LEFT: Marcos Castillo at the Una Luz en el Camino microphone RIGHT: Marcos Castillo and Heidy Martinez after a successful program (Credit: Denny Krause)
time such an announcement is made, the station phone lines start blinking incessantly. At the end of the program, a phone number is given to make requests during the week until the next program airs. During the Sunday program and during the week, as well, often scores of requests are received to be quickly followed up by church-member visits. Even pastors of other denominations are requesting materials offered on the program. Castillo, a machine operator by trade, has no special training to be at the controls and main microphone of the radio station, but learned merely by watching. Also assisting with announcing and attending the phone lines is Heidy Martinez, a homemaker, but intensely involved in the ministry. Pablo Elias, a lab researcher, also assists in broadcasting the program from the station. Awareness for the ministry comes from newspaper advertisements, a website (unaluzenelcamino.com), email blasts, and a Facebook page. An early vision of the ministry leaders was to expand the radio reach, where possible, and Castillo and his team have trained Ogden (Utah) Spanish SDA Church members to broadcast an equally successful, sister program on a local station in that area. Has the Una Luz en el Camino ministry been successful? Indeed, it has. New guests from the radio program show up at all Salt Lake City and Ogden area Spanish Adventist churches each week. To date, about 20 baptism have been attributed to the program itself, but it is unknown how many baptisms from the program have flown “under the radar” and have not been counted. Nueva Esperanza church pastor, Sergio Romero, speaks about the Una Luz en el Camino ministry, “I am very excited for the outreach the ministry provides, and for the resulting baptisms, but I am equally excited about the numbers of lay
members who are energized to work for the ministry and the church.” “Finances for the ministry are always a concern,” states Castillo. He figures that the two programs, with airtime and other associated expenses, together cost about $400 per week to air. Donations are received from Adventist church members and radio listeners, but often do not meet the expenses. When necessary, Castillo finances the difference with money from his own pockets. Castillo and his team are just now in the process of starting up a third radio broadcast at a station in the southern part of the greater Salt Lake City area. Costs will increase, but so will reach, is Castillo’s thinking. He is confident that God will provide the extra funds needed. Says Castillo, “People are studying the Word of God, and there are many more waiting to do so. Our job is to knock on the doors through the radio programs, offering opportunities for people to explore and discover the truths of salvation for this hour. I am privileged to be a part of spreading God’s message.” Beams of light for paths in the Salt Lake City area are truly going out over the radio waves. If you would like to participate in this lay ministry, you can contact Marcos Castillo by phone at (801) 898-3864, or by email at marcos@ unaluzenelcamino.com.
Heidy Martinez rapidly taking calls and contact information (Credit: Denny Krause)
The program is centered around the evangelistic messages of Alejandro Bullon, a popular and well-loved Adventist evangelist from South America. In a wellthought-out strategy, only a portion of Bullon’s messages are aired each week. The NEVADA-UTAH VIEWS is a newsletter stitched into the Recorder and is only available to Nevada-Utah Conference members. Each conference within the Pacific Union provides a newsletter such as this in the Recorder every other month. Denny Krause is the editor.
www.NUCadventist.com
Nevada-Utah Views