Testimony of NAVID

My name is Navid and I am 28 years old. I was born in Iran into a Moslem family. My parents were taught, as was to believe that we should be good citizens contributing to our society and to live in freedom.  The political turmoil, lack of security and freedom in our country prompted my parents to leave the country; so we immigrated to the United States when I was 19 years old.

I was a young man with a head full of questions to which I could find not adequate answer. My biggest questions were, “Why are we here in this world and where are we going from here?” I studied many books and watched many movies and they all helped me to learn the English language better, but they didn’t answer any of my questions.  At the age of 24 I decided to join the U.S army.  I was sent to Afghanistan to serve and what I witnessed there shook me to the core.  I was a few steps away from death, and the friends that I talked to in one moment were gone in the next. And I could not stop thinking about the families of my fallen comrades; how were they going to deal with the tragic deaths of their loved ones?  These thoughts lingered with me I served in the military.

Between 2009 and 2010, I travelled to Canada to visit my fiancée, now my wife.  During this time, we had our first child and my wife was also introduced to a Christian family that brought her to Mohabat Church.  I met this family that she often talked about and they encouraged me to come to church as well.  So I started to attend the church with my wife.  I witnessed real love in Mohabat church and observed that they all accepted me without any reservation or judgement. They loved me like their own brother and son.

Shortly thereafter, I left the U.S. Army and came back to be with my wife and child.  In January 2012 I was offered a good job in the States, and travelled there briefly.  While there, I was overcome with the desire to be back not only with my physical family, but my spiritual family as well.  So I packed my bags and came back to Canada.

I longed to be in church once again; to listen to the sermons and take part in the bible studies. It was about 6 months ago that I decide to give my heart to Christ in the assembly of all the other believers at Mohabat church I confessed my faith in Christ.  Since then, I have been eagerly awaiting this day to be identified with Christ in baptism and to write the name of Christ upon my heart. I am happy that the Lord has taught me to trust Him with everything.  I ask my heavenly Father to make me a good servant for His kingdom, a good husband for my wife and also a good father to my children, and I thank Him for my salvation. According to the Lord’s command I now join with the army of the saved. Glory to God in the highest and glory to Christ Jesus my Lord. I end my testimony with these verses from Ephesians 2:19-20:

“Consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Amen.