The following story emerged from Good News Productions International (GNPI) – Africa:
The most popular media projects we produced in East Africa were short, dramatic feature films designed to model the Christian lifestyle in ways an average person could grasp. Each video told the story of someone who, despite their flaws and imperfections, was ultimately transformed by the teachings of Jesus. We tried to make these funny and believable, and we used local actors and shot them in small villages to make the film plots realistic for our rural audience.
We created one story about a man whose life was controlled by alcohol and gambling, which was tearing apart his family and destroying his reputation as a respected farmer. In the film, we showed him spiraling out of control. At one point, he is severely beaten and left for dead by someone to whom he owed money. Even his wife fights him off with a stick when he threatens to molest her while in a drunken stupor. Once he hits bottom, friends from the local church reach out and help nurse him back to sobriety. They ultimately convince him to turn his life over to Jesus.
This film became an instant success. We were offered free airtime, and the local TV station added this story into their lineup where it was broadcast two or three times a month for several years. About two months after it was released, our office received a call from a man who wanted to visit. When he showed up, he told us, “That’s my story! I am that man! I was out of control. I gambled, cheated, stole money, drank myself silly, and even ended up in the hospital when my wife hit me in the head with an axe.”
To prove his point, this man showed us a three-inch gash on his forehead, a scar from his wife’s efforts to protect herself. “I should have died from this,” he said, “but somehow God spared me. I spent many months in the hospital not knowing if my wife could ever forgive me. While there, I saw your film on TV. Then I saw it again. And again. I didn’t want to admit it, but the truth is God was trying to speak to me through this story! Finally, a group of men from my wife’s church came to visit me. They told me about Jesus and how He could heal me of my addictions. They explained how God could turn my life around. So I finally admitted it was time for a change. I gave my life to Christ and have been sober for three years.”
“Thank you for making this film,” he told us with tearful eyes. “This was my story and I hope it helps others like me turn their lives around too!”
You can see many of the stories GNPI has created on their YouTube channel.