesus. Whatever I have done it was the Holy Spirit in me. I know who I was and I was so weak before so all the glory goes to Jesus. I remember the folk story of the donkey who Jesus rode on. The donkey went to his mother and said, “They respected me!” And his mother said, “No it wasn’t you. It was who was sitting on you.”

So I feel the same: I am nothing Jesus is everything. Without Jesus I am the same person I was before.

YOUR TURN: If you've been blessed by Mohammed's testimony of faith and courage, share it with your friends. You may want to share via social media, or print it out to share with your pastor or Sunday School class, or even Muslim friends who might be drawn to Mohammed's story of coming to faith.

This week we are sharing excerpts from the testimony of “Mohammed,” a former Muslim who decided to commit his life to Christ, even if it meant he would face rejection and persecution in his native Iran. The words are his, unless otherwise noted in italics. Come back to the Persecution Blog throughout the week to read more of Mohammed's amazing testimony. You may want to read Part 1 prior to reading today’s post.

One day I was high on drugs and I turned on the television and was checking out the channels on satellite. For just a few seconds I was on a Christian channel and I only heard one sentence. The only phrase I heard was a brother saying: when I give my heart to Jesus — and I switched [the channel]. I only heard that phrase before I changed the channel.

I thought, “Christians are crazy they give their heart to somebody.” These days nobody gives somebody even a pen. [Ed’s note: the Farsi words for heart and pen sound similar.]

Ten days later I got drunk and again I turned on TV. And I was just flipping channels. Again with the Christian channel I just heard a lady say: when I gave my heart to Jesus — and I switched. These Christians are crazy just sitting down and giving their hearts away. I know this was God’s timing and miracle because I never heard that phrase [before].

It was 2 a.m. I was tired of taking drugs. I was taking drugs on the roof of my house. I was taking crack and it was the end of it in the glass. Just a few days before [that night], my family was going somewhere and said, “Let’s not take him, he doesn’t look good.” I hated to hear that. So that night I was on drugs and I was tired of life. I realized I may be powerful over many things but I have no power over my drug addiction.

So I lifted my head and said, “God, save me.” I asked him to save me from my addiction to drugs. I couldn’t even imagine that I could live without drugs for even one day. Because I had tried before to be free from drugs and had failed. I told myself even if I could put away drugs, I would just live a little bit longer so what was the use. I said, “God, this is like another accident I am in. Would you save me again?”

Suddenly I found myself in the memory of the accident 15 years earlier. All the things in these 15 years came together. I didn’t know what hand saved me 15 years earlier but I tried to hold on to that hand. I always said there was a hand that saved me. So I realized it was the hand of God that saved me. The hand of God that saved me from this accident today saved me from this. It was revealed to me that night that it wasn’t my brother or the prayer of my parents, but it was God who saved me.

I fell on my knees and I repented. I said, “God I am sorry. I repent of saying that the prayers of my parents saved me or the spirit of my brother saved me.” I said, “God you have to save me from these drugs tonight.” I was praying and lifting my hands for two hours and my hands were numb. I expected to hear a voice or that I might see a light. I didn’t see that and I was really disappointed. I went back to sleep in my bed.

Before I went back, I looked in the sky and said, “God it doesn’t match your character to let me go empty handed. Either you are not real or I am too sinful that you would do anything for me.”

I got back and I turned on TV. I was changing channels. A few minutes before that I was on the roof asking God to save me and then I was flipping channels and again [I came to] this Christian channel and I heard, this time the whole sentence: when I gave my heart to Jesus I was saved. Exactly the same word – save; because I was asking God to save me when I was on the roof. All my life I was paying attention to these details. Pray for salvation, and the same words were used here in this sentence. I was always looking for main points of things and I would use them in my life. So suddenly it was revealed to me that salvation is in this.

So I continued watching that channel, and when I heard the testimony, I realized the person giving the testimony had a similar life to me. And his face, you know, to me he didn’t look like a drug addict, and I wanted to be like him. So he finished his testimony and then the pastor was talking and said, “Those who are watching this program, God wants to save you. You are in bondage to drugs and Satan and this is the way of salvation.”

