Today was recording day for "In Touch."

While most of our programming on Friendship Radio is original, recorded by Japanese pastors, we also produce and air a Japanese version of In Touch, the radio program by Dr. Charles Stanley. Rev. Tamai is the voice of Charles Stanley in Japanese. The folk in Atlanta, where In Touch is located, were extremely happy with Rev. Tamai's voice -- they say it sounds very much like Dr. Stanley.

My role in the project is going through the English scripts to clean them up for the translator (fix grammar, typos, idioms, etc. that can give a translator fits). Then I assist with the recording, translate listener response and handle liaison work with Atlanta.

Mr. Otsuka is a freelance who voices the opening and closing announcements, and then edits the whole package together.

For the most part, I think you get a better message when it's created in the broadcast language and not translated. But we work hard to make it as natural as possible for Japanese listeners.

Rev. Tamai has become a fan of Dr. Stanley - almost every time we record he says, "Man, this guy says some great stuff!" I can't say I exactly enjoy editing the scripts, but I am often challenged by the messages as I'm doing it!