Struggling with God’s Will
A recent devotion I read from Chuck Swindoll, taken from his book, The Mystery of God’s Will, got me thinking. I’m in a bit of a dilemma over knowing and following God’s will.
In the devotion, Dr. Swindoll says that God’s will for us
“…almost without exception requires risk, adjustment, and change. We don’t like that. Even using those words makes us squirm. Experiencing the reality of them is even worse.”
Swindoll goes on to talk about our love of the familiar, the comfortable, something we can control. And I think that is usually true.
…And here is where the dilemma comes in. God’s Word also tells me that the Lord will give me the desires of my heart. Here it is, scripture and verse.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires". Psalm 37:4
How do I get from “the desires of my heart” to being willing to risk, make adjustments, change?
I think it comes with spiritual growth..maturity…trust in God. Our desires become what He wants for us. His desires become our desires. We trust in His unfailing love, as the song says.
Jesus went through that dilemma in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing what he knew to be a horrendous agony and death on the Roman cross, He asked His Heavenly Father if there was any other way.
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Matthew 26:39
Chuck Swindoll concludes this way:
…the closer we walk with the Lord, the less control we have over our lives, and the more we must abandon to Him. To give Him our wills and to align our wills to His will requires the abandonment of what we prefer, what we want or what we would choose.
God’s will and God’s way in your life and mine brings the ultimate satisfaction and joy. If we give up anything…comfort or control…it is for the better life our Lord has laid out for us as part of His plan.
Huh? What?
Husbands are often accused of “selective hearing,” grasping only what we want to hear and ignoring the rest. There is probably some truth in that, but not just for husbands. All of us have selective hearing. Want an example? There are probably some noises going on around you right now that you ignore. Traffic on the street. The sound of an air conditioner or fan. Crickets. We just tune these out.
In our role as leaders, we need to be sure we are listening to those we serve…really listening. Mentor and executive coach Fred Smith loved communication and had some thoughts on listening.
Every leader spends a good part of the day communicating with others. A lot of books have been written on techniques of good communication, but the real problem is the spirit, not the method. Attitude is often the barrier. Almost any two people who want to can talk together. The emphasis on open lines of communication hides a deeper problem. Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Fred Smith added…
Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s ability to listen on four levels:
1. the meaning of the words
2. the choice of words
3. the sounds of the words
4. the sight of the words.
Most people listen negatively, which is simply keeping silent or reloading while the other is shooting. Positive listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotion that permit the listener to evaluate on more than a surface level.
There are some great insights here. Two things stand out
from Fred Smith’s comments.
Almost any two people who want to can talk together.
Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Jesus often spoke in parables, and then would tell those around him, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 11:15 NLT)
Listening…really listening…takes effort and is active. And leaders who listen…really listen…strengthen their organizations and the relationships among the staff. And, by the way, it works in the home, too.
Toss 'um Out!
I should have thrown them out. Dead. Lifeless. No great value. Good for a season…but no good now.
Those thoughts went through my mind over the winter as I looked at some flower pots filled with dead plants. We had left them out over the winter months. And, though those months had been mild, the plants died and dried up. I should have tossed them…thrown them out. I didn’t.
I remember one instance as I served as manager of the local Christian radio station. The program director came to me, closed the door to my office, and said, “We have to let Joe (not his name) go…fire him.” The PD had hired Joe about six months before.
“Why do we need to let him go?”
“Because he isn’t sounding good,” the PD said. “He isn’t living up to his potential. He just needs to go.”
My next question was said in a rather straight-forward way. “What have you done to help him improve?” The PD paused…thought…looked down…and responded, “Not much.”
With a little encouragement, the PD began to work with the station employee, to set standards, to make suggestions, to coach him…yet hold Joe accountable. And little by little there was growth. The radio man became more and more valuable, playing a solid role in the programming for the station.
What made the difference? Yes, setting standards and offering help were part of the reason for improvement. However, I think the main reason this employee blossomed is the encouragement that said, “We think you are valuable, and you are worth us working with to help you improve.” Years later, after the program director had moved on, Joe was still a valuable member of the team.
Yes…I should have thrown that plant out. It wasn’t worth much. It didn’t look like it had potential. But I kept it. I broke off the old dead branches. I gave it a chance to grow. And something beautiful emerged from that flower pot. I’m glad I didn’t toss it out. It really adds something special to our backyard landscape, don’t you think?