I was a person testing everything and I tested that. The person said whatever heart and expectation you go with to God he will fill it. If you go with a small heart you will get small things from God, if you go with a big heart you will receive big things from God. I want to follow my heart completely. I prayed the prayer of salvation and I repented from the ignorance of my ancestry. I repented because I was following [Islam] without doing research. It might be strange for you but at that point I gave everything. I wanted to experience the whole thing.

When I closed my eyes to pray, I felt the presence of Jesus beside me 100 percent. I felt if I had opened my eyes at that point I would have seen him. I was too ashamed of myself and my sins to open my eyes. As a sinner, I don’t deserve to see him but my feeling was telling me God is here.

When I opened my eyes, a power inside me told me it was finished. "Your old life is finished."

Read Part 1 of Mohammed's testimony. Come back tomorrow to read how Mohammed became a powerful witness for Christ in Iran...even in police stations and jail cells.

As a child, I’d often be put on “weed duty” in my family’s garden. I disliked the work. It was back-breaking, dirty, and tiring. Little did I know that later in life God would put me on “weed duty” again.

When you move toward Muslims, you may find some true heart-beliefs about God, the nature of man, and Judgment Day. Yet their minds and hearts are also crowded with weeds of untruths they’ve accumulated over time, such as: 

• The Bible has been corrupted.
• Good deeds can erase bad deeds.
• If someone is jealous of your possessions, something bad will happen to you.

Because of counter-Gospel information, Muslims may not be ready for a planting of new information right away. Before receiving the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, they’ll first need to recognize they can’t pay for their sins on their own. Before accepting the promises held for them in the Word of God, they must first consider it trustworthy! Are we willing to join the Holy Spirit in the back-breaking work of “weeding” in a Muslim’s life?

I once presented a gift of a Bible to the head of a Muslim household. He took it, but said that my holy book had been changed.

“How could God allow mere humans to change his Word?” I asked. I honestly wanted to know his answer.

He had a typical answer: over time and many versions, the Bible was tampered with and no longer trustworthy. But I prodded a little further. “You believe in the Injeel, right?” I asked. (“Injeel” is the Arabic word for Gospel.)

“Of course, yes!” he exclaimed. “We believe in the Tawrat (Books of Moses), the Zabur (Psalms), the Injeel (the Gospels), and the Holy Qur’an which is the last and final book.”

“Then there must be an Injeel that is pure, that we can read and believe in,” I replied.

He agreed that there might be an uncorrupted Bible somewhere in Indonesia. I smiled and pointed to the book I gave him. “I can assure you, this Injeel is the true one and is translated correctly. I hope you will read it.”

At times one’s misconceptions can be poked and prodded by simple questions, leaving the Muslim with something to think about. Other Muslims may need to read scholarly research or even conduct it themselves!

Little by little, untruths can be uprooted in a firm yet non-threatening way. And when I find truth already woven into the heart-beliefs of my Muslim friends, I rejoice! I acknowledge that truth and encourage it.

On an overnight campout with friends, I woke up early to spend some time with Jesus. When my Muslim friends emerged from their tents, they were curious to know why I got up early to read the Bible and pray, even if I don’t “have to.”

I was happy to share with them how God delights to meet with his children and speak to them personally, so they will understand and love him more. Though it was a new idea, they agreed with me, and we even continued our discussion by reading a psalm of praise to God together. Today, these friends are still wrestling with some weeds of untruth, but they are closer to the Kingdom of Jesus than ever before!

Just as weeds or unproductive plants need to be tilled up before new seeds can spring to life, the soil must also be tilled in the hearts of Muslims for the Gospel to be planted. Pray God will send out more laborers among Muslims who will take on “weed duty.”

YOUR TURN: It is not only Muslims who have "weeds" which must be pulled out before the seeds of Gospel truth can take root. What "weeds" do you encounter among those with whom you are sharing Christ's love?

"Anna" blogs about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. She loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna will be posting on the Persecution Blog each month. Feel free to ask questions or suggest future topics in the comments section for this post. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

"I was called Mr. Insecticide," he says. "I was the only one who could organize the killing of the insects, the killing of Christians. When you are looking for someone to get rid of insects you call me, then I arrange and plan an attack against Christians. This was my life."


Today, "Babasola" no longer kills Christians. Now he tells Muslims about Christ. Just as Jesus called Saul the persecutor and transformed him into Paul, today He is still calling and transforming persecutors into His servants.

