Ministry Updates

Spring 2023

Greetings from Phnom Penh, Cambodia – our new field of ministry! We arrived on March 6^th after many months of sorting out and cleaning out our apartment in Gadsden, Alabama. It has been an emotional time for us as we said goodbye to our extended family, friends, neighbors, and friends from church. We are grateful for each person who honored us with potluck gatherings, going away cards, words of encouragement, and special gifts. We love and appreciate you, and we will miss you! But we also look forward with anticipation to seeing what the Lord has in store for us as we begin our new ministry in Cambodia.

Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia bordered by Thailand to the west, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. The population is about 16,700,000 comprised of 44 people groups. Of that total, 16,028,000 or 19 people groups still need to hear the Gospel. The main religion is Buddhism (82.2%) with evangelical Christians only comprising about 2% of the population (joshuaproject.net). As these statistics show, there is still much work to do to reach Cambodia for Christ.

FEBC began broadcasting the Gospel to Cambodia by shortwave in 1953. Years later, during the Vietnam War, life became so dangerous in Cambodia that FEBC broadcasters fled to the Philippines where they continued to produce programs. Later, in 1995, the Cambodian government allowed national broadcasters to return and establish FEBC’s first studio in the capital of Phnom Penh. By 2002, a new FM station was established in Phnom Penh called Voice of Love. A relay station was later established in the province of Kampong Thom. FEBC now reaches 40-50% of the population via these radio stations, online broadcasts, and social media (febc.org).

Even though Cambodia is still largely unreached, there is a growing Christian population. On January 27-28, over 35,000 people from across the country gathered in Phnom Penh to celebrate the 100^th year of the Gospel in Cambodia (1923-2023). The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, and other government dignitaries participated in the celebration. The leaders of the nation expressed their appreciation to the Christians for their contributions to the country in social work, development, and other humanitarian services. As part of the heritage celebration, the team of Krusa FM (FEBC Cambodia) produced special broadcasts during the week’s celebration via on-air radio and social media for listeners in remote areas where people were not able to participate in person. Our FEBC Cambodia staff were excited to report that the Gospel Centennial celebration exalted and uplifted the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

NEW TOWER PROJECT UPDATE The new tower project for FEBC Cambodia is now underway. The new data center/transmitter building and generator building are under construction. Please pray that construction on the tower foundation can begin soon.

Listener Letter

“My name is Thuy Chenda, and I live in Ratanakkiri province. Thank you, God, for rescuing me from my previous life of sin, incorrect thinking, and incorrect speech….My mother gave me a shortwave radio….Through good programs, God’s Word, and life-changing stories, God miraculously worked in my heart. I completely changed my life and began to live in love. I made the decision to follow Jesus and go to church with my mother. Thank you for loving me despite my lack of faith experience. Thank you to shortwave radio for providing excellent Bible content and numerous testimonies from other listeners. God bless you!”

PRAISE & PRAYER

• Praise the Lord for giving us grace and strength as we cleaned out our apartment and said goodbye to family and friends.
• Praise the Lord for bringing us safely to Cambodia.
• Please pray for favor from the Cambodian government as we await our visa extension.
• Please pray for the Lord to guide us to a good, affordable apartment.
• Please pray for wisdom as we learn the Khmer language and the Cambodian culture.
• Please pray for good health and safety.
• Please pray for fruitfulness as we serve and assist the FEBC Cambodia staff.

In this time when we are settling into our new life and ministry in Cambodia, we want to thank you for your partnership in our radio/media ministry. Your prayer and financial support are vital as we work together to proclaim Christ to the unreached “until all have heard.” Thank you, and may God bless you!

• World population: 7.93 billion
• Unreached population: 3.37 billion
• When Vicki and I travel in Asia, we sometimes meet hotel workers, restaurants servers, and taxi drivers who have not heard the name of Jesus. For those of us who grew up in Western culture, and especially for those like me who grew up in the “Bible Belt” of the southern United States, it is hard to imagine that 3.37 billion people have never heard about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is astounding given the fact that over 2000 years ago, Jesus’ final words to his disciples were:

 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)

Renowned pastor and author Oswald J. Smith once said, “Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once?” This statement has motivated me and countless other missionaries to leave the comforts of home and proclaim Christ to the unreached

How?

