Encounters with the Father’s Love in Graz

July 2022. Right after the trip to Bremen, the whole ITI team took a looooong train ride to Graz, Austria to do another very first Leadership Training for Farsi believers there, same topics as in Bremen: “Discipleship and Character” and “How to study the Bible”.

When Javad came home afterwards, he was exhausted but also very thankful and encouraged by what God had done through the teaching, fellowship and prayer times together in Graz. With tears in his eyes he would recount the special moments during or after classes, when precious people had had an encounter with the loving Heavenly Father, where tears would flow and inner healing could happen.

Hearing all of this I got convinced that ITI is not just a bible study or leadership training alone – it is one of God’s tools to set Farsi believers free from lies, hurts and bondage, catapulting them into their true identity and calling, as well as teaching them biblical truths and standards and training them in spiritual maturity and character. And the beautiful thing in this all: God is using everyone in the process, from the spiritual moms and dads, who are willing to invest time, money and energy to pass on their wealth of wisdom and experience with God, to the churches hosting and making available space as well as through the translators, who make it possible for the believers to receive teaching and prayer in their own heart-language.

“What a blessing to have biblical training in my own mother-tongue” many attendees would tell Javad. He can relate very well, as this was the turning point in his own faith life as well, when he received his first Farsi bible and could ask questions in his own language for the first time in his Christian walk.