Dear Friend in Christ,

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”^*  I want to share two amazing reports with you.

► Hakeem was a carpenter in a country hit by a large 7.8 earthquake last February. With tears in his eyes, Hakeem shared what happened: “The earthquake destroyed our house, killed my wife, and four of my children. We lost everything.

“One night I was sitting, looking at my destroyed home, looking up to the sky and talking to my god. ‘Why did this happen to me and thousands of people here?’ Inside, my heart was screaming. For the next hour, I stared into the night sky and kept asking this question. Then suddenly, I heard a voice, saying, ‘Hakeem!’ I turned around but didn't see anyone. ‘Hakeem, I am Jesus.’ Then I saw a face like lightning talking to me. He said, ‘Your house is in heaven, not here on this earth, don't be sad.’ And as he said this, it was like a father hugging a child, and my body felt peace for the first time in a long while. Then He left. I thought it was a dream, but it was true.

“Two days later, some people came to help us (a partner ‘JESUS’ film team). They were feeding my son and me and rescuing us from the pain, and I felt this same hug from the people. So, I shared what I had seen. The team said, ‘Tonight, come and we will tell you more about what you've seen.’ I was so eagerly waiting for the night to come. I took my only remaining son, and they showed us the ‘JESUS’ film. In the middle of the film, I shouted, ‘Stop the film!’ And immediately asked, ‘How do I follow this Jesus?’ Today, my son and I are meeting with all my tribe and my wife's tribe. We’re spreading the news of what happened to me and encouraging everyone to watch the film and follow Jesus; please pray for us.”

► I cannot mention the location for this next report or the ministry partner. It’s too unstable. Drug use is rampant. The economy is in full collapse. Anarchy and starvation are widespread.

Yet in the midst of great suffering, this partner is regularly feeding the hungry and then showing them “JESUS.” We recently talked with the director who excitedly told of miracles, angelic interventions and an incredible response to Christ.

“There always has been a great barrier between the people and the gospel here. Ancestor worship, witch doctors and demonic oppression have dominated. Then came the pandemic and a terrible economic collapse that followed. Families began facing starvation. To help, we set up food centers in the slums, feeding as many as 5,000 people at a time. In their religion, they must give food to the priests of their religion. But the people have nothing to give. Now, someone they didn’t even know was giving them food to eat.

“Deeply perplexed and moved by this love, they say, ‘You don’t know us! Why are you feeding us? That’s when we tell them that ‘Jesus sent us. It’s His love that feeds you. Would you like to watch a film about Jesus?’ They always say, ‘Yes.’

“We mostly use the small video tablets to show ‘JESUS’ in their heart language. They relate to Jesus as He delivers people from demons, heals diseases, feeds the 5,000. They hear His words and are especially captivated by the crucifixion. They greatly relate to His suffering. And when He returns from the dead, they are shaken to the core. For the first time that we know of, the people are responding to the gospel. They are totally changed. Then more miracles come.

 “Still facing many difficulties, new believers pray to Jesus, sometimes as a family and all night, asking His help. They tell of hearing an audible voice in their homes, ‘I will care for you.’ I think of one family who heard a knock on the door. On opening, they saw a large, beautiful being in glittering, shining apparel. He delivers a message, ‘I am with you, have faith … your prayers have been heard.’ Then in a flash, the ‘angel’ ascends upwards, vanishing from sight. These incidents happen so often that new believers assume miracles are the normal Christian experience!

“Tragically, taking advantage of anarchy, gangs are rampant here. They lend money and extort. If a family doesn’t have the money to pay back, gangs burst through the door with knives and kidnap teenage daughters, forcing them into sexual slavery. It happens all the time. We had one family helplessly watch their daughter be kidnapped. She was screaming in fear as they took her away. The family prayed to Jesus fervently. As they prayed, a man knocked at the door. He walked in and placed on the table the exact amount of money they needed and left. They sped to the brothel just in time and rescued her. Nobody knew who the man was. He had never been seen before.

