Wickford Christian Centre 
How I became a missionary by Ginny Perkins
God showed me the bad condition of my heart when I was eight years old. This was necessary as the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure who can understand it” Jeremiah 17v9. I asked God’s forgiveness for my sinful nature and asked Jesus to come into my heart.
At aged fifteen I was publicly baptised in water to demonstrate my commitment to follow Jesus. Someone taught me to read the Bible every day and I began helping in Sunday school. During my college years I participated in beach missions and learnt to share my faith with holidaymakers. The desire to be a missionary was so strong that I selected a mission and was ready to sign up. God spoke repeatedly through His word saying that I should honour my father and mother, who advised me to get some teaching experience. Whilst teaching art in Battle Abbey girl’s school, I saw the need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1v5). I wept as I sought God for this in a church meeting. The minister prayed for me and I was filled with joy and boldness to declare God’s love and mercy to others.
One day a missionary’s message pierced my heart. Prostrated and with tears I offered my life to God for his service. I knew I should go to Bible College. This was confirmed when an elder at my church had a vision of me walking forward confidently. He felt I should do what was in my heart. An old lady gave me two copies of the Contact magazine, published by the Zaire Evangelistic mission. I asked God if he wanted me to serve him in Zaire and to let me know on a particular Tuesday. That designated day, the secretary came into my room and told me that I would be interested to know that Carol Seymour from the Zaire Evangelistic Mission was coming to preach at the church! Convinced that it was God’s will for me to serve him in Zaire, I applied to the Z.E.M. and arranged to stay with missionary friends in Luxemboug in order to learn French.
Before graduating I spent seven days seeking God. I cried out in a communion service, telling God that I had a broken heart. This led to being set free from schizophrenia. Since then my personality has been restored and I’ve been able to receive God’s love.
I’d sold my share in a flat in order to pay the Bible school fees and to live. With two months before going to Luxembourg and at the end of my resources, I applied to do two months supply teaching. To my surprise one morning I opened my Bible and found a cheque for £500 and £25 in cash!
I went to Zaire (Now called the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1991. For the first ten years I did what my hand found to do with all my might (Ecclesiastes 9v10). It was a time, when I learnt a lot by making mistakes.
Jesus comes to us and says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. “ Matt 28v18&19