A Night That Changed Everything
In an apartment in Belgrade, Serbia, Saško and Ira Bogeski lived with their young daughter, Abigail. Life wasn’t always easy, but their home was filled with warmth, love, and the rhythms of ministry. On a visit years ago, our founder, Ron Harris, stayed with them. There was no guest room—just generous hearts. Saško gave up his couch, Ira and Abigail shared a bed, and Ron slept in a little pink princess bed under glowing stars on the ceiling. That small space became a reminder of the beauty of hospitality and the bond of faith across cultures.
But that same home would soon become the scene of a life-altering event.
One night, a thief broke in while the family slept. It wasn’t the first time. A previous robbery had already left them shaken. But this time, it turned violent. Saško, desperate to protect his wife and eight-year-old daughter, grabbed a kitchen knife. In the scuffle, the intruder was wounded and fled—only to collapse a few blocks away. He died before help could arrive.
What followed was a nightmare. The police came knocking, not to offer comfort, but to arrest Saško. He was charged with murder.
The days that followed were filled with fear and uncertainty. As the news reached us, prayers began to rise from all over the world. Supporters of MEDIA Alliance, friends of the Bogeskis, and believers who had never met them began interceding. Messages flew across time zones. We asked for prayer. We asked for justice.
A month later, something miraculous happened.
Saško was unexpectedly released from prison. He walked into a prayer meeting where people had gathered to ask God for his freedom—just like Peter showing up at the house in Acts 12. It was a moment of awe and joy. But the story wasn’t over.
The murder charge still loomed.
Over the next five years, Saško endured a grueling legal battle. The process was painfully slow. One step forward, six weeks of silence. Depression set in. He began to question his calling, his worth, and whether God could still use a man who had taken a life—even in defense of his family.
“I think I need to give up my ministry,” he said.
But our team—and more importantly, the Holy Spirit—reminded him of the stories of Moses, David, and Paul. Men who had blood on their hands, yet were still chosen by God to change the world. “If God doesn’t take you off the playing field,” Ron told him, “don’t take yourself off.”
Saško stayed the course, and God honored that perseverance.
After five long years, a verdict came: Not guilty. But even that wasn’t the end. The prosecutor appealed the acquittal, dragging the family through another year of waiting. Finally, a judge upheld the decision, and the Bogeskis were free.
Through it all, the prayers never stopped.
The support of the MEDIA Alliance community—prayers, encouragement, and financial help—helped carry the Bogeskis through the darkest valley. Today, Saško continues to lead ELION Media, producing Christian content that reaches people across Serbia and beyond.
This story reminds us: evil may visit our homes, but it doesn’t get the final word. God is always redeeming the brokenness in our lives.
The Dangerous Mission to "Luka Land"
In one of the most resistant regions of Ghana, Christianity isn’t just unwelcome—it’s dangerous.
They call it Luka Land (not its real name) for the safety of those doing ministry there and the people they’re reaching. For generations, this Islamic community has guarded its religious identity with fierce resolve. No church has survived there. Christian activity is banned. The people have made it clear: they are willing to die to keep the church away.
And yet, in the face of very real danger, our friends at Theovision International stepped in with a bold mission—to bring the Gospel to a people who had never heard.
Luka Land’s challenges are immense. With no written language, traditional Bible translation was impossible. The people couldn’t read the Bible, even if they had one. But Theovision saw another way: oral Bible translation.
Over the past eleven months, their team has quietly and courageously worked to record the Gospel of Luke in the people’s heart language—making the Word of God accessible for the first time in history to this unreached people group. For the first time, the people of Luka Land can hear Jesus speak to them—in their own language.
Already, seeds are being planted. Some translators—who had never heard the Gospel before—are beginning to consider the message of Christ. The story of Jesus is taking root in a place that once declared it would never be heard.
This breakthrough is only the beginning. The vision now? To plant the very first church in Luka Land.
For many years, MEDIA Alliance has been partners with the top leadership at Theovision International. We’ve had the opportunity to host Theodore Asare and his son Philip at our MEDIA Alliance Summit, and last week we had time to reconnect with Philip and hear about this and other projects happening across Africa.
Pray for the continued work of Theovision. They face enormous risks in their work, and it’s our joy to encourage them. Together, we can see God’s Word continue to spread to those who have never heard.
Broadcasting Hope from a War Zone
In the heart of war-torn Odessa, Ukraine, where the echoes of explosions often drown out everyday life, one Christian radio station has defied the odds—staying on air in the midst of relentless conflict.
New Life Radio International, a Gospel-centered radio network based in Odessa, has continued broadcasting throughout the war, serving as a lifeline of hope and truth to listeners across both Ukraine and Russia. Despite ongoing peace talks, the city remains under heavy fire, and the station itself has not gone untouched.