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
It's a Balancing Act
Balancing, juggling… these sound more like terms fit for a circus than for our ministry work. Yet juggling all the priorities of ministry, business, family, and personal faith journey is a full-time job. And achieving balance…it is a never ending challenge.
When I was younger…much younger…I used to try to balance on one of those boards on a large pipe-like roller. And juggle. I took a lot of spills in the effort. And when I did accomplish this feat, I could never relax. It took constant effort to maintain balance.
The same is true in our lives, particularly as leaders in ministry. It is a constant effort if we are to maintain a healthy balance between work…even if it is ministry…and the rest of our lives.
Ben Case, of Case Consulting Services, has a daily blog on fundraising. He often gleans from guest writers, as he did recently. Robyn Mendez has some good reminders on things we can do to maintain our perspective in the daily struggle for balance.
1. Schedule a no-meeting day - time spent in meetings can kill productivity during the workday. Block out a day each week when no meetings take place.
2. Learn to say "No" ... or "Not Right Now" - the world is full of great ideas. As a leader, the additional work or projects that you approve often falls on the shoulders of those who report to you.
3. Define a consistent time that you will leave the office - by establishing a consistent time to head home, you are giving yourself time in the evening to live your life. You also are telling your staff that it's OK for them to head home in the evenings.
4. Take your vacation time - this seems so straightforward but in 2014, 40% of Americans forfeited vacation time. You've earned this, so take it.
5. Guard your time at home - don't allow work to creep in. Create at least a two-hour work-free zone where you have to focus on family time together.
Most of these suggestions we have heard before. The challenge comes in implementing them in our weekly routine.
And about the actual juggling and balancing I did so many years ago…that’s another reason I’m glad we didn’t have You Tube back then!
Lead…follow…or get out of the way!
Maybe you have heard that saying before. While it might seem harsh, it does relate to the urgency of these days. As servants of the Lord Jesus, we need to be willing to give strong leadership, or we need to be good followers of those who lead. Or…we need to get out of the way, so as to not impede the impact of the Gospel in the lives of the lost.
In reality, we are all leaders and followers. As Christians we follow the teachings of our Lord, and the examples of other Christian mentors. Yet all of us have those who look to us to be the example…to teach the Truth of God’s Word, whether we do so formally or by our living example. We have family, children, friends, co-workers, that God has placed in our path that we might lead them in His ways.
You may say, “But you don’t understand my past. I can’t be one of God’s leaders.” You are right in one sense. I don’t know all that may be in your past. But you are wrong if you think that disqualifies you from the leadership role the Lord has for you.
You don’t have to look too deeply into the Bible to find some of God’s leaders who had some pretty bad history. There is Moses….who killed an Egyptian, hid him in the sand, and had to flee from his place in the palace to the far side of the wilderness. Yet God had a plan for him to lead the children of Israel.
There is David…a man after God’s own heart. The situation with Bathsheba, the orchestrated murder of her husband…you would think that would take David off the playing field and out of the role of a leader. But God showed mercy, and used David greatly.
Maybe you would look to the Apostle Paul. Saul…a terrorist. He was instrumental in the persecution and even the death of many of God’s faithful believers. In fact, he was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christ-followers when God stepped in and changed his life. One of God’s faithful leaders to his death.
There is an urgency for the Gospel today. Persecution of Christians has reached new depths. People need hope…God’s hope. They need leaders who will boldly do what God is leading them to do. They need the Gospel. And the good news, of course, is that God supplies all our needs by the power of His Holy Spirit, alive and active in our lives.
What is it God has for you to do for Him? Who are the people who look to you for leadership? Follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Lead the flock God has given you. Trust in an all-powerful Lord to accomplish through you what He needs for His plan. And be quick to give God the glory. Amen.
Ministry Needs, Prayer Opportunities
Middle East
I mentioned earlier a country in the Middle East where followers of Christ are
asking for training for Christian radio stations operating in this mostly Muslim land. While religious and ethnic conflict has been part of their DNA for centuries, evangelical believers are presenting the claims of Christ, the Prince of Peace to their land. Because of the sensitivity of their work, we won’t mention the country here, but know that it is a place where God is at work in spite of the opposition. Prominent leaders and everyday people are putting their hope in Christ as they hear of God’s love and salvation through His Son, Jesus.
