A nationwide power outage appears to be the straw that broke Venezuela’s back.

Panoramic view of the 10000MW Guri Dam in Venezuela, also called “Simón Bolívar”
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The Guri hydropower plant shut down on Thursday evening, plunging 80-percent of the country into darkness. While Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro immediately blamed U.S. interference, experts tell the New York Times this massive outage is likely the result of mechanical neglect.

Whatever the cause, society – at least in Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas – is at its breaking point. At least 17 people have died as a result of the blackout. BBC News describes further medical failures due to the power outage and sporadic looting.

TWR’s Steve Shantz says the blackout is a devastating blow to an already-crippled nation. “It’s heart wrenching, really, when you think about an entire country and all the people involved in this crisis,” he states.

“If the government is unable to restart the turbines, then I can see this crisis [continuing] for some time. That takes very critical engineering skills, and…many of those people (engineers) are gone.”

Nonetheless, the Venezuela crisis cannot stop their team from proclaiming the hope of Christ.

Broadcasting hope from darkness

Daily life is a struggle but TWR’s staff keeps on working, thanks to a generator installed during the last round of power outages. “They’re one of the lucky ones,” Shantz says. “They have a generator and can [create] enough power so production can continue.”

Unfortunately, Venezuelan listeners can’t access the programs because no electricity means no radio. Batteries are either too expensive or unavailable. However, the Venezuelan team’s perseverance is blessing Spanish speakers throughout Latin America.

“We use the broadcasts produced by Venezuela on many outlets, so there are people around the region listening to those programs.”

(Photo courtesy of TWR)

The team also shares Christ’s hope with Venezuelan kids through rallies that feature food, puppets, and Bible stories. Learn more here.

“These rallies are continuing but I imagine right now, with all the chaos that’s in the country, they’ve probably scaled that back for the time being,” Shantz explains.

In November, the UN reported an exodus of three million Venezuelan migrants and refugees into neighboring nations and beyond. Many of them left their children behind. As stated here, at least 600,000 children and teenagers were left in Venezuela when one or both parents moved to other countries for economic betterment. TWR’s Pedrito el Pulpo (Little Peter the Octopus) program gives these “forgotten kids” a reason to hope.

What now?

The Venezuela crisis will continue as long as the battle between political leaders drags on. Juan Guaidó is recognized as Venezuela’s interim president by more than 50 nations, but Maduro refuses to relinquish power.

A blockade stops any outside aid from entering the country, but it’s no barrier to prayer.

“In a situation like this, the only thing we can do is go to the Lord and ask Him to intervene.”

Ask the Lord to influence leaders and decision-makers so that problems may cease and help can reach the people who need it. Praise God for TWR staff’s perseverance, and pray that He will continue meeting their needs.

Learn more about TWR-Venezuela here.

Header image is a stock photo obtained via Pexels.

As explained here, blackouts have been common in rural areas since March. However, power outages in the capital city of Caracas – especially during peak business hours – are unusual.

“It’s clear that the infrastructure in Venezuela is crumbling,” says Shantz.

Food and medicine are non-existent. Public transportation is out. Businesses are struggling. People are leaving the country in droves. Nonetheless, ministry partners are staying put to broadcast hope to their neighbors.

Power outages won’t stop RTM Venezuela

The widespread loss of electricity is a rarity in Caracas, but TWR’s partners are used to it in Maracaibo. RTM Venezuela, the Spanish version of TWR, operates in a business complex that Shantz says now looks like a ghost town.

(Logo courtesy TWR)

Months ago, the transformer that supplies power to RTM’s building was damaged. The electric company didn’t have the necessary funding or parts to fix the transformer, so they asked businesses working in the building to cover the cost. Everyone left except RTM.

“Every day, they [climb] the nine flights of stairs in the dark using their mobile phones for light,” Shantz shares. “They fire up the generators and that gives them enough electricity to operate their computers…and then also operate the studios where they can record the radio program.”

TWR offered to relocate their partners to a neighboring country, he adds. This way, production could still continue, but it would be much easier on RTM staff.

“They said, ‘No, we need to stay in Venezuela so that we can minister to our country; our country needs believers now’,” says Shantz.

“‘This is a time when people are really open to the Gospel and really open to spiritual matters. We need to stay so that we’re here for Venezuelans.’”

Please keep the people of Venezuela in your prayers. Ask the Lord to strengthen and sustain believers, especially RTM staff.

“Pray for resilience and encouragement,” Shantz requests. “[Pray] they would be encouraged that the work they’re doing is having results and people are hearing the Gospel and growing in their faith.”

Learn more about TWR’s work in Venezuela here.

Header photo from Pixabay.

Nearly 4 million people–80% of the city's population–live in lean-to houses that stretch across the mountains on either side of Caracas. The narrow streets are plagued with constant crime, substance abuse, and gang violence.

Ed and Pam Engle, International Mission Board missionaries in Caracas, have worked in the those slums for 12 years. In a place where houses are built nearly on top of each other, there isn't space to hold large evangelistic services or other public events. Instead, the Engles must rely on individual conversations to tackle a God-size task.

"It's about one-on-one contacts," says Ed. "But we've had people come up well after I've given them a tract and tell me that I'd given them one, and they prayed that prayer on the back, but now they don't know what to do. And it happens often enough that we're not discouraged by just handing out tracts."

At the same time, the Engles are building relationships with everyone from elderly drunkards to 17-year-old moms. And as they pour into others spiritually, they emphasize Christ's love as they respond to physical needs.

Working with the Engles in the barrios, volunteer teams from the United States have held eyeglass clinics, provided free blood-pressure testing, and helped with small construction projects. They have also taught sewing and electrical skills. These frequently lead to spiritual discussion.

"We try and help people, but we always tell them we need them to be open to having Bible studies with us," Ed says. "We'll use whatever we can, but in all things we do, we try and meet a need with a spiritual end in mind."

As a result, the Engles have helped to start several Bible studies in different barrios across Caracas, and some of them have grown into potential churches. But whenever a church has begun, some obstacle — such as political turmoil or serious illnesses of believers — has torn it apart.

"There does seem to be a spiritual battle going on here," says Ed. "Bible studies aren't the end goal for us, but the devil gets his foot in the door, and he tears works apart. So the idea is to get churches started, but it hasn't gotten to the point where we can say a church is really going."

The biggest need is prayer. "Pray that the people in the barrios won't just be saved, but that they will be like Paul or Timothy," Ed says. Pray also for believers in the barrios who face persecution. Ultimately, pray for God's Name to be known all through Caracas as people begin to put their trust in Him.