Graham Carter, Chief Executive of UCB Pacific Partners writes,

I've been thinking and praying a lot about the words of Jesus 
in Luke 10:2. "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. . ." 
I feel something like a farmer that the Lord has left in charge of His farm. A farm with many different fields - different Island nations, young people, old people, village people, town people. Each one is a very different field, and each one is ready for a great harvest.

The great harvest is all around us . . . 
Many people are responding to the radio ministry, especially in Vanuatu and Tonga. But we are called to go beyond an initial response of salvation in Jesus Christ (see Matthew 28:18-20). We want to see new believers become fruitful workers, because the Lord has a great harvest waiting in their nations! And what about the people in all the other little Islands? People who have no Bible teaching church, no Christian radio, and no other resource to help them live for Jesus. Indeed, the harvest in these fields is very great, but the workers are so few!

Satellite radio is a powerful tool for the harvest . . . 
After a year of delays, the satellite network will be operating next February. Our technicians will go to Tonga to set up stage one, and when we're sure that's working well, they'll go and install the next station. Praise the Lord! Satellite stage one is a one-way, 24 hour network radio program from our studios in New Zealand to the Islands. This won't replace local programming on individual stations but will allow local staff to concentrate on making more and better local programs, while the satellite provides Christian music, news and information, and Bible teaching programs from outside their country. Satellite stage two is planned for later in 2006 year. This will allow local stations to feed their best radio hosts and live programs directly into the network for all the South Pacific stations to use. (For example "Top 9 At 9" from Solomon Islands and "Youth Aflame" from Tonga are English language programs that will minister well to the listeners in other Island nations.) Sandra is our full-time worker (radio host, music director, programmer, secretary, and everything else you can think of) for the new satellite network program. She has plenty of Pacific Christian music but needs more people to host programs and voice announcements. These are great opportunities, but the workers are few. Sandra needs people to help her build the program content so the listeners in the Islands get the best radio ministry possible!

And so is local radio . . . 
Opportunities increase for UCB Pacific Partners to plant new local stations. There are five stations broadcasting in the Islands, with a sixth under construction. We have applications lodged for new Christian licenses in three countries, and the opportunity to develop a network of seven Christian youth stations next year. (2006 already makes me feel tired!) And, as well as that, the new satellite network means we can start planting small stations in the small islands that would not otherwise be able to sustain their own broadcast. But a farmer cannot keep extending the size of his farm and giving the same tired workers more work to do. He needs more people to plough, to sow, to water, and to bring in the harvest as soon as it's ready. No farmer wants to miss the harvest!

The workers are so few . . . 
we need workers! What can we do? Jesus said, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields." (Luke 10:2) That's it. We must pray and ask the Lord to send more workers. Will you join me in this? The workers we need most of all are workers who will pray until the Lord sends us more workers! That's you and me. Will you join me and "Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields?"

Ask God for mature workers

• W orkers to establish and lead discipleship classes for listeners who contact the radio stations.
• Workers to make local radio programs that will touch the hearts of local listeners.
• Workers to help Sandra with the network satellite program.
• Workers to set up new Christian radio stations in new places, when new licenses are approved.
• And a worker here in Auckland who can help me run the ministry. An Operations Manager who is mature in Christ. Someone qualified and experienced in management, able to help me run a growing ministry organization. (I see this person as our most needed worker. I spend too much time administering UCB Pacific Partners on a day-to-day basis, and have too little time for the things I am called and gifted to do. Like training leaders and staff in the Islands, developing new radio opportunities, and raising financial support.)

"My nourishment [food, fuel,] comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, 'One person plants and someone else harvests.' And it's true. I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest." (John 4:34-38)

Let's do it together! Let's pray! 
And let us agree to keep on praying until we see the Lord sending us the new workers we need. I'm going to fast every Monday until we see this happening. Will join me? If so, please email and tell me, and we can keep in touch each week as we watch for the Lord's answers.

And here are the results of our "prayer-work" so far

• The Lord is giving us some ideas about how to establish weekly Bible study groups for listeners who've completed our new disciples courses. There are few Bible teaching churches in the Islands, and listeners are starting to look for weekly Bible study and fellowship so they can continue growing in their faith. There's already a pressing need for this in Tonga and we want to see this kind of follow-up developed in the other Islands as well.Please continue praying for us as we develop a special weekly radio Bible study for these small groups of listeners. Pray for workers who can lead these study groups.
• We are talking with two people who are qualified to become our Operations Manager in Auckland. Please ask the Lord of the Harvest to bring in the right worker for this position, so our ministry can be more efficient and I can concentrate more on developing new radio opportunities, training leaders and staff, and raising financial support.

Loni emailed from Tonga to tell us not to stop praying too soon 
"Hi Graham, read 2 King 13:16-19. 
When King Jehoash rule in Israel he visit the brophet during his last days and the probhet told him to shoot an arrow through the eastern window and the king did. The probhet told the king that the arrow he shot is the Lord's arrow of victory and the victory is all his. After that he told the king to bick up an arrow and strike the ground. The king did but he strike only three times and stop. Elisha was angry he though that Jehoash will strike five times or more so that he will wipe his enemy totally off. That victory is for them, but it will be decided on many time the king will strike the ground. Unfortunately he strike only it only three times and their victory limit to only 3 times. The Lord has already grand us victory but it's all depend on us how faithful we are on striking the arrow on the ground. Sometimes we ask for things in prayer and the Lord already grand the answer but we settle with the little bit. Better keep striking till we get it all. This passage really encourage me in asking things from God we have to keep on striking until we get it all and our joy may be complete."

Thank you Loni 
And I thank you too - for praying to the Lord of the harvest with me and Loni 
Please accept my apology if you emailed me and I haven't got to answer you personally. Please accept my thanks if you are remembering to pray (and fast) with me each Monday. Let us continue to pray in the workers needed for God's mighty harvest in the Islands. "So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." (Galatians 6:9)

Let's keep praying (and fasting) until we see the victory - the complete victory. 
As Loni says, "keep on striking until we get it all and our joy may be complete." 
May God greatly bless us and use us in His harvest of souls in the Islands.

Graham A Carter 
Chief Executive 
UCB Pacific Partners