Pray for Christian broadcasters and evangelical believers who are boldly presenting the Gospel. And pray for our discernment and wisdom to know the Lord’s will for MEDIAlliance in providing training for these broadcasters.
Turkey
Our time at the NRB Convention in Nashville gave me opportunity to sit down with several ministries we have been connected with through the years. Radio Shema in Ankara, Turkey is led by Soner Tufan. We visited with him and with his American assistant, Sarah Wibberly in Nashville, to learn of the current needs for this ministry. Radio Shema is in a significant location in the capital city, with studios in downtown Ankara. Some security issues are causing them to look for a better location for their Christian radio station.
Radio Shema also continues to look for Christian radio programs to enhance their schedule, needing creative programs that translate well into the Turkish culture. Soner wants to grow the influence of the station by expanding into producing a newspaper, which are quite popular among legislators and those in leadership in that country. It will also help promote the radio, pointing readers to the daily input of Christian programs.
France
Radio Gospel, part of the ministry France For Christ, continues to seek an FM frequency for Paris. About 20% of the population of France live in Paris, so a station there would have great impact in that country. This has been an enormous challenge, but Paul and Laura Harrigan continue their efforts. A recent newsletter pointed out some facts about France, showing why they continue the effort:
- Only 4 ½ % of the French people regularly attend a church service- whether it is in a Catholic or Protestant church.
- France has the highest population in Europe of followers of Islam and Judaism? Between 8 - 10 % of the French population claims they are Muslim.
- According to an article in 2011 in the Economist, the suicide rate in France is 14.6/100; in other words, more than two times greater than the rate in Great Britain and 40 % higher than in Germany and the U.S.
Paul Harrigan believes that when revival of the Christian faith comes to France, the impact will be felt world-wide due to its influence in the European Union and in the 29 countries where French is the official language.
Gospel Radio continues to upgrade their programming online even as they explore new avenues to secure a radio frequency in Paris. Pray for this ongoing effort.
Bolivia
Radio Mosoj Chaski in Cochabamba, Bolivia, continues to impact hundreds of thousands of lives among the Quechua Indians in the Andes Mountains and the cities and villages of this South American country. We visited with Ann Wheeler with Mosoj Chaski, and learned that the ministry is taking steps to position the station in such a way as to help ensure its continuation, even in the face of political and cultural pressure.
Mosoj Chaski is also starting to produce DVD’s of Bible studies and other programs. Often the little one or two room homes high in the mountains will have a small color TV and DVD player. Television signals don’t reach into the area, so the DVD’s provide entertainment, education, and insight for these who live simple but difficult lives.
Pray for needed equipment and training to produce these television programs. Pray for wisdom and direction for Radio Mosoj Chaski as they upgrade and replace aging broadcast equipment, including their transmitter.
Haiti
Radio 4VEH in Cap Haitian, Haiti, continues their history of making an impact for the Gospel since its start in 1961. Storley Michel is the director of Radio 4VEH, and is being used by the Lord to make this long-standing ministry more effective and more financially stable. The ministry operates several frequencies from the northern part of the island nation into the central region. It is a much needed lighthouse in the midst of spiritual darkness.
MEDIAlliance International is talking with this ministry and looking at a possible radio training conference in Haiti in 2014.
India
Building upon the foundation of our first experience last September, MEDIAlliance will partner with Good News Television and other groups to hold another media training conference. This year's event will be held in Delhi, and is expected to draw over 200 media professionals for a series of workshops in television, radio, Internet/social media, and management. As in previous conferences, we will have top Christian media professionals serve as our faculty. Pray for these plans, for the prosepctive instructors, and for those in India who need to attend.
In addition, we'll be in India in May to assist those in that country as they work to form a Christian media association. Their desire is to have a unified voice for evangelical broadcasters as they speak to legislators and regulators in India. Pray for God's wisdom and direction in this effort.
