L3 Photo by Vangie
Dr. Haag Teaches From Experience By Becky Griggs Dr. Larry Haag knows missions. He has been there. better teacher. " M y experience helps m e to k n o w h o w "Once you've been on the mission field, you'll never be to present the practical side of missions and the challenges before the students," he said. "It's not just the same," he said. Haag and his family spent 10 years as missionaries reading a book, it's sharing actual experiences that in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their main emphasis was on you've had." O n e of his most memorable experiences w a s leading evangelism, church planting, and leadership training. In the short amount of time they were there, they one particular Brazilian to Christ. H e saw this young planted four churches and worked with three other m a n go through the Bible institute that w a s at their church, study missions, and eventually become a mischurches. Haag, w h o is n o w the chairman of the L U missions sionary in the jungles of Brazil. This m a n left an department, prayed for the opportunity to teach mis- impression on his life. M a n y students have gone through the L U missions sions someday. Through contacts at Baptist Bible College, the Liberty missions director contacted Haag program since Haag has been here. "Approximately in 1981 while he w a s on the mission field in Brazil. It 350 graduates have either been on the field or are was during that same year that Haag and his family currently there," he said. " W e have missionary graducame to Lynchburg on furlough, and their prayers ates located on every continent. The missions major were answered. H e started teaching missions that has grown more this year than any other time that I have been here." year. Haag is aware of the importance of missionary trainHaag is also the missions director for T h o m a s Road Baptist Church and is responsible for the organization ing. "It gives you insight into cultural differences," he said. "It helps a student become sensitive to differof the World Impact Conference. H e has three sons and two daughters. Three have ences. W e all stress that the people of the world are attended Liberty in the past, and two sons still attend. different, but not inferior." Haag has fulfilled two separate missions. H e has Haag enjoys teaching. "The personal interaction with the students is great," he said. "I really enjoy the been a missionary, and he has been able to teach others h o w to be missionaries. classroom setting." His missions experience has helped him become a
