My Mum re-married in the mid seventies. The first few years went well until my sister was born in 1978, and though I loved her very much, she received all of the attention. Over the next few years my relationship with my new father deteriorated. I was always resentful of him along with my anger that he could be quite cruel to me physically and this grew worse over the years. He would slap me about and use a belt. I do not know what I did to deserve this treatment; I became frightened of him. I do not ever recall him physically abusing my sister Gail, or Christopher who came along later. I believe it was me he hated because I was not his son from birth. My Mum would stick up for me when she could. By the age of 13 or 14 I was a disaster waiting to happen. I got in trouble with the police. I ended up in a care home because it seemed like a good place to be. Between the ages of 14 to 16 are a bit of a blur, but I know that these were the days when I was introduced to more serious crime and drugs. By the age of 16 I was a drug addict and a criminal. I was arrested, and ended up going in and out of prison, and always back on to the drugs. My parents never really brought me up to have any religious belief as such, but they did send me to Sunday school when I was about 6 years old. Even back then I can remember Jesus being with me. I attended the Boys' Brigade at the age of 12. Psalm 139 says that he knits us together in our mother's womb, so that even though many births come about by accident, as a result of one night stands or casual relationships, I believe God has other plans for us, and what is a mistake by people turns out to be the very plan of God.

24th April 1994 (After Christ) One day in April 1994 my car ran out of petrol and I was hitch hiking with the petrol back to my car. I had been walking for some time when a man called Rob James stopped to give me a lift. He explained that he was a Christian and a Pastor and that he loved Jesus Christ. He mentioned that many years ago he used to smoke cannabis, so I could relate and identify with him on some levels, and I was interested in his Christian faith. He prayed for me when he dropped me off, and we went our separate ways. The day I met Rob was Good Friday, which turned out to be the best Friday of my life. I was on bail at the time and was remanded into custody a few weeks later. I could not get this man out of my head; I approached the Prison Chaplain to see if he could track him down for me. I asked him could he contact the Vicar from Bridgend - my details were so vague that he could not help me. But God was working behind the scenes, because the very next day I was called out for a visit, and while I was sitting there wondering who on earth was visiting me (nobody came to visit me in those days) in walks Rob James! I immediately sensed that this was no coincidence. We chatted for a while about the things of God and he explained how Jesus loved me so much that he came to die for me, and that he wanted to forgive me and come into my life. I wanted this to happen very much - in the past I read of others who gave their lives to Christ after being on drugs for years. I had prayed these kind of prayers before but somehow it had never connected with me. Rob and I prayed together for Christ to come into my life, and something happened. I immediately became deeply aware of God's presence with us. It was as if there were three of us sitting together in the visits room. God's presence stayed with me for quite a while. I just knew that something had changed in my life and that the Lord was with me. I started to attend Chapel and learn more about Christ and what it means to follow him. I was eventually sentenced to a prison term in H.M.P. Channing's wood. I made friends with with a fellow Christian called Costa, and Rob was also there for me. There came a time when I felt that I wanted to share my faith with other inmates. They thought that I was crazy. I was offered drugs one day and I said, "no guys, I have got Jesus in my life now and I do not need them any more." I was given the strength to come off the drugs, through prayer and reading my Bible and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Even though I have blown it many times, the Lord has never given up on me or forsaken me. As a Christian it is not always easy, but the Lord is my helper. God has given me a beautiful Christian partner called Sharon. We are getting married in July 2004 and we both love the Lord and want to serve him in our marriage, and want to go wherever he sends us to share his love with other people. I can honestly say that asking Jesus to forgive me and restore me was the greatest decision I have ever made in my life, and nothing can compare to knowing him. Every morning when I wake up I renew my relationship and my commitment to God and I have a hope for a better future, the promise of eternal life and the comfort of God's Holy Spirit to guide me along the way. When Judgement Day comes I know I shall stand before him guilty, but forgiven. My relationship between my Mum and Dad has improved so much over the years. I have also had the privilege of helping others to come to know Jesus Christ for themselves. Praise his Holy name. I thank God for all he has done for me; I am involved in Church life and play the guitar as a worship leader. If you have been encouraged by my story and would like to come to know Jesus Christ for yourself, then I encourage you to pray this prayer to God.

