Dear friend in Christ,

God goes before His Word … ALWAYS … and in the most wonderful ways!

I bring you reports* you’ll want to share with your family, pastor, fellowship class or group.

You may have heard of the state of Bihar, India. This desperately needy area has been called the “graveyard of missionaries.” Bihar is home to more than 100 million people, larger than most nations. Even today, Bihar is a dangerous place for westerners to travel.

A number of years ago, an Indian-born couple felt a burden to live among the people and at least try to bring them news of the gospel. Alone and with a three-year-old child, this couple battled discouragement, rejection, depression, spiritual oppression (demonic) and disease. The local authorities would not even allow this couple to show the people “JESUS.” Sadly, after many years of service, not a single person had come to Christ. The people remained in chains of spiritual darkness and oppression.

One day the husband came home sick and weak, likely from contaminated water. In the doorway of their small home, before his wife, he collapsed and died. Distraught, she went to check on their son who was also sick. He too died.

On that very day, the people of the village began seeing an unusual sight, a man dressed in a robe. Some said he was walking among the clouds, larger than life, others reported seeing him on the hillsides, and some said he passed through their village with sadness and tears. And then he was gone.

A few weeks later, the authorities changed their stance and allowed a “JESUS” film team to come and show the film. The people gathered and with eyes fixed on the screen, they heard the story of the gospel in a language they could understand. They witnessed the birth of a long-promised child, the announcement of the angel, and they watched John baptizing in the Jordan.

As John the Baptist preached, the feet of a man appeared on the screen, walking through the river shallows and heading for John. Then the film revealed His face. Instantly, the crowd erupted with shouts and acclamations. The noise was so great that the team had to stop the film. They wanted to know what was happening. The people pointed to the screen shouting, “He’s the Man! He’s the Man we all saw walking in the clouds and in the village. That’s Him!”**

Once the people had calmed down, the team restarted the film. At the conclusion of “JESUS,” the majority prayed to receive Christ—in this intensely resistant area! Within weeks, several churches were born where there had been none. The darkness receded. The Word of God began to spread. Within two years, many more churches were born.

Today, it’s estimated that 100,000 people of Bihar are now followers of Christ! Many of these churches are sending out their own missionaries and indigenous film teams who are using new translations of “JESUS.” They are gratefully receiving the support and equipment you supply.

They are traveling to remote locations throughout Bihar on foot, on motorcycles, and with a God-given zeal to reach more than 20,000 unreached villages and communities through “JESUS.” They report that people are responding by the thousands. Though the area is still very resistant, churches are being planted. The “graveyard of missionaries” is becoming the “vineyard of the gospel.” To Him goes the glory!

Next, may I tell you about ministry partner Randy Creswell who is with a pioneering mission group, Reach the Rest. For several years Randy worked with a large people group in West Africa giving them the gospel, often through “JESUS.” Randy and the believers he was mentoring were aware of a large people group from a neighboring nation. They had suffered a genocide. Many had fled to a large refugee camp.

Randy received an invitation from that camp asking if someone would come and tell them about Jesus. Though he was warned it could be a trap to kill Christians, Randy felt they should make the 100-mile journey. Not only would the trip be difficult because of the terrain, but also the people were profoundly impoverished and under the influence of powerful witchdoctors.

So they loaded up food and water into their dilapidated truck along with four spare tires. It would take days of traveling over rough roads or no roads at all, to reach them. On the last day, about 20 miles from the camp, Randy could tell they were close: “We could smell the unmistakable stench of human waste. It was pretty terrible, even at that distance. I felt we had to stop right there, get out and pray, which we did. We asked God to go before us, to protect us and disarm the enemy.

“We got back in the truck. The closer we got, the worse the smell was…it was nauseating. Oh God, have mercy…what are we getting into? We drove through the gates of this horrible place, home to some 20,000 refugees who were barely surviving. An old man came out to greet us, waving at us rather excitedly. ‘What is this man about,’ I thought? We stopped. It turns out he was what they call here a ‘geomancer,’ the chief witchdoctor.

