Last fall, work continued on building a new studio for TWR’s partner in Lithuania. The new studio in Vilnius is much larger than the old studio and allows the partner office to better record its children’s programs. Previously, the children had to be squeezed into the small studio or recorded one at a time, which necessitated a lot of time and editing. The new studio also enables music groups that previously could not record in TWR-Lithuania’s office to do so. This fulfills a great need in the country for more Christian music by Lithuanian artists.
Some work on the studio is incomplete, with soundproofing and acoustic needs as well as painting and carpeting yet to be done. Staff members are limited in the time they can work on the studio because they have recording deadlines to meet.
Thru the Bible and The Little Evening Star children’s broadcasts in the Lithuanian language are recorded by staff in this office. These programs are aired via FM radio all over the country.
Despite religious freedom, a lack of trained leaders due to the rapid growth of new churches in Lithuania needs to be addressed.* Without such leadership, little can be done to educate Lithuanian children in Christian values, which is why TWR’s weekly 30-minute The Little Evening Star broadcast is so important.
“Two heroes, a bear and a girl, discuss problems that are common to children, and the girl tells a story,” says producer Daiva Baueriene. Bible stories and music are an important part of the broadcast, she says, adding, “Children sing and we present a fairytale and a question. Then we say good-night and sing a lullaby.”
Although The Little Evening Star is for pre-school and younger school-aged children, TWR-Lithuania also receives letters from preteens and even parents or grandparents who listen with the children. Like this family who wrote to TWR: “Thank you very much for your interesting, joyful programs. We constantly listen to them, tape them from the radio onto cassette and give them to our neighbors’ children.”
“We wish you, Little Evening Star, to visit as many homes as possible via the radio for children to hear about our Savior Jesus,” some Lithuanian sisters wrote. Another 6-year-old said: “Every Saturday I wait for your program. I like it very much; it teaches me to be good.”
*Source: Operation World (21st Century Edition)