Joy Ridderhof pulled the blankets around her head to warm her shivering body, knowing she’d soon be throwing them off as sweat soaked her nightgown.
Joy had succumbed to malaria before, but this episode wouldn’t subside. As a result, she’d had to leave the people she’d grown to love in Honduras and return home to Los Angeles. The year: 1937.
Her doctors weren’t sure why she didn’t improve. Added to her discomfort was their discouragement: “You mustn’t go back to Honduras, Joy.”
A mountain village of Honduras , 2008
The thirty-four-year-old had served as a missionary in a remote, mountain village for five years. In spite of hardship, illness, and even threats on her life, she’d loved her time there, and many Hondurans had come to know Christ.
Now it appeared that challenging yet satisfying life-chapter was over. Joy faced the possibility of being an invalid the rest of her life—or at least a semi-invalid.
One day as Joy lay in bed, a wonderful idea occurred to her. The gramophones many villages owned could be put to good use if she made records of stories and songs about Jesus. As far as she knew, no such records existed in Spanish.
But how could she implement such a plan? Joy began to pray and asked others to join her.
Slowly, her health improved. And then, she happened to be introduced to a missionary returned from Central America who’d built a recording studio in his home. She shared her idea, and he became enthused about such a project.
Joy wrote the scripts and arranged for singers and their accompaniment. She herself read the stories.
The first record was produced on December 31, 1938. Joy sent them to various locations in Central America. Now people who couldn’t read would hear about Christ in their own language.
But each record cost fifty cents to produce and Joy had no income. The Great Depression meant resources were tight everywhere. Joy prayed for God’s provision. She believed what the great missionary Hudson Taylor had said [1]:
And supply God did.
In May 1939, Joy established Spanish Gospel Recordings.
Missionaries in Mexico heard about Joy’s work and asked for records in another language. Of course, finding native speakers in L. A. for an indigenous Mexican-Indian language would be nearly impossible.
So Joy and her college friend Ann Sherwood left for Mexico and Central America in 1944, a trip made possible by a doctor who loaned them a car and provided gas ration coupons.
Once they arrived in Mexico, a man invited them to use his new recording studio. The women spent ten months producing records in thirty-five languages, then returned to the States, satisfied their task was complete.
But God had more in store.
Missionaries to the Navajo Indians in Arizona asked for recordings; Joy found native speakers to translate and record scripts for them [2].
Next came a call from Alaska. The two women drove from L.A. to Alaska, equipped with one of the first tape recorders produced in America. While there, someone mentioned that such records would be helpful in the Philippines.
“Oh no!” Joy laughed. “Now we’ve got to go to there!”
Joy and Ann spent one year in the Philippine Islands, producing records in ninety-two languages [3].
By 1955, the two women and others had travelled around the world. Records were being sent to more than one hundred countries [4], prepared on top-of-the-line recorders that God supplied.
He also provided workers who lived in various countries. By 1980 about 3,500 languages had been recorded [5]. Millions of records had been produced.
Of course, not all remote villages owned a record player. So Joy’s organization developed and supplied a number of different players over the decades.
The simplest was a cardboard sleeve that also housed the record for shipping. When opened up, a needle fastened to one edge played the record when placed on the stubby spindle attached to one side. The record could be turned by a pencil or stick stuck into a hole on the edge of the label.
Hand-wound box-players were later issued, then cassette players, followed by hand-wound mp3 players. Today, the internet and apps allow people all over the world to hear about Jesus and his gift of salvation.
In an interview recorded in 1974 [6], Joy Ridderhof (1903-1984) passionately affirmed:
“We have a God that’s alive, who answers prayer, takes care of us, gives us joy in the work, and provides great results from our work.
“Many thousands have heard about Jesus; little churches have sprung up in different places. He has met our needs and proven himself faithful [7]!”
Today, the Global Recordings Network includes forty offices worldwide, and has produced recordings in more than 6,500 languages [8].
