Having heard and accepted the message of the cross gives us the certainty of being “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3). What a blessing to know that dealing with Covid-19 and so many other crises around the world does not obscure that reality! However, multitudes on this earth, including Latin America, lack that assurance. Their focus is their own difficult circumstances and the despair of facing them without Christ and the hope that he offers. We have been given the wonderful privilege, and important responsibility, of making this known. Every day He opens additional avenues for the communication of the Gospel. I want to share a brief update of how the Lord is making it possible to reach more people, despite the limitations this pandemic has imposed in the Spanish-speaking countries.
Last year, the government in Argentina began establishing strong measures to try to control the increase in Covid cases. Travel between provinces (or states) is forbidden. Limiting public gatherings makes it difficult for churches to reach Argentinians with the Gospel, and our missionary, Roberto Capdevila, has not been able to visit radio stations. It is not only the high rate of Covid deaths that makes people fear. This country’s economic and political crisis faces forecasts a pessimistic future for many, and some try to find hope through religious experiences. In the province of Misiones alone, there are over 3000 religious associations officially registered. Yet, of the more than one million inhabitants in Misiones, 90% live without Christ. Proclaiming the message of living hope is an urgent matter, and Roberto has invested time searching online and social media for additional radio stations. Sixteen, to which our programs are new, have responded to this effort and are now an active part of our database in Argentina. With 2,600 weekly broadcasts in Argentina, our prayer is that many will set their hope in Jesus Christ.
In our last Radio digest, I shared that several of our missionaries were facing different trials. Thankfully, the Lord has brought relief. Luis Prada, in Colombia, required heart surgery. It has taken about five months for him to recover from his initial problem and the surgery. During this time, his wife and his daughter not only took care of him. They maintained the flow of programs needed for uninterrupted transmission in the more than 400 radio stations that broadcast our programs. The Pradas dedication is in response to their concern for the many in Colombia that need to hear about Christ and the effectiveness with which, for many years, the broadcasts have reached literally millions. One such case is Jahirsinho, whose mother listened to our programs on a local radio station. She realized her need of Christ and trusted Him as her personal Savior. Wanting to grow in her spiritual life, she contacted our missionary, who visited her and her family every week to help them understand the Bible and its principles. During those visits, Jahirsinho, who was seventeen years old, also put his trust in Christ, and as he grew spiritually, he realized that friends and relatives did not have the eternal hope he was enjoying. So, he committed his life to serve the Lord and reach others with the message that transformed him and his mother. Today he serves as a full-time church planter and provides humanitarian and spiritual aid in poor neighborhoods on the border with Venezuela. Might there be others with a similar story? With more than 3,000 weekly broadcasts in Colombia, we pray that Word will have such an impact in many lives.
The Lord’s provision through churches and individual believers allows us to move forward in carrying out this commitment through radio, WhatsApp, and the faithful service of our missionaries. Your financial contribution would be an additional help to fulfill the great commission. Would you consider becoming a monthly supporter? If so, I invite you to click the Donate now bottom.
God bless you!
In His love,
Daniel Sandoval
Director
