December - Living Stone
Transcription
December - Living Stone
The Global Missions Herald Merry Christmas! Dan, Liz & Joey Carl Missionaries and Coach Affiliates with World Mission Associates December, 2013 Reaching leaders in the Southern Peninsula Dear Friends and Ministry Partners, Merry Christmas from Omaha! We pray the Lord Jesus will be your strength as you reflect upon the significance of His virgin birth. Recently, the Haiti team, “Ministére de la Pierre Vivante” conducted two pastoral training conferences in Jeremie featuring the Shepherd’s Staff Bible training manual. Lying 175 miles west of Port-au-Prince is the city of Jeremie. (above left courtesy of Wikipedia) (above right map) Historically, this has been one of the most pristine and difficult places to reach in Haiti due to its location and poor road conditions. With an invitation from pastors in the city and the neighboring community of Dame-Marie, another 3 hours away, the evangelism team of “Ministére de la Pierre Vivante” set out to train pastors and distribute the very powerful Bible training manual called, “The Shepherd’s Staff.” Praise Reports 1. The national team is doing a great job contextualizing their leadership training conferences to meet the needs of Haitian pastors. Praise the Lord! 2. A growing awareness that God is calling Haitian Church leaders to trust him for everything. Praise the Lord! Prayer Requests 1. Clement and Mona, the Haitian couple who took over our ministry. Pray God will help them work through some difficulties they have encountered in their personal life. 2. Planning and preparation for Femi Awodele’s Haiti marriage conferences. 3. Many outreaches planned among children and youth over the holidays. 4. The Carl Family’s health, provision, and continued divine leading by the Holy Spirit in everything we do. We’ve been delighted to watch how the national team is continuing to taylor their conferences to meet the needs of local leaders. In each of the one day events, Pastor Pierre Sauveur Cator (above right) conducted a morning session in which he introduced pastors to “The Shepherd’s Staff” and gave them a very detailed explanation on how to use the book for study, teaching and sermon preparation. The leaders followed along in their brand new “Shepherd’s Staffs” (above left) After lunch, “Pierre Vivante” board member, Pastor Jorel Rene (right purple shirt) taught the pastors on “The Ten M’s of Maturity” as follows: 1. Spiritual Maturity 2. Social Maturity 3. Emotional Maturity 4. Sentimental Maturity 5. Physical Maturity 6. Communication Maturity 7. Professional Maturity 8. Sexual Maturity 9. Intellectual Maturity 10. Financial Maturity Please see the back page for more news about global missions! Why should missionaries fully learn language and culture before engaging in ministry? Years ago, when I was a new missionary in Haiti, I was asked to deliver a vehicle to some national church leaders who were preparing to drive to a meeting in the province. However, not only did I deliver the vehicle, I also proceeded to load the vehicle with their luggage thinking they would appreciate my “servant’s heart.” Afterwards, a veteran missionary pointed out to me that I had offended the Haitian leaders. He cautioned me to focus on “being” rather than “doing” so that I could grow in relationship with the people I was so eager to serve. Today, I understand that a “servant’s heart” modeled by an outsider is often perceived as “dishonoring.” Why? Because many Haitians have the perception that Americans don’t think Haitians can do anything without the help of outsiders. Recently, Mark Zook of the famed “Mouk Story” spoke at a “World Mission Associates” luncheon on the vital importance of learning language and culture before engaging in ministry. Mission Philosophy that leads to “Ee Taow”... In the early eighties, Mark Zook (right) and his family left their Pennsylvania dairy farm and moved to Papua New Guinea to live with the unreached and illiterate Mouk tribe. Refusing to cave into the people’s demands to provide food and other “cargo cult” items being made available by other missionaries, the Zooks followed a plan which eventually led to the famous day the village elders believed the gospel saying, “Ee Taow” (It is true!) and paving the way for a community movement to Christ. Thirty years later, the Mouk Church is dependent on the Lord and on one another rather than on western funds and leadership. This encouraging and triumphal story has been made into a moving 25 minute video. (above left) Mark and his wife Gloria purposely chose to refrain from addressing even pressing social issues such as violence against women and deadly superstitions until after the gospel had been presented and widely accepted. The following excerpt from Mark’s October presentation in Lancaster, PA emphasizes our need to know language and culture. As we were doing our language and culture study, over and over again I would say to the Mouk, “Help me. I do not know your language or your culture. What kind of trees should I be using to build my house? Where do I go? Where do the trails lead?” And in a rainforest, I’m telling you, you can really, really get lost. That’s why I always had them go in front of me! It was a good context for building relationships. As we moved in, of course they asked us, “Why are you wanting to live among us? Why do you want to do that?” And we said, “We want to learn your language and your culture. We want to teach you to read and write and your government said, ‘we want you to start a clinic’ so we will start a little medical clinic for you likewise. Also, we are here with a message that we want to give to you that is really good and you need to hear it.” And they said, “OK. Well, what is it.” I said, “I do not know your language and culture. We cannot communicate with you, and this message is too important to risk communicating in a wrong way. We have to learn your language and culture first.” And so, during that time, by using that model, I said, “You know, I’m your student. You be my teacher.” And, as we followed that model, and we relied on them day in and day out, we were developing good relationships with the people. Then, later on, using that same example, when we completed our language and culture learning, they needed to hear from the Word of God and that was the message we were there to teach them. So, as I had yielded to them, submitted to them as a student of theirs, I now appealed to them using that model and said, “You are now in an area that is totally unfamiliar to you, that is the Word of God.” None of them had ever seen a Bible or knew how to hold a book. I said, “As I was here in the jungle and did not know which trees to use to build my house or what trails to follow to go to the next village and so forth, I submitted to you and your leadership. Now we’re getting into an area which you know nothing about, now we need to make a change again.” This worked very well. The Zook’s currently live in Pennsylvania. No missionary has lived among the Mouk since 1997. However, the Church continues to grow in strength and numbers. Their story is a powerful demonstration of the importance of following Biblical mission principles. You can find Mark’s full 35 minute message by clicking the “Media and Resources” link at: wmausa.org We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks for your commitment to the Lord’s work and us. Love in Jesus, Dan, Liz & Joey mobile: 402-955-9425 Skype: danieljcarl [email protected] livingstonehaiti.com wmausa.org Working in association with