Flat Tire Opportunity

There are twenty-one teams with the Jesus Film Partnership, a ministry of Global Partners, who have shown the video version of Luke’s story of the gospel to nearly three million people. One team saw God use a vehicle breakdown to minister to thousands.

A Jesus film team ministering in a Muslim area of Africa had just finished a week of showings that saw hundreds come to know Christ and the establishment of at least one Wesleyan church. Exhausted from their work and living in the primitive conditions where they ministered, they joyfully looked forward to the journey home. Hours into their trip they had a flat tire on their vehicle. Fortunately they had a spare, changed the tire, and continued toward the border of their homeland.

Hours later, another flat tire. This time there wasn’t a spare. Suddenly the team was faced with staying overnight in a nearby village while a new tire was sought. They were able to find lodging and after settling in, a national pastor who was traveling with the team went to greet the elders of the village.

After explaining the reason for their visit to their village—and after telling them about the team’s mission–the Muslim elders surprisingly asked if the team could show the Jesus film to the village.

The pastor went back to the team and shared the elders’ request. Exhausted from their week of intense ministry and the frustration of a vehicle breakdown, the team was a bit reluctant to commit to a film showing that evening. But after prayerfully considering, they agreed that it was a “God moment.”

The tired team members hauled the projection equipment from their stranded vehicle and set up a huge white screen in the center of the village. The flat tire created just one of the hundreds of opportunities God has given Jesus film (a production of Campus Crusade for Christ International) director, Dr. John Connor, and the Film teams in sharing the story of Christ’s forgiveness.

Dr. Connor, a veteran Wesleyan missionary who was recently honored by Houghton College with the Claude A. Ries Pastor of the Year Award, reported that over 1800 villagers came to the showing, and over 30 of them responded to an invitation to accept Christ as their Savior.