Joy Ridderhof
[1] https://www.globalrecordingsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Magazine-viewing-version-1.pdf
[2] https://fromthevault.wheaton.edu/2024/03/04/too-impractical-to-be-a-missionary-remembering-missions-pioneer-joy-ridderhof/
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsLfY9bOkxo
[4] https://fromthevault.wheaton.edu.
[6] (and [7]) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsLfY9bOkxo
[8] https://www.globalrecordingsusa.org/about/overview/
Image credits: http://www.canva.com; http://www.flickr.com; commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org (2).
Please sign up below for the monthly newsletter!
AVAILABLE THIS MONTH: “Thirty Days of Praise”–scriptures and question-prompts to draw our hearts and minds toward celebrating God, with a few moments of reflection and worship.
Scroll to the end of the newsletter to find this resource. And thank you in advance for becoming a subscriber!
Discover more from From the Inside Out
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
From the Inside Out 
Joy’s story is amazing! Thanks for sharing it, Nancy. 🙂
You’re welcome, Nancy. I was amazed too as I researched her story!
Yet another incredible story of the incomparable provisions of our all loving, omnipotent Lord. Thanks for sharing this inspirational story Nancy.
Be blessed, and …
Keep Looking Up ^ … His Best is Yet to Come!
You’re welcome, Fred. I’m amazed how many incredible stories of God’s provision and enablement are available to us on the internet, albeit with a little digging. I greatly enjoy learning about the men and women that become part of this series of mini-biographies. They’re well worth knowing, I think! / Yes indeed–let’s keep looking up as these heroes did!
Wow! This is such an incredible story of faith! Praise God! Thank you for sharing Joy’s journey with us!
My reaction was WOW too, as I researched Joy’s life. I’m so glad you found her story inspiring, Linda!
Wow! What an encouraging and inspiring post Nancy! That’s a definite Eph 3:20 story!! It makes me think we often trust God for so little when He is the God of abundant supply!! (Perfect title!)❤️
You are so right, Lisa. Sometimes our faith can run a bit weak! Praise God he can use faith the size of a mustard seed–so small you have to look close to find it. But may we grow to truly trust and REST in the knowledge that our all-powerful, all-wise God has everything under control (Psalm 103:19)! He supplies ALL that we need (Philippians 4:19) to follow the plan he’s already established (Ephesians 2:10. (Talk about incredible!)
What a testimony for Gods hand being in the work. Through him Joy was able to spread the good news abundantly.. his mercy endures forever. Thanks for sharing.
I wonder, if someone had told Joy, the day she recorded the first story and songs, that in a few decades there would be millions of such recordings made, spread all over the world. I imagine even her eyes would have popped in surprise! And one day we’ll know “the rest of the story,” how GOD engineered events from behind the scenes, as evidence indicates he loves to do. In retrospect, we’ve recognized God’s hand at work in our lives. I know you have too, Cathy!
Every day his presence is there.💕
Hallelujah!
Thanks for sharing this, Nancy. I love hearing about how God works though ordinary people.
I do too, Ruth. With God, ordinary becomes extraordinary!
Joy’s life is the ultimate God story, Nancy! When we trust fully in Him, knowing He will act and provide, miracles happen. Thanks for reminding us, through Joy’s journey, that we may be one person, but with God, we can affect the many for His good and glory. Blessings!
Amen, Martha! We may never know (until heaven) the fruit that develops from a seed of faith, encouragement, or wisdom that God inspires us to plant. We may also never know what God accomplishes through the seeds that come from THAT fruit–and so on until Christ returns. You are so right: “With God, we can affect the many for His good and glory.” Let’s seize the day with faith and hope, courage and perseverance!
Missionary stories are the best aren’t they? What miracles. We sure could use more of this pure belief and outreach now. What hope and faith….