Babasola is one of seven former persecutors now serving Christ. You can read their stories in VOM's new book, "Saul to Paul." Order your copy online.

Has it ever occurred to you that Muslims might be as afraid of you as you are of them?

An Arab Muslim woman studying in the United States confided in me that her family was worried about her living in America. “They tried to stop me,” Najma said. “My aunt visited me and warned me, ‘Don’t you know America is full of violence? They will kill you on the street!’”

Together, we laughed at her aunt’s fears, knowing how far it was from the truth of the sleepy town in which Najma lived. Her aunt had based her impression of America and Americans on violent films she had seen. But Najma’s reservations evaporated once she began meeting average Americans—store clerks, teachers, her host family. They were nothing like the Americans she had seen on TV.

When people ask me, “What do Muslims think of Christians?” a simple answer eludes me. First, which Muslims? To lump all Muslims—the Western convert, the uneducated Bosnian woman, and the Syrian engineer—into one pile and ask what “they think” is presumptuous at best. And second, which Christians? Although you might define Christian as “evangelical” or “practicing Christians,” Muslims don’t define it that way. Most will categorize an entire nation as Christian, so we have to recognize and work with the Muslim’s definition.

“What do Muslims think of Christians?” is a loaded question, with no way around approximations and generalizations. But in a phrase, they are respectful, yet wary.

• Muslims consider Christians “People of the Book” and respect their faith in one God. While still seeing themselves as superior for practicing the best religion, Muslims respect those who worship one God, pray, and treat others kindly. A Muslim recently told me, “Your prophet (Jesus) was the Prophet of Love, that is why Christians are so loving.”
• Muslims are in a love/hate relationship with the West. They love healthcare, technology and some ideas from the West but regret its deteriorating effect on their cultures. Some blame television programs and government policies from the “Christian West” as the reason for problems and sin in their own countries.
• Muslims tend to be wary of Christians. Stories circulate about argumentative, in-your-face polemicists that defame Islam, and most Muslims want to steer clear of a fight. They may be concerned that by befriending a non-Muslim they will be criticized by other Muslims, or even worse, influenced to sin.

These misconceptions run deep, but something stronger can disarm a Muslim’s watertight wariness: initiative on our part. Just as average Americans helped alleviate Najma’s fears, the same holds true when authentic Jesus-followers take the first step with wary Muslims. One perspective shift, coming right up!

Meeting a follower of Jesus should be like a refreshing breeze blowing or an attractive scent alluring. It piques the interest and leaves the other wanting more. As a believer I am instructed to “let [my] conversation be gracious and attractive” in interactions with outsiders (Colossians 4:6 NLT). Gracious. Attractive. That will blow the mind of Muslims…or anyone, for that matter.

Muslims may be hesitant to initiate a relationship, which leaves the ball in our court. I’d hate to have Hollywood do all the talking, wouldn’t you?

Your turn: How much of your opinion of Muslims is based on films and other media? Have you met a Muslim who blew apart your preconceptions?

"Anna" blogs about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. She loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna will be posting on the Persecution Blog each month. Feel free to ask questions or suggest future topics in the comments section for this post. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Following is a portion from an interview with Padina, an Iranian Christian woman who, along with her husband, is helping grow God's Kingdom in Iran. You can read the full interview here.

VOM: The situation in Iran has changed a little bit since [you first began in ministry]. It seems like more arrests and more persecution. How does that affect you and your work?

Padina: Persecution has caused us to be stronger in faith, has caused us to be more in prayer and fasting, and we take what we are doing for God more seriously, that this is serious. Because every place we go and every ministry, every trip, we feel this might be our last. So whenever we go out, especially on trips, we feel this might be our last trip.

I have chosen this way knowingly and I know that this was my choice so I don't have a problem with it. But I am more worried about my husband because of the way I feel about him. During the day when I think about my husband being arrested, when I consider all these things I come to the point and I think, I know I love Jesus more than this and I may even give up my husband for the love I have for God. So it challenges me, my love for Jesus — do you really love me at that level? So that causes me to have a more loving relationship with Jesus himself.

VOM: That is almost a daily process in your ministry?

Padina: Every day.

