Producer flees country in North Africa

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North Africa (MNN) ― The Arab Spring has taken its toll on many nations in North Africa. In a few of those nations, it's difficult to even "be" a Christian, let alone practice your faith. Doing so could be a death sentence. That fear has caused one Christian man to flee his country.

HCJB Global's leader in the region is a man we're calling "Lobito." He tells us about the man who fled: a program producer with one of their ministry partners in North Africa. "He couldn't go back to his country. He was all of a sudden without family, without friends, without work, without anything and even illegal in another country. Then he decided in the midst of all the circumstances to produce programs for his own country."

According to Lobito, there were no active churches in his country, so HCJB Global helped him. "We helped him to get a portable studio. We helped him to get some income so he could start to produce programs."

Lobito says they have been touching hearts through short-wave radio broadcasting. As a result, people began giving their hearts to Jesus. This week, however, the program producer began facing problems again. "He had to flee again out of this country. We transferred some money to him, and now we don't know where he is. We hope to get in contact with him as soon as possible. We really have to pray for this person."

While the Arab Spring created incredible conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, it also created openness. Libito says, "Arabic people are nervous or confused about how Muslims can kill other Muslims. This is a starting point for rethinking, 'Is this really the truth that we believe in?'"

That's why Christians around the world need to be praying about HCJB's partner broadcasts into North Africa and the Middle East. Lobito says, "As we work with a lot of local people on the ground, we need wisdom on how to encourage local people to continue producing local programs reaching their neighbor."

This time in world history could be strategic. "In the midst of a hopeless moment, God starts to work. We really don't know how long we're able to do the ministry. But for now, and for the next couple of months, we see an open door."

Results from an independent radio survey firm reveal that more than 1.5 million people in the Arab World are tuning in at least weekly to HCJB's Arabic-language broadcasts. In addition, statistics indicate that those listening through Internet live-streaming and mobile apps increased by more than 300% in the past two years.

HCJB is absolutely passionate about mobilizing Christ-followers to use radio to introduce Jesus Christ as the Hope of the world to those who live in North Africa and the Middle East.

You can touch the lives of individuals in this region by helping them hear radio programs that become friends on their journey to knowing Jesus Christ.

$35 will sponsor 1 hour of broadcasting. If you would like to help support this work in North Africa, click here. 

Christian radio station in Liberia burns to the ground

Liberia (MNN) ― One of Liberia's oldest radio stations has been destroyed again.

The Monrovia-based Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) burnt to the ground Tuesday night. Lee Sonius with HCJB Global says, "They lost everything. I've already seen some pictures of the building, and the destruction was quite widespread. They lost all of their equipment, programs, and music."

The fire started around 9 pm local time. As to its cause, "The cause of the fire has not been completely determined yet, but it doesn't look like it was due to an electrical problem." Several reports coming out of Liberia have been hinting at arson connected to political unrest.

  

After speaking with the station manager, Sonius explains, "The investigation is leading more toward the possibility that it was arson, or that it was intentionally set. Because the run-off election was yesterday, I asked him (the station manager) if he thought it could have anything to do with the election, and he said, 'Well, I can't rule that out.'"

The good news is that the transmitter was in a separate building and is unharmed by the fire. Sonius adds that "they actually had a small, emergency portable studio at the site of the transmitter. They are already back on the air in a temporary way."

Sonius was ELWA's station manager in 1990 when civil war first destroyed the facility. In 1996, radio ELWA was silenced again during renewed fighting. The staff, with the help of SIM, regrouped and rebuilt. Seven years later, HCJB came on board to help provide most of the resources for short-wave broadcasts from a unique transmitter and antenna, which they developed and installed.

The staff is shell-shocked, says Sonius. "I think the staff at this point must be thinking, 'Why is all of this happening?'" However, Sonius says they've come back from total destruction before--a faith journey that encouraged growth. "We have seen their resiliency in the past, and the ministry has been going on. So I would be very, very surprised if the staff doesn't get behind rebuilding and getting the Gospel back on the air."

Their ministry journey together will continue, says Sonius. "HCJB definitely wants to help, and that's why I called them this afternoon to just assure them of our intention to help get them back on the air. Obviously, they'll need to rebuild, and they'll need all the studio equipment."

The radio station daily broadcast eight hours of English programming and one and a half hours of Liberian language programming. About three-quarters of the station's income come from local listeners and churches. Both SIM and HCJB are raising funds to help. Click here if you would like to help.