Grenada Family Network Report — Winter 2024

By Steve S | February 29, 2024

Learning to Live by Faith

Dear friends,

2023 is long gone and I am just now getting time to write. In many ways the past year has been routine with no significant events to relate, but in other ways it was a very difficult year and I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go. For one thing, it is another year closer to the soon return of Jesus and the end of sin and suffering in this world. Also, 2023 offered many opportunities for personal growth, especially spiritually. Often growth is difficult and painful. More about that in a minute.

First, a big Thank You to all of you who faithfully prayed, encouraged, generously gave money, and volunteered your time. Without you, the work of Grenada Family Network would quickly grind to a halt. Sometimes we may fail to say thank you to those who donate or help in some other way. We hope that no one takes that as indifference or a sign that your generosity is wasted. We truly are grateful for every kindness and pray for God’s richest blessing on each of our loving supporters.

It’s no secret that the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. Most people would say that crises (plural) are too numerous to list, but everything goes back to one singular crisis – a profound lack of faith and love.

We as God’s people are called to live by “faith which works by love” (Galatians 5:6), yet too often we see unbelief and unkindness even in the church. Over the past 8 years GFN has lost thousands of dollars to theft and other more subtle forms of dishonesty. If I told you a dollar amount you would be shocked. We have even lost a few Pineapples. LOL! (For those who don’t understand that reference, click here.) A good portion of these losses were by professed church members. This can obviously be discouraging at times. What can be done?

Rather than focusing on the problem, I would like to share some lessons that we have learned in the past few years regarding faith. I am no expert on the subject, but running this ministry has certainly afforded many opportunities to learn lessons of faith. Some of these points might seem obvious, but I wonder how often we really think about them. Some people might be a bit uncomfortable as they read these. It is not my intention to offend, but to bring myself and others to a higher standard of usefulness for Jesus.

In Luke chapter 18, Jesus told a parable about a woman who was being unfairly oppressed by someone. She went to the local Judge in that city for help, but he would not help her. Jesus concluded His parable by comparing the unjust Judge to God.

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” Luke 18:7, 8.

The losses which God’s work has experienced will one day be restored. Those who have lied, stolen, or mistreated others (if they don’t repent), will have to give an answer. Then Jesus asks this important question:

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

Evidently, faith is a commodity in short supply in this world. Why is this so?

The reason faith is so hard to find is because most people subconsciously believe that they themselves must generate it. This is the first point I would like to bring out.

True faith comes from God, not ourselves. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith”, but notice that the word “our” is inserted by the translators. In reality, Jesus is the author of faith, period. Many people read the Epistles of Paul with “rose colored glasses” of self righteousness. Throughout the Bible, the gospel is not primarily about what we must do to be saved, but what God has already done to save us. Genuine faith is our response to what God has done. Any so-called faith which is not based upon God’s faith, is worthless. The book of Romans uses the word “faith” 39 times. Did you know, out of those instances, more than half of them refer to the faith of God or the faith of Jesus? In many cases where personal faith is mentioned, the context is usually a response to the faith of Jesus. There is no other way to increase personal faith than to humbly ask Jesus for it. Many Christians are unwilling to do this…. Hence, no faith.

True faith and love (agape) always go together. Faith and love are closely related. Agape is the motivating principle which puts others first in everything. Faith is the practical application of that principle. Galatians 5:6 says, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Just as faith comes from God, “the author”, so also this selfless quality of love also comes only from God. Is it any wonder that so few people ever learn to live unselfishly?

“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

True faith is not self-centered trust, but a deep abiding appreciation of God’s character. The gospels relate several important stories explaining faith. Two of them are found in Luke chapter 7. You are no doubt familiar with the story of Jesus healing the Centurion’s servant and the story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. The Centurion demonstrated deep respect, humility, and implicit trust in the Word of Jesus. The story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet begins in Luke 7:36. She demonstrated her faith in showing appreciation for what Jesus had done for her. She was willing to spend 300 denarius (an entire year’s wages), poured out upon Jesus in one extravagant act of love. This kind of response is unfortunately foreign to the hearts of many Christians today. Jesus concludes by saying to her, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (verse 50).

True faith depends upon God’s promises, not on human resources. As a self-supporting missionary I am often confronted with a question. “If I give everything to God, and there is nothing left over for me & my family, then what?”

Jesus says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

But, Mastercard says, “There are some things money can’t buy; for everything else, there’s Mastercard.” When the pantry is bare, who will I choose to believe?

True faith does what it can before the answer is seen. Often when faced with a humanly impossible situation, it is so easy to become paralyzed with fear, hide out, and do nothing.

