Daily Topic for February 28, 2011
The few Fulbe people who are fortunate enough to make their fortunes in Western cities have big plans! They are the elite, the “big men” who have wealth and power. It’s interesting how they came to the West for wealth, but God has a better purpose for these influential people: the gospel is going to these cultural gatekeepers.
Pray that the work of groups like Urban Impact will soon influence elite Muslim individuals who can in turn open the doors for the gospel to people who have never had open hearts.
by JS
The Fulbe peoples we prayed for this month have found their way to New York City! Sergio Campos (not his real name) with Urban Impact works with many different non-Christian immigrant communities in the Big Apple. People groups gravitate toward their own neighborhoods. The subway line Seven alone in Queens is said to pass through at least 117 immigrant communities.
Campos’ primary vehicle for cultivating relationship with immigrants is to establish friendship centers in their neighborhoods where they offer free English classes, computer lessons, citizenship preparation, and children’s clubs.
The Men’s African Friendship Center Campos operates is attended mainly by Fulbe men. A few thousand of them live in New York and 100 percent are Muslim. These men play important roles to their families back home in Africa. They are in America to provide for them. They are known as “Big Men” because their families look to them for advice and to settle all manner of disputes. It is common in their meetings to hear their cell phones ringing from Africa to ask for financial advice or to aid family members in making important decisions.
Campos and Urban Impact are developing authentic friendships not conditioned upon conversion. The immigrants are skillful at distinguishing between the two and will not open their hearts up to anyone who is less than a true friend.
Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray that the friendship Christ followers extend to the Fulbe will be genuine and will lead them to meet their true friend and savior, Jesus.