I was born and raised in a little fishing village on the Labrador Coast, Newfoundland., Canada. Some years later, I got a job with a mining Company at Seven Islands, Quebec. At first I put money away and even sent some home, but soon I began to drink and gamble and the money went as fast as I made it. After many a night of drinking we would put the little motor car on the railway track and head back up the line, not knowing at what corner we would meet a train.
One weekend a young man came to me and said, "Newf, let’s go to town for a good time." This is what we thought was real happiness. We went down the sixteen miles and got our room and booze for the weekend. The ‘good time’ ended in a brawl on Sunday night so I took a taxi to Mile 12 and walked the rest of the way home.
The first news that I received the next morning was that my buddy had been killed! After walking to the scene of the accident, I saw something I will never forget. As I looked down at the mutilated remains of my buddy, I thought of his family, and what sorrow and grief this would bring to them. I thought about home and I longed to see my own loved ones again. I left for home soon after. When I arrived back home, (Forteau) there was talk of a new religion in our village. I went out to listen one night and the preacher spoke of heaven and hell. He said that those that die without Christ would be in hell. I became so angry that as I left I tore the door off its hinges. But when I got home I started to think: "if what he says is right, then I’m wrong!"
I had never read the Bible before, but I had always thought it to be true, so I got out Eaton’s catalogue and ordered a Bible. Thank God, that was one time Eaton’s didn’t send a substitute!
After reading it for two months, one night in my room I came to the verse: "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2.21. That very night I trusted Christ as my Saviour. I can truly say, the worst day I’ve had since I’ve been saved has been better than the best day I had before I was saved. The forty and more years that have passed since I received Christ as my Saviour have been the happiest years of my life. Above all, I know for sure that whenever this life comes to an end, it will be heaven and home for all eternity.
Will you not, right now, trust Christ as your Saviour? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16.31.
Approximately three years after trusting Christ as my Saviour, my wife Olive and I were residing in Toronto, Ontario and were gathered with the Saints at Pape Avenue Gospel Hall. I was working as an automotive mechanic and attending training classes in that field. We felt the Lord was directing us to move back to the south Labrador coast. A new roadway was being developed, linking the small coastal communities and I saw an opportunity to open an automotive repair shop. This allowed me to move back and pursue my desire to do a little work for God in the area where I was born and raised.
Mr. Herb Harris encouraged me to participate in the effort to spread the Gospel by going to coastal Newfoundland and Labrador communities in a small cabin cruiser because I had grown up in a fishing community and had knowledge and experience around small boats. I agreed to go and my wife stayed at home and sold automotive parts from our little business.
After visiting a number of fishing communities we stopped at Rocky Harbour, on the West Coast of the Newfoundland Island. We had nightly open-air meetings from the boat and there seemed to be a good interest. Encouraged by the level of interest we fixed up an old garage in the community and moved our meetings inside. Souls got saved and Mr. Herb Harris asked me if I thought my wife would move there so that the work could continue through the winter.
Olive, my loving wife, was more than willing to make the move to see souls saved and along with our firstborn daughter we made Rocky Harbour our new home in 1961. I sold my business, Mr. Harris stayed with us and together we began to pursue the Lord’s work in the area. My wife and I also had a second daughter and our first son during our four year stay in Rocky Harbour.
The Elders of Pape Avenue wrote me to inquire whether I intended to go into the Lord’s work full-time, but I was still intending to go back into my business. Those plans were gently altered by God’s will and I was led to get involved in new outreaches at Fogo Island and then Flowers Cove. I was later commended to the Lord’s work full-time in 1965 from the English Point, Lance au Loup, and Red Bay Assembles in Southern Labrador.
We moved to Flowers Cove in 1966 and helped with the work there for about five years, then spent one year in Corner Brook in 1971 to help with the construction of a new Gospel Hall there. Then we moved back to English Point for two years where our second son was born. We moved back to Flowers Cove in 1974 where we stayed until 1983 when we moved to Goose Bay, Labrador. Since moving here to Goose Bay we have seen a number of souls saved, and a new Assembly formed.
We would appreciate the prayers of the Lord’s people for ourselves personally and for the preservation of the work in which we are involved for the Lord’s glory.