Oceania
(HCJB/MNN) — In many countries, radio is the primary means of entertainment
and information. Families have been known to travel miles on foot to get one.
For
ministries working in isolated areas, radio ministry makes sense. Because the radios are small and portable,
they can go places where missionaries often can't go or would be unwelcome. In
addition to the Gospel, programming can cover local healthcare issues,
agricultural tips, biblical teaching, and worship music.
However,
that leads to one other challenge: how to power a radio. Electricity isn't available
in many of these far-flung areas, and batteries are expensive. The solution? Solar power.
HCJB
Global engineers designed the SonSet® radios to provide high-quality
reception even in areas where the radio signal is weak or there is interference
from other FM stations. The rechargeable battery is easily replaced and has a
life expectancy of at least five years.
Engineers
program the receivers' digital tuners to pick up community stations where the
radios will be deployed. Volunteers check the units to make sure they
work before they're packed and shipped along with a small wordless instruction
booklet. A full day of processing radios results in 500
of the radios being ready to ship to ministries overseas.
Once they arrive, partners begin
distributing them in the community. This
is especially effective for new stations that are trying to build their
audiences. By simply turning the radios
on, listeners are able to hear the Gospel in their own languages–many for the
first time.
2,600 SonSet® radios are en route to
the Asia Pacific Region for places like Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and
Samoa. Pray as a missionary team
from the HCJB Global Technology Center begins a year of radio planting in the
region.
The goal for 2012 is to get another
4,900 radios into Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, and a
security-sensitive country in Asia.
$35 puts a SonSet radio in the hands
of someone who's never had a radio and never heard about the love of
Jesus. There's more information at our
Featured Links Section.
