Tikvah (Barbara) was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Lafayette, California, with a brother and two sisters. She was graduated from Acalanes High School (Lafayette) with the class of 1967. Just four weeks before graduation, she met the man of her dreams (who is obviously writing this narrative), and found herself married to this wonderful man by the end of August (not wise, and as a pastor I certainly couldn’t recommend it to others; but for us it has worked very well). After attending Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, California), she retired from her academic career to become an expert at the world’s most important profession: a full-time Homemaker, Wife, Mother, and “Put-er of Hubby Through School” in the grandest tradition of Proverbs 31:10-31. In order for us to be able to afford for Ari to continue his academic pursuits in preparation for Gospel Ministry, she established a very successful home-based business as a seamstress and sole proprietress of Barbara Sawyer's Custom Sewing for nearly 30 years. This enabled her to be at home full-time during all of our son's critical formative years, and still provides an important source of income for our ministry efforts. For several years our son, Aaron, was a participant in the U.S. Diving program, which trains young athletes to participate in the U.S. Olympic Diving Team. During those years Tikvah became proficient as an Official, traveling all over California, Oregon, and Nevada serving both as Judge and Scorekeeper for numerous National-level events, including several Junior Olympics Diving National Championships. As Aaron got older and less dependent upon her time, she became active as a crafter and, in addition to her profitable sewing business, with our next-door neighbor, she built a successful second business, Shells & Stuff, making and marketing all sorts of hand-crafted items with a seashell motif. She loves working with young children, and was active as a Day Care Provider for eight years, and served as Assistant Director of a successful child care center in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was also active for many years as a youth sponsor for congregations in which we have ministered. Nutrition and herbology are included among her many interests, and in addition to her on-going sewing business, she now also works full-time as manager of our Natural Health Ministry. She is a Nutritional Consultant, Herb Specialist, Iridologist, and Aromatherapist, and has attended numerous classes and seminars in various fields of Natural Health, including herbology (both Western and Chinese), iridology, body works, nutrition, aromatherapy, and electromagnetic therapy. She is a member of the National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals and is studying toward certification both as a Natural Health Professional and as a Master Herbalist. For more information, please visit our Natural Health website. She has been an active part of Ari’s pastoral ministry since 1983, actively working to train and disciple youth and young married women, setting the proper example for the older women to follow as well, and proving herself to be a wise Biblical counselor in her own right. It is because of her wisdom and her ministry that “her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders.”
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