“In the last two years, so many things have changed. Life in Afghanistan is very difficult now – there is no education, no work, and all our suffering is because of those two things. There is a lot of anxiety. If [women] go out, they are inappropriately questioned.”
August 15, 2023 marks two years since the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan. Marzia*, a woman from Afghanistan, is one of many living in the country who have reached out to SAT-7 to describe what is happening. Tragically, the various experiences of our viewers tell a unified story of suffering.
“The situation in Afghanistan is a mess,” Marzia continues. “May the Lord have mercy and rescue these people from sin and put them on the right path. There is no other hope for Afghanistan. I see that these people don’t understand what they are doing, but my own faith is growing stronger.”
SAT-7 PARS viewer Arsham did not mince his words when describing the regime in Afghanistan. “Please pray for us. The Taliban have closed schools and universities for Afghan students. Schools have been transformed into military camps and institutions.”
Another viewer, Dalir, explained how “the rise of the Taliban led to the disintegration of the country’s economic, cultural and educational underpinnings.”
He is right. Economic problems are serious and have led to food insecurity for over 90 percent of the population. Malnutrition, long-term health problems among children, and starvation are ravaging the population.1
“The greatest challenges we face are unemployment and the lack of security,” Dalir concluded. The suffering, for many people, leads to despair. But Christians like Dalir are putting their trust in God and remaining hopeful.
“The things that encourage us and keep us going,” Dalir said in another message, “are our faith in our heavenly Father and the knowledge that the Lord will surely take hold of His children and help them. We are grateful for your prayers, and I am certain that we have a bright future ahead of us.”
Jamil, a father, is another Afghan whose faith is making all the difference. “Two years ago, the Taliban took advantage of an opportunity to take Afghanistan, and my family and I lost hope,” he said. “Around that time, we came across your programs on satellite television, and I decided that I wanted to become a believer. I connected with Brother Farshid [a member of SAT-7’s Viewer Support Team] via Zoom, we prayed together, and I prayed the prayer of salvation. Now so many things have changed in my life, and, despite all the problems, my family and I are very happy.”
Let us first thank God that He is sustaining His people in Afghanistan. Let us then ask Him to pour out His Spirit even more, and to answer the prayers of hurting Afghan Christians. We can have confidence He will answer us, as He is “close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
*Names changed for security.
Top image: Refugee children in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph by Trent Inness/Shutterstock.
1 https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/afghanistan
