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Dying Out Loud: No Guilt in Life, No Fear in Death
Dying Out Loud is the story of Stan, his wife, Ann, their children Elle and Stanley, and their dedication to following God no matter what the cost. They traded the comforts of suburban southern California for the crowded cobblestone streets of the Middle East. They explored remote areas and they befriended nomadic tribes people, courageously bringing a message of hope and freedom to those needing to hear it.
But none of those adventures would compare to where God led them next: a journey of visions, revelations, and sorrow. A journey into stage-four cancer, and a journey that beckoned them to walk the shrouded path through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Yet even there they discovered peace, grace, and a new hope for the lost around them.
But none of those adventures would compare to where God led them next: a journey of visions, revelations, and sorrow. A journey into stage-four cancer, and a journey that beckoned them to walk the shrouded path through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Yet even there they discovered peace, grace, and a new hope for the lost around them.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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August 1, 2025
5 stars and a heart
Original review follows.
This is a biography/authobiography, told in first person. Let me explain. It's not about Shawn Smucker, but he travelled to Turkey where he recorded Stan Steward and took some of the photos in the book, but not all, when Steward was dying from late stage cancer (caught very late.) Therefore, most of it is in the first person voice of Steward as transcribed and edited by Smucker.
Stan, his wife and two children were missionaries in Turkey--and by missionaries I mean they respected the local culture and customs and made many close friends there even though no one converted. However, when his kids were basically grown up (one was in college in the US) he was diagnosed he decided the best thing he could do was to die with hope and peace because he felt that the one thing his Muslim friends lacked was hope. The book ends when he dies, but being true to the nature of it, doesn't write about the results (these can be seen on a video online) which was that it led to conversions.
However you feel about religion or conversions, the story is remarkable for how this family became part of the lives of others, and even learned to live as a community in a way foreign to Americans (there everything is a community decision, eg they once ended up using tile they didn't care for in a bathroom because the group liked it the best.)
At times this book is a tear jerker, particularly because Stan and his wife, Ann, were very close to each other and with their kids, but there are also times where I could see how frightening some of the situations they were in as they travelled to areas near the border of Iran but also how heartwarming many of their interactions were.
Sean Smucker writes many different books; I have no idea if I'll read more by him, but if a book came up and I didn't remember his name, I'd check out his page and see I've read this and think he writes well.
Original review
I'm Elle Steward, and I'm a missionary kid from Turkey. Five weeks ago I left my parents, Stand and Ann, and my little brother, Stanley, in Istanbul and came here to attend...college. In Turkey, I live among the people you call terrorists: anti-American, anti-Christian, Muslim.
I call them family.
excerpt from a speech by Elle Steward which is quoted in full in this book.
I will say from the outset, that this was a difficult book for me in some ways, despite my liking it so very much. It was difficult, because the title comes from the fact that Stan Steward chose to live out his remaining months with terminal cancer (found at stage 4) in Turkey with his Christian family and his Turkish friends and "family" where there was no hospice, not as much advanced pain medication, and where the culture is such where you don't do things alone, especially not dying.
And yet I found myself liking this book a great deal. True, it's not a literary masterpiece, but was co-written by Stan and writer Shawn Smucker. And make no mistake, it is a testimony and a call to service, but it's also a heart-warming account of a loving family who were embraced by a kind and compassionate people among whom they lived nearly eight years before Stan's death. Not that things were lovely all of the time, since they travelled along the silk road where, aside from quiet villages, there are also war lords, smugglers, the border to Iran and many dangers. But I will say no more, since if this sort of book appeals to you, then I strongly recommend it.
Original review follows.
This is a biography/authobiography, told in first person. Let me explain. It's not about Shawn Smucker, but he travelled to Turkey where he recorded Stan Steward and took some of the photos in the book, but not all, when Steward was dying from late stage cancer (caught very late.) Therefore, most of it is in the first person voice of Steward as transcribed and edited by Smucker.
Stan, his wife and two children were missionaries in Turkey--and by missionaries I mean they respected the local culture and customs and made many close friends there even though no one converted. However, when his kids were basically grown up (one was in college in the US) he was diagnosed he decided the best thing he could do was to die with hope and peace because he felt that the one thing his Muslim friends lacked was hope. The book ends when he dies, but being true to the nature of it, doesn't write about the results (these can be seen on a video online) which was that it led to conversions.
