by Daniel Snyder
There are rewards, but pitfalls abound. God’s call is just as essential as for the career missionary.
There are rewards, but pitfalls abound. God’s call is just as essential as for the career missionary.
From the time I was about 10 years old I was convinced that God had called me to missionary service. Through Bible college and university years this call remained, even though I knew of no specific place where God wanted me to serve. I finished university and investigated the possibility of teaching in government schools in Nigeria.
Through the help of missionaries in Nigeria, I received an offer to teach in Kwara State. I immediately requested further information, particularly about travel arrangements. Three letters and four months later I still had no reply, so I spent my own money and flew to Nigeria, where I got the job the state government had offered.
The school had no housing ready for me, so I stayed in the state capital with missionary friends for a month until a house was completed. Everything was new and strange. I had to listen to so many conversations in a language that I couldn’t understand. My friends gave me an unofficial orientation course.
I learned where various shops, offices, and government buildings were located. I learned to take public transportation because the car loan, arranged through my employer, took five months to be cleared. (Bank loans to individuals are rare and very costly.) I learned how to barter for almost everything and soon found I had to remember, or find out from friends, how much a given item should cost. Several times I was charged three or four times as much as I should have been, which I thought was like robbery, but it was the common practice.
I started to learn the local language, Yoruba. Many of the local customs and no-no’s were explained, and I was introduced to dozens of people. Useful medical precautions were also given.
Two valuable pieces of advice have proven extremely useful: A cheerful smile opens many doors and eases many tense situations. People are the most important commodity in life, and friends are essential for survival.
The people were friendly and open to me. In official dealings they were sometimes nit-picky, distant, slow, or just downright uncooperative. Usually, a smile and a few words in their own language did wonders. (This is not true for some other tribes.) Still, many times I got frustrated trying to get even little things done.
Two other issues soon confronted me: bribes and beggars. On several occasions a small bribe, or "dash," as it’s known here, would have speeded up a process and cut through the red tape. Fortunately, in most cases, I was genuinely naive and didn’t even recognize the invitation to bribe. Also, I had resolved not to pay any bribe, so I wasn’t looking for the opportunity. This has been a worthwhile resolution, and I’m glad I kept it. I’ve spent hours of waiting and done much extra work, but I have also given silent testimony to Christian standards and validated my verbal witnessing. It would be impossible for me to witness to someone whom I had bribed.
Second, the beggars. Many deformed, handicapped people openly, persistently beg for money. Give a small amount to one and many others flock around you. If you don’t give, you feel callous. Usually, I don’t give money, but rather food, if anything. I have not yet resolved this.
I fretted for a month because of limited usefulness. I moved into an apartment made of cement blocks. It seemed to me that there wasn’t even one square corner or straight edge, but it was clean and new. There was no running water, but the school gave me a 45-gallon drum and the students filled it. In lieu of electricity, lanterns and lamps were provided by the school.
The first day on my own I faced a grave crisis: I was a bachelor and had never cooked for myself. I couldn’t go to MacDonalds for a hamburger and shake. There was no friendly 7-11 convenience store to sell me a TV dinner. Getting meat and vegetables took a lot of effort; rice was more available than potatoes.
"Necessity is the mother of invention" and my growling stomach forced me to invent something to eat. Many times I returned from school exhausted, wanting only to take a siesta. After yielding several times to the temptation to sleep first and eat later, I changed my ways and ate first. From missionaries, I learned how to cook more than rice and canned meat. During those first few months I lost 20 to 25 pounds due to the heat, my poor cooking, and a lot of walking.
The first day at school I met a Nigerian, old enough to be my father, who had just returned from completing two masters degrees in the United States. He befriended me and greatly helped me. We shared frustrations with the school board and the principal. He encouraged me when I was down and introduced me to many people. He explained situations that bothered me and helped me to learn the language. I greatly respect and appreciate him.
Teaching in a secondary boarding school proved interesting and fulfilling. I taught math, which must be the world’s most hated subject. The majority of the students didn’t seem to understand me, even though English was the official language. I had to speak slowly and distinctly; writing on the blackboard helped. The classrooms were not always in good shape. The cement floors, for example, were quite rough or even had holes. We didn’t have enough desks and chairs. In spite of such handicaps, most of the students were keen to learn.
A white person in a black society doesn’t go unnoticed. Children point at him and often call out to him. Being the center of attention can be enjoyable at times, but for a person of a quieter nature like me, it can be wearing. I caused quite a commotion in one village when I was the only white person at a wedding.
I soon started to work with the Christian student group. That was both rewarding and frustrating: rewarding, because I got together with the students in a small group and some of them matured spiritually; frustrating, because many times they cared little about organizational things. Part of my frustration can be traced to cultural differences. They loved to repeat a chorus eight or ten times, clapping vigorously. After the third time, I was ready for a different chorus, but I was a minority of one. After helping the group for two and a half years, I asked a young local teacher to be the advisor and sponsor.
Since I am employed by the government, I do not work under mission board policies. However, I agree with the missions goal of building an autonomous church. I don’t want to take over the leadership of the church or any organization. My role is supportive and sometimes advisory. Because my dealings are mostly with the government, I have a different kind of influence from that of the missionaries. The benefits of this kind of ministry usually are not immediately apparent, and many times I’ve been discouraged. But I’ve stayed here for two reasons. First, God called me to serve abroad. I’m here because God sent me and he will keep me and use me. Second, only eternity will tell what influence my life here has had. My part is to be faithful to God.
To those who are considering a tentmaking ministry, I would suggest that a few years of Bible training would be helpful. One needs a strong biblical base for this kind of ministry, particularly because often there is a lack of Christian fellowship and Bible teaching.
To prepare for tentmaking, complete a proper missionary orientation course. Learn some of the local language and customs ahead of time. Get up-to-date on the economic, religious, social, and political issues of the country. Discuss possible solutions from a Christian perspective. If possible, visit the country and talk to missionaries. Wherever you go, a positive outlook based on Philippians 4:8 will be a tremendous asset.
You must know that God is sending you, and you are going at his command. There will be times when nothing other than this conviction will keep you from returning home. Guard against falling into the trap of materialism; foreign workers often are well-paid. It’s easy to follow other foreign workers and live in relative luxury, or hoard your money.
Get people to support you in prayer. One can’t minister effectively without this. Tentmakers must work together with God’s people and not be independent. Work closely with an established mission.
Mission boards can help tentmakers by arranging transportation, clearing up immigration problems, and finding reasonable living quarters.
A final tip: if you sign a contract, don’t expect conformity in all the fine details. Sometimes employers don’t look at it in the same exact, binding way we do. All of the terms may not be strictly kept.
Tentmaking is not for everyone. However, it can be rewarding and exciting. Allow God to lead. He never makes mistakes.
—–
Copyright © 1984 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.
