March 5, 2019│By Nathan Peterson, Urbana Missions
Bruce Rydbeck could never have imagined God’s plans for him: broadcasting the gospel to tens of thousands living in the Soviet Union, saving countless lives at a Kenyan hospital, creating sustainable sources of clean water for over 100 communities in Ecuador.
Even with all the accomplishments, Bruce defers the attention away from himself, saying, “If we would all see our divinely given skill sets and motivations as opportunities to serve others and express Jesus’ compassion, a godly, peaceful society would develop in our home countries and the world over.”
Fifty years ago, Bruce was an engineering student, actively involved with his InterVarsity chapter at Clarkson College (now Clarkson University) in New York. In 1967, he made the 900-mile trip down to Illinois to go to Urbana. During the conference, George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization, encouraged students to commit to go wherever the Lord would send them. “It was something I knew I needed to do,” Bruce said. “I knew that the Lord would be sufficient for the challenge wherever it might take me.”
He visited the exhibit hall looking for ways that God could use his talents as an engineering student, but none of the exhibiting missions organizations had any opportunities for him. God’s next step for him, he concluded, was to complete his degree.
Power Plants for the Gospel
By 1979, Bruce’s life had changed a lot. He was now working in Boston as an engineering consultant, had earned a master’s degree, and was married with two children. His family was outgrowing their house and experiencing some changes at church as well. As they sought God’s direction in these transitions, they were prompted to pursue additional evangelism training and start looking into missions opportunities. HCJB World Radio—an Ecuador-based Christian radio ministry (now part of Reach Beyond) planning to build a hydroelectric power plant to power their broadcasts—was immediately interested when they heard Bruce had five years’ experience designing power stations.
The Rydbecks had made the move from the crowded streets of Boston to Ecuador’s green sweeping hills and valleys by 1981. Bruce joined a team of Christian engineers, builders, and other professionals, who came from across the world, to help broadcast the gospel across 11 time zones and break through the Soviet Union’s radio-jamming efforts.
The radio broadcasts’ impact wasn’t very well known until years later when some of the Slavic Gospel Association radio programmers who collaborated with HCJB visited the region after the Soviet Union fell. Complete strangers ran up to them, hugging and weeping. Repeatedly, people thanked them for the Christian messages that inspired them to cling to their faith in the face of intense opposition. Some estimate that tens of thousands of house churches were formed and encouraged, thanks in part to HCJB’s broadcasts.
Hearing of Bruce’s work with HCJB, the interim medical director of the Tenwek Hospital approached him with a pressing opportunity. Serving as a ministry of the World Gospel Mission, the hospital provided medical care to a large rural area of Western Kenya. Without 24-hour electricity for critical nighttime surgeries and running equipment, staff estimated close to 300 patients died each year.
HCJB agreed to help the hospital, and for 16 months, Bruce and his family lived in Kenya while he worked with the team building a power plant. To this day, Tenwek Hospital continues to provide health care for western Kenya, training doctors, nurses, and chaplains while sharing the gospel with thousands each year.
Responding to a Global Need
With the hospital’s power plant completed, Bruce returned to Ecuador and has been serving its people ever since. Currently, he leads Life Giving Water International with his wife, Cherith, who has mentored many new missionaries and Ecuadorian woman and children. Their ministry partners with communities in remote, mountainous locations to develop sustainable sources of drinking water, trains others in Christ-centered community development, and enables national ministries. “The Lord has given us a unique opportunity to respond to this huge global need and give testimony to the depth of his concern,” Bruce said.
Bruce advises Urbana participants, “Listen to the Lord. . . . Be encouraged by the number of people seeking the Lord’s will for their lives, but remember your commitment for service will be lived out in a different context. The emotion of Urbana must be replaced with hard work and a willingness to endure difficult circumstances for your ministry to be successful.”