I said to God, ‘If you are there I will follow you, but I'm not willing to just join a social club’ – Vicki’s Story
Vicki shares her story of life and faith.
Hi Vicki, thank you for meeting with me today to talk about your life story. Can you start by telling me about your parents, siblings and childhood?
I was born in Forest Gate Hospital and grew up in Leytonstone. My mum is Irish from Dublin and my dad from London near Ilford and they both worked at BT. They had two children. I am the oldest and I have a brother, Anthony. I had a very happy childhood but no church upbringing. We moved to Chingford when I was 11 and I went to secondary school there. After A-Levels, I went to Stafford University to study English and History.
When and how did you become a Christian and get baptised?
When I was in Chingford I went to a small evangelical youth group and started going on a Sunday morning and I also went to Spring Harvest. At my first year at Stafford Uni I said to God, ‘If you are there I will follow you, but I'm not willing to just join a social club.’ I felt God say: ‘I love you and I’m going to take your heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh and make it a heart for me.’ I got involved in the Christian Union and started going to church there. I decided to get baptised at my home church as that was where I knew the most people and so I came back to get baptised in one of my vacations in 1991.
What paid jobs have you had during your life?
After I finished university, I came back to my parent’s home again and I did some unpaid work for Youth for Christ. and took a year out with Oasis Trust. I've worked for Stort Valley Schools Trust (SVST) and as a project co-ordinator at Waltham Forest YMCA. After I had our children I did a lot of volunteer work and worked as a cover supervisor. I also had a job at Harlow College for three years and worked for Takeley Christian School as a teacher and SEN support for three years. I am now an Adult Support Worker at HFT, a national charity providing housing and support for people who can't live independently.
Where and when did you meet your husband Nigel?
In 1995 I needed a job and a student friend saw a job at SVST in Stortford. It wasn't what I'd planned but I applied and got it. I enjoyed the role, working for Geoff Napper and I worked there for five years. I moved to Elsenham and went to St James Church in Thorley. While I was visiting churches for SVST and on a visit to Newport Church I met a youth worker volunteering in the City of London called Nigel. I moved house again to Stortford in 1996 and had a house share with three other girls and a cat called Neeps. Nigel and I got engaged in 1997 and married in 1998 in Newport Church.
Tell us about your children. What are they are doing now?
In 2002 I had our firstborn Joel. He got accepted to do Maths at university but he decided not to go and is now working at our local Wetherspoons pub. In 2004 Finn was born and he is now doing a Business and Finance Degree at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge. Then in 2007 Grace was born and she is now 17 and at Harlow College doing a business BTEC. They all live at home with Nigel and me.
How are you serving at BSBC?
I was a Deacon for a few years which I enjoyed but my work and life became too busy and so I stepped down. I used to run the Havers Toddler Group and now I help Nikki run Messy Church and I help do Xplorers for 8-11 year olds. I am also the Church Tearfund representative.
Do you have any plans for the future?
No. My desire is to brighten people's day by whatever means, and live each day as it comes walking with God.
What do you enjoy doing? Hobbies?
I love reading golden age detective fiction and spending time with people.
