God is answering many prayers in Uruguay as the country has been experiencing a tremendous growth in the number of Christian radio stations over time. And this has grown from zero to more than 50 in just four years.
The Serving In Mission (SIM) Uruguay Director, Myron Loss, who stated this said it has been her desire several years back to start a Christian radio station in Uruguay.
"In 2003, there were no Christian stations, and only a few commercial stations which sold time for Christian programming. Early efforts were discouraging due to the apparent impossibility of getting a frequency," Myron added.
She also said: “But now there are more than 50 "community" (non-commercial) Christian radio stations in Uruguay, including “Radioamor " or "Loveradio," which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
She pointed out that just recently, Radioamor station was upgraded from a 15-watt FM transmitter to a 100-watt FM transmitter adding that at present, it has the potential to impact 300,000 listeners with the Gospel.
According to Myron, she alongside a Costa Rican missionary and others, produce a program named "Option 1" and that the "Option 1" program is basically a talk program for Christians, but with information of interest to non-Christians as well.
“We share a devotional and tips on topics such as health, beauty, and recipes. Usually, we play about six contemporary Christian songs interspersed between the talk and the tips sections. And we’ve had several text messages in response to the program, but callers are very rare,” she said.
On the spiritual impact of the station so far, Myron stated, "We don't have any details of specific people whose lives have been changed dramatically by the radio broadcasts. We can't convert people; we can only publish the message. We are in the sowing stage, but hope someday to be part of the reaping as well.”
“Just like when I was in Vietnam and distributed Christian literature from my airplane, I believed that Isaiah 55:11 is still true, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it,” so, we kept publishing the Word and sending it out to as many as possible, with the hope and expectation that it will change hearts and lives, and families, and the Uruguayan society."
She noted that a year ago the Uruguayan government passed a new law that permitted and regulated community radio stations, but that a recent ruling stated that religious stations would not be permitted.
Myron said that as a response to that ruling, she along with other station administrators, are working through legal channels to eliminate the religious discrimination and reclaim approval for the Christian stations.