Romania
One of the joys of this ministry is getting to know God’s great servan
ts in other parts of the world. Now, working together through the years, the Lord has forged great friendships and partnerships with His leaders in Christian media. The investment of our work in the Balkans has yielded such relationships. In Romania we work with Lucian Despa of Radio Voice of the Gospel (RVE) headquartered in Bucharest. With nine stations scattered across Romania, RVE is taking God’s Word to many listeners, growing stronger disciples in this former Communist country. Lucian is looking at new strategies for distributing the programming, even as he seeks to grow the number of stations. Pray for these initiatives for Radio Voice of the Gospel.
Tudor and Mirela Petan lead Alfa Omega Television, based in Timisoara, Romania. From their three-story broadcast center, Alfa Omega uses satellite, cable, and the internet to distribute many Christian programs to the Romanian people, both inside the country and beyond. In addition, because the ministry is uniquely positioned in the center of the Balkans, Alfa Omega desires to add additional channels for the many other languages spoken in the neighboring countries. The prayer need for them is for funding to meet the equipment needs to accomplish this, and for other broadcast ministries to use these new channels to reach many people throughout the Balkans.
As we met with Tudor and Mirela at the NRB convention, one of their main desires was to pray for our new MEDIAlliance International ministry, and to see how they might help us. This same spirit was expressed by many of our international partners. I can tell you it is very moving to have such support from those we serve around the world!
Albania and Kosovo
We have detailed in previous newsletter some of the struggles encountered by Radio 7 as they established a radio station in the Kosovar capital of Pristina. But the Lord is working in amazing ways, opening the heart of even Muslims in media to put Christian programming on television in Kosovo. Though they are Muslim, they recognize that Christian teaching builds moral foundations, not found in other religions, that will help their children and young people in their daily lives.
Pray for Enkel
ejda Kumaraku of Radio 7, and their staff, as they continue to minister in both Kosovo and Albania, seizing every opportunity available to proclaim God’s Truth in these spiritually needy regions.
A Cry...A Challenge...A Blessing
The recent National Religious Broadcasters convention brought many international Christian broadcasters to Nashville. A group of more than thirty Christian media leaders from around the world met three times during the four-day conference to discuss recent challenges to Christian media. Our desire is to determine ways to work together for the cause of Christ.
Jan-Eric Nyman, who serves with IBRA in East Africa, gave an impassioned plea…a cry for help…for training nationals all over Africa. Several of our major ministries such as HCJB Global, TWR, and Far East Broadcasting are active in Africa, and together formed Africa by Radio a number of years ago for that specific purpose. They are doing a good job, but Africa is huge, the opportunities are growing, and the need is great. As Jan-Eric put it, “We need you to come to Africa, to come again and again. Not just once, but again and again. Come to Africa and help us!”
Though our ministry is relatively new and small, I am praying how we might answer this call, this cry, from Africa.
This is not the only call for training. We met with Ashvin Dhyriam from India and furthered our plans for another media training conference in India in September. This enormous country desperately needs the Gospel. Broadcasting and the electronic media are the tools to reach the masses…the 1.2 billion people of India…with the Good News that Jesus saves. More on that later.
We are also hearing from a country in the Middle East (nameless due to the sensitivity of their culture) about Christian broadcasters in that country, and their need for training. We will likely go there in the near future to see the need and determine how we can help.
As I weigh these opportunities, I often wonder how God will meet our financial needs in order to assist these who cry for help. Yet I know God is faithful to supply our needs to do His will. And He is already doing just that.
The Blessing
Recently I opened a letter and received a huge blessing…and a challenge. A faithful donor has offered us a $50,000 matching gift! Wanting to encourage others to also support MEDIAlliance International, he is willing to match all donations up to $50,000 total. What an amazing blessing! I rarely use this newsletter to talk about our financial needs because the needs of our many ministry partners are so great. My heart and my focus is on their ministries and their opportunities to spread God’s message of Hope to their country and their culture.
In real sense, that still is my focus, because securing this $50,000 matching gift will help us train, mentor, facilitate, and encourage these dedicated servants to a much greater degree than otherwise possible. We do not charge these international ministries for what we do. We even ask our instructors, who help us teach and train, to pay their own travel expenses. We depend on God’s people, whom He has blessed, to support this work.
The Bottom Line
As we began this new phase of our work, and as we established 
MEDIAlliance International in January, I sought a verse from the Lord that expressed the bottom line of ministry for us. In the opening of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to young Timothy, he explained his own calling…his reason for serving…as an example for Timothy, and for us all.
