E-Snapshots - August 2009

With the ever-increasing utility of the Internet in the 21st century, TWR’s ministry has expanded from radio to the World Wide Web. Today, programs in 40 languages are streamed through Webcasts, with more on the way. Since people around the globe have Internet access, it has become a tremendous source of effective ministry.

Read more about our exciting outreach in the virtual world and see how Memcare by Radio is ministering online too. Watch an inspiring video about Muna, a teenage girl in the Middle East who greatly benefited from TWR’s cyber initiatives. Also check out what TWR’s CIO Steve Shantz has to say about the digital world, and then discover some interesting facts and figures about digital ministry.

Visit our dynamic homepage to see how God is using TWR so that lasting fruit is produced.

I used to take interest in eastern religions and occult studies. Today, remembering the way God reached for me, I have to say that the programs of TWR played the most important role. It all started around 1997. I grew up in a family that did not use the Bible. Not being a very sociable person, I stayed away from all kinds of gatherings. The only thing that could help me were Christian programs, and God knew that. I did not come to a living faith immediately. Slowly, all that I heard and read began changing me; I wanted to become a better person, but I did not understand fully. Today I know that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. One day, listening to a program about the necessity of faith and the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, the Holy Spirit touched my heart and I turned to God in tears of repentance. God changed me.

Having the living faith within me, I felt the need for constant spiritual fellowship. So I read the Bible, but did not look for fellowship with other Christians. TWR's radio programs were a special joy to me. They were my only tutor at that time. I had many questions and trials from my relatives, and God guided me through the Christian programs to let me know how to go on living. I marveled at times how God knew about the questions within me and answered them through the staff of TWR. After two years, I joined a local church, and I thank God for the ministers there. But, more than anything, I am thankful for your ministry. It is because of you that I believed and grew and became steadfast in faith. Your programs are still a big spiritual encouragement to me and my family.

TWR and OneStory are partnering to bring the gospel to unreached people groups in West Africa through a practical series of orality programs.  More than 65 percent of people living in West Africa are illiterate and considered to be oral learners. The goal of chronological Bible story telling is to spread Bible stories using indigenous methods so that an oral Bible can be made accessible to people. Several OneStory teams based in West Africa already have recorded sets of chronological Bible stories for unreached people groups in their heart languages and preferred communication styles.  The programs will be in the Fulani, Senoufo Supyire, Senoufo Synera and Tuareg languages, reaching people in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger. Programs will be part of a 15-minute orality block that features a story told several times. They will be broadcast five days a week from TWR’s transmitter in Benin.  TWR plans to begin broadcasting in the latter part of 2009 or early 2010, depending on when funds are available. You can make a difference by helping us get these stories on the air. A timely donation of $20, $50 or $100 will assist us in bringing the gospel to the unreached people in West Africa. Click here to donate.

*Adapted from TWR-Africa’s monthly E-Newsletter.

TWR Responds to HIV/AIDS in China

The following experience was recounted by "C," one of TWR-Asia’s China Ministry staff, as he visited an HIV/AIDS village to minister to the villagers.

"I distinctly remember this one lady we visited while we were in one of the villages. As we walked toward her, we saw there were tears in her eyes. I didn't understand why at first. It was only later that she explained the reason for her tears: after she was tested to be HIV-positive, her own son left home and refused to visit her, for fear of contracting the dreaded disease. With the pain of familial rejection fresh in her mind, she couldn’t fathom why we–strangers not related to her in any fashion–would be willing to visit and embrace her."

China's population is currently estimated at approximately 1.3 billion and about 700,000 of them are living with HIV (unaids.org.cn). HIV/AIDS is also the country’s leading cause of death last year among infectious diseases, killing about 7,000 lives in the first nine months of 2008 (aidsportal.org). One of the major causes of these infections is through the illegal sale and collection of blood in some villages. The situation is made worse as proper hygiene and medical procedures are not strictly adhered to at all times.

TWR-Asia aims to meet the basic and immediate needs of China's HIV/AIDS victims. Those who suffer are not only the infected victims, but also the children that these patients leave behind. In view of this, on-the-ground ministries have been established to effectively communicate love and hope found in Jesus Christ, as well as educate the people about HIV/AIDS, to subsequently transform the community.

To read more from TWR-Asia’s Web site, click here.

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