Kidnappers Respond to JESUS

Every year, thousands of innocent people are kidnapped and held for ransom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a large nation in the center of the African continent. Tragically, many victims are simply killed.
Adrian, was returning home. He was accosted by five men armed with machetes and a gun. They demanded money. Being an impoverished subsistence farmer, Adrian had nothing to give them.
So, they kidnapped him, locking Adrian up along with 12 other victims. They jammed them into a grotesque, grassy hut in the jungle. The conditions were deplorable, crowded, and hot. All the victims were filled with fear.
The rebels found Adrian’s family and demanded ransom, or they would kill him. Going to the police in DRC would be of little value. So, the family desperately tried their best to raise the ransom themselves, even to borrow the funds.
Back in their crowded, dark hut, Adrian recalls, “We were in a desperate situation thinking only about death. We were told every day that, ‘If your relatives don’t send the money, you will be killed tomorrow.’ These moments were so stressful!”
Days turned into weeks, and each day in captivity seemed more and more dire. The conditions were horrible. On the twentieth day, the unimaginable happened: A film team came to the area to show “JESUS.” As they set up, they had no idea there were 13 frightened people nearby, being held against their will. By God’s grace, the team chose a showing site not far away.
When night came, they started the film. Somehow, the kidnappers were drawn to the site (the film was in their language). They watched “JESUS” from start to finish. The message of John the Baptist, calling people to repent had a profound effect.
The kidnappers went to the prison hut, opened the door, and covered all their victims’ eyes with handkerchiefs, walking them out. The captives probably thought “This is it; they are going to kill us.” But to their surprise they marched them to the main road and left.
According to Adrian, “We don’t know what made them want to watch, but we know it is the way the Lord used it to free us. They told us that they heard the Word of God and were convicted about their deeds. They heard a voice telling them, ‘Accept the Lord today, and you will be saved.’”