A Sunday in 1977 my good friend Katy handed me an OMF missionary magazine. An article about a school in Malaysia for the children of missionaries gripped my attention.  I had no idea such schools existed but was left feeling eager to know more.  Having felt a call into missions aged 14, I had pushed it aside, doubting God could use “shy me”. At teacher training college in Cheltenham God kept reminding me, “God is at work within you making you want to do His will and then giving you the power to do it.” Might God be calling me to use my passion for teaching by teaching the children of Missionaries?  I was open.

Roll on eight years.  With three years teaching experience behind me and four terms at All Nations Christian College.  January 1984 I was sent out from Ansdell Baptist Church to teach at OMF’s Chefoo School in the jungle of Malaysia.   I took my scrapbook of how God had guided me.  There was nothing big and dramatic but from Katy’s magazine on, there were many small pointers all in the direction of OMF and Malaysia and working with the children of missionaries.  I really loved teaching six and seven year olds  in this OMF boarding school with 60 pupils.    

1994 I exchanged the tropical jungle for the concrete jungle of Manila, capital of the Philippines to teach Grade 1 in Faith Academy, the largest school in the world for the children of missionaries with its 600 pupils.  Here I broadened the base of my experience in a large interagency school with pupils from 6-18 years.  

1998 I returned to UK for Home Assignment. I was not well and it was a blow when medical clearance to return to Asia was not granted. However although I could not be in Asia it seemed like God brought Asia to me in the form of some lovely Asian friends.  I also discovered new ways of expressing my burden for the children of missionaries.

Around this time the term Third Culture Kids began to be used in UK. This includes the children of missionaries.

2002 my friend Janet Brown and I launched  a rekonnect re- entry camp for TCKs aged 6-12.  Beginning with 14 TCKs this has now grown to 2 annual camps with 20 on each.

 I moved to Preston in 2003 to a home large enough to accommodate my office and close to the M6 and rail links.  I became a church member at Fulwood Free Methodist Church in 2004 and really appreciate FFMC as my spiritual home.

I continue serving as a full time member of OMF.  Since 2010 I have been OMF’s UK TCK Advisor giving support to around 65 British families with OMF.  As new families apply I build relationships and help parents think through the implications of raising children in Asia and help them evaluate what educational options they might use.  I am involved in providing age appropriate preparation for children.   When they are in Asia families mainly relate to their TCK advisor in their host country.  However as they return for home assignment or for good I play my part in the flow of care.