As I sit across from Joan in her garden, I see a woman who has followed the footsteps of Jesus for many years through her humility, her ministry, and most of all her heart for prayer.

I begin by asking how she became a Christian. She responds that she cannot remember a time she did not believe but what sticks with her is the last hymn sung at a Gospel service during the war (WW2):

“Only a step to Jesus, why not take it now?
Come with your sin confessing…”

She had never made a public confession, but that night she did.

When we start talking about Don, Joan remembers praying that God would keep her from a relationship while she was finishing college. The day after Joan finished college, she met Don. “God’s timing is perfect.” Joan was impressed by the way Don prayed and his impeccable manners, “He was an absolute gentleman”, she states, “Even then, we would never say goodnight without prayer. He would always pray.” Prayer would always be an important part of Joan’s life and ministry. Joan always felt and still feels that “It is the most important aspect of Christian life. In good times and bad. Every day and every night when you can’t sleep.”

Usually, retirement means an ending, but in Joan’s story it was a new adventure. She was 55 and thriving in her teaching, a mother to three children, and an active server in the church. However, God moved her and Don to change paths and serve overseas. They had visited missionaries in the past, but now their plan was to visit every GLO team in the field. “It was great for women to go, just to talk…so often the women are just left with the children. No visitors, nobody seems to care…and for a woman to get a visitor, it’s something they really appreciate.”

One of the places Joan remembers visiting is Malaysia, where they gave guidance and support to Andrew and Donna Cowell. When asked about this time Donna writes, “It was a very pivotal time for us. We had come to the mission field with no real training. But God had provided Joan and Don to serve with us for a few months in Malaysia and during that time Andrew and I learnt a lot by serving together with them and watching them speak truth and wisdom into situations and show unconditional love to the people around them.“

As Joan is talking about Malaysia, she recalls their visit to Batu Gajah, where a small assembly was located. This assembly asked Joan and Don to take youth meetings on the weekend. One afternoon when Don had already given two sermons they went to a local restaurant and after eating found themselves at a house with around 50 people and Don was expected to speak again. He didn’t have a third sermon prepared, so he said, “I’m not going to speak, you are.” Many there were older ladies, and everyone dropped their heads. Don continued, “We’re going around the group and I just want each one of you to tell me how you came to the Lord.” Joan mentions, “These older ladies had never spoken in public in their lives, so he started with the younger ones and as he went round, it just got better and better and better, and by the time we go to that little group of older ladies they were on fire. I would say it was the most wonderful night of my life.” By the next morning the ladies couldn’t stop talking. I ask her what stood out the most and her response is immediate – “the joy!”