Praise on the Radio Station Ministry

On December 18, we signed the contract and closed on the purchase of a radio station in Lima. For three years we planned, prepared, saved and prayed for this opportunity so this is a milestone for us.

Within the contract was the agreement that we would be able to use the facilities of the sellers rent free for three months. So on December 19, we began broadcasting at 6:00 a.m. from their studio. The gospel is now being presented (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) through message, song, testimonies, and even the announcements and news! We estimate there are approximately nine million potential listeners.

Our station is called Radio Integrity and is identified as “The Voice that Glorifies God”, which rhymes in Spanish (“La Voz que Glorifica a Dios”). The frequency is 700 on the am dial, which is one the best. It is excellent because it is a low frequency providing greater potential for broader coverage. It is also located precisely in the middle of a small sliver of space between two of the most listened to stations in the city, Radio Programs and Radio Pacific. Listeners frequently skip back and forth between these stations. When they do so, they will find our station providing the perfect opportunity to capture more listeners.

The immediate response to the programs we are broadcasting has been overwhelming even though we are only transmitting with one kilowatt because of the limitations of the present location. We do not have a telephone at the office or even a secretary, but people are finding our borrowed studio to visit us. Believers are excited! And so are we!

Since there are only two of us (my associate and myself) plus our wives, we are a little overwhelmed with the workload of running the station. It takes a good staff to run a radio station well. We have people in mind who are very qualified, but at this time we have an even greater need than the one for personnel.

We need to quickly buy a property and put our new radio plant into operation. This is a major move that will require building a new tower, studio, and transmitting room that must be air-conditioned. The studio can be one room for the moment. We were planning on using the tower that came with this station, but it was more cost efficient to build a new one and sell the steel from the existing one. We have three months from the day we signed to relocate and vacate the site we are using.

So our biggest need at the moment is for finances to make this move possible. The moving costs were not a surprise. We are debt free and have moved at the pace God has supplied. This has been our philosophy and we intend on continuing in the same way, believing this is how God determines direction.

How will we continue? Only God has gotten us to this point and only He will see this project through. It is His ministry. As my father frequently reminds me: “If it is of God, nothing will stop it. If it is not of God, nothing will prosper it.” Well said. As we move forward, our needs continually change according to the progress on the project and the finances God has provided.

If you would like to know what are our present needs, feel free to contact us at: stanperu@gmail.com. So many have given and prayed and it has been an incredible journey to see the hand of God in it all. We can tell you firsthand that it has been God who has done it all, and He has used a host of His people to do it. This is truly a team effort.

If you are reading this and have given and prayed, thank you. May God continue what He has started, may all the glory be His, and all that has been given in offerings, time, and effort be fruitful and abound to the account of each one.

When we started this ministry I wanted to do something that only God could do so He would get all the credit. I love serving the Lord and watching Him work!

November in Trujillo

Sunday, November 8, we boarded a bus bound for Trujillo. Stanley has made this 9 - hour trip many, many times. But for me, it was only my second time. The double-decker bus had a good noon meal and snack later. It showed 4 movies and one of them was “Fireproof!” How great to see that again – even in Spanish! We spent our weeks with Evelyn and Steve Stilwell, veteran missionaries of Peru. What examples, to this rookie, to see the time they spend in counseling, teaching, and entertaining their church members, Seminary students and fellow workers. Plus I learned some more Peruvian culture tips that I need to relate better with these wonderful Latin people. I was able to go to the local Christian school and observe several classes and get more practice speaking Spanish. The kids are always so patient with repeating words or phrases for me to grasp. See, the teacher can always learn from their students! Twice I had the opportunity to share a short devotional/testimony with the girls in the dorms in the evening at the Seminary. That was a stretching time to share publicly in Spanish. It was a blessing to be reminded and share what great things God has done.

