Multiplying God-Given Success D

UPDATE
2008 VOL. 17, NO. 3 • CHRIST TO RUSSIA BY RADIO
Multiplying God-Given Success
Rudi Wiens
D
uring the past several years
FEBC Russian Ministries has
assembled an effective team of
broadcasters who are reaching their
generation for Christ. Pastors,
evangelists, family counselors,
journalists, actors, educators and
children’s workers—they produce
programs that touch people’s hearts
and turn them towards God. Our
main purpose now is to make these
programs widely available, accessible
to all Russian-speaking people.
Ussuriysk: Quintessential Russia
One step in this direction is FEBC’s
new FM station in Ussuriysk. I first
visited Ussuriysk, a Russian city
located close to Chinese, North
Korean and Japanese borders in 1994.
My first impression was this is
quintessentially Russian city, where
“We listen to FEBC here in
Ussuriysk prison. There is a
group of believers here, and
we listen together. Other
prisoners often join us, and
they ask questions about
Jesus. These are the best
moments of my life, when I
can forget where I am and
talk to others about Christ.
Thank you, FEBC, for helping us evangelize.”
- Vladimir
few succeed while most struggle, few
have a purpose while most simply
survive, and few serve God while
most don’t.
On and off, FEBC has been providing the Good News through radio
to the people of Ussuriysk, but when
we were recently approached with a
proposal to start an FM station there
in a partnership with another entity, it
was obvious to our leadership team
that this was God’s doing.
On June 1, 2008, FEBC began
broadcasting the Good News of
Jesus Christ from 6:00 AM to midnight on 89.1 FM. Praise God!
Local churches are excited about
this new station. Rev. Alex Volkov,
who many years ago became a
Christian by listening to FEBC shortwave broadcasts, now represents ten
churches in Ussuriysk. “We were
praying to have a voice in our city;
thousands of people are dying without knowing Christ, and we must tell
them about God’s plan for their
lives,” says Pastor Alex. “FEBC’s
new radio station is a great tool to
help us bring people into our
churches.” Currently we are broadcasting the signal from Moscow and
St. Petersburg.
Continued on page 2.
FEBC’s broadcasts are reaching millions of people through a
variety of ways: AM, FM, and shortwave radio; the Internet;
and CD recordings distributed in prisons and hospitals.
Multiplying Success
Continued from page 1
But this fall, following technical
adjustments, we will add regular
programs from local pastors who will
invite people to their churches.
Millions of young people in
Russia have unlimited access to
the Internet. FEBC must invest
in promoting its programs to
reach these masses of young
people who live without the
hope of Jesus.
The network
With the addition of the Ussuriysk
station, FEBC’s network in the
former Soviet Union now includes
stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg,
Khabarovsk, and Ussuriysk with
additional broadcast outlets in
Ukraine. We also reach all Russianspeaking countries by shortwave
broadcasts from Saipan and online
through our 24/7 web service.
Vladimir, one of our Internet listeners, from the Siberian city of Tomsk,
wrote: “Your programming
completely transformed my life—and
my soul. I began thinking about God,
and I became a believer. I will never
stop listening and promoting FEBC
to others, because your programs lead
people to Jesus.”
Praying for further expansion
We are also praying about starting
two new stations in Kazakhstan:
Almaty and Astana. We are currently
assembling a team of broadcasters
who are slowly working through the
bureaucratic maze of the increasingly
anti-Christian Kazakh government.
FEBC’s Vice President Luke Cheng,
who recently visited Kazakhstan with
me, suggested: “We should use the
Internet and shortwave broadcasts to
reach the Kazakh people, while continuing to pray for permission to
broadcast internally on FM
frequencies.” We do covet your
prayers in this respect, friends.
Internet expansion is an area
where potential is unlimited, but so is
competition. To reach non-believers
we must advertise to make our
programs known by many. The
number of high-speed Internet users
is growing quickly in cities throughout Russia, Ukraine, and Central
Asia, where millions of Russianspeaking people reside. Pray that we
will have the resources to multiply
the success God gave us through our
web service, new radio outlets, and
other technological advances. For the
Word of God is potent to save as long
as it gets to the people who are suffering without knowing His love.
Living under the powerful
influence of the Muslim faith,
the next generation of Kazakhs
must hear the life-changing
message of Jesus Christ. Pray that
FEBC’s long-planned ministry to
the Kazakh people will soon
become a reality.
FEBC’s Vice President of International Ministries, Luke Cheng, with
the family of Nurlan Kanatbaev, FEBC’s leader in Kazakhstan.
FEBC Russian Listener Letters
HIV infection is not the end
“Three years ago I found out I had
AIDS. I didn’t know God at the time.
When I listened to your program for
people who have AIDS I finally
emerged the utter desperation I felt.
As the host said, “we all die anyway,
but what matters is how we live,” I
began thinking about God and continued to listen to FEBC. Years ago my
mother gave me a New Testament,
and I decided to read it. I can’t fully
express the feeling of joy and vibrancy I feel now in spite of my failing
body. I want to thank you for caring
about people with AIDS, because
many people think we are not worthy
of loving. Thank you for being real
Christians. I am a Christian today
because of you. As I was accepting
Jesus on my knees in church I was
also thanking Him for FEBC radio.”
Natalia from Yakutia, Siberia
Love in action
“Dear brothers and sisters, I am a
long-time listener of your programs,
a regular attendee of your radio temple. You were there for me during the
most difficult time of my life when I
lost my daughter. I wrote to you for
support and you wrote back. As a
result, my husband and I came to
know Christ personally. We used to
live together, but after we came to
Jesus we got married in a church.
Now we are properly married, but
our house is empty.
