Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Rom 13:1

“When we obey the rules and laws of a nation, even though they may restrict or forbid proselytizing, God will open an even greater opportunity for the gospel than if we break the laws of the land.”

The above quote is from a returned tentmaker from the Hermit Kingdom where officials are aggressively trying to stop Christian expatriates from proselytizing and even spending time with locals outside of work hours.

The young tentmaker was adamant that he would always obey all the rules and regulations to their fullest. His morning prayer included asking God to help him be an honorable guest in this challenging country and thus leaving the door open for a miracle.

So how does one bring light into the darkness under such conditions?

The four most common questions that expatriate workers are asked by neighbors, coworkers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers and those they encounter are: 

1. What is your name? 
2. What do you do here? 
3. Where are you from? 
4. Do you believe in God? 

Everyone can answer the first three questions in under a minute, perhaps even without thinking about it too much. The fourth question requires thought, preparation, sensitivity, gentleness, respect, divine inspiration, and a time out. 

Check out Peter’s advice on this – 1 Peter 3:15,16. 

These past weeks have seen a number of tentmakers returning to their overseas jobs and mission. They’ve been waiting for months for the permission to return and also to receive permission from their home country officials to leave.

One family who returned to South Asia reported how complicated the travel process was with multiple tests, screenings, interviews, medical checkups, evaluations at multiple airports along the way and of course the joy of returning to the place they had to suddenly flee from.

Of course this is good news but much caution must be exercised as the dangers of this pandemic are real and can be life altering.

In our ongoing research of returned tentmakers for the past 20 years, we have seen definite trends in what makes for fruitful ministry in the hard places. At the same time recognizing that there are no templates that work for everyone, as we have also seen tremendous spiritual breakthroughs through people who were ill prepared to go. God is bigger than man’s best laid out plans. This does not mean that people should deliberately leave unprepared.

I recently visited with a Christian couple who went to Central Asia on a teaching contract for two years. Even though we had urged them to attend some kind of specific tentmaker training before going, they had chosen not to. Even while they were already abroad, they declined our free scholarship offer  to attend one of our GO Equipped courses not too far from where they were living which also coincided with their holidays.

In listening to their story, it was full of exciting events and on the whole it had been a very positive experience for the family. They had attended the international church (locals were not allowed) where they had made many friendships that resulted in visiting each other’s homes and being a part of festivities. They had traveled in the region and made many friends among local people and with their students. They enjoyed eating out in restaurants and were well known in their community.