Guiding Afghans to faith one text message at a time
We, Reza and Bahar, are Afghan but were born and raised in Iran. We have three children. We currently live in Blumenort, Man.
Through a Farsi-speaking church, we immigrated from Iran to Turkey. There, we were discipled and began our ministry among the Afghan people in 2017, primarily through online outreach. In 2019, we returned to Afghanistan to serve believers in person through in-house church groups formed through online ministry and discipleship. In August 2021, after the Taliban takeover, we left Afghanistan due to security concerns. We spent one year in a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi, and in October 2022, we arrived in Manitoba through Canada’s sponsorship program, supported by Blumenort Community Church.
Our ministry among the Afghan people continues today—online in Afghanistan, among the diaspora, and in person here in Manitoba. In 2023, God opened the doors for us to join the EMC as missionaries. Part of our work is focused on Afghans in Manitoba and across Canada through our ministry, Ariana. This ministry focuses on evangelism, discipleship, and the planting of house churches in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
The Ariana team engages with seekers on social media by responding to their questions and comments. Their goal is to guide these individuals towards faith in Christ and then mentor them one-on-one, helping them become part of a church fellowship. On average, the team responds to two hundred direct inquiries each day and exchanges over a thousand text messages.
Reza Azimi is assisted by Arley Loewen in the recording studio. (Photo supplied)
Throughout the week, we connect with believers through various ministries. Bahar plays an active role in weekly Bible teachings for women. She has prepared 36 Bible teaching sessions for women and hosted 48 sessions in total. She is in constant contact with women through online calls, discipling them one-on-one. She currently has seven active disciples and plays a key role in team meetings where we evaluate and strengthen the women’s ministry and work through its challenges.
I, Reza, work with the follow-up and response teams. I currently lead 15 full-time workers, whom I guide and counsel as needed to fulfill the work of Ariana Ministry.
In Manitoba, we are developing a small but growing Farsi-speaking fellowship. We love hosting our Afghan Christian families for meals. During the summer, we have an annual camp and often organize day picnics at nearby parks. Many of our members are young families with children ranging from toddlers to teenagers.
This reflects the seriousness of God’s work among the Afghan people and our calling in this mission. We share this to emphasize how deeply we need your prayers—for a spiritual awakening among the Afghan people, so that those walking in darkness may see the light of Christ shining upon them.
