Changed lives

Changed Lives2nd Edition

Printed for

Micah Mobile Ministries

by Steve & Peppy

Micah Mobile Ministries© July 2007

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He has showed you O man what is good.And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy, and to walkHumbly with your God.

Micah 6v8

Micah Mobile Ministries has grown from a call of God to reach out into the towns, villages and hamlets of Cornwall. The charity was founded by a deed of Trust on 31st

August 2001, and received charity status on 4th October 2001.

The vision of the ministry is to offer a free Bible to every home in Cornwall. The belief of the Trustees and the workers is that it is vital that people have opportunity to read the Word of God; and from that to come to a personal relationship with Father God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is important that all Christians read, and know God’s written word for themselves. For this to be so there is a need for all Christians to read through the Bible for themselves, and allow God to speak to them through His whole word, and not just certain portions of it. In respect of this the ministry has produced a Bible study in the book of James, and three aids to reading through the Bible.

The first method caters for people who wish to read through the Bible in one year, and divides the portions into daily readings, which necessitates reading four chapters a day. This is made up of two chapters from the Old Testament, one Psalm or a chapter of Proverbs, and one chapter from the New Testament. This aid also includes a general explanation of the form of the Bible, and a ‘thumb nail’ sketch of each book.

The second method enables people to read through the Bible in approximately eight months. It divides the Bible into

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four sections; that is History, Song, Prophets and New Testament. To complete the reading in the eight months requires the reader to read five chapters of the Bible each day.

The final method requires the reader to read ten chapters a day, and enables the reader to read through the Bible three times in a year; therefore allowing opportunity to grasp the whole picture much more clearly.

The work of Micah Mobile Ministries has been to offer a free Bible to every home in Cornwall. The work began in St Just in Penwith, in the far South West of Cornwall, not far from Land’s End. As the work progressed it was decided to offer testimony tracts alongside the Bible. In the County Parish of St Just alone, over 11,000 of these tracts were given away. So many have been encouraged by reading the true life stories of ordinary people whose lives have been dramatically changed by meeting with Jesus. It was thought that these stories could be an encouragement to other people, and so they have been put together, and this book is the result.

Each story will be preceded by a short introduction to give you some background information concerning the people whose story is to follow. All these people are known to the workers of Micah Mobile Ministries who can verify the truth of these stories.

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Keith Horobin was born in 1950 in Burton upon Trent, a town in the Midlands. He later moved to East Yorkshire, and now

lives and works as an evangelist with

Micah Mobile Ministries of which Keith and Pauline are Founders in Cornwall.

SET FREE.

‘What am I doing here?’ ‘Why can’t I get out of this mess?’ ‘Why can’t someone help me?’ ‘I only need someone to help me!’

These were all the thoughts going through my mind as I sat alone, isolated, in the padded cell of my local psychiatric hospital. It wasn’t the first time I’d been in, and according to the psychiatrist it wouldn’t be the last!

My life shouldn’t have been such a mess. I had my own successful decorating business, a lovely house in the country, a wife, a large car, BUT I also had a large drink problem, and an oversized inferiority complex; neither of which I could deal with, nor anyone else seem to be able to help me.

I thought back through my troubled life.

In hospital aged 20 to be dried out from drink, and pumped out from an overdose. Another spell in a psychiatric hospital when overwork and over-drinking took its toll. When was all this going to end? I had come out determined to make a go of things, and stay on top.

It all began hopefully, but once again drink and despair, followed by rumours of my wife’s affair, began to darken the rays of hope. Until one day, once again, it all got too much.

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I had set off to work, only to return home shaking and becoming uncontrolled. I mixed half a bottle of gin to half a bottle of whisky, and began to down it. My friend arrived and persuaded me to go to the local psychiatric hospital. They couldn’t see me until I had been to my own doctor’s, and when I wouldn’t leave, they sent for the police to remove me. This they did, and I left handcuffed between two policemen, with who I had just had a wrestling match!

Once in the police cell my pent up anger, frustration and despair exploded. The sink and the toilet cistern took the full brunt of this. The restraints were again put on me. The police doctor later arrived, and I was then transferred to a psychiatric hospital to serve out my 28 day compulsory section. When this was finished I was returned to my local psychiatric hospital for an expected long stay.

There I sat thinking through my life; its lack of purpose or meaning. It was the 25th of March 1980, my second wedding anniversary, but by now my wife had left me. There was no purpose. I had already hidden two razor blades with which to cut my wrists.

“Hello Keith”. It was a local lady who had been visiting me, and had been inviting me to some religious meetings!! She wanted me to go that night. I kept saying no, until I heard a voice saying to me “What have you got to lose?” She got permission from the ward sister. The meetings were being held at the local Town Hall, and I made sure I was seated at the back. I wasn’t actually interested, and my thoughts began to wander. Then on stage a blind pianist was talking about his life, and how he had tried to fill his emptiness - ‘That’s like me’ I thought.

The preacher was a little man, and all I really heard him say was ‘Jesus said,

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“I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.”’

I had always gone my own way, my life was far from the truth, and what was my life worth?

Then somebody touched me on the back of my head. I turned around. There was no one there! I wanted to know more. Was there someone who could help me? Could there be a meaning to life? Could I find help? I talked with someone there, and they said I could have the wrong things in my past forgiven, and a purpose and hope for the future; that’s why Jesus died. I would have to give my life over to Jesus, and let Him live His life in me. Yes, I was willing; I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I prayed and asked God to forgive me, and then asked Jesus to come and rule my life, and live in me. When I got back to the ward, the ward sister said, “We’ll see how long it lasts.”

It has lasted, and Jesus is still:

“MY WAY, MY TRUTH AND MY LIFE.”

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Pauline Horobin was born in 1952 in Burton upon Trent. She met and married Keith in the early 1980’s, and they have

worked together for Jesus since then.

I WAS NOT A TEENAGE WEREWOLF.

I was privileged to have been born into a family amongst whom I had acceptance, and a great deal of love. Even at the times when I did things that I knew my parents did not approve of, I still knew that they loved me whatever.

Part of the reason for their open hearts, and openly expressed love was the fact that both of my parents had, in their teenage years, received love and acceptance from GOD, when they had become Christians.

As my parents were 50 and 47 years old when I was born they had had a number of years to learn even more of God’s love, and how to express it to others.

Apart from the fact of the age of my parents, I had a normal childhood, with its joys and sorrows; but all the time underlying decisions and actions was the presence of God.

But what of me? Where did God figure in my life? Was He real to me; or just a figure in my parent’s life?

I had always believed in God as He was always there, and part of what was going on, but it was during a visit to an elder brother and his wife, when I was eleven years old, that God became a reality in my personal life, and my relationship with Him began.

I had gone to church with them, and the preacher had given a talk to the children. He spoke of Jesus’ hands; the hands that were used to heal; the hands that broke the bread to feed the hungry multitude; and the fact that those same hands were nailed to the cross when He died to pay for our sins, on

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the cross. For the first time I believed that God was personally interested in me, and that Jesus had died on the cross instead of me so that I could be restored to a personal relationship with God.

After that was it just a case of everything being lovely? - no problems? - life a bed of roses? - NO, but neither did I seem to have the anxiety that so many of my friends seemed to go through. I believe this was due to God being there with me through all the different situations in life. My father died when I was seventeen years of age, and just doing my mock ‘A’ levels. I managed to pass my exams that summer and go on to train as a Primary school teacher. Work followed, and then when everyone had given up hope, marriage, at the grand age of thirty-one.

Even though both my husband and I are Christians we still had to go through the time of adjusting to each others ‘funny little ways’, but thankfully we had Jesus to turn to, to help us make it through.

You may ask ‘do I regret living my life in relationship with God?’ In one word: - NO!

