January 11, 2002, Peter, Sudan

A cow for a Radio

“ I was on my way to visit a friend in the area. I suddenly heard the radio talking in the Dinka language: I stopped and forced myself to go where it was talking. I asked the owner of the radio whether it was his radio only that talks in Dinka. The man told me that it talks in Dinka in every radio. ‘Can it talk in my radio if I buy one to listen?’ I asked him. The man said ‘Yes, it can.’ >From there I ran back to my cattle camp and took one of my cows, sold it and went to the market and bought a radio. Then I returned to the man to show me how to operate it. The man told me to wait for the time when the Dinka and Nuer languages will be on the air, but I asked him, ‘ How will I know the time when the programme shall be on the air?’ He told me to wait until half-past six East Africa time for the Dinka programme. I was so happy to hear my language on the radio because it was my first time. After we had listened the man took me to the sunset shadow of the house and marked the evening time, to indicate for me how to know half-past six p.m. when Dinka programme shall be on the air, since I am illiterate. He told me if I see the shadow on the ground then I shall open my radio to listen to Dinka language programmes in Feba Radio. So I left him and followed his instructions. Now I have found Feba Radio useful to me, for it has educated me to know Jesus as my Master, Friend and Saviour. Now I have joined the church I am learning many new things including differences between Satan and the true God. Moreover, my family has now joined me and we are Feba Radio daily listeners. Thanks to God, now we are born again.” This is an extract from a letter sent to the Far East Broadcasting Association (FEBA) from Peter, who is from Southern Sudan in East Africa.