2008 August News Letter

It’s the middle of winter season here in Swaziland and we are starting to feel the cold from time to time. I’m sure 50 degrees doesn’t sound very cold to most of you, but think what it would be like with no heat in the house. A nice cup of hot tea or coffee sure feels good on cold mornings. We do have a fire place, which we like to use, but it doesn’t heat our bedrooms at all. Of course, we must count our blessings as we feel privileged to be here and not in Johannesburg where many of our co-workers are. They are at 6,000 feet (we’re at 2,500) and the temperatures there often drop to below freezing…also with no central heat in the house! Actually, the temperatures in Swaziland are ideal; we never need heat or air conditioning.

29th Anniversary: Debbie and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. It was fun to get away and enjoy a different and beautiful part of this big continent of Africa.

Guy Wire Replacement: A big project which we have completed recently has been the replacement of the guy wires on our two medium wave towers. This took place the first week of June. Three men from our Jo’burg office came over to help and we were able to complete the job in just four days. The old wires were starting to show signs of the effects of ultraviolet radiation, so they needed to be changed. The new wires are made of a different material (Phillistrand) and should last many years. I did the climbing on the first tower and was pleased to find that my recently-operated-on knee had no problems.

New Shortwave Transmitter: The new HC100 shortwave transmitter has now been shipped from Elkhart, Indiana, and we should be receiving it in about two months. A lot of the preparation work has been done at the transmitter site, but there is still a lot to do. An exciting development is that my brother, Joel, is heading up a work team of six people to come out to help with the building renovations for two weeks in September. This group will be coming from the Sugar Grove Church, which is located between Elkhart and Goshen, Indiana. The main work they will be completing is the installation of a large ceiling and upgrading electrical wiring and fittings in the transmitter hall. Debbie and I are excited about being able to see Joel and Barb during this time when they will be staying with us in our home.

Medium Wave Transmitter: We have had some setbacks regarding the medium wave Harris transmitter we were hoping to install here in Swaziland. Recently, we received some information that makes us wonder about the wisdom of bringing this transmitter to Africa. Our Chief Engineer is going to the States to attend a training class at the Harris Corporation and study the transmitter with knowledgeable people at HCJB Global in Elkhart, Indiana. After that, a decision will be made by our African team. Please pray for Steve Stavropoulos as he talks with people and learns all he can and then gives advice.

Here are a couple of letters from listeners for your encouragement.

A listener from Arua, Uganda writes to TWR:
I wish to express my gratitude to Almighty God for His great mercy and grace shown to us through Trans World Radio. TWR is now my ladder to heaven for everything I need spiritually I have it in TWR. My prayer is that God continues to reach people of darkness through this station and also through the Christian literature you provide for us. Through this station I came to know that God’s Word never leaves anything unchanged. God’s Word is my light, my rock, my food.

A listener from South Africa writes to TWR:
It was last year September, towards the end of the month. I was at home, in the evening, and then suddenly I decided to search for other radio stations on shortwave which is something I don’t usually do and because I did not know TWR at that time, I believe it was God’s direction for me, also considering the fact that I have grown in my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, ever since I came across the On-Air Team. May you be strengthened and encouraged to continue doing the good works. I pray that God continues to bless, equip and prosper Trans World Radio in preaching the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

A listener from Zambia writes to TTB:
I always listen to Trans World Radio, the station which has blessed my life. I am involved in Christian ministry and this station has helped me to deliver quality spiritual teaching to many other Christians.

2008 May News Letter

Mark in the USA for two weeks: Some of you may have been surprised to see me the States at the beginning of March. The reason I was there was to attend Human Resources meetings at the TWR office in Cary, North Carolina. While I was there, I decided to add to the trip and visit family in Indiana. (It was a blessing to be with our daughter Rhonda, and her husband, Scott. I also visited my folks, John & Helen, and my brother Joel, and his wife, Barb.) Recently, I have been asked to help in the HR area in the Africa region, so it is something new for me. TWR is trying to get this area going again, which has been allowed to slip over the last several years. Another area which is closely related is the recruiting of new people to work within TWR. Since very few new people have joined TWR, it has led to a critical shortage of staff. Presently, we have a need for 11 people in Africa alone, the most critical being people to help with our computer systems and engineering areas. We also have a big need for someone to help teach our MK’s in Benin, where we have just started a new transmitting location. They range from kindergarten to sixth grade. You can look up these needs at the following two web sites:
http://www.twr.org/administrative/urgent_missionary_administrative_needs_africa
http://www.twr.org/get_involved/urgent_missionary_technical_needs_africa
If you are at all interested in missions (long or short term/young or old) I would encourage you to look at the sites. It could change your life!