The main purpose of making the trip was for Stanley to teach a modular course on pastoral theology at the Seminary. He has taught this class for many years, but it is still a joy to see how the students respond. They ask great questions and request personal time to discuss issues that they face on a daily basis. Yes, all those education classes at Tennessee Temple many years ago still help! But he too spent many hours counseling and discussing with other pastors concerns deep on their hearts. And the itinerant Lima preacher – for these few months – got to preach elsewhere too. His former church, Fe, had him teach a Sunday School class and he preached in two of the chapel services at the Seminary. The time was interrupted with Stanley making a weekend trip back to Lima to investigate potential land for the radio tower. He and Pastor Edward spent all day one Saturday seeking but as of today, there are no definite leads. This is our major prayer concern at time.

Thanksgiving in Peru? It was a first for me. We spent the day here in Trujillo with Steve, Evelyn and Martha Stilwell, David and Kandie Stilwell and their 4 children, Stephen and Molly Stilwell and their 4 children, 2 Arriba college-age girls and a couple who were recently married. The holiday is American and so was all of the food! We enjoyed a song fest in the afternoon. What a wonderful time to share and praise the Lord for another year of His protection, care and guidance.

The three weeks ended with a few Seminary board meetings and then graduation on Saturday. Eight Peruvians were sent out to different areas in Peru and Ecuador to begin serving in local churches. Sunday afternoon Stan and I hopped on the bus back to Lima and our little apartment there to continue the project of getting the radio station, tower and studio off the ground.

What does December hold? Hopefully we want to see the completion of the purchase of the radio license and equipment; finalize the acquisition of land for the tower; renew our efforts with the two families for Bible studies; and prepare for Christmas. Now that is another blog!

The Zacarias Family Joins Our Ministry Team

Edward Zacarías and his family have moved from Trujillo to Lima to help us in our new church plant / radio ministry. Edward and Margarita both graduated from the Seminary in Trujillo, and they have three children: Jair, Joel and Joanna. Edward has worked with Stan for more than fifteen years in two different churches in Trujillo as his associate, and now he will be the administrator of the radio ministry.

Margarita is home schooling the children until the end of this school year (December). Please keep her in your prayers, as this is a big adjustment for her and the entire family. When they made the move to Lima, it was a big sacrifice and step of faith. We are thrilled to have them here with us.

During school days, Ruth takes a bus to their house to help Margarita with the daunting task of educating three children, each in a different grade. Ruth is a big help to Margarita, and the benefit is mutual because it also helps Ruth practice her Spanish. It is exciting working together as a team!

What Are Our Present Needs?

Our biggest need at this time is a property in order to start the new church plant and radio ministry. We found a property located in the middle of the city, in an ideal location and perfect for the needs of this new ministry. For more information, please read our article on this blog entitled “Property Opportunity for Church Plant / Radio Ministry”.

Praise the Lord we have received $41,000 in offerings for this property! Pray that the Lord will continue to supply, and that He will reserve this property for us if it is His will.

How Is the Progress Coming Along?

On August 27, we reached a verbal agreement with a company to purchase their radio license and equipment. Our lawyer has been reviewing the documents of the company and working with their lawyer and accountant. This is an important part of the process because we are purchasing a company, making it mandatory that we carefully examine their history.

The major part of the process (reviewing documents) has been done, and things are looking positive. As soon as the company satisfies some legal requirements by our lawyer; we should be proceeding toward the signing of the contract to finalize the deal. God willing, we will reach closing in two to four weeks (late October or early November). Praise the Lord we have all the funds necessary for this purchase. Thank you so much for your prayers and giving.

Property Opportunity for Church Plant / Radio Ministry

The search for a site began over two years ago. My coworker, Edward and I have seen countless properties in Lima. This has helped us gain more insight into the fair market value of property here, analyze our goals and needs and get a better grasp of this massive city.

We have carefully considered the needs for our goals which are:

A site for a new church in a strategic location.

A studio for recording, transmitting to the tower and storage for our library of messages and music.

