Rochelle’s team helps onboard new staff with the Jesus Film Project. It’s such a delight to hear how God uses these staff and their work in partnership around the globe. Recently, Jesus Film partnered in outreach ministry in South Sudan, and the Spirit of God moved as people heard the Good News of Jesus in their heart language.
Here’s the back story: South Sudan is a troubled nation in Africa. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the brutality of an aggressive religious culture in the north that especially seeks to silence followers of Jesus.
About 10 years ago, a pastor with Wycliffe Bible Translators translated the Gospel of Luke for a people group of about 150,000 who lived there. Few could read, as they are an oral, story-telling culture, and the printed Scriptures bore little fruit. However, slowly, a small church was planted, eventually growing to 200 members.
Then that same pastor translated the script of the “JESUS” film, based on the Gospel of Luke. Two thousand people attended the first showing! It was the largest gathering of people in this language group. Most had never seen a film and here was one in their language!
The life and words of Jesus penetrated their hearts. The Holy Spirit assured them that what they were seeing and hearing was true, that Jesus died and rose for each of them, personally. When the pastor asked who wanted to follow Jesus, 1,200 people raised their hands!
Immediately, they all wanted to be baptized in the nearby river. And God’s timing was perfect. That area is mostly arid with a river that flows only three to four weeks each year. On this day there was water! Baptizing them all was such a challenge that the pastor became exhausted. So, he divided the people into groups of 25. As he pronounced baptismal words over each group, they dipped themselves in and out of the water.
Through a single showing of “JESUS” that church of 200 people became 1,400—a seven-fold increase—because they could see the visual portrayal of the gospel, hear the story and understand His Word in their heart language!
God is drawing people to Himself across the globe. And as you partner with us, we help send staff who make stories like this possible all over the world.