Rashin Soodmand was 13 years old when her father, Pastor Hossein Soodmand, was executed by the Iranian government for the crime of apostasy—leaving Islam to follow another faith. Listen as she shares how her family’s life changed, but also how proud she is of a father who chose to lay down his life rather than deny Christ.

She’ll tell us about the man her father was, loving his congregation and loving his family, and how people were drawn to his kindness and love.

Rashin will recall how church leaders encouraged Pastor Hossein to pack up his family, leave Iran and go somewhere safer. Listen to his exact words as he flatly refused, saying that to do so would discourage the hearts of his congregation. “They couldn’t stop my father from ministering to his people,” Rashin says. She’ll also describe the last time she saw her dad, and the day she heard he’d been executed.

Just three days after her father’s death, Rashin wrote a letter to God. In the letter, she promised to follow Christ boldly, just as her father had—even if it meant great sacrifice. Today she’s living out that promise, including ministering to the church inside Iran.

Her father wasn’t the only martyr of the Iranian church Rashin knew well. She’ll tell some of the things she remembers about other martyrs she knew personally: Haik Hovsepian, who preached at her father’s funeral; Mehdi Dibaj, who encouraged her to attend Bible school; and Pastor Mohammad “Ravanbakhsh” Yusefi.

To learn more about the current ministry of Rashin and her husband, Amir, visit the Torch Ministries web site.

Be sure to request your free copy of the 2021 Global Prayer Guide from The Voice of the Martyrs.