Jean Chisholm

I was born and bred in Rugby, the eldest of four children. I was sent to Sunday School from a very early age so that my dad could have a quiet Sunday afternoon's rest. He worked a 6.5-day week, and I was a chatterbox even then! My parents did not go to church. At the High School at which I attended I had a truly committed Christian lady as my Scripture teacher. She was also my Bible class leader and had been a missionary in the Holy Land with CMJ. Several months after my conversion I found out that my teacher and several others from the church I attended had been praying for me. I was greatly persuaded to read and learn from God's Word by devoted people who helped me grow spiritually.

The lady who counselled me the night I became a Christian kept in contact with me right through until she died a few years ago. I was nursing by this time and this was a tremdnous learning curve. The Lord Jesus Christ died for me to be forgiven for my sin. Every day I was looking after people who were bodily sick. It was important that I gently tended to their spiriual needs as well. I did once get a severe rebuke when working in a children's home for having 'religion on the brain'.

I married Iain in 1960. He had come to know the Lord on the first night of the NYLC Crusade in Rugby in 1954, whereas I had come on the last night. We both went to the same C of E evangelical church, but had not known about each other until we met up with the group formed after the Crusade.

Iain was in the army when we got married and wherever he was posted we became involved with SASRA. We have been blessed with three children and three grandchildren. The eldest of our family, John, was born handicapped and that has affected our lives greatly. While travelling in the army I wrote letters a lot. In those days it was the only way of communicating with family and friends.

In 1969 we came to live in Hadleigh in Suffolk, when Iain and I were baptised and became members of the Baptist Church and have been privileged to be involved in different areas of service.

I spent most of my working life caring for elderly people. I soon learnt how lonely some people can get. Since retiring I have found that visiting people who live on their own is a service to God that I can still do. Bringing people together thorugh Friendship Link is very special to me.

Our hearts ache as we pray daily for all of our family. We are still the only Christians. They seem not to want to talk or even know about God's love and his provisions for them. Prayer is so important - so we pray on.