The Need
The Dominican Republic, like other Latin American countries, is plagued by multiple problems: drug trafficking, homeless children, poverty, violence, suicide, homosexuality and the trafficking of women and children in prostitution. Combining these with the syncretizing of different religious beliefs, including those of New Age and postmodernism, results in a nation with little knowledge about the one true God and His purposes.
Trans World Radio (TWR) has been broadcasting to the Dominican Republic for many years from its station on Bonaire in the Caribbean. In addition, local stations within the Dominican Republic (DR) are presently being utilized. But the DR is more than a recipient of TWR’s broadcasts; it also produces them by means of TWR’s partner office, TWR-Dominican Republic (TWR-DR). TWR-DR is a major producer and distributor of TWR programming throughout Latin America and will continue to play a prominent role in programming throughout the region. Every month, over 50 programs are produced and distributed from this studio: 22 programs of Integración Familiar, (a popular TWR Spanish-language program for families distributed to more than 100 radio stations in several countries of Latin America and the U.S.), four to five programs per month of Entre Jòvenes (a program for youth) and four to five programs per month of Cosas de Nosotras (a program for women) are recorded, as well as 22 programs per month that comprise a Spanish block of TWR programming prepared especially for local airing.
In the midst of their demanding, ongoing workload, TWR-DR’s staff face major hindrances at the present studio/office location. Recording of programs is frequently interrupted due to noise from a school in the backyard, an airport nearby, a neighbor above them chopping vegetables and neighbors below who have installed a printing factory. Because the recording studio is not able to be properly soundproofed, staff must reschedule their recording sessions for evenings and weekends. The present studio/office is located on the second floor of a three-story apartment building and has only 282 square feet. This limited space does not allow any privacy for crucial meetings, nor does it accommodate TWR-DR’s large literature distribution ministry, which requires adequate storage space for materials. In addition, neighbors in the same building have dumped garbage in front of the office and stolen electricity from them in the past, and there is no way to prevent this from happening in the future.
The Vision
TWR-DR has concluded that the only way to resolve these difficulties is by purchasing a single-family house for TWR’s extensive ministry, which not only includes a studio for producing programs for the Dominican Republic but also for the hundreds of stations used by TWR throughout Latin America. The new location needs to be a quiet place where translation, production, recording and editing of programs can occur without noisy interruptions. The plan is to sell the current apartment that houses TWR-DR’s studio/office and purchase a house that would ensure the quality and effectiveness of the work. The renovated house will include a lobby-reception area, two to three offices, one to two studios, one multi-use area, a storage room for literature materials, file cabinets, a kitchen and a yard to install the generator for electricity during blackouts.
The Ministry
Trans World Radio began broadcasting in 1954 and today is the world’s most far-reaching Christian radio broadcasting network. TWR ministers through more than 2,800 outlets around the world, including 14 international broadcasting locations, as well as local medium wave (AM), shortwave, long wave and FM radio stations, direct-to-listener satellite broadcasts, cable audio systems and the Internet. Programs are aired in more than 200 languages and dialects and reach millions in over 160 countries. TWR’s worldwide team consists of over 2,000 people, with partner organizations in more than 40 countries.
TWR’s long history of ministry to Latin America dates back to 1964 when a superpower broadcasting site was established on the Caribbean island of Bonaire to broadcast Christian programs in Spanish and Portuguese. Today, in addition to the Bonaire station, TWR uses more than 650 local stations throughout Latin America and has partner offices in 10 countries. One of those partner offices is TWR-Dominican Republic. In addition to producing programs for airing from TWR-Bonaire, programs produced by TWR-DR are broadcast within the country and from local stations throughout the Americas.
The Opportunity
The budget for purchasing the property (a house), installing air-conditioning units, a phone system and lines, electrical and computer equipment and an alarm system, as well as equipping a new acoustical studio (including carpet, drop ceiling, etc.), moving costs and miscellaneous expenses is $235,300. Trans World Radio asks that you prayerfully consider how God might use you to help meet this urgent need.
Get Involved
How can you help with this important aspect of our ministry? Consider financially supporting this project.
- Make an online donation by clicking the link below.
- Mail in a donation by completing, printing, and sending our mail-in form
- Call us at 1-800-456-7897 and ask for the Donor Services department to make a credit card donation over the phone or inquire about other methods of giving.