The Writings on the Walls
Darren: 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 are currently attending Hope International School in Phnom Penh, an English medium Christian school which follows the English education curriculum.
Now, in March 2007, we have been in Cambodia 2 years and have completed our initial language study phase. Darren is now the OMF Team Business Manager and Susan is 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 so far has been one of God’s faithfulness in seeing His provision in these and many other areas. We have experienced a great privilege in being able to join the OMF International Team here, which God is using to work out some aspects of His Kingdom purposes in Cambodia. We are well settled in a Khmer neighbourhood and worship with a Khmer church. Elspeth and Catriona have established some good friendships and are well established in their school. As with all of us, they still miss their family and friends back home, however, with the first half of our 4 year term here behind us, we’re looking forward to what lies ahead in the 2 years to come, excited to see what God will graciously do in and through us as He guides us through His plan for our lives here.