Stories
George’s Story
My name is George & as a young man I served in the Armed Forces to escape the pitfalls of drink, drugs and crime. I was injured whilst on operations in Northern Ireland resulting in a medical discharge, a large payout and moved back to the area I tried to escape from. I soon found myself chronically addicted to heroin, tablets and crack cocaine and inevitably ended up in prison.
One day I attended a Prison Fellowship Scotland group, mostly out of curiosity as the Volunteer (Derek Watt) was an ex-prison officer. I could not grasp why he would come in to see people like me! PFS has a simple approach, visit prisoners in prison, creating conversation, cultivating relationships and delivering a real gospel message. The chaotic and complex nature of those who are in prison can make them a “hard to reach” group, with a wide range of difficulties that won’t necessarily be solved overnight, but the most effective way to engage someone in that position is simply to let them know you care and to introduce them to a God who cares. They won’t believe the 2nd if you don’t accomplish the 1st. It was the love and acceptance of PFS staff and volunteers that caused me to investigate whether or not there was a God who felt the same. This led me to discovering that there was and accepting his love for myself.
I am now PFS operations Manager working hard to help the organisation that has quite literally saved my life!
Stuart’s Story
I was once a hopeless, homeless drug addict. I was in prison for a serious crime and I served two long term prison sentences. Whilst there I did the Sycamore Tree course and I used go to Prison Fellowship in HMP Addiewell. One night, at a Prison Fellowship meeting, just before I was being released, there was a guest speaker. This man’s testimony was like my own life experience. I could really identify with what he was saying. He asked if anyone wanted to ask the Lord into their life and I responded and prayed the sinner’s prayer. I began crying, but not tears of sadness, tears of joy! This was what I now know to be an encounter with my Saviour.
After release I met with George, from Prison Fellowship, who kindly took me to a local church. I saw something different in the people there. I wanted what those people had; an overwhelming peace and joy, and so began my search. I found my spiritual base in another church and found myself getting involved, but it wasn’t long before my demons had returned, and I was back at my old ways. As a result I quickly found myself in homeless units, skippering (sleeping rough).
I eventually ended up in a serious condition in hospital suffering from a major infection, endocarditis. Drugs had taken everything and nearly my life. As I lay there alone again, I cried out to God, “Please just let me die or HELP.” And help He did. One thing I learned is God will never turn his back on us. Before long two people from my church heard I was at deaths door and prayed for healing over me. These people weren’t a coincidence but rather a ‘GOD instance’. I was given hope again.
After 10 weeks in hospital I was released with nowhere to go. I’d have to go back to the homeless unit. I cried out again, “Please God, HELP!”. Later that day the doctors said I was being kept in over the weekend because the infection had appeared again. On the Monday I heard that housing had got me a scatter flat (temporary accommodation) and I didn’t have to return to the unit! A few days later, after resting at home, I decided to go to church again, and I’ve never looked back. Since then I’ve been baptised and have remained drug and alcohol free. I’ve been given a year’s relief from my heart infection and I’m now at college studying to become a counsellor. I’m living the life God has planned for me and it’s amazing.
I now see that everything I had done in my own strength always ended in disaster, but not now. I have been back in prison - but as a visitor this time and not a prisoner! I thought my life had ended, well now I know it’s just started.
David’s Story
I grew up in the Rutherglen. When I was eleven my dad passed away suddenly leaving my mum to raise 3 teenage boys. At the same time I had just entered high school and was forming a group of friends & experimenting with drugs and alcohol. I was a lost wee boy trying to cope with grief. I was first arrested when I was 11 and quite quickly became a target for the police. It started with general disorder in the community but ,as I grew older and began to get involved in gang fights, my appetite for violence grew.
I was repeatedly arrested, held and released as a minor. By the time I was 16 the police cells were a regular occurrence & my drug and alcohol use had developed even more. Not long after I turned 16 I was sent to a young offenders for a serious assault. For the next 8 years my life consisted of violence, drink, drugs , broken relationships , homelessness and prison. My life was chaos, i decided, as I sat in my cell that I would pray! I prayed to God not knowing if he was real or not, just that if he existed would he help me.
After serving multiple jail sentences in the YO's I was sent to Barlinnie at the age of 21, then moved to Kilmarnock prison, where I came across Prison Fellowship. I attended out of curiosity, but there was a genuine interest in me. The more I went the more I learned about Jesus and how he loved me and died to give me life and so that I could be forgiven. I became a Christian in HMP Kilmarnock and had all the usual good intentions upon getting released, but they didn't last long. I wanted to live the life of a Christian but the reality was it was difficult. I continued to be involved in crime and a few years passed, I had attended a church in Glasgow on and off. Over this time God was really drawing me in.
In 2012 I done a 9-week remand and committed my life afresh to Jesus, I came out and committed myself to going to a local church, got baptised & a few months later started bible college where I spent 2 years growing in knowledge and understanding of God & faith. When I was in college I was involved in starting a new church campus in Drumchapel and then went on to help start on in Rutherglen. I now know God has great plans for my life, I’m part of the leadership team in Destiny & preaching regularly which is brilliant.
I started my own business two years ago and also met my wife in church. Life with Jesus is the way to go, I never thought I would be doing what I am doing now and be enjoying it. I always believed I'd either be murdered or be doing a life sentence. But that cycle that I couldn't break, Jesus broke for me. And he can do the same for you. I've now been out of prison five years.