We are the
Ussher family from New Plymouth, consisting of Wayne: husband, father, mental
health nurse; Margaret: wife, mother, teacher; sons: Timothy (20) engineering
student, Canterbury; and Jonathan (18) health sciences, Otago.
In
the 1990s the long-term plan for our family was for me (Margaret) to return to
teaching part-time once the boys went to school.
By doing so we would live the typical middle class lifestyle of relative
financial security, able to enjoy the finer things which disposable income
provides; a fairly ‘normal’ plan really.
God had a
different plan for our family. His
plan included home schooling our boys. After
much soul searching, we chose His plan over our own and so embarked on a journey
which lasted 15 years; taking our sons to the completion of their high school
education.
In practical
terms, our decision to home school meant living on a modest single income.
It also meant in the future we would have to either enlarge our existing
house or purchase a bigger one. We chose to do the latter.
In 1997,
after seeing an advertisement in the Challenge Weekly, we signed up with Liberty
Trust. The principles of giving and
borrowing espoused by the Trust was another example of doing things God’s way
rather than our own.
In 1999,
while waiting for our interest free loan to become available, we took out a bank
mortgage and set about building a bigger house.
At the end
of 2007, with the prospect of having both our boys at universities in the
South Island this year and the associated costs, it was timely that we received a phone call from Ark Resources to say our interest free
loan had become available to us. It
couldn’t have come at a better time!
Throughout
the years God has proved Himself faithful to His promises as we follow His plan
for our lives. He has always met
our needs as He promises in His Word to do.
For our
family, having a Liberty Trust loan has meant the money we now save on interest
is able to be used to financially support our sons as they pursue their academic
goals.
God’s plan
for our family didn’t include the acquisition of a lot of worldly wealth but
it did produce two godly young men we are proud to call our sons and who will
carry the baton of faith to the next generation.
To us that’s priceless and we thank God for His faithfulness and
provision.
Margaret & Wayne Ussher
30 August 2008