Roger, a Chicago Illinois native, met Londoner Jo in 2009 in South Korea where they were both teaching English. Sharing a love for food, adventure, rescuing dogs, and exploring new cultures they quickly became best friends. Although Roger was raised in the church, a deeply difficult season in his life had left him walking far from the Lord. Meeting Jo and seeing that God had His hand on her, Roger returned to church, rekindled his relationship with Jesus and eventually led Jo to the Lord. A few years later they left Korea for Indonesia, once again to teach English. There Jo and Roger would join a small Christian ministry teaching English in the brothels in the darkest parts of Medan, Sumatra assisting women who wanted to leave, find new homes, jobs, fellowship and a relationship with Jesus. This season touched Jo and Roger’s hearts deeply. When they were finally led to leave Indonesia and relocate to Indiana, USA they were fired up to continue following the Lord wherever He would send them, and whatever He would invite them to do.
God performed so many miracles (too many to write here!) and in the US Jo was able to secure a volunteer visa to teach English at a local Spanish speaking church and Roger got a job teaching English to Saudi students. During their time in the Indiana, Jo and Roger got married, bought their first home and became quite involved in their local church, with Roger being in the choir and on the worship team. Jo got a job managing a local art studio and teaching painting classes. Life was easy, with hot showers, weekly Bible studies and all the conveniences of a standard American life…and it began to feel like time for a new challenge. Prayerfully searching for what the Lord had next for them, Roger and Jo began applying for teaching jobs overseas again, but just as they were preparing to leave, God connected them with an evangelistic ministry that changed everything for them. They became full time missionaries with this ministry and relocated to Sedona, Arizona to help start a coffee shop church ministry and to teach the local churches how to work together, across denominations, to share the Gospel. Sedona was known as the New Age capital of the US and was quite a spiritually intense place for ministry… Jo and Roger learned a lot during this season!
After several years in Arizona, Roger’s Grandma in Illinois passed away, Roger was very close to his Grandparents, and together with Jo decided to have Grandpa move in with them. While they continued to volunteer with the ministry, Grandpa became their full time job, he was 94 at the time, had dementia and required round the clock care. After several months, Grandpa, Roger and Jo decided that sitting around the house all day wasn’t for them and so decided to invest their savings in a 37ft Class A motorhome, install a wheelchair lift and some grab bars and travel the USA, checking off a few things on Grandpa’s bucket list. The motorhome was named Sweet Mary Bus (after Roger’s Grandma). This epic trip took them to places like Texas (where Grandpa was born in 1924) to visit family, the World War II museum in Louisiana, Mardi Gras, and the Houston Space Center among many other things and places. Eventually Covid ground their trip to a halt and they returned home to Arizona and sold the motorhome. Grandpa passed away shortly after at the ripe age of 96. It was at this point that Jo and Roger decided to continue their travels around the States and take a rest whilst praying into what the Lord had next for them. They sold their house, bought a truck camper and hit the road visiting almost all of the states, trying all the food and sharing the love of Christ along the way.
Having felt the call for some time to return to the UK to be closer to family, Roger was able to secure a spouse visa for the UK, and after several months of traveling Jo and Roger made the move back to England in August 2021. Being not quite ready to buy a house and stay in one place, they opted for a narrowboat instead. Having a love for being anywhere by water, and for being able to move around and explore, it seemed like the perfect fit. After a few weeks of searching, the perfect boat came up for sale, her name was Spirit and Jo and Roger knew that she was the one the moment they saw her! They moved aboard just in time for winter and set sale from Rickmansworth, heading wherever the Lord would lead them. They are excited to see what ministry opportunities the Lord will bring their way, and feel so blessed to be a part of Canal Ministries.
