Darren writes:-
I grew up in a non-Christian home, and, whilst I encountered Christian worship in school services, I never seriously considered its relevance to my situation. It wasn’t until I had completed university and was in my first full time job in the banking industry that I started to question whether there was more to life than the round of working, eating, sleeping and going out at weekends; indeed, was there anything fulfilling in life? I started making occasional visits to a local church with a friend and, over the next 2 years or so, reached the point of seeing my ‘big’ questions answered in Christ; by the time I accepted Christ as my Saviour I had joined the RAF as a navigator. Shortly after becoming a Christian I was invited to participate in a visit to churches in Eastern Europe, soon after which I became increasingly involved with a group of churches in India.
Susan: I grew up in a home where mission was very important with a steady stream of missionaries and overseas students often staying with us. I became a Christian when I was about five, being very fortunate to have family and Sunday school teachers who valued children and believed that even young ones can accept Christ. Over the years, I have been involved in various children’s clubs and camps as well as ladies groups. While we were in Cambodia during the summer of 2004, one of the Swiss OMFers read a quote: “mission exists because worship doesn’t”. This is why I was really looking forward to
I grew up in a non-Christian home, and, whilst I encountered Christian worship in school services, I never seriously considered its relevance to my situation. It wasn’t until I had completed university and was in my first full time job in the banking industry that I started to question whether there was more to life than the round of working, eating, sleeping and going out at weekends; indeed, was there anything fulfilling in life? I started making occasional visits to a local church with a friend and, over the next 2 years or so, reached the point of seeing my ‘big’ questions answered in Christ; by the time I accepted Christ as my Saviour I had joined the RAF as a navigator. Shortly after becoming a Christian I was invited to participate in a visit to churches in Eastern Europe, soon after which I became increasingly involved with a group of churches in India.
Susan: I grew up in a home where mission was very important with a steady stream of missionaries and overseas students often staying with us. I became a Christian when I was about five, being very fortunate to have family and Sunday school teachers who valued children and believed that even young ones can accept Christ. Over the years, I have been involved in various children’s clubs and camps as well as ladies groups. While we were in Cambodia during the summer of 2004, one of the Swiss OMFers read a quote: “mission exists because worship doesn’t”. This is why I was really looking forward to
being part of an international, worshipping community in Cambodia.
We met in Nairn in 1994. In deciding to get married in 1995, we both had a sense that God might be leading us to work in overseas mission at a later date. In 1996 we visited India and returned sensing that we wouldn’t be able to handle living there long term. In the meantime we had become involved in the ministries of several missionaries from a variety of organisations and it was during presentations by some of these that Darren remembers the sense of yearning in his heart to be involved in something similar. Life in the RAF was, however, both very comfortable and enjoyable and Darren didn’t have an optional exit date until 2003. In 2000 we started to ‘push the door’ to see whether the Lord might be leading us out of the RAF in 2003. As a minister in Scotland put it, it was a bit like ‘dipping a toe in the water and getting sucked under’. An initial enquiry led to meeting missionaries, attending conferences and a Thailand/Cambodia visit late in 2000. After each ‘logical’ next step there seemed to be a door open for the subsequent step; in fact Darren once said to Susan, ‘Oh well, that’s another door the Lord hasn’t closed – if He doesn’t want us to do this, He’s not making a good job of revealing it’. The process wasn’t without frustrations or periods of tension along the way, but by the time each step was to be taken, the way was always clear for us to do so. The most difficult step for Darren was leaving the RAF – he found it particularly hard being married with 2 young children, giving up the identity and security he had there, even though so much indicated that this was God’s will for the family.
From October 2003 to December 2004, we studied together at International Christian College, Glasgow and also had the opportunity to make another visit to Cambodia during the summer of 2004. During that visit it became clear that Darren should offer to join the OMF International Cambodia Team in the Business Manger’s role, a decision which was affirmed by the Cambodia Field. Susan was prepared to wait until after initial language study in Cambodia to discover how the Lord might want to use her.
