{"id":287093,"date":"2024-08-19T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T09:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T16:52:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T20:52:21","slug":"everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything Sad is Untrue: Daniel Nayeri"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad is Untrue, tells his (true life) tale of fleeing Iran as a boy when his mother converted to Christianity.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad is Untrue, tells his (true life) tale of fleeing Iran as a boy when his mother converted to Christianity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/28c9102e-bac9-49c8-97c1-b1cb00e8a844\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:28:15","filesize":"25.90M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2024-08-19 08:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[2795],"podcast_series":[8787],"cwp_profile":[9955],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-287093","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-everything-sad-is-untrue","podcast_series-everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri","cwp_profile-daniel-nayeri","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/287093\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/287093\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"udIkqi66VG\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri\/\">Everything Sad is Untrue: Daniel Nayeri<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/everything-sad-is-untrue-daniel-nayeri\/embed\/#?secret=udIkqi66VG\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Everything Sad is Untrue: Daniel Nayeri&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"udIkqi66VG\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad is Untrue, tells his (true life) tale of fleeing Iran as a boy when his mother converted to Christianity.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Help make YOUR mark: Your donation supports crucial resources for families and includes a special FamilyLife Pen and <a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/august-2024\/urgent-need\/?cru_source=FLTD24&amp;cru_medium=Icare&amp;cru_campaign=August2024&amp;_gl=1*i7nrhi*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MTcwMTQ3ODQuQ2owS0NRandwTnV5QmhDdUFSSXNBTkpxTDlOZnNmVlp5TUhEOU55WG14QjFTbVhFb3FLTUFlM3dsRGZlLUUtaTh5U2NjN0hfSnNVQnNZc2FBbVhnRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MTk2MDk5NjM3Mi4xNzE4NjM0NDIz*_ga*OTI3MTAyODQ4LjE2OTUxMjkzOTk.*_ga_85G8JM3S5D*MTcyMzQwNzQ5MC42MzkuMS4xNzIzNDA5NDc2LjQ2LjAuMTI4NjI3MTUzNg..&amp;_ga=2.4838195.1899240771.1723407491-927102848.1695129399\">Brant Hansen's book, \"Unoffendable\"\u2014join us today!<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Connect with Daniel at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danielnayeri.com\/\">danielnayeri.com<\/a>, or find him on social media @danielnayeri.<\/li>\n<li>Pick up a copy of his book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/everything-sad-is-untrue-a-true-story\">Everything Sad is Untrue<\/a>: (a true story), at our shop!<\/li>\n<li>Dig deeper into topics of <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/category\/articles\/topics\/faith\/\">faith<\/a> and family at <a href=\"http:\/\/familylife.com\/\">familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-08-19.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Everything Sad is Untrue<\/p>\n<p>Guest:Daniel Nayeri<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Everything Sad is Untrue (Day 1 of 3)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:August 19, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Hey, before we get started today, I\u2019ve got to read you a comment that came in from one of our listeners. She said, \u201cI realized, listening today, that it was shame that I\u2019ve been feeling my whole life. This broadcast just nailed it on the head. I\u2019ve spent my whole life trying to find love and acceptance. After hearing this show, it just made so much sense: God does love me. When Ann said the line, \u2018You\u2019re already loved,\u2019 I cried. I said, \u2018That\u2019s for me! I\u2019m already loved.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I\u2019m telling you, when people are impacted like that, that makes me cry; because that\u2019s our hope, that people will meet Jesus and be helped.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I mean, that\u2019s why we do what we do. I think that\u2019s what all of us want. We want to make a difference. We want to leave a mark. FamilyLife\u2019s all about leaving a mark and helping you leave a mark. Let me tell you: we have a goal\u2014a financial goal\u2014in the month of August, so that we can leave a mark, and you can leave a mark. You won\u2019t believe this! The goal is $250,000.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: But we think we can do it, so we\u2019re asking: will you help us reach that goal?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, jump in with us at any level. FamilyLifeToday.com is where you can do that. Become a partner! If you jump in with us, we can make a mark in your life, and you and I can make a mark on all kinds of people for legacies, for generations to come.<\/p>\n<p>And guess what? If you jump in with us in August, we\u2019re going to send you Brant Hansen\u2019s book, Unoffendable\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014and\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and a pen! A FamilyLife limited-edition pen. You know, make a mark? That\u2019s what pens do, and you\u2019re going to use it to carve up through Brant\u2019s book. It\u2019s\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014so good!