VOM: "Take up your cross daily." (Luke 9:23)

Padina: And because our ministry is expanding, we almost once-a-month have a training conference which are all new people and all new risks for my husband to be arrested [because new people could be spies]. So he is at constant risk.

VOM: So you know all the risks but you keep doing the work every day?

Padina: I am in a fight with myself every day. I struggle every day with this idea that I could go out of Iran and minister and already have enough connections to have a large ministry outside Iran. But then I realize God has called me for this country and I have to stay. I won't do that — leave Iran — until I am confident that I have done my part and the ministry is strong and stable.

VOM: There is a famous quote to the effect that courage is not the absence of fear; courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. So I think every day you show amazing amounts of courage. But I also think if we talk to your husband he would say I am not so worried about myself I am more worried about my wife. Do you think so?

Padina: Yes. These days, even a regular arrest of a woman is very uncertain what happens to her in the jail, especially if she is arrested for this kind of thing [Christian activities]. My husband says, "It is very hard for me that you might be arrested and raped. But I have come to a point with my faith in Christ," he says, "at that point give your body to Jesus."

VOM: Are there particular scriptures that you come back to again and again that you draw strength from?

Padina: Psalms gives me a lot of comfort. Especially Psalm 91, I love that Psalm. Even with the snakes and all the enemies around you, I will protect you. I receive a lot of peace and comfort from the book of Psalms. Also, Psalms not only reminds me of God's protection but reminds me of his love for me and my love for him.

VOM: How can we, Christians in the United States, pray for the ministry in Iran?

Padina: A prayer would be that God would give faithful and courageous leaders that would continue to minister under persecution. Because when persecution comes some of the leaders, because of fear, they go away. So pray for courageous and faithful servants.

Second, my prayer would be that God would increase our faith. Not just for me but the leaders, that they would not lose their faith under persecution. And number three is for protection.

YOUR TURN: What are the challenges that you must overcome each day in order to fully serve Christ? Share in the comments below.

The story of Padina coming to faith in Christ is told in IRAN: Desperate for God. You can order your copy here. You may also want to order a 5-pack to share copies with Christian friends who might also pray for the church in Iran.

Although it hasn't received a great deal of media coverage, late last month a Boko Haram commander spoke publicly about a cease-fire in the group's ongoing war with the Nigerian government.

It's too early to tell if this is a legitimate change in direction for the Nigerian-based radical Islamic group, and the Boko Haram commander who made the statements isn't the group's top leader. One of the principal demands of the cease-fire is the unconditional release of all Boko Haram members currently imprisoned in Nigeria, a demand the Nigerian government seems unlikely to meet.

Boko Haram (loosely translated as "Western education is a sin") has pushed for the adoption of Sharia law in northern Nigeria and has publicly stated that Christians in the area have three choices: leave, become Muslims or die.

Nigeria's leaders and military have viewed recent developments with guarded optimism; the military has said it will wait 30 days to see if attacks continue before deciding how serious Boko Haram is about a cease-fire. Meanwhile, the media have reported increased business activity and more people on the streets in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and "headquarters" of Boko Haram.

Please PRAY with Christians in Nigeria for lasting peace. Pray that Muslims there will be reached with the gospel and come to know Christ personally. And pray for God's protection of our Christian brothers and sisters, regardless of whether the cease-fire holds. If you'd like to contribute to support VOM's work in Nigeria and other Muslim nations, you can do so here.

29 January 2013, Near the Mediterranean Sea

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another." Romans 12:15–16a

I love Romans 12:15. As I meditate on it, it seems to capture many of the ways I try to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. One never knows quite what to expect when arriving in the field, but my limited experience has taught me that, before I board my return flight home, I will have both rejoiced and mourned—a lot.

I imagine few are surprised that our field workers serving in the Middle East mourn. We mourn with widows when they share how they lost their husbands. We mourn with those who long to have their loved one freed from prison. We mourn with those who've gone into hiding, often to evade their own family who would rather murder them than endure the "shame" of having a sibling or child follow Jesus Christ. Yes, we mourn with our spiritual family in the Middle East.