“From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to further the promise of life in Christ Jesus….”
II Timothy 1:1 NET
There it is. The bottom line. To further the promise of life in Christ Jesus. Apart from Christ, we are dead. Living in darkness. He is the Light. He is our Hope.
In most of the countries I visit, evangelical Christians are a very small minority. The message of hope found only in Jesus needs to reach the masses, but the laborers are few. Our work strengthens committed Christian media professionals who use these strong tools to take God’s message to souls living in darkness. To further the promise of life in Christ Jesus.
If God moves you to contribute, you will not just be giving to a ministry called MEDIAlliance International, but to directly “…further the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” I pray God will put that calling on your heart, and that you will respond as He directs. Our world needs that hope…that life. Help me help others share that hope...that promise of life in Christ Jesus.
Prayer and Praise
Middle East
We continue to connect with individuals, who are working in certain Middle East countries, about training for Christian broadcasters. While the effort seems slow (see “patient endurance” above), I believe God is going to open doors soon. Pray for God’s direction for us as we seek to help those in Islamic countries who are boldly proclaiming hope found only in Jesus.
Albania
Korçë, Albania, is in the southeastern part of this country in the Balkans. Radio Emanuel is a strong, effective Christian broadcast ministry that is reaching in
to Muslim villages and across borders into Macedonia and Greece. Tani and Efti Baraku lead a talented and dedicated team that works hard to engage many different people groups and ages with the Gospel. Programming for children, youth, adults, Albanians, Macedonians, and Greeks are produced from the modest studios of Radio Emanuel.
Radio Emanuel is now identifying potential locations to have adequate space for the many programs they produce in various languages. Pray for them to find the right facilities at an affordable price for the ministry.
In addition, Radio Emanuel has applied for a broadcast license for a station in the southern part of Albania where there is no Christian broadcasting. Pray for favor with the media authorities in Albania for the awarding of this license. As always, funds are needed to put this station on the air. God may be already moving on that front, with a ministry in Europe offering a matching gift for a portion of the need.
MEDIAlliance International
Our ministry has been blessed with a generous matching challenge gift of $50,000. As of this writing we are about 45% of the way to the needed funds to secure the full amount. A gift of any size to our ministry will actually be a double blessing for us as we lay the foundation for this ministry that brings assistance, training, and encouragement to front-line ministries in challenges places.
Our website, www.medialliance.cc, has more information on our ministry, our team of instructors and ministry partners. To go to the page to donate, you may click here.
Patient Endurance
Patience is a virtue…they tell me. It is not one of my most sterling attributes. I can sometimes be found drumming my fingers on the counter while waiting “patiently” for my coffee to be reheated. On a better day you might find me multitasking while waiting for that coffee to be “nuked.”
So it is a bit humorous that my ministry work puts me on 
airplanes for 18 or more hours to get from home base to the ministry location. On top of that, you can add up to 10 hours of waiting in airports…even without those inevitable flight delays. I have had to learn patience in those settings, reading, writing, or…my most favorite sport…people watching.
There was a point several years ago where God prepared me for patient endurance in a very interesting way. The Lord knew I was about to face a time of great challenge, great testing, and great frustration. Just before that all transpired, His Spirit led me to memorize a verse or two from Hebrews. To this day I don’t recall how I arrived at those verses, or even why I decided to memorize them. It became obvious to me rather quickly, though, that it was the hand of God directing me in advance to His message that He knew I needed.
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)
Patient endurance. Confident trust. Not easy in our world today. Not easy…but easy-er if you have seen the amazing work of a faithful God as He provided and protected in personal and powerful ways. Confident trust.
I share those verses often, most recently with a dear friend who is working his way back from a stroke a few months ago. When I see him at church I can see the progress he is making. I’m sure that to him it seems painfully slow, but from my perspective I can see the results of his faithful rehab work and daily efforts to regain skills in the areas affected by the stroke. Patient endurance. Remember the great reward.
There are days where I don’t see progress in our ministry work. I have trouble connecting with people half way around the world. There seems to be a delay in some of the steps needed for MEDIAlliance to function effectively. Projects and funding seem slow in coming. Patient endurance. On those days, I need it, too.
