I am a Newport ‘boy’ through and through and have spent 70 years in various parts of the city, including Treberth, Alway, Conway and now Rogerstone where we moved in 1978. Cath and I were married in 1969 and have two adult children and 3 wonderful grandchildren.
I started work as a farm boy but later trained as a carpenter with J Laing the Builders. From there I moved to work at Whitehead Steelworks. From there I set up my own firm with a friend and we were called P&A Builders, I later worked on my own and I was supposed to retire at 60 but 10 years later I thank God that I have the health and strength to be still working ‘full time’.
In about 2006 Cath first persuaded me to attend church with her. I did so reluctantly on a Sunday morning. A year later I decided I would also go in the evening with her. I somehow felt that God was getting closer to me and that continued until July 4th 2010. On that morning service I knew I had to get right with God. My pastor phoned me that afternoon and asked what had happened to me in that service. I said ‘I think I was converted’. The experience did not leave me and on the following Sunday morning I said to the pastor that ‘I feel as though I have been made clean inside’.
Cath was already a Christian and she wonderfully had prayed for me for years, as did many in the congregation, unknown to me. Cath accompanied me on a discipleship course and I was baptised on 23rd January 2011. I was not easy for me to publicly verbally give my testimony, but I am glad I did so.
My whole outlook on life has changed. It seems that I now face life with God at my side. All this has allowed me to share spiritual things with Cath and we have grown closer together in it. We share the scriptures together each day and pray meaningfully together. We really look forward to going to church and sharing fellowship with the folk in Emmanuel and wider afield.
God has also blessed us as a family during this time and just before I was baptised, my son Julian was baptised and in December 2012 we were delighted when our daughter Maxine came to faith and was baptised.
Life is never easy but with God at our side we feel we are able to cope with all life’s problems. We have a Saviour to rest on.