Lausanne World Pulse – Perspectives Articles – Surprised by God: How God Used Us to Impact a People Group for Him

By Rick Dunn
April 2010

The vision was laid out to the entire group and God answered our prayer. Over the next few days we followed up with people we had invited through individual meetings, and a man named Greg raised his hand and said, “I will do it.” With God’s help, he would be the one to put a strategy together to reach these people with the gospel.

A Plan
Greg spent the next month gathering a small team who was willing to commit to the project. The effort began with researching all that could be found out about the country, the people, what evangelistic resources might be available in their native tongue, and finally potential indigenous ministry partners. 

As this team of lay people began to work together, they learned that a translation of the JESUS film had recently been completed in the heart language of this group. They also found several Christian ministries operating in the capital city only a few hours flight away. The team was able to make contact by email with ministry leaders in the capital city and a plan was made to visit “our” people group in a few short months.

There was much to do before the trip: flights to arrange, visas to obtain, money to raise, and a plan to develop on how to get the film equipment and prints into the country. As the departure date drew near, things seemed to fall into place, and soon we would see the land and the people that had been on our hearts and in our prayers for months.

Six people comprised the Survey Team. Our first stop was Thailand for a quick change of planes; then we were off into the spiritual darkness of this oppressive Buddhist nation. From the moment we stepped off the plane into the sweltering heat and humidity with the many-armed militia leading us through customs, we felt the tension of our circumstances. Our team was carrying a film projector, screen, frame, and 16mm prints of the newly-translated films in our luggage.

We knew we needed a miracle if we were to get these items through customs. All of the items were spread throughout our luggage and each of us attempted to pass through separate customs lines. I carried the 16mm prints.

I was the last one to go through—all the others had made it. I was on the third round of questions from progressively higher ranked customs officials. I explained for the third time that I wanted to pay the duty required to take the films I had brought to my friend. Finally, the official told me it would be expensive. I was prepared to pay whatever was necessary. He walked me over to a cash register and after a moment on a calculator, he told me the duty would be US$23. I breathed a sigh of relief and gladly paid the money. God’s word was going forth—he had performed a miracle.

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