God has always been there; being a friend that sticks around even when I’m in the mood when no one else wants to be anywhere near me. He has been my constant companion through my joys and sorrows; also in the time and place where no one else can be with me. I wouldn’t want to go through my life, or any other life, without being in that relationship I was made to enjoy.

May I recommend you to ask Jesus to meet with you, and reveal Himself to you as you Creator, Saviour, Lord and Friend.

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When Keith and Pauline moved to Yorkshire to live and work, they were blessed to work amongst a group of people who loved and served the Lord, and a number of the following

testimonies come from this group of people.Steve and Helga Bateson lived across the road from Keith

and Pauline when they were working in Yorkshire, and over the years, friendship, and then fellowship followed.

MR. & MRS.For one of us to be diagnosed with cancer was bad

enough, but in less than ten years we had both been through the trauma of cancer.

We were born in the mid 1950’s and grew up with very little church connection. Sunday school was encouraged by parents, so that they could have some peace and quiet. Apart from christenings, weddings and funerals, there seemed no purpose in church, and certainly no pleasure or comfort.

We grew up in different cities; we both attended a Christian youth club, but decided it was not for us, and so we got on with discos, drinking and the opposite sex.

We met, fell in love, got married and had two children. Slowly, as time went by, we became more and more dissatisfied with married life, families, work, friends; in fact just about everything. If only we could start all over again, a new partner, a new place, a one way ticket to anywhere where we wouldn’t be known, and start with a new slate. Trouble was we had kids, a mortgage and 1001 reasons why we couldn’t. Years of unresolved differences, bitterness, unforgiveness, letdowns and disappointments had buried our love for one another. We were headed for the divorce courts.

Until without warning Steve was taken ill, and diagnosed with a cancerous tumour at the base of his skull. Steve was

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facing death in his 30’s. At this point the pastor from the Community Church called, and tried to tell us about Jesus, and offered to pray. We did not think that religion or Jesus could help us, but we took the Bible offered, and accepted the offer of prayer, and even prayed ourselves. Amazingly, after Steve’s operation, the tumour had no traces of cancer. God was barely acknowledged or thanked. We got on with our lives. For a while we were happy, but soon we began to slip again.

In 1997, the sudden death of Princess Diana awoke Helga to the fragility of life, and she began to look for real meaning in life. She began to read the Bible that had been given to her, and decided to go to church, but not the Community Church where ‘they would all be over me like a rash’. Helga wanted to find God for herself. Slowly, over the weeks, the Holy Spirit started to unlock her heart and mind, and show her the truth about Jesus. He convinced her that Jesus had taken the punishment for all the wrong things she had done, and that her past could be washed away.

Helga had a sudden love for God; she knew Him, He knew her, she talked to Him and life was new.

Helga’s sudden rebirth came as a bit of a shock to some in the church and her family, and she quickly realised that she believed, loved, and felt passionately about Jesus like the local ’Bible thumpers’ at the Community Church!

After 2½ years of listening to Helga, hearing worship and praise music playing at all hours, and reading the Bible for himself (when no one was around), Steve felt ready to make his own declaration of belief and faith in Jesus.

All was going well until, after a period of ill health, Helga was finally diagnosed, after a MRI scan and a biopsy, as having cervical cancer. As all the previous tests had come back negative, the cancer was now so advanced it was inoperable, and medically the only hope was to kill the tumour with

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radium, chemo, and caesium treatment. Helga had to wait three months to begin the treatment, due to the long waiting list. After 25 radium sessions, 5 days of chemo, and 22 hours of caesium, her treatment was finished. It wasn’t successful; the cancer had survived.

There was going to be one last ditch attempt to save Helga’s life. The surgeon said ’we are going to open you up like a paper bag; one team will do a radical hysterectomy; followed by another team of surgeons who will remove your bowel, bladder and rectum; followed by plastic surgery to rebuild the vagina.’

This was one of the times when Steve and Helga were glad that they had a big God who loved them, and could do things humans could not. Our friends at Church had been with us all the way; helping us practically, and giving our Father no rest in the prayer department.

On the day of the operation after the first team had done the hysterectomy, the decision was made to leave the bladder and bowel as they looked healthy.

God had got there first. There was no sign of cancer - not even in the tumour!

Histology showed no trace. The specialist said it was a mystery.Round here we call them miracles.

We are now in full health. Our marriage is loving, and better than it has ever been. We do not know who you are or what you have or haven’t been through, but we do remember a time of not being able to imagine a place or room in our lives for Jesus. Today we know it is not really life without Him.

Today is the day of salvation, we hope you receive HIM.~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Ben Bateson is Steve and Helga’s son, and when he reached his teenage years he had to go through the trauma of seeing

his mother go through cancer; having already had the upset of seeing his father go through a similar experience.

I WAS BLIND BUT NOW……..When I was younger, Jesus was always the good kind man

who lived 2000 years before me. I had no other view of Jesus than the generous man who was born at Christmas time.

During my last year at Primary school my dad was taken ill (on my birthday of all days), and was later diagnosed with terminal cancer of the spine. This was the worst time for me ever; no dad at home, my birthday party cancelled, and the very real possibility of having no dad at the age of 11. To my knowledge I made no appeal to God, but Keith Horobin, the pastor of the church I had so willingly mocked, started to come round to our house and speak to my mum. Both my mum and dad prayed; my guess is that the whole family were praying, and I later found out that the Community Church were also praying for my father’s life. Though none of us were believers God healed my dad completely.

This ‘near death experience’ didn’t cause any of us to move closer to God, instead we just returned to our normal

lives.

When I began Secondary School, religion of any sort was a definite no-no. How un-cool to be a believer in some boring old stories about God, and singing hymns on a Sunday morning when I could be in bed.

My first experience of Christians was a new couple who had moved into the same street as I lived in. They were

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something to do with Holderness Community Church, a new church in the village, so me and my mates decided it was the time to have a laugh at these ‘Christians’. We rode our bikes in front of the march mocking and scoffing with our arms held horizontal, and muttering foul words about them, and their faith; little did I know how right they were to march. As a teenager all sorts of things filled my life, from swearing, coarse joking and pornography to even trying a cigarette. All these things were done behind the backs of my family; usually at school or when I was alone or with mates. These things to me were normal teenage things which I thought I had the right to perform.

Four years later at a harvest festival celebration I met with Jesus Christ. This process had all started after my mum came to faith, after the shock death of Princess Diana. My mum’s whole life was changing before my eyes, her temper had miraculously disappeared, quite an amazing thing. This two years of her talking with myself, my dad and my sister, and the obvious alterations within her, caused me to question, seek and eventually come to meet the Lord Jesus Christ.

From the day I met with Jesus it took me 13 months to get baptised. I had a great fear of being in front of people; the baptism didn’t bother me, but my fear of what people might think of me held me back.

I continued to swear, and do all the other things just as I had done before; only now I claimed to be a follower of

Christ.

This all came to a head when I was confronted by Keith, who rightly told me straight what I had to do, which was to repent; that is change from the way I was going, and go God’s way. Keith offered to pray with me. I said no, but at the end of the service I was at, Keith again asked me if I wanted prayer,

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and if I was willing to turn around from doing things my way, and go God’s way.

This was the point at which I decided to say YES to Jesus and mean it!!!!!

Six months later, on the 14th of January 2001, I was baptised in water, and later I was baptised in the Holy Spirit on an Alpha Holy Spirit day.

My life has never been so exciting. Knowing Jesus had seen my life beginning to be transformed.

I am aware that the changing will continue until the day I meet Jesus face to face in Heaven. I have had opportunities of all sorts over the following years. I have spent some time as a youth leader in the local youth club, and a drummer at the Community Church. God continues to lead me, and do new things in my life. Having completed A levels and a Chemistry degree at Hull University; I am now training for to be a teacher. I look back and see the change in my life, and I thank God for Jesus, and the changes He has made. My hope now rests in God to get me through every situation that He will take me into.

