České pořady začaly být vysílány na krátkých vlnách rozhlasové stanice HCJB v Quito v Ecuadoru v roce 1975. Slovenské pořady se přidaly o sedm let později. Pořady sestavoval tým skládající se z Lili Kladenské a její dcery Jiřiny, která se později provdala za pastora Adriana Gonzálese.

Kladenská, které přežila koncentrační tábor v Terezíně, emigrovala do Ecuadoru se svým manželem Ottou v roce 1948 po komunistickém převratu v Československu. Spolu se svou dcerou posílaly slova naděje do Československa přes železnou oponu na krátkých vlnách přes dvacet let.

Po sametové revoluci v roce 1989 Československo odhodilo komunistický vládní systém a vrátilo se k systému více politických stran. Později, v roce 1993 se Československo rozdělilo na dva nezávislé státy, Českou a Slovenskou republiku.

Uprostřed těchto dramatických událostí se k HCJB Global v Quito přidali Češi Pavel a Klára Steigerovi a posléze své úsilí přesunuli do České republiky, aby zde budovali FM vysílání.

Steigerovi od začátku spolupracovali jednak s HCJB Global, jednak s Trans World Radio. O internetovém vysílání začali uvažovat, když krátkovlnné vysílání v Češtině a ve Slovenštině bylo v roce 2002 přerušeno. V internetovém vysílání a v satelitních technologiích viděli další krok prožívaného dramatického pokroku.

„Naše první pořady jsme si připravovali na elektrickém psacím stroji IBM Electric II,“ vzpomínají Steigerovi. „Když jsme se v roce 1990 přidali k HCJB Global, nosili jsme s sebou 'přenosný' počítač velký skoro jako mikrovlnná trouba. Pamatujeme doby, kdy jsme stříhali magnetofonové záznamy žiletkami. Za neskutečnou cenu skoro 3000 dolarů jsme si koupili program s českými fonty pro psaní do našeho časopisu! Všechny tyto změny a vývoj celkem přirozeně vedly až k misii na internetu!“

“Vždycky jsme byli velmi pružní v používání nových technologií a přijímali jsme tyto změny, přestože se zprvu zdály být spíš k zlosti,“ dodávají Steigerovi. „Byly to pro nás výzvy a výborné příležitosti při hledání nových cest.“

Dnes internet Steigerovy spojuje s česky hovořícími lidmi po celém světě. Webová stránka www.hcjb.cz má asi 250 přístupů denně a obsahuje nové i archivní zvukové programy a také česky a slovensky psaný časopis Zápas o Duši, který je oporou misijního působení.

I když ti, kdo naslouchají internetovému vysílání píši dopisy redakci méně, než dříve posluchači krátkovlnného vysílání, ohlasy od českých a slovenských krajanů přicházejí do Prahy i z takové dálky, jako je Korea či Austrálie. Také místní křesťanské vysílání na FM je vysíláno na internetu jako livestream a přenášeno satelitem. České a slovenské křesťanské vysílání nyní běží 24 hodin denně sedm dní v týdnu. (HCJB Global)

In December a two-day revival crusade at Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex in Shillong, India, became the largest evangelistic meeting in the history of the Presbyterian Church of India (PCI). The gathering in northeast India drew approximately 100,000 people to the Sunday services led by Rev. Dr. R.R. Cunville, an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. Many small children and elderly were among those who made professions of faith as Cunville spoke on Matthew 7:21 which states, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father in heaven.” Cunville was joined by members of the Council for World Missions South Asia Regional Council, including PCI President Rev. J. F. Jyrwa and Rev. M. J. Hynniewta, principal of John Roberts Theological Seminary in Shillong. (Council for World Missions)

BANGLADESH DECLARES MARTIAL LAW, PUTTING CHRISTIANS AT RISK

Political unrest and ongoing strikes and protests elections scheduled for Bangladesh on Monday, Jan. 22, prompted interim President Fakhruddin Ahmed to declare a state of emergency, establishing martial law in the country. The sweeping powers allowed by military forces under this declaration can leave minority Christians vulnerable, says Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. “These are very dangerous times in Bangladesh when anyone can be arrested without question,” he said. In a country where Muslims comprise more than 90 percent of the population, martial law “can be used by anti-Christian extremist groups to falsely accuse Christians and Christian groups,” Yohannan said. The state of emergency limits nearly all individual freedoms. Groups larger than three are not allowed to walk the streets together, a curfew has been imposed nationwide, and all private news agencies have been instructed to broadcast only the bulletins provided by the state. Nearly all forms of communication are monitored. Security forces have detained more than 6,000 people since the state of emergency was declared on Jan. 11. (Assist News Service/International Herald Tribune)