Problem: I don’t have enough money to pay the bills this month! What shall I do?

Answer: Pay the most important bills you do have money for. As you move forward by faith, resting in God’s promises to provide, and doing what you can do, God will do what He can do. The key to answered prayer is working for the advancement of His Kingdom and not for selfish purposes.

“The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient for the work; but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-sufficient power of God, abundant resources will open before us. If the work be of God, He Himself will provide the means for its accomplishment.” The Desire of Ages, p 371.1

True faith is not lazy. The world is filled with people who won’t attempt anything difficult, uncomfortable, or dangerous. They seem to be blind to big & small duties all around them, which they could do to bless others. Their excuses (if they are willing to speak them), ultimately amount to fear and selfishness. A time is coming when it will be too late to work for God. Solomon said, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastics 9:10

A obscure wise man (me) once said to no one in particular, “Someone who will not scrub a pauper’s toilet, will never polish the King’s gates of pearl.” True faith doesn’t pick and choose what tasks it will do. If God’s work requires you to do something unpleasant, don’t shrink back and refuse to do it. Remember Jesus said, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 NKJV. Shouldn’t we be willing to serve others also?

True faith is faithful in that which is least.

“Many who claim to be Christians are working at cross-purposes with God. Many are waiting for some great work to be brought to them. Daily they lose opportunities for showing their faithfulness to God; daily they fail of discharging with whole-heartedness the little duties of life, which seem to them uninteresting. While waiting for some great work in which they may exercise their supposedly great talents, and thus satisfy their ambitious longings, their life passes away.” Youth’s Instructor, August 20, 1903, par. 7

Excerpt from a letter to brother Burton (and many like him): Much of your God-given probationary time is spent in useless chit-chat, making yourself the theme of conversation. You will be called to give an account for your time. What have you done to bless others? Many who feel no responsibilities resting upon them to take up burdens where they can, in a quiet manner every day as they pass along, are constantly thinking they can do some more exalted work for which they are better fitted, which they are in no wise qualified to perform. These persons who have not gained an experience in doing the little duties, in performing well the little things that somebody must do, can never lay hold of the heavier burdens and assume the greater responsibilities. You neglect to perform the little duties of life which lie directly in your pathway. Letter 27, 1872, par. 13

True faith is kind, long suffering, and forgiving. Over the past few years here in Grenada we have sometimes encountered persons who are not a help but a burden to God’s work. In a ministry which is starving for resources of time, money, and help, how do we treat those who are a drain on those resources? If we are completely honest with ourselves, we have often been those kind of people in the past. The faith of Jesus treats all of us with far more grace than we deserve in the hope that we will respond by faith and become fruitful branches in God’s vineyard.

“Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV

How we treat others who are doing something we feel is wrong is a measure of how much or how little we have responded to the faith and love of Jesus toward us.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NKJV

Last but not least….

True faith is humble and teachable. After everything above that I have written on the subject of faith, I must confess, there are many days when I feel like I know nothing about it. Life is complicated in this sinful world. There are no perfect answers for every situation. There will never come a time when we can “walk on water” without humbly confessing our need and asking for Jesus’ help. There will never come a time when we can do without “the faith of Jesus.” When we feel confused and uncertain about what to do, then is the time to get on our knees and let “the author of faith” instruct us.

Highlights of the Past Year

2023 was a busy, interesting, and challenging year. It would take too long to recount every significant event. Here are just a few which were notable. We were blessed to be involved with many outreach opportunities, both through the local church and through GFN radio.

Throughout the year we received many phone calls requesting books, sermons, or giving donations. Several listeners from other denominations called to say how they were blessed by the station and how much they had learned. One lady gave a $500 USD donation, (a record for a listener from another faith).
We imported and gave away several hundred books, including providing Bibles for any child who needed one in the Children’s Sabbath School department. We spoke up front several times for the Adult Sabbath School program.
After months of frustration I finally corrected several technical issues with the broadcast computer which were messing up the schedule and knocking GFN off the air several times a week. Praise God!
I launched several new programs on the radio including “Growing Health”, a program about gardening and country living. New music was added, all purchased by the generous donations of God’s people.
We made progress on the country project. We now have kitchen cabinets nearly completed, (paid for by a generous local donor), with counter tops, sink, and back splash installed by me. The remaining tile and other finishes needed to complete the house are purchased and ready for installation.
In April we completed a partial renovation of the radio station house, including new paint inside, new plumbing fixtures, two new windows, new curtains, repaired and repainted kitchen cabinets, new tile counter tops, and refinished hardwood floors. More work needs to be done as funds become available.

