Radio causes waves in Low German colonies

In spite of political unrest in Bolivia in June, attendance at a two-week Low German Bible school in Santa Cruz far exceeded expectations.

Jacob and Helen Funk, Low German radio producers at Family Life Network (FLN), based in Winnipeg, taught at the interdenominational school along with seven other teachers from Aylmer, Ontario.

Helen and Jacob Funk on live radio.

Jacob Funk taught a Bible class of 83 students that overflowed the classroom into the outdoors. Helen Funk taught women’s classes and children’s programs, and helped cook.

The school was organized by Trans World Radio, the station that airs Jacob and Helen’s radio programs in Bolivia. Though colony leaders in many of the Low German colonies prohibit radios, their members often listen secretly on pocket radios.

From among these had come the people who dared attend the Bible classes given by the visiting teachers. “But after the school was over,” the Funks say, “several confided with fear ‘we will have to face the elders’.”

One couple with six children told the Funks, “We decided to openly listen to radio and to declare that we accepted Jesus. The colony elders have now taken our land and farm away from us.”

Staff at Trans World Radio report, “In this last year we have been getting more and more response from Mennonites. Each Sunday we get up to 40 or more calls. . . . A woman recently called to say that she just received the Lord as her Saviour and is so very thrilled with what radio has done for her life.”

Jacob and Helen Funk themselves grew up in a Low German colony in Paraguay. Students told them, “We have so many questions you should stay another three weeks!”

Helen says, “The women asked me many questions about difficult subjects like abuse and incest: ‘Are we supposed to stay with our husbands if they come home drunk and beat us and give us no money for food? Where can we go? Where is a refuge?’ On the last day of classes I told the women, ‘I will be coming back and I will ask, have you tried to correct these cycles by confronting rather than keeping silent?’ ”

Jacob did not mince words in his teaching. “In my classes I told the men, you cannot crush your wives and daughters. Do not do as your fathers did. You can rise above that.”

On a happier note, Helen tells of a church they visited in neighbouring Paraguay, comprised mostly of former colony members. “We could see that God has been blessing it. Even on Monday and Tuesday night, there were 600–700 people in the services and 200 children in a separate room for my children’s story. The children were so sweet and hungry to hear the Bible stories!”

Jacob produces weekly programs in both High German and Low German while Helen produces a children’s dramatized Bible story program and a women’s cooking show, both in the Low German language (Plautdietsch). All programs air in various countries as well as around the world on shortwave via HCJB Radio.

—Dorothy Siebert, FLN