Who or what has the power to penetrate and change the hearts of mankind? How can the people of this world know unless they can hear? Who will tell them?

Recently, one of our Berber listeners in North Africa provided this testimony:

“Hello, servants of God. God the Father is fully active in our country. Once I walked in the village, singing a hymn of glory about when Jesus went into Jerusalem as King of glory. A fanatic follower of the religion of our country heard me from his house. He came out very angry, shouting: ‘Enough! Yo, partisans of TWR, you fill the country with your gospel and in addition, you dare sing to irritate us?’ A week later I came across this same man in church, with his wife. I asked them, ‘What are you doing here?’ His wife answered: ‘Jesus came to earth for everyone, isn’t it [true]? So here we are.’ It was his wife who regularly listened to the programs on TWR. Now, her husband became a sheep of the Lord as well! Yes! Nothing is impossible for Jesus. Say with me: AMEN!”

Rejoice that God’s Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV). Be glad that TWR is presenting the gospel 24/7 in more than 200 languages across our globe and hearts are changing, even in areas hostile to Christianity. What a stirring witness to the truth that the light of the gospel shines the brightest where the darkness is the deepest!

Photo Credit: TWR Europe

Change happens. Are you unsettled by change or do you embrace it? Would you agree that not all changes are bad? For me, I see change itself as amoral, but the resulting consequences can lead to either destructive or productive responses. Just because a person has done something one way for a long time doesn’t make it right or wrong. Wouldn’t you agree?

A recent article by Mark Ellis, senior correspondent of ASSIST News Service and the founder of www.Godreports.com, presents a new perspective on how we do missions. Ellis quotes T.J. Addington, the pastor, author and leader of ReachGlobal, the international mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America, who as a former missionary kid has a long association with missions.

As a result of increasing globalization and the rapidly changing world of technology, Addington has significantly modified his perspective on missions. He has chosen to embrace these global developments and align his organization’s strategy to support these changes. As Ellis states, some might call Addington’s focus “radical.”

Addington identifies nine critical shifts, but I’ve chosen five that I believe are specifically relevant to TWR and that we have understood and embraced (to read Ellis’s full report, click here):

• Shift #1: From being primarily doers—to being primarily equippers
• Shift #2: From being in charge—to equal partnerships
• Shift #4: From Western missionaries—to global missionaries
• Shift #5: From dependencies—to self-sufficiency
• Shift #7: From competition—to cooperation

TWR strategically partners with key local organizations in more than 70 countries worldwide. Together with international partners, local churches and other ministries, TWR provides relevant programming, discipleship resources and dedicated workers to spread hope to individuals and communities around the globe.

What do you think about how we do missions in today’s changing world? Your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Photo Credit: Matic Zupancic

I’m excited to inform you about what the Lord has accomplished in 2011 through the gifts and prayers of ministry friends like you, and this is only the tip of the iceberg:

TX6

At TWR’s Guam shortwave transmitting station, two aging 100,000-watt shortwave transmitters were replaced with two Thomson digital 250,000-watt shortwave transmitters (http://ktwrdrm.blogspot.com/). The dedication of these newest transmitters, TX6 and TX7, occurred on November 18, 2011, and it’s classified as a TWR historical event. Why? Because it was a multi-platform global transmission broadcast live from TWR-Guam over the first of these transmitters, TX6. To give you an idea of the extent of the reach of this transmitter, listener reports came from New Zealand, India, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Russia. One listener tuned in from a suburb of Moscow, which is more than 6,000 miles away from Guam!

Since 1994, TWR has placed Radio Church Kits in the house churches of China. Each kit contains a portable shortwave radio, a Bible and Christian study materials, so groups of Chinese believers can gather to listen to Christian programs, study God’s Word together and invite family and neighbors to join them. TWR-Asia’s goal for 2011 was to distribute 6,000 Radio Church Kits, bringing to 118,720 the total number of Radio Church Kits distributed since 1994.

Project Hannah is TWR’s ministry of compassion to suffering women around the world. In 2011, through the passionate, diligent efforts of a friend of this ministry (www.ArabicPH.org) and the God-given desire of Project Hannah Founder Marli Spieker, Project Hannah was enabled to initiate production of a Women of Hope program for Arabic-speaking women. Thanks to your prayers and gifts, the first program went on the air on January 7, 2012. “We praise the Lord for making this dream come true,” said TWR’s ministry director for the Middle East countries. “We’ve already heard good feedback from those who listened to the program on the air.”

It’s great to have you standing with us in this God-given calling to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples. In the days ahead, I plan to share more highlights from 2011.

TX6 Photo Credit: TWR Guam

Middle East Woman Photo Credit: Marli Spieker

This Wednesday and Thursday, I was invited to speak to two women’s groups in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and share the testimony of how I came to know Jesus Christ and the difference he has made in my life. I praise God that several of the women at the meetings shared with me that the Lord touched their hearts through the gospel.

What a great privilege we have as children of God to share at every opportunity the hope that God has placed in our hearts. Also, it brings me great joy to be a part of a missions organization that 24/7 delivers the good news of Jesus Christ to the nations in more than 200 languages. Did you know that TWR receives more than one million responses each year from people around the globe?

One such letter came to us from a young Cambodian listener to the Happy Children’s Garden radio program:

My name is Sao, and I’m 15 years old. I like to listen to the Happy Children’s Garden program because this program has a very great Bible story each week for me and other children. Thank you so much for sharing with me about the good news of Jesus Christ. I’m so excited to know Jesus, and I also share this good news with my friends and family. The story today was about the end days when Jesus will come back and judgment will happen. Sisters, I want to be a good child that obeys God and my parents. The Happy Children’s Garden program helps me to grow. Thank you so much and God bless you.

Today, let me encourage you to pray that the Lord would grant to his servants “…to continue to speak your word with all boldness…” (Acts 4:29 ESV), and that we would remain faithful to the truth. What opportunities have you had to share the gospel lately?

Photo Credit: Brent Bartlett

I know…you’re probably thinking we’ve gone overboard with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Actually, it’s an acronym for a new, internal TWR committee in our Cary, North Carolina, office: Office Community Development.

Yesterday, during staff meeting, they unleashed one of their planned activities upon us: a staff competition of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Does that ring a bell with any of you? Perhaps, you recall a blast from the past? Our assignment: the losers had to be cheerleaders for the winners.

Anyway, let me introduce the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” champion of TWR: Myself! Yes, you heard right. In the final playoffs, I won! The winner’s reward was a $10 gift card to Chick-fil-A. What a treat! I was so excited to tell my husband of my honor, and he challenged me to a game and won! I was honored and humiliated all in one day. No, I didn’t surrender the Chick-fil-A gift card; we’ll share it.

The focus of this newly formed group is, in their own words, “We aim to foster creativity, camaraderie and recreation in the office environment.” OCD members include Katie Burke, Anita Quinton, Benjamin Tangeman, Cathy Weston and their fearless leader David McCreary.

I believe they’re on their way to success, don’t you? To get a glimpse of yesterday’s action, join us at TWR’s Facebook page.

Facebook Video Source: TWR’s Ralf Stores