New Transmitters: While I was in Indiana, I dropped in to see the HCJB Global factory where they are getting the HC100 shortwave transmitter ready to ship to us in Swaziland. You may remember that this transmitter is going to replace our old 100KW transmitter as soon as the funds are donated for it. Someone had mentioned to me that I should ask HCJB about a medium wave transmitter that they might have, as it may be a possibility for replacing our 42-year-old, 50KW medium wave transmitter. Lo and behold, they did have a Harris transmitter sitting on the floor which had not yet found a home.

Donors in Canada were made aware of the opportunity and it is already paid for! So, now we have two transmitters which will be coming our way as soon as the shortwave transmitter is fully funded and both can be made ready for shipping! In the meantime, we have started working to get the transmitter site ready. There is a possibility of a work team coming to help us the first part of August. Quite a few building changes need to be made which they can help us with.


Our old MW transmitter has an interesting story behind it. This machine was purchased in about 1971 at an auction and has served TWR Swaziland well for 37 years. To our knowledge, the transmitter was first used on a pirate radio ship in the North Sea. Authorities seized the ship and confiscated the equipment and eventually auctioned it, with TWR being the highest bidder. Information about the history of the transmitter, along with pictures, may be found at: http://www.northernstar.no/chapter7.htm where a transmitter history buff has collected information and posted it on his website. It is probably the oldest transmitter of that vintage which is still in daily use today. Time to replace it…don’t you think?
Cost wise, it is estimated that the return on the expense could be realized in almost two years! Swaziland receives its power from South Africa, and the cost of electricity is going to increase considerably, due to huge problems South Africa is having with their power system. Our savings, using present costs, will be a yearly savings of $7,000 for electricity and $3,000 for tube costs alone. This is due to the higher efficiency of the newer MW transmitter.

Here is something we received from a person in jail in South Africa. Karen, one of our staff members, has been corresponding with him.
"Dear Mrs. Barkhuizen, I know that it is through God’s power that TWR took notice that we are constantly surrounded by sound. What sound? The sound of the Gospel. Now I am listening to my favorite programs being transmitted from the TWR stations without any worries of where I’ll be able to listen to the next program from. What a perfect gift you sent me Karen! Thank you so much also for the two books, one by Sam Gordon and one by Dr. Richard Bennett. The wind-up radio arrived safely. I’m blessed and I’ve gone on to understand that life is a miracle and I’ve started smiling and having fun again here in prison because God is watching and protecting me. I’m counting my blessings because I have so much to be thankful for. I am overwhelmed by your support and I’m spending time praying and listening to my favorite TWR programs. Already, I have started a listener group in my section and in the near future I am planning to engage other inmates from the other sections with the permission of the Section Manager. I believe that God will make it possible. I will keep you up to date on all the progress I have made in spreading the Gospel of God.”

Isn’t it great how God is changing lives through the hearing of His Word? Please keep upholding us in your thoughts and prayers!