However you feel about religion or conversions, the story is remarkable for how this family became part of the lives of others, and even learned to live as a community in a way foreign to Americans (there everything is a community decision, eg they once ended up using tile they didn't care for in a bathroom because the group liked it the best.)
At times this book is a tear jerker, particularly because Stan and his wife, Ann, were very close to each other and with their kids, but there are also times where I could see how frightening some of the situations they were in as they travelled to areas near the border of Iran but also how heartwarming many of their interactions were.
Sean Smucker writes many different books; I have no idea if I'll read more by him, but if a book came up and I didn't remember his name, I'd check out his page and see I've read this and think he writes well.
Original review
I'm Elle Steward, and I'm a missionary kid from Turkey. Five weeks ago I left my parents, Stand and Ann, and my little brother, Stanley, in Istanbul and came here to attend...college. In Turkey, I live among the people you call terrorists: anti-American, anti-Christian, Muslim.
I call them family.
excerpt from a speech by Elle Steward which is quoted in full in this book.
I will say from the outset, that this was a difficult book for me in some ways, despite my liking it so very much. It was difficult, because the title comes from the fact that Stan Steward chose to live out his remaining months with terminal cancer (found at stage 4) in Turkey with his Christian family and his Turkish friends and "family" where there was no hospice, not as much advanced pain medication, and where the culture is such where you don't do things alone, especially not dying.
And yet I found myself liking this book a great deal. True, it's not a literary masterpiece, but was co-written by Stan and writer Shawn Smucker. And make no mistake, it is a testimony and a call to service, but it's also a heart-warming account of a loving family who were embraced by a kind and compassionate people among whom they lived nearly eight years before Stan's death. Not that things were lovely all of the time, since they travelled along the silk road where, aside from quiet villages, there are also war lords, smugglers, the border to Iran and many dangers. But I will say no more, since if this sort of book appeals to you, then I strongly recommend it.
September 1, 2024
What a powerful book. Amazing to be reading it while among the same people and praying similar things.
October 8, 2019
A moving story of commitment to loving a community of nonbelievers by being a living witness even through death
May 25, 2023
Wow, an incredible and beautiful testimony of a man and his family sold out for Jesus. A short read but it had me sucked in the entire time.
May 8, 2017
I liked this book for the most part, but I did NOT like the ending. I wanted to know more and it simply wasn't there. Great story of a solid missionary family who gave it all for Christ. If you are going on the mission field, this is one you must read before going.
June 9, 2017
I felt like this was a very honest telling of the life of a missionary. I really appreciated that, and I sped through the book in just three days. It was easy to get into the writing style. It was interesting learning about the culture of the Turkish people and how they view life.
January 17, 2023
As a believer, I need to read books like this to remind what’s really important. I’m so inspired by Stan, whom this biography is about. I found myself having to read it slowly, really thinking about his choices and what I would do. I found myself pausing to pray as I read it. I wish it was longer and could share the fruit that came out of his sacrifices.
My favorite line was from a speech by his daughter in one of the last chapters, “People all across the country have been taking to their mosques to pray (for her dad). These are your terrorists? These are your anti-American and anti-Christian embassy burners? These are God’s beloved, His chosen, His children… and my friends.”
My favorite line was from a speech by his daughter in one of the last chapters, “People all across the country have been taking to their mosques to pray (for her dad). These are your terrorists? These are your anti-American and anti-Christian embassy burners? These are God’s beloved, His chosen, His children… and my friends.”
July 19, 2025
I’ve known Stan and Ann since childhood. I remember seeing Stan show up to church in his police uniform and always admired his dedication to his job, his family, and his church. My mom would routinely update me on their ministry once they went overseas and I was devastated to hear of Stan’s diagnosis and subsequent passing. However, after reading this book…he lived what he was put on this earth to accomplish and there is no greater accomplishment or honor in this life. I am so pleased to hear that Ann and Stanley are continuing the work, even after Stan’s passing. Blessings to the Steward family from the Robinson’s!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2019
What an inspiring story of a family who gave up their comfortable American lifestyle to live Jesus with folks of all backgrounds in Turkey and the periphery of Iraq and Iran. Their faith is admirable and and their love for people is contagious.
It's a quick read that that is engaging. The colour photos help bring the story to life as well!
It's a quick read that that is engaging. The colour photos help bring the story to life as well!
March 5, 2019
This memoir challenged me like few books do. It will take awhile to process thoroughly. It is a story of a man and his family 100% all in for God. It is a missionary life like no other I am aware of in modern times.
