Chapter 20
The Miracle Broadcasting Station
The wonder-working God of Israel still wills and works His wonders today. “Brother Bustin,” said the meticulously-minded engineer, while being shown the location for our Broadcasting Station in Haiti, “no engineer in the world would choose this location as the place to put a broadcasting station, for that mountain up there and so near to us will dissipate ninety percent of our power, so we cannot expect to be heard in the eastern part of the United States.” This came as a blow, for this was the exact location where the Lord had led me to build a station. I soon caught myself and said, “Well, our Lord can, if needs be, cast that mountain into the sea so far as its power to hinder the broadcasts.” Without a doubt this sounded silly to a man who was technically finicky.
After hundreds of hours of diligent toil the long-looked-for day arrived. We were full of excitement to know what the results would be. The engineer had written to some of his technical friends in Equidor, of South America, asking them to be listening at a certain hour of a certain night on a given frequency. These friends were working with the “Voice of The Andes” Station, or HCJB. At the appointed hour a company of missionaries, and students, together with other natives, surrounded the door of the studio and listened with abated breath as the engineer spoke into the microphone giving our call letters 4-VEH. These were repeated several times, then HCJB was invited to come in. Such awe! Would they hear, or would they not! Is all this labor expended in vain! Suddenly there came the hum of a distant transmitter, then a voice saying, “HCJB, Quito, Ecuador, calling 4-VEH.” This was repeated three or four times, then the words we had so long wanted to hear, “4-VEH, you are coming in clear and strong.” Of th is we were certain, we were being heard in one direction at least fifteen hundred miles away. Again I was chided with the words, “You see we are being heard well in this direction, for there is no nearby mountain to hinder.” As yet I could not talk until one day when a letter came from my good friend and beloved Brother in Christ, A. R. Hunsberger, of New Ringgold, Penna. This letter read in part, “4-VEH is coming in like a local station.” This was followed by other letters assuring us that we were being heard well from eastern Pennsylvania, exactly behind the “impassable mountain” and approximately 2,000 miles away. This brought an end to the arguments relating to the dissipation of our power. I don’t know what God did, but I know we are still being heard.
Brother Hunsberger was also quite prophetic in stating that we might expect special attacks from the “enemy” (Satan) since we were getting up into his realm. These were soon to begin, and to come to us through altogether unexpected channels. Added heartaches and deep soul-sorrows came to us from sources which were altogether unimaginable, but we are learning that God sometimes comes in “His chariot” of mysterious clouds His marvelous mercies to bring. He mercifully sends forth His storms to sweep from our midst greater disasters in the making. Maybe some clear day we shall know the mystery of many things which now bruise and bleed our baffled hearts.
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Sowing in tears is not the end. The reaping follows. Letters, precious letters, soon began to pour in from many parts of the world, even both sides of the world, thanking God for 4-VEH and the message of hope it was bringing. Letters were showered upon us from many islands in the West Indies. Sometimes we would laugh, weep, and praise God aloud while reading these soul-lifting letters. The testimonies of those who were being helped and blessed were ample pay for all the damaging attacks we had endured.
Within a few months it was my privilege to visit the islands of Curacao and Aruba where thousands listened to us daily. What a joy to meet with these precious hungry-hearted friends. They treated me like a prince, and many of them turned to the Lord. It has been my pleasure to make three visits to these islands and minister the Gospel in person. Some of my dearest friends on earth are found among these dear people who are regular listeners of The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti. I have often had the feeling that if no other people on the face of the earth had been helped other than these folk by means of the Evangelistic Voice of Haiti it would still be worth all that we have put into this work just to see the blessing which has come to these two islands.
In spite of the fact that some folk have tried to argue that Haiti has no radios, a prominent Haitien told me that there are forty thousand sets in the country. It is true that many thousands of poor people have no radios, but it is also true that many thousands do have radios in the cities and towns, especially where they have electricity. It is a custom of the Haitien people to keep the volume wide open on their radios, thus many other folk have a chance to hear what is coming in over the air. This is true all through the West Indies. It is a common thing to see a crowd of people outside the fence listening to anything of interest coming over the air. It is also a common matter for a Christian man owning a radio to invite others into his house to listen to the Gospel. Others have hooked up a loud speaking system to their radios in order that the people on the streets might have an opportunity to hear the Gospel. Friends in Aruba have told me that when they have had to leave their homes enroute to their work a few minutes before our program ended they were able to pick it up all along the street and that by the time they arrived at their place of activity they had heard the whole program.
Perhaps our greatest accomplishments with the Radio Station is among the Spanish speaking people of Central and South America. In certain sections of South America the doors are closed to missionaries, and many church buildings and mission stations are closed. We have hundreds of listeners in these areas. They write to us thanking God for our Station over which they are able to get the message of full salvation. Some of these precious people crowd their houses with their friends who are hungry to hear the pure Gospel. It is hard for the wicked priesthood to keep people from hearing the Gospel by radio. In many sections of the world the Gospel is crowded out except that which comes by radio. Our hearts have been deeply touched by the heartening reports which have come to us from Spanish speaking people. Many have been definitely helped in their souls by means of our Station. We believe that many additional people shall be able to hear when the 10,000 watt transmitter goes on the air.
In the face of all opposing powers our Lord has raised up those who have faithfully stood by us and made it possible for the Station to daily keep on the air, with the exception of Thursday which is the rest day. All who have thus stood by us will share in the rewards on that day when the work is all done. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” This is something like broadcasting the Gospel. We receive many encouraging reports now, but the greatest fruit is unseen and unknown to us, but at the end of the way we shall marvel to know what the Lord has done.