About Me

One day, enough was enough. I felt the time had come to reflect on what I wanted to do, and after some time, I decided that a teaching career would be a perfect match for me. It would mean going back to university to study, but it was an investment I strongly felt would be worth it, so I applied to study for a PGCE Early Years/ Key Stage 1 at London South Bank University. Completing the course began a successful career in education spanning twelve years, which looked completely unattainable in the first few months of my first teaching post. I nearly gave up as I struggled to put all the theory into practice. But I survived, I had some supportive leaders and colleagues, and eventually, I got into the swing of things and became a very good teacher – if I might say so myself.

Over that span of time, I managed to work at four very diverse primary schools, gaining more and more experience and progressing into Leadership and Management. My career in education culminated in establishing and running my own early years setting from 2016 until September 2020.

What a journey that was! Particularly the whirlwind of running my own business and the learning and challenges that came with it. But what a joy that whilst studying for my PGCE, I met my God-sent husband, Kerubu. We married and had two beautiful children in the same time period.

Let’s pause here, as now I need to tell you how I found Jesus…

Despite growing up attending church, I would say that I truly found Jesus when I returned from university in 2006. My family had started attending a small church in South East London, so it was natural for me to join them on my return. I had just passed my car driving test and bought my first car, and I was also excited to take the family to church from Peckham to Eltham each week. It was whilst I was attending this church that I believed in my heart that Jesus was Lord and received Him into my heart. Straight away, I knew He began to fill a hole in my life, which I had been trying to fill with other things. I felt complete! Although I began to feel the tug of the world even more heavily from this point onwards, I knew 100% that Jesus was real.

Why did this happen? It was because I started to find real answers to questions I had. I remember first reading the book ‘The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I here for?’ by Rick Warren as part of my Home Group – a weekly Bible Study Group I was part of, which I attending every Wednesday.  

There is a statement Warren makes in the book which was also an encouragement as I reflected on my earlier life and faith journey. He says, “regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad or indifferent.” “Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. God’s purpose took into account human error and even sin.”[1] Our ‘sovereign foundations’ are bound to include good and bad times, sufferings, persecutions, hurts, trials, temptations, and wrong decisions and choices. Nevertheless, we have the assurance that no matter the circumstance or experience, God is using them to shape us and “works through all our experiences.”[2] At times, it can be extremely “hard and difficult to believe God was working through family, circumstance and environment, especially if they were not Godly influences,”[3] but He was.

I had a very challenging upbringing, born into an interfaith home. My mother was a Christian, and my father was a Muslim. Despite my father’s eventual conversion to Christianity and our regular and consistent church attendance, our home lacked peace and unity, and it ultimately affected our relationships, quality of life, and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, years of disunity led to my parents’ separation, leaving my mother to raise four children independently. Being the oldest sibling did not make things easy for me, and I was in for quite a tough ride as I continued to experience and face increasingly challenging circumstances as a child.

As Clinton mentions, when we reflect on our sovereign foundations, particularly at later phases of life, “we come to a deeper appreciation of his power.”[4] We realise that God was always there through it all, even though we may not have known him personally.

Most of my strengths have stemmed from these difficult times in the sovereign foundations and my later adult life. I regularly thank God because I have discovered that he has equipped me with such happiness and inner joy, which I have had since I was a young child. As I came to know Christ, this inner joy deepened. For this reason, my favourite scripture has always been “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10). This joy has been instrumental in helping me through the challenging storms of life and has helped me strengthen others. We can have such ‘little control’ over what happens, but ‘the primary lesson is to respond positively to what God has laid in these foundations.’[5]

Let’s go back to 2020!

In the early months of 2020, I learnt the importance of listening to God and my life was to change forever from this point. The Lord laid it heavily on my heart to read and study His word. Before this, I had never read the Bible entirely from start to finish, so I decided to embark on a daily reading plan. A few weeks into starting it, I soon realised that simply reading the word was not enough. The Lord began to stress the importance of studying: genuinely knowing and understanding the scriptures. Several dreams and revelations followed, amplifying this direction from God, with Him telling or showing me to get more of His word. I then knew that it was not about reading the Bible in its entirety. It was about having His word in my heart and mind. The Lord instructed me to study, and I was keen to obey Him.