Not surprisingly we faced many setbacks as well. We cannot forget for long that we have an enemy. It is only by the grace of God that we can even continue here despite the trials.

Both transmitter sites suffered lightning strikes or technical failures which required time and money to fix. Thankfully no damage was done to broadcast equipment.
A rat invasion at the main transmitter building left a disgusting mess all over our equipment enclosure.
Our 19 year old Suzuki SUV had several frustrating and difficult problems which required imported parts from the US (weeks of waiting), receiving wrong parts, having to reorder (more weeks of waiting), and trips to the local mechanic. It is finally running better, but still in need of more repairs.
Our land in the country remains very overgrown due to an engine problem with our brush mower. After several emails and days of research I have finally figured out the problem and a replacement part is on the way.
Our house in the country continues to present problems which have prevented us from moving there. The concrete structure is cracking and spalling due to incorrect construction methods. Several leaks at windows and cracking walls have been difficult to repair. We are confident these problems can be fixed, with more expense and patient effort.
In January 2024 our friend from China, Ann Song (her English name), had to return home. She wanted to stay longer, but the Chinese government did not grant permission for that. Though not a baptized member of our church, she regularly attended and had many Grenadian friends. Several times she happily volunteered her spare time to cook Chinese food for us, help us clean the station house, and pick fruit in the country. She will be greatly missed and we pray that God will protect and continue to lead her into the truth in her home country.

In place of the photos I usually include, here is a short video slide show (hastily assembled) of work and recreation from 2023 (a few shots from 2022 & 2024). Since I often work alone, there is a notable scarcity of photos of me working. We also failed several times to take photos of presentations at church. Hopefully we can do better in the future.

Note: If the slides go by too fast, you can adjust the playback speed by clicking the Gear Icon at the lower right corner of the video window.

How Much Does It Cost?

This question has come up occasionally. In the interest of transparency, I thought I would share details of how donations are used by GFN. My family and I receive a basic food stipend for our needs from Gospel Ministries International, however because of the high cost of living in Grenada this is not enough to cover all our expenses. Thankfully, God has inspired others (you know who you are), to give us additional funds for the needs of our family. 100% of donations go toward the expenses of Grenada Family Network (shown below) unless specifically given for personal needs. We don’t have some secret savings account with thousands of dollars stashed away. Any funds left over after our personal needs are met are redirected toward keeping GFN on the air.

Shocking? Tell me about it. This is what it takes to keep two radio frequencies going to reach the entire region of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Electricity, for example, takes up the major portion of the Utilities category in orange. It averages .37 cents/kWh. Unfortunately most buildings (including our radio studio), are not insulated, so air conditioning is not as efficient as it could be. In fact, xps foam insulation sheets are not even available on the island. It would have to be imported.

By a worldly calculation all this expense for about 125,000 people might seem like a huge waste, but a good friend reminded me that less than $2.50 per year, per person in Grenada is cheap. God must really love the people of Grenada to keep this ministry going for almost 15 years! How much did He spend to buy you and me? He gave everything He had.

“When the fullness of time came, the windows of heaven were opened, and upon the world was poured a flood of heavenly grace. God made to our world the wonderful gift of his only begotten Son. In the light of this act, it could never be said by the inhabitants of other worlds that God could have done more than he did to show his love for the children of men. He made a sacrifice that defies all computation. To save a fallen race he poured forth the whole treasure of heaven in one gift.” Review & Herald, January 3, 1907, par. 11

Current needs:

Regular monthly gifts of $20, $50 or more to keep GFN Radio on the air.
$3,218 for past due tower rental.
Consecrated volunteers with radio/ computer skills, construction skills, or farming skills.
A new surge protector to replace one struck by lightning: $500.
Approximate cost to finish country house including paint, electrical work, and plumbing work: $3,000.
Funds to return home for furlough. We haven’t seen our families since 2018: $2,800
Prayers that the promise of Matthew 24:14 will soon be fulfilled.

How to help:

You can donate online: http://gospelministry.org/donations/

Or by phone at: 423-473-1841

Or you can send a tax deductible donation to:

Gospel Ministries International
PO Box 506
Collegedale, TN 37315

Kindly include a separate note that it is for Grenada Media Ministry.

Donate to us directly:

Paypal: paypal.me/SteveShedell

Send money directly to our bank account (no fees) through Zelle. Use email address: steve.s88@protonmail.com

Contact us directly:

Steve and Samra Shedell
PO Box 2747
St. Paul’s, St. George’s
Grenada, West Indies

Steve.shedell@gmail.com