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014a crazy good book! Let me just say this: we need you; we love you; we want to partner together. When you and I\u2014we\u2014partner together, we can change the world; so, let\u2019s jump in together today.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: How do you get out of a country that is overseen by a totalitarian theocracy? How do you escape? Do you bribe everybody? Do you just go to the airport?<\/p>\n<p>We did. We went to an airport, sort of in some ways, knowing we were going to get flagged.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is FamilyLife\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave and Ann: \u2014Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I have never read a book quite like this. This was an exciting, exciting read, and we\u2019ve got the author in here. Listen to this: Everything Sad is Untrue. It\u2019s a true story\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014about our author, sitting right here.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is going to be super-fun today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes; Daniel Nayeri is with us.<\/p>\n<p>I read this out loud to Ann when we got the book\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, he did.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I said, \u201cOh, listen to this! This grabs you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Our books never grab anybody, but yours says, \u201cAll Persians are liars, and lying is a sin. That\u2019s what the kids in Mrs. Miller\u2019s class think, but I\u2019m the only Persian they\u2019ve ever met, so I don\u2019t know where they got that idea.\u201d I mean, that\u2019s the opening paragraph. You are a writer, dude!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Thank you; thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, I started playing with this idea. Anytime you have a character who\u2019s trying to tell you this story, some of it is really grand and has all kinds of what you\u2019d call coincidences or miracles or whatever. He\u2019s sort of immediately trying to address the skepticism of somebody who\u2019s just not going to believe it.<\/p>\n<p>So, he says, \u201cAlright. Everybody thinks I\u2019m a liar, but I don\u2019t know what to tell you. It\u2019s what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I mean, in some ways, as I\u2019ve heard your story, and reading it and watching you (on YouTube\u00ae) do interviews, they really did think you were lying about your story, right?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Well, as a kid, it totally makes sense, right?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: I mean, it opens with a young boy who\u2019s in the sixth grade standing up in front of his classroom and trying to explain what life is like back in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And this is your life memoir.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Correct, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Anytime I would say that\u2014you know, admittedly, we were fairly poor when we came to Oklahoma. I dressed in Sam\u2019s Club\u00ae sweats, and I thought it was cool if you did the matching top and bottom. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Like pajamas?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes, like pajamas. I didn\u2019t know. Somebody should have labeled it as pajamas at Sam\u2019s Club: \u201cPajamas; not for school.\u201d [Laughter] My social life wouldn\u2019t have taken such a hit.<\/p>\n<p>So, you have a kid standing there in one-color Sam\u2019s sweats, saying, \u201cWe used to have a house with a pool and an aviary in the middle, where every wall was glass, and you could look in and see the tropical birds. My father\u2019s father had orchards and land, out in the outskirts of Isfahan. Isfahan is an ancient city from the Silk Road, where the great Arabian Nights tales happened!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can imagine a kid saying, \u201cYeah, sure!\u201d You know? \u201cI think you saw that in a video game called Prince of Persia. You for sure made that up.\u201d [Laughter] And I was, you know, the poor refugee kid. So, I completely understand anyone\u2019s skepticism.<\/p>\n<p>I think when you tell a story\u2014especially when you tell a story with a kind of wistfulness [like] a kid does: \u201cMy father was there; my grandfather was there\u201d\u2014you know, every kid kind of says, \u201cMy dad can beat up your dad,\u201d you know? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s that kind of heroism that we see our fathers and grandfathers with. When that gets seeped into the story, all of the sudden, he\u2019s a larger-than-life figure. \u201cMy dad memorizes poetry! He\u2019s a great dentist! Everyone in Isfahan agrees, he\u2019s the greatest dentist there!\u201d It\u2019s like, \u201cWell, maybe he is. He\u2019s a good dentist, to be certain, but\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014and your mom is a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u2014that\u2019s right, she is. So, you know, all those little fish tale exaggerations, maybe, are also a part of it, and I completely admit that. That\u2019s what happens when a kid is trying to remember a home that was, at that time, complete and whole. So, that all kind of comes together in that. And then, you know, fast forward to being at the cafeteria, where he\u2019s saying all of this, and the kid [says], \u201cYeah, okay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u201cWe don\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: But we\u2019re all drawn to great stories.