The adventure that required Courage! 

Kevin, a former nuclear and a chemical engineer, had braved a number of mission trips to India.  This time, though, he and his wife Tracie really went out on a limb.  Their 6 month plan?  To preach the Gospel among unreached people, in a semi-hostile region. The outreach team? The Indian Believers who had invited them and their four children, the youngest of which is appropriately named, “Courage.”

Once in India, Kevin reminded the team how the Master had instructed his disciples to: “Inquire for a man of peace.”  Why not approach unreached villages this same way? The Indian team members mapped out regions with no Believers. Then one of them traveled ahead to request permission from the village chiefs to show the Jesus film, a visual depiction of Luke’s Gospel.

Kevin had brought a portable movie player/PA system called the Vista,which can show a film to crowds of up to 1,000 people.  The Vista is solar-charged, which was necessary for the villages with limited electricity. Kevin also brought audio Bibles for the outreach, because he had become aware of amazing research:  That church planting movements are spreading like a wind-driven fire, when gospel films are paired with audio Bible Listening Groups.  In fact, the “discipleship level” rises from a mere 2% with no follow-up, compared to an amazing 200%, when audio Bible Listening groups are formed.  Kevin chose the Papyrus solar audio Bibles, which are dramatized in 570 languages. The Vista and the Papyrus are available at: www.renewoutreach.com

In the first two outreaches, although local leaders permitted the team to enter the village, only a few people showed up for “movie night.”  The Indian team members suspected that leaders of the local religions might have threatened their own people.  Kevin dug deeper into his Bible, seeking clues for the next step.  He read: “When you go, heal the sick…..”

This experiment was about to get interesting…

In the next village, Kevin arrived at the home of the village leader and asked permission to pray a blessing over his family.  The leader accepted graciously, and then allowed the team to visit everyone else in the village.  In each home, Kevin would inquire “if everything was well”. If he found that a family member was ill, the team would offer a simple prayer for their healing. Suddenly, God began to heal the people!

Then on movie night, villagers flocked to view the  story of this One who had just healed their neighbors!  In every single village people were healed, and some testified publicly!

On one occasion, Kevin visited the family of a woman who had lost her mind. He had noticed this poor woman during several visits in the past years; now the family explained that their mother had been controlled by evil spirits since the day she had witnessed a double suicide, 40 years before!

When the woman suddenly began writhing on the floor, speaking languages that she’d never been taught, Kevin’s translator became alarmed.  Another Indian leader appealed to Kevin for help.  He responded by speaking gently to the afflicted woman, but commanded the spirits to leave, “in Jesus Name”.

After a brief, dramatic encounter, the woman was completely set free!  When Kevin visited the home  in the days that followed, this same woman was all smiles, serving them refreshments!  Her family was marveling and exclaimed, “We have never seen anything like this before!" They, who had also suffered for 40 long years, now thanked God who had freed their loved one!

Sadly, there was no available missionary to reside in these villages.  But Kevin trained a responsible person to play the Papyrus audio Bible.  An Indian ministry partner committed to visit each village and oversee their Listening Groups. God is moving in India! (Feel free to forward this to others. Some names were changed to protect “world-changers.”) 

At this Jesus Film showing in India, the screen was suspended from the local idols! This bold act might have prompted a death sentence, except that local leaders had witnessed the works of God.

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