I am a JBU alumnus (1964, Biology). In 1962 when I was at JBU there was a speaker who gave a talk at Thursday vespers with the title, “
Whacha doin with whacha got?” That title and the accompanying talk came back to me from time to time over many years.
When my calling to serve the Lord finally came on September 30, 1997 I felt a fulfillment.
The calling was to work with overseas schools for children of missionaries who depended on the Lord for prayer and financial support. There was no manual or salary for me when I answered my call. I was on my own, flying by the seat of my pants.
This response required a change from a career ladder of being a university professor in science teacher education to a career ladder to serve the Lord in a way I knew nothing about.
I ended up setting in motion what became Teachers In Service, Inc. The learning curve was steep. I raised a little money and started to work. This included travel to a few MK schools on four continents. Along the way a former university student, Kathleen Willson, joined with me and became my assistant.
My work now includes the pursuit of faith supported teachers for children of missionaries and promoting overseas faith supported schools for children of missionaries.
The schools with whom I work are important to the Great Commission of Christ since one of the most frequent reasons missionaries leave the field is because of some issues about their children’s’ education.
Since several of these schools open their doors in August without enough teachers, even with their own recruitment efforts and that of others, I adopted the vision statement of, “A Perpetual Surplus of Faith-Based Teachers for Children of Missionaries.”
Along the way (sometimes with Kathleen) I met and became friends with the most incredible group of people called overseas missionaries. I have slept in their beds, ate meals their tables, heard languages I could never imagine, met with them in teachers’ lounges, and worshiped in their churches. Some were teachers and administrators of schools for children of missionaries and some were parents of the children.
The richness, the blessings, and the opportunity of actually be doing what I have done for 22 years and continue to do today is incredible and wonderful! Real beauty in serving our Lord.
However, TIS has grown beyond a virtually one person endeavor. I need help in order for TIS to grow to a much higher level in order to better serve faith-supported schools and by pursuing teachers for them.
This help requires a few administrators who are visionary in their outlook of “Christianity”, who have an entrepreneurial spirit, who are inventive by nature, and who have a business mentality. Volunteers are needed for various jobs. All individuals will need to work from home and will need to maintain contact with each other so we will have a unified effort as we pursue the TIS vision together.
TIS is a faith supported organization just like the missionaries we serve and the teachers we pursue. Those who come to work with me need to be faith-supported also.
Perhaps your talents lie in administration, webpage development, Google Adwords, publicity, editing YouTube movies, posting on social media, fundraising, and on and on.
If any of these needs, or one I did not mention, talks to you or you feel that it speaks to you about a talent the Lord has given to you, please prayerfully consider how you might be able to follow the Lord’s direction and become part of this ministry. That is, to contribute the Great Commission of Christ through Teachers In Service.
Perhaps you are ready to transition from a career to retirement, or starting out with your life for Christ, or have been looking for a new way to serve the Lord. I would love to have you join with me in this endeavor with the Great Commission of Christ.
My website needs work but go ahead and look around anyway. Take a look at some of the testimonies on YouTube from teachers, administrators, and parents of MKs. Look at our list of Bible verses.
More information about working with me, questions, concerns, and ideas that you may have can be forwarded to me at info@teachersinservice.org or text me at 575 649 6296. Please leave contact information, time zone, where you live, and a good time to call you.
Thank you very much for considering serving our Lord by contributing to keeping missionaries on the field and on task by pursuing teachers for their children and by promoting the schools and nontraditional situations with whom we work.
Blessings,
Thom Votaw
