It may be difficult for Americans to imagine having no access to the media channels that play such a huge role in our culture. But this is exactly the case for many living and working in remote villages in India, where The Tide® has reached listeners with the hope of the Gospel for more than 40 years.
“Most of us are familiar with the phrase in the Bible that is used several times throughout the Gospels: ‘He who has ears, let him hear,’” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “In India, there are those who truly want to hear the truth of Jesus and learn more about His saving grace, but simply don’t have the opportunity or the means. When a person hears about Christ in the language they were born to speak, it holds so much more meaning. That’s why for more than seven decades, we have strived to record programming in more and more languages around the world, including eight languages in India. But the lack of a radio or media player could be the barrier between a valuable soul in God’s eyes and eternal life.”
For several years, The Tide ministry has spearheaded the “Radios for India” project, where for just $40, the cost of a simple dinner at a restaurant, can be a gateway for individuals, families or entire villages to hear Gospel radio programs in their own language.
“Radio distribution is going on, and it is very helpful and effective in our outreach ministry,” report The Tide partners on the ground in India.
Difficulty lies, however, in both purchasing the radios from the manufacturers and in delivering them to the recipients. But this important project, Shenk says, must continue so more in the extremely populous nation—one that is dominated by Hinduism—can hear about Jesus.
For instance, Dev, a listener from Chhattisgarh state, says his Hindu family is opposed to him listening to the Hindi language program, “Nav Jeevan” from The Tide ministry. But that doesn’t stop him.
“I listen (to) this program regularly and like it very much,” Dev says. “This program gave me new insight and I could know about Jesus Christ.”