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s why, as Dave and I were reading it and looking at your book, we thought, \u201cMan, our listeners are going to love this great story of life change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Thak you.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And you\u2019re such a good storyteller, you know?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, this is really fun.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, so, take us back. I mean, obviously, we\u2019re in\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014take us back to that little boy.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We\u2019re in Oklahoma now, but you can go pre-Oklahoma.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Well, the reason it starts there is because, as I said, when you\u2019re standing in front of a classroom, and you\u2019re trying to express the fundamental question for this little refugee from Iran\u2014\u201cWhy did you come here?\u201d\u2014the question is always \u201cwhy,\u201d right?<\/p>\n<p>You say, \u201cWell, we came here because we were refugees, and we got asylum because a wonderful family in Edmond, Oklahoma sponsored us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, then, why were you refugees?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, we were refugees because my mother converted from Islam to Chrisitanity, and that\u2019s a capital crime in Iran, which means if you\u2019re captured and found guilty of apostasy in the Islamic courts, you\u2019ll be put to death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, well, why did she commit a capital crime?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I mean, right there: aren\u2019t kids like\u2014I\u2019m assuming that their jaws are kind of open, saying, \u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Right, but there are also a lot of questions.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I bet!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Because even just every noun I just said requires some explanation.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u201cWait! Islamic courts?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, yes; it\u2019s a theocracy over there, which means there are both legal courts and theological courts. You can be found guilty of religious crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, you find yourself explaining a lot, and you find yourself in that position where you\u2019re telling the story, and they say, \u201cOkay, well, why did she do that?\u201d And you say, \u201cWell, that\u2019s a bigger question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did she commit this crime?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, she\u2019d been captured by the secret police, and they told her that they wanted to know the names of all the people in the underground church she was attending, or they would kill her and her kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[The kids asked], \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay! Let\u2019s go back.\u201d [Laughter] \u201cShe joined the underground church because she had converted when we, as a family, had gone to the United Kingdom in order to attend a wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, why did you go to the [U.K.]?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay; well, I have to back up a little bit. My grandmother, who\u2019s my mother\u2019s mother, was exiled to the U.K. because she had divorced from her husband, who was my grandfather, and with her went her youngest daughter, which is my mom\u2019s youngest sister (my youngest aunt). She grew up, and she wanted to get married; a normal thing to do. So, we went to attend. Now, my mother, who at that time was a very devout Muslim\u2014she was a Koranic scholar, and she was on the side of. . .\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You know, a lot of people think we came here because a lot of Persians came here after the Revolution, because there was an Islamic Revolution in the \u201870s. My mother was on the side of the Revolution. She actually was very, very devout. So, when we went to the United Kingdom, this was a Christian nation. They were going to get married in a church. They had converted to Christianity.<\/p>\n<p>My mother, at first, was very hostile to that notion, and she was kind of stand-offish, I guess you\u2019d say with the church. The idea was, \u201cOkay, we\u2019re going to attend the wedding, but nothing more.\u201d We were there for a long time. It wasn\u2019t just for the wedding. We were there for about six weeks, I think, in order to help, and in order to just have a family reunion. My mother\u2019s mother was there; her sister; all that stuff.<\/p>\n<p>So, while we were there, quite a few things happened, and this is a category\u2014in the book, there are moments when you [say], \u201cHere\u2019s a moment where you don\u2019t have to believe in miracles; but then, I\u2019m just going to tell you a bunch of coincidental things that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u201cWe can just chalk it up to that, if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But yes, there was a daycare center\u2014as they were helping with the wedding, my sister was going to a daycare; there was a little boy there who\u2014you know, who knows why little kids do anything? He had sort of decided that he was going to trick her. He said, \u201cHey! Stick your finger in this little door jamb.\u201d It was a fairly gullible thing to do; she does\u2014she sticks her pink in there, and he slams the door. It severed the finger.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Wow.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: It\u2019s just this horrible injury; this thing that happens. My mother rushes to the hospital, and everything is fine. They sew it back on. It\u2019s just scary and traumatic.