Eduard and Heidi Giesbrecht, producers of Ekj Ran (Run the Race) in Bolivia, comment on the growth in their ministry in recent months. Each Ekj Ran video now has between 3,000 and 10,000 views.
One reason is very practical: internet fees have gotten much cheaper. “I’m thankful for advances in technology,” says Eduard. “Even in a culture that doesn’t allow computers, most people have phones. And now data plans are big enough that people can watch our videos regularly without worrying about data cost.”
Eduard and Heidi Giesbrecht, local pastors in Bolivia, and have been the producers of Ekj Ran since 2015. Shown here, Heidi and Eduard at home with their oldest child in 2019.
Another reason for the increase is that the pandemic caused people to search for answers and meaning. Eduard explains that, at the start of the pandemic, YouTube was flooded with all kinds of people making videos. Ekj Ran is a well-established, long-running program that kept on going, even after others ran out of steam. It takes time for a program to develop a reputation for honesty and compassion. And it takes time for an audience to begin to trust the voice of the speakers. This is the kind of history that is behind the growth of Ekj Ran.
In December, a young farmer in Texas wrote that he spends a lot of time on his tractor where he watches Ekj Ran. He noticed that, whatever the topic, every program includes a testimony where a guest shares about their personal encounter with Jesus. The farmer realized that he also wanted a personal relationship with Jesus. He wrote, “I have a young family. Religion and rules won’t get me and my family into heaven. I need Christ in my life.”
Eduard loves to hear stories like this. He’s thrilled that God is using Ekj Ran to do beautiful things among Low German-speaking people, wherever they may live.
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