We became Christians in our teens; Jackie through a school friend and Doug through Navigators. We each moved to Southampton where we met, married and started a family. Jackie had worked in personnel in the civil service and Doug was working in parts supply at Ford Motor Company.
We asked God to direct our lives and finances and to make us fruitful for him. We had a growing concern for the impact of the church among poor people in developing nations. One day at church we picked up a leaflet about MAF and were blown away by the potential for aviation in mission, and by the thought that God might be able to use us in this work.
Over three years later, and certain of God’s call, we moved to the MAF flight training school in Ballarat, Australia, where Doug gained the necessary flying licences and experience. We remained for over two years, Doug qualifying for the commercial pilot licence, but concluding that he would make a far better administrator! One unforgettable event for Doug was to fly from Ballarat in a four-seater Cessna 172 to MAF’s Flight Training School at Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a journey of 2,200 miles which took 2 ½ days. Who could have predicted that, 24 years later, we’d be returning there?
After a few months back home we departed for Nairobi, Kenya where, over eight years, Doug served as MAF’s Operations Manager, Country Director and then Technical Co-ordinator. After resettling in the UK, we spent ten exciting years running Food for the Hungry UK, raising prayer and funds and sending people to work in biblical holistic development in its programmes around the world.
We have now been accepted to return to MAF, this time serving in PNG where Doug has been appointed HR Manager, a role which will use his administration gifts and our experience together in caring for overseas staff.
God has wonderfully blessed us in our lives and we are so grateful. We would be delighted and privileged if you would walk with us through these next two years, supporting us in prayer or financially or both.