Indeed, Jean. So many people are hurting, suffering from anxiety and depression, feeling hopeless, purposeless, and more. May we be the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be; may we exercise courage to share about him and the peace and joy he provides–every chance we get. The old hymn, “God of Grace and God of Glory” comes to mind. The words of the chorus speak to our ongoing need: “Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, That we fail not man nor Thee.” AMEN!
So amazing the see how God works through willing, faith-filled people!
Agreed, Dana! May we be inspired by Joy’s example, to be willing, and faith-filled as she was! Strengthen us to that end, Heavenly Father!
Only in God’s hands could malaria become a blessing.
So very true, Linda. Little could Joy know what God had in store as she lay on her bed!
I throughly enjoy these biographical posts about great Christian workers, Nancy! It’s amazing how God works, and then reworks, through those who are willing to serve in His harvest field.
I used the cardboard players to great effect during a missionary trip to Mexico in the 1980’s. I could speak little Spanish, but knew how to ask them for permission to play the record explaining the gospel story.
I’m so glad you enjoy these mini-biographies, David. How wonderful that someone here among the commenters actually used one of GRN’s cardboard players. Quite the ingenious invention! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Wow! Amazing. Reminds me to not doubt and trust in our God of abundant supply. Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
Amen, Manu. ENOUGH with the doubting!
What a great story!! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Katie!
Going from an almost invalid to spearheading a project that has ministered to millions all over the world is something only our God could do. Joy’s story, her persistence, her heart of faith, and her vision for what could be encouraged others to join her on this incredible adventure. Thank you for sharing this, Nancy. It reminds me that what Hudson Taylor said is true: God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply. That is something I need to remember.
I need to remember that truth also, Dayle. Too often I’ve been too wimpy to believe big things from God!
Incredible story and wonderful inspiration. Thank you, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Wynne. I too found Joy’s story to be incredible and wonderfully inspiring!
I LOVE a good missionary story!
TT
[image: –Join me at Living Our Days]
Join me at Living Our Days https://michelemorin.net “The way we live our days is, of course, the way we live our lives.” (Annie Dillard)https://linktr.ee/MicheleDMorin
I do too, Michele! Researching these mini-bios is a pleasure I greatly enjoy.
Just when Joy thought her plan of serving God was well under way it seemed that it had abruptly been curtailed when she fell ill. But God (as usual) had a better way. Her faith was put to the test and she passed magnificently, finding a way to reach more people than she could ever had imagined.
As you know, I so enjoy these real-life stories of men and women of faith.
And, as a bonus, I learned about primitive technology that became available enabling her and Ann Sherwood to widen the expanse of their ministry. Because of God…everything fell into place.
There’s a Don Moen song from the ’90s that often echoes in my memory, which Joy’s life certainly illustrates. You may remember it: “God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see; He will make a way for me.” Praise God for his faithfulness to guide and his power to provide!
I had never heard of that song. So now I’m playing it as I write this. Many of the friends I met online on Bee Gees sites happen to be born-again Christians. What a treat! I forwarded your blog for this week to a Bee Gee friend of mine and he wrote: “Thank you for sending that to me, Cheri ! That’s a great story. I think I’m going to pass that one to some people in our church and one local Detroit missionary that we support. His name is Tony and he is blind. He has a mission transcribing biblical study materials into digital format so that they may be used by blind people. He makes the digital transcriptions free to the people that request them.”
Thank you for forwarding this post on to others, Cheri, AND for sharing about that missionary in Detroit. What a wonderful ministry HE’s fulfilling!
Nancy,
I have heard this story. I love the idea. It only gets better as technology does.
Thank you, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
That’s one of the sidelights of this story that I appreciated. Joy and her team stayed current with technology as it became available–no easy feat as upgrades occurred frequently!
Loved this, Nancy. I had never heard of this amazing work or woman. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Sheila. I hadn’t heard Joy’s story either until recently. ‘Can’t remember exactly where her name came up, but it was a delight to learn more about her and the amazing, far-reaching ministry God raised up through her.