The Evangelistic voice of Haiti

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to the banquet for the 60th anniversary of Radio 4VEH, a ministry of OMS. The banquet was held in the auditorium of the radio station and the room was filled with staff currently working at the station as well as people who had previously been a part of the ministry at 4VEH. There were a few former missionaries who flew in that had been a vital part in helping cultivate this ministry. The afternoon included a brief history of Radio 4VEH, recognition of all who were present for their various contributions, a slideshow, and wonderful food and time of fellowship together.

I’ll give you a little overview of this ministry and its history and how God has been and is continuing to be glorified through Radio 4VEH. Since 1950, Radio 4VEH has been broadcasting across Haiti, the ‘land of mountains’ to rural remote areas, reaching most of Haiti and some neighboring islands. It is also broadcast outside of Haiti via the internet and partner stations in the US. Each day Radio 4VEH broadcasts 24 hours of inspirational and informative programs including bible teaching, news, community announcements, farming and health advice, worship, and encouragement. Radio 4VEH is the evangelistic voice of Haiti, reaching up to one million people across Haiti with the good news of Christ’s love, hope, and truth.

Since the earthquake in January, Radio4VEH has been providing comfort, prayer, and guidance to a broken and hurting nation. Through bible meditations, preaching, and counselling they have been able to inform, encourage, and strengthen the people of Haiti. In many cases Radio 4VEH is a lifeline to its listeners who rely on the broadcasts to hear God’s word and be spiritually filled.
The broadcasting center is located about a mile from the OMS compound, just north of Cap Haitian. Before this new facility was opened in 2001, the old station was located on the OMS compound and is still there today, although it is not being used for anything at the moment. The new station has recording, production and broadcasting studios, as well as offices and an auditorium. The recording studios have been developed to allow the Christian community to have their music professionally produced, and the music produced in the studios becomes a part of the radio’s playlist. As I previously mentioned, the broadcasts reach up to one million people across Haiti. One of the ways 4VEH has helped make this possible is through the distribution of the fix-tuned radios into the remote mountains and villages throughout Haiti. In the 1960’s, some 2,000 sets took the Gospel into Haitian villages and over 40,000 little ‘’Go-Ye’’ fix-tuned radios saturated the countryside in the early 1990’s. Now, thousands of small fix-tuned solar-powered ‘’Go-Ye’’ radios have been distributed throughout Haiti to receive the daily ministry of 4VEH so that every Haitian can hear the Gospel in his or her own language. This is one of the best tools that 4VEH has used to reach homes and hearts that otherwise would have had no access to the Gospel. The week prior to the anniversary of the station, there was a big week long crusade. Radio 4VEH partnered with a local church here in Haiti and a pastor from the states. We had a team come in to help with the crusade and they brought an evangelist speaker who gave the messages. The service was held each night in a big open square in the middle of Cap Haitien. Thousands of Haitians came each night to worship, listen to God’s word, and be encouraged through the power of the Holy Spirit. The services were broadcast on 12 different radio stations across Haiti. Each night there was an alter call and many people came to know the Lord in that place, as well as in their own homes or churches where they listened via radio. On Saturday night there was a concert and a famous artist in Haiti named Ti Bob performed before the message. I went this night with some of the other missionaries and Vedane(Dr. Rodney’s wife) and it was amazing to witness and be a part of thousands of singing, dancing, worshipping brothers and sisters gathered together to celebrate the name of Jesus. The ministry of 4VEH is powerful and effective and I want to share just a couple stories of how it has transformed lives and as a result proclaimed the glory of the Lord...

This story comes out of the book ''Let The Rocks Cry Out'' by Rachel Picaza (If you would like to read more about the history of Radio 4VEH along with more accounts of how the Lord has repeatedly shown Himself faithful and powerful through this ministry, read this book!)

''One powerful testimony that 4VEH aired, told of a former voodoo priest named Mr. Ludovic who was converted 8 years ago by the witness of the woman who is now his wife. Ludovic was a well known in Haiti for his satanic activities and murder, even of his own family members. He had appeared often on Port-au-Prince television.

Now he was speaking out for Jesus Christ, telling of God’s power that freed him from the bondage of fear and evil under voodooism. Response to his testimony in the French/Creole broadcast was electrifying. Listeners requested tapes of the broadcast and requested that the series be repeated.

In the village of Port-Francais, ten miles south of Cap Haiten, a voodoo priestess heard Ludovic’s astounding testimony of God’s transforming power. ‘’If God can save Ludovic, He can save me!’’ she declared. She did an abrupt spiritual about-face and accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, changing her allegiance from Satan to Jesus. Years earlier, a 4VEH pre-tuned radio had been used by God to plant a church in this remote area.

A voodoo priest in the village of Lory, a few miles from 4VEH studios, was challenged by questions from a group of nonbelievers who had heard Ludovic’s testimony. As a result, the priest’s Christian grandson came to 4VEH to purchase a tape for his grandfather. ‘’I know he will listen,’’ the young man assured the radio staff. As tapes of Ludovic’s testimony are rebroadcast in the future, God’s Spirit can yet transform even others. Believers are praying for God to break Satan’s stronghold on the nation of Haiti.''

Another testimony tells of a woman named Evodie. No one knew she was making plans to kill herself...except God. Feeling ashamed and humiliated by the father of her unborn child, Evodie went to the market and bought two sachets of rat poison. Back home, she ripped open the sachets, emptied the poison into a bottle of Coke and prepared to drink.

As she put the bottle to her lips, the electricity came back on after one of the frequent power cuts in Cap Haitien, and she heard the voice of Radio 4VEH presenter Louisa Destine, in her program, Time for Comfort, saying ‘’I greet you all in the name of Jesus.’’

Evodie listened as Louisa began speaking directly to her: ‘’You with a drink in front of you, you have put something in the drink to take your life. This is not God’s will for you.’’

Convicted by the Holy Spirit, Evodie says of that moment, ‘’I fell on my knees before my Lord and asked forgiveness for what I was about to do.’’ In her time of need, the Lord intervened and saved her life, and that of her unborn son. God spoke directly to Evodie in a way she would understand-through Radio 4VEH. You can check out Evodie’s testimony on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q2c2fZhh5o&feature=player_embeddedhttp://uk.msn.com/?ocid=iehp

These are only a couple out of the countless testimonies of how God has used this ministry to transform lives through the power of Jesus Christ. If you would like to stand in the gap with us and help cover the cost of broadcasting, or if you would like to find out more about the ministry of Radio 4VEH, you can visit their website at http://www.radio4veh.org/index.html