Dear Friend in Christ,

Our God is working powerfully through you!

He is using your gifts, your prayers, the labor of incredibly dedicated film teams, and the support of many ministry partners to impact the world through “JESUS.”

For you and every friend of this global partnership I am grateful!

I want to take you to Benin, a tiny nation in West Africa. About 11 million people live here, most of whom don’t know what Jesus has done for them.[*]

A man from this nation, who I will call “Mosi,” lived as a shepherd and was quite wealthy (by Benin’s standards). He owned many cattle, had several children and two wives. Film teams wrote of him: “He had it all and felt invincible but inside, Mosi was full of fear” … and with good reason.

A virulent plague was spreading through his village. An unknown disease caused his cattle to become weak and faint … finally dying. The disease reached his family. His wives, children, and brother fell intensely ill. Like Job of old, Mosi was losing everyone he loved, everything he owned. No longer feeling invincible and in the words of the film team, “…Mosi was now planning funerals.”

One evening Mosi was walking down a path, depressed, wondering how soon everyone he loved would be dead. He happened upon a crowd. They were gathered around a screen and projector, watching a film. And it was in his language. Intrigued, Mosi sat down and joined them.

He witnessed the visual portrayal of the gospel. Something moved in his heart. Mosi felt Jesus’ love. He listened to divine Words heard in his mother tongue … words that reverberated with love and authority. And the miracles! Mosi could not believe what he was seeing, but the Holy Spirit assured Mosi that all he was seeing was true.

Astonished at the power of Jesus, chills raced up and down his spine and goosebumps rose up on his arms. But then he watched this extraordinary man be horribly abused and nailed to a wooden cross. Mosi became distraught at the terrible sight of Jesus dying. But soon he was overwhelmed once again … this time with joy. Jesus came back to life, whole, with power and great authority!

A film team worker took the microphone and further explained the gospel, that Jesus is the Living One, the Son of God Who offers forgiveness for sin, Who casts out all fear (Mosi’s fear). Right there this man of influence surrendered his life to Jesus. Full of joy, liberation, and hope, Mosi hurried home and told his wives and children about all he had seen.

One of the film team members then came to Mosi’s home, where he read Scriptures to the family and answered their questions. Mosi’s entire family received Christ. Even his sick brother came to the Lord.

And Jesus acted once more. Every one of them was healed of the plague, miraculously healed!

On the day Mosi was baptized, he renounced his birth name, and took on a new name, Noah. He had survived a flood of woe and was now restored to life. Today, Noah hosts a weekly fellowship in his home and shares the good news with all around.

What a wonderful testimony to the power of the gospel, His power to transform lives and bring eternal hope and life—because you helped make it possible for this man to experience “JESUS” and hear His Word, and the committed work of this ministry partner. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name” (Psalm 100:4, NASB).

Here is another wonderful report to encourage you.[†] Teams with ministry partner Elijah 21 invite Syrian and Iraqi refugees living in camps in Germany to local churches. There they provide them with a hot meal and aid, then show the people “JESUS.” Elijah 21 reported:

“Such an abundantly blessed ‘JESUS’ movie evening lies behind us. ‘JESUS’ so powerfully touched the hearts of many Middle Eastern people. Many cried. Through tears, a young girl said, ‘I have never felt so much love as here!’ Again and again we see how the people are moved to tears {when they watch ‘JESUS’ in their language} … On this evening, Jesus’ presence was literally perceptible. Entire refugee families came to Jesus, five families in one Arabic-language showing, saying: ‘We believe that this is the truth. Jesus is the right way.’

“Almost everyone signed up for the follow-up work in the church. Many of the refugees received personal prayer. An older Arab woman shouted aloud: ‘I want to be on the right side, I want to get in contact with a church! I want to come to the follow-up!’

“A man who came from Syria was also deeply moved, saying: ‘We have never heard this before. We thought quite differently about Christians!’ … And we often witness great gratitude from these refugees. Again and again they say: ‘Thank you very much for what you did for us; your program is really great, the film is so good, it shows the love of Jesus!’”

And lastly, there is this brief report from film teams working in South Sudan, a nation of great turmoil and suffering[‡]: “Sudanese people feel insecure and threatened by many things in their lives. One woman, Asha, was born and raised in a family with radical religious beliefs. She feared for her life if she renounced these beliefs. However, she dreamed of Jesus calling her by name. He said, ‘You are my child. I have died for your sin.’ When a film team showed ‘JESUS’ in her village, she recognized the actor who portrayed Jesus as looking like the person in her dream. Overcoming her fear, she asked Jesus to forgive her sins. She gave her life to Christ.”

I trust you sense my joy over such reports, as we learn how He is working, the fruit of your partnership, your prayers, and the commitment of many dedicated film teams and partners. They use “JESUS,” now available in more than 1,780 languages, and the projection equipment you help send. Thank you!

Here’s a wonderful fact: The Word of God, heard in a person’s heart language through “JESUS,” is so powerful that every one and half seconds a person prays to receive Christ. This is why I’m so grateful for you and the work of these amazing partners and film teams.

You likely know that film teams worldwide need about $42 per day to carry out their ministries of evangelism, follow up and church planting. This includes their travel, lodging, food, and other ministry expenses. They also rely on the support of friends like you to meet with, disciple and train new believers, and plant growing churches and faith communities.

Would you feel moved to again help give the world “JESUS”? Perhaps you can make one day of a team’s ministry possible by giving $42. You can help make two days of ministry possible through a gift of $84. You can also sponsor a week of ministry with a gift of $294, or an entire month for $1,250. Should you be among the few with good financial resources, may I gratefully and boldly request that you consider a gift of $15,000? A gift of that size will make one team’s work possible for a complete year.

Moreover, these workers also need showing equipment, especially film teams raised up from the developing world. They are requesting the robust and highly portable Church-Planting Resource Kits. You can provide one kit for a team with a gift of $3,240. Or you can give a portion. And each team who receives a kit promises to show “JESUS” 50 or more times during the year. Over the useful life of a kit, you can help 30,000 people see, hear and understand the gospel and plant as many as 30 churches! More than 250 kits are requested.

So I invite you to seek His guidance. As He enables, can you give unreached people the greatest of all gifts, news of His love, a love they have never known … His Word and the gospel? Many will respond as they hear the gospel news in their heart language.

My wife, Holly, and I wish you a year of much blessing and rejoicing. Thank you for however you can help.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

Josh Newell
Executive Director
Jesus Film Project®

P.S. As I write, more than $250,000 in team support is needed to help train and launch new teams to unreached people groups. And hundreds of Church-Planting Resource Kits have been requested. Many of these 1,800 ministry partners who are from the developing world cannot afford to purchase their own kits.  Thank you so much.

[*] This encouraging report comes from The Timothy Initiative, one of more than 1,800 ministry partners who use “JESUS,” along with the tools and equipment you help supply.

[†] I’ve edited the field reports in my letter for security and clarity.

[‡] Reported from JESUS Film Harvest Partners