Lyn’s story
They say that these days you reinvent yourself three times during your lifetime.

This may or may not be true but looking back I can certainly see my life, thus far, in three segments.

Part One: I was born and grew up in south Wales and am happy to be Welsh. My childhood consisted of the usual stresses and strains, challenges and heartaches, which culminated in my conversion at the age of 18. Suddenly life took on a whole new perspective and purpose and at last my energies had a focus. I was totally committed to Jesus. As He healed and redirected my life, He put within me a passion for the hurt and wounded and a great desire to see Revival in this nation.

I finished school and college, qualified as a teacher and moved to a small village in Oxfordshire to work before feeling the need to follow Jesus one significant step further. So I went to All Nations Christian College for 2 years with a view to joining a mission and working abroad. It was there that I met Colin and together we dedicated ourselves to working for God wherever He sent us. Much to our surprise that was initially Bristol, but it was there that we waited, grew and produced a family!!

Part Two: This started as we eventually heard from God that He wanted us all to serve Him in Nepal. We departed in 1994 with 5 one-way tickets to Kathmandu, having sold our home and rid ourselves of all the clutter of our life in UK.

My role in Nepal was to be very varied. As a mum I had to manage the household in a foreign land and care for our developing family. But it also included setting up a school for refugee children and visiting the elders of local refugee camps, supporting a local children’s orphanage/ hostel and spending time with the House Parents and their team. I also spent much time travelling through India to visit our own children at boarding school at Hebron in Tamil Nadu, S.India. I loved the time I spent in Nepal and felt that I had come home. I especially revelled in the chance to be very involved in all aspects of a totally new culture- the food, the climate, the people, the lifestyle and the daily challenges of living as a Christian in an actively Buddhist/ Hindu world.

We served for 2 terms before returning to UK for further training, but presumed that we would return to Nepal. But life doesn’t always go as expected. With the massacre of the Nepali Royal family in 2000 and the Maoist uprising, the country was totally destabilised and the mission unwilling to return us until it was safer. Meanwhile however, the children were approaching “exam season” and we eventually decided to return the whole family to UK in 2002.

Part Three: This became about being ‘ourselves’ back in UK. Facing the disappointment of not being where our hearts were, but needing to make the best of what we had. With the children now older teenagers and starting to find their own way, I took a long hard look at myself and what my future could look like. I had retained a passion for God’s work, a heart for Asia and Revival but needed to know my place and continue my walk of faith.

So, with my eyes on wholeness and freedom in Jesus, I enrolled at London School of Theology to do a BA degree in Theology and Counselling and finally qualified this summer. My experiences of juggling the demands of being a mum, wife, missionary, teacher and more recently, student as well as being a “developing person” have helped me appreciate many aspects of the complexities of life. Counselling for me is a chance to come alongside people who are also on a journey but who might feel stuck, angry or confused.

I am concerned for the development of the whole person and will work with anyone who genuinely wishes to tackle issues in their life in order to effect a change in their situation. To date, I have worked with a variety of people with a variety of problems, ranging from depression and anxiety, bereavement; marital and identity problems; self-harm and compulsive/ obsessive behaviours.

My faith walk continues and while my heart is somewhere in Asia I continue to push forward into new realms of adventure and challenges in my here and now.

Part Four: To be continued…………………..

For counselling enquiries and to leave a contact address/ number, email Carolyn on: yourjourney@bigfoot.com

Charges £35 per session.