Launching a Gospel Radio Station in Mexico | Interview w/David Witt (Episode 11)

this is atrisk Radio welcome to atrisk radio atris radio is a show where we talk about leaders inside the church at risk my name is Mark Stafford I'm here with David Whit s so is a organization that supports Christian leaders in the most persecuted places in the world now s puts out a really informative newsletter every month and it features this month thank you notes from Christian leaders all over the world world that so supports now on the front page is this picture of these guys uh looks like to be about 100 feet up in the air hanging off a tower the uh the line's not even totally secured yet and putting up a radio transmission equipment it's really exciting though what's happening in Mexico and the ministry the S so has in Mexico our contacts have recently launched a new radio station there and so David tell me a little bit about why this radio station is so unique and so important in this uh Mexican neighborhood you know I think why this hits our hearts so much is it fulfills God's heart acts 18 is our theme verse for S so International which is you shall be my Witnesses in Jerusalem Juda Samaria and the remotest parts of the earth so we know that God's heart are for the little people the lost people the Left Behind the underserved and it was neat mark this last week and I was speaking at a church and I talked about the current statistics of 40% of the world is unreached doesn't have access to the gospel to the gospel message to Christians to the church on and on and a pastor was in his 80s years old and just a seasoned brother who served oh I think it's 50 plus years now in Ministry and he got up there with tears in his eyes and he talked about how when he was young the missionaries would come through and they' talk about that 70% of the world is unreached and he said in my lifetime it's gone from over 70 to now coming under 40% and um and so that's our heart in in what we see the heart of as so Mexico and why we want to focus on that today is is this the radio and the workers down there that who we get to assist and stand with are bringing the gospel to the most remote Indians or tribal you know people do have no witness of Christ do not have resources and this is the first radio station they're getting out into an area that's going to bring the gospel to other languages other than Spanish because that's part of the problem is they have very unique and distinct languages that who that doesn't have gospel materials for them and so it's the language it's the area for instance 25 of the targeted tribal groups in the CR Madre it's extremely remote difficult to get there take sometimes days to get there they uh 14 of them don't even have a road and so the radio broadcast reaches where people don't have the technology they don't have the access so that's why it's exciting and why they were so encouraged by uh just that accomplishment this year and now they're will to multiply that well tell me a little bit David about the impact that you've seen with radio broadcasting I mean this isn't the first time uh you put up a radio station uh some of our contacts down South America have been putting up uh many numerous uh radio stations over the years and we've seen it how it's really penetrated into these Villages and and it's even been used to plant some Churches and so what's the hope that Humberto has as he's putting up this new radio station starting this radio Ministry so this is beginning to bring a blessing to the land a blessing to Mexico and to the people because God loves Mexico He Loves All Nations peoples and tribal groups and just even from this note that we have in the newsletter I think will really bring out what you're asking there Mark is they were just so overwhelmed thrilled because uh into these tribal groups of the first time they're they're having Bible messages that they've been able to produce another interesting uh product of covid-19 they were forc to the Production Studios and they were able to produce Bible readings children's stories and encouraging Bible messages for adults they also are pro been programming just gotting self-care management to assist remote Villages um and so they just practical radio broadcast to beat people's needs where they are but then draw them in that path of Understanding God's design his love for them and his purpose for them and that is again family individual and tribal transforming so this is really great impact of what God is doing down there in Mexico and why we just love cyy these guys because you brought up the even the risk on this radio tower this picture I I hope everybody gets their hands on it I me they literally are dangling up there about 100 feet the the the lines aren't secure I mean I always look at pictures like that and I just said what Adventure it is to follow Christ it really is you know the idea is that God puts on our hearts because of the relationship of Umberto with Russell in Colombia they launched out this last year to figure that out they got the equipment and so here we are the ministry who necessarily wasn't a expert in it was able to accomplish broadcasting and the hardware putting up all these radio towers getting people to volunteer and contribute so we're getting you know it's a dime on the dollar getting a great Outreach for a little bit of a support so it's just amazing what we could do when we work with cleanheart13 right out to the mission field and and giving these needed resources so that somebody who lives in a village that doesn't even have a road to it is able to still hear the gospel what what an incredible Ministry so when we come back we'll talk more about the ministry that's happening in Mexico with s so International we'll be right back can you imagine trying to disciple a church with only one Bible this is Mark Stafford from at risk radio and our contacts in Venezuela are telling us incredible stories about people coming to know Jesus all the while pastors are missing Bibles for their people after receiving a Bible from our ministry one man said with tears in his eyes no one has ever given me such a beautiful gift at risk radio in our partnership with s so International is working to bring 2 million Bibles into Venezuela for more information about how you can help go to atrisk radio.com welcome back to atrisk radio I'm online with David Whit David wit is the CEO of s International now now we were talking about the picture the picture in this month's newsletter is just you got to see it to believe it couple of guys a couple hundred feet in the air