Watchman on the Wall

Southwest Radio Ministries: Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne, and prayer changes things. Today, you and I are going to learn how we can have an eternal impact in Africa.

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A little girl in Africa was so blessed by the Christian programming she heard on her family's windup radio that she saved money for a month so that other families could be equally blessed with their own radio. She worked hard for a whole month, saving her daily wages. At the end of the month, she had less than 50 cents saved.

Today, we can make a difference in many lives, just like this little girl, for those who need to hear clear biblical teaching from God's word. Southwest Radio Ministries is partnering with TWR on today's program to advance the gospel in this urgent hour. Africa needs Jesus. Africa needs you.

Greetings, fellow Watchman on the Wall, and welcome to today's episode. I have been telling you this month that we are going to be taking a mission trip. No, we are not getting on a plane. We are not even taking a bus. You do not even have to leave your front door. We are going on a mission trip to make a difference in many lives in Africa.

We have been encouraging you to prayerfully consider how you can be a part of this special effort to get the good news of Jesus Christ to Africa while we still have a window of opportunity. Friends, you understand the signs of the times. We tell you so much about that here on Southwest Radio Ministries, and we want to bring you information so that you can live with your eyes wide open in these days.

But we also need to take advantage of the window that we have before us. It is an open window of opportunity to get the gospel news out. Joining me today and tomorrow to bring you information about how we can make a difference in today's world, especially in lives in Africa, is Andy Napier. He works with TWR's radio ministry, and we are excited to have him join us on this mission trip of sorts. Andy, welcome in. Thank you so much.

Andy Napier: Thank you very much, Josh. I am excited to take this mission trip with you today.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Yes, me too. We are talking about radios going to Africa. Why is radio so impactful in Africa specifically?

Andy Napier: Believe it or not, even if you go to the United Nations website, the UN even says if you want to reach the world with a message—whether in their case talking about world peace or healthcare—radio is the way to do it. When we go to places in Africa, countries like Ethiopia, still over 80% of the people are not connected to the internet.

How do you reach them with mass media? Radio. In other countries like Kenya, I believe it is still about 60% of the people who do not have access to the internet. Radio is the way to reach them. We have this misconception that even out in the middle of the desert, everyone has a smartphone and they are all downloading all this content. That is not reality.

Even when you see pictures of people in Africa with a smartphone, they are likely sharing it with someone else. They all have their own little SIM card that they swap back and forth. They only make phone calls with it because they cannot afford the expense of downloading data. That phone, by the way, in Africa can serve as an FM receiver. So if you are talking about Africa, radio is still the way to reach them.

We are specifically talking about putting windup and solar-powered radios in the hands of the poorest of the poor in Africa. They cannot afford batteries. Many of them do not have electricity. A windup radio is the best way that they can hear the good news of the gospel through TWR.

Southwest Radio Ministries: SWRC started in 1933. TWR has been around for decades as well, and they operate some of the most powerful radio stations in the world. It is wonderful to have this powerful radio signal, but if there is no radio on the other end to receive that message, to receive the good news of the gospel, how are people going to hear that life-changing message?

How are people going to be discipled through solid biblical teaching if they do not have a radio? These are portable windup radios, and for $50, you can purchase a radio. That does not just cover the cost of the radio. TWR has partnerships with people in Africa who will take those and ensure that they get into the hands of the people who need them.

They have the boots on the ground ready to deploy these radios and give them directly to the people who need them the most. So friends, we want to invite you to invest in eternity and make an eternal difference. A plane ticket to Africa would cost well over $1,000, probably over $2,000. Think about what that money could do and how many lives could be impacted through this gift of a $50 radio.

If you would like to give, you can do so in a couple of different ways. You can call right now; it does not matter what time of day or night it is. Here is the dedicated phone number that you need to call: 1-888-777-1875. That is 888-777-1875. One more time: 888-777-1875. You can also give online through our ministry website, swrc.com.

As soon as you land at swrc.com, you will see a banner at the very top of our homepage that has information about TWR and the Africa Needs Jesus campaign. You can click on that and it will take you directly to a giving page dedicated to where you can make your gift. Can you purchase one radio, two radios, maybe ten or twenty radios, and make a difference in many lives? When you invest in one of these radios, you are not just reaching one person; you could be reaching an entire family. In some cases, you could be reaching an entire village.

I know Andy has stories about how many lives have been changed through what TWR is doing in Africa, and we are excited to partner with them again. The phone number one more time: 888-777-1875. Give them a call right now, or visit our website, swrc.com. Andy, can you share some of those stories about lives that have been impacted by getting a gift of a radio from TWR?

Andy Napier: Well, let's go to a family. You mentioned that likely these are not just individuals that will be listening to this radio. It could be a husband and wife. It could be a family. It could be several families together as they are working out in a common field. In fact, one story our president at TWR used to talk about: he remembered going to Africa and seeing a radio hanging off the horn of an ox, and they were all using their hand tools out in the field listening to TWR. You do not know how many people could be listening to that radio.

