When I walk through the streets of Ahvaz, the air feels thick — heavy with dust, smoke, and sorrow. Our city, rich with oil, fuels much of the nation’s wealth, yet the very industry that sustains us also poisons the air we breathe. Many cough as they pass by the refineries, and the sky often hangs gray, as if even creation itself groans under the weight of our struggles.

Ahvaz is the capital of Khuzestan, a region once full of promise, now worn by hardship. Prices rise daily, jobs disappear, and hope feels distant. The government’s promise of an Islamic utopia has faded, leaving behind frustration and silence. People are tired — not just in body, but in spirit — and everywhere I go, I sense a deep hunger for something real, something pure.

And in that emptiness, God is moving. Quietly, powerfully, His Spirit is at work in the hidden places — in whispered prayers, secret homes, and hearts once hardened by despair. The Church here is small but alive, growing faster than anyone could imagine. In a city where the air is polluted, the breath of God still moves freely.

I am one of many in Ahvaz who have found new life in Jesus. Each day brings its risks — yet with every gathering, every whispered song, we feel the presence of the One who cannot be silenced. This suffering is not wasted. It is softening the ground, preparing hearts for the Gospel. And we pray with hope that one day, Ahvaz — and all of Iran — will breathe clean again, not just in the air, but in the Spirit.

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• Rugați-vă pentru the people of Ahvaz to encounter Jesus, the true source of life and hope, amid pollution and hardship. (John 10:10)

• Rugați-vă pentru believers in Ahvaz to be strengthened and protected as they gather quietly to worship and share the gospel. (Psalm 91:1–2)

• Rugați-vă pentru hearts weary from economic and environmental struggle to be softened and opened to the love of Christ. (Matei 11:28)

• Rugați-vă pentru the Holy Spirit to cleanse this city—not just its air, but its soul—with the breath of new life. (Ezekiel 37:9–10)

• Rugați-vă pentru Ahvaz to become a place of renewal, where the light of Jesus breaks through every layer of darkness. (2 Corinthians 4:6)