But how do we reach the masses for Christ? Many of the unreached live in closed countries where there are no churches, where missionaries are not allowed, and where one-on-one evangelism is prohibited. Also, many people in developing countries are primarily oral learners. So, how do we reach them? One of the answers is through media!

What?

Far East Broadcasting Company was established in 1945 as an interdenominational ministry whose sole purpose is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world through radio, the internet, and emerging technologies such as podcasts, social media, mobile apps, etc. We communicate the Good News among the nations until every man, woman, and child has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. FEBC broadcasts are heard in 145 languages and in 50 countries around the world aired from 149 stations and transmitters, totaling 1,571 hours of programming a day/365 days a year. But numbers only tell part of the story. Far more important are the lives impacted by our global radio network that shares the Good News of Jesus Christ with a potential listening audience of 4 billion people. We know listeners are tuning in, because of the many text messages, emails, phone calls, letters and visits we receive. Last year alone, we received over 148 million listener engagements and responses to the Gospel. (febc.org)

Ministry Update

The past few months have been busy as I have continued my work of providing technical support for various FEBC fields. One recent project was assisting FEBC Philippines in getting some audio equipment repaired by the manufacturer here in the United States. I am also continuing my work with FEBC Cambodia as they prepare for the erection of a new self-supporting tower. The main hurdle at present is the need for a construction permit from the Cambodian government. Please pray for favor and that this permit will be granted soon. Speaking of Cambodia, as many of you know Vicki and I were asked by FEBC leadership to move to Cambodia a couple of years ago.  But, due to the pandemic, the move had to be delayed. The Cambodian government has begun issuing visas once again, so we are now making plans and preparations to move, Lord willing, by the end of the year. Please pray for us as we make preparations for our move by cleaning out, sorting out, getting legal paperwork in order, etc.  

Listeners Letters

A shortwave listener in Cambodia shared, “Thank you Krusa FM for always encouraging me through Bible passages. By hearing this broadcast, I accepted Jesus into my life as Savior and dedicated everything to Him. God is an awesome God. I dance with praise to Him because He answers prayers, and my daughter believes in Jesus and lives a healthy life.”

A listener in Indonesia wrote, “Since I was young and still strong, I was a hard-hearted person, until finally the paralysis that I experienced was used by God to make my faith move. I often cry every time I hear music and sermons on Heartline Radio (FEBC Indonesia). I really cried, not crying over my situation, but considering how much God loved my hard heart, God’s love made me want to change. I am grateful that the Heartline radio team also visited, prayed and accompanied my faith growth.”

Prayer Points

• Praise the Lord for the addition of 2-new radio stations in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia. We rejoice with all those who have come to know Christ through FEBC Ukraine’s ministry. Please continue to pray for our staff as they offer on-air counselling, prayer, and scripturally based words of encouragement to war-weary listeners.

Please pray for the FEBC Cambodia leadership team as they prepare for construction of the new self-supporting tower in Phnom Penh. Pray

• especially for government approval of the required construction permit.
• Please pray for the Lord’s help as we clean out our apartment and prepare the necessary legal paperwork for our move to Cambodia.
• Please pray for FEBC/FEBA Pakistan as they minister to listeners affected by severe flooding.
• Please pray for Vicki’s online evangelism ministry. Praise the Lord, several people have come to know the Lord recently!

In closing, Vicki and I want to thank you for your partnership in our ministry of proclaiming Christ to the unreached “until all have heard.” Your prayers and gifts are making a difference in the lives of listeners all around the world. Thank you!  May God bless you!