If He is not in your life then you’re seriously missing out. The things this world offers come and go, but the blessings God gives go on for ever. The choice is up to you!!!!!

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Whilst Keith and Pauline were working in Yorkshire it was their privilege to meet many generous and kind hearted

people, and the following story belongs to one such person.

LIFE BEGINS AT ????????

I am a 64 year old married woman, with a married daughter and two adult grandchildren who live 200 miles away.

I was brought up in the Church of England faith, by my mother. I was christened, confirmed, attended church regularly, and later became a Sunday School teacher. Regrettably, all this lapsed when I married, and moved away from my home town.

My childhood and teenage years were miserable. I had a loving mother, but a mentally cruel, sadistic father who ruled us with a rod of iron - and no love.

Not unnaturally my mental health suffered, I was highly strung and subject to bouts of deep depression.

Things improved somewhat when I married, but I was left with a feeling of total insecurity.

I seemed to be searching all the time for something unattainable - the more I got, the more I wanted.

Some years ago we left the town where we had lived and went to live permanently in the house we had previously used as a holiday home. I continued to work in the city nearby; until eight years ago, when I retired. Following this, things became

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progressively worse. Despite having a husband, I was lonely, I hated living in the country. I had no friends in the village, and because of my husband’s disability and my own difficulty in walking, we were unable to have holidays.

I became very bitter, angry, frustrated, resentful and deeply depressed. I refused to go out, and spent my days mechanically doing the housework, moping around, crying and generally bemoaning my lot. I tried counselling and tranquillisers - all to no avail.

One bad day, a lady from one of our local churches knocked on my door; I was so desperate for someone to talk to, I asked her in. After a few visits to the local pastor and his wife, I started to attend church again, and was later baptised.

Today I am a completely different person. At last, I have found what I was searching for: JESUS.

I am no longer alone, or depressed. I have taken up driving again, can cope with my physical pains, have helped run a Bible study group, have a number of Christian friends, and genuinely try to be more like Jesus.

God has certainly worked a miracle in my life. I believe He had a purpose in sending me to this village, and gave me the help I so badly needed when I was most desperate.

All this God freely gave me, and I can never thank Him enough.

PRAISE THE LORD.

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Keith first met Phil Skinner, whilst he was taking a Bible study in Mark and Helen Donnelly’s home in Yorkshire. Phil was staying there at the time, and came along to two of the

study nights, and met with JESUS.

NO LONGER ALONE.I was brought up as an only child by my Mum and

Grandma, never knowing my father, but for a mere 20 minutes that he could spare me after he found out I wanted to see him.

Then after the death of my Mum and Grandma, and one failed marriage I turned to drugs as a way out, to dull the effects of being alone in this world.

In the 20 odd years of trying all the drugs I could get my hands on I again got married. But that went downhill as a result of the drugs and again I was alone and insecure. So what have I got from drugs? I thought drugs were the answer, a cure-all because they are what doctors give us when we are sick. But no, all I’ve got from drugs is misery, despair, beatings and custodial sentences, as a result of dealing them, which I was drawn into.

I thought I would never be able to give them up. If I had done it my way it would have been an impossible task.

Then out of the blue I came to Aldbrough, a place I did not know existed, and met a group of Christians. I was asked if I minded if they prayed for me, and told how to pray to Jesus myself, to ask for guidance and strength; which I did.

Since then I’ve let Jesus into my life, given up the drugs; which I do not think about anymore, and now I’ve never been happier, knowing Jesus is a part of my life, and I will never be alone again - Why? Because Jesus loves me and always has done, and always will do as He loves each and every one of you on this earth, that His Father created for us all to live in.

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Keith and Pauline moved to Cornwall in September 2002. They began to distribute Bibles and testimony tracts in St Just in Penwith. A number of local Christians joined them in the

work, Beryl Gordon was one of the first to come out and help them. They asked her to put her testimony down for them to

use, and here it is.

FORGIVENESS MATTERS.Before I became a Christian in 1979, my husband and I

were in business in Somerset, and doing financially ‘quite nicely thank you’. We lived to work, and to fulfill our ambitions. We had a car, boat, caravan……and no room in our lives for GOD.

Then one day my daughter (who had dabbled in all sorts of things) told me she had got saved. The change in her life was drastic it amazed me. She asked us both to her baptism, and so, with reluctance on my husband’s part, and curiosity on mine we went. I had never seen so many happy people in Church before.

My daughter asked me to go to a home meeting with her, and at the meeting I felt as if my heart was warmed, and I was at peace.

I did not make any decision at that time about becoming a Christian, but I did have a recurring dream that my husband was having an affair with the young girl we were training to be a manageress in one of our shops. A month later my husband told me that my dream was reality, and that he was leaving me.

It was at this point that I called out to the Lord, and met with Him. There were two parts of the Bible that were a

great help to me at this time.‘With God all things are possible’

&‘Have faith in God’

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For an uncomfortable year, while we sold the shops, I know God kept my sanity and health, and the Holy Spirit flooded me with such joy inside; even in my grief it was tremendous. The change in me in those years was huge, and God continues that work even up to today.

Eleven years after the divorce, during which time my husband had remarried, he contacted me with the news that he had cancer. He asked me that at the end of his life would I come and stay, and look after him to enable his wife to keep her job. He said he didn’t want to die worried about their mortgage!!!!!!!!!!

My first thought was ‘blow you Jack’, but the Holy Spirit gently reminded me of the vows I had made ‘till death us do part’ and so I agreed to go when the end drew near.

When I arrived they said he had a month to live, but after seeing him I rang up our children and advised them to come and see their father. When they arrived he was furious, he wanted them to go - ’he still had a month left to die in peace’, but he deteriorated that day, and that evening his present wife never moved from his side.

I knew he was dying, and in the morning when his present wife left to get washed, I moved over and said,

“Ian if you can hear me it’s important, squeeze my hand”, and very gently I felt a response. I continued, I said “Ian I can see a boat on the sea of the great eternity and it’s coming to pick you up; it’s the pilot boat and guess whose on it JESUS CHRIST; now for goodness sake get on it and ask Jesus to forgive you, and get on the boat.”

I said a short prayer and his face lit up, and his arms went up across his chest, and he died. He and I both found God’s forgiveness, and I pray you will too.

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A little while after Keith and Pauline arrived in Cornwall, they met another Christian lady, Maureen Semmens. Maureen came originally from Southern Rhodesia, but had moved with her husband to Cornwall.

GOD’S LOVE.

As a child I simply believed in God, and as a teenager I knew that if I read the Bible I could find out more about Him. Soon, Jesus became real to me.

I trained as a nurse and midwife, and while working in Cape Town an amazing thing happened. I had taught myself pyrography (the art of burning into wood and leather). The Matron sent me into the wards with my work, and seeing the demand I approached a commercial company. They offered to sponsor me for an exhibition, asking the Mayoress of Cape Town to open it.

Several years later my husband felt it was time for us to return to his roots in Cornwall; with our 6 year old son. My husband’s health deteriorated, and my artwork ceased.

In 1999, I was widowed having to face a new life of supporting myself; never having worked in this country, no friends, little finance, and I was lacking in confidence. However knowing Jesus has made this time of widowhood amazing, and sometimes quite exciting.

I started with some caring work, and then, unexpectedly, the doors opened for me to start the artwork again. I was given a studio at the Higher Faugan Hotel and worked as the resident artist for a year and a half.

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I was forced to meet people …my confidence grew.

The hotel was then sold, and I took a part time job in caring for disabled people. Having not worked in a professional establishment for 20 years I felt quite lost to start with, but again knowing God’s love caring for me, I am now enjoying the work; which involves a lot of art and craft work.

God’s love is real to me; my loneliness and isolation have gone, and I know the reality of His love. His love to me can be summed up in one word. JESUS.

It is Jesus, not religion, who cares for me. I know His presence, and I am so grateful to know that I can seek His wisdom and help.

