Persian Diaspora Partnerships (Jubal Band Ministries) Update September 2024
Jubal Band Ministries (JBM) is one of The Outreach Foundation’s courageous partners in the Persian Diaspora. The team shares the gospel with Farsi speakers in their countries of origin and in the diaspora. Team members have witnessed thousands of Farsi speakers come to Christ. Their ministry is creative and broad using the following methods:
Distributing Bibles and evangelistic materials
Publishing a monthly Christian magazine designed for all ages and groups, introducing readers to the Christian lifestyle in relevant ways
Translating Christian books and leadership resources into the Farsi language
Planting over 1,000 house churches
Real-time dialogue with those in-country who receive Bibles and have questions
Utilizing social media and live broadcasts to spread the Good News
Offering discipleship and leadership training for house church leaders
We are pleased to share one of the many stories of transformation that illustrates the method this courageous team uses to reach people for Jesus through its literature ministry.
Elham was born and raised in a Muslim family. Although he faithfully followed Islamic practices, they left him feeling empty and unsatisfied. Surely there must be more. He shared his questions with his father, who encouraged him to study and speak with the leaders of the local mosque. Still, Elham’s questions persisted, and his confusion was only heightened by the regime’s message of hatred. Where is love, Elham wondered?
One day, while waiting at the dentist’s office, Elham browsed through some magazines. One grabbed his attention because it was very colorful and had stories of popular interest, movie reviews, and even food recipes. But as he flipped through its pages, he discovered something extraordinary. Blended into these interesting pages was content about Jesus and His love. The content resonated with him deeply. He read about personal prayers and conversations with God, expressed beautifully and heartfeltly.
After his dentist appointment, he went to the waiting area, grabbed the magazine, and approached the secretary to ask if he could take it. She replied, “No, these are for patients to read here.” So, he took a photo of the contact information and dialed the WhatsApp number. This led to a series of conversations with one of the team members, who explained the magazine, the gospel, and Jesus to Elham. They prayed together.
Over time, this team member met Elham with gifts from scripture and more magazines. “These are gifts from God for you and your family!” Elham read the literature secretly, unsure of how to share with his family all that was developing in his heart. Elham comments, “God was changing me. The gospel has been a revelation, fulfilling my deep thirst for connection with God. I realize now that God was preparing my heart to reveal Himself to me. The gospel has changed my heart in ways I never thought possible, and I can’t compare it to anything else I’ve ever experienced!”
How could such a Christian magazine find its way into a dentist’s office? While we may never know who placed the magazine at the doctor’s office, we do know that church members consistently pray for guidance before distributing gospels or magazines. They ask God to direct them to strategic locations, bringing these life-changing tools to those who are seeking truth. The work is done secretly yet openly, veiled before the eyes of those who would do great harm against the Christians who place the literature in taxi cabs, libraries, and mailboxes.
THE OPPORTUNITY
As with each of our partners, the first request is for prayer. JBM team members do their work in a difficult context, and many have been imprisoned for it. We pray for these faithful ones and those who come to Christ through their efforts. Secondly, JBM’s ministry flourishes through the resources we can send to them. The Outreach Foundation seeks gifts to support the mission and ministry of the Persian Diaspora Partnerships. All gifts of any size are welcome. You may make a gift by sending a check to The Outreach Foundation or you can make an online gift via the link below.
