South Ruislip Christian Fellowship: Testimonies

I’m Eric, well known here. Born 1926 – no prizes for guessing my age. At the age of 14 I joined the Post Office as a messenger boy delivering telegrams: that’s up the West End. Then at the age of 18, just three weeks after my 18 th birthday, I was called up. The Government decided they wanted to shorten the war, so I got my calling up papers. I was very lucky to get in the RAF because when I went to the Recruiting Office he said to me “What do you want to join?” I said “the RAF”; He said “Oh no! We want you in the Army”. But as it happens at 16 years of age I had joined the Air Training Core so they accepted me. That was June 1944. In September they sent me to France, without any leave. We went through France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany with the RAF and after VE Day we came back to this country. No respite for me because then I was put on Far East draft so I finished up in Singapore though the war was over. I must tell you, one of the jobs I had in Singapore, was they gave me charge of a dozen Japanese prisoners; imagine that – me and another chap. We were given designated duties around the camp. One of them was a barber in Civvy Street, so, anyway, I declined his services. I mean, I didn’t mind the haircut but I didn’t trust him with a razor! So then I was transferred from Singapore, transferred to India at the time of the riots. I was very lucky, it was August 1946 I think and there were big Hindu/ Muslim riots there which I managed to avoid. And so I got my de-mob in 1947, I got my release papers – my de-mob. Then I rejoined the Post Office in 1950. And then I met my wife at a dance hall in Ealing in 1950. I made a date for the following Sunday but never turned up. Can you imagine that? I never turned up. I never saw her for 18 months and then at another dance hall. But from then on she said I waltzed my way into her heart. From then we went on and we got married in 1955: a wonderful wife. Then one day my wife met a lady at a bus stop near where I live and said would we like to come to Deane Avenue, here; at one of the meetings here. So we went along. Now at this point of time I was not at all religious. My Sundays were at The Bell, Ruislip Gardens, a few pints, and my paper, and maybe, come Sunday afternoon, maybe the TV.
Anyway, I comes into the hall here with my wife, and I hear this man speaking. And really, you know, I thought I really wasn’t a bad sort of person, a bad-living sort of person. But you see, this man, he told me that in God’s sight we are all sinners, and that’s why He sent Jesus, His son, to die on a cross, that we might have forgiveness if we trust in Him. Well, I thought about it, I think I heard him for three or four evenings and the last evening he was here all the people had left, and maybe God stuck some glue on my seat, because I never left. He came down to me and said, “Well, all the others have gone and you seem interested in what I have been saying.” I said “I believe I am a sinner. I believe Christ died for me.” I didn’t know how to pray but I said, “Will you pray for me to accept Jesus into my life?” Which he did and I realised then that I was spiritually blind because, you see, before I was converted I must confess to you, I thought that church was a bit of a religious bore; being honest.