SERVING FAITHFULLY FOR
THREE DECADES
Marg has been serving in both Africa and South East Asia for the past 30
years and the work that she has been involved in has been remarkable.
Marg began her cross-cultural journey back in 1988 in West Timor before
moving onto Zimbabwe for most of the ‘90s and then to South East Asia
until 2016. With visa difficulties and aging parents, Marg felt that it was
time for a new season in Australia.
There were turbulent times for the people in the region, including
the impacts of the Bali bombings, downfall of political leaders and
the war in Iraq. Marg returned to Australia for a brief period due
to the unrest but went back as soon as she was allowed.
Marg was committed to learning about the B.I people and their
Muslim faith and culture in order to build relationships and allow
for opportunities to share Jesus with her friends. She also shared
her experience and knowledge with the younger members of the
Global Interaction team.
In West Timor, Marg taught English to four siblings from NSW via
correspondence, drawing on her teaching experience from the
years before her mission work. In Zimbabwe, Marg taught Sunday
School teachers, set up an after-school ministry and assisted
in the development of a pre-school. She was also involved in
women’s ministries and pastoral support. Marg has a gift for
building strong relationships with people and through this, many
experienced God’s love during her service.
Marg struggled with poor health due to the humidity and malaria
medication but with the support of Global Interaction and her
friends from the region, Marg was well-looked after and never felt
alone. Visa applications caused some of the biggest challenges for
Marg and her team. There were times when all of their hard work
was disrupted due to the shifting sands of
government regulations.
It was in these difficult times that Marg felt the outpouring of
love from the many friends that she had made through her years
of dedication to the B.I people.
In South East Asia, Marg worked among a least-reached-people group, the
B.I people, and spent much of her time teaching English at three different
universities. This new role involved a large degree of adjustment as Marg
had not lived in a Muslim community previously. However, this did not
phase her and she did all she could to learn how to relate. This dedication
to learning showed those she was teaching she could be trusted and
helped build many significant relationships. Through compassion, curiosity and respect
Marg was a pioneer team member among this people group and
was instrumental in setting up an island branch of the Education
Foundation. Marg came into contact with thousands of students
and their families, lecturers, other English teachers and many
more people in the community. Over time, she was invited to be
involved in numerous family cultural and religious events. In some
cases, Marg was delighted to become the ‘Aussie Grandma’. showed the community members how
With diligence and a high standard in the classroom, Marg became
very well-known and respected throughout her community.
10
GLOBAL INTERACTION
these relationships allowed for conversations
of faith to occur. By putting in the hard
yards of learning the local language Marg
important they were to her and that she
really did want to know about them and their
culture at a deep level.