“Our facility has been hit,” said Daniel Johnson of New Life Radio. “We’re just hoping the electricity stays on so we can continue our satellite and internet broadcasts. It’s not easy operating in a city under constant bombardment, but we know our mission—to get the Gospel to two nations that desperately need to hear it—is more urgent than ever.”
New Life Radio has become a rare bridge between believers in Russia and Ukraine, reaching the wider Slavic world with the message of Christ. Through satellite and internet radio, they are acting as peacemakers and proclaimers, sharing faith across national lines in a time of deep division.
Now, as they look to the future, the station is seeking to move out of their aging, rented 195-year-old building and purchase a more secure and permanent facility. This move would help ensure their ability to continue broadcasting the hope of the Gospel for years to come.
In a city surrounded by chaos, New Life Radio is standing firm—offering peace, unity, and truth over the airwaves.
Story provided by Peter Wooding, Global News Alliance
Featured Organization: New Life Radio International
When Walking Away is the Only Choice
Rick isn’t the typical visitor to the MEDIA Alliance offices.
Rick had built a thriving career in South America. As a successful builder, he and his wife—an architect—were creating a good life for their young children. Their future was bright, filled with the promise of new projects, growing opportunities, and a home they had carefully built together.
But everything changed in an instant.
A drug cartel quietly moved into one of Rick’s housing developments. When he discovered what was happening and confronted them, he was met with the most extreme response—a direct threat on his life. The message was clear: walk away, or there would be consequences.
In that moment, Rick faced an impossible choice. Stay and risk his life, or leave everything behind—his business, his home, and the life they had worked so hard to build. For the safety of their family, they made their choice.
Less than three weeks later, Rick moved to the United States and moved in with his parents in the area. While his heart was full of trust in God’s guidance, his life was now full of uncertainty. That’s when he found himself at the MEDIA Alliance offices.
Rick isn’t the typical visitor to the MEDIA Alliance offices, but when he walked through our doors, he didn’t just find a meeting—he also found a refuge. We set aside time to have lunch, sit with him, and listen to his story. We prayed with him, encouraged him, and reminded him that even in this unexpected and painful transition, God was still at work.
At MEDIA Alliance, our mission goes beyond media training and global events. We stand alongside our international brothers and sisters in their greatest moments of need. Whether equipping leaders for ministry or offering a listening ear and a prayer for those facing crisis, we are honored to be part of what God is doing around the world.
From Tragedy to Forgiveness
Vera’s life has been marked by unimaginable loss. She grew up in a loving, traditional family, where kindness and compassion were daily values instilled by her parents. But in 2004, her world was shattered in an instant when her sister’s abusive husband stormed into their home and killed both her sister and her mother.
The grief that followed was all-consuming. Within a year, the weight of sorrow claimed her father as well. Vera was left feeling hollow, trapped in a cycle of pain and hatred.
“I was alive, but I felt like I was dead,” Vera recalls. “I had no joy, no peace, only pain.”
But in the midst of despair, hope came from an unexpected source—her young daughter. One day, after returning from church, she urged Vera to come with her.
“There is someone you should meet,” her daughter said.
Skeptical but willing, Vera attended a service. That day, she encountered something she had never known before—the love of Jesus.
“The moment I heard the sermon, I was touched,” she says. “I had been living without hope, but now I learned there was hope for me, my future, and my family.”
Yet even as faith transformed her life, one burden remained: her hatred for the man who had destroyed her family.
“I knew I had to do something for the person who killed my sister and my mother,” Vera says.
Years after becoming a Christian, she made a decision that would set her free. She wrote a letter to her brother-in-law in prison, enclosing a Bible with highlighted verses.
“I told him we had forgiven him,” she says. “It was a release. I had been a captive of so much anger, but now I felt free.”
She never heard back from him directly, but recently, a local pastor informed her that the man now attends Bible studies in prison.
“I don’t know if he is a believer,” Vera says. “But I pray for him. He has caused so much damage, but I believe in God’s redemption. My dream is to meet him one day and tell him face to face that because of Jesus, I can forgive him.”
For Vera, healing has come not only through faith but also through an unexpected companion—a small radio.
“One day at church, I received a radio, and I started listening to the programs on Radio Emanuel,” she shares. “It has been my daily companion, helping me regain strength and emerge from my darkest moments.”
Today, Vera’s story stands as a powerful testimony of transformation. The wounds of the past remain, but they no longer define her. Instead, her life is a testament to forgiveness, faith, and the power of the Gospel to turn even the deepest pain into hope.
It’s our joy at MEDIA Alliance International to stand with ministries like Radio Emanuel in Albania as they “hold forth the word of life.”