In January 2011, I had the chance to be part of a “fact-finding” trip to Quito, Ecuador. Why Quito? Quito is headquarters for HCJB Global’s Spanish ministry, and HCJB takes care of the re-creation, production, and distribution of Vida en Familia Hoy—the Spanish version of FamilyLife Today.
Tears streamed down my face for two hours as I sat in a meeting the second morning with the HCJB team. We went around the table and each person shared how God is using FamilyLife content in their lives. Their stories were so impacting—marriages healed, relationships with God strengthened, child issues resolved.
Mercedes, the voice of Barbara Rainey, shared how her marriage was saved and her relationship with God was revived. She and her husband are now meeting weekly with 14 struggling couples and use the radio broadcasts to mentor them. Mercedes’ husband is battling cancer and she wanted to resign from her position with HCJB to be home with him during this time. He wouldn’t allow her, reminding her that God used this broadcast to heal their lives (and many others), and she owed it to God to continue in this ministry.
Lorena prayed and prayed for an older woman to mentor her. She feels that God answered than prayer with Barbara Rainey, who is mentoring her via her radio. Maria said that God’s words flow through each transcript she re-creates for us; many days she has to stop work to take in what He is showing her.
The team also shared how a radio station in Peru began airing Vida en Familia Hoy to combat the attack of “witchcraft.” What was the spell, you may ask? To break up marriages and families. There’s also the professor at a local university using the radio broadcast for her ethics class—students are required to listen to the programs and write a report on the values found inside.
Many others told how God was showing them areas in their lives they didn’t know were lacking. As each person shared, I realized that God’s truth is piercing many hearts starting with these leaders who produce the program.
Later that week, the HCJB host, my interpreter, and I drove into the jungle to meet with an HCJB affiliate station. The morning show host, Keta, has a renewed marriage and relationship with God because of what He taught her through our broadcast. Bonus: during this time He also healed her body from stomach cancer. As she interviewed us, she was flooded with many texts from listeners. They wanted to send along their blessings for the type of broadcast we provided them. There is no other Spanish radio program quite like Vida en Familia Hoy that talks frankly about marriage and family from God’s standpoint while holding strongly to the truths of Scripture.
HCJB is an incredible ministry, and it was a joy to spend just a week witnessing how God is using everyone on this team to share His precious gift, to declare His praises, and to bring Him glory.
