Jesus Film® recording teams are traveling again. A couple of months, a team traveled to the Middle East and Central Asia and here’s a report from one of the recordists. Her team was recording “Rivka,” our follow-up and discipleship video series which focuses especially on women and families. It is a series of a dozen videos, each about 18-20 minutes and designed to fit a 30-minute broadcasting slot. They were created to teach new believers how to live out their faith, even in challenging times and situations.
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The last recording trip that Mariana* took with Jesus Film Project® was in November 2019. And then came COVID-19 and a travel freeze.
“There were a lot of whispers of trips, but everything would fizzle out,” Mariana reflects.
Then in June 2021, she and two others got the green light for the first recording trip in over a year. With a mere two and a half weeks to prepare and mini health crises popping up for the team, they scrambled to complete their checklist and meet restrictive travel guidelines.
But God made a way, and soon they were off to record “Rivka”—one of our least- translated films—in a Central Asian language spoken by more than 10 million speakers worldwide. This people group is largely oppressed.
A local radio station owner, Cassidy*, invited the recording team to come even though his friends discouraged him for fear of retaliation. Except for the pastor who reviewed their work, none of the actors identified as Christian. But Mariana and her team happily answered their questions about Jesus. They formed strong bonds with the people almost immediately, drawn in by their warmth and the city’s beauty.
Cassidy believes “Rivka” is an ideal discipleship tool for the intended people group. Once completed, he hopes to air one episode of the 12-part “Rivka”series per day on his radio station.
As for the recording team, they’re chomping at the bit for their next trip. “We’re all so hungry to be out on the field again. So ready,” Mariana shares. “The international recording team is full of people who love experiencing new cultures and meeting new people. We love the role we play in bringing people Jesus in the language they dream in.”
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The “Rivka” video series, an extension of our “Magdalena: Released From Shame” film, is in 27 unique dialects today; “Magdalena” is in 205. Please pray not only for the completion of the series, but also for its distribution in multiple ways. From radio and television to streaming it online, and from DVDs played in a family’s living room to a thumb drive playing on a businesswoman’s laptop computer, pray for hearts to be stirred to “walk” and “live” for Christ.
Two other teams traveled in July to southeast Africa to record versions of “JESUS.” Multiple recording teams will be headed out in the fall to places in the world that are safe and where the presence of the coronavirus is minimal. Please join in praying for their safety and productivity. The film “JESUS” is now in 1,917 unique dialects and by God’s grace, we would like to record at least another 18 by the end of the year.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership; they make a world of difference! Rejoice with us at how God is at work today.
*Names and details were obscured for confidentiality.
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