Dear Friend in Christ,

I have some amazing reports to share with you today. It’s a privilege to partner with you, to help fulfill the Great Commission through Jesus Film^® media. Thank you for your prayers and gifts.

A few months ago, my wife, Holly, and I were in Phoenix, meeting with a group of friends and supporters of the ministry. In one session, we listened to Andreas Sauter, director of Elijah21. They are just one of the 1,800 ministry partners who use “JESUS.” Working in Germany, Elijah21 provides meals for Middle East refugees and then shows them “JESUS.” I have summarized his remarks.

“I want to tell you about Ahlia.^* She is from a strict religious family who lived in Mosul, Iraq. Her father was the religious leader of the local house of prayer. When ISIS came to their city, they kidnapped Ahlia, just 11 years old. They threw her into a car, then sold her to ISIS fighters as a sex slave, passing her from one fighter to another.

“Ahlia became more dead than alive, completely a wreck physically, mentally. When she became useless to ISIS, they sold her back to the family. To pay the ransom, the father had to sell property and their house. But once released and back with her family, everyone in the neighborhood shunned them. They wanted nothing to do with the young girl who they considered filthy. Her father lost all his faith. They left Mosul and became refugees, coming to Germany.

“Our Elijah21 missionaries invited Ahlia and her family to come with other refugees to a church for a meal and to watch ‘JESUS’ in Arabic. They came, but she was lifeless … until the familiar scene in the film, from Luke 7, where the woman pours out oil over Jesus and cries, then dries off her tears with her hair. That was the moment for Ahlia. Her heart opened as she heard Jesus say, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

“Suddenly, Ahlia, who by now was 17, was transformed. In the blink of an eye, Jesus set her free completely. She was beaming. Delivered from all the pain and abuse, she tightly hugged our missionaries and said, ‘Today, I have received a completely new life!’

“Not only did Ahlia experience this tremendous miracle, but her mother and sisters also believed. However, her father, the religious leader of their house of prayer, was not present. After witnessing the terrors of ISIS, he was done with his religion. In fact, he never left his room, completely hopeless and depressed.

“But now made new in Christ, Ahlia invited 30 refugee men and her father to come and see the ‘JESUS’ film themselves. To our great surprise, her father came. He was touched by the love of the missionaries for the refugees. After watching, he understood their love and became enthusiastic about Jesus.

“Ahlia and her 15-year-old brother have become Elijah21 volunteers. They’re helping with our outreaches, with childcare. That’s Ahlia in the red Chicago Bulls sweater. Her mother is behind her in the COVID mask.

“You should see Ahlia today, worshiping in church. Her entire face is now beaming as Jesus has given her a new life. Ahlia, and her mother and father, have all been baptized. The whole family is beaming, too, helping others like them experience their wonderful Savior Jesus Christ, who said in Revelation 21:5, ‘I am making everything new.’

“Millions of refugees are coming to Europe, desperate to find a loving God. Their hearts are so open. We are experiencing a migration and opportunity that is unprecedented. The ‘JESUS’ film, His Word in their language, and love, is all so powerful.”

Like many ministry partners, Elijah21 utilizes digital projectors to show the refugees “JESUS.” After they eat, the people divide up into as many as four language groups. They then go to separate rooms to watch “JESUS,” each in their language: Arabic, Farsi, Dari or Kurdish.

Their work is but one way God is using your partnership. Again, thank you. Next, I would like to tell you how God is working through a different method—broadcasts of “JESUS.”

A key ministry partner, Trans World Radio (TWR), regularly broadcasts the audio version of “JESUS” via shortwave, AM and FM. Special sound effects are added to the audio version to help people visualize the story as they listen. Your partnership is helping to fund the costs of these broadcasts. Here are some of the responses TWR has received:

 “I listened carefully to every word. I went back to the period when Jesus walked the earth. His words became so lively and spoke strongly to my heart. It was not just empty words; they were full of life. It was as if Jesus had spoken to me personally. But it’s really like that. His Word is alive, and today it speaks to us. He calls us to repent, to be merciful, full of love. He is gentle with us and is always there to help and heal our wounded souls and sick bodies. Thank you for broadcasting this radio drama. I really enjoyed listening to it.”

— a listener in Bosnia/Herzegovina

This is from a listener in Morocco: “I have studied {my beliefs} and discovered that it is not the truth. I was looking for truth when I found the TWR Arabic radio programs. I’ve been listening for a while. I listened to the drama about the life of Jesus. I’m scared to believe in Jesus, but I know that Jesus brings comfort and peace. I will call unto Him and ask Him to clear my heart from any fear.”

And from a felon who was listening to “JESUS” came this: “I was released from prison on probation and thought that I had nothing to do with myself. My family doesn’t accept me. I don’t want to go into my old environment. I had a small radio that you had given me—the one with a crank and a solar battery. I heard a completely new and unknown program on Sunday. This was Luke’s Gospel, but it was like a movie. And the world has made sense again.… I want to be like you and preach the gospel.”

As a partner of Jesus Film Project^®, you are helping proclaim the gospel. You are reaching people who have never once heard the gospel, enabling them to meet Jesus, who died and rose to give them salvation and eternal life. With thanks for your partnership, I’d like to invite you to review the enclosed information sheet. You’ll see some of the tools those 1,800 ministry partners are asking for so they can reach the unreached, to disciple them and plant churches.

We have requests for thousands of microSD cards, hundreds of video tablet sets and scores of NewLifeBox^TM kits. There are many opportunities to broadcast the “JESUS” film this Easter over television. In fact, as many as 200 TV stations around the world may be available to broadcast the gospel! Stations in closed nations actually want to broadcast the film, especially at Easter. Listeners often send positive feedback. Station managers will then take the initiative to contact Jesus Film staff, asking if they can air the film again.

Here are ways you can help reach men, women and children in their heart language. First, you can equip a worker with a NewLifeBox kit for a gift of $205. You might consider a gift of $120 to send 12 microSD cards preloaded with “JESUS” and follow-up materials. Your gift of $240 can send 24 microSD cards. Your gift today of $530 will equip a worker with a 10-inch video tablet with wireless Bluetooth speakers and a solar panel to reach small groups. Or you can supply just a video tablet for one-on-one or smaller showings for a gift of $350, two tablets for a gift of $700.

With so many people abandoning their long-held beliefs and searching for something better, one of the best ways to reach them with the gospel this Easter is through those TV broadcasts. Your gift today of $1,525 will help open the doors to potentially reach 1.1 million people in a closed nation. You can enable them to hear and understand for the first time in their lives. Every gift you send will help reach them.

It’s our joy to partner with you to supply ministry partners with these effective tools so that everyone, everywhere, will see “JESUS.” Thank you so much.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

   Josh Newell
   Executive Director
   Jesus Film Project^®

PS. You can help send digital tools to shine the light of the gospel into spiritual darkness. You can help open up an Easter broadcast opportunity, potentially reaching 1.1 million people, with a gift of $1,525. Contracts are being signed now for Easter week broadcasts. You can send your gift safely and quickly by clicking the give a gift button or by calling (800) 918-9929. To make a taxwise gift through appreciated stock, an IRA, or a donor-advised fund, call (888) 278-7233 or email stock@jesusfilm.org or ira@jesusfilm.org. You are greatly appreciated.

*I shared a portion of Ahlia’s story with you several months ago. In Phoenix, Andreas gave us an update.