Trips Blog

Worship has been a central part of our experience with our Persian friends. First, in Istanbul, the seminars were marked by joyful, heartfelt worship, filled with full-throated singing. A favorite memory was singing “O Lord our God” together in Farsi and English. But what surprised me most was coming to learn that part of the reason for the unbounded praise and willingness to make such a “joyful noise” is the reality that the “in-country” house churches must worship with muted voices lest neighbors overhear and report them.

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One of the more quoted lines in Forest Gump begins, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” Going on an Outreach Foundation trip, one could say the same. You just never know exactly what you will encounter, nor how God will encounter you. Today God encountered me through the story of a four-year-old evangelist.

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The author Donald Miller makes this observation: “Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.” In this immersive experience with faithful followers of Persian descent, I am being shown “the way” by their love.

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I am having a terrific experience with The Outreach Foundation’s immersive visit to Turkey. I have joined Tom Boone, Guy Griffith, Toby Mueller, William Pender, and Sasan Tavassoli. Together we are being immersed in what it is like to follow Christ in Iran today. We have heard a number of testimonies of how people came to understand the grace of Jesus Christ. Sasan, William, and Guy have taught on various biblical topics. Tomorrow we will hear from Toby.

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In Romans 1:11-12, Paul writes that he longs to see those in Rome “that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you — that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” At its core, God’s mission to this world involves our ongoing discovery of what He is doing in and through one another, and in every discovery, we more and more celebrate, worship, and stand in awe of Jesus our Messiah, our Savior. 

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Our names are Tom Boone, Murray Gossett, Guy Griffith, Toby Mueller, and William Pender. We have come to immerse ourselves in the company of Persian believers we will not name from different networks operating in their home countries. This week will be defined by worship, teaching from Americans and Persians together, prayer, and sharing stories. It will be a pleasure to share what we learn with you! Due to the nature of this visit we will not be able to share names, our specific locations, nor many pictures. Yet the stories of the church and how God is working through believers in a very difficult place will abound.

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