July 29, 2023
As I sit here drying my tears, I pray that the Lord would give me the courage to say yes no matter the cost. I’m thankful for this family, for their yes to Jesus, and for the gift of this book so that others may say yes to Jesus so that the unreached would be reached.
October 22, 2017
Story of a missionary couple who ministered in Turkey. Stan dies in Turkey as the Muslim community sees him living out loud for Christ. Amazing story!
June 28, 2020
This is one of the best biographies I've read.
March 10, 2023
A great inspirational book.
June 26, 2021
This book really opened my eyes to the hearts of the Turkish people. I never viewed them as violent but to see their eagerness to welcome others and the grace God placed on the Stewards to love them is humbling. Definitely recommend for anyone who has a passion to reach people of differing faiths.
July 23, 2013
Shawn Smucker, Dying Out Loud: The Story of a Silk Road Nomad (Springfield, MO: Influence Resources, 2013). $14.99, 256 pages.
In the fall of 2012, during the worship service at our church, my wife and I listened to a Christian young woman talk about her Turkish Muslim friends. “In Turkey,” she said, “I live among the people you call terrorists: anti-American, anti Christian, Muslim. I call them family.” Three weeks previously, her father had been diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. In response, this young woman said, “People all across the country [i.e., Turkey] have been taking to their mosques to pray for us, and this past Friday the imam of our local mosque led his entire congregation for my father.” Poignantly, she asked, “These are your terrorists?” No, she concluded; “These are God’s beloved, His chosen, His children…and my family.”
The young woman’s name is Elle Steward. Dying Out Loud is the story of her parents, Stan and Ann, their call to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in Turkey, and how they make sense of that call when cancer puts a death sentence on Stan. It is engrossing reading, not only because of the human drama of living with (and dying from) cancer, but also because of the evident love and affection that the Stewards have for the Turkish people.
What animates the entire story, however, is Stan and Ann’s desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslim people. This desire leads them to abandon a normal, middle class life for missionary work in Turkey. It motivates them to travel the ancient Silk Road through parts of Turkey that are dangerous for Turks, let alone for Westerners. And it allows them to interpret Stan’s illness as an open door for the gospel, an opportunity to show people who fear death how they can face it with peace and an assurance of salvation. As Stan puts it, “Sometimes works of sorrow, loss, and sacrifice speak louder than works of signs, wonders, and miracles.”
In our pluralistic age, many consider missionary work a provocation, especially in Muslim countries. The Stewards show both how to be true to your own Christian faith, even as you give and receive hospitality from people of another faith. Without compromising their Christian convictions and mission, the Stewards make friends of Muslims, receive their hospitality and prayers for health, and participate in the life of their community in Instanbul. When a local imam invites Stan to Friday prayers at the mosque, and suggests he can even pray to Jesus there, Stan takes him up on the opportunity, joining the men of his neighborhood weekly for prayer. Admittedly, this is not standard missiological practice, and I expect it will be the most controversial element of the book. As the Muslims all around him confess their faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad, Stan prays to Jesus that he will open his neighbor’s hearts to the gospel.
The love of Jesus Christ for all people, especially Muslim people, pervades this book. In contrast to some American evangelicals, who demonize Muslims as inveterate jihadists, Dying Out Loud personalizes them. It shows that Muslims have the same hopes and fears as other people, and that they can be generous, hospitable friends. Most importantly, it shows that if Christians want to reach Muslims with the gospel, they must set aside negative stereotypes, embrace them, and live—and die—in plain view among them.
As of this writing, Stan is approaching death. When he dies, he will be prepared for burial by his Muslim friends and laid to rest along the Silk Road. May God use his life and death to spread the gospel of peace that only Jesus Christ can bring: peace with God, and peace with one another!
Full Disclosure: My wife and I are friends with the Stewards, especially their daughter Elle. I also work for the Assemblies of God, which is the parent company of Influence Resources. I do not work for Influence Resources, however.
In the fall of 2012, during the worship service at our church, my wife and I listened to a Christian young woman talk about her Turkish Muslim friends. “In Turkey,” she said, “I live among the people you call terrorists: anti-American, anti Christian, Muslim. I call them family.” Three weeks previously, her father had been diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. In response, this young woman said, “People all across the country [i.e., Turkey] have been taking to their mosques to pray for us, and this past Friday the imam of our local mosque led his entire congregation for my father.” Poignantly, she asked, “These are your terrorists?” No, she concluded; “These are God’s beloved, His chosen, His children…and my family.”