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cEverything\u2019s fine.\u201d [Laughter] They sew her finger back on.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Just the tip! [Laughter] Let\u2019s not get crazy here.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know how many times you\u2019ve really been saved by the tip of your pinky. I\u2019m not sure. [Laughter] Are you that attached?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I mean, would it have happened if your mom weren\u2019t a doctor? Did she put it in ice immediately?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes, she put it in ice immediately. Maybe; perhaps. I think everybody would probably think to put it in ice.<\/p>\n<p>Dave and Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Where else would you put it?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Okay, well, keep going.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: A pocket would be a terrible place for a pinky. She\u2019d forever have lint in there.<\/p>\n<p>[Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>We came back, and it\u2019s the return that\u2019s important, because my grandmother (it was her apartment where we were staying) goes and puts my sister in my grandma\u2019s bed. She\u2019s kind of in that post-traumatic lull. She takes\u2014they were just going to have her take\u2014a nap. We were all in the living room.<\/p>\n<p>Not 30 minutes later, she comes back out and she\u2019s this happy child, as the story goes. Everyone\u2019s kind of wondering what\u2019s happened. Is the emotional elasticity of a child so good that you bounce back already?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Or is she--? So, everyone was saying, \u201cHey, how are you doing? What\u2019s going on?\u201d She describes this moment that everybody still wonders about; because she says, \u201cWell, there was this man in my room, and he was sitting at the corner of my bed. He said, \u2018Everything\u2019s going to be okay\u2019 and that \u2018I\u2019m his now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She proceeds to describe him more, and one of the reasons this is sort of odd is because, of course, here in the States of anywhere in the West, we have a lot of images of Jesus. We\u2019ve seen these images wherever: on posters, in people\u2019s living rooms. You know, we kind of have a sense of the iconographic Jesus, on a crucifix.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not how you\u2019re raised in Iran. Iran is not a Christian nation, and those images aren\u2019t everywhere. So, for a little kid to make this description felt fairly authentic. My grandmother, who was a Christian, said, \u201cYou know, that sounds exactly like Jesus!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u201cThat sounds right.\u201d She said, \u201cI\u2019m a Christian.\u201d Famously\u2014my sister is very precocious, very smart, and very stubborn\u2014my mother has this sudden realization that we\u2019re about to go back to Muslim Iran, where there are Secret Police. The environment was that teachers would sometimes hold up pictures of whiskey bottles and ask if anybody recognized this (because, of course, alcohol is illegal in Iran). If any child raised their hand, because they had, presumably, seen that bottle at home, the Secret Police would raid their home by that afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>So, we\u2019re talking about a very intense, totalitarian state. It\u2019s not the kind of place where a six-year-old can skip around and tell a story about her finger and Jesus, and that, now, she\u2019s thinking about being a Christian. None of those are good moves! But then, what it really kicks off is this force. My mother, now, can\u2019t be standoffish with that church.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: She\u2019s not just going to attend. Now, she\u2019s got to kind of attend to and deal with this. When she does\u2014and by that, I mean quite literally, she has to read the Bible, and say, \u201cOkay, what is my grandmother doing? What is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: When she reads it, one of the things she always describes is that \u201ca lucky factor\u201d in her life was that she had done all that reading of the Koran, because there are plenty of people who just are culturally what they are, whether that be Muslim or Christian, or whatever they are. That\u2019s just the world they\u2019re in; that\u2019s the culture. They don\u2019t know exactly what the specifics of their faith are.<\/p>\n<p>So, sometimes, you can have these moments where you\u2019ll tell someone\u2014especially a Muslim; you\u2019ll tell them\u2014about Christ, and they\u2019ll say, \u201cYes, yes; He was a good teacher\u201d or \u201cWe venerate him, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: And you say, \u201cRight! I understand that; but there\u2019s a difference that makes a difference here.\u201d For her, that was a very, very clear difference, as she was reading that Bible. She converted during that time, specifically because, as she was reading it, she was making that comparison and contrasting it. [She was] saying, \u201cThis is the truth. I\u2019m seeing it.\u201d So, we returned to Iran at that point (from that wedding), and as I said, that was the inciting incident; because now we\u2019re back, and she\u2019s meeting up with a missionary there.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is a big deal!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s a big deal!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: She had this zeal.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And she knew how big of a deal it was in Iran, right?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, she did!