But oh, how we rejoice too! In fact, even amidst mourning, we can find ourselves caught up with our brothers and sisters rejoicing. I remember sitting with a widow who—before she could even wipe her tears away—broke into a beaming grin as she recounted how her husband regularly hid Scripture verses around the house for her and her children to find. She laughed as she shared how he loved to dance and sing songs about our Lord. What joy it is to rejoice with dear believers like her!

On this trip I encountered yet another reason for rejoicing: a renewed spirit of unity is emerging among local Christians in some stretches of the region. Recently, we spoke with a family of believers actively involved in evangelism and discipleship throughout the Middle East. They shared how, in certain areas, the church is beginning to truly see itself as one body. "The increased pressure around us is purifying the church," they explained. And through purification, those who passionately seek and follow Jesus Christ are gravitating toward one another. Some recently began joining together for prayer every month. They not only lift each other up, but also pray for those who try to intimidate them. These Christians are increasingly presenting a more unified witness to the surrounding communities.

I love Romans 12:15. I am also struck by how well the subsequent verse speaks to this renewed spirit of unity—to "live in harmony with one another." Perhaps this budding unity will spread throughout the region and allow the church in the Middle East to present an increasingly powerful witness, that many more will be saved. For now, we continue to rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, and lift up before the Lord our brothers and sisters in Christ—along with the lost.

Editor's note: This blog entry comes from "Brother A," who oversees VOM's work in the Middle East. If you'd like to help VOM provide spiritual and physical aid to Christians in Muslim countries, you can give online here.

YOUR TURN: Do you find a spirit of unity among Christians from different backgrounds in your community?

Muslims often come to Christ in the context of friendship, and friendship can begin with a simple greeting:  

        "May peace be upon you."

It can be muttered in passing or proclaimed loudly. Accompanying this blessing of peace can be a glance, a head nod, or just a cautious smile. Then a light grip between my pale right hand and her darker one. That handshake can lead to a kiss where cheeks touch, where a veil is shifted to welcome me into her personal space.

In my years of relating with Muslim women, I have found that with some women, it stops there. Pleasantries are exchanged and we move on. It is run-of-the-mill politeness, and I have come to expect nothing less – and sometimes, nothing more.

But there are other women with whom the conversation moves on. Starting with, "What is your news?" it can deepen to "What is your faith?" They may open their homes and, after some time, even their hearts.

Amina was one such open woman I met at a park not long ago. With a quiet "Salaamu alaikum (peace be upon you)," she sat next to me under an awning covered with flowering vines.

We were past formalities when she shared, "I come here to pray, to recite verses from the Quran as I walk." She showed me a little book of surahs and the prayer beads she carried.

Then Amina startled me with her confession: "When I walked into the garden today, I saw you and a voice inside me said, She will be your friend. This is why I came over to talk with you."

My eyebrows raised. A voice inside you? Clearly, this was no chance meeting. This was what I call a divine appointment. And it all started with a simple greeting.

Jesus used a greeting similar to the Muslim "Salaamu alaikum" when appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. His words "Peace be with you," are recorded twice in John 20. His greeting made his friends aware of his presence, resulting in their joy and belief in Him (see John 20:19-29).

"Peace I leave with you," Jesus said (John 14:27). He encouraged his friends who believed in God to "believe also in Me" (John 14:1). With Jesus as our Lord, we can be ambassadors of peace to Muslims who may in turn believe in Him.

It is true that some Muslims persecute Christians. But it is also true that many, many Muslim individuals are peace-loving. Like Amina, they are curious about Jesus, and may even desire a Christian friend.

In the coming year, I hope to share a realistic picture of Muslims and explore ways God is working among them. One of the primary ways Muslims come to faith in Jesus is through the consistent witness of a Christian friend (source).

Although God alone orchestrates "divine encounters," I believe Christians must take the initiative to befriend and reach out to Muslims. That could mean shopping where they shop, sitting down beside someone new on the bus, or greeting your Muslim professor or classmate.

Muslims often come to Christ in the context of friendship, and friendship can begin with a simple greeting. What's more, when the children of God speak those peace-filled words, they are backed by the authority of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. May His peace be upon us all.

"Anna" blogs about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. She loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna will be posting on the Persecution Blog each month. Feel free to ask questions or suggest future topics in the comments section for this post. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Join the Discussion:   Have you ever tried to befriend a Muslim? What are the obstacles to meeting Muslims in your city?