update M I N I S T RY
ISSUE 1-2013
SPEAKING HOPE AROUND THE WORLD
I
have just returned from the joyous dedication of two staff houses located at our Benin, West Africa transmitter location. lo I need to share this exciting update with w you. In 2008, the Benin transmitter station was w built, providing a lifeline of hope and a encouragement to West Africa, but the full project was not completed. We still needed adequate staff housing for our missionary specialists to live at the site to ensure the equipment worked reliably and broadcasts continued without interruption. The temporary sub-standard living conditions for our missionary families in Benin were very troubling for several years. These faithful families lacked adequate and reliable access to safe water, electricity, and sanitation. They had limited access to food, supplies and medical care. With temperatures consistently soaring into the 40s, Benin has proven to be one of the harshest environments in which to serve. The families were being stretched to their limits and we were in danger of losing them. Our loyal, steadfast missionaries (the Kennedy and Cox families) endured under these difficult circumstances for years. But now, the two homes and the improved infrastructure are finally getting completed, thanks to the generous giving of Canadians. Praise God! The stability and improved conditions provided by these new homes will ensure that our critical Benin transmitter can continue to broadcast loud and clear into West Africa. Because of the scope of the project, including a new water supply and electric generator back-up, and the challenge of making “all” of the building materials locally, the overall project took several years to complete, but both families will be in their new homes this year.
The families send their sincere thanks to TWR Canada for supporting them in this critically needed project. And why is it so important to maintain this remote transmitter? The Benin transmitter station reaches a potential audience of 190 million throughout West Africa, including some of the most difficult regions to reach with the Gospel. In fact, because of life-changing TWR radio broadcasts into countries like Mali and Nigeria, we know of two religious leaders of mosques (Imams) who have accepted Christ. The Benin transmitter allowed the message of Christ to penetrate political and social borders closed to missionaries. I am amazed at what God has done through TWR Canada. It is one of my special joys and privileges to share these updates with you. This entire newsletter provides reports on the work being accomplished by TWR Canada. Your prayers and support make you a partner in ministry with us, labouring alongside our missionaries in Benin and around the world. Thank you!
Ray Alary President, TWR Canada Benin Transmitter Station - West Africa
“We are located in the desert. During the hour of the TWR broadcast, we gather in a group to listen to it. At the end of the broadcast, it helps us to become involved in evangelization.” A Pastor from Burkina Faso
NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
REACHING BOLIVIA’S MENNONITE COLONIES
In the Low German speaking Mennonite colonies of Bolivia, there are areas where people struggle with literacy and a lack of biblical knowledge and training.
Some of these people don’t have electricity and can’t hear the Gospel broadcast on the radio. In response to this need, TWR Canada partnered with the Evangelical Free Church of Canada in the Every Mennonite Home in Bolivia Project. In 2012, teams ensured that households in the Mennonite colonies of Bolivia had access to God’s Word in their own language. In addition to printed Gideon Bible translations, tthe teams distributed 2500 solarpowered audio devices with study programs, children’s programming, aand the Women of Hope broadcasts. TWR Canada has also made the Low T German Women of Hope broadcasts G aavailable to Mennonite communities in Ontario and Manitoba. Solar-powered audio device
DELIVERING THE WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORD
TWR Canada seeks to work with strategic partners whose ministry complements ours. When The Gideons International in Canada approached TWR a couple of years ago about developing a partnership, it was an answer to prayer. People often hear our programs and request practical help to grow in their faith. Gideons is helping meet that need. Over the last two years we have done needbased printed scripture distribution to radio listeners who want to follow along with the written Word when we air our programs. Recently, TWR Canada President Ray Alary travelled with Paul and Bonnie Mercer, representatives for The Gideons International in Canada, to the Ivory Coast. This West African country has suffered through 13 years of civil war with little or no development taking place in rural areas. Even though it appears that there is no hope, there is always the hope that is found in Jesus. So, alongside the Gideons, TWR Canada worked with local churches to share the Word through radio and give printed scriptures to as many listeners as possible. Even though many of those who received a Bible have been Christians for years, they’d never had any form of the written scriptures. When these people received Bibles, they were overjoyed and many praised God in song. They had nothing else to offer us, but we felt more blessed by that humble gift than any earthly gift we ccould have given.
