1987 – 1 Year Course
We came to College from Napier with five children! We lived at the Laingholm Manse and drove in each day - dropping Kristy at Green Bay High School, Ana at Glen Eden Intermediate., Philip attended Laingholm Primary School, Elise enjoyed the College kindy and Talia was only 18 months old! David studied and I (Jenny) mothered but tried to be at the weekly chapel when missionaries spoke.
We had previously served in the Solomon Islands with South Seas Evangelical Mission (SSEM) where I was the school nurse and David taught in the secondary school. We were planning to head out with SSEM, this time to Papua New Guinea, and the SSEM Auckland Board asked us to complete at least one year at Bible College.
We enjoyed meeting other students and David enjoyed the lectures and also playing bass guitar for a jazz band!
The year at BCNZ provided a good
(though brief) foundation including some 'preaching' classes which were helpful on the field. I loved knowing that we were among many who later (and of course previously dating way back) served all over the world, including NZ.
We served in Brugam, PNG with SSEM (1988-1990); Mt Hagen, PNG with Mission Aviation (1993-1994), and then again in Mt Hagen (2008-Dec 2013). In between, we based ourselves in Napier.
We currently live in Napier. David is essentially retired though enjoying being Project Manager for a challenging build on the side of a hill (by invitation of his previous company - Alexander Construction). We have 15 grandchildren, most local. I've trained as a Victim Support Volunteer.
Top Left: David & Jenny Wilkinson Family Portrait 1992
Top Right: David & Jenny Wilkinson Family Portrait 2018
Bottom Left: David & Jenny Wilkinson 1989
Bottom Right: David & Jenny Wilkinson 50 years post
We're grateful for 50 years of happy marriage; an interesting, fulfilling life; the opportunity to travel and serve overseas; five resilient children enriched by cross-cultural living, with careers in teaching, fashion design, engineering, optometry and nursing. (Ana and family live in India teaching women to sew and much more – check out holiboli.com). We’re thankful to see the next generation taking the baton on in creative ways.