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: She did; although, my mom\u2014I tell people: she\u2019s about as tall as a houseplant. [Laughter] She\u2019s a very, very small woman; but also, I\u2019ve seen her outwork college students.<\/p>\n<p>One time, we were all moving me somewhere, and all of my college buddies\u2014tough, big guys\u2014by lunchtime, they were sitting around that pizza, exhausted. My mom was still just going back and forth! She\u2019s a tough one.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That would be her [Ann].<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes, right. I believe it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And she\u2019s smart! She\u2019s a physician?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes. Even though she knew about that danger, one episode I always talk about it is [that], because she was so zealous and completely unafraid\u2013in what might be, from the world\u2019s perspective, a reckless way; she just put a cross up, hanging from her rearview mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Come on!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: It is nuts! It\u2019s a [crazy] thing to do!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: We were\u2014she was\u2014at the market one day, and someone scrawled something on her car: \u201cIf I ever see this cross again, I\u2019ll kill you!\u201d It was really just an aggressive thing to see; the kind of thing\u2014most people would take it down. \u201cIt\u2019s not worth it! Just go to the market, get your eggs, and come back.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>She did take it down, and she put up a bigger one.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Did she really?! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This says everything we need to know about your mom.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Right; yes.<\/p>\n<p>I thought, \u201cI would never do that.\u201d I\u2019m four times her size, and I would still just [let] caution prevail. But that\u2019s not what she was up to. She was going to job interviews as a doctor for this hospital, witnessing to the interviewer. Again, this was in a city that was being run by the Secret Police, which has the most ominous name in the world! They\u2019re called \u201cThe Committee,\u201d the \u201ckomite.\u201d [co-mi-tay]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: The committee?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes, \u201cThe Committee.\u201d And if you get brought before The Committee, there is no desk between you. It\u2019s not a well-lit interview space! [Laughter] It\u2019s just such a terrifying panopticon. Everybody is telling on everybody. If you\u2019re throwing out beer bottles in the trash, the neighbor ladies might see it, and that night, you might get raided. It\u2019s such a tight, fear-controlled environment.<\/p>\n<p>For her to do those fearless things has always been a really strong thing.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: What is your dad thinking?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Oh, he thinks she\u2019s gone crazy!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: He does?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes. He\u2019s a Sufi, so he\u2019s the type of Muslim\u2014Sufi is sort of the mystical tradition of Islam. They\u2019re like hippie Muslims. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s the best way to describe it.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes; that\u2019s the best way. Rumi, the famous poet\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u2014was a Sufi. There\u2019s a great emphasis on incredible poetry and, I think, a really beautiful tradition of reveling in the majesty of the Lord; and also, kind of a very strong tradition of fear of the Lord. So, a lot of interesting philosophers and writers have come out of the Sufi tradition. My dad is what you might call \u201clight\u201d on all of this stuff. He\u2019s very much a pragmatist, not a religious man.<\/p>\n<p>So, he has\u2014every single time I\u2019ve ever spoken to him on the phone\u2014said, \u201cReligion has ruined my life. Your mother didn\u2019t need to do any of this!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: To jump to that moment: one day, she was in that market again, and some men, not in uniform, pulled up in a van and throw her in.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u201cThe Committee\u201d showed up!<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: The Committee, yes. And they took her to a safe house and started to interrogate her. They told her, of course, what I said, which was: \u201cWe want the names of the underground church, or we\u2019ll kill you and your kids.\u201d They basically just kicked her out of the safe house for her to walk home.<\/p>\n<p>People always ask: \u201cWell, why didn\u2019t they keep her in custody?\u201d I go back to [the reality] that this is a city that\u2019s on lockdown at all times. They know where she is; they know where she is.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, and was the underground church, at that time, growing?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: It was, yes! Isfahan is a city that is a fascinating place, because there\u2019s a city within a city (kind of like Vatican in Rome).<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: There\u2019s a city called Jolfa in Isfahan, and Jolfa is traditionally an Armenian cultural city space. They\u2019ve always been allowed, because they\u2019ve been there for so many years. They\u2019re traditionally Christian, and they\u2019ve been there for so many years that they\u2019re kind of allowed. There\u2019s, obviously, a tax; there\u2019s, obviously, social separation in those ways.