MALI UPDATE
The recent civil war in Mali has affected TWR’s ministry. Mali enjoyed a fairly stable democratic government until supporters of the defeated Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi invaded the mostly-Arab north of Mali and joined Islamic rebels in March of 2012. The military, overpowered by the rebels, in turn overthrew the government and seized power. In that time, the northern half of Mali has declared independence and implemented Sharia law. Human Rights organizations have warned that rebels are recruiting and using child soldiers, raping, torturing, killing, pillaging schools, hospitals and aid agencies, performing public floggings, “and other possible crimes.” The world is only now mobilizing to step in and help resolve the conflict. The TWR studio in northern Mali has been gutted and burned to the ground. Some master tapes were lost, but a new studio has been set up in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Please pray for a peaceful end to this ongoing conflict, for those displaced by the violence, and for those working to bring hope and healing to the victims.
PROJECT HANNAH FARSI PROGRAM
In September 2012, the Women of Hope broadcast went on the air in Farsi and Turkish, bringing the total languages on the air to 61 at that time. Farsi is the Iranian dialect of the Persian language. In a format that is attractive yet challenging and presented in a friend-tofriend style, Women of Hope strives to communicate to listeners that they are understood and loved. Project Hannah offers compassion, encouragement, and hope to women worldwide through prayer, mercy ministries, information sharing and radio programming. Women of Hope continues to add languages as its global outreach and impact grows.
MISSIONARY CORNER:
An update on some of our missionaries serving here at home and around the world. K Kirk Baskin is serving in Johannesburg, South A Africa and was recently married to Rachel. K Kirk is involved in website maintenance and ssoftware o implementation, and also some radio p production, organizing and coordinating training eevents for locals in remote locations. H Hannah Pops is serving in Johannesburg, South Africa. She’s working as an Assistant Graphic A Designer and asks us to pray for opportunities D tto o share the Gospel and to establish healthy friendships. h K Kevin and Lynn Baker are returning to the m mission field on the Caribbean island of Bonaire w where he will help with the maintenance and u upkeep of the transmitter towers, and Lynn w help with administration. They’ve asked for will p prayer for the transition and move to Bonaire.
Rick and Carol Hawkins are serving with R T TWR Canada in Holland. Rick serves as the C Computer Systems Administrator for the N Netherlands office. Greg and Ingrid Clarke serve in Johannesburg, G South Africa, where Greg works as a studio S technician and often travels across Africa te installing and maintaining TWR studio in equipment. Greg met Ingrid while in South e Africa and they were married in 2005. They A h have two children, Rebekah and Caleb. M McDaniel and Blossom Phillips have served with T TWR Canada since 1984 and are now serving in the London, Ontario office where McDaniel in is working as liaison in the development of is m ministry partnerships.
40 YEARS OF CARING FROM CANADA In 1973, Trans World Radio Canada was established. Here are some of the highlights from TWR’s amazing history. 1954 Tangier, Morocco – Fulfilling TWR Founder Dr. Paul Freed’s dream, Christian broadcasts begin airing from Tangier, Morocco, using a 2,500 watt former army surplus transmitter.
1973
London, Ontario – TWR Canada is established under the direction of the Rev. Arthur Murfin, with offices in London, Ontario 1974 Middle East – In cooperation with Radio Monte Carlo, TWR begins daily broadcasts in the Middle East using 600,000 watts of AM power with a target audience of 130 million people. This becomes TWR’s third transmitting site. In Swaziland, TWR begins broadcasting to Africa on a shortwave transmitter. This becomes TWR’s fourth transmitting site.
