Two events have taken place over the past two weekends to celebrate 75 years of God's faithfulness through the media and healthcare ministries of pioneer missionary broadcaster HCJB World Radio. In Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland and Shirley, West Midlands, U.K., Christians came along to LIVE OUT LOUD! to hear what impact HCJB has been having across the world.

HCJB World Radio President Dave Johnson reminded the audience of the origins of the mission which started in a sheep shed in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador back in 1931.

At that time HCJB World Radio cofounder Clarence Jones stood in that tiny shed with the rain pounding on the tin roof and complained to God that he'd really wanted a 2,000-watt radio transmitter but instead ended up with just 200 watts. There were also only six receivers in the country capable of receiving the programs at that time and this left Clarence feeling like a failure.

God spoke to Clarence and said that if a sheep shed was good enough for the birth of his Son then it should be good enough for the start of HCJB's ministry. Since that time the mission has grown to become an international mission, focusing on radio, healthcare and leadership development within Latin America and now further afield in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Other highlights included HCJB World Radio's Healthcare Director Sheila Leech, who hails from Shirley, speaking about the exciting way in which Ecuadorian doctors and nurses trained by HCJB are now being sent out as missionaries overseas.

There was also the latest news from Colin Lowther, the Director of the HCJB-UK office in Bradford,who spoke about the mission's two UK based ministries - Audiopot, the UK's on-line library of creative Christian audio (www.audiopot.org), and Whistling Frog Productions - creative radio productions aimed at mainstream commercial stations.

There was a big focus during the day on Radio Planting, one of the key strategies of HCJB World Radio to expand Christian radio into parts of the world where it has been difficult in the past for Christians to gain access to the airwaves.

By helping local believers with training and basic equipment, more than 300 radio stations have been 'planted' by the mission over the past few years. Most of these stations are now self-sustaining and autonomous, broadcasting the good news of Jesus to their local communities in places such as South America, Russia and Africa.

For more information about HCJB UK visit the website at www.hcjb.org.uk

* In Britain, rather than focus on the traditional world of Christian radio, HCJB-UK has a passion to reach those outside the church who listen to secular radio stations. To achieve this we use the name 'Whistling Frog Productions' - placing our own award-winning radio material on local commercial stations, resourcing Christians already working in the radio industry and offering quality training to aspiring Christian broadcasters.

HCJB-UK also runs AUDIOPOT, the UK's on-line library of creative Christian audio. This popular website offers free access to over 1300 MP3 files of thoughts, interviews and features - easy to search and perfect for illustrating talks, starting discussions in the classroom or playing on local radio. Registration is free at www.audiopot.org.