(Nov. 21, 2014 - by Nate Dell)  When Radio Station HCJB broadcasters and producers showed up in the central Ecuadorian city of Latacunga for a day of live broadcasting recently, no one expected to hear the story of the “old communist” lawyer, Azael Rosero.

For many years, Azael had led an emergent communist political movement in Latacunga, even traveling to the former Soviet Union to indoctrinate himself in communist philosophies. During this same time his wife, Elizabeth, already a Christian, was an affront to all Azael believed in. He began a systematic mockery of everything associated with the message of Jesus Christ.

While Azael worked on his writings in the evenings, his wife tuned the radio to the program called El Camino (The Way) on HCJB. Driven by curiosity, he decided to read some parts of the Bible to find ways to discourage Elizabeth’s faith. But the Lord would change him faster than Azael could have imagined.

“The more I read the Word, the more I realized all my communist beliefs were crumbling like a sand castle,” shared Azael during the special live event. One night, listening to HCJB, he felt he had no choice but to kneel broken before God and give his heart to Jesus.

“The next day was Sunday,” Azael said. “Without giving further details to my wife, I accompanied her to church.”

It’s now been two years since his conversion, and Azael has become a leader in a local evangelical congregation. He reiterated his family’s deep gratitude to the Lord for using the radio station to speak to his heart and save an “old communist.”

Azael was not alone in his support. When on-air personalities and behind-the-scenes producers recently moved regular radio production to the city of Latacunga (about 60 miles south of the normal base of radio operations in Quito), about 400 listeners showed up to join in the fun and put faces with the voices they hear on the radio.

Anabella Cabezas, media director for the Latin America Region of Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global), said the main purpose for the event was to strengthen ties with the listeners in the area and allow regular listeners the opportunity to interact face-to-face with broadcasters and producers.

The founders of a large church in Latacunga, a city of about 100,000, agreed to host the event in their large training center, Fundación de Capacitación, providing the needed space for an event of this size.

The radio station also reached out to city officials and leaders with the promise of promoting the city and its rich history via the airwaves. The city of Latacunga, sitting just 15 miles from what many consider the world’s highest active volcano, Cotopaxi (19,347 feet), was founded in 1534. It was destroyed by earthquakes four times between 1698 and 1798.

Listeners came to the event throughout the day to witness the live broadcast, meet the programmers and share their testimonies of how HCJB played a crucial role in their decision to know Jesus Christ.

“They were very excited,” noted Cabezas. “They brought small gifts and food items for the producers. They wanted to take pictures with them and get to know the speakers they hear every day.”

Cabezas estimated that most of the listeners spent about 30 minutes at the broadcast site and watched and listened as the producers aired the show live.

When asked about why she thought the listeners who attended seemed so enthusiastic, Cabezas replied, “Because radio is their companion. [HCJB] helps them live their lives with hope and direction through good advice. It encourages them when they are sad. The station brings people to God because the team consists of people who love God and love their listeners. And they can feel it—not just by what they say on the microphone, but by the way they approach and embrace them.”

Source: Reach Beyond