1978 Puttalam, Sri Lanka – TWR’s sixth ttransmitting location begins airing programs ffrom a 400,000-watt AM transmitter. The ffacility is ideally situated to reach the 800 million people on the Indian subcontinent. In a single year TWR has expanded its potential aaudience by nearly 2 billion people. 1979 TWR International Headquarters announces that more than 500,000 letters from listeners were received by its offices and cooperating broadcasters around the world during 1978.
1960 960 Monte Carlo, Monaco – Housed in a facility built by Hitler to broadcast Nazi propaganda, TWR Monte Carlo’s shortwave broadcasts reach millions in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia.
1964 Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles – The first broadcast is aired from TWR’s second transmitting site. The new 500,000-watt AM facility is the most powerful transmitter in the western hemisphere located on the island of Bonaire near Venezuela. The signal carries the Gospel to South America, the Caribbean, and Central America. Two shortwave transmitters reach North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
1981 Montevideo, Uruguay – Broadcasts start ffrom a 50 kilowatt AM transmitter to the 11 million people of the Buenos Aires/ Montevideo metropolitan area. This becomes TWR’s seventh transmitting location.
1977 Guam – Four 100,000-watt shortwave transmitters begin beaming the Gospel from Guam to China, southeast Asia, and the eastern Soviet Union, potentially reaching half of the world’s population. This becomes TWR’s fifth transmitting location.
1982 London, Ontario – Dr. Carl Seyffert becomes the first full-time director of TWR Canada. 1983 London, Ontario – TWR Canada begins funding Persian broadcasts into the Middle East. TWR Canada is officially incorporated with the Canadian federal government.
1987 Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles – A 500,000watt AM transmitter arrives on Bonaire after a four-week, 6,500-mile trip across the Atlantic. The 20 tons of equipment replaced the existing 23-year-old transmitter installed in 1964. This new transmitter will better air broadcasts into remote areas inhabited by more than 200 million people, transforming the lives of thousands living in cities and jungles. Also, in France, a new 1 million watt AM transmitter is dedicated providing an extension to TWR’s previous coverage by more than 1.5 million square miles. 1992 Tirana, Albania – Trans World Radio signs an agreement with Radio Tirana, which was at one time the most powerful Communist propaganda station in Europe, to begin broadcasts to Eastern Europe (using 1 million watts). Radio Tirana is TWR’s eighth broadcasting location, making a total of 6.5 million watts of transmitting power for TWR’s worldwide outreach. 1993 New Delhi, India – Trans World Radio’s offices in India receive an average of 50,000 letters per month in response to Indian programming in 29 languages. Also in 1993 transmissions begin from Russia (Siberia) in 13 languages over a 250,000-watt shortwave transmitter to northern India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. This station becomes TWR’s ninth worldwide transmitting location.
1996 Endeavoring to reach more than 60 of the world’s least evangelized people groups, TWR begins broadcasting from a 1 million watt AM transmitter in Central Asia to listeners in that region and the Middle East. This becomes TWR’s 11th transmitting site.
2008 Benin – Following years of prayer, groundwork and intense spiritual warfare, TWR begins airing the good news of Jesus Christ into spiritually needy West Africa. Broadcasts in 14 languages are broadcast from a powerful 100,000 watt AM ttransmitter located in Benin, the birthplace of voodoo. This station has the potential to o rreach 190 million people and is TWR’s 14th major international transmitting site. m
1997 Szczecin, Poland – TWR signs a contract to transmit Gospel programs into Scandinavia from a 300,000 watt AM transmitter in Poland. Also in 1997, Project Hannah and its flagship program “Women of Hope” is officially launched. This new initiative mobilizes Christian women in a concerted effort of prayer and giving to provide more Gospel broadcasts for women on TWR stations. Programs initially aired from Guam.