It was my choice as a teenager to believe, and seek God.

The choice is also yours….if you seek you will find. Jesus is the true satisfaction!

Knowing the love of God in Jesus is the way of love. I trust you will choose to take this step, and come to know:

GOD’S LOVE.

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As the work in Cornwall progressed Keith and Pauline were encouraged to be joined by a number of folks from around the country who came to Cornwall to help with the work. One of these folks was a young man, Andy Grice, whom they met in

their home town of Burton upon Trent.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

All my life I had a sense that there was a God, but I always thought He would fit into my plans, instead of me into His.

I’ve grown up in a very close and loving family (even though we have had our fallings out, as families do), and I was the usual mischievous sort of boy. My parents never attended Church, and we never grew up knowing about Jesus; or at least only what we learnt at school.

When I left school, all that life seemed to be about was getting a good job, going out at weekends, having a good time with my mates and seeing who could pull the best girl. So during my 20’s life became one big party, and I mainly lived just for the weekends.

Then about 1996, in my mid 20’s, my friends and I started to dabble in drugs like speed and ecstasy, and smoke joints; whilst going to dance clubs and all night parties. This seemed great at first, and we had a great time.

All of a sudden, in 1997, things started going wrong. I became paranoid. I lost a lot of friends, started arguing with people for no reason, thought people were talking about me when they weren’t, and I began to stay in all the time. I couldn’t think straight; it was hell on earth.

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I stopped taking the drugs, but as the months and years went by the paranoia, depression and lack of confidence seemed to get worse. Even though I could shake it off for a while it would always come back. I began to get used to feeling like it, and I resigned myself to it being normal.

During 2001 a guy at the place where I worked mentioned the Bible, and I will never forget the words he said to me:

‘The Bible is the truth’

And something changed in me from then on. I can’t explain, but somehow I felt different.

I went back to living life how I thought, and things were going O.K. until my dad took ill, and had to have a heart op. I cried out to God, ‘God if you get my dad through this I will do what you want’. Dad did get through it, and I forgot what I had promised God.

Christmas time that same year I had a fall out with my sister, which was unusual, and the depression came back. I felt really down; with the depression coming and going all the time. I remember saying, God I just want to come home (meaning I just want to die, because I thought when we died everyone went to God).

From that moment on I started to feel better, and even bought a Bible, and started to read it, and read it, and read it. Everyday I just got an instant hunger to read it; which was really strange because I didn’t like reading before that.

Then one day whilst I was up at my dad’s house; I was watching Sky TV., and flicking through the channels when I found the God TV. I then decided to get Sky TV at my house. I would read my Bible and watch the God TV. It was amazing how everything they said seemed to make sense.

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Whilst watching one of the programmes in March 2002 the presenter said ‘would you like to give your life to Jesus, if so, say this prayer after me and mean it’. I said the prayer, knelt down on my living room floor, asking God to forgive the things that I had done wrong in my life, and thanking Jesus for taking the punishment that I deserved, on the cross. I asked God to come into my life and be the boss. After this I rang up the contact number on the TV.

I spoke to a guy called Andre, and he led me again through a prayer committing myself to God. Then he said to me, not knowing where I lived ’Are you anywhere near Burton upon Trent’ I told him I was about 6 miles away, and he gave the phone number of CI Family Church.

On the Sunday morning I rang them up, but there was no answer. I left a message on the phone, and one of the pastors, Jenny Watson, rang back about one minute later. I told her who I was, and she invited me down to the service.

I can’t say in words how much inviting Jesus to be Lord of my life has dramatically changed my life. I’m not saying everything is easy, but my life is getting better each

and every day with Jesus guiding me, and knowing the living God is with me every step of the way.

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After Andy had been down to Cornwall to help a couple of times, a lady, Chris Davison, who had had holidays in the area over the years, and had a heart for the place, asked if she could come down with Andy. As accommodation was

available, at that time, with John and Joyce Sutherland she came along from Burton upon Trent to help.

LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING!!!!!!!

I never believed in God and Jesus. There was no place in my life for religion, and I was a happy non-believer. However in January 1979, my husband told me that he loved someone else, a girl at his workplace, and I was shattered.

I had no friends close by to talk to as we had relocated with my husband’s job. I had worked up to the birth of our first child, and after then all I seemed to do was stay at home, and look after him.

I felt really isolated, and I talked for hours on the phone to the Samaritans. They were good listeners, but couldn’t offer any advice. Eventually I hit rock bottom, and thought that there was no point in living. I would go down to the local canal with my baby and two dogs, and end it all.

In the field near the canal there was a huge oak tree. It was a favourite place to rest and think, but as I did this I was disturbed by a lady, who was walking her dog, coming into the field. They were heading my way. I was angry and annoyed, ‘they had got the whole field to walk in - why were they heading my way?’ As the lady got nearer I was even angrier as she had ruined my resolve to finish my life.

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She started talking to me; inside I was wishing she would go, but as she kept talking somehow I found myself walking out of the field with her and telling her my situation.

She shared that she had gone through a similar experience, and then she asked me if I believed in God. I told her that I didn’t, but she still suggested that I talk to the local vicar. I thought maybe he could help - somehow?

He came round to see me. I don’t remember what he said, but this man was different, and I knew that I wanted to believe in the God that he knew, and have the faith I saw in him.

My life was a mess, and I was ready to give religion a try; there was nothing else.

I started going to the local church, and went to confirmation classes; although I now believed in Jesus I didn’t feel involved with Him.

It was only when I started going to a group for mothers and babies which met in someone’s home that I met other Christians that I could relate to, and things began to be easier.

My marriage was very fragile, but we gave it another go. It was difficult for me, being a new Christian. I found it hard to forgive my husband the way that I should have done; also as I fell more in love with Jesus I fell out of love with my husband.

He didn’t understand what had happened to me. We struggled on. I became more involved with the church, but I felt as if I was living two lives.

In June 1983, the week that I discovered I was pregnant, my husband said he was leaving to live with this

other girl.

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I hit rock bottom again, but this time I had my faith, and friends at church to help me pull through. It was the worst time of my life, and looking back I don’t know how I got through. All I do know is that I had an inner strength that was supernatural, and only Jesus got me through.

He continued to get me through years of court cases over the house, and the children. He was, and is, first in my life, and nothing will separate me from Him. My children are all grown up now, and I continue to pray for them to find Jesus for themselves.

It took me 30 years to find Him, and I will continue to pray for my children to find Him, however long it takes.

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Keith and Pauline attended a conference in August 2005 in Worcestershire; where they were blessed to meet Stephen and

Betty Blair. They were further blessed when this couple offered to come and help Keith and Pauline in Cornwall with the Bible distribution. They also provided Keith and Pauline with two more stories of the goodness of God that they could

share with people ’on the doors’. We will begin with Stephen’s story.

FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE.

My name is Stephen Blair, I come from a family of six. When me and my brothers and sisters were very young we were put into homes as the family were split up. From the age of six I was moved around from one place to another. As I reached the age of 12 my father left my mother, and the family was totally split apart. My mother landed up in a psychiatric hospital, and my life went downhill from there.

I landed up being very rebellious with every one I met, and very insecure. I had no one to love me, or to help me.

I wanted to see my mum, but I couldn’t. I landed up in a lot of trouble with the police as I began to steal from shops. Me and my friends were out of control.

When I was 14 years old I went to a special school, and when I left I still couldn’t read, write or spell. I left school when I was 16 years old, and started work as a painter and decorator. By the time I was 21 I had got involved in drugs, and my life continued further downhill. I got married at the age of 23, and we had a son, but I was still on drugs, and my life was a mess. My friends were very involved in New Age

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beliefs, and I was to a degree. We were also very involved in rock music, and this was my life. I was in a mess, and no one could help me. I just wanted to end my life. I just wanted to be loved, but there was no real love.