 “At a ‘staff’ meeting (nearly all our staff are volunteers, new believers), I learned that the same thing has happened five times, five different locations, five families. A man appears and gives them the precise amount to rescue their daughters! Angels!

“One of our evangelists is a former, powerful witch doctor. He is now completely changed and is using ‘JESUS’ and the tablets to reach all the witch doctors around us, of which there are hundreds. After watching ‘JESUS,’ they want to be baptized immediately in a river. And more than 50 of our evangelists are former gang members. Ten are former prostitutes.

“Nearly all these new believers are in committed discipleship groups. They meet together three to five times each week, soaking in all they can about Jesus, learning how to share their faith, watching clips of ‘JESUS’ and follow-up films on the tablets. They are bold in their faith.

“Last Christmas, we had 3,000 new believers in 250 study groups meeting in homes. So far this year, we have baptized a total of 4,300 people who are meeting regularly in 500 groups, doubling the number of groups. New believers are cramming into houses for discipleship meetings to the point that you can literally feel the structures shake. We’ve had to help with repairs!

“Jesus Film Project gave us 25 video tablets. They are a fantastic tool that can be used over and over. We have 65 worker/evangelists. We need many more tablets. Freed from spiritual darkness, many become fervent evangelists. We are baptizing 50 people or more each week—in total awe at what God is doing. His Word is not returning void!

“The windows of opportunity are open now to feed the hungry and share the gospel everywhere in this once highly resistant nation. Now is the time to love people, to preach the gospel and to show them ‘JESUS.’ The video tablets and the small projectors are perfect tools, portable and effective. We are training the workers to be film teams—all being former non-believers—to use ‘JESUS.’  This ministry is bearing fruit we never thought possible.”  

As you have just read from these reports, our God is at work in wonderful ways as hurting people are shown unconditional love. They become open to watching “JESUS.” As they watch, His Word never returns void. You have likely read that the film “JESUS” has been released now in 2,099 different languages—His Word on film! More than 1,800 partners are using the film and the equipment you supply to help reach an estimated 3 billion people who have never heard.

Hearts are opening, even in difficult places. Now is their moment. It’s why I invite you to again join in this partnership where God is working. You can help train, support, equip and send “JESUS” film teams. The average cost for a day of ministry for one team is $38. They will show the film and follow up new believers, planting churches where there are none. Perhaps you can sponsor two days of a film team’s ministry through a gift of $76, or a week by sending $290. Should you have the financial ability, can you consider supporting a team’s work for a month for $1,160, or as much as an entire year for a gift of $13,920? Your gift of any size will help.       

Partners and teams also need video tablet sets because they are so effective. You can provide a complete set—a tablet with Bluetooth speaker—for a waiting evangelist/church planter for a gift of $530. You can also equip a partner with a Church-Planting Backpack Kit for a gift of $3,580. These kits are for larger, public showings where it is safe to use them. Everything fits into a backpack to present “JESUS” to up to 300 people at a time.

As you consider your end-of-year giving, you may feel led to help multiply the work of these teams, laboring where hearts are open and ready to believe. More than $265,000 is needed to meet all the requests from partners. I invite you to help as God leads you. May God bless you as you help reach everyone, everywhere.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

Josh Newell
Executive Director
Jesus Film Project®

PS. God is using your partnership in amazing ways. He is working through your prayers and gifts. Thank you. We are quickly approaching the end of the year. The opportunities to reach many more are there, waiting to be seized. You may wish to consider a generous year-end gift, a tax-smart gift of stocks or appreciated assets as well as a transfer of a qualified IRA. (The IRA/QCD transfer form can be found at www.jesusfilm.org/ira.)

You can send teams now by clicking the “give a gift” button. Or you can give via credit card by calling (800) 918-9929. For information about other tax-wise giving strategies, please visit: www.jesusfilm.org/planned-giving or email stock@jesusfilm.org or ira@jesusfilm.org. Please complete your gift by December 31, 2023, to qualify for a tax deduction. Thank you.

*Psalm 145:3 King James Version