Nowruz outreach is only a snapshot of God’s bigger picture for Iran: Mission Network News

By Katie O’Malley

Turkiye (MNN) — The Persian New Year (Nowruz) began on the spring equinox in March. Nowruz may be a New Year celebration, but Lana Silk with Transform Iran compares it to Christmas in the West, with its rich traditions, decorations and themes.

But something else happened during the days of Nowruz. A small team of evangelists with Transform Iran gathered in Turkiye with a special goal: Meet Iranian tourists on holiday with news of the gospel.

“There’s a lot on our minds at these kinds of times, isn’t there, in terms of life and truth and God and reality and the future? So that’s a sort of mental space that Iranians are in at New Year,” Silk says.

Silk tells about one miraculous encounter where a Muslim family walked up to the team.

Sorry to disturb you,” the family said, “but we keep hearing this voice telling us to come and talk to you, and that you’ve got something that you need to tell us. What do you need to tell us?

“I thought, Isn’t that great that, you know, God leads Christians, for sure, but God is leading Muslims to Himself? He literally spoke, you know, [it] had to be audible,” Silk says. 

More than 300 people heard the gospel during the five-day outreach. Several confessed faith in Christ immediately. All gave their contact information to learn more! (Read even more stories from the outreach here!) 

There’s more ahead. The team at Transform Iran is committed to connecting the people they met during Nowruz with other believers as relationships develop. Silk says, “[Our follow-up] team is widely spread [in] Turkey and across Europe. They’re trained counselors and pastors who look to lead people to Christ, and then from there, disciple them into growth and fruitfulness.”

Read more about our trained follow-up team and discipleship programs

A glimpse of the bigger picture

What happened at Nowruz 2025 in Turkiye is simply a snapshot of what Silk says is happening in Iran as a whole.

“God is literally, right before our eyes, changing the course of a nation. You cannot overstate what God is doing in Iran today. Most of it is unseen to the un-inquisitive mind or eye,” she says with a laugh, “but those of us who are inquisitive or digging below the surface, it’s right there to be experienced.”

Silk points back to the days of the Persian Empire when King Cyrus released and resourced Israel to rebuild their temple and city. “He was this great Persian king, and that is who we’re meant to be. I’m seeing how God is just steering this giant ship back to Himself again. It’s amazing. I’m full of praise and gratitude for it!”

Read more about Iran in the Bible

You are invited to join the adventure of what God is doing in Iran! 

“We’re looking for people who will pray with us, partner with us, care about the people [of] Iran, love [the] people of Iran, talk about them,” Silk says. “You know, share on social media, be an advocate, be a voice.” 

The best way to get started is to sign up for Transform Iran’s monthly newsletter. It’s packed with key ministry updates and prayer requests, so that you can truly be part of the ride.

Header photo of Istanbul, Turkiye is a representative stock photo courtesy of Tools Dianellos via Unsplash

Inset representative stock photo of traditional table setting on Persian New Year courtesy of RDNE Stock project via Pexels

Originally published on: Mission Network News