Dear Tribe,

Your support made End of the Spear among the top ten highest grossing films in the nation opening weekend (1/20 - 1/22/2006). By doing this you’ve succeeded in bringing End of the Spear to the attention of more people than our marketing budget could ever reach. Now it is by word-of-mouth about the DVD that will extend this story into more and more hearts. Here's how people like you became a part of this story by making contact.

Father and son make contact: Patrick’s oldest son, Scott, had lived in the same town his whole life. When he was 12, his dad moved him and his family to a new town to start a church. After one night in their new house, their possessions were destroyed by leaks in the basement.
The leaks led to electrical problems to carbon monoxide problems to sewer gas until their new home was condemned.

In the midst of a legal battle to keep their home without being able to live in it, Patrick moved the family to a tent on the lawn. When Fall came, they moved into a 36’ trailer.

Scott lived this way for 22 months as the neighbors vandalized his home and his neighbors bullied him. Patrick encouraged his son to forgive and love these people, but this only led to resentment, which his son (now 17) has held for five years.

Two weeks ago, Patrick took his church to see End of the Spear, then he took his son. Patrick writes, “Since that movie, I have seen a drastic change in my oldest son's life. The burden is gone. He has forgiven, and his outlook on life has changed. The bitterness has been replaced with hope and light!”

Ginger L. from North Carolina writes, “Maybe there is a personal message in this movie for me…My son was killed by a drunk driver nine years ago and my spirit tells me to write the perpetrator in his jail cell or visit him to tell him that I have forgiven him.”

Derek B. found the freedom to forgive. After seeing End of the Spear, he writes, “On the drive home with my girlfriend, I suddenly realized the anger I held inside for the last eight years surrounding my father’s death was suddenly released. My step mom had been driving and they were involved in a fatal accident. I finally forgave her and burst into tears, my soul freed.” (from “Inspirations” at www.endofthespear.com)

A marriage reconciles. Angela tells us that she saw “End of the Spear” with her small group. To her surprise, a woman in the group brought her husband who had been separated, by bitterness, from the church. When Angela saw the woman’s husband there, she invited him to join their discussion afterwards, but he said he didn’t want anything to do with it. After the film ended, the man approached the group and asked to join them, “if you’ll still have me.” Later that night, Angela welcomed the woman and her husband back. She says she saw “years of anger removed from his eyes…and a weight lifted off a marriage.”

Capri from Rochester took her six-year-old daughter and son (21) to see “End of the Spear” on opening weekend. When the subtitles appeared, Capri held her daughter in her lap and whispered what the Woadani were saying. At home, her children couldn’t stop talking about the story, so Capri went back to the theater with her husband. This time, they talked about this story for 30 minutes with people they had just met at the movie!

Roxie from Arkansas took her 16-year-old daughter on opening weekend. In the car outside the theater, her daughter was crying when she said, “Mom, I can’t wait to…meet all those men in heaven.”

A Nation makes contact:
Mia Doerksen became a champion for making contact in Guam. She got local TV news to do a review. She organized youth to pass out flyers. Mia told us, “Let's just say that when I started this, when I'd ask Christians (or not) if they heard the movie, only one said yes.  Now, everyone has either seen the paper, TV, etc.” She got two other radio stations to promote the film and give free tickets from the Micro Mall movie theater. She even got government sponsorship and endorsement of her efforts because of the indigenous population reconciliation and anti-violence message of the film. Guam was among the markets where End of the Spear performed the highest. Thank you Mia.

A school makes contact:
Lane, a teacher from Hopkinsville, KY dared to make contact by incorporating the story into her high school curriculum. She asked those who had been truly changed during or since the emphasis of this story to come forward.  Three-fourths of 6th-12th grade students responded. Some were still crying after lunch. Lane provided us pages of personal expressions from her students after seeing End of the Spear. Thank you Lane.
 
An individual makes contact:
Marj Pals writes, “When I was selling tickets for our Bethany Community Church showing of End of the Spear on Jan 19th, I noticed a lady walking by and asked her if she wanted to go. She broke  down in tears and said “I would like to go... but I am all alone and don’t know anybody.”  That gave me a chance to give her a hug and share  just a little from my own experience of going through a divorce and feeling  all alone.....and how the Ladies Bible Class that I teach is a safe place, and I invited her.  Many hurting people like this whose lives need God’s grace..........that’s what This Story is all about.“ Thank you Marj.

As you experience End of the Spear on DVD (to be released mid-June 2006), please be sure to share your experience with us. Send your stories to groupsales@everytribe.com We rejoice in these stories with you, and are deeply grateful for the heartfelt connection around End of the Spear.

Bearing Fruit Communications and
Every Tribe Entertainment
 

Family Life Today - Dennis Rainey
Radio Interview with Steve Saint and Mincaye, the Waodani warrior who killed Steve's father. Imagine befriending your father's murderer. That's exactly what Steve Saint, and his family have done. Listen as Dennis Rainey hears a remarkable story of reconciliation as told by Steve Saint, son of martyred missionary Nate Saint, one of five men killed in January 1956 when trying to reach the Waodani Indians for Christ.
Click here to listen