Self-paid Missionaries

Tonight at our weekly Bible study I met and interesting couple and learned a bit about them. They are part-time missionaries, in a very specific way. The husband is a CPA, and he works for some company in Ohio that prepares tax returns. He works for them 4 months of the year, during tax season. Then for 8 months of the year, he and his wife do financial work (internal audits, installing new financial software and training people to use it, etc.) for a mission board. Sometimes they go to Africa, sometimes to Dallas. They don't have any children, so that makes this lifestyle possible.

We know another couple who live in Dallas who does similar work. He is a police officer, she is a clothing designer. He uses his 4 weeks or more of vacation and go to various places to do financial work (he was an accountant before he decided to become a policeman) for missions. His wife goes a long and gives haircuts and perms while shopping for exotic fabrics for her clothing business. (She also makes custom wedding gowns and lets missionary girls wear them for only a $50 cleaning fee.)