Jessie’s journey: recognising God’s fingerprints

By Deb Fox  |  Wycliffe Today Autumn 2021| 

Jessie first heard about the work of Wycliffe through a friend in Australia and says it was ‘daunting to know that so many languages are still without a single verse of Scripture’. She was unsure of how to help the work of Bible translation until a pastor suggested that ‘helping someone else through prayer and financial support is just as important as serving on the mission field’. 

Reading news from the family she supported in Kenya made Jessie feel connected to the work they were doing. She looked forward to receiving their newsletters and decided she wanted to visit them to see the work for herself. Jessie did not have the money to fly overseas but an achievement award from her workplace provided the airfare and expenses necessary to cover the cost of the trip.

It was an eye-opening experience. Jessie found herself in a remote desert land with no roads or medical facilities. She witnessed the poverty and tribal wars that occurred on a regular basis. The safety and comforts she was accustomed to in her new home in Australia now seemed like a distant memory. Jessie shares:

Before I left, I read books about mission workers and imagined them with golden halos around their heads. Perfect people who had all the answers. I thought to myself, ‘I’m not a saint! I don’t have a halo. I’m not someone important. But this is important to God’.

Seeing real cross-cultural workers on the field helped Jessie realise that they are just ordinary people like her. Jessie’s experience led her to apply to serve as a Wycliffe member in the ‘area of most need’. Later, she found herself in the French-speaking area of Africa. Her time there cemented Jessie’s desire to support the Bible translation movement so she came back to Australia to get formal theological training.

Then Jessie received a call from her sister in Hong Kong with tragic news that their mum had suddenly gone into a coma. She rushed over to be by her mother’s side and recalls: ‘I felt so completely overwhelmed. I could not see what God was doing but now I can see his fingerprints on it all.’ 

Jessie stayed in Hong Kong to help care for her mother and her time there also enabled her to volunteer with The Journey program. She enjoyed helping people discover how they could use their unique gifts to serve God.

Jessie shared with her mother her desire to continue ministry in Australia. Sadly, only a week after Jessie left, her mum’s condition deteriorated and she passed away. Jessie was devastated but having her mother’s blessing spurred her on to continue the path set before her. 

Jessie’s time in Hong Kong helped prepare her for her current role as a representative for Wycliffe Australia’s NSW office among the Chinese diaspora in Australia. She is now a member of Wycliffe Australia and is passionate about connecting Chinese churches and leaders with mission opportunities, and encouraging others to use the unique skills God has given them to serve him. 

Jessie shares:

Mission is at the centre of the Father’s heart. It is my goal to help others realise that they are a part of this mission. We often feel like we have to be perfect, have everything in our life going perfectly or have the ‘right’ skills or qualifications to serve God. The truth is, we don’t have to worry too much about the details—we just need to be obedient to what the Lord calls us to do. Like a piece of blank paper, he writes his story on our lives. We need to trust that he will equip us and provide for our needs along the way. 

To support Jessie go to https://wycliffe.org.au/member/jessie/ 

For more information about the next Journey Program, https://wycliffe.org.au/eventtype/the-journey/