Blind faith
Michael J. Mantel PhD serves as President & CEO of Living Water International, which has helped more than 7 million formerly thirsty people access safe water and experience the Living Water of Jesus Christ. As a Calvin alumnus, we caught up with Mike for some retrospect on how his Calvin University experience set the stage for the adventurous personal, professional and faith journey that would follow.
The paths that lead to West Michigan are many and varied. Mike’s was more of a wild whim than a path as he explained. “Years ago, as a new high school graduate, most of my friends were second-generation Dutch kids who grew up, like me, attending Ripon Christian Schools in Modesto, California. Most had little thought of college. I worked outdoors in landscaping, and one particularly hot summer day, I realized that the only way that I would ever enter the luxury of air-conditioned workspaces and enjoy a mixed gender workforce was to go to college. The only college ever mentioned in my relational circles was Calvin College. So, I applied for a loan and headed east to seek adventure and fortune by studying liberal arts with a concentration in business economics.”
Mantel’s cross-country journey wasn't without bumps in the road. “I was not prepared for this adventure, in fact I wasn’t ready at all—for college, for the snow, or for my newfound freedoms. I met people from various states and countries who dressed differently, talked differently, and thought differently than my friends and I did back home. It took me months to realize that a coat would significantly improve my disposition and it took me years to discover my purpose and prioritize my actions to live into that purpose. Calvin was my first big step into the unknown.”
He cited the maturing process of learning to play nicely with others, including realizing the impact of classmates, saying, “I had no idea that people with whom I had been randomly assigned would have such a huge influence on my life, how I exercised my newfound freedoms, and how I learned.”
Identity Found
Along the way, as Mantel settled in and weathered Michigan winters, he met the love of his life when he saw classmate Natalie (Annie) Boonstra walking across the Commons lawn. That sighting would lead to a lifetime partnership.
In addition, the endeavor to see the world through a growth lens positioned and grounded Mantel in a vast community of diverse people with a common identity and shared values. He shared, “I came to recognize that many of us from the campus community really believed that God had a purpose for each of us, that he would equip us to serve him. I also learned that it is OK to challenge the way things are and work hard to make them better.” His community would expand exponentially in the years that followed, but he said, “I still recognize how my intellectual and relational foundation was developed at Calvin.”
Adventure Launched
One of the revered and hallowed aspects of Calvin University’s campus culture is the engagement of faculty with students. When asked about it, Mantel didn’t miss a beat, “Dr. Elsa Cortina. As we studied abroad in Denia, Spain, she swung open my mental doors like nothing I had previously experienced. I needed to fulfill my language requirement to graduate, and I was out of time. Dr. Elsa allowed me to join the cohort and became my friend. I felt that she treated all of us as adults. She, alongside of a team of Spanish professors, taught us the Spanish language through history, architecture, travel, and food. Her commitment and talent showed me that some of our best learning experiences happen when we push beyond our perceived capacities and comfort zones to cross the lines that divide us.
That journey opened the door to Mantel’s lifelong passion to learn by crossing those lines and being open to the Lord’s leading. “Beginning at Calvin, then in business, with World Vision, and now at Living Water, I have had the opportunity to travel to nearly 50 countries and work with all kinds of people from all walks of life, every one of them made in the image of God.”
His student experience inspired him to launch into a life that had not been even visible before he left California. He encouraged others to take the risk. “So many of us stay home out of need or fear. Calvin offered enough familiarity for me to step into the unknown. It was from the growth that followed that I was able to stretch into some of the greatest challenges facing our global community and try to help.”
Faith Lived
When asked what of his many answered calls made him most proud, Mantel took pause. “There are so many milestones I’m grateful to have experienced – moving to new environments, learning to speak in public, building a house, defending a doctoral dissertation, writing a book, supporting affordable housing on Chicago’s westside, fighting HIV/AIDS in Zambia, and helping churches bring living water to their communities. But, after enjoying this past Christmas season with our dear family, I must say that I am most proud of how Natalie and our children, their spouses, and their children are living into the roles that the Lord has for them.”
University years are an incredible time of discovery for most students, especially those truly seeking. Mike Mantel was one of those. “Calvin, for me, proved to be an institution that challenged me, helped me shape my identity, expanded my faith and encouraged me to go forward with confidence.”
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Visit michaeljmantel.org to learn more about his book Thirsting for Living Water: Finding Adventure and Purpose in God’s Redemption Story (IVP).