About Dave...

I was born at the Salisbury hospital South Australia, 21st November 1956 .The first child of six children, three boys’ three girls. We lived in a state housing commission house for 14 years before my parents finally parted .My father was an alcoholic with a violent temper, and very low esteem of himself.My mother was a diagnosed schizophrenic and with split personalities, as far back as I can remember she was like living with a house cat one minute that would just lick and prune and clean her kittens with all grace and love. And then suddenly she would turn into a raging lion that just wanted to rip you apart and to utterly destroy all that was in reach. At times I could not tell you who I was more afraid of, my mother or my father.

As I sit here remembering those days of fear, I almost find myself not wanting to continue with this testimony. But thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.My father worked as a water pump installer for the farmers and the market growers around South Australia. There were many days at a time that, we would not see him because he did work very hard and try to bring his family a better level of living. But we never seamed to gain any ground, there was always lack, of food and clothes.

When the fourth child was born, I remember thinking why are they having another child, because when they had to buy us shoes and clothes they became angry at us. But that thought did not stay long because I had greater things to think about. And that was keeping my younger sisters out of trouble, the reason being, if they did any thing wrong. I being the oldest would be punished for letting them do whatever they had done. So slowly I became to resent not just my parents but also my whole family.

I just did not know how to love or how to receive love and for many years I did not trust any one. If some one tried to show me affection in any way, I just could not comprehend why or what I was supposed to give in return.At the age of 12, I started drinking flagons of wine with some older boys in our local area. We would steal milk money from people’s houses. In those days just about every body put out their money at night to pay there milk bills. So we would work on different areas all the time. I remember that at times we could end up, at least five miles from our homes. But we did not care how far we got as long as we got the money. To buy the wine.

It did not take long for us to progress to drugs from there.We were smoking dope all the time as well as mandrax, magic mushrooms and sniffing petrol what ever we could get our hands on to get stoned. There are many, many areas in my Teenage years that are a blank and I am quite sure that I would not be proud of them.

I became interested in the biker seen at around the age of 14, there were 4 local outlaw clubs in our area and we saw many fights between them. I liked the attitude that they had and that was that they did not care for any thing or any one but the brotherhood with there club and each other.All of a sudden my life took a dramatic change; I ended up in Alice Springs, and started working on cattle stations. For the first three years all was well, but then I was drawn into the town lifestyle of alcohol and drugs and partying again. So it was not to long till, that once again I was on the downhill run.

I started moving around a lot Darwin, Perth, back to Darwin and over to Townsville .The whole time, I was smashed on drugs and booze. When in Townsville I met a lady, and we moved in together, within weeks she became pregnant and we got married. This worked for awhile, but there was no love there at all, I just didn’t want take responsibility for any one or any thing. I ended up getting a job on drilling rigs, and left them.Again my life took a dramatic change, this time I had all the

Money I wanted for drugs and booze. Then I was in aToyota 4wheel drive crash. We had been drinking, at Adelaide River in the northern territory for about 7 hrs, when we left to go to the drilling camp, about 3 miles from the pub we stopped to have some cocaine. When we got back in the car I was in the middle seat, we went 2 more miles and rolled the Toyota at 70 mile per hr.When we rolled over I went out the back window and the 44gallon drum of fuel we had on the tray landed on top of me. I came to and I could hear them calling me but I could not answer them to tell them where I was, being dark they could not see me under the drum of fuel. So I ended up in Darwin hospital for a while, but as soon as I could, I went back to work and into the drugs and booze again. There just seemed no way out of this lifestyle that I was living.

A few more years went by and I ended up in the Salvation Army hostel in Spring hill Brisbane. With no money and no place to live and this was after earning over $1,300 a fortnight for more than 7 years. But thank God for them, I was there two days and they needed a bus driver, so I started driving their bus for them and within a week I was also doing security in the hostel as well.Then I met this young lady named Sue, and we were attracted to each other immediately, Sue had just lost her Mother 6 months before to cancer she had blamed God. For she was destroyed by the lack of knowledge and had backslidden, this was another change of direction in my life again. But I sill did not know how to love.

