Dear friend in Christ,

Thank you for all you do, as you support this global movement of evangelism, discipleship and church planting through “JESUS.” You are much appreciated.

The reports we receive from many partners who use “JESUS” are wonderful. Your partnership helps equip them with showing tools, translations of the films, and training. It’s my honor to pass these reports on to you. Again, thank you.

This first story is about a 12-year-old girl named Brishti.

A worker with one of those many ministry partners, a man known as “Brother Gautam,” had gone to her village in the northern part of her country.*

Gautam had been equipped with a video tablet preloaded with “JESUS” in the people’s language. The tablets are easily transported and solar charged. They don’t attract attention (important when sharing the good news in hostile areas). Small groups can watch, safely and privately, even in radical-dominated areas, in places where COVID-19 continues to restrict movement and social interaction.

Gautam was in a village when he approached a home. He offered to come in and show them “JESUS.” Curious, the family gathered around, eyes focused on the tablet screen, ears listening to the Bluetooth speaker. As “JESUS” played, they saw His miracles and heard God’s Word, directly from the Gospel of Luke, in their mother tongue.

When the showing was over, 12-year-old Brishti began to weep. She made signs to her parents and then wrote a note, handing it to Brother Gautam: “Pray that Jesus will heal me so I can speak.” Brishti’s parents asked him to pray too, which he did. You see, while Brishti could hear, she had never spoken, she was completely mute.

A few days later, words began to form in her mouth. God was working. Slowly, she began to speak, more and more. Her parents were astounded and began to cry, to literally jump for joy. Their neighbors were also astounded. All her life, this little girl was mute, but now she was talking. “Who is this Jesus?!” they asked. “If He has so much power radiating into this child, imagine what He can do if He comes to live with us.”

And He did! Brishti’s family believed in Jesus, then two neighbor families. They formed a house church group, led by Biglife—whose primary mission is discipleship. The group grew to 20 people following and learning about Jesus. At last report, there were 35 new believers!

The Biglife “JESUS” film team leader who gave this report said with joy: “That’s how we started a fellowship in this village. It’s just mind-blowing. I wish I could tell you we are doing a great job, but I am happy to tell you that Jesus is alive and working!”

➤ He went on to share another miracle story: “I think of a man who was deeply depressed, had lost all hope, so he went out and hung himself. They found him dead and took him to the morgue for an autopsy {which is} required by law to verify it was suicide and not murder. The man’s sister-in-law had been attending one of our discipleship groups—most of our groups are started when people watch “JESUS.”

“The women knew the power of Jesus and had seen Him work in the film. So, she and her group of ladies began to pray. Over in the morgue, the man was laying there, certified dead by the doctor. All of sudden he sits up and runs out the door!

“The morgue staff are crying out in fear, ‘It’s a ghost, it’s a ghost!’ But he went about declaring that God had given him a new life, that he was to tell everyone, which he did. There are no words to share what God is doing, how He is showing His power. Through the work of the teams and the film “JESUS,” we are witnessing the Lord heal people, raise the dead, restore sight … tons of acts. It’s happening on an almost weekly basis.

➤ “And not long ago, one of our Biglife workers, Grishom, was thrown in prison for sharing his faith. We bailed him out. When I picked him up, he said, ‘You should have given me a few more days! You have no idea. I just had lots of fun. I was sharing the gospel with rapists, robbers. I told them, ‘I walk with the living God.’ They wanted to know more, what I meant.

“Grishom led 50 of those prisoners to the Lord! About 18 of them have been released and have formed a new fellowship group of believers. At the time, we didn’t have a video tablet to give Grishom, but with the next 100 tablets we receive, he will get one.

“This is important for every group of new believers we disciple. We use the tablets to show them the follow-up films, like ‘Following JESUS’ produced for new believers in India. We teach them to study His word, to obey Him, to tell others, and then to start their own fellowship groups. We try to equip each group with a video tablet. They are very, very effective. The pace of church planting is accelerating and is just amazing.

