As the first Home Director of Wycliffe in the UK, I enjoyed a close relationship with Gordon, who was a key member of the home staff team.  My memories of that relationship are all very warm and positive. 
 
In 1965, when Gordon and Rosemary applied for membership in Wycliffe, the challenge of the many languages that needed Bible translation was becoming more widely recognized throughout the UK.  A steadily growing stream of missionary trainees were taking the Wycliffe Language Course.  Those that applied to WBT all expected to serve overseas in some aspect of linguistic, translation or literacy work or the direct support of this. 
 
The committee that considered applications for membership in Wycliffe that year faced an unusual situation in the case of Gordon and Ro.  They had stated a clear call to the overall work of Bible translation, but not to the language-related aspects of the mission’s primary work.  And, for family reasons which seemed valid, they wanted to serve within the UK rather than another country.  The committee felt obliged to consider whether it would be wise to accept a couple whose role within the mission would be limited in these ways.  Would such persons be able to raise their financial and prayer support if they were assigned as home staff?  Only after careful and prayerful discussion was it decided to accept them.
 
It did not take long, however, for it to become clear that Gordon was literally ‘a godsend’ to Wycliffe UK.  A few months earlier, it had miraculously been enabled to purchase Pendell Camp, formerly a small military base.  Gordon was assigned to be the manager of this property, responsible for all aspects of its physical well-being, with additional responsibility for the year-round logistical and practical affairs of the Wycliffe Language Course (as the SIL school was then named.)  Gordon handled these varied responsibilities very well, quickly becoming a valued member of what was then a very small staff team.
 
During the next few years, a number of unexpected events occurred which profoundly impacted the nature of his work, sometimes for long periods of time.  First came the news that we would have to find a new home for the SIL school because of the route of the new M25 motorway.  Gordon’s search for a suitable new location extended over several years, involving the serious consideration of hundreds of properties which were for sale.  He also played a major role in the detail of negotiations over whether or not a property was a reasonable equivalent to Pendell Camp, and the amount of compensation that would be awarded.
 
When the Lord, miraculously again, enabled Wycliffe to purchase another property - the lovely and advantageously located former school at Horsleys Green - Gordon was the one who had to mastermind and oversee several months of intense activity as many volunteers cooperated to remove all Wycliffe’s effects to its new location.  This was followed by several years of adaptation and construction of additional buildings at Horsleys Green to meet the needs of both the SIL school and the Wycliffe UK administrative headquarters.  A few years later, the urgent adaptation and construction of buildings was again necessary, following a fire which destroyed the existing kitchen and dining room. 
 
These activities, plus the maintenance of the grounds and facilities of the property, (which served as a conference centre as well as a school and an administrative HQ), called for a considerable number of workers of various kinds.  Under Gordon’s leadership, a ‘voluntary helpers’ system was developed which largely met our needs for workers.  This provided a place where young people from many different European nations who were considering missionary work could improve their ability to speak English and also learn more about the work of Wycliffe and SIL.  Gordon took a personal interest in each of these ‘volly helpers’, and often maintained contact with them long after they had gone on to other work.
 
This brief summary of Gordon’s work with Wycliffe while I was its director in the UK illustrates, though it does not adequately describe, its wide scope and varied character.  It was truly a pleasure to oversee his work which was always well done.  As I remember him, I am impressed once more how well he related to all those with whom he worked.  When asked to accept challenging responsibilities, as these usually were, he received them as from the Lord, and therefore looked directly to the Lord to enable him to deal with them satisfactorily.  And it was a very frequent thing to hear him report the ways in which the Lord had met the detailed needs which were involved.  To me he was a good friend as well as a very capable fellow-worker.  I thank God for every memory of him.
 
David Bendor-Samuel