MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA UNION MISSION
Global Mission is all about reaching the unreached for Jesus. We do this in a variety of ways, including the ministry of Global Mission pioneers, Urban Centers of Influence, “Waldensian Students,” and tentmakers. The following story was written by the wife of a tentmaker when he worked in the Middle East North Africa region. We’ve withheld their identities to protect them and the Adventist work there.
A Tentmaker Observed
I
love observing how God is using my husband in exciting ways as a tentmaker. I believe I live for God, as my husband does. But I’m not the teacher “out there,” patiently mentoring students, constantly searching for bridges of understanding, and carefully interacting with colleagues in a multicultural environment— every day, all day. I’m not the one who made that first, startling declaration: “I want to be a tentmaker!” I didn’t have to write a resume or search the Internet for teaching jobs across the Middle East North Africa region where we felt called to serve. But I did pray as he wrote a cover letter to his applications stating that as a creationist, he needed the freedom to be able to teach intelligent design in his classes. I knew it would severely limit our opportunities. I watched for weeks as his applications received no responses and wondered whether this was
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God’s will for us. We prayed and prayed for God’s direction. Then God opened two doors in the same country. One was working at a school that provided a generous salary that impressed us both; we could travel, save, live on one income. The contingencies were unnerving, though; he would be required to teach evolution as a scientific fact. The other was at a school that appeared perfectly comfortable—even pleased—at his desire to teach creation. They would give him the freedom to present God as the Creator of our world! At one-third the salary. I noticed how quickly he made the decision. Now my husband is happily teaching intelligent design in his science classes. And just yesterday, God gave me an opportunity to observe my husband in his element. I had to wait at his school for most of the day because our car was having problems. I realized then that he had a specific reason for becoming a tentmaker: to share hope and encouragement.