Offices designed to receiving church visitors and radio listeners.

Housing for the church and radio staff in the beginning stages in order to save on renting expenses.

Housing for groups who come to visit us.

Housing for college interns who come to serve and train with us.

A new law now requires all radio and TV towers be placed outside residential areas. We have struggled with the conflicting needs to be near our church plant and have a tower outside the city limits, and we came to the conclusion that it would be best not to consider a property for the radio studio with the tower in the back. Our two options are now to either share a tower with another station or purchase a small property in a remote area for our tower and beam our signal from the studio to the tower.

Since making that decision, we have focused our search on finding a property that will supply the needs for all our goals excluding a location for the tower.

In the last month, we have found a property that is unquestionably an excellent site for our ministry, and it meets all our criteria (except a site for the tower). The property has 570 square meters and is located in the middle of a nice part of the city. It has an old, rundown three story motel with 20 rooms and space in the back for a church to meet. It needs a lot of work and funds to get it in shape. We can do that as we are able, and there are groups that are waiting to come and help us.

There is available parking (a major factor for a church!) and good access for people to come to visit the church and radio station. It is located precisely in the center of the northern and southern sections of Lima. It is also situated on a main street, but not an avenue with heavy trucks and noisy buses. The property next door will also be coming up for sale in the future, and we will have the option to purchase it if we are interested.

The price is $360,000. The final amount including taxes and closing costs is $375,000. While this may sound ridiculously high, it is being sold as land only and the building is not being considered as an asset. The price is well within what the market dictates for real estate in Lima. Other properties that do not have many of these positive factors are much more expensive.

The total amount of offerings we have received toward this project now total $41,000. We invite you to pray with us about this opportunity and consider the project. If you would like to give toward the purchase of this property, you can send your gift to:

Baptist Mid-Missions
P. O. Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130-8011

Please be sure and designate it as: Peru Lima Church/Radio Complex.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Pray that the Lord will guide in us in this ministry.

Our First 100 Days

Our First 100 Days

(June 5 - September 13)

By Ruth Templeton

I was recently listening to a pod cast of Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She had a guest that mentioned that she had begun to list all of her struggles and it became overwhelming and not edifying at all. It was a wrong focus. So, my intentions are not to list our woes but Merely share what God has done in our lives these first 100 days in the capital city of Lima.

We arrived Saturday morning, June 5, and went to fellow BMM missionaries Gary and Penny Whipple's home in Chaclacayo, about 25 miles outside of Lima proper. They have been here for over 25 years and have recently completed a new church plant and building in Ate. They call "home" in the States western PA, so we had another special kinship. But they were "blessed" with our presence for not a mere 4 days but almost 4 weeks! Yes, the Lord put us on hold as far as moving to a property that we thought we should have. God had other plans. Yes, it was difficult during those weeks to see how the Lord was leading as far as housing was concerned. Gary and Penny were so gracious to show us around the city and reacquaint Stanley - it's been 24 years since I lived here. We were able to begin a Bible study with a family in Comas, about two hours away on the north side of the city. That study has continued and it is such a blessing to heard their questions and see their interest in spiritual matters. I will say that the 7th Day Adventist have been active here in the city along with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

June 29 we took a bus ride of 9 hours to Trujillo to retrieve some of the furniture and other items needed to setup housekeeping in a two bedroom apartment in La Molina. It was a whirlwind trip and after loading a moving truck, Stanley, Wilfredo and I Hopped into our Pathfinder (car) to make the drive to Lima. About an hour outside of town we noticed that the car was not shifting properly and another hour down the road, we knew that we could not go on. Praise the Lord that we broke down in the town of Chimbote where fellow missionaries, the Steve Stilwell family, live and serve. It was afternoon and they took our car to a mechanic and fed us an awesome Peruvian meal. We had to leave the car and take a bus back to Lima. (That was July 2 - Happy Birthday, Stanley ?!!!!) After arriving early in the morning, we met up with our moving truck at the apartment and the landlords shocked by all of the stuff that we had. Fortunately, we are able to store many things at Fetzer Christian School. Wilfredo was a great blessing in helping us setup the gas stove, washer, dryer, refrigerator, clothes poles, and so much more. What a servant's heart and dear friend to Stan. So we settled into our little nest on the third floor.

