I’ve always known and prayed for missionaries, however I have never really thought about cross-cultural evangelism. After reading about a missionary, Dale Taylor, I was able to get a really good idea of the strategies involved in spreading the word of God. After reading about Dale Taylor’s experience with the Tarahumara Indians of north-central Mexico, I agree and understand the methods he used in educating these people. The first item he points out is understanding who these people are and how they view the world. Many view the “white man” as evil, and because of that, “white-man” cannot be trusted. Due to this, establishing credibility among the tribe is important. Dale Taylor made sure that his team was fully trusted and integrated within the tribe so the foundation could be built. In fact, it took their team 6 years before they could successfully begin preaching the word of God.
Starting with baby steps, they began laying the groundwork on Creation. One thing to remember is that there will be a language barrier and also a breakdown in communication if someone reliable is not available for translating. In addition to language, the showing of slideshows and pictures from magazines, such as National Geographic seems to be a great help in communicating. Once the concept of one factor was gained, they moved onto another story about God. They made sure that understanding was gained before moving on. “The beauty of the revelation of God, each precept is built upon a
