Warao tribe reached through ‘Jesus’ film

The telephone call was an answer to prayer. Thanks to the missions commitment of Alabama Baptists, International Mission Board missionary James Hensley would have a new tool with which to reach the Warao, a tribe of 30,000 people who live in the upper delta in eastern Venezuela.
   
The call was from the Orlando, Fla., headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ, the group that made the “Jesus” film. A group of Alabama Baptists in Gadsden wanted to make the “Jesus” film available in the Warao language. 
   
Hensley had only recently moved to the area from the Andes area of Venezuela. “The Lord had laid this people group on my heart,” he said. “We had only chronological Bible stories to use in presenting the gospel. I was praying for something like the ‘Jesus’ film in the Warao language, and God gave us the ‘Jesus’ film itself.”
   
Since no maps exist of Warao villages, Hensley takes a map with him to mark each new village he finds. He travels by boat among the more than 300 small Warao villages scattered along the vast complex of streams that crisscross the delta, trying to reach this forgotten group with the gospel.
   
The Warao diet is primarily fish, but overfishing by ocean-going trawlers has resulted in an ever-shrinking diet. Half of the babies die before their first birthday, and survivors are plagued with numerous health problems. And medical treatment is scarce. 
   
Since Hensley’s heart was already committed to reaching the Warao, when the call came from Campus Crusade, he eagerly joined the effort to produce the film in Warao. He recruited more than 30 Warao speakers to do the voices. About eight months later, the project was completed. 
   
Bob Thornton, retired director of missions for Etowah Baptist Association, said the $17,500 Etowah Baptists help raise for the film’s development was something they “wanted to do because the need is so great.” The association also provided three projectors and three sound systems to use in showing the Warao the “Jesus” film. 
   
The results have been spectacular, according to Hensley. “I’m just reaping the harvest. This is great.” 
   
He estimated that about 1,500 Warao have seen the film since its release and about half of those have made public professions of faith. 
   
“I go into a village and show the film, and by the time I leave, most of them have accepted Christ,” he said. In the past two months, he has baptized more than 80 converts. 
   
An exciting part of the evangelism is that villagers who accept Christ want to immediately go to other villages and share Jesus, Hensley said. He works with a Venezuelan national missionary who targets Warao in another area of the delta region and two Warao pastors. 
   
Together they show the “Jesus” film in every new village they find. Hensley is also excited because the Warao who have seen the film want to see it again and learn more about Jesus. 
   
“The ‘Jesus’ film has been very important in reaching the Warao,” Hensley added. “It opens doors. It gets people together. All the people of a village come to see the film.” And since most of the Warao do not speak Spanish, having it in the Warao language is essential.   
   
Thanks to Etowah Association, Hensley has his answer to prayer.