“Trained groups and their leaders take the tablets to other villages where many have heard about the films, about Jesus, the living God. People are actually calling, asking our workers to come to them, bring a tablet, and show them the films. We are so amazed at what He is doing. We value our relationship with Jesus Film Project® who supplies the tablets, the translations, and shows our people how to use them.”

We all praise God for Biglife in India. They are just one of hundreds of ministry partners who use “JESUS” and these digital tools as part of their church-planting and discipleship strategies. Please remember that many of these partners are based in the developing world. They can’t afford to purchase the equipment, nor do they have the resources to make translations of the various films. Instead, it is our honor and joy to supply the equipment and translations and to offer the training.

This is a win-win, since they will provide the labor and the workers who speak the local languages and understand their own cultures. Often, these workers become the group leaders and pastors. They train others to do the same, multiplying and spreading the good news. They do what they alone can, and we (through your gracious partnership) come alongside to support them. God is thus honored.

Seeing how He is using your kind partnership, would you feel led to equip more partners to do the work of evangelism, church-planting, and discipling? They need video tablets, DVDs of “JESUS,” microSD cards, NewLifeBox™ kits, and portable, backpack sets for larger showings.

The NewLifeBox kits are especially effective for work in closed, dangerous areas. Battery-powered, they fit in a pocket and set up a Wi-Fi-like hotspot literally anywhere. Within a 150-foot range, up to 15 people at a time can log on, watch and download “JESUS” and other Jesus Film® content. One partner is using hundreds of them to help reach refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Workers with those 1,800-plus partners, along with Jesus Film Project staff teams, are ready to do far more, as you help equip and send them. Today, you can help place in their hands one or more of the following tools, so those who have never heard might meet Jesus.:

$205 to send one NewLifeBox™ kit. It’s a Wi-Fi-like hotspot with Jesus Film® media.

$820, to send four NewLifeBox kits, 15 people at a time can watch or download “JESUS” with each kit.

$530, sends a Video tablet set with solar panel and a Bluetooth speaker.

$1,060, to send two video tablet sets, to equip two workers to plant churches.

$120, sends twelve microSD cards with “JESUS” in up to 10 languages.

$435 to Stream Jesus Film® media on the internet to up to 15,000 people.

$3,075, to equip 15 teams with NewLifeBox kits.

You can cover all the cost for one tool or provide for just a portion. Any gift, large or small, will help reach the unreached with the gospel. However He leads and enables, I encourage you to give joyfully—knowing you will be shining His light into the hearts of many, that partner workers will be there to follow up, nurture, and disciple new believers.

I close with one more quote from that “JESUS” film team leader with Biglife India: “People are being healed, hearing about miracles, invited to attend a showing in the home that night, watching “JESUS,” and believing. People in India too often see Jesus as western, Christianity as a foreign religion, and not for them. We want people to know He is for them, and speaks their language, which He does to their hearts. The tablets are a wonderful way for them to know the truth. As they watch and listen, the Holy Spirit does His work. It is so amazing.

“We also have many young people who are motivated and activated by the video tablets, a new generation is ready to proclaim truth. They want their own tablet with all the films to start new groups. I have met a 19-year-old man who declared to me, ‘I want to see 100 villages saved!’ He just needed a tablet. I am so thankful for this partnership and grateful beyond words to the many friends of Jesus Film Project who are accelerating our work of discipleship and church planting. Thank you to all.”

I am thankful, too, particularly for you. Thank you for all you do.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

Josh Newell

Executive Director, Jesus Film Project®

PS. Opportunities are multiplying before us. More and more workers are asking to be equipped with solar-powered video tablets with speakers ($530), or NewLifeBox kits ($205). These requests greatly outpace resources to respond. As you feel led to equip these teams, please give today. These workers, their partner ministries and I will be very grateful. You can also give safely by clicking the “give a gift” button or by calling 800-387-4040. To give a gift of stock, an IRA rollover gift or a gift from your donor-advised fund, call Debbie Williams or Jennifer Herr at 888-278-7233, or you can email them at stock@jesusfilm.org or ira@jesusfilm.org.

* He is with Biglife of India, one of 1,800 ministry partners who use “JESUS” to win hearts and plant churches. They also use other Jesus Film® content and follow-up films to disciple and build new believers.