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
dan@livingstonehaiti.com
livingstonehaiti.com
wmausa.org
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