In 1991, I was watching the news at a friends’ house, and the Gulf War had started. I thought this was the end of the world. After this, me and my friend were invited to a church meeting. One night we thought we would go and see what it was all about. The Pastor was preaching, and he was talking about a man like me. I thought this is me, but I did not know the Pastor. How could he know all about me?

Then the Pastor told about a man who he said loved me, and wanted to save me, forgive me, and set me free. His name is Jesus Christ. Then the Pastor said that if you give your life to Jesus, He will set you free. So I did.

From that point I wanted to stop the drugs, and I did. I wanted my marriage to work, but it did not. My wife wanted a divorce because she couldn’t stand me being a Christian. She told me to leave, and as I had nowhere to go, I went to live with my mother.

I have been part of God’s family since 1991 when I gave my life to Jesus, and I have never looked back. Jesus has found me a new wife, and many friends that I can love, and that love me as well.

Now Betty’s story,

LOOKING FOR LOVE.

I was born in Glasgow. We were a family of eight, but my father was an alcoholic. My mother had to work night and day,

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cleaning, to keep us all together. My father could not hold down a job. So I said to myself “I am going to have a better life”.

I left school, got a job, married and had a baby. By this time I was 19; my life was a mess. My husband was an alcoholic. The doctors said it would be better for us if I left him, and they said they would help us. My mother always said that ‘you must never leave your husband no matter what’.

My baby had to go in hospital to have an operation. The day that the baby came out of hospital, my husband lost his job, as he was drinking whilst he was at work. We were left with nothing, no money coming in, we were in a mess.

Around this time my father died, and it broke my mother’s heart. My husband could not find a job. My brother had moved to England, and he said houses were cheaper, and there were good jobs to be had. So we moved to England to start a new life.

I was only 6 months in England when I got a phone call to say my mother was in hospital; by this time I had two children. We set off for Scotland, the children and I. We got off the train and went straight to the hospital. Visiting time was over. I asked if I could see her, and a nurse asked me to come into a small room. She then told me that my mum was dead. My whole world fell apart. I cried out to God ‘what is this life all about. You are born, then you die. What is life all about?’ I was heart broken.

Not long after this two ladies came to my door. They were Jehovah Witnesses. They were talking about the Bible. They gave me one, and I started to read it. I could not put it down. One day I was reading about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the first book of Corinthians chapter 12 verses 1 to 11. Well I was

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so excited. When I asked the ladies about this they said this is not right. I told them I believed the Bible was the word of God. Then they left.

Then, God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, began to show me what the Bible meant. I could understand it at last. I went back to college, and when a job came up in a nursing home, near where I lived, I asked God if I could have it.

After being there a while I said to the ladies that if any of them ever wanted to go to church on the Sunday I would take them; as it was part of my job. One day one of the ladies named Maggie asked to go. When we got to the church door she asked me to go in with her. I said “oh no I will be back for you at lunch time”. She said “please Betty, come in with me.” As she was 92 years of age I said I would. After the service a lady asked if I would like to go to a meeting at the Red House Hotel, run by a group called Women Aglow, that Monday.

I could not believe I had said yes. When I got there the music I heard, and the words to the song just went right to my heart. I just couldn’t stop crying. A lady asked if she could pray with me, and that night I gave my life to the Lord Jesus. My sorrow turned to joy, what a night that was. Now I know what it was. Jesus filled me with His love. That was 1987.

My husband never gave up drinking, sad to say. He rejected me, and now we are divorced. The Lord Jesus spoke into my life at that time through a verse in the Bible; in Jeremiah chapter 29: verse 11.

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you; plans to give you

a hope and a future.

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Keith and Pauline also met another couple at the conference in 2005, Steve and Peppy Cobbold. They were also at the

conference the following year, and for some time before the conference the Trustees, and Keith and Pauline had been

praying for someone to help with the administration work of Micah Mobile Ministries. During the conference, Peppy came up and offered to help with the

administration work, a real answer to prayer.

HOLISTIC HEALING.

When people talk about God’s healing, most people mean physical, but GOD heals holistically. We have had the privilege of experiencing healing of spirit, soul and body.

Peppy says,

According to my mum I was born dead; she prayed that if I lived I would be given to God. The next thing she heard was a mighty yell!!!

When my grandma came to stay she introduced me to the occult, mainly astrology and palm reading. I got so good at it that if somebody new walked in I would be able to tell that person’s star sign within minutes.

I came to England to study psychology. My housemate, and a friend tried to tell me about Jesus, and finally prayed that I might know Him personally. It was whilst I was working during the summer, that I met Jesus.

Everything was different, the sun, the moon, the stars; it was wonderful. God blessed me. I was filled with the Holy Spirit, baptised in water, and given a knowledge of the purpose

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of God for Israel. God was giving me clear instructions and I was obeying, and life was wonderful.

About a year later I began to experience uncontrollable fear and anxieties, dreadful mood swings, deep unhappiness and sadness that was inexplicable.

I started work at Cambridge University. One day I heard a very clear voice saying I would leave my present residence by the end of the month, meet somebody and we would be engaged within 6 months. All this came to pass, but our relationship went horribly wrong, and we split up. I thought God was angry with me because things had not worked out. I hid from God, but continued to do all the ‘right’ things; going to church, and saying the right things. Inside life was tough, and I was keeping a tight lid on things.

Then God isolated me, and I was suddenly all alone (I hated being alone). Nobody understood me, and I had no one to turn to but the LORD. He was there. He and I started working on me together. One day whilst doing some housework, and listening to some tapes Jesus set me free from a spirit of divination. Deliverance and healing of the mind, spirit and emotions came in bursts during the next few years in many different ways. Finally peace came and an abiding relationship and knowledge of God.

My boss, who I loved dearly, suddenly died. Steve’s boss found me a position and then asked Steve to be my supervisor, and a divine plan began to unfold.

Over to Steve:

I was brought up in a Christian family, and have always had a deep seated faith in God. When I was about 12 I believed God asked me to be a scientist. I went to both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, but during that time I found it

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difficult to reconcile my scientific learning with my faith, and so I turned away from any real relationship with the Lord. I also found human relationships difficult, and at one time, in desperation, prayed to God for a Christian girlfriend, so I could have a nice quiet life. That prayer was eventually answered in the form of nice, quiet Peppy!!!!! She was introduced to me by my boss (a Jewish man) who over the next ten years was determined we should marry, and you should have seen the smile on his face when we finally did.

Our marriage service included the song, ’Three Part Harmony’ which impressed on me the importance of God in our marriage, and God was also able to show me how many of the theories of science and a literal view of the Bible can be reconciled. This allowed me to accept Jesus fully as my personal Saviour and loving friend, and I was baptised in water a few months later.

During the 10 years that I got to know Peppy we worked together on the development and clinical testing of new drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and to help stop transplants from being rejected. One of these (called Campath) was approved for the treatment of certain strains of leukaemia, but is also frequently used to treat recipients of kidney transplants. Around 2002, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, called IgA nephropathy; which is thought to be an autoimmune disease, for which eventually, the only treatment is a kidney transplant!

Despite many medicines to help treat the symptoms (mainly high blood pressure, anaemia and extreme fatigue) my kidney function gradually fell below 20% of normal.

In 2005 we went to see the transplant surgeon to start making arrangements for a kidney transplant (the surgeon was a friend from Cambridge days, and is also a Christian).

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Peppy was insistent that God had said He was going to heal me (if I were patient!), and she convinced me that I needed to be baptised in the Holy Spirit, and receive prayer for healing. In the end it was deliverance from a curse put on as a result of my own arrogance, many years ago, that was the key, and God has performed what I can only describe as a creative miracle.

My renal consultant is astounded as my kidney function has now been stable at 40 to 45% for more than two years; which is enough for a relatively normal life.

