Out of the Darkness, Into the Light
May 04, 2025
By Ray Alary, THRU the BIBLE, Special Assistant to the President
After many hours of travel, we step off the plane in Liberia, West Africa. Dave Dunmore and I have come from Canada; our coworker and THRU the BIBLE host and Chairman, Steve Shwetz, has travelled from his home in California. We breeze through immigration and get to baggage claim. Moments later, the baggage hall is plunged into darkness. At least 100 of us crowd around, trying to get our luggage. It’s hot. The light comes back on about 10 minutes later, and by then we have our bags that are loaded with precious cargo: Over 200 media players have successfully made their way through customs, destined for eager listeners here in Liberia.
As I reflect now on our time in Liberia, those minutes of darkness have greater meaning to me. Liberia has had a difficult history. For many years it was a dark place spiritually and politically. So dark that a radio station, ELWA, that had been broadcasting THRU the BIBLE and other Christian programming to the country was destroyed by warring parties. A country that had the light of Christ suddenly went dark. Praise God, on January 1, 2025, THRU the BIBLE started sending light back into Liberia on that rebuilt station!
But for years, TTB had no radio outlet in the country. So, you can bet I was excited a couple of years ago when we got a call from a donor who had heard Gregg and Steve talking on the program about our Home Groups in India. This brother was wondering if we could possibly do Home Groups in Liberia? That one phone call started a THRU the BIBLE ministry in Liberia that has now distributed over 1,000 players throughout the country. Wow! The impact of this small project necessitated a visit—seeing is believing, as they say.
And we saw the impact. On Sunday, Dave, Steve, and I drove two hours to a little village. We didn’t know what to expect. We were literally in the middle of nowhere, there was no electricity, the only water supply was just a stream. We entered the simple structure serving as a church—a bamboo pole draped with palm fronds to keep the sun off of us. In attendance were over 200 people from seven churches that have been started through local people listening to THRU the BIBLE in African English Home Groups.
We sang, I shared a message from John 3:16, and Steve Shwetz even did a baby dedication. What a joy to see light penetrating the darkness!
But for me the most exciting thing that happened wasn’t in the service. As we were leaving, a woman discreetly came up to me and said, “I am a Muslim. I have been listening to the programs, not as part of a group. I heard what you said from John 3:16, and I need to hear more.” She asked for a player and guaranteed me she will listen regularly. When this sort of thing happens, it does something to me—I know God is speaking to this woman’s heart. My prayer is that she will come out of the darkness and into the light.
God is shining His Light brightly in Liberia through media players, through Home Groups, through people hearing the message from a neighbor, and now through radio broadcasts. God is at work, and you are all making it possible. Please keep putting gas in the “Bible Bus” until all the world has heard!
Listen on May 19 and 26 as Gregg Harris and Steve Shwetz share more about our ministry in Liberia. Get on the Bible Bus on your favorite Christian radio station, at TTB.org, or in our app.
Ray with some of th children in attendance
Steve Shwetz performed an impromptu baby dedication!
Some of the 200 media players our team brought to distribute to listening groups in Liberia.