A Long But Rewarding Journey

By the time Dave and Elsie got married, they were certain about their call to bi-vocational missions.

During Dave’s post-doc years, he underwent additional training in a related field to broaden his career options. His mentor connected him to an opportunity to consult for an international organization on their China projects. Dave and Elsie began to pray for an overseas assignment with this organization. They were headed in the right direction, but there were many bureaucratic obstacles.

Spring of 2011, first year out of college, Jane was sent by her company to China on a 3-month rotation. Within a few weeks, she had led her language tutor and her masseuse to Christ. They brought their friends and cousins to cook dinner and study the Bible together at Jane’s apartment every Thursday night. Some of the women were young professionals like Jane. In time, many more of them came to faith.

Lee’s call to tentmaking took ten years to materialize. He left China at age 3, and returned at age 18, his freshman summer on our student exchange program. Lee knew then and there that he must go back.

Looking back, Tom recalls a persistent urge to go to China for the past 20 years. After graduating from college, he spent a few years in the military which allowed him to live in Japan and Korea. Wherever he went, he tried to share God’s love, but a constant pull to China remained in his heart.

It all started when Lance and Laura went on their first missions trip more than ten years ago. They were both in marketing when they caught the vision of working as professionals in China. While they tried to figure out how to merge their career and calling, they kept the vision alive by sharing their experience with others.

Common interests draw people together. So it is not surprising that many meet their other half while studying in college. Similarly, many GoLiveServe alumni also found their mate while participating on a short term project or getting involved in missions.

What better way to find another person of similar interest and calling than by serving the God that you love and doing the things that He has placed on your heart? The journey of others may also shed light on your journey!

Bob and Linda love China and are passionate about reaching the lost. For many years, they have been active in working with foreign students and in praying for the country. Bob is a clinical psychologist and Linda has extensive experience in business. Both are seasoned professionals who have the language and ministry skills to serve others. After years of professional training and preparation, and now that their children are grown, they seized the opportunity to realize their dream of serving overseas.

Jeff was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Hong Kong. Then his folks moved to California, where he finished high school. While his older sister felt a calling to serve in China and pursued a career there, Jeff liked California. He never imagined that he too would end up working in China, loving it, and serving in a local church. How did it all happen?

I first heard about tentmaking at Urbana 2003 when I was wondering how I could glorify God as a business major in college. After attending a workshop on the unique opportunities that Christian business people have, I was convinced that God was calling me to “business as missions”. Reaching different levels of society, influencing institutional change and meeting people’s physical and spiritual needs through sharing the gospel in a business setting were all exciting to me, but I wasn’t sure how to make it happen.

A bright young woman, Stephanie is seeking God’s will for her career and future. She started exploring her calling to China when she joined our summer study abroad program as a junior in college. Now that she is graduating, she has to decide how to seek first the kingdom of God.

Mike was 17 when he left China to immigrate to the U.S. with his parents. When he came to faith as a working adult, the Lord put it in Mike’s heart to serve Him in China – not just anywhere in China, but rural West China.

Brent was a fresh grad and the youngest in a team of seven that we placed in China for an IT outsourcing company based in California. Before his departure, we met with his parents to hear their concerns, and appreciated how they did not want to stand in the way of their son’s calling.

For over 25 years, Paul enjoyed a rewarding career in banking. Helena served in a large social service agency. After several promotions, she directed a program with 54 staff members in 4 counties.