Wilma, hails from the Highlands of Scotland and was brought up in a Christian family. However, it was not until 14 years of age that I invited Christ in to my life as Saviour. Although, no stranger to the Gospel, my conversion was a direct result of many talks with Olive Greenaway who was the Faith mission Pilgrim in the area at that time. Soon I was teaching Sunday School in the United Free Church and also running the Scripture Union in Lochaber High School. As a young person, I knew God wanted me to serve in a full time capacity although I was never sure where. Rev Pritchard reminded me later that once I had told him, I would like to work with the people who suffered for their faith.
After leaving school, I went to Glasgow to commence nursing school and eventually graduated from the Caledonian University. During my young years, I failed Him often, but He has always been faithful. In my final months there I helped on a summer mission and met David and the rest of that story is history.
I must say, the early years of being a missionary were not easy for me, never knowing how the Lord was going to supply our daily needs, never mind those of the people we were serving, was a nerve racking experience for me sometimes. I had the responsibility of the children and yet I knew that God loved them more than I did and would provide in His Will. He always did, although not exactly as and when we wanted Him to, but He did it often in even better ways. For David it was no new concept to live like this, as he had done it for the time in college and for our boys too it was a way of life so they never questioned. Eventually, I was also able to leave that worry with the Lord, although I failed so often along the way.
I was very thankful that we chose to travel as a family into Eastern Europe as many of the other wives remained at home and husbands traveled alone. This would have made life harder for me and the boys as at least in my mind, it was better to be together in the midst of trouble than at home waiting for the outcome. The boys therefore were home schooled a lot by me, which they probably did not enjoy as much, but they did have the added experience of meeting those who had walked hard paths with God and seeing the joy they had in doing so. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity we had to do this as a family and of how God fulfilled His promise to me before they were born that, “that our sons would be taught of the Lord and great would be their peace.” Isaiah 54 v 13
I was responsible many times to help believers in Eastern Europe who were ill and had no money for treatment or who would not get the necessary diagnosis and medical treatment because they were believers. I felt quite out of my depth as a nurse, but often God gave me the answer as to what was the problem of the patient and how to treat it. I can say with certainty, He was the great Physician for the believers and the Great teacher for this weak nurse.
Three nights a week in the early years, I monitored the radio broadcasts into Eastern Europe for Radio IBRA and reported to them the findings. This was sometimes tedious and again would not have been possible for me to do, if David had not been willing to do a good share of child minding. However, it was important for the believers, as often there were slowly read portions from the Bible so the people could write them down and use them for their services in the absence of scriptures and the same for hymns to sing. For others living more remote who had no services to attend, these were often the only messages they heard. After the fall of Communism this was no longer necessary, as there was freedom to broadcast.
During the years in USA I have been able to update my nursing credentials and add a little to my knowledge. I help out where I can with medications and medical problems. When possible, I help Dr Irene in the clinic in whatever way I can and she is very grateful for whatever we do to assist them reaching the community for Christ.
Mainly, I do a lot of hospitality, as Greeks, Macedonians, teams from home etc all pass through and need sustenance or sleep, so in many ways my day is no different from many of the housewives at home. I travel with David and help him where he needs me to and at home I do most of the office work for him as well. Our boys are all away from home now, three are married and we have five granddaughters whom we see roughly every two years, but we are so thrilled that each one serves the Lord in the area He has set them in and will continue to use them in the salvation of souls. Allyn is at the moment seeking the Lord as to where and what he is to do with his life.
I have learnt that missionaries are certainly not perfect people, in fact we may be more imperfect than most, therefore we need your prayers. I believe God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise because there is never a chance we can take any glory for the work. It is, always has been and always will be His and only through Him can we do anything, although He is sufficient for everything, being the same Yesterday, Today and forever.