The Maria Brannigan bilingual evangelical radio ministry: a transcript of November 1, 1997 broadcast, courtesy of Family Broadcasting (WSTX) and G. Luz James Sr. Transcribed by Gilbert A. Sprauve for Kraal, 3 November, 1997.

Her name is Maria Brannigan and her ministry is one of compassion and inspiration. During the week she ministers to the prisoners and inmates of the correctional and custodial institutions on the island. Then, Saturday at dusk, after the radio public has had its fill of berating, lampooning and in every other way feasting on the flesh of elected leaders and public functionaries, she makes her way into the studio, takes a seat before the microphone and greets her listeners in the name of her Savior:

Don't matter w'erever you may be, I hope dat if you sailin' or flyin' you will have your li'l ear radio in your ear an' listenin'. Dis radio station WSTX? God bless dis station dat provide de word of God to go t'rough. An' I'm goin' to read 100 Psalm unto you. De lord has given me dat Psalm in his . . . in my sleep, once upon a time dis year. An' I love it an' never forget it. May de Lord bless you an' keep you, your home, your childrens in Jesus' name.

It said [Que Dios le bendiga tambien a todos los hispanos qu me estan oyendo, Maria Brannigan. Yo creo que muchos de ustedes saben ande yo pertenezco. Dice asi Psalmo 100, Look en tu Biblia. Look for your Bible. Read wid me . . .

Now, I'm going to sing a song.m Dey tell me short. I pray dat de Lord help me to sing it in Jesus' name. I pray dat God help my voice. . .I'm goin' to sing "In time like dese." Un canto que voy a cantaren espanol y en ingles. Los hispanos que hablan ingles pueden comprender. Ahora estamos en los untimos dias for t'ings dat I hear that happenin' now . . . We dey in de last moments . . .

[After a bit more commentary, Sister Brannigan sings accapella her song, after which she preaches: You understand what it said. I don' hae to explain to you: In times like dese you need--not be alone--I, we need a savior. An' really, in time like dese we need the Lord. Because not'ing in dis world can help. Education cyan't help. Money cannot help. A good job cannot help. Not'in g at all ccannot help. Is only God can help . . .

I was studyin' to see how dis world is goin' now, an' if yo' take a look at de 24th chapter of Matthew. It is a fulfillment of de word of God. You read in firs' Timothy, yes if I ain' make a mistake. T'ird chapter . . . w'at time we livin' in now. I'm goin' to read jus' a few verses to close it off because time is runnin'. The spanish people dat I am talkinto: leh ehtoy explicando, ya estamos en los ultimos momentos. Ya no queda mas nada. Y la Biblia es nuestra guia qne nos guia. Aun no tenemos la Biblia podemos predicar el Evangelio de Cristo. Por eso debemos estudiarlo para tenerlo en nuestro corazon grabado y en nuestra mente. Para cuandoquiera, podemos predicar la palabra de Dios a los perdidos. Estamos leyendo. Voy a leerles dos . . . cita en el capitulo 24 de Mateo, 24 chapter of Matthew, and den I'm goin' to give you two or t'ree verses in the book of firs' Timothy, yes, if I ain' make a mistake. Anyway, I'll find it: In de last days. It said like dis . . .[the passage is read]

. . .All dese are the beginnin's of what is to come. So, if dese w'at we're seeing' now is the beginnin' of sorrow, w'at it will be. I won't like to be here. An'I might be here . . . but I know when it come dat all dose dat a'cept the Lord Jesus as dere personal savior, dey won't pass t'rough dat sorrow, because dey will be flyin' like a li'l bird. Because the Word said it and God is not man to lie . . W'at He promise He will fulfill. I will tell you I will give you dis an' dat, an' I will change my mind, but not God . . .Leh ehtoy leyendo en el capitulo 24 de Mateo que dice asi: Respondiendo, Jesus le dijo [translation of the above] . . .y habra peste y hambre, terremotos en diferentes lugares. Todo esto seria principio de dolor. Beginnin' of sorrow.

