[Field Story] Singing the greatness of God in all nations, Persian Refugees in Turkiye

(The photo above is unrelated to the content.)

Hello, my name is Ahsef and I am living in Turkiye as an Afghan refugee.

At a young age, I came to Turkey alone and attempted to cross over to Europe several times in order to escape from this life of hopelessness.

Every time I tried to illegaly cross the border, I was caught by the police and was beaten, and once received so much beatings that my nose got crooked.

One day, I was kicked out of my house just because I was a refugee. I felt so miserable about myself, as I could not be welcomed anywhere in the world.

A deep sorrow that had been welling up in me suddenly burst out and I just sat out on the street, and a Christian who was passing by that street saw me and spoke to me.

The Christian shared about Jesus to me and showed me some passages from the Bible. But when I was reading the word, I had some kind of confidence that this Jesus could save me.

I absolutely did not want to miss such a person, so I accepted Jesus on that spot, and received the Bible and started reading it.

In my hopelessness, I want Jesus to be my only hope. Please pray for me that I might know more of Jesus as I read the Bible.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:4-5)


Lord, remember our brother Ahseph, who had come to Turkiye to find a way out of hopeless life in Afghanistan, but again tried to cross over to Europe for he could not find any hope in Turkiye.

Even though he had risked his life on journeys to find a way to live, what he encountered every time was not a life or hope, but all kinds of wickedness, expulsion, and contempt. 

Although he never chose to become a refugee out of his will, he was rejected and had no place to lay his head just because of his identity as a refugee.

Nevertheless, God met brother Ahseph when his spirit was the most broken, poor, and needy.

May Ahseph’s heart that was so empty in all disappointment of the world, be filled with the word of God and His comfort.

Although he could not rejoice in the world, may he rejoice and rejoice over knowing the name of Jesus. May he sing with a loud voice the name of the Lord, who granted salvation through this time of suffering. 


As Brother Ahseph praises God with his lips, all the Persian refugees who could not find a place to lay their head will also rejoice in the name of our Lord together.

May the praise of the Persian refugees resound all over Turkiye and in every nation they stand, so that all peoples on earth may hear that our Lord is a great God. May God’s work of salvation begin through them!