Dear special friend,

This opportunity speaks for itself, so I'll get right to the point: I'm writing with a chance to reach hundreds of thousands of Muslims with the Gospel this summer. Here's how it can happen.

First, there is an increased spiritual thirst among Muslims. You see, "The Passion of The Christ" has recently been released internationally and is playing in many theaters both in Europe and North Africa and, as we have seen in the U.S., the Holy Spirit is using this film to stir more and more interest in Christ. One Christian recently wrote, "...it seems that theaters are packed with Muslims going to Christians afterward asking for New Testaments." Another in a very sensitive nation said:

"The film is so popular here that they have been canceling the other films to show 'The Passion' in all the theatres... well over 50% of the people watching it are local Muslims. I will close with a question asked by a national, 'Do you have the New Testament in Arabic? ALL my friends and I want to read it.'"

Second, starting just days from now, thousands of North Africans, most of them Muslims,living in Europe or visiting for vacation will begin to travel back to their homelands, passing through the port cities of Southern Europe on their way.

While the travelers are bored and eager for something to do as they wait in long lines of traffic to board the ferries and cross the Mediterranean, Campus Crusade for Christ staff and volunteers will approach them with gift packets that include a New Testament (complete with an address to write for more information), an evangelistic audiocassette, an evangelistic children's book, and More Than a Carpenter. Our experience has been that the majority of those offered the packets accept them and take them back with them into their closed homelands.

The Lord has used this Operation Transit strategy in tremendous ways over the last few years. In fact, just last year the results included:

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• Both a Muslim cleric and a professor of Islam wanted to know more about the Gospel
  
  
• Over 190 people received Christ right at the ports
  
  
• Crowds literally shouted "Jesus? Jesus? YES!" upon hearing what was in the packets
  

Now, because the opening of "The Passion of The Christ" has sparked increased interest in Christ, we are expecting this year to be even better! Can't you just see the Lord using this outreach at this time to touch the lives of multitudes?

How exciting it is that the Lord is using More Than a Carpenter to play a critical role in reaching people through this strategy! Recently, when the former director of Campus Crusade for Christ in a North African country was asked how we could best support the ministry outreach in that country, he replied, "by providing more books [referring to More Than a Carpenter and others]...because they lead the mind to believe."

These books address the specific questions that Muslims have about Christianityquestions concerning the reliability of scripture, the deity of Jesus Christ and the historical fact of Christ's resurrection. We have been asked to provide hundreds of thousands of copies of More Than a Carpenter ("flip books" with Arabic on one side and either French, Spanish or Italian on the other), printed specifically for these outreach teams at the different port cities.

Each book costs just $2.50 to print and distribute. Statistics tell us that each person receiving a book will share it with an average of 10 other people! This means that your gift of $50 would provide 20 copies to touch 200 people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. $100 would provide 40 copies to touch the lives of perhaps 400 people; $500 could help reach 2,000! Whatever you could give would be such a blessing to help reach people hungry for hope and real answers.

You have already done so much through our partnership. But with this opportunity before uswith the chance to reach hundreds of thousands of Muslims with the Gospel while their spiritual interest is already heightenedwould you be willing to give a special gift for this need? The men and women who receive these books will take them back into closed nations where books like this are not available. If not for this strategy, many in those nations may never get another chance to read Christian literature! That is why it is crucial to reach those passing through the ports now, to be sure that no one who wants to know more about Jesus goes away empty-handed due to lack of funds for materials!

Please pray for the teams distributing the gifts ... that they would be bold, trusting God every step of the way. Pray, too, for those who will receive the materials ... that the Lord would draw them to Himself. Also, please prayerfully consider your involvement in this opportunity and give as the Lord leads. You may use the enclosed envelope to send your gift today. Again, more books will be needed this year than ever before due to the interest "The Passion of The Christ" is stirring in the hearts of many, so every gift will make a difference.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. May God bless you.

Until the Whole World Hears,

Josh McDowell
Campus Crusade for Christ

P.S. Reports are flooding in that, even in Muslim nations, "Everybody is talking about ['The Passion of The Christ']." This film has sparked the spiritual hunger of many; please prayerfully consider what you could do to help them know the whole story of Jesus by putting books like More Than a Carpenter in their hands. Thank you so much.