A not so successful attempt.
Testimony of short term missionaries unsuccessful use of the Jesus film in a small tea shop in Nepal. The major draw backs included bad timing, crowded area and time length.
You had spent time handing out tracts during the last few weeks and had even been able to distribute some gospel portions. As we went we stopped and talked with interested people and when we passed a tea shop we stopped for a break. And while sharing a cup of tea (milking and sweet) we talked to the sauji (shopkeeper).
I had only been in the country a few days and didn’t know much but my friend knew a little and in Nepali English we asked if we could show a video in his tea shop later that week. He didn’t mind at all. So we stuck a poster on the wall that we had made earlier and prayed and continued on our way sharing and asking people to come and watch the video later the week.
When the day came, we split up. The air was a little clouded withe smog but you could see the yellow mustard flowers crops decorating the valley. and were excited and a little nervous about the day. My friend went to the tea shop to set up and myself and others moved along the streets we had distributed tracts on asking people to come and watch the movie. We were outside the main area of Kathmandu city in the small satellite community. We had brought a small portable VCD player with us – with a 10 inch screen. The shop keeper let us use his electricity to power it. We started the Jesus film with a small group of 4 people and the sauji. We played the movie full length and the people watching crowded in to see it. People drifted in and sat for a while and watched and then left. We had planned to play the whole movie through but stopped it when the people grew restless. It was a little frustrating but we asked questions about what they had seen and tried to follow it up. But the people had to go. i guess that day we didn’t have much success. But we tried in different places at other times with much better results.
Why share such a story? I guess it might help you think of better ways to share the film. We were showing it in the morning around 10 – a bad time as it’s lunch time in Nepal and people are moving a lot between things. The tea shop wasn’t captivating and people grew restless quickly. The Jesus film was long. I think in the future I would use it at special events and with speakers (important) or in private home screening and use a shorter version in a tea shop (30-45 min). We tried it in many places and with the help of the evangelical backpack my friends where able to trek the Jesus film up into villages where they could watch it and they even had a solar powered charger to help them charge the batteries (bring extra fuses just in case – you can get them easily in Nepal but the fuses broke and then the unit wouldn’t charge).
Now I would consider using a laptop with computer speakers in a tea shop. The Laptop is easy to carry and has a bigger screen. I’m looking forward to giving it another try when I head back to Nepal and also using an Ipod to share the movie while on the long bus rides outside from Kathmandu to Pokhara and other places I want to work. You can even get a small and very portable solar charger for an Ipod! Praise God!