Contact: Matt Green, Pioneers-USA, 321-231-5624
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 12, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- From headhunters and cannibals to 85 percent of the tribe identifying itself as Christian, the Sawi of New Guinea have undergone significant cultural transformation in the 50 years since the first missionaries arrived in the tribe's isolated jungle villages.
Pioneers-USA, a mission organization with church-planting teams in 100 countries, is celebrating God's work among the Sawi by releasing "Never the Same: Celebrating 50 Years Since 'Peace Child," a short film telling the Sawi's story and documenting a return visit of the first missionaries to reach the tribe.
In 1962, Don and Carol Richardson, church planters with Regions Beyond Missionary Union (now World Team), traveled to the island of New Guinea with their son Steve (now president of Pioneers-USA) in hopes of sharing the gospel with the Sawi. Their story was first told in "Peace Child," a best-selling book by Don, which was condensed in a Reader's Digest article and portrayed in a 30-minute film released in 1974.
June 28, 50 years after the Richardsons' arrival among the Sawi, Don and his three sons, Steve, Shannon and Paul, visited Indonesia for a celebration hosted by the Sawi church and those of four neighboring tribes, which have since been evangelized. A videographer accompanied the family to document the historic jubilee.
Narrated by Steve, the resulting 15-minute documentary tells the story of the Sawi's initial rejection of the gospel and the miraculous turn of events that led to a church being planted in their tribe. Viewers travel with Steve via floatplane to the village of Kamur, where he spent the first 13 years of his life, to meet his childhood friends and see firsthand the gospel's impact among the people group.
"Never the Same" is a vivid picture of the sacrifice and joy of pioneering mission work and a moving reminder that there are still people groups who have not yet had an opportunity to respond to the gospel.
Available to watch free online at www.Facebook.com/NevertheSameMovie, Never the Same can also be purchased on DVD and Blu-ray Disc at www.Pioneers.org/Store.
Pioneers is an evangelical mission movement with 2,600 international members serving on 248 church-planting teams in 100 countries among 180 people groups in 117 languages. For more information and to find out how you can get involved, visit www.pioneers.org.
