Treacherous mountain roads challenge Christian workers from the cities of Bolivia, who travel long hours to bring teaching and encouragement to remote Quechua villages. Each year the rainy season makes the roads impassable. Besides, there are thousands of villages, and only a few workers. That’s why radio is such an important tool for developing church and community leaders throughout Quechua territory in the vast Andes mountains.

Mosoj Chaski

Radio Mosoj Chaski (“New Messenger”), a cooperative ministry of SIM and partners, has been broadcasting in the Quechua language since April 1999. Programming includes indigenous Gospel music, Bible teaching, leadership training, and a wide range of information to improve the lives of the mountain Quechua people. Pre-tuned solar-powered radio receivers are distributed as funds permit.

Radio staff members, after being trained, prepare programs of interest for the full range of listeners: children, youth, women, men, and the elderly. No other organization prepares materials suitable for Mosoj Chaski, so programming depends on this small group of Quechua workers.

Simón Chavez is a native Quechua speaker whose voice is heard on Mosoj Chaski, and his story is typical. After a childhood of poverty and hardship, he came to faith in Christ and eventually attended a Bible Institute in the city of Sucre. Now he’s a radio writer and speaker. Since his public schooling ended in the fifth grade, he first had to learn to write in the Quechua language and then to use a computer. Last year he finished his high school studies with honors. In addition to writing radio programs, he wrote and published a one-year devotional book in Quechua called Janaj Pacha t’anta (“Bread of Heaven”).

	Quechua recipients of Pastors' Book Sets

Beyond radio

Literature is one of the ministries of Mosoj Chaski. Besides the devotional book mentioned above, the radio team members have produced a Bible dictionary, concordance, and handbook; and they are working on a Bible atlas. The Quechua Pastors’ Book Set project is distributing these materials and training leaders in their use. Radio staff also recognize the growing need to develop training related to HIV and AIDS.

Mosoj Chaski is seeking funding and permission in order to dub the Quechua language over the sound track of selected Christian videos. As this form of media is becoming more available to semi-rural Quechuas, Mosoj Chaski would like to produce more Christian videos and DVDs in Quechua.

Pray

• for wisdom and creativity
• for funding for various writing projects and for pre-tuned radios
• for freedom from technical problems with the transmitter

Give

Quechua Radio Project # 91141
Quechua Pastors’ Book Sets #91800