Rick & Martha Bradford - SIM Nigeria
I would like to thank you for the prayers and support you have shared with the ministry to the Fulani people. In our efforts to reach the Fulani people I have found that it takes time to become familiar with them and also to become welcomed to the point that they come and visit me. It has become a development of friendship evangelism so that we can bring the message of Hope in Christ to them. Some of the tools we use to bring the message is the solar powered MP3, which are preloaded with the Bible spoken in their language. This has been a real help in bringing the Bible to them and their children as they like to memorize. I have also found that bringing some tangible and practical fulfilment of needs brings a closer relationship. From their nature of living in remote situations as well as in grass huts, and herding cows they live basically and many times without the necessary things to keep healthy. Bringing the opportunity of fresh water through the drilling of bore holes (wells) and installing hand pumps has been a wonderful opportunity to be friends. Also it helps with their living standard, their health and clean water.
The issue of them never having the chance to be educated, as they move around, has been in the past a difficult task to bring some form of learning to them. Yet there are cases now in which they actually are staying in regions for much more time and years, where we have the opportunity to teach them how to read and write, we have even built schools, which will allow them to choose to read the Bible for themselves in the future. These are a few of the things that we are finding that bring the opportunity to allow us to even show the Jesus film in their camps and to sit with them and talk about the Bible. We thank God for the opportunities to bring the message of hope through your donations, and through your prayers.
As you take time to pray about the people who have not heard or have not made a choice to follow Jesus, I would like you to pray for a special opportunity coming up in May. From May 11-16 is a special outreach to go beyond the typical cities and towns, but also now to go to the bushes of our region to proclaim the message of Christ to many. This is the first time to do something to this size and extent. We trust that the Holy Spirit will convict many to see the truth of Christ and accept him as their Lord and savour. We have partnered together with ECWA through the EMS group as well as many Christians to do a mass evangelistic saturation campaign to the 7 DCC regions. This has taken months to plan and prepare to bring the message of hope to many. This joint effort is the first of its kind in our region of Nigeria and we anticipate great things to happen.
We ask you to come and join us in prayer during these days.
For the Bradford's latest Update (The Bradford Exchange), including prayer requests Click Here.
Contact the Bradford's by Email at bradford.rick@gmail.com and follow them on Facebook as well here.