Amazon Region (MNN) — A widespread radio partnership has
emerged as 'The Ticuna Project'. The Ticuna are an isolated, nomadic people
living along the Amazon in Brazil,
Colombia, and Peru.
HCJB Global's Kevin Mayer says their team designed the
radios. "They are a fixed-tuned, solar powered radio that we've developed
here at the HCJB global technologies center.
Basically, our idea with these is to distribute some ot different
partners around the world, like trans world radio, to give them a tool they can
use to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Once they're out of customs, Trans World Radio's Jim Munger
says they'll be in charge of distribution and programming. The goal of this
project? "Evangelism of people, who are otherwise inaccessible, and then,
building up the church. There are churches among the Ticuna people, but because
it's a nomadic group, in the jungle, there are a lot of isolated communities.
Radio is an ideal medium for reaching these people with the Gospel."
According to TWR, in Brazil's 70-plus Ticuna villages,
the people have access to both a writing system and education in their
language, as provided by the country's National Foundation for Indians
(FUNAI). The New Testament has also been
translated into Ticuna, according to the American Bible Society Library.
That led TWR to move forward with getting the Gospel into an
audible form for them. It's been a year
now since the first Ticuna-language radio program went on the air, followed by
a Portuguese block produced by TWR-Brazil.
Daily radio transmissions have a large coverage area, reaching the
majority of the Ticuna villages of Brazil,
Colombia and Peru.
Two-thirds of the puzzle was complete. The only part missing was the funding. That's where American radio stations came
in. Carolina Christian Radio, WWIL, and
Tacoa Falls Radio Network, WRAF and affiliates, went on the air and raised
funds for the radios. As soon as they're
out of customs, the distribution will begin.
TWR reports that the Ticunas are reaching their people
through 15 minutes of programming every day, which is recorded by their own
trained program producer. They're praying for a recording studio and have a
great vision to reach their people by way of their own local radio station.
Click here if you can help TWR with this project, or click here if you want to help HCJB Global.
