“I had actually told God I never wanted to be a missionary. I never wanted to leave Iowa.”
Those words seem almost impossible coming from Tyler Betz (2013 FBBC graduate) as he sits in his home in La Rochelle, France, where he now serves God with his wife Kat (2011 FBBC graduate).
It’s almost as if God has a sense of humour, taking someone who lived near Des Moines–French for “of the monks”–and placing him in France with a spiritual purpose.
But that’s exactly where his story begins—with a firm “no” to God about missions and an equally firm attachment to his home state.
The Trip That Changed Everything
In 2011, Tyler reluctantly agreed to a six-week short-term missions trip to France. He wasn’t excited about it. He had zero interest in serving overseas. But something happened during those six weeks that caught him completely off guard.
“I just had the time of my life,” Tyler recalls. “And as I left, I knew, like, I gotta come back here.”
So he did. In 2013 and 2014, Tyler returned to France for ten months. It was during this longer stay, playing basketball with local teammates, that God really got his attention. “It became clear that none of them had met a Christian before,” Tyler says. “And that really impacted my heart.”
The young man who once told God that he didn’t want to leave Iowa suddenly found himself called to serve in France.
Sometimes God’s best plans start with our loudest “no.”
When Plans Meet Providence
Ministry in France has taught Tyler that God’s timing rarely matches human expectations. Take what happened just six days before his family’s big move.
Tyler was taking some heavy items to the dump when his hands slipped. He sliced his arm open so badly that he needed surgery.
“I could not carry anything,” Tyler laughs now. “And that’s really convenient right before you move.”
But Tyler learned something profound during that frustrating time. He remembers a verse from Proverbs: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).
While Tyler sat there unable to help with the move, feeling completely useless, God was working. One of the nurses caring for him mentioned that her grandmother had planned to give her a Bible but died first. “She never did. I’ve always wanted to read the Bible,” the nurse told Tyler.
So Tyler was able to give her a Bible there in the hospital. “God used this accident so that I can give a nurse a Bible,” he reflects. “So that’s pretty cool.”
Faith’s Lasting Impact
When Tyler thinks back to his time at Faith Baptist Bible College, it’s not just the classroom lessons that stick with him. It’s the personal connections.
He especially remembers Lance Augsburger, the assistant dean of men at the time. “He took time to read the Bible with me when I was frustrated about some of the rules at Faith,” Tyler says. “He helped me walk through those and so I could think about it from a biblical perspective. And I really cherish those memories.”
There was also the late Dr. Myron Houghton. Tyler would go out to eat with him and watch as Dr. Myron shared his faith with people.
Like many other alumni, the tight-knit family atmosphere at Faith made a significant difference in Tyler’s education: “They love you. They’re there for you. They want to invest in you.”
“That personal aspect of Faith was a big impact on my life.”
The Need for Laborers in France
Today, Tyler and Kat and their team represent just two families serving in France through their organization. They have another couple coming soon, but the need is massive. Nearly 70 million people live in France. Over 40% claim to be atheists. Another 10% are Muslim.
“There’s a desperate need for the gospel in a very dark place,” Tyler says. “And so we’re praying that you would come and join us, serve him, be a light for the cause of Christ here in France.”
It’s a long way from the young man who once told God he’d never leave Iowa. Tyler’s story proves that sometimes God’s best work begins with our strongest resistance.
Tyler is exactly where he belongs, in France—a country that desperately needs the gospel.
