Story number 2 for 19 Jun 2001

(Nigeria)–Next, Christian Blind Mission is giving physical and spiritual sight to the blind in troubled Nigeria. CBMI’s Director for Overseas Operations Jeff Watson just returned from Nigeria where the organization treated two-million people for River Blindness. Watson says the Muslim/Christian conflict didn’t affect their work. “When we first came in to the communities, especially the Muslim communities rumors started that we were trying to control their population cuz the pills are the same size like birth control pills or whatever. But, once they were treated and once they saw that we just loved the people the people saw that we were really trying to help them.” Watson says 40-million people are at risk of getting the disease. He says this act of kindness is opening other doors. “We want to not only help them physically, but we want to help them spiritually. We’ve had several communities that have asked for us to show the Jesus Film or to be able to come in to talk to them about our faith because I think they’ve seen our faith in action.”