His story from here : A wreath of joy
Violet Sarjalounejad taught art in Iran, the country of her birth, for several years. She had collective and one-woman shows of her art (landscapes and figures of women in acrylics and watercolours) in various galleries in Tehran. She recounts hearing the testimony of a taxi driver and being given a New Testament in the Farsi language. Violet read the New Testament and began attending church. Then her husband joined her. They were questioned by government authorities and asked to renounce their faith in Christ. When Violet refused, she was fired from her position at the University of Tehran. Violet, her husband and son fled to Turkey and eventually immigrated to Canada in 2013, sponsored by the Ladner Christian Reformed Church (Ladner, B.C.), and in 2015 Violet’s second child was born in Canada.
In 2016, Violet took up painting again as an expression of her devotion to God and gratitude for her salvation. She knows the peace of God deeply and can testify to his faithfulness through many difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Violet says, “As an artist whose life has been changed by the grace of Christ, I believe every aspect of my life is under the influence of his love. Now, too, my goal is to glorify the Lord even through my art, which belongs to him. In my paintings I have tried to depict the song of my salvation in and through the image and figure of a woman. Each of these is a reflection of my own experiences in my walk of faith. The crown of thorns that Jesus wore has been exchanged for a wreath of joy on my head. His suffering has brought me healing. His death has brought me life – full, free, forever. God’s will is salvation for all the nations, to turn from darkness to the light.”
