Bridges of Hope International Newsletter January 2017
THE BRIDGE
Dear Friends,
As we reflect on all that God did in 2016, we are incredibly grateful for your continued prayers and support for the ministries of Bridges of Hope around the world!
Sometimes as we plug along in ministry we can lose awareness of all that God is accomplishing along the way. So we have put together The Year in Statistics to help us all celebrate what your prayers and support have
accomplished in 2016.
The 2016 statistics for the Ethiopian Orthodox Community Health Education (OCHE) ministry were miraculous!
*350 Community Health Educators (OCHEs) were trained in 14 communities.
*3,650 Ministry Home Visits were made by brave OCHEs
*33,472 People were shown the Jesus Film by our MA students
*19,272 of those people committed their lives to Jesus Christ (including many Muslims)
*4,200 Baptisms resulted (1,200 of which were performed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch himself!)
*22 new Ethiopian MA Students enthusiastically began their OCHE Training with Dennis in December
Priest Yohannes (MA Student) with some of his OCHE’s
Bridges South Africa Community Development also had an amazing 2016!
*After School Program (ASP) ministered in 2 Primary Schools:
* 450 children were ministered to holistically on a weekly basis
* 201 ministry home visits were made to the children’s families
* 158 people committed their lives to Jesus Christ through the ASP
* 20,087 meals were served at the ASP in 2016
*Bridges Youth Development (BYD) ministered in 3 communities:
* 490 students were ministered to holistically on a weekly basis
* 485 ministry home visits were made to BYD families
* 157 students committed their lives to Jesus Christ through the BYD
* 15,468 meals were served at BYD in 2016
*Informal School
* 37 children were educated holistically 5 days per week and were prepared to enter the public school system
* 546 ministry home visits were made to their families
* 2,550 meals were served in 2016
Informal School Kids Sing for Us
*Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) ministered in 3 communities
* 160 children were ministered to on a weekly basis
* 619 ministry home visits were made to OVC families
* 67 Children committed their lives to Jesus Christ
* 4,782 meals were served at OVC in 2016
*Community Health Evangelism (CHE) ministered in 3 communities:
* 102 CHEs were holistically trained on a weekly basis
* 20 people committed their lives to Jesus Christ
* 4,997 ministry home visits were made by brave CHEs in their neighborhoods
* 1,914 meals were served at CHE in 2016
* 158 volunteers were holistically trained to help run all of the above ministries!
Bridges Retreat Centre (RC):
We hosted 13 Bridges of Hope South Africa Camps, Trainings and Retreats in 2016, serving 1,098 of our people
We hosted 58 outside retreats and trainings, serving 2,339 local people
We hosted an additional 54 international visitors and short-term teams at the RC in 2016
We increased our RC capacity from 80 to 225 in 2016, so that it will be able to sustain the ministries of Bridges of Hope South Africa!
Bridges Staff Leadership Retreat in October
Once again, Thank You and God Bless You for your partnership in these ministries!
Dennis and Susan Wadley
International Directors, Bridges of Hope International
