Magdalena Today Newsletter - Issue 07

7/28/2019 Magdalena Today Newsletter - Issue 07

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... making a differenceby Darla France

Inappropriate Freedom

It had been a long, hot July day or me as the air conditioning in our ofce was not working.Typically the grocery store was a place where I rushed through the straight aisles like arat searching or its cheese reward at the end o a maze. But this day was dierent. Thecoolness and mellow lighting was soothing to me as I leaned on my cart, hoping it wouldsupport my tired sel.

I turned into another aisle when I saw him. I didnt know his name, but I had seen him

beore in the local grocery store. He was a young man who looked about 30 and had mentaland physical disabilities. He seemed to always be with the same caretaker, trudging alongbehind her. But as I said, today was a dierent kind o day. As I came closer to where hestood, he lited both arms straight up in the air, looked me right in the eyes and shouted, HEIS RISEN! Although I didnt raise my arms and shout, my knee jerk response was the veryanswer that we give in our church on Easter morning, He is risen indeed! His smile back at

me was remarkable. His caretaker was disturbed and seemed not to know who to silence, him or me! However,she told him to be quiet and leave people alone. Posturing back to his usual trudge, he put his head down as hecontinued to walk along.

I kept trudging too. It had happened so quickly. I was asking mysel, Did that REALLY just happen? Then Iwas ashamed that I had not afrmed his joyul and impulsive act o aith. So I quickly went back to the aisle wherethey walked and came close with my cart. I looked at him and said, What is your name? He told me. I called him

by name and said, Jesus IS risen, and you gave me a good day when you said it right here in the store. Thank you.He beamed at me. His caretaker politely nodded and said, We are trying to teach him not to have outbursts.

My point? This man was ree. He may not have been ree in his body, but he was ree in his soul and his spirit.I believe that the Spirit o reedom can oten recognize it in another. Some are more open and perceptive thanothers. Im sure I did not appear very ree as I tiredly pushed my grocery cart. However, I am reeeven when Idont eel it. So are you.

Now, I am not suggesting we all go out and raise our hands and shout in public places. Then we would beaccused o having an outburst, and o course we dont want that. We are too civilized or that. But even in themiddle o July, we can celebrate the Easter source o our reedom. It is the RISEN Christ.

Like my perception o the grocery store, some o our days are perceived as an endless maze o details anddecisions and hot-and-tired trudging along. This earthly lie can be a rat race and, o course, we are the rats. But

thank God or those ree people who startle us as we trudge in the numbing quest or our personal cheese! Theyspontaneously raise their perspective arms and shout, HE IS RISEN. We can choose to join them with the gladagreement that reedom gives, or we can inwardly scold them or having an outburst that is inappropriate. Wecan keep trudging or thank them. We can let them be separate rom us, or we can choose to join them.

Are you ree? You can be. Despite circumstances or relationships, you can be ree. Why? Because true reedomtakes a second glance past the disabilities o lie and o others, and even o ourselves, and shouts, HE IS RISEN!Yes, He is risen indeed.

Darla France is the Executive Director o Lie Touch Ministries. www.lietouchmin.org

Issue 7 www.MagdalenaToday.co


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MAgdAlenA in Actionwww.MagdalenaToday.com

This Is FreedomWhether writing a song, a Bible study or a book, Karyn Williams is acutely aware othe power o words and devotes her lie to using them to uplit and encourage. Karynexplains, Music has a way o healing in a way that sometimes nothing else can.

Karyns unrelenting trust in God provides the oundation or her lie and is woventhroughout her songs. This Is Freedom, ound on Karyns debut album, Only You, ftsperectly with the message o reedom in Christ ound inMagdalenawhich eaturesbiblical women whose lives were dramatically changed by Jesus.Thats why theMagdalena Team decided to partner with Karyn to produce a new music video. As peoplwatch the video, pray they will grasp the true meaning o reedom.

You just never know how God is going to use your songs, says Karyn. All we can do assongwriters is pour out our hearts and leave it up to Himlet go o it and then trust Godwith the results.

For more about Karyns music, visit www.KarynWilliams.com.To view the music video, go to www.MagdalenaToday.com.

The Justice ConferenceThe Justice Conerence draws justice workers, students andlearners rom all over the world, promoting dialogue about justice-related issues such as human trafcking, slavery, and humanrights. Seeing a great need and a great opportunity, Magdalenarepresentatives set up an exhibit booth at the conerence heldin Philadelphia this year. They explained to ministry leaders andconerence attendees how they could use theMagdalena movie

andRefections o Hope Bible study to bring a message o hope andreedom in Christ to people in need.

Jeanne, who directs The Samaritan Women, a Christian restorationhome or victims o human trafcking, shared this story a ew weeks ater the conerence:

One o our survivors was having a rough day and I gave her the Magdalena DVD. She watched it aloneand said she wept during the stoning scene. This resident is pretty special. Shes had a hard lie since age12 and yet whats coming out now is a wildly creative and hopeul spirit. As a result o the lm, shesinspired to write her own playan interplay between the story o Jesus casting the demons out o thewoman [Mary Magdalene] and her own experience with being delivered rom all the demons (johns)in her lie. This gal is really quite talented; Im eager to see what she creates! Who knowsyour nextmovie? As He wills it will be. Thank you so much or the work that you do and the impact it has.


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A ew months ago,Magdalena was dubbedinto its 100th language, Malagasythe language

spoken by most people indigenous to the island

nation o Madagascar. Here are some o the frst

ruits o this endeavor.

On Saturday, April 20,Magdalena premiered

in the Malagasy language at three churches in

Antanarivo, the capital o Madagascar. The frst

showing, a dedication, had many local church

leaders in attendance. At another showing, about

250 people attended, and 45 people indicated a

desire to ollow Christ.

The next day, a large church hosted an evening

showing oMagdalena. More than 2,400 people

rom the congregation attended. Ater theshowing, women had the opportunity to sign up

or training to learn how to shareMagdalena with

riends, amily and neighbors. Most o the women

raised their hands to commit to the training. Over

the next week, the congregation hosted more

than 1,000 small group showings oMagdalena.

About a week later,Magdalena premiered on

the local TV PLUS station. Then, in early May,

Magdalena played on three other TV stationsin Madagascar. People all over the country and

neighboring islands had the opportunity to see one

o the very ew movies in their own language! It is

estimated thatmore than 2 million people viewed

Magdalena in less than a months time!

www.MagdalenaToday.c

Magdalena

Milestone

Magdalena showing in Madagascar

Most o the women at a large church showing raised thhands to commit toMagdalena training.


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Recently Jo Ann o Orlando went to Russia to visit missionary riends. She sharedthis story with us.

A ew days beore I let or my trip, I thought it would be great to take with me a copyo the Magdalena DVD in Russian . . . but I did not know how I could get a copy onsuch short notice.

The Sunday beore I let, I saw a riend o mine in churchwho works or The JESUS Film Project. I told her aboutit [wanting to show the lm], and she said that she had

a copy with her in her car that day. I was so thankul toGod! I gave the DVD to my riends, and while I was therethey showed it at their weekly soup kitchen to a dozen

seniors. Irina told me that some o the seniors had tears intheir eyes as they watched the movie. I was thankul againthat God enabled me to assist my riends in their ministry

by bringing them the Magdalena DVD.

100 Lake Hart Drive, #3100Orlando, FL 32832

You can fnd us on Facebook at www.acebook.com/MagdalenaToday.

www.MagdalenaToday.comThe JESUS Film Project

A Ministry o Campus Crusade or Christ

To Russia With Love

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Magdalena Today Newsletter - Issue 07