However from a very early age I was aware of an emptiness within me, a feeling of not belonging and a desire to know more love. Like many others of my generation, I started rebelling against family, school and then work. Most of my teenage years were spent in a constant search for fun and excitement. This usually meant going from one pub or party to the next, from one circle of friends to another.

While serving an apprenticeship I discovered the world of Women, Waves and Weed. Surfing became an obsession and I enjoyed many years of exciting surfing trips and good times, yet after every new adventure the same old feelings of emptiness would return to haunt me.

One night I heard a Gospel Rock Band playing in the Fremantle Mall and stopped to listen. Right there God spoke to me and called me to turn from my sin and receive Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. I did and was born again. That night God supernaturally touched me, He lifted a burden from my shoulders and filled the emptiness in my life with an indescribable peace. He opened my eyes to so many things and gave me a hope for the future.

Loretta - I grew up in Calista in a stable, loving family. I had everything that I needed. My mother and father instilled important values into my life, I went to Sunday School and Church each week to learn about God and how to live right.

Unfortunately, I gravitated to the ‘wrong crowd’ when I went to school and found myself becoming more interested in what they thought of me than doing what I knew was right- until one day I took a good look at my life and saw that I was going nowhere.

At fourteen I was so hurt and desperate that I contemplated taking my own life. It was then that I turned to God and asked Him to SAVE me - and He did just that.

He has turned my life into something productive. I no longer lay my head on my pillow at night and wonder if everything is going to turn out all right. God has given me all that I ever desired - a wonderful husband and four beautiful daughters. He has shown me how much He loves and cares for me.

The grace of God has healed our lives and enabled us to enjoy a wonderful life and marriage, it has given us such a sense of belonging and a dignity that we never had. If you don’t know the saving grace of God I urge you to find out for yourself.