Posted: 02/28/2013 at 11:30am | IP Logged

Imprisoned Pastor's Wife: Nightmare is Not Over

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CBN News

The wife of Saeed Abedini, the American pastor imprisoned in Iran, is speaking out on the one-month anniversary of his sentence.

In a powerful blog, Naghmeh Abedini revealed her pain and suffering through the ordeal.

"To this day, I suddenly wake up frantic in the middle of the night," she wrote. "I turnover only to find Saeed's empty spot, only to find that the nightmare is not over yet, only to discover that this nightmare will not be over any time soon."

Pastor Abedini, who was sentenced to eight years for his faith, recently shared details of his torture in a letter written from prison.

**Read Pastor Abedini's prison letter here.

Sign the petition to free American Pastor Saeed in Iran.

He wrote that conditions inside Evin Prison where he is being held are "so very difficult that my eyes get blurry, my body does not have the strength to walk, and my steps become very weak and shaky."

Even in the midst the family's suffering, Pastor Abedini's wife affirmed that God is in control of the situation and governments.

"During this nightmare, I lean on the promise in scripture that 'We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed,'" she quoted II Corinthians 4:8-9.

Naghmeh Abedini said there is nothing she and her husband desire more than to die to self and allow Christ to shine.

The American Center for Law and Justice has filed a petition with the U.N. Human Rights Council for Abedini's release. Several members of Congress have also urged Secretary of State John Kerry to press for the American pastor's release.

"The letter also underscores the need to move quickly. A U.S. citizen is in failing health from beatings and abuse -- a menacing scenario that should command the full attention and engagement of the U.S. government," ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow said.