We stayed together from that point on, we left the hostel after six months and we got into the lifestyle of parties drugs and booze for many years. We had two children 1 girl 1boy. I was becoming like my father. A drunk and stoned all the time because of the car accident with my back injuries I was put on a pension. So now I was given prescription drugs as well and this included seeing a shrink.We had a triumph 750 Bonneville so a lot of our friends are in and around the bike seen. Then all of a sudden we are drawn to this Christian Motor cycle Ministries rally. I had no idea why I was attracted to them but we went and had a look anyway. We went to there church a while later. I just could not get these people out of my head, for weeks at a time I would think of them, between the drugs and the booze.

Then one day we went to a barbecue they had to feed people on Friday nights. I was there with an attitude as all ways. I thought they have got nothing that I want, Then as we were leaving Pastor Terry Walker noticed me and said can I pray for your back Injury and I said yes, as he laid his hand on my back I felt this Incredible heat on my lower back, and he said in the name of Jesus be healed, I was quite shocked at what had happened and we left. I told Sue as we went home and she said that was God.I was not sure what had happened ,but I grabbed hold of my healing .At that time I was on 17 pills a day pain killers and Anti depressants not to mention the drugs and booze .

Within Three weeks I was off all prescribed drugs, and had to do a rehabilitation program to get off the pension. I went back to work and for the next two years .I was still on drugs but the booze had just about stopped and I had given up Smoking cigarettes .And a couple of times a year we would go to have a look at the motor cycle rally and the church . But I would take offence at something in the word of God and I Just would not commit myself to Jesus I remember thinking that I was not a good person to be a Christian that I could never change , I had not even realized Jesus had all ready been working on me and my wife Sue’s life .

On the Sunday afternoon at the Tribe of Judah Motor cycle ministries rally at Easter 1998 I caught the last half an hr of Pastor Ben Preists sermon and as he did the alter call I looked at my brother In-law and said, I have got to go up but not today and I said to him where did that come from.

The following Saturday I was sitting in our back yard smoking pot and challenging God. I said if you are real, show me. I have had enough I can't take any more of this life, I would rather be dead .Then suddenly, I was straight and I heard this voice talking to me on the inside and he showed me my life and where I had turned my back on him when I was 11years old and he also showed me where he had protected my life many times in the past.After a while I went in side and told Sue and said I have lost the plot because I'm hearing a voice inside, telling me of my past. Sue said no that's God I said how would you know and she told me how her and a Pastor friend of our family had been praying for me for two years. And I still said no. I walked around that day not sure of any thing any more.

AT 4 Am the next day Sunday morning God woke me up and started talking to me again, within half an hour ,I had thrown out all my dope ,my plants in the back yard , all my bike mags , he even showed me seeds that I had forgotten .Then as I was sitting on our back veranda at 4.30am smashing porno's with the biggest hammer I could find ,I scooped them up and threw them in the bin and as I did I said what now Lord and he said one word , Tribe.

So I woke up Sue and said we are going to church and we all got ready for church about three hours before it even started. After the sermon I said the sinners prayer, and went out to the alter call. As I was walking out I was still looking at the man out the front , saying to myself over and over again , you are not going to push me over , you are not going to push me over , and I stood at the front of the church .

Pastor Terry was at the other end and God said raise your hands to me now, and as I did I felt this incredible presence and I hit the deck. I thought what is this and then I started crying to God over and over again please don’t kill me please don’t kill me and then I heard this gentle, voice I would not kill you I love you and I cried and cried and cried tears of joy for I had found what I had been looking for all my life The Lord Jesus Christ Praise God ‘Praise God " for his grace and love amen.

I have been saved since Easter 1998 and our lives have become incredible, we are all full on for God and love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts. I have had three miracles in healing's and have not had one drop of drugs or alcohol and now my father is saved and Two sisters but in the name Of Jesus Christ and by the cleanliness of my hands they all shall be saved and live in eternal joy together .Also I was ordained a Pastor on 28/7/01 By World Christian Ministries.And by Christian Family Churches of Australia on the 15/June 2003 Praise God All things are possible with Him and in Him. Amen

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