We are excited to share our August Newsletter ministry update! God continues to grow the Tiale ministry as students become teachers, leaders are developed, and His Word continues to be taught. We are incredibly thankful for what He is doing and for those who faithfully stand behind this work. There are many things to pray for, and many ways to get involved. Thank you for your involvement.
Contrasting ministry overseas with ministry in the States reveals many similaritiesand yet, in practical terms, they are often not comparable. The distinction is not merely geographical. Serving within established infrastructure and organizational support is fundamentally different from serving independently in an isolated setting where much of that infrastructure simply does not exist.
Serving in isolated missions has a way of turning ordinary tasks into something far more complex than they would be at home. I remember being on my roof recently, doing the kind of work that in the States might mean a quick call, a ladder, and perhaps someone stopping by to help. Instead, I was alone, looking out over an endless stretch of jungle canopy. The sun was dropping, there was no one to call, no one “on standby,” and no quick solution if something went wrong.
As I worked, inconvenience became calculation: What happens if I slip? How far is the nearest hospital? Who would even know I was hurt? How long before someone realized something was wrong? Is there even a vehicle available tonight to get me to town? These were not abstract concerns. They were the ordinary calculations that come with realizing that, in a very practical sense, you are on your own.
Even simple mistakes carry different consequences. Forget a supply? That may mean a 7-8 hour round trip; assuming the item is even available. If it is not, the question becomes whether it must be shipped into the country and whether that process will take weeks or months. There is no Amazon prime in this country. What is a minor inconvenience in the States can consume an entire day or even delay an entire project in an isolated setting overseas.
Ministry itself does not change with geography. Regardless of country, culture, or language, people need Christ, the gospel must be proclaimed, believers must be discipled, and churches must be strengthened. The mission remains the same; the mechanics can be radically different.
The inconveniences are real. The isolation is real. The risks are real.
But the cross is worth it. Christ is worth it. The cost may change with geography; the worth of Christ does not.
We have been in Vanuatu for over 10 years now, and discipleship has been the lifeline of our methodology. I have discipled one pastor throughout that time, helped develop other pastors, and am currently discipling two more men who, Lord willing, will become pastors next year. Discipleship takes work. It takes time. It does not happen in a classroom, and it certainly does not happen by accident.
So what does a disciple actually look like? I believe Scripture gives us two defining evidences:
•They are progressively conformed to the image of Christ, putting sin to death through faithful obedience.
•They make disciples who reproduce disciples.
All disciples are commanded to make disciples. If our “discipleship” successfully transfers curriculum but never produces disciples who themselves make disciples, we should be willing to ask the uncomfortable question: Have we fulfilled the Great Commission—or have we simply educated Christians about it? If the process never reproduces disciple-makers, perhaps we should stop calling the process discipleship.
Nearly 600 lessons over three years. The students are now “coming down the mountain.” They’ve reached the halfway point, and it’s exciting to see their burden for the gospel taking shape.
One student, in his early 50s, wants to spend the rest of his life sharing the good news with his family and street preaching anywhere he’ll have the opportunity. Another hopes to return to his own island—his own language group—to witness to his family and community. One day, he may be the only gospel witness among his people.
Please pray for the continued discipleship of the pastors, the growth of the students, and the ongoing development of the lessons.
There are many times when I catch a glimpse of what it must have been like for the Apostle Paul—teaching people who have never heard much about the Bible, and watching their excitement carry our meetings well past midnight (Acts 20:7, “…and continued his speech until midnight”). The Tiale ministry is one of excitement, and we are blessed to serve a people who are hungry for and growing in God’s Word.
Unlike Paul, however, being married and having a young child adds many layers to what missions looks like. Coupled with the reality that we are independent missionaries, isolated from other expatriates by several hours, there are many times we feel like the “only ones” in the country. When you find yourself on a rooftop painting a rusting roof after 10:00 p.m. because it is your only “free time” outside of ministry, the weight of isolation becomes very real. Yet we are deeply thankful for my mom, who has been willing and ready to help care for Nicole and Selah during my absence.
We hope this newsletter is an encouragement to you as you see what God is doing in and through the Tiale people.
Stoking The Fires 