Hairdresser is a former Muslim whom we first met over 10 years ago through our Christmas basket outreach. Now she helps Dreamer with the Christmas basket outreach herself, praying others will come to know Jesus as she did, and accompanies her on visits with our Muslim contacts.
One day I had a dream: I saw a big cross on a mountain, and there were many homes on the mountain. In the dream, I didn't hear the evening adhan, but I heard a quiet voice. I didn't know what the other voice was saying, because it was speaking in another language. But after that voice, all the houses turned on their lights.
When I woke up, I asked God what that meant. I knew the cross and Jesus were different, but I didn't really know what they were.
All the churches in Iran were closed, but I visited many churches in my city, and when I visited another city, I went to see the churches there, too. And always, I thought, "No, this is not the church," but, for churches outside of Iran, I would still go inside to pray and ask God, "Where is my dream?".
My life suddenly changed the next year when God brought me to live in Turkiye, which is next to Iran. I had another dream: Jesus came inside the place I was in without opening the door. He sat down next to me, but I couldn't say anything to him, I just looked at him. I had to tell someone about the dream, and went to an Iranian church there the next day. The pastor invited me to follow Jesus and pray with him. I said, "I'm ready." I hadn't heard anything about Jesus before that, but I was ready.
I came to Canada the year after, which was two years after my dream. For the first 10 days, I lived in a hotel in Hamilton (Ontario). On the 10th day, I moved into an apartment and I was very tired by the evening. I went to the balcony and then I saw it: in front of me was the big cross on a mountain. It was exactly the same as my dream, with many houses on the side. It was evening and getting dark, then I saw all the lights start to turn on in the houses. I said, "Oh, my God, after two years, now I've seen my dream. Thank you, God." I knew Canada is where I should be. I lived in Hamilton for about a year and then moved to Toronto. I got baptized at a church here.
I used to volunteer at a food bank in the Thorncliffe neighbourhood, and one day in 2012, a lady there asked me if I knew about the people who were giving Christmas gift baskets. I didn't know about it, even though they were just in the apartment building behind mine. She gave me the address and later I went there with my shopping cart to ask for a basket. That's how I met Dreamer for the first time.
I went to the apartment and Dreamer opened the door. I said, "I heard you're giving some gift baskets to people."
She told me, "Oh, you have to go on the waiting list because you are late."
I said, "Okay, but I know that Jesus has something for me today. That is why I have my shopping cart with me." I didn't know how I knew, I could just feel it. Dreamer wrote down my name and phone number. "If there are any people who don't come, please let me know."
Later Dreamer called me and said that she and Hayley had something for me. I said, "I know. I know today I am not going home with an empty shopping cart." I was right, I got a big gift. I said, "Thank you, Jesus."
After that, I started to go to Dreamer's home for Bible studies and prayer meetings. The next year, I told lots of people about the Christmas Baskets and they wanted to get one, too, so I introduced them to Dreamer. When Afghan Church started in North York with Pastor Obed, I joined the church as one of the first members. In 2024, I joined the Jesus Network team and now I go with Dreamer to people’s homes to visit and pray with them.
If you are wondering why Shawn calls me "Hairdresser", I used to work in a beauty salon in Iran. When I first came to Canada, I cut hair from my home. Now, when I go visit people with Dreamer, sometimes the people ask for a haircut, too. I'll say, "Okay, let's do it today," and it makes them very happy.