2008 February News Letter

Mark’s Knee Surgery: Since writing you last, I have had to slow down to just about a crawl. My right knee started to swell a few days into the New Year. So Debbie and I headed to Johannesburg to see if I could get some good medical advice and attention. Our family doctor there took 80 ml of fluid off the knee and advised that I see a specialist. The specialist ordered an MRI, which revealed some problems. However, he suggested we let it go and see if it would heal itself, since the knee was looking good after the fluid had been removed. So back to Swaziland we came. But in a few days it puffed up again. So we piled into the car again and made our second pilgrimage to Johannesburg. This time the specialist advised laparoscopic surgery the very next day. By now Debbie was doing all the driving, so she took me in at 6:00 a.m. and the surgery was performed around 9:00. Coming out of surgery, I had very little pain in the knee, but my back was killing me! I could hardly move. Lying in bed seemed to be torture, but yet I couldn’t sit up or stand either! The doctor came and said everything went well, it is normal for people to have back pain after surgery and I would be back to normal in six weeks. In the mean time, I would have to wear a knee brace for three weeks. The purpose of the brace is to keep my knee bent to protect the part of the knee that he had worked on. The next day they allowed me to go ‘home’, which was to our TWR friends and co-workers, the Saunders. We are so thankful they took us in while I recuperated. We had hoped that we would be able to travel back to Swaziland the same day I came out of surgery. However, I was having so much pain in my back, I felt traveling was out of the question. So we hung around for the weekend. By Sunday I started improving enough that we decided to go back on Monday. I’m so thankful to be recovering from only one problem now!! Each day I see and feel improvement. Please pray that the Lord will give me full use of my leg, so I can return to doing things that require a completely healthy body.

Swaziland Security Upgrade: In our last letter I mentioned how I was attempting to upgrade the security in our missionary staff housing and at our transmitter site. Over the holidays I was able to make good progress and installed systems in two houses. But my bad knee put an end to the progress, as it involves climbing up and down ladders and into attics. So the others will have to wait awhile. All the missionaries here in Swaziland are thankful for gifts that have come in to fund this project! So far about 60% has come in. If you would like to help with the balance, please make your donations to “Swaziland Security Upgrade Project.” We still need about $2,000. It’s a very worthy cause as it helps us feel safer in a high-crime country.

Schumacher Family: Since the hijacking I wrote about last time, Doug and Madeleen are recovering. However, they continue to have flash backs and problems sleeping. Continue to pray for them that the Lord will give them healing and comfort.

Benin Transmitter on the Air! Yes! Yes! In a way it is hard to believe, but we began to do test broadcasts on January 10^th from our new transmitter site in Benin! It has been exciting to hear reports that the signal is coming in loud and clear. An interesting coincidence: The day that the test broadcasts started happened to be National Voodoo day in Benin. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence after all! This project has been years in the making, with many trials and difficulties and delays along the way, while at the same time we have seen the Lord open many doors which were too good to be called coincidence. You might remember that I had the privilege of helping to put up the tower two years ago.

New Transmitter for Swaziland: Recently I have been involved in some of the details involving getting a new HC100 transmitter for our short wave transmitter site here in Swaziland. Some of the funds have already come in so we are hopeful that it will be fully funded by the middle of the year. This transmitter will replace our ageing Continental which is beginning to give us multiple problems. The new transmitter will also be a lot more efficient, which will save us money in the long run, while at the same time, reach more people with a better signal.

Debbie and I would like to thank you again for your prayers and support. Our support was actually running low all last year, but in the last month some extra gifts came in and we just barely met our support goal. At first we thought we didn’t make it, but then noticed that we had not put in the new exchange rates for our Canadian support and that made up the difference. Thank you for being faithful!

2007 December News Letter

Merry Christmas! I’m sure it is getting colder in North America, but here in the southern hemisphere it continues to warm up as we pull into the summer months! No chance of a white Christmas here, but we do hope for a cool front to cool down Christmas day a bit!

As I look back over the past three months, it seems like a lot has happened. Some of it is not so positive! Please pray for each of the items below. We don’t feel like the sailing has been all that smooth lately!

Schumacher family: Our neighbors, Doug and Madeleen Schumacher, a South African couple, have been through the wringer! It started with a phone call in the evening, as Debbie and I were entertaining some guests. Debbie took the call. It was Madeleen on the other end saying, “I have a big snake in my house and Doug is at the office making a phone call. Can Mark help me?” I grabbed some “snake” tools and ran over, just as Doug was arriving home. When we got inside we realized this was BIG trouble! The snake was under a chest in the dining room and part of the middle of the snake was protruding out from under the edge. I realized that I needed to act quickly before it pulled its body all the way under. I quickly jumped on the piano bench and then onto the chest and drove a shovel into the snake’s back. Once its head appeared, a second shovel did its work. The snake was almost 9 feet long and was the dreaded Black Mamba, a very poisonous, fast, and aggressive snake. It can out run a man and often moves with its head a yard off the ground. When Madeleen started to piece events of the last three days together, she realized that the snake was in the house for the last three days and they didn’t know it! The next event came three nights later when thieves broke into their house while they were sleeping and stole quite a number of valuable items, including a computer they had bought from a friend just three days prior. Two weeks later, a second attempt was made on their house. Fortunately, the house alarm was set properly this time and the intruders ran off when the siren sounded. The fourth tragic event happened when the Schumachers pulled up to a gate at a house in Johannesburg a few weeks later. Armed men held them up and forced them into the back seat of their car and drove around for almost an hour. All during this time they expected the worst… rape and death! They pleaded for their lives asking that they take their car and belongings, only to let them go. While this was taking place, we were informed and praying desperately that the Lord would spare their lives! Eventually, we received a call saying they were dropped off and had called from the home of a family who had taken them in. They were not hurt physically, but it will take awhile for the emotions and memories to heal. Please pray for Doug and Madeleen as they recover from these traumatic experiences!

