“You Did Not Choose Me, But I Chose You:”
Zahra’s Story of Faith and Belonging
A poster sharing Zahra's journey and the story of our welcome ministries, created for our church's Annual General Meeting.
“Why did you choose to become a Christian?” the Home Office interviewer asked Zahra. Her answers in the 90-minute Zoom interview in an empty room would determine whether she could legally stay in the UK, or if she would be forced to return to Iran, where she would face persecution, possible imprisonment or even death for her new Christian faith.
Zahra arrived alone in the UK on a dark night in January 2024. She was terrified when, at Heathrow, instead of passing through customs like her fellow travellers, she had to say she was here to claim asylum. She was taken to a side room and questioned until the early hours: her first Home Office screening interview. She was then put in a van which drove for four hours. Upon arrival - she didn’t know where she was - out of the darkness she saw a tall white building with uniformed security guards stationed outside. As she entered the building, she heard a soft welcome in her mother tongue, Farsi. She recognised the familiar face of one of her old gym trainees, who had begun her own asylum process two months earlier.
The former gym trainee had been sleeping in her asylum hotel room that night, but her eyes had suddenly shot open at 4am, as she heard God prompting her to go down to the hotel lobby. She went down - and there she saw Zahra, her former gym instructor from Tehran, arriving! A few days later, the trainee took Zahra to her new UK church, a Church of England parish church in South West England, on Zahra’s request. There, Zahra met many more believers - this time in the UK.
This was how we met Zahra. Before long, Zahra became part of our church. She came to us 4 days a week, praying, worshipping, taking part in Bible-studies, volunteering, and learning English. She helped with Saturday church cleaning, participated in our weekend activities in the summer, and travelled with us to a church in a neighbouring town to take part in an Alpha Course.
When we wrote a letter of recommendation for her to the Home Office, we could write without any doubt that ‘Zahra became a sincere and active Christian, and a valuable member of our congregation, and we wholeheartedly recommend her in this capacity.’ Zahra was baptised by water immersion in May 2024, and confirmed into the Church of England in October 2024.
Reflecting on this long journey, she answered her interviewer on Zoom:
“I didn’t choose to become a Christian. God chose me.”
She then quoted John 15:16:
‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’
As for us, the Church of England parish church that welcomed Zahra, we have also been greatly blessed. In the last year alone we have supported about 16 people seeking asylum through the Home Office interview process. We have welcomed 50 refugees / people seeking asylum from 22 countries, especially through our English classes, with 3 getting baptised, and 2 confirmed.
Praise be to the one who chooses us all - and chooses us to bear fruit that will last!
Want to equip more welcoming churches?
Stories like Zahra’s remind us how vital it is for local churches to be equipped to welcome refugees and people seeking asylum with compassion, practical support, and the love of Christ.
At Welcome Churches, we help churches across the UK to open their doors to those seeking safety - offering friendship, activities like English classes, practical help, and a place to belong.
Will you support our work, so more people like Zahra can find a welcome when they need it most?