Alright
so today I come to you all with one simple request:
In
July of 2012, a Christian pastor named Saeed Abedini left the United
States for what was supposed to be several weeks as he continued his
efforts to establish an orphanage in Rasht, Iran. As he was about to
return home, he was pulled off of a bus by the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard and placed under house arrest. He remained under house arrest
until September, when he was taken without warning to one of Iran’s
most notorious prisons, where he has now been imprisoned for 236
days. He has broken no law, but has been charged for peacefully
gathering with other Christians, a crime for which he has been
sentenced to eight years in prison. For the last eight months, he has
suffered beatings, threats, and torturous interrogations as Iranian
authorities try to get him to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Saeed has stated in a letter from prison that they will never
get this from him, and has described the joy that he has experienced
as God gives him strength even through these intense sufferings. His
wife, Naghmeh, remains in the United States with their two children
and has invited churches around the nation to take a united stand in
prayer and to call on God for his release.
On
MAY 19, 2013,
it is being asked that we unite together as brothers and sisters in
Christ and pray for Pastor Saeed. It is requested that we
invite churches we know and may attend to share the story of Saeed
with the congregation, and to pray ferverently for our dear brother.
Promote
awareness of Pastor Saeed's situation by tagging #savesaeed and by
signing the petition @ www.savesaeed.org
You
can write him a letter for his upcoming birthday through the website
as well, which is encouraged!
Not
long ago, Pastor Saeed wrote a letter for us, the link to watch the
video will be included at the bottom of this post.
Guys,
this is very close to home for me, as I go to school with his sister,
so I see the effect this has on a loving, devoted family. He
is more than just a Pastor that is imprisoned. He is a husband,
a father, a nephew, a brother. I'm asking that you take a
moment to think about what you would do if this were to happen to one
of your loved ones, or even to you.
Please
join in the effort and please lift up prayers with the rest of the
world as we intercede on the behalf of Saeed Abedini.
God
bless, and blog soon
Youtube
Video - Letter from Saeed:
