The Importance of Gathering

We just returned from the annual Elam Founders Weekend. This is an amazing time of catching up with our partners who are making disciples and planting churches in the Iran region. The stories from the front lines are always amazing and often convicting. I want to share one of these stories that I found very convicting. I'm not going to tell you why I was convicted, I'm just going to share the facts and let you process. (Some details are altered for security reasons.)

Hossein was raised in a strictly Moslem home. His family lived in a city that is known in Iran to be a very religious place. It is a center of Moslem teaching in Iran.
While on vacation in a neighboring country, Hossein was approached on the street by an evangelist from an Elam church. He heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time in his life and he was given a New Testament in his language. He took this information and this book hime with him where he began reading it. In a few days, he recognized Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Within a short time, his wife and two children also trusted and began to follow Jesus.
In their town, they found an Elam house church. Hossein asked the pastor if his family could attend. The pastor asked him to wait until it was safe to attend. You see, the church was under tight surveillance by the police. If this family began to attend now, the police would have all they need to invade the church and arrest the pastor. Hossein agreed to wait. The police did invade and the pastor was arrested. A few months passed and there was no opportunity to connect to the local body.
Hossein remembered the people who first shared with him in the neighboring country. He knew the church was alive and active in this place. He spoke with his wife and kids and they decided to take action. They packed a few suitcases and moved. He publicly declared their commitment to Christ and sought refuge in this nearby country. In doing so, they would never be welcome back in Iran. They left jobs and home and family and friends to live as refugees in a foreign land.
Now Hossein works a job that is well below his qualifications and experience. His family lives in an

apartment that is a fraction of the house they left. They are foreigners and a minority people in this land. The locals look down on them and mistreat them. They can't vote. They can't own land. They can only work select, low-level jobs. The kids can only attend a specific school and that school teaches only in the local language which the kids can't yet understand.
They are connected to the local body of believers. They hit the streets several times a week and share the Gospel and distribute New Testaments. They are in ongoing discipleship relationships at church where they learn from a disciple-maker and then teach a new believer. They gather to worship the Living God several times a week.
They share their story with such contagious joy.

...not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  Hebrews 10:25

Seeds of Hope in Kyangwali

Almost two years ago, we were made aware of great need in a refugee camp in Uganda. The camp is

called Kyangwali and it is located on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to a civil war and tribal unrest, coupled with the second largest ebola outbreak on record, Congolese have been pouring across the border in an effort to stay alive.

There are currently approximately 90,000 people who call Kyangwali home.

Last year we drilled two wells in the camp. At the time, there was no good, clean water source. The wells were received and celebrated by the locals and by the Ugandan government. This year, when we arrived, we noticed a new school was being built by Save the Children. This organization seeks to help children by providing healthcare and education. Generally, they won't build a school unless there is a healthy water source for the kids. When they saw the new well, they immediately began construction.

A few kilometers away, a church building stands. We helped the local congregation acquire the materials needed for this building and they built it. Since then, they have knocked down a wall and expanded the worship center. Eight hundred people attend on a Sunday. They have a team in training to plant a second church in the camp.

When we entered the camp the first time, the need was overwhelming. We drilled a couple wells, installed some latrines, helped provide a building of mud and sticks for church. All of it seemed like a drop in the ocean. How could we really make a difference when the need is so huge?

We are now seeing that God only asked us to be obedient. The need is way bigger than us but He is way bigger than the need. Your acts of obedience, as a church family, are simply seeds of hope. He is turning those seeds into a great harvest.

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. John 4:35

The Situation (and Solution) in Iran

We serve alongside an amazing ministry partner in the Iran region. Elam Ministries is seeing God do incredible things in this region. When there is political and military unrest, we are all reminded that God is absolutely sovereign over all of it.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. -Romans 13:1

I love the perspective that David shares in their recent letter.


Two days ago, at our annual staff retreat, we woke up to the news that Iran had targeted two US military bases in Iraq. Tensions around the globe were high. That morning our team prayed, along with many others.

Our team includes people from many nations, including Iranians and Americans. There was a

remarkable love and unity as we all prayed together. In this image you can see the glorious moment when the Iranians and Americans passionately prayed for and blessed each other. It was a beautiful picture of the unity the Gospel brings.

As we interceded, a recurring prayer resounded around the room: 'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be

done, on earth as it is in heaven.'

We don’t know what the future holds, but we are praying more fervently than ever that God’s Kingdom would come in Iran, that fearful hearts would find hope in Christ, and that the church would be strengthened and unified.