Most of July found us going to public Internet places to keep in contact with the folks back in the States, walking to the market, preparing for the Two PA groups coming in August; getting our visas, checking into possible radio stations, and starting another Bible study. Yes, the Lord has given the opportunity to share the salvation of Cornelius (Acts 10) with our landlady. She and her husband (White & Peter) came to Stanley and asked if I would share with them! We still trust the Lord to work in their hearts. We both believe the Lord led us to this apartment for that very reason.

Pastor Edward, Margaret and their three children left Trujillo by bus and went to Chimbote to retrieve our "fixed" car and drive it down to Lima - a normal 6-hour trip. Sad to say, those 6 hours turned into 18 hours. The transmission was not fixed and they could not go over 30 mph, nor in reverse. As of now, the Pathfinder is still awaiting the mechanic to work on it again.
But we are so grateful to have Pastor Edward and his family join us as a new Lima team. Stanley and I are quite the duo and work so well together.

Late in the evening of July 31, Pastor Edward, Stan and I met the group from the Church of the Open Door (Fort Washington, PA) at the airport. They got to sleep in one day but then it was "hit the road running" the rest of their 9 days here. They ministered through VBS programs in 3 different towns. The numbers of children and moms ranged from the 30's up to the 90's. We know of one boy at Manchay who was ready to receive Christ and one of our precious translators had that opportunity to bring him to the Savior. Two of the areas that we held the clubs are new works and it was a blessing to reach out to those communities and Encourage those new works. Thank you India Crew (teens & leaders) for your service to the Lord and people of Peru.

After a day and half of "rest" and preparing for round two, we met the Calvary Baptist group at the airport. This is our sending church from Lansdale, PA and they came to work. I mean work - like with a pick, shovel, mortar, trowel, etc.. Their goal was to help the phrase Horeb Baptist Church with two of their building program. In four short hours of work, this group of mixed ages, from 13 - 70, tore up concrete, put in footers, tore down a brick wall and built two others. It was amazing to see them work so well together. It reminded me of Nehemiah and his crew that worked on the walls of Jerusalem. When we dropped them off at the airport, they were super tired but so pleased with what the Lord allowed them to do.

Let me assure you, we did have some "fun things" planned for both groups. Shopping downtown at the Indian markets was a highlight for guys and girls alike. We also took the Mirabus - an hour long open, double decker bus tour around Miraflores. From there they got to see the beautiful, upper class part of Lima and we drove along the Pacific coast too. One evening we took in the colorful magical fountain / light show. A few of the braver souls chose to get wet on this excursion! It is winter here, so that was a chilling experience. Of course we ate at several of the American fast food places as well as Peruvian restaurants. Praise the Lord, there were only 2 cases of slight sickness among 39 people during these twenty days.

The rest of the month of August found Pastor Edward Stanley and scanning the city and countryside for property on Which to build homes and adequate space to place the radio tower and studio. Praise the Lord with us that we are in the process of purchasing an AM radio station. Stan is holding his breathe until the papers are all signed Because in the past, complications had arisen. So the million dollar radio / church project is half way there. I am being stretch in my faith to see how the Lord provides and will continue too for the property that we will need for the tower and a place for the studio, church, and for the staff to live. In the Midst of this, I had read in John 20:29 as Jesus rebuked Thomas (the Twin), "... blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Thank You, Father, for the reminder! As of now, we have a possible site that would fit those needs but .... Time, renovations, and money will keep us seeking God's leading. So many people crowded into this widespread city and the radio can broadcast right into their homes and lives.