installing this radio transmitter I mean it's crazy and honestly David I'm pretty scared of heights and a lot of things that s so Mexico is doing has to do with really scary Heights now would you ever Venture up on one of those Towers what what do you think that that seems like too frightening for words I found that when we trust the Lord God's gotten me to do things would have never imagined or wanted to do you know that's that's amazing when Christ Works in our lives how things that we would have never imagined or dreamed all of a sudden we're we're doing them you know I've been in you we talk about other radio shows I've been in war zones I've been in in prisons or around the world visiting persecuted Believers I I I've you know seen that burnt out churches and um yeah you know is risk is relative to our feelings our a perspective on it but when Christ Works he all of a sudden gives us assurance and a knowledge and a wisdom so that there's a peace about it so yeah I wouldn't be on a radio tower like that unless I had a sense that God gave me the wisdom knowledge that this is as safe as we can make it and this is accomplishing a greater good uh so yeah I I think it's I think that gets to our leadership principles there really that we love talking about on this show I've always seen uh that leaders will look at the toughest things and look where the greatest need is and then figure out how to get there and and there's risk involved but it's calculated risk because God gives us his wisdom his holy spirit to how to make it happen I mean this wouldn't happened without Alberto getting the right resources for him inspiring others and then the like I we mentioned the greater relationships globally and Russell myself so yeah yeah there there's just great leadership I think being exemplified there well there's risk on every side of what HTO is doing in uh Mexico and you know a lot of people don't think of Mexico as being a place where the persecuted Church exists but they may be surprised about the kind of things that uh homberto and his church are facing um so tell us a little bit about what makes this area of Mexico a really difficult area for sharing the gospel well yeah there's a couple reasons why this becomes dangerous difficult and the first uh get out front here is the cartel element the drug industry in the sier mandre in this region of Mexico is flourished there's a lot of production so every time you go into this region there's danger that you might be seen as a worker for the government um you know there's a suspicion all the time uh if the Intel gets out that you know you're there for the wrong reason you could just get killed there's also banditry that goes on that you know is just not policed as well it's very remote so you're you're facing dangers of Bandits being robbed uh let alone just being remote if you get injured or anything else going on down those lines if we look at the bigger picture throughout Mexico different regions too as far as persecution goes Mexico is a very religious area and fundamental for Catholicism in in a in a very negative controlling Catholicism there's a lot of Catholic priests who see evangelicals uh and those who are teaching the Bible and to read directly from the Bible instead of the direct control from the church and the priest as a threat and so they will incite their people to go against those who are not under the direct Authority control of the local church but you know it's not just Catholics too Mark it's also Protestants and and there's been some really off- based uh you Pentecostal and and even Bible and churches and and across the board where they'll use Christianity aim for control and that the pastor controls everything and you know and the tithe and money and what you do and then it goes even on more where then you have the issues of some of the tribes who have high occultic practices and and religious spiritualism that's going on there in Mexico and so anything foreign is a threat and so here when you come in the gospel W which gives freedom of people to know God to know the mind of God and to walk in Freedom that's a threat because religion controls people it's a vehicle of power and it's a vehicle of money so for all those reasons especially where they're working uh this is living on the edge you know it's trusting Jesus every time they go in there and then on top of it is the way they get in I don't know if we have some time to talk about that Mark but it's difficult to get in in a risk well now tell me a little bit about a a story somebody specific who has been changed through through Christian broadcasting you know with a Ministry like what herberto is is doing there in Mexico yeah that's that's great and a little time left I can even introduce too some of the ways they're accessing it they many times have to take horseback or mule or or Walkin when it sometimes takes a day or two I mean up to 48 hours to get some of these remot Villages other times they have used Aviation and in these areas is dangerous so this one time they they had Aviation they were able to fly into this one Village and this one Village uh has totally been controlled by the Witchcraft and uh spiritualist in that area and he was vly against the gospel and these Christians and so they were there on the outskirts watching this and they were making all these animal sacrifices in this field at night and they in the uh Witch Doctor even decided he was going to say some enchantments against the Christians there and so Alberto and the team just started praying and um as they were praying suddenly this witch doctor was taking this sacrifice and something pushed him he there was a force that pushed him into the fire and he was a able to barely get out without major uh injury and he immediately recognized that it was the power of God and he humbled himself trembled he went before unber and said now I know your God is real tell me more about your God and be God's starting to work in that Village so God's demonstrating his power as they bring forth his word in these Villages well there's a lot more that could be said and we're running out of time so to be kept up to date about what God's doing within the church at risk what God's doing with Mexico and broadcasting what God's doing all over the world with people who are risking much for Jesus you want to go to atrisk Radio and sign up for the newsletter we'll send you a newsletter every month I'm Mark Stafford and this has been atrisk radio you've been listening to atrisk radio for more go to at risk.com atrisk Radio is a production of s International [Music]