Rays of Hope: The Tunnells

Shining Light International simply wouldn’t exist with out the support of our friends and followers. Everything that we do is made possible by your generous donations and commitment to the work we are doing in Northern Pakistan.

That’s why we’ve decided to celebrate YOU. Each month we will feature a Fan of the Month and give you a chance to hear from each other on what it is that drives you to be a part of Shining Light International.

Let us introduce you to: Scott and Jennie Tunnell

How did you first hear about SLI?

We discovered SLI through our daughter. After her graduation from college, she informed her Mother and I that she was going to China and Southeast Asia to volunteer. We weren’t thrilled about her choice of a location to study, and were really nervous, but not surprised either as she had done short trips like this during college in Nepal and South America.

After 3 months in China our daughter called us and said she would be heading to Northern Pakistan to teach English in a remote Pakistani village (through partnership with Shining Light). Again, we were really shocked and scared-if we’re being honest- but learned to trust God and be excited about what she was getting to be a part of and have now fallen in love with this country and what is happening there. Fast forward four years to November 17, 2011 – our daughter’s wedding day. She was getting married in the mountains of Idaho to a young man she had met while trekking the Himalayan mountains of Pakistan at the end of her teaching stint in Pakistan. The wedding ceremony was officiated by Mike Gordon, whom, with his wife, founded Shining Light International and we got to know the organizations mission even more and now our daughter has been on staff since 2013.

What do you love about SLI?

Aside from the obvious, we love the devotion of the SLI staff to their mission in Pakistan. That mission is giving hope to hundreds of young people in Pakistan who would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn to read and begin to see opportunities to go to college and someday maybe even teach young Pakistani children themselves.

What upcoming projects are you most excited about?

The work SLI Is doing with The Rural Village Schools is remarkable. This effort took years to gain acceptance by the tribal leaders and shows how persistence pays off with over 200 girls getting an education for the first time in the history of their villages!

Why should others become involved with Shining Light?

A regular monthly contribution is so crucial for SLI to be able to sustain and grow the existing education programs. Monthly giving provides my wife and I the opportunity to help bless the lives of young children in these remote areas by joining with SLI and its programs.