It’s a great day, Veteran’s Day, a day to rejoice for our freedom and those who served us all.
There’s another group of veterans I would love to say thank you to for your example and service while serving in Bolivia. S.A.
I (Bruce) had the privilege of serving in the military for nearly eight years. God called us to be soldiers for His cause in 1982 and we then had the honor and privilege to serve with so many honorable men and women who led the charge to “Walk by Faith and Not by Sight” in NTM and Bolivia.
So, I call this letter a “memorial” to those who led by example and their love for Jesus Christ. Where would we be without those who went before us showing by example and encouraging us new troops in the faithfulness of God?
This letter is dedicated to those who have followed the Chimane Radio Ministry. A memorial if you would, “serving to preserve remembrance” and to return praise to the Lord for all His faithfulness.
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Twenty plus years ago we started with this device along with a 12-volt battery and one solar panel to keep it going. The recording ministry started and we had no idea where it was going to lead us to. Amazing!
It wasn’t long before we really needed a small recording area, 1997.
We began the recording of the Chimane Hymns, a five-year project.
From a boom box to a fully equipped building full of recording and broadcasting equipment several years late. A miracle radio stations indeed. I could write about many who came to help build, install, organize, and especially stand with us in prayer and support these 20 plus years. It didn’t happen overnight; many faithful people came to make all this possible.
The day came when we were ready to hook up to Bible Broadcasting Network in Charlotte, North Carolina. There is a huge story behind this organization and how we became partners in broadcasting.
Ray Rising, Felix who serves with BBN in Cochabamba and myself (Bruce) were putting the GPS coordinates into the laptop. I was helping adjust the satellite disk to be pointing in the right direction to download the signal from another satellite high above us. I mention this story because it proved to us God’s awareness of our efforts in hooking this system together.
In the English hymnbook, there are approximately 800 hymns to choose from that would be appropriate for this moment when we would hear the first sound bites.
God chose “Count your many blessings and see what God has done”. There was not a dry eye among us, so much effort, equipment, teams from many places, and the time it took to get a legal license to operate a 500-watt FM radio station. A moment to be called a memorial moment!
We recorded over 900 hours of Bible, chronological lessons, songs, and other programs relating to Christian living.
These faithful Chimane men served and are still serving in a huge outreach to their people and many others. A brand-new adventure for us all, another memorial moment to remember.
Our first five-year celebration seemed like yesterday and yes, we had quite the crowd come out to help us eat the cake.
Live broadcasting was a daily event. For the four guys it was a shared work load. Many who live in the Chimane territory got to know their voices and many came out to see the face behind the voice they were hearing. Many friendships were made, and new opportunities came from meeting the person behind the microphone. Yes, encouraging one another these past 20 years via the radio waves, in the four directions the broadcast traveled, touched many hearts and lives.
It is Veterans Day, and we remember those who paid a high price for our freedom. We had many great years in Bolivia of freely sharing the Good news to many isolated groups of people. We remember God’s Word does not return void! Also, today I write to remember so many that made the Radio Station in Horeb a very wonderful way to get the Good News out to the Chimane people but also to several other language groups we had not counted on reaching, but God did.
This letter comes with Good News, Bad News and New News.
God is good all the time, through all the types of news we can read about. One has to stop and ponder that though, “God is Good all the time”!
Ok now for the bad news. You know the only bad news is people who decide not to turn and face the cross. What a great free gift of eternal life Christ has given to us. Those who pass to a Christless grave, now that is bad news.
As of the end of December the Chimane Radio Station as we knew it will no longer exist. Not totally true as the building, the equipment somewhat old and used, and silent microphones remain.
So, what is the good news? Anyone who has followed this outreach can rest on several points. God put this radio station here, he called those to serve in this outreach and I’m pretty sure He will make it clear what’s next. We conclude, a new step in any direction is and always will be a “walk of faith and not by sight” adventure. Which is Good news. God does have a plan, radio or no radio, and I’m excited to have had 20 years of preparation for the next phase.
We could continue with pages of reasons why the present Radio ministry is shut down. The process is being worked on for a renewed license, but it all takes time.
A new committee is being formed, new decisions are being made, new personnel, new ideas, and I’m fully confident the equipment will be used to serve the Lord.
So here is an opportunity for you. Again, I could write pages of testimony on how God’s people prayed and supported this outreach. I really can’t think of too many times in 20 years where the radio was off the air due to needs. In the last several years it has remained on air 24/7, reaching even more people in the early hours.
I mentioned we will have some transition costs, which truly I’m not sure the dollar figure yet. If the Lord would lead you one more time to send a memorial gift, it would have to be in November or December because in January there won’t be an account available for Chimane Radio. We are deeply grateful for your past support; it has truly been a great way to reach unreached people groups.
As for Jan and I, Lord willing, we still are helping other language groups with video and have our hands full as we lost nearly a year of recording during these difficult days of covid.
We can to the best of our knowledge answer any questions you may have, just drop us a note. God Bless you.