danhcjb.org

Family News for June 2010

dan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:27:19 +0000

The big news for this month is that our daughter, Jenny, will marry Oscar Navarro Mata on August 8th in Mexico. They both work at the Centro Evangélico Querétaro and are involved in youth ministry and music.

In June, Dan is attending HCJB Global IT meetings and ICCM, the International Conference on Computing and Mission, at Taylor University. He enjoys this time of fellowship and discussion with Christian computer geeks from all over the world.

Barb and Emily are on summer break from school, and John continues to be one of the top salesmen at a local video store. Emily is a substitute clerk at the local public library. She also volunteers at the HCJB Global Technology Center helping prepare SonSet® pre-tuned, solar radios for mission work.

Two New Shortwave Stations in Central African Republic

dan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:20:27 +0000

Imagine living in a country where you can’t access the Internet, watch television, read newspapers and even receive mail. Except for Bangui, the capital city, that’s what life is like for most of the Central African Republic’s (C.A.R.) 4.5 million residents. Their lifeline to the rest of the world is radio.
In 2007, Dan was part of a team from the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Indiana, that spent three weeks installing a shortwave radio station for HCJB Global’s partner, ICDI (Integrated Community Development International).

This past April, Dan and two other HCJB Global engineers from Elkhart returned to C.A.R. to install new regional shortwave radio stations in rural Boali, and the capital city, Bangui. These two installations are similar to the one they installed in 2007.

One of the new stations will help extend the broadcast hours of the existing Christian station into the shortwave bands for nighttime use. Each station only works well during a portion of each day because of how shortwave signals travel through the atmosphere.

The other station was set up in Bangui, the capital of C.A.R., for the national government on behalf of ICDI. By assisting the government in the name of the ministry, we hope to ensure that the door will remain open for Christian broadcasting within the country. In fact, while Dan and the team were in C.A.R., an incident involving a lawsuit against ICDI was dismissed —partly because the presence of the HCJB Global missionaries working on the government station demonstrated that ICDI really cared about the people.

French Programming Increased

dan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:56:26 +0000

In 2007, when Dan and the team from HCJB Global were in the Central African Republic, installing a satellite system to receive Christian French programming from TWR to be broadcast on the local shortwave station, they were unable to receive a signal from the TWR satellite.

Now, three years later, our team was struggling again for days trying to receive the TWR signal, yet without success. After much prayer, on the last day we could work, the receiver locked onto the satellite with a clear signal in French. We believe that the Lord was teaching us to depend on Him in everything.

We are praising the Lord that ICDI will now be able to use the French programming as they increase broadcast hours with the new station.

Doing Radio in C.A.R.

dan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:00:15 +0000

While in the Central African Republic, Dan and the Technology Center team visited the first Christian FM radio we helped establish in the country. Radio ESCA (French acronym for may the Lord save Central Africa), has a dedicated staff of volunteers that work outside jobs to support themselves. They do much with what we would consider so little.

The station control console has been used for so long that the paint is worn off as shown in the photo.

The antenna tower should be taller and could use some straightening.
Even with so little they are helping transform their community for Christ. As we are able, we would like to help them to continue and improve their ministry.

Photos Uploaded to Web

dan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:59:43 +0000

I have uploaded a number of photos of the work I am involved with here in the Central African Republic during the month of April. You can view these photos at danhcjb.org/africa.

The work on our projects is going well and I am in good health, although it is not easy because the weather is hot (90s), and things often do not go as we had planned. However, we have already seen that the Lord wanted our plans to change in order to further His work. Please keep me and those with whom I am working in your prayers.

In Our Lord’s Service,
Dan

Jenny’s Engagement

dan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:02:54 +0000

Jenny and Oscar

The big news for our family is that Jenny (25) is engaged to be married to Oscar Navarro Mata of Querétaro, Mexico, where she has been working since July. Oscar is a church planter and evangelist whom Jenny has known for several years, beginning when they studied together at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Return to Africa

dan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:02:30 +0000

Lord willing, on March 30, Dan is returning to the Central African Republic to install two new regional shortwave radio stations. These installations are similar to the one he helped set up three years ago.

One installation will provide a second station for ICDI (Integrated Community Development International) near the town of Boali. Most of the work will involve constructing shortwave broadcast antennas on 30-foot poles covering a couple of acres. Like the first Boali station, this one will reach nearly the entire country of the Central African Republic with Christian and community programming in French and other local languages. The new antenna will allow the station to extend its broadcast hours to shortwave bands that are usable during the evening.

The other station will be set up in Bangui, the capital of C.A.R., for the national government on behalf of ICDI. The government was impressed by the station we set up for the Christian ministry, and by assisting the government in the name of the ministry we are helping ensure that the door remains open for Christian broadcasting within the country.

How You Can Help Us

dan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:56:43 +0000

We are not “Lone Rangers” but part of the family of God, and we are thankful for all who partner with us in our work for the Lord. You can help us in this work by …

Praying regularly for us.
Sending an email to us at danderson@hcjbtech.org (a blank message will do) so that we can verify your email address and send you ministry updates.
Telling others about our ministry with HCJB Global and introducing us to them.
Visiting our website at www.danhcjb.org and giving us feedback about what you read.

It’s Only Stuff

dan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:50:20 +0000

Auction of Dan's Brother's Estate

On March 8, I (Dan) attended the auction of the estate of my late brother who was killed in a farm accident last August. It was difficult to see many of the tools and machines that my father and brother had used sold to the highest bidder. Our family had been farming for over 100 years since my great-grandparents came to the U.S. from Sweden, and this auction marked the end of that era.

Although it made me sad to see all the things being sold, I reminded myself that it was only “stuff” that would not last forever anyway. What really matters is not “stuff” but people and God’s will for them. We all need to focus on eternity because the only things on this earth that will last forever are people’s souls and God’s Word.

Transmitters Come Home

dan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:25:20 +0000

HC100 Transmitters Arriving in Elkhart from Ecuador

Two of the high-power HC100 shortwave radio transmitters built by the HCJB Global Technology Center have returned to Elkhart, Indiana. Since the early 1990s these complex pieces of electronic equipment have broadcast the gospel of Jesus Christ from Quito, Ecuador, for thousands of hours. Now that most Central and South American radio listeners have switched to AM, FM, and the Internet for Christian programming, these transmitters have been returned for refurbishment and redeployment to Australia and another undetermined site.

Installed in the northwest corner of Australia, one of these transmitters will join two others built in Elkhart reaching into Asia and the South Pacific where many listeners still depend on shortwave broadcasts for Christian programming.