Three years ago I met Pastor Naina, a Bhutanese Nepali Pastor who was a refugee relocated to Charlotte NC. He’s from the mountains of Bhutan and Nepal where many tribes and languages are intermixed. Naina speaks 9 languages. The day I met him, I showed him the Jesus Film mobile app and helped him install it on his mobile phone. Naina knew lots of people who spoke different mother tongues and they spoke many other languages too. A lot of them had a mobile phone. Two weeks later I had a chance to stop by and see him again. After I’d left earlier, he emailed or texted 142 different people the app in their appropriate language. Then, he put it on FaceBook for 550 friends to see. All in one day.
The first afternoon he sent it to Ruben, a young relative near Washington DC, who was also a refugee. Ruben downloaded it and played it for some buddies who’d been playing soccer together. After watching, 3 of the 4 received Christ. People also opened the app and watched the film in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and several states in the US. Comments and stories started flowing back.
Kumar, a pastor still near the refugee camp in Nepal, opened it and downloaded it. Every evening over the next two weeks he showed it to 14 families near his home. Four of the families (22 people) received Christ. Kumar’s church was growing. Over the next six months, Kumar, using his mobile phone, planted 5 more churches in 5 nearby villages. Today Kumar is overseeing 15 churches and mentoring 5 young leaders. We now support Kumar with $50 a month.
Naina is now working with 25 Pastors in different areas in Bhutan, NE India, and Nepal as well as dozens of pastors across America and many other countries. He started churches in Australia and New Zealand through the JESUS Film mobile app and disciples them through Skype.
I’ve raised support for Naina and he is full time staff now. He just flew to NE India, Nepal and Bhutan to train 1,000 pastors and volunteers in evangelism and church planting using mobile phones, micro SD cards, DVDs and solar powered projectors.
I’m elated and praising the Lord!
“Phil” sent MMF this report. If you have an encouraging story of using mobile innovation for the kingdom, please submit it here.