I’ve been listening to your
programs about foster care and was
really inspired. I began praying about
becoming a foster parent. I’m not
sure my husband will come on
board—we are not a young couple; I
am 50, and he is 55. Please pray for
my husband to open his heart for a
little one and for the government
officials to let us become foster
parents. I love you, friends.”
Valentina from Ulyanovsk
New family
“I listened to FEBC for some time
before I decided to visit an evangelical church, as you urge your listeners
to do. The only thing I feel sorry for
is that I did not go earlier. I found a
new family, people who believe the
way I do—all because of your great
ministry. Now I am not alone anymore: I have people who are there for
me and I’m there for them. We are
like a family, and I am so grateful to
you for leading me both to Jesus who
transformed my life and to this
church. May God bless all the people who support you financially—
thousands of people like me will
thank them in heaven, where we’ll
be together, as one family of God.”
Ksenia from Orsk
that will help many Siberians come to
the Lord.”
Dima, Alex, Roma, Lucy, Ira
Shaman’s influence
“A famous shaman from Siberia regularly comes to our city, offering
healing and prosperity. Hundreds
attend his sessions. It’s painful to
see how many people are being
deceived. Just like the boom of spiritual bondage that followed all the
“para-psychologists” appearing on
TV, thousands of people will be suffering from demonic influence. Some
will come to church seeking freedom,
but many will die tormented by
Satan. Please pray for our city. Pray
that more people will listen to FEBC
in Surgut, so that many will come to
know Christ and not those false
gods.”
Vitaliy from Surgut
Suicide averted
This electronic message came to
our Moscow station in March:
Go north, young man
“A group of five of us are going to
preach the gospel in northern Yakutia,
Siberia. We’ll be distributing information about FEBC radio, giving out
CDs with recorded programs, and
handing out radios to those who cannot afford one. We’ll be serving those
who live north of the polar circle—
many of them have never heard a
presentation of the Good News. We
want to make sure that after we leave
them they will have a way to continue to learn about Christ and grow in
Him. FEBC radio is a wonderful tool
“My only son died exactly a year
ago in an auto accident. He died at
3:45, and I’m writing this message at
3:45. I’m alone in this world; I can’t
even see my son in my dreams. Your
radio station is my only friend and
the only thing sustaining me during
the past twelve months. You are my
dear people, and I want to tell you,
my son was a good boy: he was a
good son. But I cannot wait any
longer; I am desperate to go where he
is. I cannot live like this any more.
I’m terribly scared of death, but I see
no other way out. Pray for me. And
farewell. Irina.”
Radio host and listeners responded
to Irina’s message with an overwhelming amount of love. Recently
she wrote again, saying that she is
alive today only because of that
outpouring of love. Praise God!
YOUR HELP IS ESSENTIAL
USSURIYSK STATION
We need an additional $1,500 to cover technical connections in Ussuriysk so that
local churches can participate in the broadcasts. With an upcoming radio
distribution campaign this fall, this new FM station will have many new listeners,
including those in local prisons. We already have hundreds of new regular
listeners whose lives are being transformed by the Holy Spirit.
INTERNET PROJECTS
Internet is useful because it is interactive and “live,” but also because special
programs can be stored and listened to at any time. We have many teenagers
who listen as well as people interested in specific issues, such as HIV/AIDS. With
the high-speed Internet becoming available to millions of people throughout
Russia, we need to invest in this technology to bring the Good News to the next
generation. $2,000 is needed to increase listening capacity and make web-page
improvements, and $350 a month is needed for web page support and
continuous development.
KAZAKHSTAN DEVELOPMENT
Development in Kazakhstan is moving slowly. We already invested a
considerable amount of money in training and travel expenses in this
area. While Kazakhstan is somewhat a separate field, at this time our
budget is overburdened by the prolonged bureaucratic process, changes
in Kazakhstan’s government, and spiritual resistance.
We are moving by faith, investing in people, studio equipment, and
the development of FEBC Kazakh web page where listeners will be able
to listen to the programs and receive spiritual help. If reaching Muslims
is something that God has placed on your heart, anything you contribute
towards ministry development in Kazakhstan—above and beyond your
regular giving to the Russian Ministries—will be helpful.
FEBC RUSSIAN MINISTRIES UPDATE is a quarterly newsletter
published by FEBC Russian Ministries, Box 1, La Mirada, CA
90637 • (562) 947-4651 • Fax (562) 943-0160
e-mail: [email protected] • www.febc.org/russia
Photos used in FEBC RM Update are not always of actual
listeners for purposes of privacy and security.
In Canada: FEBCanada, 3200-8888 Odlin Crescent, Richmond,
B.C. V6X 3Z8
In Australia: FEBC, P. O. Box 183, Caringbah NSW 1495
In New Zealand: VoF, P. O. Box 620, Masterton, NZ 5915
In UK: Feba, Ivy Arch Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8BX
In South Africa: FEBA radio, P. O. Box 26270, Gezina 0031
In Russia: Radio Teos, P. O. Box 106, Mosow 119019
Far East Broadcasting Co. is a non-profit ministry
and a member of Evangelical Council of
Financial Accountability
Ongoing Projects:
Russian broadcasts: You can sponsor a 15-minute program
aired on one of the Russian stations for just $15.
Russian staff: You can sponsor a Russian staff member for
$400 a month. You will be able to receive information
about the staff member upon request.
Ethnic programming: The Russian Federation includes 32
ethnic republics and districts. FEBC RM develops programs
for several of these groups in their own languages. FEBC
RM also broadcasts the gospel to other C.I.S. countries,
such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Please make checks payable to:
FEBC Russian Ministries #680. Thanks!