|
24 HOUR HELP LINE
0791 758 5056
Registered Charity
No. 1010448
|
|
Real Life Stories
Remar is about real people with life changing stories. Here are a few of them. We invite you to read them and you will see that no ones problems are too great for a big God.
"But these were a different kind of Christian than I was used to, tattoos, scars were normal and they were obviously "my kind of people" but they joyfully worked all day and helped me when they could".
Tommy’s story (David Thomas)
I had a good family background and good upbringing but always had a hunger to experience the "pleasures of the world", this led me to leave school at 16 and get a job. I had already begun drinking on a daily basis going to pubs and clubs at the age of 14, using amphetamines at 15-16 and at 17 injecting heroin/cocaine then embarking on a career of burgling chemist shops and shoplifting so beginning a criminal career.
In the beginning I thought I had found what I was looking for, drugs really do work!! But only in the beginning, after that you’re always looking for that "buzz" again which you never really get then you move on to the next drug only to start the process all over again. After an initial "honeymoon" period of several years I found myself deeply involved in not just drugs but the whole lifestyle of money, cars, sex, violence, crime and gangs, I was travelling with a large group of anarchistic travellers called the "peace convoy" arranging free festivals, selling drugs and fighting the police at every opportunity believing we were fighting for freedom. It was during these years that I met Gillian and we lived and travelled together for over 5 years, although she used drugs before I met her I introduced her to the extreme side of addiction and we travelled all over Europe never managing to escape or control our addiction until in 1994 she died of a heart attack caused by injecting a small amount of drugs - she was over 8 months pregnant!
Now my addiction reached another level, I blamed God for all this even though I didn’t know Him and felt the world owed me, so I took whatever I wanted by whatever means necessary, I became extremely violent and even considered killing in cold blood just to find out what it felt like, some IRA friends of mine had told me it was a powerful experience so I wanted to try it.
After the death of Gillian I was on medication for my addictions and to calm me down and 6 months later after injecting lots of pills in my groin, the only vein I had left, I had to have my right leg amputated and spent 6 months in hospital 3 in a coma, as soon as I left hospital I began injecting again in my other leg until I had to stop and start smoking/snorting/drinking my way to oblivion. I didn’t slow down at all, in fact I just got worse and decided to "give up giving up" even the doctors/psychiatrists told me I’d never be able to stop using drugs now I was over 30yrs old.
At some point about 8 yrs later I began to realise I had lost all hope and happiness and decided to look for what I had lost, I looked back on my life and saw that the last time I was happy was with Gillian in a town called Huelva in Spain so I decided to go back there to find that happiness I had lost. I was in Cork in S.Ireland on the run so I began driving to Huelva S.Spain in a van, sleeping in the back and begging money/petrol along the road drinking and using drugs on the way. It took me about 6 months to reach Algeciras where my van broke down and after living in a squat there for 2-3 months some English Christians told me of a rehab run by Spanish Christians which was free and I could go straight in, no waiting list and all necessities provided.
I decided to go in for 15 days to get my life sorted out and let these Christians look after me for a bit! I was whisked off to a farm overlooking Gibraltar with about 15 guys living there in basic conditions, I didn’t speak Spanish and they didn’t speak English but these were a different kind of Christian than I was used to, tattoos, scars were normal and they were obviously "my kind of people" but they joyfully worked all day and helped me when they could, they didn’t take drugs, drink or even smoke cigarettes!!. All the television/books and conversation were in Spanish so I was desperate for communication and very-very sick so I picked up the only book in English-The New Testament-and began reading!
The Truth about Jesus Christ hit me, and within 3 days I was on my knees at 4:00am unable to breathe crying out to God "I’m sorry, I didn’t know!!" as repentance hit me and I recognised just how evil I’d been, and how hopelessly lost I was. God began healing me and I began talking to Him as he opened my eyes to the miracle of Creation and I spent hours sat on the farm wall looking out over Gibraltar towards Africa, there He poured out His Holy Spirit on me.
I’ve remained in Remar, now serving God and giving myself for others for over 5 years now in Spain and over here in the UK, I’m still learning and it hasn’t been easy but I wouldn’t swap this life with the Lord for all the drugs/money or "pleasures" in the world. I am now responsible of the boy’s house and the shop in Nottingham and work closely with my Pastor and Manager of Remar UK Joaquin.
Remar is now in 56 countries worldwide and we are working in the UK not just to support our brothers and sisters in poorer countries with containers of aid but to reach out to the unwanted in the UK give them hope and receive them into our family so God can lift up English workers to go out as missionaries to countries like India, Hong Kong, Israel and Indonesia.
God Bless,
David Thomas (Tommy).
Remar Association UK
Jonathan’s story
"Remar offered me a second chance when my family and society had given up."
My name is Jonathan. I’m from the Tameside area of Greater Manchester. At the age of 18 I was already a heavy drinker and gambler spending most of my spare time at pubs and bookmakers. I spend my weekends in rave clubs taking ecstasy and speed. All night in clubs and working through the day made me very tired and depressed. To stop the misery I began using heroin. I thought I could control but in the end it controlled me. Over a period of 7 years I made 6 attempts to stop through doctors, therapies, detoxification and help from family and friends, without success. I tried to take my life 2 times. My family rejected me and also those I knew long time. I was completely lost without desire to live.
At my lowest point an old friend told me about Remar centre. He said you don’t need money, but careful, they hug you and try to put the Bible down your throat. I knew deep down that’s what I need right now, a hug and the help of God. After 2 years I was fully rehabilitated. I had to decide what to do: to go back to my life or serve the Lord, helping in the same way I was helped. I chose the latter. Since then I served in London, Madrid, Israel, Philippines and I’m currently serving in Hong Kong with my wife, helping Chinese drug addicts for the honour and glory of Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the corrosion of addictions.
Jason’s story >> |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
