The translation of this ministry into Persian (also called Farsi) began in 1987 with the translation of The Mystery of Human Life and the Life Lessons in Taipei, Taiwan, by one of the trainees from an Armenian background with help of a Persian-speaking brother, who had been in the Lord’s recovery for a number of years. This translation was published as part of the thirty-five language volume of The Mystery of Human Life, printed in Taiwan in 1987. Also, the first volume of the Life Lessons in Persian was published in 1989. But this was only the beginning of the Persian publication work.
After some time the Lord began to add more Persian-speaking saints to the church life, including some who were burdened to translate the ministry into Persian. One sister Persian-speaking picked up the burden to translate the ministry and sent some of what she had translated to LSM in 2006, and she has been faithfully translating the ministry since that time. In February 2007 another Persian-speaking sister, who graduated from the Middle Age training and who was also burdened to translate, translated six gospel booklets, The Bible, There Is God, Christ Is God, Christ Is Spirit and Life, Christ’s Redemption and Salvation, and The Meaning of Human Life. At the end of 2001 some members of the family of the brother who had polished Life Lessons were also gained by the Lord and participated in various translation projects. In August 2007 translation was begun on the series of booklets and books that are part of the Rhema distribution complex by a team of Persian-speaking saints.
In 2012 a few trainings for Persian speakers were conducted on the island of Cyprus, and the Lord gained two sisters, who since have become very useful in the translation service. They began to translate some publications suitable for new believers such as Holy Word for Morning Revival (HWMR)—Topics for the New Believers in December 2012 and Messages for Building Up New Believers.
In 2015 to 2016 the influx of refugees from the Middle East into Europe, especially Germany, stimulated the need for more translation of the ministry into Persian. Three Persian tracts, The Mystery of Human Life, Redemption and Forgiveness, and Suffering, Blessing, Believing were printed and also made available on a website for the refugees, along with a series called Healthy Walk With God and the Gospel of John. The Mystery of Human Life was also made available for free download at www.lsm.org/tracts.html in 2021.
The books of the Rhema complex Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vol. 1, The Glorious Church, The Economy of God, The All-inclusive Christ, and The Knowledge of Life were re-published in Germany as individual books in 2016-2017 (available at lebensstrom.de/shop/persisch).
Four additional books considered suitable for the refugees have also been published: The Jubilee (2018), Being Renewed Day by Day (2019), Abiding in the Lord to Enjoy His Life (2019), and The Five Great Mysteries in the Bible (2019).
From among the refugees the Lord gained a sister who has a degree in English-Persian translation and has a number of years experience as a translator. As Persian speakers began to come into the church life in Germany beginning in May 2017, she helped to translate and edit Holy Word for Morning Revival, which was later made available online at www.lebensstrom.de/HWMR-Farsi. In addition, hymns, outlines, and some of the messages of the seven feasts have also been translated, so that Persian speakers in Germany and elsewhere can have access to the Lord’s up-to-date speaking. Currently there are over 200 Persian-speaking saints meeting in various places in Germany.
Last year the LSM publications distributed by Rhema were made available for free distribution online by LSM mass.ministrybooks.org/fa/home/ after extensive revision and retypesetting.
More recently, in 2021-2022, Life Lessons, vols. 1-4, The Experience of Life, and The Spirit with Our Spirit have been published.
Other books have been translated but are yet to be published, and the translation of the Life-study of John has almost been completed.
Currently three sisters, who were all educated in Persian and are professional translators, serve full-time as translators and editors of the ministry publications. Two of them attended a translation training in Germany in 2019 conducted by two Russian brothers, who served for many years as translators of the ministry into Russian. In addition to these three sisters, a number of other saints are involved in the translation and proofreading of ministry books. They live in various countries and coordinate across several time zones. We are thankful for the ones the Lord has gained and burdened for this service and are praying for the Lord to strengthen and increase the number involved that more of the riches of the ministry could be released in the Persian language for His move among Persian speakers all over the earth.
We are also praying that one day we can display our books in a book fair and distribute them to a wider audience, as well as gain increasing exposure of the titles on the internet.
And they sing a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth. (Rev. 5:9-10)