Uncategorized

Wanted to share this video recap from Seth’s trip this past weekend. There is no Gospel preaching church in or near this village.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support!

Your feet in Vanuatu,

Seth & Nicole Stokes

It was St. Francis of Assissi that once so poignantly said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words”. Let’s be honest, this might be one of the hardest things to do in the Christian life, to be faithful, to have a good witness at all times. In Colossians 3:17it tells us that ‘whatever’ we do, we ought to do in the name of our Lord Jesus. Whatever? In all things? Are you serious? Even when we are sick? Even when it’s hot? Even when its pouring down rain and now you have to hike 4 hours to go preach at a village (where they are glad you came, but aren’t Christians or very hospitable… they want to “hear” about Jesus, but at night ask you to leave so they can indulge in their type of drug known as Kava and get drunk… well, because they are still unsaved). We are always reminded we must model faithfulness to them in our day in and day out lives… whether or not we “feel” like taking certain days off, we can’t, we don’t have substitutes, we don’t have anyone learning this language for us, every week we have Bible studies, and no matter how we feel, they are coming to hear God’s Word so they can grow, so we must be faithful to the ministry God gives us. The men keep telling Seth, “we look forward to our Bible study, it’s a time where I get to eat for ourselves (implying they are the ones always feeding others).

Isn’t she the cutest umbrella holder?!

Over and over again we are always asked the question by these growing believers, “why are so many believers here so unfaithful to God?” It is a very good question, unlike most of us westerners we cannot make the excuse that we have never seen someone model faithfulness and a mature Christian walk, we have seen it countless times. The Tiale people have had people coming and going throughout their Christian lives, but have never had someone live and model with them day in and day out the Christ-life. They have never seen someone work in the community, love their wife, work in the garden, and still be faithful to the Christian life day in and day out for years… it’s the first time they are seeing it. And recently we have seen tremendous growth in the core men and in their wives…

Seth and the guys heading out for a weekend outreach

PLEASE, PLEASE understand this, it is not us that lives, but Christ that lives in us… quite personally we thinkwe are terrible models and feel like we fail all the time because we desire to do more for them and their walk with God… and from time to time, we will hear them tell us, “thank you for your faithfulness… it has encouraged me to take my walk with our Lord more serious”, which then will motivate and reminds us of this truth of being faithful, if all else fails, continue to be faithful; God is moving and working. Sometimes we feel like we are not doing enough, we haven’t learned the Tiale language yet, we can only meet with so many people per week to grow them in their spiritual life, but there is a truth in God’s Word, and a principle that He gives to… “be faithful”. This week the men and Seth sat down and studied Galatians 6:9 for almost two hours and just discussed that point, it’s not our job to focus on when the harvest will come… it’s our job to keep working and not get fatigued, God promises that the harvest will come in its due time… as Seth was teaching the men, we too were focused and encouraged on this verse. Continue being faithful, and God will bring forth a harvest in due time.

Ladies Bible Study!

Please continue to pray for us, we desire to be models of Christ for the Tiale people; as Christians, as a married couple, as friends, and as a family in the community. Though we honestly feel we are inadequate and feel like we fail from time to time, we are reminded that God has commanded us to be faithful, and He will bring forth fruit in the timing that best suits Him, and not us. A servant doesn’t serve his Master for a thank you, he simply does the work that his Master commands him to do (Luke 17:10).

Your feet to the Tiale People, Seth and Nicole Stokes

We come from the North East part of America, we are “use to”, flash flood warnings, blizzards, and various events that the weather throws at us which causes; the inability to drive to a place for a few hours… up to a day or two, the cancellation of an event, or even loss of power out for a couple of hours…. up to a week. But all of that is pretty uncommon, and we have a phone number to call in order to find the right people to correct the issue…

Click on the link below to read more…

Newsletter-January-February-2019

Your hands and feet to the Tiale people,

Seth & Nicole Stokes

Cyclone Oma stayed longer than welcome, most of the locals said they never saw a cyclone linger so long, for over 6 days. The rivers rose faster than they ever have, said one local.

The picture above is the second river we have to cross to get home… this is after the water receded for over a week! It might be another 2-3 weeks until we can drive to our house. I (Seth) crossed both rivers and then hiked 2+ hours to get home last week to check on our house and animals. Everything was just fine, we even have a larger family (our dog had a litter)!

In about 10 hours we will head back to our house… cross the first river, leave our vehicle with our friends, and then hike home across the second river with minimal supplies for the next 6-8 weeks.

Pray that it stays sunny and the waters recede more, and pray we can get back to work quickly since we have been displaced for almost 2 weeks. About 300 yards of our road was washed away, so we will be busy fixing a new route.

Thank you for your prayers, your feet to the Tiale people, Seth and Nicole Stokes.

To be honest, to always be the odd-man standing out gets a little old; to always be asking clarifying questions, to not knowing many of the words being spoken, to ask them to explain comments/stories/jokes because of feeling like you are missing something and it appears everything is esoteric, to always looking different, dress different, and always a shade of feeling uncomfortable… that is what everyday feels like for the past 12-13 months. That’s how it feels… but recently we began to see a shift in them, how they address us, and how they refer to us.

Recently some people have said:

“We can’t hide anything from them”.

“They know us better than any outsider”.

“The longer they stay, the better they will know us, and it will be like they live in our houses with us”.

