Can joy and pain co-exist? Finding joy in prison and persecution

Please do be advised that the nature of this podcast will cover some sensitive subjects. Can joy and pain co-exist? In this episode, Hannah and Brian are joined by Farshid Fathi, an Iranian pastor who spent 1,820 days in prison with 361 days in solitary confinement because of his faith in Jesus. Farshid tells the story of how he came to know Jesus, despite living under a regime where it is illegal to become a Christian. He shares his incredible journey to become a pastor himself, and what happened when the police arrested his entire ministry team, leading to his own imprisonment. He explores questions like how do you stay close to God in the middle of prison? Can you have joy during deep suffering? In spite of the persecution he faced, Farshid didn’t give up on sharing the good news of Jesus. He shares how ‘In 5 years, by God’s grace, we planted 48 churches in 20 cities.’ Listen to hear about how God is transforming lives and growing the church in Iran.