PHILIPPINES COMMITTEE ORGANIZES

Ilongo & Cebuano to be Recorded

Have you ever wondered just how does InterComm select the next Languages to be lip sync dubbed?  Next Project 101 - Prayer - Prayer -Prayer.  God has uniquely opened some doors and closed others over the years.  Usually, however, our relationships with National Leaders from various countries trigger a future potential.  Take the Philippines where Lane & Jill Anderson met with a Set-Up Committee in late April.  InterComm has nearly 200 contacts spread out over her 7,000+ islands.  The major language is Tagalog.  However, we are aware that a good variety of Christian media is already available in that language.  But what about her 2^nd largest island - Mindanao?  The largest Muslim populations of the country are found here, and they speak Ilongo and Cebuano instead. 

Dr. Nora Laus

As we began to pray about where we might honor our Lord best, the name, Dr Nora Laus, lept to the fore, and guess what?  She lives on Mindanao.  Over and over through the years, God has led us to develop AVangelism tools to all the major Muslim countries of the world, and now to a smaller group in the Philippines. 

In 1995, a spiritually unfulfilled Catholic doctor sought a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  This quickly led her away from “all the idolatry I was finding in the Catholic Church”.  Christ filled her spiritual vacancy with such joy it wasn’t long before she began stepping out from her medical practice, taking the Good News of the saving grace of Jesus Christ to her countrymen, primarily the Muslim hill peoples. 

We met her in late 1999 when a first shipment of 16mm English Language films finally arrived in her capable hands.  Quietly she began to organize Film Teams, and today, 6 years later, 3 teams traverse some of the most challenging terrain Mindanao has to offer.  250 showings have been reported with 20,000 souls claiming Jesus Christ since that beginning. 

Lane & Jill with Dr Nora Laus and the Philippines Project Leadership Team

Seeing the need for nurturing churches to raise up these new converts, Dr. Laus trained 65 new pastors who now lead village churches all over the island.  When contacted about interest in a possible Recording Project, she was quick to encourage us to come for a visit.  Our arrival in late April was met with a highly motivated group of National Leaders ready to proceed in partnership with InterComm to complete work “not just in Ilongo, please, but could we also do some in Cebuano?” 

Lord willing, we will return early in 2007 for this recording.  Will you please pray with us for God’s provision?  It takes a big budget to complete each Project.  So great prayer is requested from each of you.  Perhaps you can share this need in your church?.  Or with family and friends.  Foundations.  Or businesses, who have a heart for missions.  Just what can you do?  Just what will you do?  We need your help today!  Please call, email, or write for complete Proposal.  We need your help, just like always!\

JOURNEY HARDSHIPS

Deevana Koyya of Andhra Pradesh State, India writes:

“Our team reached many new areas with villages of primarily Tribal people.  These were very remote areas where we did ministry for the glory of God.  We faced significant problems in presenting our films and journeying hardships, but there were great opportunities to witness for the glory of God.”

31 showings to 1097 people with 22 salvation decisions.

KEN ANDERSON

1917-2006

A Life. A Ministry. A Legacy

A Tribute by Lane Anderson

Part 2

Baptista called and asked if Ken would be willing to direct this first screen play, THAT KID BUCK.  When he finally stopped laughing, Doris reminded him, “Ken, you wrote the story.  Who better can understand how the scenes should be acted?”  Working with still photographer, Jim Canon, who had previously never operated a motion picture camera, the neophytes turned out a nice youth drama film for the era.  Another drama story, CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS, was later completed for Baptista. 

“Ken, you have so many great ideas for stories you should start your own Christian Film Company.”  This advice from his many YFC friends, plus more land donated by Morry Carlson on adjoining property, laid the foundation for Gospel Films, Inc. In late 1950.  An evangelistic winter production, FORGOTTEN VALLEY, was the first GF Release with at least 1 new production completed every year thereafter.  SOMETHING TO DIE FOR was produced in Singapore and became the first international production by GF.  It was dubbed into many foreign languages and was even well accepted in the USA.  Every summer 2 things happened.  The newest Gospel Film was premiered at the summer Youth for Christ Conference in Winona Lake, Indiana, and screen tests were shot during the Conference to identify talent for upcoming Projects.  It took a decade, however, to accept the fact that the Board and Ken shared separate conceptual visions for the future of Gospel Films.

In the meantime, attending these summer programs was a Winona Lake man, publishing the Higley Commentary.  He needed an editor for his Sunday school quarterlies, based on the Higley material.  Ken was always introduced, before speaking, as the editor of the Youth for Christ Magazine.  Merging his need for an editor and a concept for a Sunday school training film, a job offer became the door opener through which Ken Anderson Films was launched in Winona Lake, Indiana in 1961. 

