A magnifying glass is placed over a map, zooming in on Iran and highlighting its cities, including Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad, with surrounding countries partially visible.

Hope Rising in the Midst of Middle Eastern Conflict

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The war in Iran is front and center in the news, and for many of us, it feels both distant and deeply personal.

Our CEO often shares that before coming to The League, he spent 25 years supporting America’s nuclear submarine fleet, most of that time during the Cold War years under Presidents Reagan and Bush. That experience, together with his later travels around the world through The Pocket Testament League, has shaped a deep awareness of both the fragility of peace and the power of the human spirit.

Today, through The League’s Mobile App, we have been given another view. It is a very different kind of front line. It is not one of political posturing or military engagement. It is a front line of faith. It is a view into the hearts of people searching for hope in the middle of turmoil.

A Surge of Spiritual Hunger

In the last few months, we have seen something remarkable coming out of Iran: a steady rise in downloads of the Gospel of John through our app.

  • October: 15,788

  • November: 21,757

  • December: 22,380

  • January: 24,353*

  • February: 57,257

(*In January, the internet was largely shut down from the 8th through the 18th, yet thousands still found a way through.)

In just five months, over 140,000 people in Iran have downloaded the Gospel of John, more than half of those in the last 42 days alone. Day by day, nearly 2,000 individuals have reached out through their screens, hungry to understand the truth of God’s Word.

Line graph showing daily downloads of the Gospel of John by Iranians, with a sharp increase on Jan 26, peaking around Jan 30, then declining and stabilizing by Feb 27. Data points are highlighted for Jan 26, Jan 30, and Feb 27.

Most have chosen to read in Farsi, the language of their heart. Others access what we call the “global slice,” a campaign reaching seekers around the world. However they come, they are searching. And God is meeting them there.

A pie chart titled "Downloads of App in Iran Last 6 Weeks" shows Farsi as the largest segment, followed by smaller portions for English, Global, Arabic, and All Other languages.

Faith Beyond Borders

To put that in perspective: Iran is vast, about the size of Alaska or more than twice the size of Texas, and home to around 91 million people. Each download represents one of those individuals, sitting somewhere in that great expanse, turning to Scripture in a time of crisis.

We may never know their names or stories on this side of heaven. But God does. He sees every person who opens the Gospel of John and seeks light in a dark world.

Looking Ahead with Hope

We are eager for the launch of App 2.0, which will include a secure chat feature. This will allow us, through trusted partners in Iran and within the global Farsi-speaking community, to connect, encourage, and pray more personally with those who are exploring faith in Jesus.

Until then, we invite you to join us in prayer. Pray for those who are searching for God in Iran. Pray for courage, for protection, and for the Word to take root in hearts ready to receive it.

Even in the midst of conflict, the Gospel is moving forward with unstoppable hope.

For every download, every prayer, every heart turned toward Christ, To God be the glory.