“He was certainly animated! ‘Who are you?’ he demanded. ‘I knew you were coming because 20 minutes ago I lost all of my powers! I MUST KNOW WHO YOU ARE. All the spirits I command fled from me because of you. Who are you?!’

“‘We are representatives of Jesus, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given.’ The witchdoctor surprised me and announced, ‘In that case, I’m following Jesus!’ He was our first believer in the camp!”

Over the next weeks and months Randy and his team set up a literacy school and a medical clinic manned by one of Randy’s believers, the camp’s sole medical servant. He went on to deliver every baby born thereafter and was an outspoken witness to the love of God. With every patient, he shared the gospel.

And as a partner of Jesus Film Project®, you will be glad to know that they used the “JESUS” film: “…we used it often, in the language that I was privileged to help translate and produce. In those days, we were using 16mm equipment and we wore out several copies! There are now hundreds of believers and a number of churches planted among these people. Our teams are very actively using the newer ‘JESUS’ film equipment and the new translations to share the gospel with radicals and people who use violence in the name of religion. It’s the best tool I know to win large numbers of people to Christ and plant churches.”

I want to acknowledge Randy and his national and partner teams for their courage. Reach the Rest is one of more than 1,500 ministry partners who are using “JESUS” to help plant more than 1,000 churches every day, and in places once thought impossible to reach! What God is doing continues to amaze me. In the spirit of the Apostle Paul, we “march in the train of a conqueror,” Jesus our Lord (2 Corinthians 2:14). To you and every giving and praying partner of “JESUS” who helps make all this possible, thank you!

Today, would you feel moved to go further with the teams, to enter into unreached villages, set up the equipment and show people “JESUS”? Would you pray for each showing, even across the miles, and rejoice over each person as they say “yes” to Jesus, and help plant churches?

Each film team needs about $42 per day. This is a worldwide average and provides for travel, room and board, materials to reach and follow up new believers and mentor new church leaders. As I write, there are teams who await this support, who are praying for Christians like you who in faith, will partner with them and send them to help reach their nations for Christ. And, these teams are not laboring just in Africa, they are in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia—on nearly every continent of the earth.

Supporting and sending these teams is so important that a ministry partner has issued a very generous Challenge Grant, giving the first $100,000. That donor asks you to follow his or her lead. Your gift today of $84, when combined with the Challenge Grant***, will result in four days of a team’s ministry. Your gift of $42 will mean two days of ministry. Or your larger gift of $294, when matched, will mean two weeks of ministry and perhaps planting several churches. And if you are blessed financially, can you consider more influence by sponsoring a team for one month ($1,250), or for a full year ($15,000)? That grant will also essentially double your gift, until all $100,000 is met.

You may also consider equipping committed teams so they can reach unreached people who live in remote, resistant areas. You can help mobilize them with a three-wheel UTV with a gift of $4,950, or a smaller film team with a two-wheel motorbike for $ 3,810. Or provide half a motorbike for $1,905. It’s God’s heart that everyone, no matter where they live, would have the chance to hear and say “yes” to the Savior who gave His life on their behalf.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration. It is you who goes with the teams to where the church is not, shining His light, spreading the dawn of His love and grace.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

Josh Newell
Executive Director
Jesus Film Project^®

PS.  Hundreds of film teams await word that funding has been received to send and equip them, to keep them on the road, ministering in spiritual darkness, going to where the church is not, or where it is weak and needs encouragement. The ministry of these film teams will greatly strengthen these churches. If the Lord is leading you to donate now, please click the “give a gift” button. Or call (800) 918-9929 and giving by credit or debit card. For gifts of stock from an IRA or Donor Advised Fund, simply call (888) 278-7233 or email: stock@jesusfilm.org. God bless you for however you can help.

*Both of these incidents occurred years ago. He is still doing such wonders today!

**In ways we don’t understand, the Holy Spirit sometimes chooses to manifest the face of Jesus from the film in people’s dreams or visions affirming that they are hearing the Word of God and confirming to those who live in chains of fear that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

***Challenge Grant funds will help reach other people with the gospel and plant churches in India. Your gift could help not only these but also film teams in every corner of the globe.