THE P RTAL
December 2013
Page 11
Here am I Lord
Jackie Ottaway visits
the Allaway family
I
t is
always good to be beside the seaside, even on a wet
October Sunday. The Allaway family live less than one
hundred metres from the sea in a lovely house in the heart of a
South cost town. It was lovely even in the rain.
Kevin and Karlie got married in 1995 and now have
three children. Kevin has been going to church since
before he was born; his parents being Strict Baptists.
They moved to their present home town in 1980 and deprived inner city area
begun attending a Countess of Huntingdon Connexion
They spent some months looking into moving to a
Church (linked to Methodism). However Kevin and deprived inner city area in the north of England to join
Karlie then ended up at a Pentecostal Church.
a community working for its regeneration. They were
very close to going, but it was not right.
met at school
He and Karlie met at school. She was not brought
Karlie again: “We were looking for community,
up to attend church, but Kevin’s family strongly relationship and mission. Denomination wasn’t the
encouraged
her
priority. We looked
to do so .After a
at new forms of
couple of years
monasticism. It was
resisting efforts to
the discipline and
convert her, Karlie
the rootedness, but
began to explore
also being visible.”
the
message
Kevin was sure, “God
of the gospels,
showed us what He
eventually, with
wanted us to do,
Kevin, becoming
but we didn’t need
heavily involved
to go north to do it.
in
church,
Then it arrived on
particularly
our doorstep. Our
youth work with
daughter came down
the
Evangelical
one morning and
Alliance, but there
found a girl tapping
were issues for
on the door and
them even then.
saying ‘Let me in,
Lauren, let me in.’ It
questioned everything
was someone we knew well and she needed a place to
Karlie told me, “I questioned everything. I read the stay.” They explained her request for refuge and support
words of Jesus and then questioned everything. There while recovering from trauma and a very problematic
was so much freedom at these churches that we drew lifestyle. “We took her in. She was here for two and half
resources from everywhere. I became involved in a years. It was very difficult. We learned where you can
homeless project at an Anglican church. We tried and can’t help and take responsibility. But we just did
not going to church, but Faith needs sustaining with not have enough support.”
community. The Sacraments became important, for
what is it that roots us in grace?”
Karlie laughed, “We now know we cannot save
the world! She has now reconnected with her family
Kevin said, “We fostered someone who needed a lot moved on, but we still keep in touch.”
of support.” Karlie took up the story, “When someone
whose whole life is full of tragedy asks what you mean making a home
by hope, it forces you to answer. The question is deep.”
“At that time, looking for support, we got to know the