The GodMan film generates great excitement about God and the Book of Hope. (photo courtesy of Book of Hope)
Argentina (MNN) ― When Book of Hope premiered the Spanish version of the GodMan film in Buenos Aires, Argentina two years ago, a little girl's life was changed forever.
A local church distributed about 60,000 copies of the Book of Hope in the area, inviting children to the film. Over 3,000 children and youth packed the church to see the GodMan. Book of Hope founder Bob Hoskins was there.
He noticed how intrigued one little girl was as she watched the film, and he pointed her out to the photographer.
"At one point where Christ was being crucified, she actually covered her face. And then when the movie ended and the pastor gave an invitation for those who wanted to receive Jesus, I saw her lift her little hand," Hoskins said. "And then when the prayer was finished, she got this big smile on her face."
The pictures taken that night now hang in Hoskins' office, to remind him of the impact the GodMan film is having on children's lives. Just two weeks ago, he was in Buenos Aires again as his son preached in the very same church.
"I looked across and saw this same little girl two years later, sitting in almost the same place. This time she was with a brother and a mother, and our eyes met. And when the service was over, this little girl came running across and grabbed me and hugged me," Hoskins said. "Two years later, a child's life transformed, her family in church, and it was just something like God gave me a special present for that moment."
This little girl is just one of many children that have been impacted by the GodMan film--a computer-generated animation of the life of Christ. The film has been translated into almost 100 different languages and is being used in about 100 different countries.
God is using the film in ways that Book of Hope never expected. For example, remote Colombian tribes that do not have access to the Scriptures in their language will soon receive a translation of GodMan.
"We thought first of illiterates who can't read; we thought of people in inaccessible areas where it's difficult to do a book distribution; and, we thought of children who can read but prefer to receive their information through visual media," Hoskins said. "But God has just expanded the outreach of it as far as audience, beyond what we had expected."
Book of Hope's most urgent need is prayer for protection for its volunteers, said Hoskins. Many volunteers, like the ones in Colombia, work in dangerous situations. Some volunteers have been attacked or kidnapped.
"We have almost 400 volunteers around the world, because we work with the local churches, and their people volunteer to go into the schools, distribute the book, and show the GodMan film," he said. "We need to pray a constant covering over our volunteers that are distributing the books and showing the film around the world."
Click here to help Book of Hope reach children and youth with the Gospel.