Elam was founded with the conviction that whatever happens politically, Jesus reigns from His heavenly throne. Our name, 'Elam', is taken from Jeremiah 49:38 where God says, “I will set my throne in Elam.” (Elam was a key province in the Persian empire). Our name is a statement of faith that the Lord will keep his promise and have his way in Iran.

That is why whatever the geopolitical circumstances, our mission remains the same: to strengthen and expand the church in the Iran region and beyond.

As we go forward into 2020, we are keenly aware of the need to have faithful intercessors like you praying with us, 'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'

Grace and peace,

David Yeghnazar
Executive Director

Beauty For Ashes

I am so thankful for our local ministry partners.
One of these partners is Beauty for Ashes, here in Fredericksburg. Cindy and her team are doing an amazing job.

"Beauty for Ashes is a 12-18 month residential program for women who struggle with addiction.  Beauty for Ashes allows women to reside with their children to get the treatment and care they need to be become fully alive and whole in Jesus Christ."

Our Stafford Crossing family was able to serve our partners during the Christmas season. Many of
you joined forces and helped get the leaves off the property and into the woods. your generosity as part pf the family also allowed us to provide ingredients for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The ladies all pitch in and make a special dish from their own family traditions. We were also able to provide the items to help stuff some stockings for the moms.

Below are some "Thank You" notes from the moms.

We have opportunities during the year to serve as well. If you are interested in finding out more, comment below and we will find ways to plug in.

Beauty for Ashes Christmas

Personal thanks from our Moms…

Thank you so much for everything you did to bless us for Christmas!! I am very happy to be here at Beauty for Ashes, to be able to be a good example for my children, and to be celebrating 3 years of sober holidays…thanks to Beauty for Ashes. Watching my sweet son open his gifts and to be able to play with I is one of the best presents I’ve ever experienced. This Christmas was unlike any other. I am in awe of God’s love and so grateful to be his daughter. And I’m so grateful for the love that was poured out on us by you.

I want to thank you for blessing my 11-month-old son and me with a very special Christmas. It was a very beautiful and exciting thing to be able to gather together and have my son rip open paper to find presents. New and enjoyable things are definitely found here at Beauty for Ashes and you have helped that to come true.

I just want to say how grateful and thankful I am for how special and magical Christmas has been for me and my son. We’ve never been spoiled like this before and it’s amazing to see how God is not only meeting our needs here but also our wants. It’s more than we deserve, and we don’t take this lightly. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

I am very thankful for the time and resources you have put in to make a wonderful Christmas experience for me and my daughter. I really appreciate seeing how much people can care without even knowing us. It’s a miracle that my daughter and I are together for the holiday. You are a wonderful blessing from God, making it the best. Thank you and God bless all of you!

Thank you for the wonderful Christmas gifts for my little boy and me. The fact that you don’t even personally know either of us is overwhelming and I am thankful for you and your kindness…as well as your loving heart. Merry Christmas from our little family to yours!

To all who helped make Christmas so special,

     Thank you! This year’s Christmas was more special than I could truly provide words for. For my daughter and me it was the first “real” Christmas without distraction. We could actually focus on just the joy of the season. Already we felt so blessed just to be accepted here at Beauty for Ashes and into the program, but to have received gifts as well…wow! The staff here at BFA have gone above and beyond to turn this into a true Christmas miracle for my daughter and me, showing how very special the holidays are here at the home. This Christmas has given me hope I didn’t know could be found, strength I was unaware I had, and above all shown true love and compassion I was unaware existed in the world today. Thank you to you all and I hope the Christmas was as special for you as it was for my daughter and me. God bless you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My son and I want to express to you a heart of gratitude. Thank you for making our Christmas so special and such a memorable one for us! We truly love you! Merry Christmas and many blessings for 2020!  

Iran Region

Currently, there are two of us traveling in a country near Iran. We need to be a little vague to ensure the security of the local ministries we are working with.

We arrived last week and hit the ground running. We have had the honor of visiting and encouraging churches in five cities and we have one more to go. It has been an amazing journey. It is so encouraging to see these churches impacting their

communities and advancing the Kingdom under great duress. They are made up of families from Iran who are living here as refugees with VERY limited rights. Life is hard and they are largely unwelcome. In spite of this, they persevere. In one town, there are 30 known Iranians and 18 of them attend the local church. They are more than halfway to the goal!

While it is encouraging to see the excitement in the churches, it is heart-breaking to hear some of the stories. These families have sacrificed all to follow Jesus. They have suffered greatly in Iran and the suffering continues, in many ways, in this country.

It is a strange feeling when you lay in bed at night processing such hope and joy mixed with such sadness for what these families are enduring.

Pray that we can finish strong. See you soon.