Tentmaker Stories

These short stories give glimpses into the lives of real tentmakers, past or present, to illustrate various facets of tentmaking, like how Christians became tentmakers, their employment, their spiritual ministry, cultural adjustment, other problems, etc. We do not usually reveal their actual names nor their host country, at least not both together. We would love to hear your story as well! Feel free to send it to us.

Some years ago, Joe L and five other students from his college went to China on an exchange program. Since Joe had a degree in physical science, he was assigned to teach at a college of physical culture on the outskirts of Beijing while he studied Mandarin.

Things began smoothly enough for the six Americans, but before long some of them were returning to the United States. The rigors of living in China were too much to handle. One couldn't tolerate the restrictions of his personal freedom. Another was expelled for immorality. And a couple of others were dismissed for bad behavior. By the middle of the year, Joe was the only American left.

About this time three Chinese students approached him to find out what made him so different. "You're not like the others. Why is that?"

What an opening! Joe was tempted to stop what he was doing and answer their question right then. Knowing they would be more relaxed in a home setting, he invited them to come to his dorm room that night. That night, not only did the three show up, but several others came with them to find out what made Joe tick. Joe began to explain how Jesus made all the difference in his life.

Over the course of several weeks, Joe led three of these students to faith in Christ and began discipling them. These young believers exhibited strong evidence of new life in Christ. But at the end of the school year, Joe's contract was ended and he had to leave China.

He was extremely concerned about what would become of these new disciples. Would the government let him return? He figured there was little hope of that. His extra-curricular activities hadn't gone completely unnoticed. Hardly had he returned to the U.S. when a letter arrived asking if he would return for the next school year. Clearly, the authorities felt his integrity and his excellence in work made his Christian influence worth the risk. When Joe stepped off the plane that fall, Chao, one of three he had discipled, was waiting for him. With a huge grin he introduced Joe to two new friends. One of them Chao had led to the Lord while Joe was gone.

Later that evening, when they were alone, Chao asked Joe, "Do you have any materials? I want to teach Deng." And this was only the beginning of Joe's second year!

During his second year, school administrators asked Joe to teach a course on American holidays. They explained that a group of 60 Chinese exchange students were going to America, and their professors thought they should know something about American culture.

"There's no way I can talk about American holidays without discussing Christianity," Joe responded. "I can't explain Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving without mentioning Jesus or God."

"That's all right," they answered. "Whatever it takes."

When the class began, not only the 60 students who planned to go to America showed up. With them were another 60 interested people, including some of the university staff!

Joe still lives in China, has since married a Chinese Christian, and plans to spend the rest of his life there. Not too much later, he was asked to help set up a program to recruit additional English teachers for China--" people just like you!"

[from Don Hamilton's "Tentmakers Speak," (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1987),pp 4-6.]

Engineers in the Middle East

Roy, a mechanical engineer and ex-president of a large IVCF chapter in a southern university, was excited when he landed a job with a world class firm in an Arab city. Although a young graduate, he did his work so well, the firm even sent him to troubleshoot in India, where an off-shore oil well platform was listing.

On his first short paid leave in the U.S., he recruited several graduates from his university, including chemical engineer Carol, whom he married. She was promptly hired by the same firm. The couple, with two generous salaries, quickly saved enough to finance a year of Arabic studies in a second country, and to have the first of their four children. Then they began their long-term ministry in a third Middle East country.

In Roy's freshman year, God had used Urbana to give him a burden for Muslims. Since most Islamic countries do not allow missionaries, but hire foreign technical experts, Roy majored in engineering. It would prove to be as appropriate for earning a living and witnessing in our 20th century Arab world as the Apostle Paul's making of tents had been in first century Arabia.

In their host country, Roy worked for a local factory, learning much about how to do business in the Arab world. He tried to make his daily work pleasing to Jesus Christ, and had opportunities to speak about him.

Carol did not seek a position, but cared for her family and befriended her neighbors. At first it was not easy, although Carol is an outgoing person. But then she helped adjust their sewing machines and they taught her how to make their typical long dresses.

The real breakthrough came when her second child was born. The women felt solicitous for this young American mother whose own mother was so far away. After that she could go to the open air market with the women, keeping every hair of her head covered with a big scarf, just like the women.

Carol wrote later that they barely made it to the hospital in time for the slightly premature birth of their fourth child. For days afterward, Muslim women visitors streamed into the house. She had a little gift for each. The birth made it easy for Carol to turn each conversation to Jesus Christ.

But Roy's Arab employers never seemed happy with him. (It is how they exert control.) The bosses often lied to each other and Roy would be caught in the middle. At one point, when Carol and the children were ill and Roy had been injured in an accident, they were so discouraged that they asked for thirty days vacation leave in the U.S.

They did not tell the bosses that they wanted to reconsider whether God really intended for them to remain in such a difficult situation. But the bosses were alarmed. They said, "If you are away for 30 days, the whole factory will come to a stop! " This is how Roy discovered how much his work was appreciated after all.

Before the couple left, one Muslim boss came privately to ask Roy for books about Jesus! Tentmakers can bring only a few religious books into this country, and giving them out can result in prison or expulsion. Roy suspected the boss might be trying to entrap him. But he gave him an Arabic New Testament and a children's Bible story.

It turned out that the man was sincere, having been made hungry for the gospel by short-wave Christian radio and then by the way this couple lived out their faith in spite of illness and problems. (Our testimony is usually strongest in a context of suffering because anyone can do right when all goes well. The question is how do we act when everything goes wrong?)

The boss's newly expressed interest in the gospel was a factor in the couple's decision to return – a breakthrough of sorts.

Now several years later, in the same country, Roy has his own small business along with several tentmaker colleagues. It provides for their support and serves as a ministry context for their church planting.

A Teacher in the Arab world

Jeff, an alum from the University of Maryland IVCF, first went to Kuwait as an educator tentmaker. In addition to conversing with local friends about Jesus Christ, he was able to help start a little Christian bookstore, in this country where not many books about the Lord could be carried in by individuals.

When the invasion of Kuwait forced his departure from that country, God provided him a new job in another country--Syria. So he supported himself with his teaching in the way that Paul had supported himself in the same city, by literally making and repairing animal skin tents! How exciting it must have been for Jeff to go into the old section of Damascus and walk on Straight Street, the very place where Paul walked and where he recovered his sight after his conversion.

Jeff wrote: "A Palestinian Muslim came to visit. We studied Luke 15 together and he seemed touched by the story of the Prodigal Son. . . Last week I read Isaiah 53 with a Syrian friend. He was bothered that the Bible had so many writers. He said the Koran 'came down directly from God through Mohammed.' I explained the inspiration of Scripture to him. He seemed impressed when I showed him how many Old Testament prophesies were later fulfilled. I am thankful for the precious times of Bible study with my Muslim friends."

In addition to witnessing to students and neighbors, Jeff helped start a Christian publishing venture.

He now serves Jesus Christ in a third country. Tentmakers can acquire too high a profile through their witness, and a change to another country--usually one with a similar culture and the same language-gives them a new start.

What happens to the seekers and new converts they have been working with? Other team members continue discipling them. This is one of several advantages of team ministry, whether your team is formed before you leave your home country, or whether you join a team already serving in your target country.