Pastor Noe Camacho and Rosa Maria Camacho are pictured in a new addition to their church, The Iglesia de Dios Jesuscristo Manantiales de Vida in Tyler Wednesday. They have recently acquired a license to start a low-power radio station. The station will be Spanish language and Christian and will transmit out of the church. (photo by Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Spanish speakers in East Texas will have a few more radio options this year and some spiritual inspiration as well.

One Tyler church has launched a Spanish Christian radio station and another expects to launch one by the end of this month. Both are low power FM stations.

The pastors and congregation members said there is a need in the Spanish community for radio that is encouraging and has a Christian emphasis.

Pedro Garcia, pastor of Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal on Linwood Street in Tyler, said his desire with the radio station is to reach people wherever they are and help them know Jesus, to be a Christian — not a perfect person, but a different person.

Garcia is director of Radio Esperanza — esperanza is Spanish for hope — and said it had been his dream for more than eight years to start a Christian radio station for Spanish speakers.

Radio Esperanza went live about five months ago. The station broadcasts on 93.7 FM and also can be accessed online and by phone.

Since the station’s launch, they already have coordinated a community drive collecting three trailer loads full of supplies and $3,000 for the victims of the Van tornado, Garcia said.

His desire is to serve the community, and because of that, he plans to have special broadcasts to provide Spanish speakers with useful information.

For example, later this month, he plans to have a broadcast with a back-to-school emphasis.

He said the nonprofit station is “just trying to help the community.”

“(We’re) just trying to (serve) the Lord,” said Garcia, who has lived in Tyler for 30 years, pastored this church for 12 and owns a tree service company.

Across town, a few blocks northwest of the downtown Tyler, Pastor Noe Camacho and his wife, Rosa Maria, worship with their congregation at Iglesia de Dios Jesucristo Manantiales de Vida on Bow Street.

The 13-year-old church, which the Camachos founded, occupies a 4,000-square-foot storefront. The church is in the process of completing a 3,000 square-foot, two-story addition that will provide space for the soon-to-be-launched radio station.

The plan for the addition is for the first floor to serve as a multipurpose space, including a dining room and space for children.

Upstairs there is a large space for youth, the radio station studio and an office for the pastor and his wife.

The goal is for the radio station to go live by the end of this month and for the addition to be finished by the end of this year.

The station will broadcast on 92.5 FM and online at www.radiomanantialesdevida.com. Manantiales de vida is Spanish for fountain of life.

The station’s content will include preaching, teaching, music and educational programming.

The plan is to have volunteers available to answer phones and pray for listeners who call in as well.

In addition to local content, the station likely will broadcast Spanish programs from ministries such as Focus on the Family and Christian evangelist Luis Palau.

Camacho said he and his wife have longfelt the need for a Spanish Christian radio station and began looking at how to get one.

They found out the Federal Communications Commission was going to open opportunities for low-power stations so the church submitted an application about two years ago. The process took some time, because of federal and local requirements, Camacho said.

“We thank God that God was the one that helped us every step of the way,” he said the day the city of Tyler approved a permit for the radio antenna installation. “Today was a very, very victorious day for our church, and I think it is for the whole community.”

Mrs. Camacho said they give God all the glory for making the creation of this station possible and for the work he is doing in their ministry.

Alfredo and Irlanda Alcala are church members who said they are excited about the soon-to-be-launched station.

“It’ll be wonderful,” Alcala, 48, a welder, said.

The Alcalas are bilingual and listen to local English Christian radio stations such as KVNE and KGLY and the California-based K-LOVE.

Alcala said when he talks to people in the Spanish-speaking community many of them say “they wish they had a KVNE in Spanish.”

“It gives hope to a lot of people, and you can’t compare that to nothing,” Alcala said.

When he is discouraged or having a bad day, he said listening to the songs and messages on Christian radio encourage him, because he realizes what he has in Christ.

“I have somebody that loves me so much that He gave His life for me,” he said.

Mrs. Alcala, 38, a home health aide, said her days can be stressful. Hearing the Christian songs on the radio as she drives to and from work appointments can calm her down.

“It reminds us we’re here with a purpose,” Mrs. Alcala said.

Having the Christian Spanish station means that Spanish-speakers will get this message, too, Alcala said.

Church member Jairo Solares, 29, of Tyler, who has a music ministry, said he is happy about the station, because it’s going to be preaching God’s word.

Camacho said his goal for this station is to bring a unity to the community and provide growth for the church by giving people a greater knowledge and understanding of who God is so they can trust Him more.

He said these days people face challenges in life, and “we are hoping through the ministry we will be able to bring some relief to the people, trust in the Lord and bring healing to their heart.”

Twitter: @TMTEmily

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Spanish Christian Radio in Tyler

Station: Radio Esperanza

Call sign: KZYY-LP

Frequency: 93.7 FM

Website: www.radioesperanza937fm.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radioesperanza937FM

Listen by phone: 605-562-6043

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Station: Radio Manantiales de Vida*

Call sign: KJID-LP

Frequency: 92.5 FM

Website: www.radiomanantialesdevida.com

* Expected to go live later this month