Swaziland Security Upgrade: Recently we have experienced two break-ins at the transmitter site, as well as other attempts to our houses. Because of this increase in attacks in the last couple of months, I feel it is necessary to upgrade our security systems in our missionary staff housing and at our transmitter site. This will cost around $5,000. The money is not in our normal operating budget, so I am hoping God’s people will rally to help us. If you would like to help with this project, please inform TWR that you would like to donate to the “Swaziland Security Upgrade Project.”

Systems Administrator Resigns: The second thing to hit us has been the resignation of our systems administrator here in Swaziland. Since we are a technical radio mission we depend heavily on computers to do many critical tasks, which include playing out the Good News to our listening audience. We have been very short on computer people around the world, so it is a huge challenge to figure out how we will continue to meet our computer needs. Two men came for a week from our Cary, USA, office to assess the situation and try to configure things so that more can be done remotely. Although this is a help, it is not an answer to our computer needs. Please pray that someone will be found who can help us. TWR desperately needs computer people to join our world wide team.

TWR President and COO Resign: Recently we were given the news that our President, David Tucker, and COO, Samuel Chiang resigned. The chairman of the board and previous president, Tom Lowell is taking over the running of the mission until new leaders can be found. If you would like to read more about this, please go to www.twr.org where you will see more details. In the mean time, please pray for Tom Lowell as he carries the huge responsibilities and heads up those looking for new leadership.

Benin Transmitter Site: The Benin transmitter project in West Africa continues to be delayed. Recent news is that the last two containers have been released from the port. One arrived on site and the other one is waiting to be transported by rail from the port city. Now that these two containers have been released, a new on air date can be set which will have a much greater chance of being met. Each month that we are not on air, it costs TWR Africa a fair sum of money and cuts into an already difficult budget for 2008. The Cox family, recently arrived missionaries in Benin, just reported that all five of them have come down with malaria! Chuck Saunders also just came down with typhoid fever! Benin is not an easy place to live. But, we know that in view of eternity, it will be worth it all. Please continue to pray!

I know this letter hasn’t been as positive as others. I’m trying to be honest with you. Will you pray for us? With God’s help we will continue to fight the good fight of reaching people with the Good News of Jesus and the salvation He has provided. Isn’t this what Christmas is all about? What better gift than the gift of salvation?

2007 September News Letter

We are back in Swaziland! It is great to be back and in our own home after sleeping in 45 different beds since April 1st. Debbie especially enjoys being in her own kitchen where she knows where to find everything! Our house was well taken care of by our neighbors, so it was great coming home again. But things didn’t stay static over four months. The major change has been the sudden death of our beloved Rev. Stephen Boakye-Yiadom, our International Director for Africa. We got the news the morning of our 28^th wedding anniversary on June 2^nd. To fill his shoes temporarily the president of TWR, David Tucker, is assuming his role. Please pray as a new person is selected for the future. Also, the trickle-down effect is felt by us all, as change is inevitable. Our continued desire is to carry on his rally cry, “Africa Needs Jesus.” Pray that we will be faithful servants of our Lord in whatever capacity we are asked to serve.

As we left the USA we handed our Honda Civic hybrid over to Pat Michael to sell for us. His email address is: skmi@msn.com if you are interested and it still hasn’t sold. We ended up driving a total of 12,000 miles, leaving the car with 49,000 miles on it. It performed wonderfully for us and we were so thankful for it. I enjoyed the experience of driving the latest technology! It was a lot of fun and made us feel real ‘green’ and got us around at less than 7 cents a mile for fuel costs. Thanks again to Pat for all his help!