"Lord God, I pray to you now and ask you to come into my life. I believe Jesus came to save me and to forgive me. I believe He died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, so I can come into a relationship with him. I believe He rose from the dead. Would you please forgive me for ignoring you and living my own way? Please come into my life and show me the way, the truth, and the life you have prepared for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and be my guide. Thank you Jesus Christ for hearing my prayer and coming to me. I now turn away from my sinful life style and embrace your ways with all my heart, Amen."

If you have prayed this prayer from your heart then you can be sure that you are now a part of God's family and now belong to him! He loves you and He is with you. Get yourself a Bible and read it every day, pray every day and go to a church that believes in Jesus Christ.

The memory of a sign I had seen on a church building ---"Jesus, the light of the world"--- flashed into my mind. Many times while on the bum and drunk I had seen that sign shining above me. I thought, that's the place I ought to go. And I did. At the conclusion of the meeting, I went forward and knelt at the altar. Church people gathered around me. Not one of them even knew my name, but they prayed earnestly and I prayed as I never had prayed before. I meant business with God. Jesus heard my prayer and forgave my sins. He changed my whole life. My old habits and appetites were gone. God took sin out of me - from that day on I have not looked back. My past life was well covered up. A loner, I pulled the stunts by myself so there wouldn't be anyone to squeal on me. After I was saved there was a good many things to straighten out -- hundreds of dollar's worth of restitutions, and crimes that would have put me behind bars. But God helped me make right the wrong things I had done, and today I have a clean record. The power of God's transforming grace can change a man and give him victory over his old life. The peace of God fills my heart today. I thank him!

Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, it did exactly that in 1998. I suffered great loss due to losing my lovely twin daughters. I will never forget this - that's when I was drinking as well as drug taking. I thought that life couldn't throw any more at me, it did. Only eight months after I lost my daughters, my Father died. The worst part of all this was that my Father told me that I was a good man. If only he had known the person I really was. Six months later I took tablets to end my life. I was unsuccessful in this attempt. In the middle of 1999 I was sentenced to prison for theft, but when I was released from prison two weeks later I tried suicide. Again I survived and was fortunate. I was out for eighteen months and then returned to prison once again for driving whilst disqualified. Whilst in prison I received news that my wife had to have an abortion, and to me that was it - I had had enough with life. Whilst in the prison health centre I decided there and then I was going to end it all, so I stuck a bag over my head and passed out, but one of the prison staff saved my life. When I left prison in 2001, I found a new girlfriend, but it was not long until I got back on to the drugs again. By 2003 my life was in a big mess. I was suffering severe depression. I hit the drugs even harder, so bad that I started to suffer from hallucinations and hearing voices. I ended up back in prison - this time I was given six years. I lost all contacts back home; I just did not care any more.

Several months into my sentence a friend of mine in prison asked me if I would like to come to Chapel, but at first I refused. Later though, when I was moved to Dartmoor a friendly Minister persuaded me otherwise and after a few visits to the chapel, I decided to let the Lord back into my life, and a couple of weeks later I was praying in my cell, and it was then that the Holy Spirit touched me and saved me. Ever since that day I have never looked back. I will always walk the Lord's way, God Bless.

During Christ's Ministry here on earth, he touched and ministered to many. He had compassion on the multitudes, and he spent a lot of time amongst the so-called "outcasts of society." He was ridiculed by the religious leaders for spending time with sinners.

