I would like to introduce you to my Dangerous woman …
Unfortunately it would be “DANGEROUS” for me to give you her name or location, as you will find out as you read. She is from the UK and is a missionary in the 10/40 window, a term which most of you will recognise and now understand why we have to keep her information private. This lady had been an inspiration to me and my family for years. She is an amazing mum and steadfast wife. I admire the way she puts God first in her life even when it costs more than most of us would be willing to give up. When “she had it all” according to the world view… lovely home, good job, wonderful children, planted in a fabulous church, close community… she held all she had with open hands … and when God said,’GO’ she did …yet her humble humility is challenging. Though she would never say it,she really is a Dangerous Woman who will change her community through love, sacrifice and the love of God… I hope she inspires you as much as she has me….
Can You Tell Me About Yourself?
I am 41, have been married for 21 years, with 4 children between the ages of 5 and 12. Just after we have our second child, my husband felt he should leave the police force where he had been serving for 15 years and go to Bible College. We had just finished building our family home in a beautiful rural village. However, we both felt that this was the right decision. After studying, my husband was invited to work at our local church, with the aim of some hands-on training before we moved on, without knowing where. Half way through this time, we began to pray about what God would have us do, it was shortly after this that God clearly showed us, through the preaching of his word and what he had been laying on our heart, that we would be serving him abroad.
Could You Tell Us A Bit About Your Call To Faith?
I first experienced God’s hand on my life when I was very young, but it wasn’t until my teenage years that I realised that being a Christian was more than just accepting Christ as saviour, it also meant giving up your life and living wholeheartedly for him. I frequently have to remind myself of this, we can so easily slip back into living for ourselves wherever we are!
What’s The Latest Book You Have Read And What Do You Think You Will Take Away With You?
I’m currently reading a couple of books, the first about the history of the place where we are currently living, and the second about ‘Home Schooling’ as this is something we will most likely be doing after our language studies. However, the books that have most influenced our family are ‘Don’t Waste Your Life’ by John Piper and ‘Homeward Bound’. These books greatly challenged us concerning our values, and the values we were building in the lives of our children.
Do You Have A Scripture You Look At Often Or Recall?
It is hard to pick out one verse, but I guess the scripture that has had the most influence in our lives is Romans 15:20, where Paul writes ‘I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named …’ That is why we are living in a foreign Country and attempting to learn one of the most difficult of spoken languages.
Who Inspires You?
Hmmm, well, I have always enjoyed and been inspired by reading biographies of people that have lived and exhibited amazing faith through challenging circumstances, and there are many heroes of faith that I could name. But, I am learning that although we can admire certain traits and characteristics in man, Christ can only truly be our inspiration.
You have made a significant change in your life recently, could you tell us about that?
Having given up our jobs, and sold our family home, we left our home fellowship, family and friends (and most difficult of all, my father who had recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer) to move to a country in the 10/40 window. We are currently learning Arabic full time for 2 years, before we move on to what God has next for our lives in this region of the world.
How Do You Make Life Changing Choices and Know They Are Right Ones?
The question shouldn’t be ‘how do you make life changing choices and know they are right?’, It should be, ‘how do I live each day of my life doing and being what he wants me to be, whether that is serving him abroad or at home’. We are to be faithful in the small tasks that he gives us and we are to stay close to him, he will do the rest.
How Do You Balance Being A Wife, Mother Of Four, Study And Your Ministry?
Balancing being a wife, a mother and doing what God has called us to do is a challenge for all of us. However, I have felt it more keenly now that we are in full time language study in a foreign culture and unfamiliar environment. We either have a calm and organized family life and our language studies suffer, or I get my homework completed on time, but things don’t run so smoothly at home. Hmmm, not sure what to say – I’m still learning! I understand that we are to do all things in the strength that he gives us, but I haven’t fully learnt how we do this day by day. Thank God for sanctification, I am certainly a work in progress!
Society Is Always Pushing A ‘Have More’ Mentality, How Do You Combat That Attitude In Your Life, And The Life Of Your Children. When You Had What The World Would Call ‘Successes’ House, Family, Husband With Good Job, etc?
The only way I have found of combating the western ‘have more’ mentality, is to continually have an eternal prospective in the decisions we make and the use of our time and resources. Does our life just focus on these few years we have here on earth? In light of eternity, our time here won’t even amount to weekend.
What Advise Would You Give To Us Ladies Who Want To Do Something For God, But Don’t Know What To Do Or How To Become Dangerous Women?
Dangerous women,me, I don’t think so! Nothing could be further from the truth. Just keep close to the Lord, and be faithful in small things. I am no different to you, I fall out with my husband, I lose it with the children, I lack patience when things don’t go as I plan, but by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, I endeavour to be more like Christ day by day.
One important lesson I have learnt through the experiences over the last few years, is that you can never give up things in this life without the Lord truly giving you more and better than you ever had before, both in this life, and as it says ‘in the life to come’.
The greatest obstacle for me before we moved was how the children would cope with living in an apartment block in a dusty desert with little outdoor space to live and play in, as they had been used to. Now, they go to a wonderful Christian school and they love their new home. Our oldest son has started Scouts where they do real live archaeology digs, literally unearthing things going back to the time of King David. Apart from family and friends, they certainly don’t feel that they have given up anything at all!