Life in our fallen world has a way of frustrating us. Blocking us. Diverting us. Patient endurance…waiting on God’s promises…is a challenge. It takes daily “rehab” to get us to the point where we live our lives with confident trust in God. Not just in what we say, but in our actions…and in our patience. Ask the Lord for the patient endurance you need today in order to receive all that He has promised.
Ministry Prayer and Praise
Romania
While in Romania Judy and I took the opportunity to visit Alfa Omega Television and our dear friends Tudor and Mirela Petan. It has been our privilege to know these humble servants that God is using in mighty ways to take His message of hope through Christ to their world. This is Alfa Omega’s 20th anniversary in ministry and their 8th year on the air.
Tudor and Mirela have built this ministry from the ground up, and are continuing to build and add to their Alfa Omega Communications Center in Timisoara. 
God continues to give them a big vision of reaching people throughout the region through today’s technology and creative and meaningful programming.
Pray for Alfa Omega, for the continued growth of their opportunities to impact that region with God’s Good News, and for Tudor, Mirela and the whole ministry team.
Serbia
You have been such a great encouragement to the Bogeski family, Sasko, Ira, and their daughter Abigail. For over a year Sasko has been under the cloud of a potential murder charge for defending his family and his home. Throughout the year Satan has sought to discourage Sasko and diminish his ministry work. Yet over and over Sasko and Ira have commented how they have felt the prayers of so many around the world, and have been strengthened by God’s hand through those praying and helping.
As of this writing, there is no resolution to the case. It may possibly go to trial, causing much more in the way of expenses for this humble family, not to mention the ordeal of the trial itself. I hope you will join me in praying for this case to be dismissed so that Sasko and his family can continue their ministry work without these heavy burdens.
Judy and I had the joy of spending several days with the Bogeski family, worshiping, fellowshipping, speaking to church groups and Bible students. We spent time talking through and planning ministry projects to help those in Serbia hear the truth of God’s love and grace for all who trust in God’s Son, Jesus. In addition, Sasko has headed up a team of volunteers to help people devastated by the worst flooding in history in Serbia. These Christian workers have helped clean homes and have been there to bring hope and encouragement in the midst of disaster.
Continue to pray for ELION Media Ministry in Belgrade. Pray for Sasko, Ira, and Abigail, that they will be protected physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And pray for continuing opportunities for this ministry and family to be the shining lighthouse in that country.
Albania/Kosovo
Many of you have been a part of helping Radio 7 minister throughout Albania and Kosovo. God is blessing your prayers and support. Radio stations in Tirana and Shkodra, Albania, as well as in Pristina, Kosovo, continue to proclaim God’s Truth in a mostly Muslim world. Not only are they sharing God’s hope to nonbelievers, they are providing spiritual depth to Christ-followers who are primarily first-generation Christians.
It is not without challenges, difficulties, and costs. Radio 7 (also known as Media 7) has been putting television programs on secular TV stations in Albania and Kosovo. Recently they were asked to give up their established broadcast times, so Muslim programs could be run in their place, especially during Ramadan. Radio 7 is holding to the contracts they have signed and staying with the times their programs have run for several years. Station managers are receiving a lot of pressure to move the Christian programs. Please pray for these station leaders to honor the contracts and allow the Christian programs to continue airing.
Radio 7 in Kosovo is also taking steps to secure their broadcast studios, to give the best protection they can to the Christian staff. Threats and even physical attacks continue to be a possibility. Pray for the resources and for God’s wisdom for Radio 7 to take the proper steps to protect programming and people.
India
The teaching team is just about complete and the schedules are coming together as the Indian Christian Media Association presents the 5th Kingdom Media Conference, in association with MEDIAlliance International and other ministries. This conference will be held in Mumbai, India, September 3-5. Over 200 attendees are expected to participate in several tracks of media training…television, both intermediate and advanced, radio, church media, and social media/Internet.
The Christian broadcasters and communicators who serve as faculty provide their own travel expenses to India, and MEDIAlliance covers their expenses while in the country. It is a wonderful partnership arrangement that provides top quality training as well as outstanding spiritual insight.
Pray for the many details that still remain for the ICMA team in India, and for our teaching team that will be travelling to Mumbai for this conference. I believe God is preparing India for challenging days ahead for Christians and for the Gospel. Thanks to you who have prayed with us and provided specific financial support for this in past years. It is paying eternal dividends.
