“Christ Won Us Tonight!”
We pray you are having a great start to summer! Here’s an exciting story from a film showing in the Solomon Islands:
“Warning!” the walkie talkie sang out. “Please change your plans. Come another night. There is danger in the area.”
Gentry* and his team sat frozen, pondering their next move as they listened to voice of the local church leader. This was the third time they’d tried to send a Jesus Film team to this area, and yet again the village’s enemy tribe was too close for comfort. Gentry knew in his heart this village needed to hear the Gospel, so he gathered his team, prayed and asked God for direction.
That night Gentry and his team felt they should go through with the showings despite the warnings. Tribal fighting loomed over the area, but they were confident God was at work. They responded to the church leader over the radio, saying they respected the warning but still felt God wanted them to minister in that village. Knowing they were determined to go ahead, the leader warned them their team would be responsible for whatever might happen to them in the village.
When Gentry and his team arrived, the community did not formally welcome them as was custom. Instead, the atmosphere was filled with fear. He and his team prayed for God’s protection and peace as they set up their film showing equipment.
At nightfall the showing began and villagers slowly emerged from their homes. As the JESUS film played, everyone was quiet. They were fixated on the screen—fixated on Jesus speaking their language. Only the message of the movie could be heard in the darkness.
Silent and unseen, 30 armed men from the enemy tribe approached the crowd in the dark, hidden behind the cover of trees and using the film showing as an opportunity to strike. But as they approached, they heard the words of Jesus. At the end of the film, two members of Gentry’s team stood up and shared their testimonies along with the invitation to follow Christ.
The armed men paused, convicted by the Holy Spirit. They came out of the bushes, putting their arms and weapons in the air. Their leader could no longer hold back his emotion. In tears he admitted they’d come to fight and to kill, but “Christ won us tonight.”
That night 478 villagers, including the armed men from the enemy tribe, decided to follow Jesus. And over the course of the next few days, peace was restored between the two warring communities. Thank you so much for your part in these miraculous stories of Jesus’s work! Your partnership is an investment in changing lives for ETERNITY!
*Some names and/or locations have been changed for confidentiality.
Family Update
We appreciate prayers as we travel for a good portion of the summer, sharing our ministry and opportunities to be involved. Please pray for safe travel, that we would be a blessing to those we meet, and that we will continue to grow closer to God and each other every day.
God bless you! In His love,
Eric and Allison
