Our Centro de Medios Advances

06 August 2018

Whilst getting ready for our next FM site installation, Andahuaylas, there is a lot else going on here in Curahuasi.  The Centro de Medios (aka Diospi Suyana studios), is undergoing a major upgrade just as we approach the 2 year anniversary mark.  The roof has been removed and we are currently installing a 3^rd floor on the building to accommodate another 12 offices for more media staff, a small TV studio and 2 small radio recording studios. 

To oversee the construction, civil engineer Udo Klemenz returns again from “retirement” Germany to Diospi Suyana with his wife Barbara (they are in their 70s).  They are here now with no plans to return to Germany this time.

 

View of the rooftop construction access ramp with our Curahuasi 5,850m+ snow-capped mountain peak backdrop.

Centro de Medios rooftop construction viewed from the front.

Dr Klaus discusses progress on the rooftop with our construction manager Udo Klemenz and Centro de Medios manager, Doris Manco.

This is necessary to improve our program further and provide much needed resources to a fatigued hard working production team.  This comes in the form of many areas such as phone support for the significantly increased number of listeners who call in since we have launched Puerto Maldonado.  We continue to receive many encouraging calls a day and many people desperate for help coming from shattered and seemingly hopeless lives. 

As of last week, 3 more Peruvian’s were added to our Centro de Medios team, now numbering 10 people.  Here copied is our current updated organisational chart;

There is a casual helper for me also, Christian Oswald who is from Germany albeit full time in other mission work in Curahuasi.  I will endeavour train him as much as his time allows to occasionally work with me so that there is someone who knows the transmission system for when I return to Australia on furlough next year.

With this new blood in the team, things are understandably upbeat in the Centro de Medios.  Note also Diospi are also moving into community announcements to help offset the day to day running costs of the expanding department.  So two of our new staff will work in this area (amongst other departments).

In the future, more staff will be added to supplement our production needs so we can provide more locally produced programs with more diversity to be more effective in our audience reach.

 

The complete Centro de Medios team with our new members, was introduced after the chapel service on Monday.

This Monday morning walking up the hill to Diospi Suyana I see a long line of people from the hospital entrance, down the road and around the corner along the lower fence line of the hospital.  This sight is becoming a more common sight since we launched our Puerto Maldonado FM transmission (a market we estimate to be not less than 200,000 people). 

 

Many of these people sleep on the path where you see them standing now for days waiting for Diospi Suyana entry!  This gives new meaning to being on a hospital waiting list!

The good news is that all of these people will hear and see the Gospel message whilst waiting to be seen by first world medical doctors.  And all of these people will have the option to attend our weekday chapel service which is packed to standing room only.

Moreover I hope to depart with my installation team early next Monday morning for Andahuaylas, where we will reach a further 80,000 people (conservative estimate) with our next FM service on 96.1 MHz.  As they say in this industry… “Stay tuned for more!”

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Chris