When My Hope came to Uruguay, Pablo invited his father to view the TV broadcasts in his home. He reluctantly agreed to attend but promised that it would not change his mind. He did not believe in God, he said. When the broadcasts were over and viewers were invited to receive Jesus Christ, Pablo’s father was the first to raise his hand.
Across the small South American country of Uruguay, more than 14,000 homes showed the My Hope broadcasts September 27–29, 2007. With only 30 percent of churches reporting, more than 13,300 decisions for Jesus Christ have been recorded as a result of the TV broadcasts. In this land mostly bordered by water–the Atlantic Ocean on the south and the Uruguay River on the west–thousands of people are drinking from the spring of living water that wells up to eternal life (see John 4).
In eastern Uruguay, Maria struggled with depression and was receiving psychiatric treatment after a suicide attempt. A few months before My Hope, she attended a church and found encouragement and new life in Jesus Christ. She wanted to share this joy, so she asked her pastor how she could open her home to friends and invite them to see the My Hope broadcasts.
Last weekend, 12 people came to Maria’s house, watched the broadcasts with her, and heard her testimony. Afterward, eight guests invited Jesus Christ into their hearts, including one woman who had also been afflicted with suicidal thoughts. She was inspired to start anew.
In another part of Uruguay, an eight-year-old boy was home alone and found the My Hope broadcasts on TV. Moved by the encouraging message, he called the number on the screen and asked how he could receive Jesus into his life.
When a 60-year-old man from an upscale beach neighborhood in Montevideo called in after the TV programs, he said that he had lived his entire life as an atheist. After hearing the Good News on TV, he now knew that he needed God. He prayed to receive Christ as his Savior.
Thousands of hopeful responses and stories are coming in from across Uruguay. One call center, which represents approximately one-percent of the responses in Uruguay, received over 1,300 calls immediately following the broadcasts. Please pray that new believers will be discipled in local churches and grow in their faith as they follow Jesus Christ with new hope.
*Names have been changed