Thanks to so many of you - churches, individuals, couples precious, businessmen, widows, children's clubs, and family have given and prayed. You share in this effort and we hold high the responsibility Entrusted to us. These first 100 days have Strengthen our faith in the Lord and Increased our love for the souls of Lima. May I receive all of the glory!

Departure to the Field

We will be departing for Lima, Peru at 2:55 p.m. from Philadelphia on Thursday, June 4 and arriving in Lima the following day at 4:10 a.m. Our first task is to find a place to stay and move our furniture from Trujillo to Lima. Next we need apply for Ruth’s resident visa. The first two months in Peru will bring major changes to our lives. When the Lord brings us to your memory, please pray for us as we adjust, adapt and grow by God’s grace and in His grace.

We do not yet have a mailing address or phone in Peru. However you will be able to communicate with us by e-mail at the same addresses as before: stanperu@gmail.com and peruruth@gmail.com.

Answer on Radio Station Offer

Our offer for the purchase of a radio was not accepted. The company has made the decision not to sell the station for less than $600,000. Since God has not supplied this amount, we continue to wait and see what His direction will be for us.

There are three other radio stations that are in danger of losing their license. If the government revokes their license (for not meeting regulations), these would then be offered for sale at a public auction. Only licenses are sold at a government public auction run by the government-remove and not radio equipment. Although it is not possible to predict when a public auction will come up, we are optimistic that one may come up in September. This could be the way the Lord is leading at this time. Please keep this project in your prayers. We want to thank so many of you for praying hard and giving sacrificially toward the radio ministry. We are getting closer to reaching our goal.

Our Offer on a Radio Station in Lima

On March 24, we presented our cash offer of $420,000 to the company who owns the radio station in Lima. Their response was both surprising and puzzling. They did not give us a yes or a no answer. Our interpretation of this is that they have another offer that is much higher than ours, but it is not a cash offer. This means they would have to finance them, which is a high risk in Peru. Although we can only guess, we think they are trying to get the other interested party to raise the amount of their initial down payment. The other party will then have to see what they can do to raise that and also what they can offer as a guarantee for collateral to finance the rest. When that party makes their final offer, the board of the company who owns the station will decide between our cash offer and the higher offer that has to be financed.

In summary, we are still waiting on an answer from the company who owns the station. We know that if the Lord wants us to have this station, He will bring it to pass. If not, He will give us something better. The project is His and we will trust Him to guide in this situation. As soon as we know something, we will let you know.

We thank so many of you who have sacrificed and given to this project and also all who are praying. It will be prayer and the hand of the Lord that will help us get the station. Ruth and I are so grateful for all our prayer warriors.

Latest Developments on Radio Ministry

A Peruvian company is selling their Lima radio station. On March 3, we reached an agreement with the owners. The terms of the agreement are:

Assets:

Includes:

· The authorization license of the frequency

· 6,000 watt transmitter, one small backup transmitter, cable and tower

· All studio equipment (recorders, mixer boards, cables, microphones, computers, software, etc.) Their equipment is in excellent condition and we estimate its net worth to be between $80,000 and 100,000.

Not included:

· Buildings

· Property

Costs:

$600,000 for the radio station

$10,000 for the broker’s commission

Total: $610,000

Time: We have until March 24 to come up with financing.

Terms of agreement: They will sell to us for this price, but reserve the right to accept at any time any other offer that would supersede this amount.

Resources available: At the present time we have $340,000 on hand and $53,000 promised. The needed amount to reach our offer by March 24 is $217,000.

Question: Would you be willing to make a promise to give for this particular project opportunity? We only need to know the amount of the promise. Your promise will be counted as a commitment on your part.

On March 23, we will add up the promises we have received along with the resources we have. If we reach the goal before the deadline, we will submit our offer and move toward closing. If we do not reach our goal, we will submit the amount we have (promises and funds on hand) as our final offer. In this way we will be able to determine if the Lord wants us to purchase this particular radio station.