I thank God for His grace and mercy, and give Him all the glory. He has shown me how, through deliverance in His name, Peppy and I can also help others to receive spiritual and physical healing, by guiding them back to the cross, where He died to deliver us all from our sins.

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As Keith and Pauline began the Bible distribution in St Just in Penwith they were encouraged to meet a number of local Christians, many of whom have wonderful stories of what Jesus had done in their lives. Mark Prichard was such a person, and we are thrilled to have his testimony in this booklet.

WHEN I’M SAILING.

I left Newlyn harbour in 1990, in a 26ft wooden yacht, to sail single handed to the Caribbean.

This was the culmination of 7 years planning, hard work, and saving. I had saved the money to buy the boat, and finance the trip. During this time I can remember feeling as if there was something missing in my life. I used alcohol and drugs to fill the gap.

Before I left, I’d sold everything I didn’t need to finance the trip, and so as I sailed away from England; with everything I owned aboard my boat, I felt wonderfully free and self contained.

I was 33 years old, and had had a normal sort of upbringing; which included Sunday School, Cubs, Scouts, Church Parades and R.E. lessons at school, but I was never aware in those 33 years that anyone had told me about Jesus.

In the Canary Islands I met an Irishman called Emmett. He was a reformed alcoholic. He had a wonderful peaceful, satisfied attitude to life. I didn’t discuss it with him, but noticed that he had a Bible beside his bunk. I think that was the spark that lit my fire.

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Months later, I arrived in St Lucia in the West Indies. Marijuana was plentiful, and easily available. I spent several months in the Windward Islands, smoking a lot of marijuana and mixing with the local Rastafarians.

The Rastafarians told me that it said in the Bible that it was right to smoke marijuana. I was intrigued by this so I went out and bought a Bible. I started to read it daily, not in a ‘seeking’ type of way, but in an intellectual, arrogant way.

From the Windward Islands I sailed to Venezuela. Venezuela has some of the nicest people you could wish to meet, but also some of the most evil. I made the mistake of befriending some evil people. They seemed to offer the sort of lifestyle I was seeking. They stayed on my boat for 18 days, refusing to leave. Finally they made me sail to one of the off islands; where they robbed me and left.

I felt so angry that for the first time I prayed. I prayed ‘Lord please take this anger from me’, and I felt it leave me, and peace took its place. I was disgusted with the way I’d behaved. I had the problem of replacing the things that had been stolen, and I became very ill. My elbow and knees swelled up. I felt dreadful, and could hardly move.

I was still reading my Bible, but now it really began to speak to me. One evening I prayed; ‘Lord please take over my life. I can’t do it by myself; I need You to lead me Your way’.

After praying this prayer I knew I was different. I regained my health. I had no intention of giving up smoking marijuana or drinking; there was just no one around to tell me to stop, but I just did!!! I was truly ‘born again’ - and I knew it. I left the Caribbean, went through the Panama Canal, and crossed the Pacific, arriving in New Zealand 18 months later.

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In all this time I had never spoken to another English speaking Christian. I’ll never forgot the feeling of panic I felt as I walked into the Salvation Army Church in Whangarei as I thought; ‘what if it isn’t true? What if I’ve got it all wrong? What if this peace I’ve got is not what it’s all about!!!!!’ it was reassuring to hear a human voice tell me that, that which I had found was the same Jesus as they had met with and found for themselves!!!

It never ceases to fill me with awe to think that God chose me, and that He spoke to me so clearly through His word that I was able to follow Him.

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After Keith and Pauline had been in St Just for a short while Gilly Georgiou and her family moved into St Just, and she too shares her story.

HE FOUND ME!!!!I grew up in a large and close-knit family in North

London where I lived with my mother, aunt, uncle, grandmother, 3 brothers and 4 cousins in a large old Victorian house.

At the time I was born, Britain was recovering from the 2nd World War, and it was a fairly austere time. It was also a time when traditions were fairly rigidly upheld, and I was therefore sent to Sunday School. I also went to a Church of England day school. I grew up saying the Lord’s prayer each morning.

However, I was never encouraged to develop a personal relationship with God either at home or school, and ‘religion’ became something that was done on a Sunday morning!

As the years went by I lived my life without God; although I now believe that He was by my side all the time. I didn’t think about Him at all and it didn’t occur to me that I needed Him. I was very happy, and lived a very materialistic and busy life, having four children, and working as medical secretary in the local hospital.

Then in 1976 whilst on the beach with my two young sons (who were being looked after daily, by a group of Christians), I was spoken to by one of these young men. He told me about His Lord, and his relationship with God. I was deeply affected by what that young man said, and knew he had something special in his life that I did not have. Whatever he had I knew that I wanted it, but I also knew it wasn’t something that you could go and buy; I knew it was an internal and spiritual thing.

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The years ticked by until 1984, when my young daughter pestered me to go to her Brownie parade service with her at our local C of E church. I tried to persuade her to ask her dad instead of me. We eventually all went - me feeling totally unworthy, and expecting to be struck down the moment I walked through the doors! It turned out that I enjoyed the service, and somehow I felt drawn to go back each week. I had become quite ill around that time, and was invited to a prayer meeting in a house group nearby. The first time I attended I knew that there was something very special about the people, and the meeting; the same special feeling that I had encountered with the young man on the beach.

During the prayer I was led to the Lord, and gave my life to Him, and at the same time I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The fellowship grew from 6 to around 30 folks. We had many wonderful times together, experienced many healings, and saw many people come to the Lord.

Eventually after about 3 years most people in the fellowship moved to other parts of the country; as we did ourselves. For fourteen years I had no regular fellowship, and did not attend church at all - but amazingly the Lord kept hold of me. Eventually He guided us to St Just, and once again I began to fellowship with other Christians.

Since 1984, and coming to know the Lord, my life has been a great adventure of ups and downs, there have been times when I have been close to the Lord, and times when I have not, but I know that through it all, whatever the circumstances, we have had wonderful answers to our prayers, and seen miracles in the lives of our children, and I thank God for that. Most of all living daily with the Lord has given my life a different perspective, one that has made my life (which has had it’s difficulties) simpler, more beautiful and precious.

PRAISE THE LORD.~~~~~~~~~

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Whilst working in St Just in Penwith, Keith and Pauline met many different people as they visited ’door to door’. Some of

the people were negative, but others were positively responsive, and one of those people was Selma Brown.

I WAS LOST, NOW I’M FOUND!!

My name is Selma Brown, and I was brought up to believe in God. We were not a rich family, but we were loved. My mother always made sure we went to Sunday School.

My mother was a tower of strength to me. I had a sad and difficult marriage and mother helped me through it. She cared for us all, but at the age of 63 she had a stroke. I wanted to learn more about God so that I could help her come through this.

After her second stroke she was confined to bed and told that she would not walk again. I bathed her feet each day, and encouraged her to walk again; which she did. It was an act of God, but at the time I took the credit for it, and forgot to thank God.

After this mother died, my husband died and even my dog died. I became a lost person; which the Bible calls a lost sheep. This included me drinking, smoking heavily, suffering with my nerves, and a lack of confidence. I had two bad relationships with plenty of hurts. Finally - depression, fear of death, and loneliness.

The answers to my problems came whilst I was seeking God. One night whilst I was lying in bed, praying. I saw a sword come down from my bedroom ceiling, and hit me in the

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chest. I jumped, thinking I had been killed. The sword that hit me was the sword of God; an angry God who loved me.

One evening when I was at my lowest ebb, on 21st July 2001, I was sat in my home listening to a Jim Reeves record. Whilst listening to the words of Jesus in song, the depths of this fear I had, the loneliness and hurt was filled with tremendous love.

I just knew in my heart that I loved Jesus, and He loved me. He came into my life. I feel reborn in God’s love, and His forgiveness.

