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Stories to Inspire You
| Ordinary People doing
Extraordinary Things
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Meg's story*: "By 2005 I had some idea that a new path was opening up for me and that my time as School Chaplain was drawing to a close. I sensed it would be with some mission in Asia, but all my investigations came to nothing. It was March 2007 when I finally opened up Second Wind Network to check for vacancies (it took me a few months to accept that I was actually in the second half of my working career!). While my first matching was not outstanding, I returned again to the site and had a look at Top Needs - and it was here that I discovered a position that seemed to match not only my qualifications but also my desire to take Isaiah Chapter 61 seriously. I remember saying - "Now that is the job I would love to do!"
My enquiry was responded to with great enthusiasm from Kerrie at head office of International Nepal Fellowship Australia and within weeks my application was in process.
In January 2008 I fly into the capital and commence four months intensive language and cultural orientation. At 47 years of age this great adventure continues..."
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John & Meredith* belong to a church which has "adopted" a people group in China. Meredith is on the missions committee which has been praying about this group and how to make the contact more real and keep the church's interest. They felt challenged that the time was right to visit the group briefly and report back to the church as well as encourage the workers there. They both enrolled in the Kairos course in 2006, as a preparation for their trip, and arranged it to fit into their school holidays. (They are both teachers.)
"After this trip we came back and enrolled in a TESOL course as preparation for the future," not knowing how it would be used. They were invited back to help teach English for 6 weeks when someone else had family affairs to attend to, so towards the end of 2007 took their two teenage daughters with them, and all 4 experienced God at work in this remote region. Subsequently, they have been asked by local Christians to take a church team, this time to have more of the members learn about this people group and how much they need prayer.
And the girls? "We learnt that God answers prayer" - what a gift to your children and what a great way to prepare them for the future!
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Richard & Jan* are from Warwick, but about 4 years ago moved to Thailand. They are managing a mission holiday home for OMF in Thailand. "Our ministry is to provide people from a variety of countries with a place where they can be 'Refreshed, Renewed and Revived'. Living cross-culturally is not easy and people need a place to unwind. So far people have come to us from Thailand, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan where they work in a variety of roles.
"Hosting the mission home involves learning Thai culture and language. We have Thai staff to work with and relate to, guests of many nationalities to provide for and converse with. We arrange the bookings, menus, staff work programs and some of the transport arrangements for guests. We make regular trips to town shopping for supplies and aim to establish good relationships with people we meet from the local area. Each Sunday we provide a worship service for guests that they might be encouraged in their life and ministry and are available for pastoral care at any time.
"During this past term Jan has renovated the library, we have arranged the building of a children's play area, renovating a number of rooms and the replacement of one of the accommodation houses.
"After a break at home in Australia during part of 2007, we are planning to return to Thailand in March 2008 and will spend 3 months in full time language learning before returning to the holiday home for a further 3 years."
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For Colin & Diane* arranging to go on a mission trip with their local church, enrolling in a Kairos course as preparation, and having an open heart to God's leading had some remarkable results!
Diane, a primary school teacher, decided it was time to undertake further study in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in order to be able to work with migrants and refugees in Australia as well as students overseas who need to learn English. When she enrolled, little did she expect that very soon she would be helping out with a project in Cambodia!
A friend who was commencing an education project in a slum area of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, asked if she would train the teachers for this project. This project focuses on teaching English, computing and Christian life skills. She spent six weeks in 2006 helping to establish this project, and visited again in 2007 to consolidate the initial work, and see the opening of two more centres.
Colin, Diane's husband, hasn't quite the same flexibility to go right now, as his work commitments in systems modelling, rostering and scheduling keeps him busy in Australia, but he sends her off with his blessing and count's the sleeps till she returns, and his heart is there in Asia with her! However, annual holidays in 2007 saw them both back in Indo china, this time as "parents" to a young people's mission trip from their church. Their previous experience allowed them to help sow a missions heart and experience into these young people.
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Alan & Joy* recently spent 3 months teaching English to a group of Korean trainee missionaries who came to do the training in Lithgow, west of Sydney. Their experience in Central Asia as support staff with OM for a couple of years has given them a heart for helping, and using their various professional and life skills. They are now spending time periodically in Western Sydney, using their interest in cross-cultural mission in the Australian context and being active in their local church encouraging others into mission.
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Andrew & Bev* lived in Brisbane after Ken took early retirement from the Australian Public Service in his late 40s.
For the next decade they were involved in voluntary ministries such as fostering children, Scripture Union and Religious Education in state schools,
until they felt God's call to enter full time missions service. At age 60 they sold their house and proceeded overseas with International Teams to serve
in a drop-in and ministry centre for refugees in Austria. "It has been the most fulfilling four years of my life", said Andrew recently, "There's a huge amount
of sadness in the lives of refugees, but a huge amount of joy in being able to minister to them in physical, emotional and spiritual ways.
We have seen more people come to Christ in the last 4 years than in the previous 40!"
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As a young couple David & Sue* did missionary service in PNG and after some years, the Lord led them home. "We retained our interest in mission and actively explored possibilities a few times. The doors remained closed to us. Eventually after 20 years, we had the opportunity of using Sue's Long Service Leave to spend 4 months in Central Asia, doing various forms of teaching. During the subsequent 3 years, the Lord caused us to remain interested in this region and when we resolved to act on this interest, everything fell into place, confirming to our mind that this is where God wants us to be. Here we are, in our late 50's learning a new language and getting used to a new way of life. It is a great adventure, in more ways than one. After our year of language learning we hope to be working in education. At the moment the details are vague, some possibilities include university work, teaching M/Kids or providing educational support for developmental projects."
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For some time Roy & Heather* from Stanthorpe felt led to offer for some voluntary work in another country. In 2003 they "put their toe in the water" and worked for six weeks at the Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore, India. That experienced confirmed that India was where they would like to go if suitable positions became available. So, in January 2007 they left for Hebron School in Ootacamund, in Southern India. This was to be their home for nearly six months while working there under the School's International Guest (IG) Program. (Hebron School is a boarding school which caters mainly for the children of missionary parents, providing an extremely high standard of education which ensures that the students are equipped to apply for any University in the world).
The IG Program involves mostly young people fresh out of High School or University but for them it was a "second wind" experience, coming out of retirement to participate. IGs normally assist in the classrooms, the dormitories and the sporting and musical programs but Rob & Heather were both given full-time jobs - Heather as a classroom teacher and Rob as the cashier in the Accounts Department - as well as being dorm parents for the last nine weeks of the school term. Most of all they were thrilled and excited to see how God was working in the lives of so many of the students and staff. (They highly recommend the IG program for other second wind people.)
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A few comments:
All of the stories included here are used with permission. *The names have been changed for the sake of security. These people would be willing to talk with you about their journeys. They have all had to deal with the normal hurdles of finances, health, family concerns and others issues particular to their own situations. These are not included because of privacy concerns. However it would be wrong to assume that the path for them all has been straight forward - they are real people living in a real world!
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