<\/p>\n<p>If any of them are ever discovered proselytizing\u2014they have wonderful bakeries there. If, for some reason, some Muslim is buying some cookies, and they say, \u201cHey, do you want to tell me about your faith?\u201d Nope! That is not the kind of conversation we can have. And if you do have it, you\u2019re going to prison.<\/p>\n<p>But what that meant was [that] there was\u2014in a country that\u2019s 96% Muslim, and the other 4% is not Christian (I think it\u2019s 0.7% Christian last time I checked)\u2014a very, very small percentage of Christians. But there was still a population of them in the city where my mother was, and there was a missionary who was supported out of a church in New York City who was there. They were just sort of beginning an underground movement.<\/p>\n<p>So, when that happened, that day where my mother was given that ultimatum and that threat, I enter the scene when my dad picks me up from kindergarten. We come home, and my mother is\u2014you know, this is a loaded term, but accurate for the moment\u2014absolutely hysterical. She doesn\u2019t know what to put in a suitcase; doesn\u2019t know where to go; doesn\u2019t even know how it\u2019s going to happen.<\/p>\n<p>There begins another series of miracles that I\u2019ll leave for the book; but, effectively, it\u2019s a lot of logistics. How do you get out of a country that is overseen by a totalitarian theocracy? How do you escape? Do you bribe everybody? Do you just go to the airport?<\/p>\n<p>We did. We went to an airport, sort of in some ways, knowing we were going to get flagged. Eventually\u2014you know, that was the moment where we sort of realized (I did, as a young child): \u201cOh, my father has no real interest in this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cHe\u2019s not coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes, \u201cHe\u2019s staying, and we\u2019re leaving.\u201d So, I didn\u2019t even understand divorce at that point. I thought my dad was going to come later\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u2014when he sold our house or something.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Let me ask you\u2014we\u2019ve got about a minute left\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: \u2014oh, goodness!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: As a little boy, were you scared?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Yes; I used to sleep under my bed, for a long time. I thought that would trick the people who ran into my room.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Ohhh! So, your mom\u2019s fear and some of the things in getting you out, you felt, as a child?<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: Sure; yes, absolutely! I mean, there\u2019s an adventurous quality to seeing new places and things like that, but fundamentally, yes. I had always assumed there were\u2014in a kid\u2019s mind\u2014\u201cbad men after me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: It\u2019s that sort of thing. I was very keen on trying to get strong, get good at self-defense.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Goodness.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel: You know, hide properly and well. Yes, that would be a part of my childhood.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and you\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Daniel Nayeri on FamilyLife Today. You can, obviously, be captivated by a story like Daniel\u2019s. If you want to learn more\u2014if you want to read more\u2014about what actually happened with him, you can read his book, Everything Sad is Untrue: A True Story.<\/p>\n<p>You can get your copy by going online to FamilyLifeToday.com or finding a link in the show notes; or feel free to give us a call at 800-358-6329 to request your copy. Again, that number is \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Isn\u2019t it amazing how God works in families? It\u2019s just so incredible; the stories that are gold about how God works by bringing people into the context of families in order to see life change happen. That\u2019s what we really believe in here at FamilyLife. We are dedicated to reaching families and making every home a godly home. If that\u2019s something that you resonate with, or you\u2019ve been impacted by FamilyLife Today, I just really encourage you to partner with us. Jump in! Link arms with us and become a financial supporter.<\/p>\n<p>Our goal in the month of August, this year, is to raise $250,000 in new funds by the end of the month. We would love it if you would be part of the solution with us. When you do\u2014when you make a donation of any amount, we\u2019re going to send you a limited-edition FamilyLife pen, along with a copy of Brant Hansen\u2019s Unoffendable. It\u2019s just a small way to say \u201cthank you so much\u201d for partnering with us and making the ministry of FamilyLife possible.<\/p>\n<p>Again, you can head online to FamilyLifeToday.com to make your donation, or you can give us a call at 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, tomorrow, Daniel Nayeri is back to talk about his journey from Iran to Oklahoma as God used it to highlight his faith, build resilience in him, and discover that there can be kindness in strangers. That\u2019s coming up tomorrow. We hope you\u2019ll join us.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs? Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/287093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287093"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=287093"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=287093"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=287093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}