ctmi concerned parents

Thank you CTMI Elders who’ve helped us counsel our 3 children according to the ways of the Lord
In response to the nonsense being written about this ministry, here is my story… Having visited Mauritius on many occasions as children, all three of my children, who grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, chose to spend their ‘gap year’ there. This meant living in the homes of local Mauritian families, discovering their culture, sharing their way of life, learning to do things differently, and eating new and strange dishes.

I recall visiting our eldest daughter after she had been there 6 months. Initially, I felt very jealous and a bit insecure when I saw how close she was to the lady of the house but as time went by, I saw the positive changes in my daughter and had to rejoice. My daughter returned home having learnt to speak French and Creole. Today she lives near us in the UK, we are very close, and she is serving the Lord with her two children.

When our son turned 18, we were going through a very rough patch in our marriage, and he asked if he could move next door to live with our pastor, Basil O’Connell-Jones. This was a lifesaver for him. From there, he spent some time in Mauritius.

After marrying a lovely French girl he had known for many years, they decided to go live with a CTMI pastor, Stephen Gachengo, in Kenya. Naturally, I was concerned and worried about their safety being the only white couple amongst thousands of Africans, but I saw the hand of the Lord taking care of them. He learnt Swahili, travelled around with the CTMI Network pastors in East Africa, and his 3 years in Nairobi clearly laid a strong spiritual foundation in his heart. After a few years in the UK, they have opted to live in Mauritius, where both are serving in the church there. Our son is a credit to us, though it had very little to do with us.

Our youngest daughter decided to study in Mauritius and lived in various homes for over 4 years. There were many calls home as she faced things all young people do, but I knew there were people taking real care of her over there. Of course, it was hard for me to part with my youngest child. She had been brought up in a very privileged home and when I saw the size of some of her bedrooms in Mauritius, I was tempted to tell her to come home.  However, watching my young daughter mature and become a responsible young lady, I knew this was the best place for her at that time.

As for those lies about children being encouraged to give up their studies… Our daughter might well not have finished her studies had it not been for the constant encouragement she received to persevere from the CTMI Elders in Mauritius, Durban, Bulawayo, and the UK. All these men of God have known her and supported her since she was a young child. Today, she has a B. Comm. in Marketing and Management, and is now working in Durban, where she is proud to be a member of Grace Gospel Church. Trevor and I are so grateful for the way that she was protected and nurtured.

We can only thank the Lord for His grace upon our family. Our 3 wonderful children are all serving Jesus, and it is thanks to all the CTMI elders who’ve played a role and helped us to counsel them according to the ways of the Lord. These men of God, with their servant hearts, have been such an example to us. The gospel they live and preach has changed all our lives and, 35 years on, we are still serving Jesus together!

Aloma T. – Verwood, U.K.