Some years ago a native colporteur, or Bible man, in his travels came to a small town in the southeast of Iran. What happened then will be best told in his own words.
“It was at sunset that we arrived, and as we were looking for a lodging a man named Ahmed came to us and said, ‘Who are you, and what is your work?’ I told him who I was, and my calling.
“Then he took us to his house and said, ‘I know that you have traveled and are tired, but I cannot let you rest until you comfort my sorrowful heart. You are physically tired, I know, but my soul is in real distress, and I have longed for such a day as this. You have been sent by God to lead me to the truth.’
“‘Are you not a Moslem?’ I asked. He said, ‘No,’ and continued, ‘I have not peace of heart. This is my great need, and I thank the Lord for having brought you here.’
“I read to him portions from the Old and New Testaments, and as I read he wept. The next day he was a real help to me in selling the Scriptures, and in the evening he brought another man by name of Hadad. With them I had reading and prayer. This night Ahmed wept bitterly.
“I said to him, ‘Why do you weep?’
“He replied, ‘Before you and Ha-dad my friend, I confess I am a sinful man, full of all evil and error. The more you read from that Book the more I see my sinful nature, and the more the light and love of Christ comes to me. It is for joy at the message that I weep.’
“On Sunday morning, we climbed a mountain and sat beside a stream. I read the story of the Saviour’s suffering and crucifixion as recorded in St. Luke, and before I had finished Ahmed said in a loud voice, ‘Jesus is surely the Son of God, and in Him I can find peace. Look how He suffered and yet prayed for His enemies, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’
“The following day Ahmed joined us in prayer and Afterward helped in the colportage work, inviting his friends and many others to buy. In the evening he went with us to a certain garden, where we read John, chapter 3, and Romans, chapter 6 and 8, following which Ahmed said, ‘Please baptize me.’ I did my utmost to persuade him to wait and be baptized in Shiraz, but he kept saying, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour, and if you refuse to baptize me now you will have to answer for it in the day of judgment.’
“While we were talking we came to a river bordered with fig trees. Ahmed took off some of his clothes, went into the river, and said, ‘Baptize me.’ So I baptized him, and we prayed together under the fig trees. This is how Ahmed prayed:
“‘I thank Thee, Lord, for this opportunity of fellowship, and for Thy mercy and grace that brought me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am now sure that whenever I may be called to come to Thee, I shall have a place in Thy house of many mansions.’
“Ahmed and two others accompanied me on my way to Shiraz, where I introduced them to Mr. Rainey, saying, ‘The harvest is at hand in Kerman, and these are the first-fruits.’ Later, Mr. Rainey visited Kerman, and there exists today there a little company of about thirty Christians. They have turned to the Lord, ‘to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven.’”
ML 09/26/1965