Anderson Times Update

What a thrill it was to have a part in the establishment of the first Christian shortwave station in the Central African Republic. Dan spent most of the month of February in the C.A.R. helping install broadcast and satellite equipment for our partner, Integrated Community Development International. On March 1, 2007, Radio Boali began broadcasting Christian programs and community development information across the country. There were challenges due to the heat and primitive conditions, but the team had great success installing the radio facility.

Pray that many will come to trust Christ and that the churches of the Central African Republic will be built up through the ministry of this station.

Within hours of Radio Boali’s going on the air on March 1, cell phone calls came from across the Central African Republic. By the third day, our partner received reports indicating that the station had a potential audience of over three million people. The signal reaches most of C.A.R., and portions of Chad, Cameroon, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — all with only 1,000 watts of power.

Mission Accomplished through Partnership

The first Christian shortwave radio station in the Central African Republic became a reality because of many partnerships, not through the work of one or two “lone rangers.”

The HCJB Global Technology Center and Integrated Community Development International planned the new station. American missionaries and African nationals worked together to construct the transmitter site and studio. Many Christians contributed prayer and financial support for the project. What a privilege to work together for the Kingdom of God!

When I think of those who have had a part in this project, my thoughts are like those of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel ….” Philippians 1:3-5 (NIV)

Radio Boali Construction

The station is situated near Boali on the top of a hill five miles from a local hydroelectric power plant. Boali is one of the few cities in the Central African Republic that has reliable electric power.

We installed the radio equipment inside one of two 20-foot steel shipping containers that came by boat from the United States. A tin roof was built over the containers to reduce the heat from the intense tropical sun. It was still hot inside of the containers since daytime temperatures were in the 90’s, and we were unable to install an air-conditioner until the end of the construction phase.

The studio was constructed inside the steel container with double wood walls to isolate it from sounds coming from outside. An African from Cameroon helped design the studio using materials available locally. However, since recent civil wars have ravaged the country, it was difficult to find materials that we would expect to be commonplace anywhere else.

Like most shortwave broadcast antennas, the one we built was made from wires hung between poles or towers. Since poles are difficult to come by in C.A.R. we used beams purchased in the U.S. and shipped in the containers to Africa. Plenty of manual labor went into raising the seven poles.

Once the antenna was up, it had to be tuned to the broadcast frequency. Don Hastings, makes some adjustments from the non-OSHA approved scaffold in the photo above. As a side note, Don is 78 years old!

Each day as we went to work on the station, we passed through Boali street scenes like this one. Seeing the people reminded us that we were in Africa to aid and bring good news of Jesus Christ to this nation.