How Animated Bible Stories Are Reaching the Buddhist World With the Gospel

From Shame to Faith: One Man's Encounter With the Gospel in Thailand

When Som Chi, a man in Thailand, watched an animated video about Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the garden of Eden, something stirred in him. “I’m ashamed, how can I overcome this?” he asked a digital responder after clicking an ad run by Discover Jesus Initiative (DJI), an organization working to reach the top 50 unreached countries with the gospel. 

“He was convicted of the sin in his own life,” said AJ, who works with DJI in Southeast Asia. Som Chi asked to meet with a believer, confessed faith in Jesus and asked to be baptized. 

Weaving Buddhist Culture Into the Gospel Story

The video Som Chi watched is part of Journey to Hope, an animated Bible story series created by TWR MOTION to connect people from a Buddhist background with the gospel. In each story, the visuals, musical selections and sound effects work together and enable viewers to consider how they could be followers of Jesus in their own culture. The 20 animated Bible stories demonstrate to them that Jesus is the only hope for all people, and the truth of the Bible is for all contexts.

The MOTION team intentionally tests translations with both believers and non-believers to ensure the stories resonate. Thai and Southeast Asian cultural elements are woven throughout the visuals, including symmetrical compositions and circular motifs, while the music by composer Grant Fonda features a Tro Khmer (three-stringed fiddle) and other culturally familiar woodwinds.

Reaching Across the Buddhist World 

Since the series uses animation with a single narrator, it can be adapted into other languages. Journey to Hope began in Thai and is being translated into at least 11 languages, including Burmese, Khmer, Lao, Nepali, Vietnamese, Dzongkha, Chinese, English, Russian, Tai Lue and Kalmyk. Most of these are spoken across eastern Asia and Southeast Asia, where more than 90 percent of the population in countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos practice Theravada Buddhism. 

“We’re looking at the questions people are already wrestling with and using those as a bridge to help them engage with Scripture and understand the hope of the gospel. Ultimately, we want them to understand who Jesus is and why he came.” said Candace Mackie, director for MOTION. 

 

A Unique Challenge: Bhutan 

In Bhutan, where Dzongkha is spoken, the people practice Vajrayana Buddhism and have been cautious about embracing outside influences. A worker in the region described translating Journey to Hope into Dzongkha as slow, spiritually challenging work. 

“This animated video series is going to be perfect for capturing people’s attention,” the local worker explained. “It’s been crafted to reflect the Buddhist mindset and culture.” 

With a congregation of 25, the small church where he attends largely ministers to those cast out by their community. Whether it’s someone dealing with health challenges or facing abandonment by family members, these people are finding love and acceptance in the church and ultimately from Jesus. Stories of transformation keep the team going, including one of a former monk who, after a year in solitary confinement, had a vision of a man in white who said, “The salvation you’re looking for is in me.” He later left the monastery and now shares the love of Jesus. 

Beyond Asia: Russia’s Buddhist Regions 

While Asia remains a primary focus of Journey to Hope, two of the language adaptations in production will reach into Russia. The Republic of Kalmykia, where Kalmyk is spoken, is the largest Buddhist area in Russia and Europe. The Buryat people, who speak Russian, live in the Republic of Buryatia above Mongolia. 

Mackie emphasized that each adaptation requires careful attention to how Buddhism is observed locally, as people groups often express their beliefs slightly differently or may incorporate other practices, like shamanism. “Contextualization is about more than translating words. We take time to understand how people see the world so we can communicate biblical truth in a way that is clear and meaningful to them," Mackie said. 

Would you like to help Journey to Hope continue to be a catalyst for gospel-centered conversations that bring hope within reach to others like Som Chi? Support TWR MOTION’s animated video outreach here.

Images: (top, banner) A scene from TWR MOTION's Journey to Hope: Jesus delivers a man from evil spirits, (middle, right) A man uses his cell phone while riding an elephant in Thailand.