The ‘unimaginable joy’ of an undercover believer in Iran

Bita was broken by life when an invitation to a house church introduced her to Jesus. She’s since been on a journey of healing – one that you’ve played a key role in. Thank you!

“For 53 years, I forgot what it meant to smile,” says Bita* in Iran. “I knew nothing of joy.”

Bita’s childhood was immensely turbulent. Her father – a former military officer who was imprisoned during the early days of the Iranian Revolution – was a drug addict. Her mother, overwhelmed by the pressures of life and a broken marriage, left the family when Bita was very young. “She didn’t know how to love us. Eventually, she just disappeared from our lives.”

Unable to care for her alone, Bita’s father sent her to live with her aunt, but life there was no better. “I wasn’t treated like family,” says Bita, who was forced to cook, clean and care for the household. “I was their servant… a slave.” She even endured emotional and physical abuse.

Bita had one escape – school, a place where she excelled and dared to envision a different life as a teacher – but her aunt crushed her hopes. “She constantly told me that education was a waste of time for someone like me. She even made me quit school and stay home to serve the family.”

Aged 14, she was forcibly married to a man who at first seemed kind, but later turned to drug addiction and adultery. “When I thought I’d escaped one prison, I had only stepped into another one,” says Bita.

This continued even with the arrival of a child. “He treated me like I wasn’t a human being – like I didn’t exist. My nights were often spent alone, crying, while my husband disappeared for days.”

Seen by Jesus

Years later, Bita reached breaking point and went to take her own life, only for a friend to find her just in time and rush her to hospital. “I didn’t understand why I survived that night,” says Bita. “I literally had nothing left to live for.”

Another friend then invited Bita to a secret house church. “It was a risky decision to attend that meeting, especially in a country like mine. However, it was a chance to find and experience something new.”

As Bita sat in the meeting, listening to stories about Jesus and His love for the brokenhearted, a light began to emerge in her heart. “When I heard His name, Jesus, it was like something in my soul woke up,” she says. “For the first time in my life, I felt seen!”

That night, Bita prayed, giving all the pieces of her shattered life to Jesus.

Since that day, Bita’s life has been transformed. “My children were the first to notice the change,” she remembers. “My son told me: ‘Mama, you’re different. It’s like you’re lighter, you’re different.’” She stayed connected to the house church, growing in faith with the other believers.

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Smiling for the first time

Bita later went to a conference hosted by Open Doors local partners in a neighbouring country, aimed at women affected by trauma, shame and rejection. “For the first time in my life, I could truly smile,” she shares. “It felt like God Himself wiped away the bitterness and gave me joy – unimaginable joy.”

Bita’s is one of countless women in Iran trapped in cycles of abuse, rejection and despair. Like her, many long for freedom, but are faced with social pressure, family rejection and the ever-present threat of persecution for their faith.

Conferences like the one Bita attended are vital for Iranian Christian women, many of whom are forced to follow Jesus undercover. They provide spiritual guidance, discipleship training and trauma care, and a safe space to grow, ask questions and have open and meaningful conversations.

“There are so many women like me, and I know this,” adds Bita. “They need to know they are loved. They need to know they are not forgotten. They need to meet Jesus.”

Today, Bita’s strong faith sustains her through ongoing challenges. Like so many undercover believers worldwide, she still hides her Bible at home and whispers prayers in secret, but her spirit is unshaken.

A Bible verse that especially means a lot to Bita is Isaiah 61:3: “To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Bita now dreams of helping other women find the freedom she discovered. “If God could save someone like me, He can save anyone,” she says. “He wants to save everyone!”

*Name changed for security reasons