Now Ken and Doris were free to produce films for the entire body of Christ.  As Ken later would coin - Films that Preach and Films that Teach.  He also coined, The Message Is Always First, and If Not I, who?  If Not Now, When?

Time for new book projects began to take a back seat to more frequent film script deadlines plus directing and production duties.  Yet, over a period of 7 decades nearly 80 books were published, at least 1 per decade.  Books like The Winky Adventure Series for kids.  Or Tom Hunter Sports Books for teens.  IT ONLY HAPPENS TO PREACHERS or HIMALAYAN HEARTBEAT, the true story of Dr. Geoffrey Lehman, a British missionary to northern India.  It was Dr. Lehman, who personally funded TASHI FROM TIBET and JOURNEY TO THE SKY, 2 films InterComm regularly dubs into other languages.  Or how about the comedy poem books - STAINS ON GLASS WINDOWS or PEOPLE OF THE STEEPLE.  A COWARD’S GUIDE TO WITNESSING was a typical introspective journey, designed to encourage the most timid of us to share our faith.  How about BOLD AS A LAMB, the true story of one of China’s persecuted pastors.  This unique Project fulfilled Ken’s life-long dream of returning to China, having been so deeply touched by her teeming millions during the 1949 adventure.  Ken & Mrs A spent 10 days in Guangzhou in the late 80's, shortly after the ancient doors, so brutally slammed shut by the forces of Communism, slowly began to creek open, powered by a need for foreign exchange.  Lengthy discussions provided the meat from which this biography emerged, becoming one of the truly great stories of the persecuted church in the 20^th century.  THE EDGE OF PARADISE, a peripheral visit to Heaven, and my personal favorite, originally titled by Ken, CELESTIAL CITY.  Finally, God blessed Dad with WHERE TO FIND IT IN THE BIBLE, organized through 30 years of reading God’s Word in different translations and paraphrases, categorizing concepts in a helpful A-Z format.  Much of this work was done while logging hundreds of thousands of flying miles internationally.  Over 4 million copies now have been placed.  God knew a retirement income would be needed.  After all, profits from the Ken Anderson Films productions always went back into the ministry, most often funding the numerous non-budgeted film productions needed around the world. 

What made it all possible?  God’s provision of just the right film at the right time, boosting income and outreach year after year.  Beginning with THE FAMILY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, released in 1961, other key films included IN HIS STEPS (1964), WITHOUT ONION (1966), JOURNEY TO THE SKY (1969), SOUND OF THE TRUMPET (1972), PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (1978), HUDSON TAYLOR (1981), and LOVE NOTE (1987).  Over 200 titles in all, produced on every major continent.

Ken traveled to over 130 countries or islands of the world.  Sometimes his passports held so many additional pages they began to look like books themselves.  Wherever he was working, be it home or overseas, he was an onsite encourager, challenging many people to pursue their God-given talents, whether they be writing skills or pursuing audiovisual excellence.  A visit by Uncle Ken into most homes meant funny stories, plenty of jokes and games, and an adult who cared for kids, as well as a serious bent for the more important spiritual side of life.  Ken’s concept of encouragement filtered down through each of the 7 Anderson children.  One of his goals became taking each sibling along to experience the Haggai Training Program in Singapore.  Over the years each family member has served the Lord faithfully in various venues, including the Christian film and video arena, pastorates, professors at Christian colleges, and even Christian writing.  All 7 grew up from grips, gaffers, and film studio extras into focused servants of our Lord.

Concurrently, to all this beehive of activity, other avenues of ministry developed.  Following a YFC speaking opportunity in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Ken and YFC director, Walt Reschlein got to talking about the need for a Christian camp.  Ken shared how God had blessed Youth Haven through the years and all he had learned working with founder, Morry Carlson, as they strove to reach the spiritual hearts of kids.  When it was learned that a nearby Boy Scout Camp had one vacant week available each summer, Camp Decorah Church Camp was launched.  Each summer, kids from area Wisconsin churches came for a week of fun.   So also arrived an excited wagon load of Andersons.  For many area kids it was life changing.  Eventually, new denominational camps emerged, causing the Decorah Week to take on a new focus.  Money was raised to bring under-privileged children to a free week of camp.  Although discipline became a greater issue, God worked His saving grace on an ever-increasing number of young hearts.  Eventually, the Scouts took back their extra week, but this just opened other doors.  Inheritance funds allowed the Andersons to purchase a small farm just south of Warsaw, Indiana.  In short order, many film sequences began to occur in this rural setting.  Finally, in 1978 an entire kid’s project, TOBY’S TREEHOUSE, was created on location at the property.  The Treehouse set became fundamental in a new outreach to be known as Treehouse Farm.  Weekend and overnight events were booked by churches from all over the area.  Grace College, located in Winona Lake, used the Farm for outreach events repeatedly.  Now over 30 years later, ministry still takes place on those nearby acres on a regular basis.

Continued Next Month

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