I'd Rather Be In Prison

The Voice of the Martyrs USA is part of a worldwide family of missions that were started through the influence of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. SDOK is VOM’s sister mission in the Netherlands. Stef is SDOK’s children’s publication and website.

The following story comes from Stef magazine.

Hi. I’m Rebecca. In our country [Iran] are great food and beautiful old buildings. At the same time, there are horrible places. In one horrible place is my dad. His name is Behnam. He is in prison.

I was 9-years-old when everything changed. A lot of [Christians] were in our living room. We were singing when the police arrived. They beat [my father] and took him away in their car.

[In prison] they simply mistreated my dad — sometimes so bad he had to go to the hospital. That’s not normal, right? One time we went to visit. My little brother Adriel didn’t even recognize him and called him “Sir.” That made my mother cry a lot.

Recently … the government said he could come home. But then he would no longer be allowed to do Christian things. Do you know what my dad said? He said, “I’d rather be in prison with Jesus in my heart than at home cozy on the couch without Him.”

I so badly want him to come home. I pray a lot for that, and I know a lot of other Christians pray that also. Would you pray along with me that my dad would be released soon?

(Source: SDOK. Translated and edited.)

Learn more about Rebecca’s dad here.

VOM’s Kids of Courage resources help parents and educators teach children ages 5 to 13 about persecuted Christians. The resources provide opportunities for children to serve and pray for their suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

• Send Notes to Families of Imprisoned Christians
• How God is Working In Iran
• Blessed Behind Prison Bars