Unreadable: Another Book You Probably Won't Read

Don Barger and his family began their missionary career in the Dominican Republic, where they lived in a rural town that was highly oral. Literacy was often low, and reading was not part of ordinary life for most people. He and his wife, Jennifier, successfully planted a church using Bible storying strategies as well as community health strategies based on principles of orality. Don subsequently oversaw the International Mission Board's (IMB) work among the indigenous people groups of Mexico and Central America.
Orality was a dominant feature of their lives. Many indigenous languages were unwritten or had only been reduced to writing in recent decades. Only a small percentage of the community could read their indigenous language. Their comprehension of written Spanish varied widely depending on the subject matter and the individual. Don coached many missionary teams and local Christians ministering in oral cultures, pioneering the use of the oral Bible storycrafting process called StoryTogether in the Americas with several missionary couples.  Later, Don spent a decade overseeing the training of several hundred IMB missionaries, national, and US partners serving in the Americas.
Due to the focus on reaching unreached people groups, he and his colleagues provided extensive training for living in and communicating effectively with oral communities.  Don currently serves as the Director of Innovation and MX Labs at the IMB.