Source: Global Partners, September 1, 2025
When Liz and Hamed first met in Central Europe, they brought together two distinct cultures and stories of God’s relentless pursuit of their hearts across borders. Both immigrants, their experiences ultimately shaped their calling to minister to displaced people across the world.
Hamed’s journey began in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hamed was exposed to the gospel through his brother, who had immigrated to the United Kingdom. After becoming a believer and getting baptized, Hamed began telling others about Jesus and started an underground church in his parents’ house.
Hamed was kidnapped by the secret police, tortured for three days, and told he would be executed. By God’s grace, he escaped and fled to Central Europe, where he received asylum.
Liz’s story began in Mexico, where she was born before immigrating to the United States as a teenager. She attended church for the first time in America and decided to follow Christ shortly after. At only 14 years old, she received her call to missions and has followed that call ever since.
Together, Liz and Hamed planted several international congregations with members from Iran, Syria, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. They held baptisms every three months with as many as 50 new converts each service.
In 2023, they moved to the United States, where Liz developed a curriculum to train ministry leaders working with diaspora groups and asylum seekers and made it available for anyone to use.
In 2024, they began discussions with Global Partners about training British pastors to reach immigrant communities using Liz’s curriculum. The couple plans to support immigrants living in Birmingham while addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the persecuted church.
The full, very multinational story includes contact info for those who want to learn more or access the curriculum.
See also How to Offer Jesus Naturally to Your Neighbors and the Nations (Jeannie Marie). This one-hour training video will only be available through Sunday, September 21, but Jeanie offers many other resources.