Our brothers dat hearin' me. Dear people dat hearin' me, listenin' to me. Young people. Many of you are educated childrens going to school. You is a human being. God created you. He give us five senses. Remember, if you readin Genesis. God talk. he made animals and other t'ings. But man was made, fashion' by his han'. Ah don' care w'at nobody say, I didn' come from no monkey. I come from God han'. He fashion me de way I look. Dat's why we shouldn' have a section black and w'ite an' dis an' dat. We all are God made, God fashion'--de way He love us to be. W'en a artis' . . .I have a son, Andre. De brother know, many people know he. W'en he paintin' anyt'ing, any picture, he does draw it to his likeness. An' dat is God way wid us

. . . Dat's de reason why we, w'enever we sin, we have an account to give God. Because we look like him. No curse, no punishment for animal. It don' have now'ere in the Bible said dat. In de sun of de temple de animal self lie. No way! He said man dat die in Christ shall raise. An' punishment too for dem, but not for de animal dem. Dey only have soul feelin', but we have spirit, an' body . . . We are God's image. he didn' say de horses, de donkeys, de bulls dem is his image. No way! Man, my image. So dat's why I feel I look like God. But you don't live for God, you don' look like god. You look like de serpent.

Although de Bible said he was a beautiful angel, but his attitude was ugly. An' dat's why you see many of our childrens, w'en dey turn dere back on de Lord, dere attitude ugly, dey do ugly t'ings. Dey don' understan' it, but dere attitude are ugly, dere action. Because dey follow de ugly spirit which is Satan, demon, devil. He don' do not'ing beautiful. Yes, he will paint a man beautiful to you, young gyurl dat hearin' me, but 'tis a Satan. Young boys dat hearin' me, he will paint a gyurl beautiful to you, but be careful! You mus' have de beauty of God in you, de spirit of God to recognize who dat gyurl or boy is.

Heavenly Father, I thank you, I'm going to cut it off. But I will tell you dat listenin' to me . . . yo leh ehtoy leyendo en el capitulo 24 de Mateo que la venide de Cristo esta a la puerta. Dios no es hombre para mentir. Nosotros somos imagenes de Dios. Dios hablo, y fueron creados los demas. Pero Dios creo el hombre en su imagen cou su mano. El nos dio parte de su espiritu. Soplo sobre el hombre Adam, imovible ese cuerpo, y recibio vida. Yo ehtoy seguramente que cuando el tuvo este soplo que Dios hizo [whhsshh], an' he open his eye, an' he smile an' he see God. Den after God give him a gift. He take from him an' he make de gyurl for him. Dat's why it is a sin, an abomination for a man to love a man. God didn' created two man. He create one man, an' He put now from de man an' he made de woman as his companion, workmate, to work wid him, to walk wid him. Dat's why a husban' should love he wife an' wife love you husban'. You became one flesh, de Bible said. Blessed are a couple w'en dey join together, but cursed is two man w'en dey join together, or two woman. Do not get mad, do not get frustrated against me. I got to tell you de trut' because I love you . . . so may God bless you. An' I pray for my inmates. Dem is my childrens. I cry for dem I suffer for dem. I pray for dem an' I pray dat tomorrow dere's many dat will be seein' me in Golden Grove, an' I pray for de Lord to bless dem an' help dem to continue, servin' de Lord, many of dem. An' may God bless you. Mama send hello for you in Anna's Hope, w'erever you be . . . Dose dat workin' under parole, I pray for dem to come out, but I pray for you to come out wid de Bible in your han' . . . why God have you dere? Maybe it's for a purpose, to serve Him. So, may God bless you, may god bless the island, bless the whole world . . . blessin' to all. Every pastors, evangelists, missionary. An' I had a li'l trip an' come back safe, in Jesus name. I'll see you, Bye. God bless you. Thank you, Jesus.

QUESTIONS:

1. [For Spanish/English bilinguals] How does the Spanish translation of the seremon compare/contrast with the English version?
2. Do you think that the meaning the preacher’s message loses its strength to convert the listening audience as she rotates throuh the two languages?

4. Translate Psalm 100 ("The Rejoicing of Israel in God's Faithfulness") in your own words.

5. What is the chapter Matthew 24 ("Signs of Christ Coming") and Timothy 1 ("Paul's Charge to the Apostle Timothy about God's Foundation") telling us about Maria Brannigan's conviction to her ministry?

6. Do you think these three books of the Bible help explain Maria's message to us why or why not?

7. After reading this transcript,would you be encouraged to turn on the radio and tune into Maria Brannigan's message each Saturday evening? Why or why not?