 Jon & Maria Cullen |
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We began putting money into Liberty Trust during our teenage years, simply because we had heard about it through our local church and liked the principles underlying the organisation. We could not have guessed what a blessing this would become!
In 2001 we felt a strong pull toward living and working with the local church in South America, so we got rid of all our things, bought backpacks and went in search of Gods plan for us over there. We ended up in Lima, Peru where we lived for four years. I taught in a local school there. Jon was able to volunteer for the local university doing research into sustainable fuels, and to work for the local church.
Our church 'Adulam' was built around 3 'casas de ninos' (children’s homes) and we were privileged to be able to get alongside many parentless children. In our second year there, one of the girls from the home came to live with us, and by latest reports has just set herself up in her own rented room having sustained a job at a local school. This is just one example of how despite your 'start' in life, God can make all things good! Jon's interest in environmentally sustainable solutions grew, as did a desire to retrain, using his engineering background. We began applying for courses and were accepted in 2006 to study at Cambridge, England.
At the same time our Liberty Trust offer came up and we were expecting our first child. It all seemed a little much or mad or something but we felt a tremendous sense of peace in the timing of it all so we went ahead. We bought a piece of land in Tauranga and since have been paying that off
It has been difficult at times to reach our repayments on a 'student family budget' but somehow we have always got there. Jon has now won a scholarship to study a PhD here at Cambridge. We hope to use this to go back to a developing nation and work there again.
God has moved us around a lot in our married life and we can see this continuing. That is where Liberty Trust has been so great. For our daughter Leni we have now a piece of land in New Zealand that one day we hope we can build a home on. For now at least we can pitch a tent on it and call it home! We don’t know what God’s long term plan for us is. We want to be free and ready to go wherever whenever, yet maintain a sense of security, both physical and spiritual for our child. We are so very grateful to Liberty Trust for enabling this desire to become a reality.
Jon & Maria & Leni Cullen
Cambridge, England
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