I…do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…    (Eph 1:16-18)

In Christ,

To give to the Creels ministry: https://www.febc.org/give-to-missionary/david-and-vicki-creel/

More updates from FEBC : https://www.febc.org/

Summer 2022 Praise Report:

We praise and thank the Lord for this recent writing award. 3rd place at Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC) 2022 Article for a Magazine, Anniston/Gadsden Christian Family, April 2022.

The Empty Tomb and Resurrection Power: A Holy Land Experience

Spring 2022

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We hope and pray that you are doing well. Although it has only been about three months since our last update, much has happened during that time.

The past couple of months have been particularly busy but gratifying for us as we assisted in conducting a mission training event at our home church and participated in three Global Impact Mission Conferences at supporting churches in Alabama and Georgia. Each of these mission conferences focused on the need to share Christ in our local communities and around the world as Jesus commanded us:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV)

It was great seeing old friends, making new ones, hearing about what God is doing through these churches, and having the opportunity to share about our ministry with FEBC. In other ministry news, David has continued to work with our staff in Cambodia on the new tower project.  The tower has now been ordered, and the engineering design for the foundation is underway.  Please pray for the project to proceed in a smooth and timely manner.  David is also continuing to provide remote technical support for FEBC’s shortwave transmitters in the Philippines.  These transmitters are essential in making the Gospel available to 43 ethnic language groups located throughout Southeast Asia.  Many people in these regions have no other way to hear the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Please pray for these transmitters to continue to function well.

FEBC UKRAINE As you can imagine, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused much turmoil for our ministry in that country.  Before the conflict, FEBC operated seven radio stations.  As of March 16, five are still on the air, but two have been destroyed by rockets.  The new ministry center in Kyiv has been evacuated, and a new temporary headquarters has been set up in the western city of Chernivtsi.  Most of our staff have fled to the western part of the country where conditions are somewhat safer.  All our staff is currently safe, but there have been some close calls.  One staff member’s apartment building was badly damaged, but through the Lord’s intervention, she escaped unharmed.  Another staff member suffered shrapnel wounds to his leg when his car was hit by gunfire.  After two minor surgeries, he is recovering well.  Vicki has been in frequent contact with one of the workers, who continues to offer words of encouragement to our listeners via radio and social media.  Our on-air counselors are fielding calls from listeners and praying for them and their families

Many are coming to faith in Christ.  One of our staff members said, “There are currently no atheists in Ukraine.”  Please pray that the Lord will use this time to draw many unto Himself.  Also, please pray for the safety of our staff and facilities, and that this war will end soon.  Frequent updates are being posted at febc.org and on the FEBC Eurasia Facebook page.

LETTERS FROM FEBC LISTENERS

“God is so good to me, by listening to the program on the shortwave radio, I heard about salvation for sinners and the power of Almighty God…After that, I decided to believe in Jesus and learn His word every day. When I decided to follow Christ, my family was against it, but I remained strong with my decision. God chose me to become a pastor to serve the Church in my community to spread the gospel. Praise the Lord, my whole family accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.” – (Listener from Cambodia)

“Having learned the lessons from your Bible Correspondence Course, it made me realize and understand that Jesus took the punishment in place of me. He made me free now. I believe and accept Jesus as my Savior with all my heart. Dear Jesus, I invite you to come and be imprinted in my heart and give me eternal life. Lord with your help, I will live for you. Thank God for the salvation of my soul.” – Listener in a Thailand prison

“I live with my daughter in Nalaikh city. I am a single mother. Several years ago, my husband passed away. Your radio program in Kazakh language changed my life and my character. Before I had no radio, but then someone gave me a Galcom radio. I started to listen to the Kazakh language program, and that is when I heard about Jesus Christ. I then understood that I had to make a decision to receive Jesus Christ as my Savior. I cried out to God and told Him that I wanted to receive Him as my Lord. Then I decided to attend a local Christian church with my teenage daughter. Now, I often find myself weeping tears of joy as I listen to your radio programs and the beautiful worship songs about Jesus – letting us know how much God loves us.”  (Listener in Mongolia)

PRAISE & PRAYER

• Praise the Lord for the 148 million listener engagements and responses received last year from listeners around the world.
• Please pray for the FEBC Cambodia tower project to proceed in a smooth and timely manner.
• Please pray that many ethnic people will come to faith in Christ through our shortwave broadcasts from the Philippines.
• Please pray for the Lord to protect our staff and facilities in Ukraine, and that our broadcasts will point many to the Savior during this time of turmoil.

