Iranian buffet with speakers

For their last meeting of the year, a Pembrokeshire prayer group laid on a special Iranian buffet at Bethel Chapel, Pembroke Dock.

Buffet fare at the PPSC Iranian evening at Bethel, Pembroke Dock included spiced lentil soup with lavash flatbreads and dips of hummus and baba ganoush; a choice of persimmon and watermelon salads, plus desserts including chocolate, rosewater and pistachio torte and koloocheh (date and walnut squares).

Guest speakers at the meeting of Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church (PPSC), via live video link from Canada, were musician Gilbert Hovsepian, son of Iranian Armenian bishop Haik, who was martyred in 1994, and Forouzan Rajabi, of the Gates of Heaven charity.

Gilbert, who recovered miraculously from a serious motorcycle accident nine years ago, noted that people often define faith as ‘believing, in spite of the evidence.’ “No,’ he said, “it’s obeying, in spite of the consequences.”

Forouzan spoke of her calling to minister to poor Iranians, including drug addicts and prostitutes and their families, both in Iran and Turkey. Donations on the night amounted to £250, which has been sent to Gates of Heaven, www.gheaven.org/

PPSC meetings are on the last Tuesday of each month except December and are open to Christians of all backgrounds. The events are staged to raise awareness of persecution, genocide, kidnappings, injustice and other hardships faced by believers and Christian communities around the world; to write to prisoners, campaign for freedom of religion, pray into each situation and give generously to the charities and missions working hard to help those in need.

Next meeting is at 7.30pm in Pembroke Apostolic Church (aka the Tin Chapel) on January 30.