Welcome David – and thanks for sharing your story.

It’s quite funny you apologise for being an amateur, because that is the most beautifully written testimony I’ve ever read. I just love the way you recognised the hand of God on your life, even when your outer man thought you could turn your back on Him. At least there was no need for you to be thrown in the ocean and swallowed by a whale before returning to Him…

It’s wonderful also that despite some Christians turning their back on you and judging you, there were complete strangers through whom God chose to work by His Spirit to remind you He was there with you.

The closing remarks in your testimony are triumphant: “I found my freedom”. I wish I could have said that at 22. You’ve been through heaps, but look at you now! I hope you don’t mind, but I would like to show your testimony to my pastor who is wanting to better understand the struggles of GLBT Christians and what the church can do to help us in our walk with Christ.

I can’t wait to hear more from you as your journey unfolds and will uphold you in prayer.

Peace and love in Him!

Ryan

Hey Ryan,

thanks for taking the time to read my story, a little bit of an update is i think i have found a church to go with some of the other guys from this group am going to check it out next weekend. Thats fine if you share my story with you pastor i put my story up here so others could benifit from it and to encourage others to share there stories as well.

no matter what i have been going through he has always been there for me even when i didnt want him there! it shows how great our God really is 🙂 😀

Thanks hope all is well up north

Dave

Hey David mate,

Firstly it was so great to meet you the other night at the Freedom 2 b[e] dinner. I hope that you find a place of love, acceptance and support here at Freedom 2 b[e]. As the Youth Coordinator, let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in your journey. It could be as simple as an encouragement and prayer.

I read your story and cried man…..so similar to mine and yet in many ways so different. The abuse and rape is something that really screws you up. I could never really accept the fact that I was gay until I dealt with my abuse that happened when I was 8 years old. Every ex-gay program I went to kept on telling me that I was gay because of the abuse and so after a while I believed them and thought I could be fixed. It took me years man to deal with the abuse and some people in my family still don’t know. I still have flashbacks today and it still haunts me and yet God is good and gets me through each day, covering me in his love.

Your story encourages me mate. I am still dealing with some stuff and still on the anti-depressants but your story gives me hope that it won’t always be like that.

Mate…let’s do coffee sometime soon. You are an amazing man of God and I am so pumped to have you here at Freedom 2 b[e]. 🙂

*ps…come to our next youth day. You’ll love it!! :p

Cheers,

Ben Gresham

Hello from the Kimberleys..

Just wanted to let every one know i am still alive and going strong! i have been working in the Kimberleys at Fitzroy Crossing for the past three months. I will be heading to cairns on sunday with an amazing guy that i meet while on holidays in Kununurra.

i just wanted to share will you all what it meant for me to march in this year Mardi Gras with freedom2b!

It was a very emotional journey for me i had mixed emotions in the weeks leading up to the march one day i would be excited and next day i would be wanting to pull out. for me it was the end of one journey and the start of another! it was the end of a not so good part of my life and the start of a new life without guilt and shame for who i am a young gay Christian.

i remember being in the marshalling area just before we started to head out i just couldn’t hold it in any more i lost it. then the floats in front of us started moving all of a sudden the anxiety kicked in and i was freaking out i wanted to run and hide but as soon as we turned the corner and i saw the crowd everything seemed to not matter because i had made it i had survived! Anthony told me a week earlier that when you get to the end of the route your a different person and he is definitely right!

if anyone reads this and is thinking of marching next year its an amazing experience i encourage you to do so

Dave.

thanks for the update Dave….I’m sure what you have written will encourage others……its true isn’t it…..marching in the parade can be a profound personal spiritual experience…….so different to what the Rev Fred Nile and others tell us it is all about. So glad you had the breakthrough.

pop in here from time to time on your travels and say hi…..we’d love to hear from you.