While reading the experiences of others we are often made aware that there seems to be a definite pattern in God’s dealings, both in the call to repentance and faith through the Gospel, and in the further call to specific service. We write these lines hoping that they may be useful to someone seeking God’s guidance for their life and service.
Although brought up under the preaching of the Gospel, I have no recollection of serious thoughts about salvation until around the age of 11 years when preaching about the Lord’s return began to trouble me deeply. I clearly recall occasions when terror struck me because of unusual home circumstances which indicated that the Lord may have already come.
At the beginning of 1961, Mr. J. G. Hutchinson was having a series of Gospel meetings in Bangor, near to where we lived and we all attended these meetings and once again I became concerned about salvation. On 22 January, deeply troubled and wanting to be saved but not wanting anyone to know, I went home and up the two flights of stairs to my attic bedroom resolved to get the matter settled. I read and prayed and tried to believe until after midnight, but all seemed hopeless and I knew I still wasn’t saved. After midnight I decided to make my desire known to my father and mother and can still recollect the temptation not to make a fool of myself and to give it all up. However, I was determined that if there was salvation for me it was going to be that night so I woke them up and told them I wanted to be saved. They read and prayed with me for some time, going over the gospel verses that I knew so well, but this still brought me no further light on the matter. All was dark and I knew I was still unsaved and hopelessly lost. There was a silence and just as I was inclined to the thought that there was no salvation for me a very simple yet powerful thought entered my mind "Why did Christ die?" The answer came back from within my troubled soul with a fresh, deep understanding- "He died for me". In a very real and personal way at that moment I grasped the great gospel truth, "Christ died for me". The burden went and joy entered my soul and I simply said "I believe I’m now saved" and there was rejoicing and thanksgiving as we all went back to bed. The following day I went off to school still rejoicing but during the morning a doubt began to form in my mind if it could really be so simple as what I had experienced. At mid-day, when at home for lunch, I opened my Bible at John 3.36 and read those precious words: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life". The word HATH came home with such power that the doubt immediately left me for ever and I praised God for giving me the assurance from His Word. And after 40 years I can still praise Him for that!
About 2 years afterwards, I was baptized and received into assembly fellowship in Central Hall, Bangor, N. Ireland and in due course was involved in Sunday School and tract distribution work. One other day stands out very clearly when in August 1967, the late Mr. John Grant had some meetings in Bangor and on the last day of the month spoke on Romans 12:1,2. The message came home to my heart with such conviction that I realised there was something important lacking in my consecration to God and after the meeting, in my own bedroom, made my life available to God in whatever way He could use it. This was a very real and deep experience and I knew God had heard my sincere prayer, but had no idea what His will might be.
From that time onwards interest deepened in missionary work and although further study took me to Scotland, I kept in contact with missionaries and especially Harry & Jean Reid who had been recently commended by the Central Hall assembly to Brazil. Correspondence also started with a missionary’s daughter called Ann Finegan who was doing nursing training in Belfast and we discovered we had the same desire to serve the Lord abroad after training, probably in a self-supporting manner as the thought of seeking commendation scared us both very much. Ann had been brought up in Zambia where her father and mother have served the Lord for many years, so naturally she had a desire to go back there. I was still inclined towards Brazil, but willing to change direction if the Lord so indicated. When planning for marriage in 1973 we both felt sure that we shouldn’t purchase a house but rent for a while and wait upon God to open up the way for us abroad. Still thinking of self-supporting work, I applied for teaching posts in both Zambia and Brazil — a type of "fleece" to understand God’s will as to where we should go. At that time the door to Zambia opened for a 3-year contract with the Zambian Government and the door to Brazil closed and so in 1974 we arrived in Livingstone, Zambia to take up work at Hillcrest Secondary school and Ann soon found work in the local hospital there.
There was then no assembly work in that part of the country, so we did what we could through opportunities for Gospel work at the school, Sunday school work in surrounding villages and in prison visitation. It was our "desert" experience when we had to face other teachings and study for ourselves from the Scriptures the "assembly principles" which we had taken for granted for so long. It was a very useful time for Ann to see Zambia from a different point of view and she became increasingly aware that the Lord’s will for her life lay in another place.
When our contract finished we returned to N. Ireland and soon had employment but still waiting upon the Lord for a door to open into Brazil. Visas for missionaries were not being granted at that time so we continued to seek work in Brazil. We spoke to the overseeing brethren of our exercise and they were very encouraging and helpful. Shortly afterwards contact was made with a Christian school in São Paula which needed Math and Physics teachers urgently to teach missionaries children using English language. Feeling sure this was of the Lord and a step in the right direction, we signed a 2 year contract which later stretched to 3 years and gave us time to obtain permanent visas, learn Portuguese language and seek to help a little in a local assembly there. Our hearts were towards the needy north and a visit was made to Santarém, Pará during school holidays, which confirmed our call to the North.
We arrived in Santarém in early 1983 with our young "international" family, Wendy, born in Zambia, Andrew born in N. Ireland and Roland, born in Brazil! Romans 15:20,21 has been a guiding principle in our priorities here, and we still seek to reach out to those who have not heard and to help in the planting and consolidation of local assemblies in the state of Pará. We are deeply grateful for the faithful prayer support of many and in spite of much opposition, the Lord has blessed His good Word and we can gladly testify to His faithfulness, guidance, protection and provision in every step along the way on the many journeys made each month by river and road. To Him be all the glory. Ps 36:5-9.