2009 2 London, Ontario – Ray Alary, long-time missionary with TWR, after serving in Africa and Bonaire joins TWR Canada as President. Also in 2009, TWR Bonaire broadcasts the first “Messages of Faith and Hope” into Cuba, recorded entirely in Cuba for the first time. TWR partner Alberto Gonzalez produced the program and is able to listen to the first broadcast in his home in Havana.
1999 London, Ontario – Gerald Hayes becomes Executive Director of Trans World Radio Canada. Also in 1999, using a 1 million watt AM transmitter in Moldova (east of Romania and southwest of Ukraine), TWR begins airing Gospel programming in Romanian, Bulgarian, and the Gypsy languages of Balkan Romani and Kalderash. Serbian and Macedonian programs are later added. This station becomes TWR’s 13th major transmitting site. 2002 Quebec – TWR Canada begins funding French-language broadcasting within Quebec.
1994 Johannesburg, South Africa – TWR officially goes on the air with broadcasts in six languages (Fulani, Hausa, Yoruba, Twi, English and Swahili) from a 500,000 watt shortwave transmitter located near Johannesburg. This station becomes TWR’s 10th transmitting site.
2006 TWR surpasses the 200-language-anddialects milestone worldwide with programming airing on over 2,700 broadcasting outlets and 14 international transmitting sites. TWR broadcast more than a quarter-million hours of programming in 2006.
2011 Markham, Ontario - TWR Canada opens the TWR China Ministry Center with offices in Markham, Ontario.
2013 – 40 YEARS!
Canada - TWR Canada celebrates 40 years of ministry, and strengthens partnerships with The Gideons International in Canada, Thru the Bible, Hope for the Heart, and other ministries, and launches strategic Discipleship Essentials and media player initiatives. TWR Canada’s ministry impact and budget has doubled in size within the past 5 years.
MINISTRY UPDATES PERSIAN MINISTRY
Our Persian ministry director has recently completed the painstaking work of recording the New Testament into Persian. This is a project near and dear to the director’s heart, as he strives to answer the Muslim claims that new translations of the Bible in our hands today are corrupted, or, not accurate due to the many new translations, copying, and small changes made over time. It is hoped this new recording based on an old translation will answer these doubts. Also, In January 2013, TWR Canada facilitated the gathering of 6 believers and 4 seekers in Iran for study of the Scriptures in Istanbul. Praise God for the immediate connection these folks made with one another even though this was the first time they were together in such a setting. Contrary to our culture, they felt they could trust each other. From morning until late at night, there were great times of discussion and teaching. The group attended church and had a baptismal service. It was such a beautiful and touching ceremony that the 4 seekers who witnessed the baptism decided to become Christians and expressed p a desire to be baptized. p What a moment!
QUEBEC UPDATE
Did you know that North America is the ONLY continent wheree Christianity is not growing? In Canada, only 7-12% of Englishhspeaking Canadians and less than 1% of French-Speaking Canadians ans (in Quebec) consider themselves evangelical Christians. It’s humbling ing to think of Canada as one of the world’s most challenging mission sion fields. We’re excited about new opportunities to impact Quebec. We are on the third largest radio station in Quebec (CKBN 90.5 FM) with a 30-minute (Thru the Bible) broadcast. This station reaches 200,000 people eople in the Trois-Rivières region. Also, Charles Price’s 30-minute Living Truth T th or La Parole Vivante program is sensitively translated into French language structure and thought patterns, and the results are exciting. In addition, our television ministry in Quebec has a larger audience than ever before. Our Thru The Bible French language broadcasts were downloaded or streamed over 45,000 times in 2012. The ministry is growing, and the Quebec people are hungry for the Good News of Jesus! Doors keep opening for the spread of the Gospel, and God is definitely using this ministry to bring unity among Quebec churches and believers.
TOOLS FOR WISE LEADERSHIP
In order to meet a leadership vacuum, TWR produces a 15-minute weekly English radio program called Tools for Wise Leadership for 166 million potential listeners in 10 countries across South, Central and East Africa. Tools for Wise Leadership, based on the leadership skills of Jesus Christ, teaches leadership and management development skills for professionals and leaders in the education, health, social welfare, and church sectors. The programs are constantly evaluated and adapted to meet the needs of listeners. Respected by faith-based and secular organizations, this program is a major step in addressing a long-standing need in this part of the world.
