Missionaries - The Loves
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Jennifer Love Q1: So Jenny can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a Christian?
From
as early as I can remember, I went to Ashton Baptist church in Preston
each Sunday. My parents encouraged my sister and I to read the Bible
for ourselves. I enjoyed the social side of church life, especially the
holiday clubs and camps each summer. I always believed in God.
However, like most teenagers, I began to question whether Christianity
was true. I maintained that I was a Christian in church circles, but at
school I was desperate to fit in with everyone else. I read the Bible
less and less.
Then at the age of 17 I went away on a youth
weekend away. My intention was to eye up the boys and have a good time!
But God spoke very powerfully to me through the preaching on the
Saturday night. The man spoke on the prodigal son, and on the father’s
love for his wayward son, and how that is like God’s love for us. I
remember going to my room and just breaking down in tears. It was as if
God suddenly showed me all my rebellion and bitterness. I had the idea
that God was cruel – setting a perfect standard that nobody could reach
and then condemning us to hell for it. But now I realised something of
his deep love for sinners. That night I met with God in a life-changing
way. I knew that if the gospel was true, God had to have first place in
my life, and that meant doing whatever he said. I was given a verse by
a friend, which has been such an encouragement to me through the years.
It’s from Isaiah 43 and speaks of God’s presence and protection to His
people, and how they are His witnesses. Even that night, I wondered
what God might have in store for my life…
Q2 : So what did you do after finishing school?
Away
at York university God saw me through times of real loneliness. I
studied English Literature, but really lost interest in the subject. I
think having to read three books a week and write essays every
fortnight had something to do with it! However I used to go to a church
in Pontefract at weekends, which was a real help to me spiritually,
especially the Saturday night prayer meetings. The church was very
evangelistically minded and loving.
Q3: How has God prepared you for missionary work?
After
Uni. I went to Bryntirion Bible college. It was a real breath of fresh
air to study the Bible and learn about great men of old, and think
through many issues. I knew this was the next step but had no
particular missionary call as yet. It was really helpful preparation
for going into full-time Christian work. I got involved in a small
valley church with their children’s work too. I valued the opportunity
to mix with overseas students from Korea, Romania as well as people
from Wales of course.
Q4 So how did you and Andrew get together?
I
was amazed that God provided me with someone who thought exactly like
me on so many things! It was in our second year at College that we were
both sent away on church placements in East London. We met up there,
travelled back together and our romance blossomed from there. It was a
whirlwind romance and short engagement. We married in the summer of
1993 and from there went to Erith, on the edge of London.
Q5 What was church-planting in Erith like?
Tough!
High-rise estates surrounded the church building, and doing
door-to-door work was hard going. We started outreach with a Mums &
Toddlers and kids clubs, held missions and holiday Bible clubs. The
work was slow but we were thrilled to see God really change lives. This
makes all the disappointments worthwhile.
Q6 So why Brazil and not somewhere a bit closer to home?
Well,
Andrew went away to the Banner of Truth conference in Leicester for
ministers. This was in 1998. He was going for the fellowship and had
no thoughts of missionary work. But he heard a man from Northern
Ireland speak on the needs of the river folk in the Amazon and he was
just gripped by the needs. He rushed to the phones (not many mobiles
then!) and told me he believed this was the next step for us. I think
he was surprised by my reaction. Even as he spoke I felt God witnessing
within that this was of Him. We did an awful lot of talking and praying
when he got home. Some weeks later we sent off a letter to UFM , and
that started the ball rolling.
Q7. Andrew , let’s turn to you now. Tell us a bit about your spiritual pilgrimage.
I too was brought up in a Christian home with my parents teaching us
the importance of Bible reading and prayer. We attended an evangelical
anglican church where my parents came to faith. Dad who worked as a
salesman, changed his job to work for the Church of England Children’s
society, and then was called to be an evangelist with the Christian
Colporter’s Association. He visited our town of 12,000 people door to
door about three times over in the space of 10 years, invited people to
church and called them to follow the Saviour. This ministry was not to
be unproductive and people testify today of his godly influence upon
their lives. These times were to be fixed on my mind especially as dad
taught us to trust in God for daily provision and personal need. From
about the age of twelve I had decided convictions that the Gospel was
true, that I was a sinner and needed salvation. Many times I sincerely
asked the Lord to save me. This could be none other than the gracious
influence of the Holy Spirit upon me. I was soon to openly profess
faith and remember urging my brother to do the same. However during
teenage years as I sought to follow Christ I found the pull of the
world and peer pressure very strong. Only in 6th form years did I begin
to testify to my friends.
