We have known Matt and Kate for a number of years through music ministry and women’s retreats and early morning prayer at West London Alliance, our home church in Canada.  However over the last four or five years, we have had the joy of sharing a number of wonderful visits with them in Malaysia, Canada and even in Cambodia. We have watched them grow in their relationships with God, with each other and in parenting their children.

We rejoiced with them as they took steps of faith in serving in short-term missions and watch as God challenged their hearts more and more with an understanding of missions and service of others. They have faithfully and carefully made career and personal decisions intended to free themselves up to serve as God opens doors of opportunity. They have a very tender heart for overseas ministry but the reality is that for the time being their children still need them to be close to home.

However, God’s plans are perfect and this past December, they were offered an opportunity to take the next steps in their missions journey in the home office of SEND Canada, which is located just outside of London. In faith, Matt left his job to take on the role of Director of Operations, supervising and caring for the home office team, and overseeing the operations, technology and finances of the office. Matt’s career has prepared him well for the role and it is a great fit for Kate and the family as well.

After years of giving over their vacation time to short-terms missions, they finally were able to manage a week away and came to visit us here in Cayman. We thoroughly enjoyed hours of exploring the island, meals on the beach, a cruise across the sound, snorkeling and beach walks. Most of all, I think we enjoyed the long evening chats on our patio and leisurely breakfast visits as we shared our common passions, joys and heartaches. They even managed to experience a ten kilometer run in the tropics and Matt got in a couple of dives with our church friends. It was all good.