But let's go to a family and talk about a little girl. There was an eight-year-old girl in Malawi. TWR Malawi has an incredible connection with the listeners. I believe there are thirteen FM signals stretched out all across the country of Malawi. About a third of the people in that country listen to TWR regularly. That is an amazing outreach.

There is this eight-year-old girl, and she had been listening to some of the children's programs on TWR Malawi. She was listening in her local heart language. She said, "I want other kids to listen to TWR also. They would enjoy these programs just like I enjoy them." Over the course of a month, her mother had been giving her pocket change. In Malawi, they use kwacha as their currency. You have coins that would be 1, 5, 10, and 20.

Let's just say that by the end of the day, the mom would give her coins that would total 25 kwacha. She would give all that to the girl. The girl saved up all these coins over the course of a month and she said, "I want to give this to TWR because I want more kids to be able to listen to the children's programs just like I do."

The mom and the eight-year-old girl went to TWR and gave all the coins. I am estimating that everything she saved was about 750 kwacha. That would be 25 a day over the course of a month. Listen to this: if you convert 750 kwacha to US dollars, that girl's gift—and she gave everything she had—was 43 cents.

How can people who are saving up for a whole month come up with 43 cents? A $50 radio would take them over eight years to be able to save up the amount of money to buy one of these things. Like the widow's mite, she gave all she had. This eight-year-old girl gave all she had.

They are doing what they can, but many of these people flat out cannot afford a $50 radio. But we can. That is our responsibility in the body of Christ to come alongside these people in Africa who cannot afford a radio, and for $50 each, we can give them a windup solar-powered radio that does not need electricity or batteries. Even if it is someone who is living way out in a village somewhere, they can wind it up and hear solid Bible teaching.

If they do not know Jesus, they are going to hear the word of God and come to know him. If they already know him, they are going to be discipled. It is our responsibility in the body of Christ to reach out to those in need. Here is a great way that you can be a missionary today to the continent of Africa without getting on a plane.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Absolutely. Friends, we are visiting with Andy Napier. He is part of the radio ministry with TWR as SWRC and TWR link arm in arm as we are raising money for Africa radios. Friends, Africa needs Jesus and Africa needs you. Would you prayerfully consider how you can give to make a difference?

Trying to survive on a dollar a day, a radio that costs $50 is just a luxury that you are not going to purchase. But we can make a difference in people's lives. Would you prayerfully consider how many radios you can purchase to help someone like this little girl in Malawi?

TWR has networks with nations across Africa like Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and many others. You do not know what difference you can make. So we urge you, call right now: 888-777-1875. Again, that is 888-777-1875.

Call that number today, or you can give online very quickly, easily, and securely at swrc.com. As soon as you click on the homepage, there is a banner that says Africa Needs Jesus. Click on that banner and it takes you to the dedicated giving page. It is very simple and straightforward. Visit swrc.com right away. Andy, why is it so important that we seize this opportunity today and we do not just let this go in one ear and out the other?

Andy Napier: One reason is because we know every day that goes by, we are one day closer to the Lord's return. We should, as believers, want to shout out, "Lord Jesus, come quickly." I do not know exactly how many days or months or years we have left before we see the Lord return, but the sense that I have when you look at scripture is that we are getting very close.

We should have this urgency within us to share the gospel next door to our neighbor as well as those around the world. Right now, we are giving you this opportunity. TWR is a mass media ministry that works around the globe in over 200 languages reaching people in 190 countries. But if we are looking specifically at Africa, there are so many people searching for answers, some of these from a Muslim background.

They know that something is not right with their religion. They see the extremists and they know these people really think they are serving God by blowing people up. They know something is wrong, so they are searching and they want to come to know the one true God. Working with local churches, we can reach into Muslim communities with a tribal chief.

We ask them to identify people in their church or in their village who do not have a radio or the means of being able to buy one. They identify them by name. We invite them to an event—usually anywhere from 20 to 40 people. We invite them to come forward and read their name. They sign a contract that says, "I promise to take care of the radio. I promise that I will never sell it. I promise that if I notice that TWR is ever off the air, I will let you know about it."

These people, when they receive this gift of a $50 radio that they could never buy on their own, are so grateful and so blessed. They become fans of TWR. They start listening regularly. Even those from a Muslim background start listening and discover, as the Holy Spirit is at work in their hearts, the truth that comes from the radio. The spirit of truth confirms it and their eyes are opened.

God then moves them from dead in their trespasses to alive in Christ. That is why we are seeing people from backgrounds in voodoo, tribal religions, or an Islamic background. They are coming to Christ, they are being discipled, and God is using radio.

One of the things that you can understand because you are in the radio world as well: if you are a pastor or a missionary, you can go into someone's home, sit with them, and share Christ. Then you leave. Radio keeps coming back to that home night after night. We hear testimonies of people who listen for years, and then suddenly they come to know Jesus.

You can be a missionary in Africa as if you were sitting in that home with a family every day for years, sharing the good news of Jesus with them. All it takes is a $50 gift for one radio or $100 for two. Maybe you could give a $500 gift; that would be ten radios. It is not just how many radios you can give; it is how many lives you want to touch.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Radio is a tool, and it is a ministry tool that we are seeking to change lives through. We are so grateful to partner with TWR. Friends, Africa needs Jesus and Africa needs you. Prayerfully consider how you can give your best gift today and give a call to this dedicated number. It does not matter what time of day or night it is: 888-777-1875. That is 888-777-1875.

