God's answering our prayers!

In my February 1 blog I told you about "Vertical Limit", the new youth group at church. I told you about Samuel Zarria, my co-leader, and the fact that most of the youth that come are his classmates. I also asked you to pray for sensitivity to the needs of the group.

Thanks a lot for praying! God is moving and constantly opening doors for Sam and I to minister to his classmates and family. Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to clearly present the Plan of Salvation to four of his friends. None made a decision, but the seed is planted. Please keep praying!

Four are having some pretty serious relational problems with their parents and three of them have sought out help from Sam. Tomorrow he and I will meet with one of their mothers who is seeking advice. God's Holy Spirit is moving because you prayed. Thanks a bunch. Please keep praying.

The photo: In November, Samuel was one of the actors in a new radio series of short-format programs in Spanish being produced by Hope for the Heart Ministries. Here's a photo of him in the studio during the recording. Pretty cool, huh?

Nube Vogan - Waves of Hope Radio

Nube Vogan and her husband are missionaries with OMS - One Mission Society and serve with Waves of Hope Radio in Loja, Ecuador. Nube came to Quito for a 2-week internship as part of our personalized training core. Here are her thoughts after completing her time with us:

"I thank God for the giving me the blessing of being at HCJB for two weeks for the internship in radio news. I enjoy learning, seeing and collecting all of the information that can serve us in Waves of Hope Radio. This way we will improve professionally without putting to one side, not even for a moment, the passion for showing our listeners the love and power of God. I’m very thankful to HCJB for opening up this form of training which is a great blessing for me.

I will go back to Loja with a challenge: to be more professional every day, not forsaking my passion to talk about God’s love and to continue preparing myself at every opportunity. Recently I have come to understand what a privilege it is to serve God by way of radio, the responsibility for the way I do so and for each word that I speak."

Please pray for the Vogans in their ministry through Waves of Hope Radio.

Pantasma - Nicaragua

In February 2007, we did a radio training seminar for the staff and volunteers of about 7 small radio stations in northern Nicaragua. Armando Zerón, who at the time was a producer at the Evangelical Voice of Honduras, was the other trainer with me. We met, trained and slept at what is now a retreat center run by the provincial government. However, it formerly an operational center by the opposition government during the civil war days in Nicaragua!

Colleagues from Perú

Our training programs also include a 1- or 2-week personalized training, run much like an internship. In September 2009, three colleagues from a future Christian radio station in Chazuta, Perú came to Ecuador to participate in this program.

In this picture, they're seen with Carlos Salgar and his wife, Gabriela. Carlos is a Christian recording artist from Colombia who uses music to tell much of his personal story of his Christian walk.

Christian Briones

You actually met Christian Briones and his brother in last Saturday's blog. But today is Christian's 15th birthday, so he's here again.

I first met Christian during HCJB-2's annual sharathon in December 2008. (The picture is me interviewing him then.) I didn't know his story then, but God really placed a burden on my heart to pray for him. I later met his younger brother, Kevin. I've been praying for both of them constantly.

Even though none of us can physically be with Christian for his birthday today, we can all be with him spiritually. Please join me in praying for him. That in spite of all that he has experienced in his life, God would be so real to him today and that he would sense God's spirit and our love through prayer.

Happy birthday, buddy! ¡Que viva el cumpleañero!

Spotlight Listeners Club

The Spotlight Listeners Club meets tonight at Quito's English Fellowship Church. Spotlight is a specialized English radio program that is being used by many Ecuadorians to improve their English. In late 2002, the Listeners Club component was added which allows for conversation with native English speakers and open doors to share the Gospel. In this photo from 2004, Jeff Ingram facilitates his small group.

By the way, all of the Listener Club materials are available on HCJB's website so that your church can use them to reach out to non-English speakers in your community.

Ezequias Macedo - Filadelfia, Brazil

In August 2008, I had the incredible experience of teaching a radio seminar to an indigenous group in northwest Brazil. A co-worker was just there last week and sent this note and picture today.

Carlos says: I participated in a meeting of indigenous leaders in the Yavari Valley in Brazil. The first day, I saw some tables being set up on which some portable computers, speakers and a sound console were placed.

Later, when the meeting started, I asked myself, "Who's going to be in charge of the technical aspects?" Then I observed a young indigenous man with his laptop. He was the youngest of all the group. I went up to him and saw that he was using an audio editing program for preparing radio programs.

I asked his name and where he had been trained. His answer was "My name is Ezequias Macedo and I was trained by Allen Graham of Radio HCJB."

Carlos finished his note by saying: I suspected as much. It's good to see one of your students in action.

Thanks to your donations and prayers for making it possible to train Ezequias and many others. And thanks for letting me share this story. You're awesome!

The Zúñiga Family in Costa Rica

When I was in Costa Rica for language school (August 1992-August 1993), I had to work with a native Spanish speaker as part of my classwork. The last six months of my time there, Rafael Zúñiga was my language helper. We became good friends and have stayed in touch over the years. He always dreamed of bringing his family to Ecuador and that dream became a reality in January 2009. In this picture, we see Rafael with his wife, Ingrid, and their two children, Allan and Kimberly. We're at snow level on Mount Cayambe. A climate very different than that of Costa Rica!

HCJB-2 & the Shalom Foundation

For the last 10 years I've had the blessing of working with HCJB-2, our FM station in Guayaquil on Ecuador's southwest coast. Ten percent of the donations received during our annual sharathon go to support the Shalom Foundation, an orphanage currently housing 30 children and youth. Here I am with two brothers from the home: Christian and Kevin. Their mother died about three years ago, which is when they went to the Shalom Foundation. Their father is a high ranking official in the Ecuadorian Navy who refuses to recognize his sons in anyway. Please pray for the Shalom Foundation ministry and especially for Christian and Kevin. Thanks.

Koxonoty - Brazil

Today we go to Koxonoty, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Here you can see Jasiel Martins, my radio training colleague, teaching how to use digital audio editing software to a group of future radio producers who will broadcast in various indigenous languages to the tribes surrounding this reservation. Jasiel is from the Terena tribe, one of the first tribes in Brazil to be reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ. (Please see my April 11, 2009 blog for more information.)

Vertical Limit / Límite Vertical

Vertical Limit is the name of the new youth group at church. It's a small group for now, only about 10-12 youth, but no doubt God's going to do some pretty amazing things through them. Please pray for Samuel Zarria and me as we lead this group. Samuel is a senior in high school and everyone in the group are his classmates and friends. He and I are the only two Christians! Pray that we will be very sensitive to the needs of these youth and be very alert to how the Holy Spirit is moving and preparing their hearts for salvation. Thanks!