Personal Stories: Ray Barnes' story
I Have Found My Family – This Is Where I Belong
Ray Barnes expressing his Testimony at New Life Church, Durrington on 5 July 2009.First I will start by saying that my life before my conversion was a bit of a mismatch really. In my early years I was just going from job to job, and much the same with my relationships, and like most people in my younger years I had the usual problems with all kinds of things, and not having the right support did not help.
But strange as it may sound, my life all started to turn around one night, just before Father Christmas was due down our chimneys.
My “better half” said that she would like to go to New Life Church and attend midnight mass. This was Christmas night, and to her surprise I said “yes, that's a good idea”, so off we went.
Well, did I get my eyes opened? There were all you lovely people all singing and praying and just having a ball, and it was also the night that we heard Andrea telling you all how she had been transformed (that may not be the right word for it). But just hearing her talk about the Alpha course put us onto the same course some weeks later, and having completed that we are now doing The Purpose Driven Life, which is another great course that I would recommend you to go on. I have learnt so much about God and myself, it's fantastic.
So after finding Christ and The Lord our Father, I can now say that my life is going to be great. I can feel that I have found my family – this is where I belong – this is my life.
Thank you.
Ray Barnes