Peter, our son, drove up to visit us from Texas three weeks before we left Indiana. We had a small celebration for him, acknowledging his accomplishment of graduating from LeTourneau University. He is enjoying his new job in the computer department at LeTourneau and is involved in a good church in Longview. He also decided to replace his 20 year old car which was bought (or more correctly ‘donated’) from his cousin for one dollar, with a new Honda Fit. The one dollar car was beginning to cost a lot in repairs, so we think his decision was a wise one. Our prayer is that he will be able to eradicate the school and car loans quickly.

Our Blosser family reunion was a great success in Virginia! Although my father has difficulty walking now, he was able to make the trip, attend a big one-day family reunion on my mother’s side and then the week in Virginia with our immediate family. Everyone but Peter was able to attend. That made 20, including the first great-grand daughter to my parents, Miranda, who was only four

months old. As you can see, I found I needed to hone my baby handling skills just a bit! Of course we were able to spend some quality time with Scott and Rhonda. Our hopes of being grandparents at this point rest with them, but since they want to wait until Scott has gotten his doctorate in Astrophysics, it is a few years away. So we have some time to develop those skills.

The last celebration was a birthday party for Debbie’s mother’s 90^th birthday, which was held on August 5th. It was a fun occasion as a number of people on Debbie’s side of the family, whom we wouldn’t have seen this time, attended. Mom Rupp gave a little speech and a family friend took video and sent us a copy. What a treasure to be remembered! Mom’s memory is beginning to slip, but she has a good sense of humor and will often excuse herself by saying that since she is 90 she has the right to forget a few things!

The new Benin transmitter project in West Africa is moving again! The transmitter has arrived and will be installed soon. There are a few more containers to arrive so the job is still a ways to completion. The projected on air date has been moved back to the first of January, 2008. Challenges continue, but the Lord is working them out one by one. Keep praying that God will give the victory to reach this very dark part of Africa!

Another project is beginning to take shape. We have been praying that we will be able to replace our 30 year old Continental 100KW transmitter, as it is giving us a lot of problems. I talked to our friends at HCJB Global in Elkhart, Indiana when I was there in July, as they have a HC100 sitting on the floor waiting for a home. Since we have two of them already it would be a perfect fit. The big question is where will the half a million dollars come from? I believe God will make a way through His people. If God lays it on your heart to help, let me know by email.

We praise the Lord for a wonderful furlough, safe travel and the opportunity to see so many of you. Thank you for your prayers and hospitality during this time!

2007 June News Letter

It hardly seems possible that some of the events we were so looking forward to are now already history! We arrived safely in the USA on schedule, April 1st, starting our furlough. Pat Michael (Rhonda’s father-in-law) was able to find a Honda Civic hybrid on E-bay for us. It is a 2003 and only had 36,000 miles on it. So far it is getting us around the country at an average of 43 miles per gallon! With fuel prices at over $3.00 a gallon we are very glad to be driving it! Our plans are to continue to travel around the US & Canada (including a trip to Alaska by plane) and return to Swaziland on August 10th. Pat will then sell our car. Hopefully, it will sell quickly and we’ll be no worse for owning it. We are so thankful to Pat for all the help he has been to us. My brother, Joel, has also helped to provide a place to stay as we zip in and out of his home. Many of you who we have visited have also helped us on our way and we are so thankful to you all!!
Peter’s graduation was an event we wouldn’t have wanted to miss! We were proud to see him pick up his diploma in Computer Science Engineering. Also, we were very happy to see him start his first full-time job in his field of study, right there at LeTourneau University, where he had been working part time. It is a wonderful opportunity for him. He moved out of the dorms about a year ago, so was all set to go, graduating on Saturday and starting his new job on Monday. He seemed to have enough computer items in his apartment, so for a graduation gift, we bought him Ukitchen things to develop his culinary arts! He claims to enjoy cooking and not eating out too much…that should help his budget and keep him in better shape!

