"We can do something in the church,” Enrique (Rick) Casali challenged. The church in question is the Newbury Park Spanish Company, which meets in the chapel of Newbury Park Academy. Now about 100 members strong, the congregation responded favorably in a 2003 church business meeting to their elder’s proposal to produce “Viva Mejor” (Live Better), a one-hour television program, as a church project. Production began in October 2003.

Casali had worked on the production staff of the “Ayer, Hoy y Mañana” program in New York City, later moving west when the ministry relocated to the Adventist Media Center. Though that program is no longer in production, Casali had continued using his skills and his own equipment to produce advertising for his company, Filtramax Corp., which manufactures and sells water filters for homes.

With the encouragement and production help of church members, Casali approached Channel 25 of Adelphia Cable in Agoura Hills with an audition tape, proposing that the station air “Viva Mejor” on a weekly basis. Adelphia was very receptive, and a six-month supply of programs was soon at the station. The program airs on Sundays at 10 a.m.

Members’ names roll in the credits at the end of each program for their help with lighting, cameras and other production aspects. Member Pablo Mleziva is the program’s director, with Casali serving as executive producer. "Viva Mejor" focuses on family, health and inspirational messages and also features music and poetry. To accomplish an ambitious production agenda, Casali and others call on friends in Loma Linda who are willing to make presentations; friends from other parts of the U.S. and world are also invited whenever their travel plans bring them to the Southern California area. Tapings are done every one or two months.

The Newbury Park Adventist Academy chapel is the program’s production studio. “We added lighting for the tapings,” Casali noted, pointing to recessed lighting that adds powerful wattage needed for the set. “On each program, the church offers a free book or magazine, which is delivered in person to the Hispanic community in the Agoura Hills area.

From this local follow-up, two couples were baptized in the past two years; another couple is preparing for baptism shortly. Many others are doing Bible studies. Alonzo Gutierrez, a dedicated layman, coordinates the studies, assisting district Pastor Julio Leyva, who is a key part of the follow-up team.

By September 2005, “Viva Mejor” had begun airing on Adventist World Radio, on RED Nueva Tiempo (the Hispanic Adventist TV network) and LLBN (Sundays at 5:30 p.m.)

Leyva expressed appreciation for "Viva Mejor." “The program helps the community know about our church and it gets our members involved in visitation. Every week or so, Mr. Casali gives them the responsibility of taking literature to the homes of viewers who requested it. He receives the requests on a separate phone line in his home, since our congregation does not own its own church.”