Fruitful Oaks Hall of Fame
Tim worked for Fruitful Oaks from the very beginning until early 2008. He always wanted a driving job and in January was offered a full-time job driving a van for We Sell Tyres.
Tim was able to use his Fruitful Oaks experience on the job application form, and Matt was a referee for him.
"Fruitful Oaks was more than a job to me... it gave me hope for a working future. My confidence and self-esteem were built up... I did not think I was capable of the work I did in Fruitful Oaks. God worked through Fruitful Oaks to give me a reference from Matt which got me my present job just across from where I live. I now support my family in a job I once thought was impossible... but with God I can witness anything can happen in his timing. I am now driving in my dream job thanks to God, Fruitful Oaks and Grace Church. Praise the Lord for his works!"
My life was the life from Hell. I was suffering from multi-personality disorder and manic depression. Seven mental hospitals tried to help me. There was no solution or cure. My family couldn't cope with my condition and pushed me away. I turned to taking drugs and ended up homeless. I had no friendships and committed crimes to get myself put into prison in the hope I'd be accepted there.
The world had nothing for me, and nothing could fill the deep need I felt inside.
One day a probation officer asked me if I'd ever thought about God. It set me off thinking and soon I ended up in a Christian rehab centre. I accepted Jesus because I was prepared to try anything! My life didn't change though and I carried on trying to please myself, becoming more sick and broken. I even took the Christians I now knew for granted and exploited them. I still had a need that was only occasionally met - when I ended up at church. I was still suffering from mental illness.
In summer 2007 I went on a Christian camp called "Encounter". I had to have my arm twisted to make me go - I felt like nothing would happen. One evening on the camp I felt God stirring something inside me, and I was prayed for. I felt the power of God come on me and open my eyes to the truth…
…that he had sent His son to die for me, so that I could be free on this Earth, and then have eternal life with Him.
This revelation of the power of the cross was the answer I'd been looking for all of my life. I felt loved, full of joy, peace, love for other people and knew I was going to heaven!
Although I'd already been a Christian for a long time, I thought God was in heaven and didn't realise how intimate he could be with us in this life. Now these verses are real to me: