A new oasis for a thirsty land

The need is great and intensifying in West Africa. But even in the midst of turmoil, there is hope.

Here is a snapshot of the circumstances as well as of the ministry of TWR to West Africa.

One of the countries with a dire need for the gospel is Nigeria. With the largest economy and population on the continent, Nigeria is ideologically split between the predominantly Muslim north and the largely Christian south. The country often makes international news concerning abductions and deadly attacks, sometimes during church services, by violent groups such as Boko Haram and raiding nomadic herdsmen. There are about 2.5 million internally displaced people within Nigeria, making this one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world today. A great majority of these people have one thing in common – they are Christians.

The director of our West African Transmitting Station (WATS) reported that it can be life-threatening to be a Christian in Nigeria with the shadow of violence hovering over the region.

The need for the true light of the gospel is indeed great. Hostile groups and many others desperately need to hear a clear, accurate presentation of the gospel’s messages of love, redemption, and reconciliation. But many believers also need the broadcasts, whether it is for spiritual encouragement or trustworthy, biblically solid teaching.

As TWR’s International Director for West and Central Africa puts it, “some church leaders are not well-grounded in Scripture and a trend toward health-and-wealth theology can result in mass disillusionment.”

But Nigeria is not the only country that is reached by the Oasis Transmitter, which is TWR’s latest transmitter for West Africa. In fact, the broadcasting power has been strengthened so that the coverage area also includes areas of Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroon and other countries. The broadcasts now reach roughly 240 million people in the region! West Africa is home to many of the world’s remaining unreached people groups. Religious radicalism is also becoming more widespread. TWR overcomes barriers of illiteracy, fear, and hopelessness to bring encouragement to seekers and new believers while providing training for pastors and seasoned Christians.

The words of encouragement from our listeners give us fortitude. One of our listeners said, “Thank you for all that you do for those with a different religious background – by presenting the gospel in their own languages, you will bring down all the prejudices they have about Christianity. I support you in prayer for that. God bless you.”

Our national partner in Nigeria regularly receives encouraging messages, such as this one, “I am calling to thank you all for the great work you are doing, bringing the Word of God to us. I am one of the listeners every morning. We hear it on medium-wave signal. May God bless you all and strengthen you for the great work.”

[destacate]TWR airs over 25 programs in more than 30 languages and dialects in West Africa alone[/destacate]However, the Oasis Transmitter is not only about broadcasting to faraway places; a huge part of our ministry is also concerned with the well-being of the local community. Hectares of teak trees are planted in the huge property surrounding the transmitter; the trees are then sold as a commercial commodity. The acquired money goes to the development of the station, equipment, and help for the local people. The fertile soil around the transmitter also produces an abundance of corn and mangos. The harvest is routinely distributed among the poor, orphans, and widows who cannot afford to support themselves.

By these activities, the station management has developed long-lasting mutually beneficial relationships with the local tribal authorities. In the future, TWR’s staff want to develop and continue this interesting community approach and strengthen the regional bond, with the help of bringing the gospel to an even larger number of local people.

Regarding the broadcast, currently, TWR airs over 25 programs in more than 30 languages and dialects in West Africa alone. In addition to longtime favorites like Thru the Bible, a diverse range of regional and international programs make up the schedule. TWR leaders have particularly high hopes for two programs, The Way of Righteousness and The Prophets, which effectively share the gospel with listeners from a Muslim background by emphasizing biblical figures recognized in Christianity and Islam. TWR’s International Director for West and Central Africa expresses it in the following words, “Through the transmission of the pure Word of God, not only will millions have the opportunity to hear God speak in their own heart languages, but also the disillusioned pilgrim will find hope again.”

Furthermore, with the Oasis Transmitter as well as with other initiatives, TWR stands strong with our brothers and sisters in West Africa, with those who are suffering great persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ, as well as with those who enjoy relative freedom. Our transmitting site will persistently strive to bring the gospel message to reach even the most isolated people groups in this region of the world. Please, pray that God will give us resilience, wisdom, and a strong will in accomplishing the goal of the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples.

For more information on TWR’s ministry in Africa, please go to www.twrafrica.org.

For more information on TWR’s international media ministry in over 190 countries and in more than 300 languages, please go here .