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Tok Tok - when I get home the battery is flat
UCB Pacific Partners                                                                   05 March 2008
Dear Partner in the Lord's work

Last year was very busy for Loni 'Akolo
leader of Letio Faka-Kalisitiane 93FM in Tonga.
Managing the radio station and volunteer staff; running weekly new believers classes in village homes (up to nine classes a week); preparing teaching programs for the radio. Loni was badly overloaded.
Loni
Perhaps the most rewarding (and at the same time the most difficult) thing, was having listeners come to his house at the radio station at all hours of the night. With questions about the Bible programs, or with food as a "thank you" for his teaching. (A lot of people don't have full-time jobs in the Islands so it's common for the whole family to visit, even at midnight!
Willy
So we made Willy Florian the Station Manager under Loni, and rented a house for Loni away from the station. Now he can focus on following up the many listeners who contact the station, and training the people who host Radio Listener Groups.
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That was only six months ago.
Loni is talking about flat batteries again!
And no wonder.
Loni teaches Radio Bible School three nights a week over the radio in Tongan language.
Listeners gather in village homes to follow the Bible study , with Loni, over the radio. These are called Radio Listener Groups. Loni spends a lot of time visiting the hosts of these groups - showing them how to lead the group in prayer and application, as they study together with the radio.

I've looked back over some of Loni's recent emails.
No wonder he feels like his "battery is flat!"
God is doing amazing things

FrankStudy"I have a bible Study with a guy outside the college (he is not a student). The teacher went by and see us and he like it so he talk to me and ask if I have time to have bible study with him. He said that he is already a christian. When we go through the Gospel he find out that he is not really a christian as he think. The good news is he make the right move and accept Christ in his heart.

At the same college the principal saw us and she want to do the same thing (sharing the gospel) with his own children.MoseseStudy On last Sunday we spend time with the children and 3 of them accept the Lord with enthusiasm. They are listener of the 93FM. I realise assuming that they are believer is not reliable. You have to go back to the foundation and find out what is the real self."

"The feeling quilty of what he has done with his life and he was thinking of suicide he keep listening to the radio and the Radio Bible School. He end up . . .
[ read the rest of this story - and more ]

No wonder Loni's battery is flat
when he gets home!

This kind of ministry is totally new to the Islands. It's growing fast and Loni is learning "on the job" how to lead it as he struggles to keep up with what the Lord is doing.
Would you please
Give a minute to help the ministry in Tonga?
A minute to charge the flat battery?

A minute to pray . . .
  • Pray for Loni's health and wisdom.
    And encouragement (a flat battery leaves room for discouragement).
  • And pray for helpers. Young men and women Loni can train up to take some of the leadership load as the people responding to the Gospel, and the number of Listener Groups keeps growing.
A minute to encourage . . .
  • Please [ email Loni ] and Willy and the staff in Tonga
    Just saying "I'm praying for you"
    brings tremendous encouragement -
    to charge the flat battery again. (Of course a Bible verse or longer message is even better!)

"Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you."
(2 Thessalonians 3:1 NLT)

Grace and peace to you
in the wonderful Name of Jesus!

Graham CarterHelping South Pacific people
disciple their islands by radio!


Graham A Carter
CEO of UCB Pacific Partners