Our daughters are Elspeth born 16/10/97 and Catriona born 24/10/99. Elspeth is very creative and artistic and Catriona has a delightfully joyful character. They have been attending Hope International School in Phnom Penh, an English medium
We met in Nairn in 1994. In deciding to get married in 1995, we both had a sense that God might be leading us to work in overseas mission at a later date. In 1996 we visited India and returned sensing that we wouldn’t be able to handle living there long term. In the meantime we had become involved in the ministries of several missionaries from a variety of organisations and it was during presentations by some of these that Darren remembers the sense of yearning in his heart to be involved in something similar. Life in the RAF was, however, both very comfortable and enjoyable and Darren didn’t have an optional exit date until 2003. In 2000 we started to ‘push the door’ to see whether the Lord might be leading us out of the RAF in 2003. As a minister in Scotland put it, it was a bit like ‘dipping a toe in the water and getting sucked under’. An initial enquiry led to meeting missionaries, attending conferences and a Thailand/Cambodia visit late in 2000. After each ‘logical’ next step there seemed to be a door open for the subsequent step; in fact Darren once said to Susan, ‘Oh well, that’s another door the Lord hasn’t closed – if He doesn’t want us to do this, He’s not making a good job of revealing it’. The process wasn’t without frustrations or periods of tension along the way, but by the time each step was to be taken, the way was always clear for us to do so. The most difficult step for Darren was leaving the RAF – he found it particularly hard being married with 2 young children, giving up the identity and security he had there, even though so much indicated that this was God’s will for the family.
From October 2003 to December 2004, we studied together at International Christian College, Glasgow and also had the opportunity to make another visit to Cambodia during the summer of 2004. During that visit it became clear that Darren should offer to join the OMF International Cambodia Team in the Business Manger’s role, a decision which was affirmed by the Cambodia Field. Susan was prepared to wait until after initial language study in Cambodia to discover how the Lord might want to use her.
Our daughters are Elspeth born 16/10/97 and Catriona born 24/10/99. Elspeth is very creative and artistic and Catriona has a delightfully joyful character. They have been attending Hope International School in Phnom Penh, an English medium
Alex covered for Darren during home assignment.
Christian school which follows the English education curriculum.
In April 2009, we completed our first 4 year term in Cambodia and had a 7 month Home Assignment in UK. During that first term, Darren took on the role of OMF Team Business Manager and Susan was teaching part time at Hope International School. We have to admit to arriving in Cambodia somewhat apprehensive, concerned about things like health, the girls’ schooling and the resources necessary to stay here. However, our experience was one of God’s faithfulness in seeing His provision in these (including 3 of us having dengue fever at the same time and recovering) and many other areas. We experienced a great privilege in being able to join the OMF International Team there, which God is using to work out some aspects of His Kingdom purposes in Cambodia. We were well settled in
In April 2009, we completed our first 4 year term in Cambodia and had a 7 month Home Assignment in UK. During that first term, Darren took on the role of OMF Team Business Manager and Susan was teaching part time at Hope International School. We have to admit to arriving in Cambodia somewhat apprehensive, concerned about things like health, the girls’ schooling and the resources necessary to stay here. However, our experience was one of God’s faithfulness in seeing His provision in these (including 3 of us having dengue fever at the same time and recovering) and many other areas. We experienced a great privilege in being able to join the OMF International Team there, which God is using to work out some aspects of His Kingdom purposes in Cambodia. We were well settled in
Darren is training Somalay so that she will be able to take over from Darren.
a Khmer neighbourhood and worshipped with a Khmer church. Elspeth and Catriona established some good friendships and were well established in their school. As with all of us, they missed their family and friends back home, so we have very much enjoyed catching up with them during this Home Assignment. We plan to return to Cambodia in August 2009 to pick up, again, the roles we were fulfilling before.
We are looking forward to what lies ahead, excited to see what God will graciously do in and through us as He guides us through His plan for our lives in Cambodia.
We are looking forward to what lies ahead, excited to see what God will graciously do in and through us as He guides us through His plan for our lives in Cambodia.