Turkey
Judy and I were delighted to host Soner Tufan in our home in late May. He heads up Radio Shema in Ankara, Turkey. This ministry is a lighthouse in a land that can identify only a few thousand evangelical Christ-followers among the almost 80 million people who are mostly Muslim.
Soner shared with some in our home of his hope to add more stations in Turkey as God opens the door. Pray for Soner and Radio Shema, a strategic ministry for Christ.
Ukraine/GCM
Scanning the headlines or most broadcast news sources, you might think things in Ukraine are OK now. However, there is still much tension in that country. Yet with the tension comes opportunity for the Gospel. Many in that country are searching for peace. What a great time to tell them of the Prince of Peace.
Our dear friend Dr. Hannu Haukka of Great Commission Media (GCM) in Finland is leading out in a major effort to share the Good News in Eastern Ukraine…Odessa, to be exact. His Mega City Campaigns mobilize the evangelical churches and utilize all types of media in a month-long blitz 
to offer millions the “Power to Change.”
Pray for Hannu Haukka and the GCM staff and the thousands of volunteers who will interact with those seeking hope in the midst of a volatile and often violent world.
NovaMedia in Kiev, Ukraine, has extended an invitation for me to come to speak to Christian media professionals in November. It is my hope that I will be able to go and encourage those who have access to such powerful tools like radio, TV, Internet, and print, to provide a path toward peace with God.
Ministry Partner Galcom International
What if you could put a million missionaries on the field that could share the hope of Christ with scores of people all day, every day? That is what Galcom International has accomplished through the years. This organization, based in Canada, produces solar powered 
radios that are set to the frequency of the local Christian radio station in ministry locations all over the world. Whole families…sometimes whole villages…are impacted by the teaching they receive from these little electronic missionaries. Glacom has just surpassed the one million mark for production and distribution of these amazing radios.
I have had the joy of helping with the distribution, most recently in 
Haiti, as these radios were given to villagers, even to witch doctors, in remote areas of northern Haiti.
Congratulations to our friends Tim Whitehead, Executive Director, and Allen McGuirl, one of the Galcom founders, for this God-honoring milestone.
MEDIAlliance International Team
Our MEDIAlliance ministry team continues to grow. We are blessed to have many who volunteer to teach at regional training seminars, like the one in India in September. We could not provide such outstanding training without them.
Along with the volunteers, MEDIAlliance is honored to two who serve on a part time basis to keep the ministry running smoothly. Let me introduce these folks.
D’Lynn Moxon joined MEDIAlliance about a year ago as Bookkeeper/Financial Coordinator. She has been a great help to me in making sure all our financial records are in order and that we can track God’s material blessings through those who give to the ministry. D’Lynn serves fulltime as Financial Assistant at Lake Arlington Baptist Church, where she and her family attend.
D’Lynn and her husband Ted Moxon have been married 27 years, and have two daughters, Amelia, who attends Texas Tech, and Abby, a junior in high school. D’Lynn has done accounting in both the public and private sector, and now is able to use her expertise in ministry. She says, “I love my life as a wife, mother and accountant, and know that it has all come from God's hand. My life verse is Philippians 4:6-7. It has never failed me, because He is faithful to keep His promises.”
Newest to the MEDIAlliance team is Heidi Mizell. Heidi joined the
MEDIAlliance International team in May as the Database/Donor Coordinator. She has over 15 years of administrative experience with 10 years of working directly with database software.
Heidi is from Jacksonville, Florida where she met and married her husband Stephen in 1999. In August of 2000, they answered God’s call to full time vocational service and left Florida to start seminary in North Carolina. Heidi worked in various administrative capacities, during Stephen’s studies. In August 2008, they moved to Texas where she worked full time at Southwestern in the Institutional Advancement department while Stephen completed doctoral work.
Heidi and Stephen have three daughters, Chloe , age 5, Brooke, age 2 ½, and Kathryn, nine months. She enjoys singing in the Resounding Praise choir at Birchman Baptist Church, working as the Lead Coordinator/Volunteer of the Brother’s Keeper ministry at Southwestern Seminary, and cooking.
Both of these MEDIAlliance team members are a great help and a blessing for the ministry.