We are only requesting you send your promise for this particular project opportunity. It is not necessary to send your financial commitment for this particular project at this time. If our offer is accepted and we sign the contract, we would then inform you so you could send it.

If we do not reach our goal to purchase this station, we will continue searching and know that God has something better for us. We will not borrow to finance this project. God will provide where He guides. We are totally confident that this project is His will. We do not know if this frequency is His will.

Please do not feel pressured to give. All of us have a limited amount of resources and there are many worthy places to give. We encourage you to make a commitment promise only if: (1) You believe in the project; (2) God puts it in your heart to give; and (3) You are financially able to do so. We just wanted you to know about this opportunity we have before us and consider it. We do ask you to pray for this project and our ministry.

This project is a marvelous opportunity for the furtherance of the gospel. It is also a major step of faith, as you can see. If we reach our goal, this will allow us to begin getting the message out even though there will be future needs for the project (new transmitter, property and buildings). We believe we can move forward in this ministry through renting and other alternatives with the financial resources we have and will expand as God provides.

To communicate your promise, you may do so by:
E-mail at stanperu@gmail.com
Phone at 610-564-4936
Mail: 6231 Bayshore Drive
Harrison, TN 37341

Ruth and I are also making available to you the mission/vision statement and strategy planning for this ministry. If you are seriously considering investing in this ministry, it would be wise for you to read this material. It will serve to give you a clearer idea of what we want to accomplish. We will be glad to send it to you by e-mail or regular mail.

One day we will rejoice together in what God has done. It will only happen through Him. It is our prayer that this will glorify our Lord and bring forth fruit that will abound to your account.

Biographical Sketch of Stanley and Ruth Templeton

Stan Templeton was born in Centerville, Iowa on July 2, 1954. He grew up on a small farm in Unionville, Missouri where he developed a love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. It was in this setting that Christ was presented to Stan, his parents and younger brother. Stan came to know Christ at the age of 12 years of age when his father explained to him the gospel.

The family later moved to Winchester, Ohio where his father pastored a church in this small town community. Two years later, Stan went off to Bible college attending Tennessee Temple College where he graduated and later from the Seminary.

Following graduation, he married Marilyn Taylor, who he met during his freshman year in the Temple. God gave Stan and Marilyn four children: Nathan, Jessica, Jonathan and Amy. After finishing Seminary, Stan pastored the church for five years where he grew up as a child in northern Missouri.

Believing that God had called him to be a missionary in Peru to start churches and train national leaders in Peru, Stan and Marilyn moved to Peru, South America. After one year of language training in Lima, they moved to the large city of Trujillo where Stan taught in the Seminary, helped one year in an established church and later founded two others. From the second church, Faith Baptist, two other new works were begun. Faith also began an effective radio ministry with a potential listening audience of over a million people. This ministry has proven to be one of the most influential works in the city.

On October 6, 2003, Stan’s wife went to be with the Lord. Marilyn died suddenly of a heart attack while serving Christ in Peru. Stan continued on to serve in Trujillo until July, 2008. He is now beginning a new ministry in Lima using same strategy he used in Trujillo on a larger scale. This new ministry involves beginning a radio station that will be used to start new churches in the nation’s capitol. Lima is the largest and leading city of the country with approximately 9 million people living in the city’s outer limits.

Born and reared in eastern Pennsylvania, Ruth Sherid came to know Christ at an early age. The conversion of her twin brother motivated Ruth to trust Jesus as her Savior. At the age of 12 she received eternal life and gave her heart to Christ.

Ruth graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. Later she obtained her master’s degree at West Chester University. She has taught in two Christian schools in Pennsylvania for over 32 years.

In January of 2007, pastor John Conover and his wife, Janet introduced Stan and Ruth. From this introduction, a new friendship would develop and this would result in the joining of their lives in missionary service. On August 9, 2008, Stan and Ruth were married. They look forward to a new church planting ministry together in Lima.