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!