The young woman’s name is Elle Steward. Dying Out Loud is the story of her parents, Stan and Ann, their call to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in Turkey, and how they make sense of that call when cancer puts a death sentence on Stan. It is engrossing reading, not only because of the human drama of living with (and dying from) cancer, but also because of the evident love and affection that the Stewards have for the Turkish people.
What animates the entire story, however, is Stan and Ann’s desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslim people. This desire leads them to abandon a normal, middle class life for missionary work in Turkey. It motivates them to travel the ancient Silk Road through parts of Turkey that are dangerous for Turks, let alone for Westerners. And it allows them to interpret Stan’s illness as an open door for the gospel, an opportunity to show people who fear death how they can face it with peace and an assurance of salvation. As Stan puts it, “Sometimes works of sorrow, loss, and sacrifice speak louder than works of signs, wonders, and miracles.”
In our pluralistic age, many consider missionary work a provocation, especially in Muslim countries. The Stewards show both how to be true to your own Christian faith, even as you give and receive hospitality from people of another faith. Without compromising their Christian convictions and mission, the Stewards make friends of Muslims, receive their hospitality and prayers for health, and participate in the life of their community in Instanbul. When a local imam invites Stan to Friday prayers at the mosque, and suggests he can even pray to Jesus there, Stan takes him up on the opportunity, joining the men of his neighborhood weekly for prayer. Admittedly, this is not standard missiological practice, and I expect it will be the most controversial element of the book. As the Muslims all around him confess their faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad, Stan prays to Jesus that he will open his neighbor’s hearts to the gospel.
The love of Jesus Christ for all people, especially Muslim people, pervades this book. In contrast to some American evangelicals, who demonize Muslims as inveterate jihadists, Dying Out Loud personalizes them. It shows that Muslims have the same hopes and fears as other people, and that they can be generous, hospitable friends. Most importantly, it shows that if Christians want to reach Muslims with the gospel, they must set aside negative stereotypes, embrace them, and live—and die—in plain view among them.
As of this writing, Stan is approaching death. When he dies, he will be prepared for burial by his Muslim friends and laid to rest along the Silk Road. May God use his life and death to spread the gospel of peace that only Jesus Christ can bring: peace with God, and peace with one another!
Full Disclosure: My wife and I are friends with the Stewards, especially their daughter Elle. I also work for the Assemblies of God, which is the parent company of Influence Resources. I do not work for Influence Resources, however.
May 21, 2014
Growing up, I wasn’t much of a reader. However, for the last twenty years that has changed. I have read literally hundreds of books, sixteen already just in 2014. I tell you this because I truly feel that Dying Out Loud by Shawn Smucker is the greatest book that I have had the pleasure of reading. With every turn of the high-quality glossy page, I was personally challenged.
This book is a biography of sorts, which chronicles the life of San Diego Police Officer-turned-missionary, Stan Steward. Though he was serving his community and the youth at his local Teen Challenge Center, he felt like God was calling his family to something more. That something more would take them “to where no Christians have been.”
The Steward family packed up and moved to Istanbul, Turkey, a place that is 99% Muslim. It is a place of 17 million people and less than 3,000 Christians. Hardly an easy locale to move your wife and two kids.
This beautiful story takes you into the heart of a family whose heart is broken for the Muslims in Turkey.
Stan had the ability and blessing from the local imam to pray in the mosque to his Jesus. He would later be diagnosed with terminal cancer and would choose to die out loud, showing these people that there is a hope after this life, in Christ.
I highly recommend this book to every reader, regardless of age. Definitely view the videos (via a QR Code) at the beginning of many chapters.
It’s an amazing story of an amazing person who has challenged me to love my neighbor and it has changed the way I view the Muslim people.
Disclaimer: I was provided this book from the publisher and my views and thoughts are that of my own and have not been influenced by any outside resource.
This book is a biography of sorts, which chronicles the life of San Diego Police Officer-turned-missionary, Stan Steward. Though he was serving his community and the youth at his local Teen Challenge Center, he felt like God was calling his family to something more. That something more would take them “to where no Christians have been.”
The Steward family packed up and moved to Istanbul, Turkey, a place that is 99% Muslim. It is a place of 17 million people and less than 3,000 Christians. Hardly an easy locale to move your wife and two kids.
This beautiful story takes you into the heart of a family whose heart is broken for the Muslims in Turkey.