We also had the pleasure of being with our daughter Rhonda, and her husband, Scott from time to time, as well as Debbie’s mother and my parents. Rhonda was able to join us for Peter’s graduation, while Scott was in Germany on his research project. We look forward to a big family reunion in Virginia in July with the immediate Blosser family and then a time of celebration for Debbie’s mother, who is turning 90 in August. If you are in the area, we arehaving an open house on Sunday, August 5th from 2 – 4 pm at the Woodcrest Nursing Home in Decatur, IN. If you aren’t able to come but would like to send a card, her address is: Ruth Rupp, c/o Woodcrest Nursing Home, PO Box 421, Decatur, IN, 46733.


The new Benin transmitter project continues to progress, but at a slower pace than we had expected. The transmitter has left the factory in Canada and should be on a ship headed to Benin soon. We stopped by the Kintronics factory and saw the boxes which are ready to be shipped to TWR Cary, containing the antenna tuning parts which will connect the transmitter to the tower. We also got word that the Paul Cox family has arrived in Benin. Please continue to pray that the equipment will arrive soon and the station will go on the air in the next few months.

Some of you have mentioned that you could not see the water coming out of the tower leg in our last letter. Here is another picture which will solve the mystery. I told you, you had to look carefully!
Your friends on furlough from Swaziland,

2007 March News Letter

We had a great three weeks with Peter over Christmas vacation. It was his last visit before he graduates from University. It was fun to relate to him more as an adult than as our little boy. He seemed to have matured a lot over the last few years. I got sick just before Christmas, so was in bed for a few days, but recovered enough to do a number of projects with him. I found it rather neat, because we were able to give each other advice on how to do things and work off both our strengths instead of him doing just what I told him to do. I’m sure in a few years I’ll find myself being the ‘go-fer,’ handing him the tools, while I watch him engineer the job. It will be interesting to see how God works in his life as he enters the work force this year in May. TWR asked him to consider a one-year short term here in Africa helping out in our computer department. He seemed very interested, but felt that he needed to work off some of his school debt first. Pray that he finds just the right job to use his computer skills.

On April 1^st we will be starting a four-month furlough. We are now actively looking for a fuel-efficient car to purchase. We plan to do a lot of driving to visit and share the work God has called us to do with Trans World Radio. It has been fascinating to see the Lord at work in and around us.

The latest project I was involved in was replacing a 40-meter (120 foot) tower on top of a mountain near the capital city of Swaziland, where we have an FM transmitter and antenna. The tower is not ours, but we work together with another company and borrow space on the tower.The old tower was done using unconventional methods and therefore I felt it was unsafe, so pushed to have it replaced. There was already a tower base about a meter (three feet) from the old tower, so we decided to use it. I’d never put up a tower so close to another one before, so I wasn’t sure what snags we’d run into. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how fast it went. Once the new tower was up, it was easy to reach over to the old one and remove our equipment. It also made it easy to take down the old tower, as we could use our new tower as a crane to remove pieces of the old one. As we started to take it down, a number of things surprised us. First, we found that the hollow legs were full of water! If you look carefully in the first picture, you can see water coming out of the cut leg. Secondly, as I was disconnecting a bottom guy wire and I pulled on it just a bit, it literally pulled apart in my hands! This meant that a strong wind could have toppled the tower!! We were doing the job just in time!

Work continues at our new Benin site in West Africa. We have had to push back the proposed on air date because of delays, but that is not totally unexpected, as many things are beyond our control. Presently, three containers are being prepared to be shipped; one with the MW transmitter from the Nautel factory in Canada, the second with a generator, and the third with antenna parts and other miscellaneous items. There is such high interest in broadcasting from Benin, that our proposed broadcast schedule is already full! Please continue to pray for this project to move ahead smoothly. TWR is putting its foot into a very dark part of Africa, so we are not surprised to see some resistance from the evil one.

Here are a few listener letters you might enjoy:

“I come from another religious background and my family hates Christianity. But my wife and I secretly read the Bible to our children each evening. We became Christians through your programs. Though times will be tough, we believe God will strengthen us.” –Tanzania

“My family has rejected me since they found out I am HIV-positive. I’m a Christian, yet my life has become a heavy cross to bear. But today something has changed – God is answering my anguish through your counseling and education program. My hope is renewed.” - Africa