Hey Friends and Family,
We have exciting news! We are expecting our first child in early August! We are beyond thrilled to be walking this new journey in life, and are so happy we get to start our family here in South Africa. All of the appointments have been going very well, and Kindle and the baby are happy and healthy. Kindle is past the point where everything but pizza is nauseating, so we are celebrating that as well.
We have hit the ground running in 2022, and have a wonderful batch of 10 new interns (Pictured below) who have joined us for the beginning of the year. Already, we have been seeing signs, wonders, and salvations in the communities. It is always fun to train and minster with new volunteers, and I thought it would be fun to show you all a little bit of the mindset change you have to have when ministering in Africa:
One of the biggest things that we teach Americans who come to intern or minister with us is that in the African context you need to preach a gospel of power, not just love. Yes, Jesus loves everybody, but that doesn’t do you any good if you are going to incur the wrath of your ancestors upon yourself by following Him and Him alone. Salvation often comes after a demonstration of God’s power. We see healings on a regular basis here because God loves to show his power to people who need to know that He is great. I always encourage people to pray with individuals before their gospel presentations, because nothing will prick up your ears more than a touch from God.
Cross-cultural ministry comes with it’s own set of unique and exciting challenges.You are often taking traditional African fables, stories, and traditions, and using those to appropriate the gospel to the listener’s context. You will intentionally emphasize the power of God and the fact that Jesus came to restore honor to the human race more than you emphasize forgiveness and justice (though the latter two points are always part of the equation). Courtroom analogies are used with great effect in the West, but don’t necessarily resonate with Majority World peoples. It is a learning curve to be sure, but an incredibly rewarding experience to view the gospel through a different lense. As Kindle and I have done more and more ministry here, it is always a joy to learn more and more about the culture, and better understand how we can represent Jesus to these people.
  The more you share Jesus, the easier it gets. And honestly, sharing the gospel is addictive when you put yourself out there and see fruit. Some days are hard, and some days feel easy, but the most important thing you can do is put yourself out there and see what God can do through you.We have appreciated all of the love and support we feel back from the States. We couldn’t ask for a better team. We are planning a trip back to the States this spring, and look forward to connecting with many of you!Prayer:For Kindle’s pregnancy to continue to be healthy and progress smoothlyFor grace to navigate ministry in a very new season of life for us as we prepare for the babyThat God would give us continued favor to minister in the communities and make genuine connections with peopleThat our interns would grow in unity with one another, and boldness in sharing their faith Website: https://thebridgfords.com/ Donations: https://www.kindridgiving.com/App/Form/b12bc6e5-d8cc-46f8-a9bf-cc464b3d061f Blessings,Ryan and Kindle Bridgford |
The Bridgfords in South Africa 