‘DEFY THE DARKNESS’ CAMPAIGN FUNDS SCRIPTURES IN ECUADOR

An initiative of the Bible League allows Christians in the U.S. to help place copies of the Scriptures in the hands of Latin Americans. Dubbed the “Defy the Darkness” campaign, $4 can put a Bible in the hands of a Latin American. American Family News reporter Allie Martin traveled to Ecuador with the Bible League last fall and observed volunteers distributing Bibles in the Andes region where children had completed a six-month Bible study in order to receive their own Bibles. The group also hiked through the country’s Amazon region to a remote village to distribute the Scriptures. (OneNewsNow.com)

ETHIOPIAN MURDERED, HOUSES BURNED, CHRISTIANS IN HIDING

Groups of Ethiopian Christians reportedly remain in hiding in local churches following an incident on Friday, Jan. 5, that left one person dead. Ajja Delge was killed by an unknown assailant in the Ethiopian town of Kfele.

Voice of the Martyrs reported, “Delge, a father of five, was walking near his house when he was hit on the head with a metal iron. His body was found in a nearby jungle the following day.” No claim of responsibility has been forthcoming, but Delge’s family suspect Muslim militants who dominate the area.

Shortly after the murder, the homes of three Christian families and all of their possessions were burned on Monday, Jan. 8, by Muslim militants in the village of Begge. Tareku Meres, Jemal Tasesa and Tamene Gemechu and their families are taking shelter at a local church. At last report police have not investigated the incident or made any arrests.

In a separate case, 10 Christian youth are living in a church in Begge after their families threatened to execute them for converting out of Islam. (BosNewsLife)

* HCJB GLOBAL’S CZECH, SLOVAK BROADCASTS KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES

Internet broadcasting is just the latest step in a long history of innovation associated with the Christian Czech and Slovak broadcasts originating from HCJB Global.

Czech broadcasts were launched on shortwave from Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, in 1975. Slovak was added seven years later. The programs were produced by the team of Lili Kladensky and her daughter, Georgina, who later married Pastor Adriano González.

Kladensky, a survivor of the Terezin concentration camp a few hours from Prague, immigrated to Ecuador with her husband, Otto, in 1948 after the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. She and her daughter sent words of hope through the Iron Curtain via the airwaves to Czechoslovakia for more than two decades.

In the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czechoslovakia discarded its communist form of government and returned to a multi-party political system. Then in early 1993 Czechoslovakia split into the independent Czech and Slovak republics.

Native Czech speakers Pavel and Klara Steiger joined the ministry of HCJB Global in Quito in the midst of all these dramatic changes and later moved their broadcasting efforts to the Czech Republic to develop local FM broadcasting.

From the start, the Steigers have teamed with both HCJB Global and Trans World Radio. Internet broadcasting was first suggested when the shortwave broadcasts in Czech and Slovak were discontinued in 2002. They see the new Internet and satellite technologies as simply the next step in the dramatic changes they have already seen.

“To write our first programs . . . we started using an IBM Selectric II electric typewriter,” they recalled. “When we joined HCJB Global in 1990 we carried around a ‘portable’ computer that was nearly as big as a microwave oven. We remember times in Quito where we were splicing tapes in the studio with razor blades. For the incredible price of about $3,000 we bought a program containing Czech characters for our magazine publishing! All those changes and developments have led naturally to Internet media ministry.”

“We were always very flexible to use new technology and welcomed the changes which at first look were quite disturbing,” the Steigers added. “For us it was a challenge and an exciting opportunity to explore other possibilities.”

Today the Internet is connecting the Steigers with Czech-speaking people around the world. The website (www.hcjb.cz) receives about 250 visitors per day, providing access to recent and archived programs as well as the ministry’s bilingual magazine digest, The Battle for the Soul, which is a pillar of the outreach.

Although those who listen via the Internet are less apt to send written responses than shortwave listeners, the website has received feedback from Czech- and Slovak-language speakers from as far away as Australia and South Korea. In addition, local FM stations are livestreamed to the web and carried on satellite. Czech/Slovak programs now air 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (HCJB Global)

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