Call that number today, or you can give online very quickly, easily, and securely: swrc.com. As soon as you click on the homepage, there is a banner that says Africa Needs Jesus. Click on that banner and it takes you to the dedicated giving page. Again, our website is swrc.com.

Friends, we have talked about the poverty in Africa, but think about the spiritual battle taking place across that continent as well. There are dedicated organizations who monitor Christian persecution around the world, groups like Open Doors. They have a World Watch List that they release every year. Out of the 50 countries that have the highest level of Christian persecution in the world, 20 of the top 50 are on the continent of Africa, according to the 2026 World Watch List.

Out of the top ten countries with the highest level of Christian persecution in the world, five of the top ten are in Africa. We can reach into those places where people are facing persecution and they are going to hear a message of hope. They are not going to hear it just in English. TWR has taken these programs and translated them into the language of the people, into numerous languages. Andy, perhaps you can speak about that whole aspect as well and share some other stories with us.

But friends, we urge you: make a difference for people who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, who need to hear the encouragement from God's word, and who need to hear the wonderful Bible teaching content that TWR provides. The phone number again: 888-777-1875. Or give online at swrc.com.

Andy Napier: Okay, let's go to the Central African Republic for just a minute. Back in 2023, we were approached by a missionary. He had been a missionary to the Baka people. The Baka people are one of roughly 10 to 12 Pigmy tribes that are in Africa. This is not just fantasy. There still are Pigmy tribes where the average height of the male is under five feet.

In the rainforest in Central African Republic, this missionary had struggled to make much progress with the people there. He then led a village chief to Christ. He said, "I have got an idea. I know this ministry, TWR. They can provide radios for your people. How would you like that?" And he said, "Great idea." So they contacted TWR. We produce programs in the Baka language.

They brought these radios to the Baka people in the rainforest and they started listening. The Pigmies there are abused, neglected, and marginalized. Governments do not even want to have anything to do with them. They do not even recognize that they exist in their country. It is a sad situation.

So they start listening and they discover there is a great God that loves us. There is a God who knows who we are, and even here in the rainforest, he can reach down into our individual lives. They started listening and learning more, but they had questions. So the missionary would go back and answer their questions about what they were hearing on the radio: "Who is this Jesus?"

Josh, then came the day—this was late last year—there were men, women, husbands, and wives holding hands with their kids. 249 Baka people together marched down to the river, professed their belief in Jesus, and were baptized. What did God use to reach these Baka people in the middle of the rainforest in Africa? He used radios.

But it is our responsibility to purchase those radios so we can distribute them to places like that. What is so exciting to me, if you look in both Revelation chapter 5 and chapter 7, it talks about people of all nations, kindreds, and tongues. The Baka people will now be represented around the throne, and we will be worshipping with them to Jesus throughout eternity. And God used radios to be able to bring them into the kingdom.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Amen. That is so exciting, and thank you for sharing that story. Friends, imagine the eternal impact that you can make. It is one thing to lay up treasures here on this earth, and we get so sucked into that mindset, especially here in the Western world. The old saying is looking at the Joneses and trying to compare yourself to somebody and outdo them with the treasure you lay up here on earth.

But friends, think about the eternal impact that a radio can make in the life of someone. Only heaven will tell the difference that your gift is making today. So one more time before we wrap up this episode today, we want to implore you: give a call, 888-777-1875. Again, 888-777-1875.

Call that number today, or you can give online very quickly, easily, and securely: swrc.com. As soon as you click on the homepage, there is a banner that says Africa Needs Jesus. Click on that banner and it takes you to the dedicated giving page. Could you purchase one radio, two, ten, maybe even a hundred? That could change an entire village, perhaps an entire region of a nation through your gift today. Andy, thank you so much for joining me on today's episode. We look forward to continuing this mission trip of sorts on tomorrow's program.

Andy Napier: I am looking forward to it, and thanks for your partnership.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Imagine desperately wanting to hear the word of God but you do not have a smartphone, reliable internet, or even dependable electricity. That is the reality for many people across Africa, and that is why Southwest Radio Ministries is joining with Trans World Radio for a very special campaign called Africa Needs Jesus.

Here is how you can help. Just $50 can put a windup or solar-powered radio into the hands of someone who needs it. No internet connection is required, no electrical outlet is needed, just a radio and the opportunity to hear biblical teaching and the life-changing hope of Jesus Christ.

These radios are being placed into the hands of people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Think about that: $50 can give someone access to the gospel who otherwise may never hear it. Give one radio, give five, give twenty—whatever you can do. We need you to help us put God's word into their hands. Because when you give a radio, you are giving more than a radio; you are giving hope.

Join Southwest Radio Ministries and TWR in saying Africa Needs Jesus. Visit swrc.com today, or call the special phone number just for this campaign: 888-777-1875. That is 888-777-1875. Please help us send the gospel across Africa one radio at a time. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by faithful listeners like you. To learn more, visit swrc.com.