Two large Hindu temples dominate a remote, resistant community of 4,500 people near the coast of a country in South Asia. Tanath was the temple priest of both temples. He led the people in the worship of an idol known as the “goddess of death.” During festival times, he routinely sacrificed 100 goats daily for the sins of the people—a people group who believed their idols actually drank the blood placed before them. When a “JESUS” film team arrived and showed the film, this Hindu priest attended one of four showings. He was respected—even feared—as the “master of sacrifice” in the temples. But the blood of the goats he had killed left him with a deep vacuum in his soul.

As he watched Jesus being crucified and saw His innocent blood spilled, Tanath understood that Jesus was God’s only sacrifice for sin. Tanath was the first person to come forward at the invitation that night. A year later, 300 believers attend the village church. Tanath, now actively involved in evangelism, and discipleship also helps “JESUS” film teams travel to unreached islands off the coast.

Urban Missions Project, a program affiliated with Jesus Film Project, serves as a church-planting initiative. It involves training local pastors, church leaders and university students in various geographical areas of one South American country. In the largest city, mission teams from three U.S. churches and local university students worked alongside area churches to help with vacation Bible school, developing new small groups and “JESUS” film showings. After a total of 10 showings of “JESUS,” 238 people accepted Christ.

In a rural town working in tandem with the community, the Urban Missions Project trained local church members to use the “JESUS” film. The churches conducted six showings of “JESUS,” resulting in 78 people indicating decisions to receive Christ as their Savior! Pastors in these communities testified that 17 home groups now meet regularly with an attendance of 239 people.