The Yes Film Project, a CRU ministry based in Orlando, Florida, reached a major milestone with its 2,200th linguistic translation of the Yes Film. The latest version was released in Bauna, a Crango dialect spoken in Ivory Coast, West Africa.
The announcement, made on March 28th, marks a new chapter in the film project, which began in 1979. According to the organization, Jesus films are on display in almost every country, providing the opportunity to present the gospel in the native language of people and helping to meet the great committee.
The film was previously recognized as the world’s most translated film, but in July 2012 it surpassed the 817 translation.
“To this day, it remains the most translated film in the world,” the press release said.
“The story of Jesus was less relevant than it is now, and more accessible than it is now, and is about to reach every last nook and cranny of the planet,” said Josh Newwell, executive director of the Jesus Film Project.
“It is estimated that there are billions of people today who have never heard of Jesus. And I am here to let you know that I have a plan to contact everyone anywhere in the next decade.”
Newell and his wife, Holly, first travelled to Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso was adjacent to Ivory Coast 25 years ago and witnessed the early influence of the Gospel through the film Jesus.
“On our last day, our local Bible translator guide took us to the outskirts of town and together we climbed the dusty hills beyond where the roads took us,” Holly Newell said. “Look at the land beyond,” she said. “I cannot cross the border and go to those villages, and I cannot learn their language. Would you pray that God will reach those villages one day?”
The couple prayed in their guide, but “we couldn’t imagine what God had in the store,” the press release said. The Land Beyond currently houses around 300,000 Kulango speakers.
“And that’s what this mission is all about,” Josh Newell said. “We will allow them to truly follow Him and call on others to do the same about presenting Jesus to everyone everywhere.”
One voice actor who worked on the translation of Bauna – not named in the release, but identified as a government employee – was excited to participate in translating the film into his own mental language for his people.
“When you’re communicating with people in the trade language, it’s reaching their hearts,” he reportedly. “When I listen and speak in my language, it reaches my heart.”
According to the ministry, only a small percentage of the Crango population is Christian and follows most traditional ethnic religions. The visual nature of Jesus films is especially valuable in this context. Many of the communities are illiterate.
The premiere of the Bouna version is planned by local ministry workers, with additional shows planned in the area in the near future.
Technology is accelerating the pace of translation and recording of yes films around the world. It took 32 years to reach the 1,000 language version, but thanks to advances in technology, it only took ten years to double that number.
Translation and recording work will be carried out by the Yes Film Project in collaboration with local churches, organizations and volunteers.
The project began in the 1950s with Bill Bright, founder of CRU (formerly the Crusade of Campus for Christ), who imagined a film about Jesus’ life. Crew Evangelism strategist Paul Eschleman helped bring that vision to fruition in a partnership with Warner Bros., and later launched the Yes Film Project, using the film for global outreach.
Jennifer Eschleman Huff – Paul Eschlemann’s Bible and Daughter Communication Coordinator in a CRU blog post.
“This mission to share the gospel with the world through film was a vision my Father had a deep belief in and dedicated to fulfilling his life. Just as the shepherd left 99 and searched for the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12), my Father believed that everyone deserved to speak directly about Jesus.”
“When we celebrate the 2,200th language of the yes film, it’s clear that the mission is not over,” she added. “My father often had a list of groups of people who hadn’t reached and asked, ‘Who’s missing? How can I get to them?” He deeply believes in the urgency of a great committee, and he often reminds us that all men are important to God. ”
