I always attended Sunday School as a child and learnt all the usual stories but the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus was never brought across to me properly so it was not until I went to high school that I met a friend who, over many years, led me to the Lord.  I started attending church when I went to university in York to study and during this time, I had a year out in Germany.  Little did I know at the time what the Lord intended for me later on and why it was important to study and learn German in the best way possible, by actually living in the country and surrounding myself with the language, culture and people.

After I graduated, alongside my normal job, I was teaching in the Sunday School of our church and spending time with the children in youth meetings and outings, so my friend told me about the Leadership Training Institute in Switzerland, aimed at children’s workers.  Eventually we both came and did the English Institute in Autumn 2004 along with the German one, which offered me an opportunity to brush up on my German and assist with some translation in Sunday services and fun times. I went back to England having enjoyed the time here and armed with a better knowledge of how to teach the children at church.  Early in 2006 however, I found myself wondering if there was anything else that the Lord would have me do for His service but at the time it did not seem clear what or where.  So I prayed and left it with the Lord.  In June 2006, the Lord prompted Paul and Audrey Reid, then directors of Education for Europe, to write and advise me of their need for an administration assistant for the Education Department.  I prayed about it and eventually agreed to come for a trial period early in 2007.  I was here for 3 months and then I went home to pray.  During this time, the Lord gave me a verse from Psalm 71: “I will go in the strength of the Lord God” and guided me to come here to work.

My work involves assisting the Education Department with preparation of texts and manuals, taking minutes in education and other meetings and processing applications from students for our two 3-month training courses, now renamed as Children’s Ministry Leadership Course.  I prepare the student’s materials for their course and assist them with any other practical things.  I am always happier with more of a background role, so it’s great to be here to be able to help Dorthe, the Education Department, other staff here and ultimately workers all over Europe to reach the children with the wonderful news of the Gospel.