Stan had the ability and blessing from the local imam to pray in the mosque to his Jesus. He would later be diagnosed with terminal cancer and would choose to die out loud, showing these people that there is a hope after this life, in Christ.
I highly recommend this book to every reader, regardless of age. Definitely view the videos (via a QR Code) at the beginning of many chapters.
It’s an amazing story of an amazing person who has challenged me to love my neighbor and it has changed the way I view the Muslim people.
Disclaimer: I was provided this book from the publisher and my views and thoughts are that of my own and have not been influenced by any outside resource.
October 8, 2013
This book was good, with a few caveats:
1) I think it, like most biographies, hit the highlights. I found myself wanting more gaps to be filled in, like the time in France and how it prepared him for this; I wanted to know more about his first few years on the field.
2) I think it painted a clear picture of really normal people doing extraordinary things. I think the book raises some good questions, but also leads people to have expectations of the extraordinary in the missionaries they send. For example, if someone returns home to die surrounded by friends and family and/or to get medical treatment in their own language, do they have less love for the people they are called to minister among?
3) I think I hoped it would be just a little deeper. I mean, this is no Eric Metaxas writing about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I didn't expect that. But it was a REALLY quick read.
After more thought, maybe there just wasn't enough emotion in the storytelling. I wasn't there. I was watching.
Overall, inspiring man, inspiring life. I liked that it didn't gloss over potentially shameful things like bankruptcy in his past. It made Stan a normal guy.
I love this family and look forward to seeing how God uses Ann, Elle, and Stanley in the days to come.
1) I think it, like most biographies, hit the highlights. I found myself wanting more gaps to be filled in, like the time in France and how it prepared him for this; I wanted to know more about his first few years on the field.
2) I think it painted a clear picture of really normal people doing extraordinary things. I think the book raises some good questions, but also leads people to have expectations of the extraordinary in the missionaries they send. For example, if someone returns home to die surrounded by friends and family and/or to get medical treatment in their own language, do they have less love for the people they are called to minister among?
3) I think I hoped it would be just a little deeper. I mean, this is no Eric Metaxas writing about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I didn't expect that. But it was a REALLY quick read.
After more thought, maybe there just wasn't enough emotion in the storytelling. I wasn't there. I was watching.
Overall, inspiring man, inspiring life. I liked that it didn't gloss over potentially shameful things like bankruptcy in his past. It made Stan a normal guy.
I love this family and look forward to seeing how God uses Ann, Elle, and Stanley in the days to come.
January 9, 2016
Every year, there are a select number of books that I absolutely cannot put down, and finish within 24 hours. This one may have the shortest record; I finished it in 14.
This book gave such a beautiful look into the lives of a culture that the American individual hardly ever takes the time to understand. I am so thankful for the life and sacrifice of the Steward family in following the call to reach a very much discarded people group.
This book gave such a beautiful look into the lives of a culture that the American individual hardly ever takes the time to understand. I am so thankful for the life and sacrifice of the Steward family in following the call to reach a very much discarded people group.
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October 6, 2014 A compelling, and challenging story. Very interesting to read and it included a lot about Turkish culture which helps you understand more. It is a quick read too. There was a lot that led up to this time in their lives and I think they included that history well. This story inspires as well as challenges. Its worth reading this story!
March 15, 2015
A powerful story of engaging in community
Quick read. Encouraging and challenging biography. Lord, use me. Does my heart break for the lost and am I willing to open my hands and heart and follow Christ,no matter the cost? Wherever He has me....
Quick read. Encouraging and challenging biography. Lord, use me. Does my heart break for the lost and am I willing to open my hands and heart and follow Christ,no matter the cost? Wherever He has me....
December 16, 2015
So good! So dang good! The writing is great...I can just feel Stan's heart in this. Love this family...I want to be like them.
March 4, 2014
A simple story, but incredibly poignant and challenging.
July 3, 2014
Awesome biography !
January 2, 2015
A quick read, unless like me, you need to stop and journal feelings and emotions in how God is speaking to you through it! Very convicting in how sacrificial this family is. Well written.
January 7, 2015
What an awesome book! I'm so impressed by how this couple/family lived and how they interacted with their Muslim neighbours.
February 21, 2015
Wish I could give six stars to this fabulous story of a missionary to the Muslims of Turkey. Read it!
January 30, 2016
A missionaries' journey to save those who are spiritually dead while physically dying himself. A wonderful story about loving others over yourself.
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