Dear Friend in Christ,

A people cut off from the gospel for 1,000 years…

You have helped reach them, through "JESUS."

This is such a dramatic story. I encourage you to share it with your family and friends…every person who loves to hear how God is working.

There is a region on the African continent known for breeding radicalism, violence and terror.

The people are 100 percent committed to their religion, hostile to the gospel and to Jesus. The resistance is so steadfast that Christian leaders say it’s been 1,000 years since they have truly heard the gospel.

A national Christian leader had a heart to reach them.* He trained and mobilized a group of college students, who volunteered to carry them the gospel. They knew they could die in the effort.

The students prayed and fasted, loaded up a supply of DVDs in the people’s language, and began the journey…ready to give their lives in service to the Lord. On arrival they were immediately detected. Religious leaders demanded: “Who are you? Why are you here? What are you doing?”

The students answered, “We are here to tell you the good news!”

“What good news?” a leader scoffed. The students: “The good news is Jesus, His power to heal and save.”

Religious leader: “OK, then. I have a challenge for you. We have a man here who has been insane for many, many years. If your Jesus can heal this man, we will follow Him. But if your Jesus fails, you must convert and follow our religion.”

Full of faith and courage, the students agreed, saying, “Give us this man.”

He acted insane, apparently demonically oppressed. All night the students prayed over him, read the Word and praised their Lord, commanding the demons to release him. One by one, the demons yielded to the power of the Word and the blood of the Lamb. By morning, there were none left. He was completely delivered.

The students cleaned him up, shaved and showered him, cut his nails. They returned to town and presented him to the leader who had issued the challenge. The impact of the transformation—a man now sane and grateful—proved too much for them to accept.

They went back on their word, beat the students and drove them out of the town. They locked the man in a small room, commanding him to say nothing. But he could not stay silent. As people would walk by his “cell,” he kept glorifying God, shouting out, “Jesus healed me! Jesus healed me!”

The whole town came to know what had happened, of the power of Jesus. News made it back to the students. Still recovering from their wounds, the original four asked the ministry director if they could return to the town, this time with four more students. He agreed.

They went for the center of town, to the large market, where they openly and loudly proclaimed the gospel. Thousands heard: “It is Jesus who healed this man, whom we proclaim to you today. Believe and be healed. Receive Him and be forgiven.” As they preached, the students passed out hundreds of DVDs of JESUS.

Those religious leaders again stepped in. They had the students arrested and beaten, and this time, thrown into jail where they spent the night with six suspects of an internationally known terrorist group. The group’s leader was crying out all night from back pain, pleading for help. From their cell the students reached out to him: “We have powerful medicine. Jesus can heal you. But you need to believe, repent and give your life to Christ.”

He believed and the Lord healed him, a powerful witness to all. That radical leader and his five suspected terrorists all gave their lives to the Lord. Even the police officer who heard their testimony during the night—and saw the miracle—also believed.

The result: an underground church was born—where there had not been a single known believer for 1,000 years. The church members included a police officer who had beaten them, a man delivered from demons, six former terrorists, and their families!

That was three years ago. The ministry director recently visited this underground church. He said it was flourishing, having grown to 40 members. They are giving out DVDs of JESUS you provided, asked for more, and are talking of planting a church!

And this ministry director spoke a word to you and every friend of JESUS: “Tell them that the gospel of grace is prevailing in this town, a place that was cut off from the gospel for 1,000 years! The DVDs** of  "JESUS" are so powerful, and in the people’s language, all we have to do is place a DVD in a home, and the Word of God will do its work. We have a vision to place a DVD of "JESUS" in every home with a player on the African continent.” To all the partners who pray and give the DVDs, thank you. God is doing some amazing things. I am so grateful for you.”

I join with him in offering you my thanks. Would you now join in that vision? Film teams, students, church members, volunteers are willing to give unreached people DVDs of JESUS, even at risk to their lives. So many are driven by a Holy Spirit-inspired zeal to help their neighbors and family see and hear the gospel…just as happened to them when someone gave them JESUS.

As I write, we have numerous requests from African teams, and other countries around the world, to supply DVDs, and other media tools. As you feel led to help, I invite you to consider one of these ways you can help unreached people see JESUS.

• Your gift today of $100 could equip workers with 25 DVDs of JESUS or “Magdalena” and other tools of evangelism or follow-up. When a DVD is placed in the hands of a film team member, a trained church leader or a student, it could reach up to 16 people. Or your gift of $500 could provide 125 DVDs. Through either amount, or more, your gift will help many see and understand the gospel, in their heart language.

• In dangerous, restricted areas, demand for DVDs can be high, and supplies low. One answer is modern DVD duplicator systems that can make up to five copies at a time in a matter of minutes. In some locations, these duplicators run around the clock. The cost for one duplicator is $1965. A complete duplication system with a laptop computer and a starter supply of up to 1,000 blank DVDs is $4,285. In the hands of committed nationals who make the DVDs, a gift of that size could provide tens of thousands of DVDs to be placed with individuals, families and homes.

Kindly pray about one of these ways you can help people see and experience the power of the gospel through JESUS. As you do, may I tell you one more report about one leader I am calling Martin. He has been meeting with a group of new believers in a dangerous African nation, in a dry river bed.

A man arrived at the group, whom I will call Kenneth. Like millions around him, he knew absolutely nothing about Jesus. Kenneth realized that the people—the church that met in the river bed—were different. He wanted to know more. Martin felt the best way was to show him JESUS on DVD.

Kenneth watched. He loved the story of Jesus. But he became upset when Jesus was mistreated, saying: “He did nothing wrong. Why didn’t His tribe defend him?” When Jesus was on the cross Kenneth lamented, “He is finished. This is the end.”

Martin responded, “No, it’s not finished.” Kenneth replied, “Impossible!” The DVD continued...

Then the angels appeared at the tomb, surrounded in light, Kenneth became more fascinated. When Jesus returned from the dead and then ascended into heaven alive, Robert said, “I must watch this again…carefully!” He did! He believed and now proclaims Christ as His Lord.

That’s what you can do again and again for scores, hundreds, if not thousands of unreached people as you give them JESUS. As they watch and feel the power of the Word of God and the gospel, they see, hear, believe…and are transformed.

There are still millions who have not heard. However you can help lead them to the cross, according to your ability and His prompting, thank you. May God bless you for your gracious partnership.

 Until Everyone Sees Jesus, 

Erick Schenkel
Executive Director
The JESUS Film Project

PS: It is my privilege to pass these wonderful reports on to you. I wish you could meet some of those students I mentioned, the film teams and ministry leaders. They are sold out to serve their Lord, even if it means death. They will do the work, often duplicate the DVDs, distribute them, and proclaim the gospel in places that have not been reached in centuries! Millions of DVDs are needed worldwide, along with duplicators and duplicator systems. So if you can, please send or post your gift by March 31, 2013. You can also send your gift via credit card by calling (800) 387-4040. Thank you so much.

* This leader is the same man I wrote to you about last month, Tariku. His name means “history maker.” He is a true man of God, one of many God is raising up around the world.

** Now, a question you may have is, “How do people in these poor areas watch those DVDs?” The answer comes, in part, from Asia where cheap players are being mass produced. By the thousands, they are making their way into the poor areas, even in restricted countries. That ministry leader also said of his area: “I estimate that about 60 percent of farmers in Africa today have cell phones, and in terms of DVDs and players, about 50 percent of homes have DVD players. It’s growing and changing every year, every month, and every day."