The Tide has been broadcasting heart language radio programs in regions of Africa since 1983. One of the newer additions to The Tide heart language broadcasts is in the Ijaw language which is the mother tongue of approximately 7 million people who live in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. God is using this new heart language radio broadcast to touch the lives of many Ijaw people and to give them hope in the midst of turmoil and hardships. Through these radio programs, people who are struggling to find meaning in their lives can now find wholeness in Christ Jesus.
Here is the story of how one listener’s life was changed forever through Ta Mu Nu, our Ijaw broadcast in Nigeria:
Amy* was married for thirteen years when difficulties and strife begin to creep into her relationship with her husband. The couple tried to work things out with each other, but the problems became too great and eventually they split up and divorced one another. Amy wandered for awhile searching for the perfect man and soon met another man named Otto. Only three months after divorcing her former husband of 13 years, Amy married Otto. Although at first, she was happy, Amy wondered if she had made the right choice in re-marrying so quickly and this doubt began to permeate her relationship with Otto. The weight of this questioning and uncertainty eventually caused Amyand Otto to temporarily separate, but they came back together again. This happened three different times. The two felt that they needed to be together, but also realized something was missing in their lives. This emptiness was a gap between them that needed to be bridged.
Amy and Otto managed to keep up appearances, and to neighbors and observers in the community it looked like they had it all together, but both were trying to figure out what could be causing the void in their lives. Amy tried different self-help books and yoga, but neither helped to fill that void. Otto is a truck driver, and one day, while he was changing the radio station in his truck, he stumbled upon The Tide’s radio broadcast “Ta Mu Nu”. Otto listened to every word of the broadcast with great eagerness and wondered if he had finally found the way to fill the void in his and Amy’s life. At the end of the program, the speaker gave an invitation to follow Christ. Feeling convicted, Otto pulled off to the side of the road and asked Christ to come into his life. For the first time, Otto felt that emptiness in his life disappear.
For one week Otto kept this to himself and did not tell his wife. At the time of the next “Ta Mu Nu” broadcast, Otto had Amy sit down and listen to the program with him. After listening to the Ijaw program and hearing God’s word in her own language, Amy decided she also wanted to give her life to Christ and follow him. After asking Christ to come make her heart his dwelling, she also no longer felt the void.
Since their encounters with Jesus, both Otto and Amy wanted to find a church but were unsure how. So, they contacted Pastor J, the speaker of The Tide’s Ijaw radio program, and he connected them with a church. Today, both Otto and Amy are part of an evangelical congregation where they are learning more about God and growing in Christ every day.
This testimony demonstrates how God’s truth can fill even the deepest voids and not only offers hope for eternity but also brings healing and restores relationships today. The Tide is able to share the gospel message with unreached people through radio broadcasts, seekers conferences, literature distribution, correspondence courses, and radio distribution because of the generous support of many people. If you would like to help The Tide continue to touch people’s lives, please consider sponsoring a heart language radio broadcast.
*Names changed for the safety of the individuals