In closing, we want to thank you for your partnership in proclaiming Christ to the unreached “until all have heard.”  We love and appreciate you!  May God bless you for your faithfulness as you partner with us in our radio/media ministry. 

For Support:

Far East Broadcasting Company

PO Box 1

La Mirada, CA  90637-0001

Account -The Creels

Online Contributions:  https://www.febc.org/creel

Christmas 2021

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)

Season’s greetings, and Merry Christmas from the Creels! Hope you and your family had a good Thanksgiving celebration and are enjoying this Advent season. As we reflect upon the past year, it brings us great comfort and joy remembering that God is with us in the person of Jesus Christ His Son! It is truly amazing that the Maker of the entire universe humbled Himself by being born in a stable, living among us, giving His life for our sins, rising from the dead, and promising to return for us someday. But our joy in this season is tempered by the fact that over 3 billion people have not yet heard the story of Jesus. We thank God for you, our partners, who are working together with us to proclaim Christ “until all have heard.”

Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) has been proclaiming the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ for over 75 years. FEBC broadcasts are heard in 141 languages and 50 countries around the world aired from 149 stations and transmitters, totaling 1,571 hours of programming a day/365 days a year. Over 4 billion people are within the coverage area of FEBC’s broadcasts. Last year alone, we received over 148 million listener engagements and responses to the Gospel.

This year also marks David’s 31st year of service with FEBC. Some highlights from the past year include:

* Assisting in the design and procurement of a new self-supporting tower for FEBC Cambodia

* Procuring obsolete and hard-to-find parts and transmission line insulators for the shortwave transmitters at FEBC Philippines

* Troubleshooting interference issues and procuring bandpass filters for FEBC radio stations in Cambodia and Malawi

* Ordering an audio processor circuit board and engineering test gear for FEBC Kyrgyzstan

* Conducting FM coverage studies for FEBC’s radio station in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

In addition to assisting David in his ministry, Vicki continues to serve with an online evangelism ministry. We also recently completed our first book, “Jesus’ Call to His Harvest Field” in which Vicki shares her past mission experience in Asia and our present ministry with FEBC. We are excited to be able to share these stories with you. We pray for many to be inspired by our story to follow Jesus and His call to mission, “ pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38 NKJV) You can find the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online book retailers.

Listener Letters

“I lost all hope while in jail. But then I tuned into your program and learned about the hope that only God can give when we are reconciled to Him. I had never heard anything like that. I was so happy! You prayed with me, and I began to trust God to take care of me.”   (Listener in Ukraine)

“The Covid-19 pandemic makes it difficult to go to church. With these current conditions, we’re very blessed by your programs. Thank you for your broadcasts that have meant so much to us and many others. (Listener in Indonesia)

“I live every day depending upon Jesus. I remain connected to Jesus through FEBC where I receive spiritual nourishment.” (Listener in Japan)

Praise & Prayer

* Praise the Lord for the tremendous increase in listener response. In 2020, FEBC received 800,000 more listener responses through emails, phone calls, texts, and letters than in 2019.

* Pray for wisdom in completing the self-supporting tower design and installation in Cambodia.

* Pray for wisdom in solving the interference issues in Malawi.

In closing, we would like to thank you once again for your prayers and financial support of our ministry. We are so blessed knowing that you are partnering with us in our radio/media ministry. Thank you! May God bless you in the Christmas season and throughout the New Year!

Summer 2021 Prayer Letter

To Support the Creels;

FEBC

Box 1, La Mirada, CA 90637-0001

David and Vicki Creel

dcreel@febcintl.org

vcreel@febcintl.org