Q8 And after school where did you go and what was it like?
Leaving
home, at the age of 18 to go to London, was to be a life transforming
experience. There I gained a degree in Religious Studies and Maths. The
R.S. course was very liberal and so came as a challenge to my
confidence in the Bible. The Lord helped me to defend the truth and
through many ups & downs my faith in the Lord began to deepen. I
spent a year in Oxford training to be a teacher, and after that
returned home to teach in Bristol. By now our family were members of
the local evangelical church, and growing in our understanding of the
Bible. My hearts desire was to make Christ known and to serve him. At
school I held a Bible club, and at church participated in everything
that I possibly could. After two years I left teaching and my church
supported me to go to Bible College with the aim of service overseas.
There I met Jenny and fell in love and you know the rest of the story!
Q9. What was it like taking a young family out to Brazil? Were you not worried about illnesses and things.
Obviously
there were fears and concerns. But we knew God had clearly called us,
and therefore we trusted Him to take care of us. The girls all had
their injections, and we took precautions like sleeping under mosquito
nets and covering up at dusk. That’s when the mozzies are at their
worst!
Q10 What would you say are the biggest differences between Brazil and Britain?
Where
we were based in the interior of Brazil, the biggest difference is the
standard of living. People have to really graft just to have food on
the table. Death too is more frequent. I had to take funerals of small
babies who would never have died if they had been in this country.
Q11 Can you give us some idea of what Alvarães is like as a place?
We
have been living and working in Alvarães, a small river town with a
population of about 8,000 people. Most people live in wooden homes. The
only way out of town is by boat and the town is surrounded by jungle.
So consequently we had lots of insects visiting our home (grasshoppers,
ants, cockroaches, even the odd rat and tarantula. It wouldn’t suit
everyone but it is amazing how it
all
becomes normal after a while! Life is not easy for the people. There is
a daily struggle just to survive. Most people have a plot of land which
they would farm. Working in the burning heat takes its toll. Malaria
and other diseases make death a reality and not some distant event.
Hospital care is basic as I have said, but we were thankful for a new
hospital. Aids is also a big problem. It is a far cry from the wealth
and luxury we enjoy in Britain. Having said this our town had 2
gymnasiums, a hospital, and various schools and churches. I can
honestly say we have enjoyed serving Him there.
Q12. What are the Brazilian people like?
Very friendly and warm. They have a good sense of humour. The women
take great care as to how they look. Everybody showers 3 times a day –
they hate to sweat! They talk about the heat just as much as we in
Britain talk about the rain. They are a humble people, and, because
they are poor, relationships matter much more then things. If you call
on someone you will always be invited in. So it is easy to do
door-to-door work there, and people expect you as a pastor to read the
Bible and pray with them.
Q13 What is the spiritual climate like there?
There
is an openness to spiritual things, which is lacking in Britain. It is
much easier to talk about spiritual things because it is a very
religious country (about 70% of people are nominal Catholics though
only about 10-15% regularly attend mass. ) People don’t think you are
weird if you say you are a Christian. In fact it is popular to be a
christian, which of course has its drawbacks too. You get people saying
they want to be a Christian or are Christians when they haven’t really
counted the cost or fully understood the gospel.
Q14 What are some of the challenges you faced as a pastor in Brazil?
One of the main challenges was to sort out what was cultural, what was
Biblical and when to tell the difference. We really emphasised marriage
as God’s plan for the family, as most people (including Christians)
would accept living together as normal. There were problems with
immorality amongst young people who were church members. Encouraging
people to tithe and to pay off debts – these were just some of the
issues we faced.
Q15 Finally, what was your greatest joy and blessing?
To see the Spirit work in peoples lives, producing a hunger for the
Bible and a desire to really obey it. To see young people marry and
others wanting to follow suit. To train up Jair as an assitant pastor,
share the burdens and blessings of ministry together and see him now
taking on the work