Nazarene Theological College

I was so excited at the Lord’s directive that I immediately started the search for universities and theological colleges to enrol myself in the Master’s in Theology programme for the upcoming academic year. I had never studied Theology before, so it would be a complete miracle if I gained admission into an MA Programme. To my surprise, I was offered a place at not one but two theological colleges. One was the Nazarene Theological College (NTC), and the Lord led me to accept the place.

I remember looking at the course units and thinking, ‘How am I going to get through one module, let alone the whole course?’ But I remembered who had sent me to study. The Lord Himself, the creator of the universe, created me and sent me to this earth for a reason, so I had faith that He would see me through. He has promised to teach me and give me wisdom. “No word from God will ever fail, (Luke 1:37), and He didn’t fail me.

To my amazement, the eyes of my understanding were enlightened from the first course unit. Scripture took on a new meaning. I strongly believe in the importance of the word of God and in reflection, my time studying at NTC was highly influential in shaping and equipping me for innovative Christian Ministry to follow. One of the most transformational course units was ‘Resilient Discipleship’, which focused on the connection between spirituality, mission, and discipleship. It also emphasised building resilience, compassion, and innovation. I gained a deeper understanding of God’s presence outside the church and recognised His presence in unusual places. This developed my ability to take Jesus more seriously in personal, communal, and public ways. I began walking with a desire to share my knowledge with others daily and strive to reach the lost and broken in our world. I want to see their lives transformed and liberated.

Green Pastures

This passion led me to apply for a role as a Partnerships Manager at Green Pastures. Green Pastures is a charity that strives to release the church of Jesus to end homelessness in the UK. I was in the role for ten months. I thoroughly enjoyed working at the organisation, however, the Lord prompted me that there was something else He needed me to do. Now that I look back, the skills I acquired in this role were a stepping stone to the role that followed as a Community Partnerships Manager at The Leprosy Mission. At Green Pastures, I gained experience in church engagement by establishing and building partnerships with churches across the East Midlands. I played a crucial role in aligning churches and charities with Green Pastures’ vision, inspiring them to set up homeless projects.

https://www.greenpastures.co.uk/

The Leprosy Mission

I also left my time of study with a strong desire to help those living in poverty and developed a passion for people facing disease. My dissertation was an exegetical examination of Exousia in the Gospel of Mark. Exousia means ‘authority’ in Greek. I examined the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus closely. But something resonated with me as I looked at the healing accounts of the Lord Jesus. It was that those with leprosy had a very special place in His heart. This was part of the fulfilment of the prophecy. It confirmed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. He was always keen to make them clean. Jesus wanted to heal them of this disease.

In Matthew 10:8, Jesus sends the disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near. He says, ‘heal the sick.’ He also explicitly states, ‘cleanse those who have leprosy.’ It is the only disease he mentioned and singled out in that instruction. He did it when He was on earth, and He commanded us to do so, to continue His work.

And so, I was honoured when God led me to be part of this vital work at The Leprosy Mission – bringing healing and transformation to people affected by leprosy. You can find out more about their work here: https://www.leprosymission.org.uk/

In my interview with BBC Radio Sheffield, you can hear more details about how the Lord led me to The Leprosy Mission. You’ll find the interview in the ‘Interviews‘ section of my website: https://wordseasonedwithsalt.co.uk/interviews/

Baginton Road United Reformed Church

After almost a year and a half at The Leprosy Mission, the Lord has called me to Pastor a United Reformed Church in Coventry called Baginton Road URC. To the glory of God, there is another amazing story of how He led me here, which I may share on my blog in due time. But I was appointed Pastor at Baginton Road URC in April 2024, and I am committed to fulfilling the purpose of the Lord sending me here.

[1] Warren, The Purpose Driven Life. Ch2.
[2] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[3] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[4] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[5] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.