Welcome to The White Tent, a cross-cultural ministry offering peace to God's people and rest to the weary. I'm Susan Nadathur -- the happy woman pictured above, standing in between my dear friends Pastor Pepe and his wife Pura of the Spanish Gypsy church La Iglesia Dios con Nosotros in Seville.
Our primary work here at White Tent Ministries supports Pastor Pepe's evangelical Gypsy mission in Spain and spiritual childbirth programs in Puerto Rico. But we welcome all those who are tired or weary to take rest under the shelter of our tent.
Historically, the tent was, and still is, a sanctuary. It provided shelter in the desert and respite beside cool, running water. In Biblical times, the patriarchs and their families lived in tents. And during their wilderness wanderings, the people of Israel were tent dwellers, always on the move, looking for fresh pasture and water for their flocks. Clusters of tents sprang up where there was fertile land. In the book of Numbers 24:5-7 Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe and said, "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water."
The tent is a place of rest and rejuvenation. For the Evangelical Gypsies we work with in Spain, it is also a place of hope and salvation. Periodically, large white tents are erected on the barren grounds of the poorest neighborhoods. Gypsy pastors preach God's Word and talented musicians praise the Lord with their unique style of Christian flamenco. Many lost souls who step inside these tents find not only shelter, but also peace and healing. It is this healing that we would like to share with you. We periodically post reflections and inspirational stories on our blog and are available to come to your area to share these stories through praise, worship, and multi-sensory presentations.
And if you're a fellow lover of literature or story teller, you might appreciate our Christian fiction. Dante's story is about a young man who is on the wrong path -- until a blow to the head sets him right. It's a young adult novel set in Puerto Rico and takes a hard look at the challenge of being a young adult in a troubled world. Diego's story is about a young Spanish Gypsy who is on the right path -- until a tragedy derails him and spirals him into darkness. It's a multicultural, inspirational novel set in Seville and takes a poignant look at a young man's journey through grief to the miracle that is love after loss.
And if you're a young mother blessed with the miracle of new life, we invite you to explore the pages devoted to "Spiritual Childbirth," a new approach to childbirth preparation and labor support that honors the transformative power of the spiritual experience birth was meant to be.
Thanks for the visit. God bless.