During the end of 2002 I was visited by Keith and Pauline Horobin who offered me a free Bible, and Keith shared his life story with me. They offered to call back again, and I invited them in. Over a period of time I joined them at the local church, and continued to learn more and more about Jesus, and even more importantly learned to know Him more, and love Him more.

There is, for me, only one way forward, and that is believing and trusting in God.

I thank God for my new life He has given me that has just begun.

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Not only have Keith and Pauline been privileged to see people come to faith in Jesus, over their time in Burton, Yorkshire and

Cornwall, but Keith has had the privilege of taking part in a number of baptisms of people who have come to faith in Jesus.

One such event was Kathy Halliday’s baptism.

THE FATHER’S LOVE.From a very young age I felt as though I didn’t really

belong to my family; I felt different, alone, and as though no one really cared - except for my grandmother.

When I was about 14, I ‘almost’ ran away from home, I was so unhappy. I was going to my grandmother’s. I sat on the station platform, and realised that I would miss my mum and sisters too much, and couldn’t leave them. In spite of everything I loved them.

I did leave home when I was 17, without the blessing of my parents. My mother had nothing to do with me for another 17 years.

The years passed, I married and had a son. Marital problems led to divorce. After a few years Paul and I met, and within five months we were married. We moved to Cornwall, and seven months later Paul died suddenly; from a massive stroke…… alone again.

Although I had not really made any friends near my new home; my next door neighbour Theresa, known as Terry, was kind to me when she heard my sad news. Terry talked to me about God and Jesus. I realised that for so many years I had been trying to find someone or something to fill an emptiness in my life, but I’d been looking in the wrong places. I had only

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found fear; fear of what would be taken away from me, and fear of doing the wrong thing.

When a preacher, Nigel Thompson, visited Cornwall in October 2004; he kindly found a couple of hours in his busy schedule to talk to me, at Terry’s request. It was then that I asked for God’s forgiveness of my sins, and the life I had led - and asked Jesus to come and be part of my life.

When I was growing up I’d wished for a father who would be MY father. Someone who would take me places, do things together, be there for me. Now I have a father, The Father in Heaven, through Jesus. He’s always there for me.

Since that time I have experienced a whole range of emotions: doubt, love, trust, wariness, joy and the list goes on. But through it all there was peace inside me, and the emptiness has gone.

Now if ever I feel scared - in the dark - I pray. The Lord answers my prayers - but at the time of His choosing. God has shown me He’s on my side, and always helps me through.

I am constantly affected by the wonder of everything of God; the enormity of His grace and love. And He’s given some of that to me.

During 2005 I had the joy of being baptised; and now I am seeking to follow Jesus; to go where He says, and do what He asks me to do.

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Since moving from St Just to Hayle, Keith and Pauline have been thrilled to have some of the Christians continue to work with them in the work of Bible distribution. One such lady is

Terry Gill, and her story now follows.

THERE MUST BE MORE TO LIFE.I was brought up in a happy and secure family, one of four

children. My parents had a respect for God. They had both been brought up in Christian homes. We were financially poor, but rich in love. As children we were sent to Sunday School; which I enjoyed, but it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the way I was living. When I was 11 years old we moved house, and my contact with church was gradually lost. I would have liked to go back to church, but life seemed to get in the way.

When I left school I wanted to teach sport, and so after GCE’s and A levels I got a place at Durham University to do a degree in sport and geography. During this time my friends and in particular boys started to take my attention. I turned away from my ambitions in sport and teaching, and turned my whole attention to my boyfriend. I ignored advice from family and friends, teachers and mentors, and left university to be with my boyfriend.

I found work in the Civil Service, as a casual employee, doing office work. That was something I said I’d never do! I loved the job, married my boyfriend, but I always felt there was more to life than I was experiencing. I felt that life had something else to offer that I had not discovered.

We moved to Cornwall, and away from the pressures of

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city life things became easier. When our first daughter was born, I looked at her and something inside me seemed to say now I know there is more to life, and my journey began.

A few days later someone knocked my door and invited me for coffee. I went and a friendship developed, and I began to go to church with this lady. It seemed to me as if the sermons were aimed at me, and I kept saying that I would not go back. When my second daughter was born I was arranging her dedication service, and the minister came to see me. He was the first to explain to me what Jesus said life was all about. The minister asked me what a Christian was. I replied that it was someone who does good things. He amazed me when he said NO.

He explained that it was someone who knows they have sinned (broken God’s law, and not given Him first place in their lives). They realised Jesus died in their place, and so they have asked Him to forgive them, and come into their life as the boss.

I just knew that this was the truth; it was as if the penny had dropped. After the minister had gone, I knelt by my bed told Jesus I was sorry for the thing I had done wrong, asked Him to come into my life, and became a Christian.

Jesus has brought me through many difficulties, including divorce, sickness, car crash, rejection and I can still say that now I know there is more to life than this. I have the assurance of forgiveness and life never been dull since I said YES to Jesus.

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Sometimes people believe that being brought up in a Christian home means that the person automatically has complete

protection from all the bad things that affect other children, but the next testimony shows only too well the care that

Christian parents need to take to protect their children. Hazel Harvey will tell us about her life.

FREEDOM FROM MY ‘LUCKY STARS’

Although I had a Christian upbringing I had a fascination for horoscopes, palmistry and occult books, and on two occasions I had visited a medium. This interest increased during the ten years when I ceased to attend church, and experienced the birth of three babies in five years. I did return to church, but I did not experience the power of God. I was very unhappy.

By 1990 my life was a mess, and I was desperately searching for a deeper meaning for my existence. I attended a church led by a vicar named John. He had been a missionary in Papua, New Guinea, and had experience of the effect of witchcraft. John soon had the whole of his congregation attending a course called Saints Alive. We came to the week dealing with any involvement in the occult. I spoke to John about my past.

He told me that the following week I needed to come up to the front of the church, when he would give opportunity to repent of sin, and ask God’s forgiveness, and promise to lead a new life.

All week I agonised over taking this public action, but on the actual night I couldn’t get to the front of the church fast enough. John and Sarah (his wife) put their hands on my head, poured oil on my head, and asked the Holy Spirit to fill me. I prayed and said,

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‘Lord Jesus Christ, I’m sorry for the wrong things in my life. I ask you to forgive me, and I now turn from everything I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me, to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life, and fill me with your Holy Spirit, and be with me forever.’

I felt as if I was being showered with golden rain, and I was filled with great joy like I’d never known before. I went home, and in the night I awoke speaking in tongues; that is a language that I had not learnt, but that the Holy Spirit had given me.

Then I saw myself at the age of six, in a darkened room lit by a dim pink lamp. The lodger at my friend’s house, who was a spiritualist, had been left in charge of about six of us children whilst her parents were out. This lady instructed all of us to put our fingers on the glass, and as we did so it began to spin around the cards, spelling out messages.

I knew I had not wanted to take part, but had been urged on. The picture then faded, and I knew this had been the root of my obsession with occult things - a kind of spiritual abuse. This event had been completely obliterated from my memory until the night the Holy Spirit brought it back into my mind. I had never told my parents or taken part in a séance again, but the damage lasted for fifty years, and had caused devastating problems in the lives of my family and myself. I took every book and paper I had on the occult round to the vicarage for John’s bonfire which he had as a Festival of Light at Halloween.

Freedom at last! How wonderful when we seek God the Father’s forgiveness, and freely receive it.

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Keith and Pauline have been helped in Hayle by Hazel opening up her house to them and the teams who go out on the Bible distribution, and she has joined them in praying as the

teams go out. Another family who have helped in various ways with the work of Micah Mobile Ministries in Bible distribution are the Saldivar family. Gillian and her son James first helped Keith ‘on the doors’ in St Just in Penwith, and later in Hayle. Now Gillian and her husband Michael

have expressed a desire to take out Bibles in their own County Parish of Cornwall. Along with their youngest son, Ben, as a family they have a desire to follow Jesus, and do as He has

told usGo and make disciples, baptising them in the name of

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that I command you.