CUBA MINISTRY UPDATE
TWR Canada continues to support Alberto Gonzalez and the TWR Cuba Ministry. Here’s some of what they accomplished in the past year. • An additional 300 “Messages of Faith and Hope” were written and produced by Alberto Gonzalez at his Havana, Cuba recording studio, bringing the total number of programs to over 800. The programs are broadcast from the TWR transmitter on the island of Bonaire into Cuba at 9:30 PM (EST) 5 days a week and at 1:15 AM (EST) 7 days a week. • Over 10,000 pieces of Christian literature were distributed in rallies and meetings across Cuba. • More than 2,000 listener follow up inquiries were made through letters, phone calls and emails. Three pastors work to provide responses to all the inquiries about TWR’s broadcasts.
SEMINARY ON THE AIR (SOTA) CHINA MINISTRY UPDATE
Since August 2012, when the SOTA program was re-launched, it has experienced amazing growth. •
In China, since August, 650 new students have registered in response to meetings and Church presentations. Another 240 have registered online at the SOTA website.
•
In Canada, at the beginning of 2013, 202 students are currently registered, including 58 new students. Already, 41 have graduated from the intensive 3-4 year program. The students live across Canada in over 40 different cities representing more than 100 different churches.
•
The SOTA program also has 14 Chinese students in Germany who are taking the courses. TWR Canada China Ministry Director, William Tsui was with the students in Germany in March.
TWR Canada PO Box 25324 London, ON N6C 6B1 info@twrcanada.org (888) 672-6510 www.twrcanada.org
Thank You!
TWR Canada exists because of your faithful prayer and financial support. An Official Receipt for Income Tax Purposes will be issued for the eligible amount of any gifts. You may give by mail, phone or online at www.twrcanada.org.
WAYS TO HELP 1
SPONSOR A SOTA STUDENT
For just $25 a month with a three year commitment, you can provide a Chinese or Chinese-Canadian student with an intensive seminary-level training program (SOTA). Many of these graduates return home and begin a home church, equipped to meet the spiritual needs of their church family, and support th the explosive growth of churches in China with sound biblical doctrinal education.
REACH QUEBEC WITH THE GOSPEL
2
Your financial gift and prayer support will encourage and help continue the lifetransforming ministry of TWR Canada in Quebec, an important mission field in our own backyard.
3
BECOME A MONTHLY NTHLY GLOBAL GLO OBAL MEDIA PARTNER
Your gift of $50, $75 or $100 per month through automated giving (via bank debit or credit card) can help ensure that TWR has the ongoing funding to maintain and expand its global reach so that every ear can have the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
SERVE WITH TWR
TWR Canada offers mission opportunities around the world in a variety of technical and non-technical positions for all ages, expertise, and experience levels. Contact Gwen at info@twrcanada.org.
5
A ATTEND A TWR SPECIAL EVENT E
T TWR Canada hosts events across the country offering exciting ministry updates and o dynamic speakers. If you would like someone d to speak to your church, study group or cclub - or even just a gathering of friends, please contact us. Find event details on our p website, or contact Sharon in our office. w www.twrcanada.org/events
LEAVE A LEGACY!
Remember TWR in your Will and Estate Planning. A planned gift through your will or estate can impact future generations by ensuring that the Gospel reaches every corner of our world. Contact Irv in our office for more information, or email info@twrcanada.org.
7
6
SIGN UP FOR PRAYER UPDATES
Subscribe to the Project Hannah Monthly Prayer Calendar, TWR’s Weekly Prayer Guide and TWR’s Weekly E-Update for TWR praise, prayer and news items. Go to the TWR website found at www.twrcanada.org to sign up.
4 “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations…” Matthew 24:14