“They always question our actions and beliefs, they challenge me in things I have never thought about myself”.

“We can’t talk in our language secretly anymore, they’ll understand what we are saying”.

(Kids) “We want to go see Auntie (Nicole) and Uncle (Seth)”.

(Kids) “Can we go to mom (Nicole) and dad’s (Seth) house?”

Silly faces = international!

These are just a few things they have said recently, and it encourages us. Do we always feel like the odd man out? Well yes, Seth is a foot taller than almost everyone in our people group (except for like two people). Do we still struggle to understand what they are saying? Absolutely… it will take more time to learn this Tiale language. Do we understand their worldview fully and how they perceive events? Not wholly, but piece-by-piece, we are getting closer. Also, it is t

he time of extreme heat and endless rain, sometimes we don’t know if we are covered in perspiration or precipitation (mostly both)… in all things we “feel displaced”.

Discipleship Analogy at Church

Everyday is a struggle to balance learning culture, language, ministry, and being engaged in the community life here, have we mastered this process? By no means… but like the saying goes, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”. Continue to pray for us as we juggle every day life; along with loving on the people, language learning, and discipling those whom God has given us thus far.

Your feet to the Tiale people,

Seth & Nicole Stokes

We have been blessed to be trained in both the scriptures and to also have missiological training, we have heard endless teachings and things on “what to expect” while in the tribe, but as for most things, life is the only teacher.

You think a missionary just learns language and teaches bible? We wish that is all we did this past 5 days…

-Cry with a pastor that we are training, because his dad died

-Help with the logistics of the burial

-Preach at the funeral

-Be a transport driver for people and materials

-Support (financially and food-wise) the many meals that have to be hosted for the next 10 days (their cultural way of mourning after a death)

-Make a casket

-Console the family

-Challenge the witch doctor’s teachings to both him and the people hearing him

-Encourage the pastor daily

-and much more…

Building the coffin

No training in this world prepares you for how to deal with death… no preparations explain how to balance getting involved and loving on families during this event. Our people group has a 5-day and a 10-day ceremony/mourning process, and then after that they arise and go walk the foot trails to think about where he has walked one last time. They also have a 100-day ceremony (they call it that, but it really depends on when their gardens are ready, most of their produce takes 3 months to grow, 90+ days). And then the mourning process is officially finished.

Weeping and wailing…

It has been an amazing time to see how the training we have given these people has been manifesting itself in their lives, to see how they harmonize following the truths of the Bible and still engaging in their culture, it has been great to see firsthand. The pastor has actually been sharing a verse here and there with the family that is staying together; the immediately family along with those who helped bury the body all have to sleep in one house for 10 days during this process. It has been good, because it is an opportunity for people in the village to see how you can be both a Christian and a person who speaks Tiale. The 10-day event finishes on our Sunday here in Vanuatu, continue to pray that the pastor stands strong in his beliefs, and is an example to those who are around him, all eyes are on him, people are waiting to see how he reacts to each traditional belief.

Your feet to the Tiale people,

Seth & Nicole Stokes

Happy New Years from Tiale Land!

So what is your tradition for New Years?

In Tiale Land, each village takes a turn from the week of Christmas through New Years hosting the “New Years event”. Kids, youth, and adults gather together as they sing any 2 songs that they choose… but what’s the twist?

1. YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM FOOD…

2. They have to sing songs to you at your house…

3. You can put WHATEVER you want all over them!

-Traditionally they used to use over-ripe to borderline fermented fruit such as bananas or papaya… then they added used cooking oil… now, anything goes! They love putting paint in bottles and squirting it at you… it does NOT come off! Clothes get ruined, you are dirty beyond a simple shower, and there are non-stop laughs and smiles as you participate. We might have added some things into our mix like: cement… hot sauce… etc. And they relished at the opportunity to get back at us.

All that to say… Happy New Years from the Stokes in Tiale Land to you all! We appreciate you all back home. God bless!

~Seth & Nicole Stokes

First and foremost, we want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you, our support-team! We honestly could NOT be here doing what we are doing without your faithfulness to us and the ministry God has given us! Thank you for your faithfulness in your; giving, praying, encouragement and support!… Click on the link below to continue reading…

Newsletter-December-2018

Young girls Bible Study

Men’s Bible Study

Your feet to the Tiale people,

Seth & Nicole Stokes

MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours, from Vanuatu.

Those of you who are blessed to have the privilege of being near family and enjoying them, do not miss out on that opportunity.

All excuses are inconsequential in light of eternity and the the brevity of life on this earth.

When in heaven, you won’t regret not getting an iPhone, you’ll regret not loving those in your sphere where God has strategically and purposefully placed you.

Love as if it were you last Christmas together… for EVERY missionary on the field, this 5 week stretch of holidays is hardest on them emotionally being isolated and away from family.

Merry Christmas! We love you all! It’s our privilege to be your feet to the Tiale People.

PS do not forget about the families of those who are overseas. This time is hard on them as well.

We have made some major renovations here on the Bible school  Campus; we have made three new dorms for married couples, and built a new building for 12 more Bible School Students. The “buzz” has been circulating about the school and we know of several couples and individuals who are interested in coming to the Bible School in May of 2019…

CLICK on the link below to keep reading…

Newsletter-10-11-18

Your feet to the Tiale people in Vanuatu,

~Seth & Nicole Stokes