We still see in today's society that there is still not a lot of grace towards those who are outcasts, especially for those within the prison cell. We know that Christ is with us today through His Holy Spirit, but if He were to be here physically amongst us, where would He spend his time? Would it be in our churches? When I sit and share the love of Christ with inmates, I will always tell them that Christ himself would be sitting in their cells sharing His love and concern for them. On the cross of Calvary many people seem to forget that our Lord's final hours were spent reaching out to a thief. Yes, a thief - even in death and pain he reached out his love towards a sinner. What love, my friends, what a powerful message for you today. No matter how low you have sunk in sin, put yourself in the place of the thief on the cross. He repented and accepted Christ in death. We do not know the minute when we will be taken from this earth. Make sure your life is in the Master's hands this very day.

My name is Evangelist Chima Matthew Oqbonna. My testimony is about my previous life in sin and also my present life in Christ Jesus. I was once in darkness as a result of my disobedience unto God, which could have destroyed my life in hell fire. However as I continued with this sin, the grace of God was with me, though I did not realise it then. For the Holy Scriptures say that it is not the will of God that anyone should perish, but that all should turn to God in repentance. God was patient and kind to me, despite the sin in my life. He did not abandon me; rather he was interested in my lost soul. He sent me many messengers (preachers), sadly I neglected them all. Thanks be to God that he did not let me end up in a miserable condition but saved me by his grace. During my period of disobedience to God, I fell into temptation and ended up in prison on a murder charge. In prison I continued my evil ways. I joined a gang and we took drugs. This went on for eighteen months.

One night in the month of August 1999 came a turning point for me. I had a dream that I was suffering from an illness called T.B. It was so severe, I heard a voice speaking to me, and I was asked did I know why I was suffering from this illness. I was then told that it was a result of the sin that was in my life. This voice went on to say that I had to repent of my sin otherwise I will meet destruction. I woke afraid and fearful. At once I got on to my knees and spoke to God. I confessed my sins to Him and gave my life to Christ, I accepted him as my Lord and personal Saviour. Praise God! Immediately a change took place in my life. I was born again a new creation in Christ. Today I am enjoying my life in Christ. By the grace of God I am no longer known as a murderer or a sinner but as an evangelist, for today I am a member of an evangelical team and also a member of a prayer team. By the grace of God many lost souls have been led to the Lord by me. I believe that one day my ministry in prison will stop, and that our Lord will set me physically free, so that I can go out and affect my society with the word of God. Amen.

My name is Ninkhin(Aoy). I am Burmese and I am 33 years old. I used to work in a factory in the Samutsakorn Province, which is near Bangkok in Thailand. I met a Thai man and came to love him; he was not interested in working. He was only interested in me working and making him some money. He would get very jealous if I spoke with anyone else. He would become very angry. I started to think about my family in Burma. I had no money to send them. Sadly I got involved with the drug business; I was unaware of the laws in Thailand. The police eventually arrested me. The first time I was glad, because I knew that they would send me back home by immigration. I got a six-year sentence in my case and was sent to Lard Yao Women's prison. By this stage I wanted to die. My boyfriend only visited a few times; no one else would visit me. I lost everything; I cried all of the time. One day a friend in prison encouraged me - she was a Christian and she invited me to go to church with her in our compound. This church was named Unity in Christ Fellowship. I did not want to go because I told her where was her God, while she was still in prison. Praise God though, she persuaded me to go that day, our Lord spoke to my heart in the service, and I accepted him into my life. That night I prayed to God and spoke to him about my situation. That night our Lord spoke to me and revealed Jesus' love to me through Calvary, I started to cry. I love my precious Saviour so much. Each day my love increases for him. My boyfriend then told me that he did not want to visit me any more. But I prayed to God for his Salvation. Prayer is powerful, because my boyfriend then started to visit me again. God loves us all and he has a mighty plan for each of our lives.

"Dear Father, I know that I am a sinner and that I need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I am willing to turn away from my sin and I now invite Jesus to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour. I am willing by God's grace to follow and obey Christ as Lord of my life."

If you have prayed this prayer and have accepted Christ into your heart and life, please let us know, so we can pray and help you in your new life in Christ.