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T E A C H IN G A L L NATIONS
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tion under favorable broadcasting condi tions is heard around the world. How ever, after twenty-one years on the air, the Station is expanding its facilities and hopes that during 1953 the new transmitters with their one hundred thousand watts of power, will be heard anywhere in the world under almost any conditions. The extension project is now two-thirds finished. Using five wave lengths, eleven languages, and person nel of many nationalities, the gospel is broadcast from this vantage point faith fully and consistently every day except Monday. One of the activities of its busy and varied ministry is the Bible Insti tute of the Air, which not only is re sponsible for sixteen radio programs of Bible Studies each week, but also pub lishes Bible courses which are complete as correspondence lessons with written examinations leading to certificates and a diploma. A Preliminary Course of twelve lessons, with two examinations, must be passed by every student in order to go on with the advanced courses and secure the diploma. The work is in its infancy yet over six thousand of these Preliminary Courses have been sent out to students in twenty-seven countries on four continents. The news of the studies goes out over the air in our Spanish broadcasts, and workers and laymen write in from far and near requesting them. Also the mails are used, writing to all mission aries and pastors possible in Latin America. The most prolific means of pro curing new students, however, is the overflowing enthusiasm of our present students who tell others about the op portunity. We are aware that hundreds of Spanish-speaking workers need these courses, but as yet do not know that they exist. Recent word from the field states: “ I feel that the Lord is really blessing in the Bible Institute of the Air. The letters bringing requests for the Preliminary Course so that the student can begin the work are so encouraging. The correspondence has increased. If we can just get these courses printed!” What is back of this rapid growth of a comparatively new work? Without a doubt, the contributing cause is the great need for these studies. God the Holy Spirit has led, thus meeting the crying need of the church in Latin America, and wherever the Spanish language is spoken. During our service in Venezuela with Page Nine
By Fcrith and Donald Turner*
contacted by the Medical Department of The Voice of the Andes. He became in terested in the gospel, and requested a Bible and the Preliminary Course of the Bible Institute of the Air to pursue his own studies. From the Galapagos Islands where he went to begin his practice, he wrote of having definitely accepted Christ, and told of the blessing his studies had brought. A veteran lady missionary in Bab Doukkala, French Morocco, wrote: “ Some time ago I received the first of a series of your Bible lessons in Spanish . . . This I passed on to one of the Spanish Christians who wanted to take the course. However, this brought about a cry for more of them. The Spanish Christians here are very scattered and even the local leaders are mostly unin structed. The leaders in Meknes, Rabat, and Casablanca wanted to know if these lessons could be made available to them. If the series is still in print, could I have about six copies, please? Are they available in French? There are others who would like to take the course if they are available.” From the Argentine this letter was received: “Will you kindly send me fif teen copies of your correspondence course Conocimiento de la Biblia, the Introductory Course. Please send them via air. It is my plan to teach night classes in my congregation here, using a course such as yours. Do you give a cer tificate upon the completion of each course? . . . Enclosed find check for ten dollars. I understand that you are buy ing new equipment. It will be a great day when more people can hear your pro grams here in Argentina. Regret that I cannot send more to help in your very worthy work.” What is the Bible Institute of the Air? What are these courses that are being used of God throughout the Spanish speaking world? Down in South Ameri ca, up high in the Andes mountains, almost ten thousand feet above sea level, in the city of Quito, Ecuador, is located the Pioneer Missionary Broadcaster, The Voice of the Andes. At present this sta
T HE bus came to the usual abrupt stop. The passengers knew that at this corner they would have to wait for the boy to collect new fares for the cen tral zone which they were entering, and the checker would have to give the time signal for their departure. The driver reached into the glove compartment, but instead of the cigarette for the custom ary smoke, he extracted a brown manila envelope and a Bible. He spent the mo ments studying instead of smoking. One of the passengers was the Rev. Robert Savage, Program Director of The Voice oj the Andes. Recognizing the envelope he asked the driver how he liked the course of HCJB’s Bible Institute of the Air. With a grin the young man said that it was very good but it made a fel low really study. Into the office of Marion Krekler, Di rector of HCJB’s Radio Circle, which has loaned to the nationals hundreds of small crystal receiving sets pretuned to The Voice of the Andes, came a Quechua Indian from the town of Inca. He wanted his instruments checked, and took occasion to tell Mr. Krekler how much he and others in Inca enjoyed the programs of Bible study broadcast daily by the Bible Institute of the Air. A young physician, recently gradu ated from the University of Quito, was *Dr. and Mrs. Donald D. Turner are directors of the Bible Institute of the Air, Radio Station HCJB.
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