When was the last time you stayed in a tent?

Though the surroundings were inhospitable, the small area we worked to set apart for ourselves provided us not only with refuge, but with joy and laughter and feasting and revelry.

In the midst of the darkness, our campfire and spirits shone brighter than ever.

As life goes on, we think back to this trip frequently. Our lives as Christians–”foreigners and strangers on Earth” (Heb 11:13)–are not so different from a camping trip, only lifelong and across multiple trips.

It is more like a missional journey, where we bring our small fires and tents from place to place, hoping to make and hold space for those who seek refuge and belonging, telling and showing them a glimpse of “the kingdom of heaven [that] is at hand” (Matt 3:2).

This is our journey of tent-living.

Oh, by the way, we are Daniel and Jan, missionaries sent by our home church in Singapore to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we are currently based. Within the broader frame of missionary work, we identify specifically as tentmakers.

The Lausanne Movement defines “tentmaking” as “whole-life discipleship, which means to live, think, work, and speak from a biblical worldview and with missional effectiveness in every place or circumstance of daily life and work.”

If that sounds like something every Christian should be doing, you’re absolutely right! Living life on God’s mission is not just for full-time ministry workers, but is indeed the very essence of being a Christian. And being a tentmaker simply means doing this in a cross-cultural setting.

As such, we see ourselves as ordinary Christians who are thoughtfully and intentionally living our lives according to God’s calling for us in different seasons.

With the experience, abilities, and opportunities God has given us, we believe that our calling is to use business as a platform to make His Word and Love known to those around us. Previously, we did this as the founders of a marketing agency called With Content, where we managed a multicultural team from all walks of life.

In this season, our vision is to start a retreat business, called recreõ, here in Chiang Mai, Thailand:

This is our journey of tent-making.

This journal is our attempt to record our thoughts and reflections on our own missional journey. Specifically, what we are learning about tent making/living as ordinary Christians: