Today, our advent calendar moves to Tilsley College, Motherwell, as we hear from a couple William and Mary, who are studying there on an Echoes International scholarship, as they consider God’s call on their lives for mission overseas.
Mary: I was brought up in a Coptic Orthodox family so I would attend mass on Sundays and go to Sunday school as a child. However, it was not until I was at University, and through joining the Christian Union as well as a Bible study class, that I made the decision to believe what Jesus did for me on the cross and surrendered my life to Him. My journey with the Lord has had many ups and downs since then but He has always been faithful and good to me.
William: I grew up knowing about Jesus through my mother. Although we did not attend church, as a child I had always prayed to Jesus. I spent most of my childhood in Africa. Into my mid-teens I started knowing more about Jesus and joined a Christian youth club. As the years went on, my faith grew and at around the age of twenty I got baptised. Growing up I faced many trials and some extreme challenges, but God carried me through it all. God has blessed me abundantly being married to Mary and having our two children.
Both: Even before getting married, we both shared a desire that one day we would serve the Lord, maybe overseas. But as the years went by and life took over, we started to doubt and question whether this desire was really from the Lord. But God was gracious and gave us some words along the way which confirmed what was in our hearts and reassured us of His calling on our lives.
We are trusting that God will make His path clear for us for the future.
Last year, God really began to move in our lives soon after we decided to step out in faith and go abroad to seek His will. Within a few weeks, He quite unexpectedly opened a way for us to get in contact with Echoes International. Through our discussions with them, a door was opened for us to come to Tilsley College in Motherwell, Scotland, through an Echoes International scholarship, to take a year out to study and seek God regarding where He wants us to serve Him.
So, in September we moved to Motherwell with our two children (ages 8 and 6), whom we home educate, to begin an open access programme of study at Tilsley College. Things are going well, and we are enjoying our time here. We are still trusting that God will make His path clear for us for the future.
Please pray that God will make our path clear to where He wants us to go and serve and that He will use us to reach many for Him. Please also pray for God’s protection and provision for our children, and that they will be blessed in their new life, wherever we go.