We include their testimony now.

EFIL?Come hear someone make sense of LIFE!!

Seventeen years ago, around 1990, my wife, Gillian and I saw a sign inviting all to come and hear someone make sense of life, and what it was all about. We went along and found out what life really meant. During the evening the speaker asked the question “Where would you spend eternity if you died tonight?”

My wife and I had been married for two years. I was brought up in the Catholic Church, and my wife was an occasional church goer. We were ordinary people who believed there was a God, and tried to live a relatively good

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life (as we saw it), but that’s as far as it went! I remember asking the question one night ‘What if there is no God?’ There was no answer for me, but a coldness inside me.

I didn’t know where I would spend eternity! But somehow I knew there was an eternity, and this was important.

My wife arrived at this place from a different route…..

I had the privilege of growing up with loving and caring parents, who gave me a good moral upbringing. Before I was a Christian I had a belief in God, but didn’t know Him personally. I suppose I was seeking, and I went to the library and looked at all the different religions. I took all the ‘good bits’ from each one, and put them altogether - which really just brought confusion.

I found myself in the spiritualist church and all that goes with that. I later found out how dangerous this is, and who is behind spiritism. All this did was to lead me further away from Jesus; not towards Him. I could not find God in things, and this included religion, which is man made. God is willing to speak to us all in His way; often a still, small voice, and to overrule this leads to disaster.

I would go into Ludgvan church where there was a lovely sense of peace. I would go in when the church was empty and pray. God was in the still small voice, but I needed to be quiet long enough and to listen.

There is a place in all of us which only Jesus can fill. I am so grateful that I went to the meeting about:

EFIL? Come and hear someone make sense of Life!!

We both listened as the speaker explained that 2,000 years ago God sent His son Jesus Christ to call us to Him. Not only that, but He would take all the punishment and consequence of

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our sin, by His death on the cross, if we would believe on Him enough to receive Him in our lives.

There was an opportunity given to us publicly to come before God and admit our sin, ask His forgiveness, and receive Him through Jesus Christ.

So that is just what we did!

Thank God that we did; it was the best thing we ever did. We can truly say we not only know there is a God, but He is a wonderful, faithful, loving God. He is for real, LIFE only makes sense through Him.

Gillian continues: my whole life is so different now - previously I had no security, I had no peace and I was a real ’worrier’. Almost immediately everything changed - I met Jesus, I gave him all the baggage and He gave me in return, His peace, His security, His rest. Life is so different now. All that He promises is true, and He has never let me down. I may not always like what He says, but it is always for my benefit.

God has exchanged our old lives for new lives. When the world around us is asking the question ‘What is going on?’, we know we can trust in an almighty God.

We have two teenage children, and a grown up son. God has guided us over the years in the choices we have had to make, in the way we’ve lived our lives, and how we have brought up the younger sons. He promises to ‘show us a better way’, and this has proved to be the case.

We praise God He has made sense of EFIL, and we can live LIFE to the full.

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All these people say that their change of life is due to one person - that is Jesus. So what of Him, who is He, and how does He affect us?

His story begins before the beginning of time, somewhere in heavenly realms where the origins of man were being discussed by their creator. The decision was made to give the created being, man, the ability to choose to worship and follow his creator; or to reject and disown Him.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit knew that to give man choice was a risky business, but He did not want to create ‘robots’ who could not choose to love and follow God. He wanted a creation with which He could have fellowship, and relationship. Therefore the decision was made that freewill would be given, and a contingency plan was put in place for when man made an unwise choice, and then would later wish to return to relationship with his creator.

Man was created, and then woman after him. They were placed in the garden of Eden, and were able to enjoy fellowship and relationship with their creator, God. The day came when, through temptation, the woman, and then the man, disobeyed God, and moved themselves out into independence from God, and they decided to ‘do their own thing’.

This broke the relationship with God for the whole human race, and from that point onwards there has been an emptiness

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in mankind as they have sought to reach out and try to find God. Mankind has used many different ways to try and fill this emptiness, and to try and restore the broken link. Mankind has tried to fill the hole with work, drink, drugs, sex, and even more disastrously religion.

Mankind has tried in so many different ways to reach up and reach God, but all the ways have fallen short of reaching God. There was only one way that would work, and that would be for God to reach down, and lift man back to relationship. This is the plan God had already discussed together before the beginning of time. God the Son would come to earth, born of a virgin, born as a man and be called JESUS.

Jesus willingly followed the plan, and was born in the small village of Bethlehem, around 4BC. He spent the first 30 years of His life living a ’normal’ life as a village carpenter, surrounded by His family. He knew what it was to grow up with at least four brothers and some sisters, and to learn the trade of His earthly ‘father’, Joseph. At about 30 years of age Jesus was ‘anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil’. This continued for three years until at around the age of 33, Jesus was taken by the leaders of that time, both religious and political, and was crucified.

Jesus was willing to take this course of action so that the relationship between God and mankind could be restored. Jesus died as a sinless representation of mankind; that is a man who had never disobeyed God and sinned by going His own way, or doing just as He wanted, but always doing what God

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wanted, and staying in relationship with Him. Jesus need not have died, but could have gone straight back to heaven, but He chose, through His love for us, to die in our place. He took the punishment so that we need not do so. After three days Jesus came back to life, and was bodily resurrected, and walked as a man on the earth for forty days before returning, as a man, into heaven.

Jesus has made a way back to God for us, but we need to receive what He has done for us, and this is what these stories are about. They are lives that have been changed by people who have asked Jesus to forgive their independent, sinful ways; their desires to fill God’s place in their lives with ‘other things’ or their attempt to reach God through their own methods. They are people who have admitted that they cannot make it by themselves, but have asked Jesus to come and be in control of their lives, and have chosen to live their lives in relationship and fellowship with God wanting His will for their life.

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There now follows a simple explanation of how you can know Jesus for yourself, and have your life changed by Him.

Following Jesus

In the beginning of time God and man enjoyed a close friendship, but man wanted to choose to live his own way. This rebellion is known as sin, and this keeps us from relationship with God. Everyone is affected by it.

People try all sorts of ways to bridge the gap between themselves and God.

All these fail……………………

…………………………except one.

Jesus is God the Son. He became man and lived His whole life in the way God wanted. When He was about thirty years old He died on a cross. As He had done nothing wrong He was able to take God’s punishment for our sin, and make a way to restore our relationship with God. God brought Jesus back to life,

Jesus said:-I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14 v 6.

….everyone has sinned, and missed

reaching God’s standard.

Romans 3 v 23

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and He is still alive now giving a way to have a right relationship with God.

We need to make up our mind whether to follow Jesus or to carry on living life our own way.

No one can decide for you. You either invite Jesus into your life or you can reject Him!

If you are ready to ask God to forgive your rebellion, and you want to give your life over to Him, and follow Jesus, the words of the following prayer may help you:

Lord Jesus ChristI know I have chosen to live life my own way, and have ignored You, and Your way of living. I am sorry for what I have done wrong, and for not doing the good things I should have done.Thank You for dying for me on the cross.I now choose to turn away from living my life my way, and I ask You to come into my life, and take control of it.Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can live the way You want.

To all who believed in Him, and accepted

Him, He gave the right to become children of

God.John 1 v 12.

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Amen.

If you want to follow Jesus you will need to be baptised, and meet with other Christians so that you can grow together in the love of God, and develop your relationship with Him.

If you want any further information, this booklet was produced by Micah Mobile Ministries, whose workers include Keith and Pauline Horobin, whose testimonies you have read in this booklet.

You may contact them by telephone

07876 362872

or by e-mail, micahmm@uku.co.uk.

We pray that this booklet will have led you to Jesus, if you don’t know Him; or will have encouraged you to share your own testimony if you do know

JESUS

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