Our Stories...

Kenneth Suckling

Place of Salvation: England
Date of Salvation: 00/09/1967

My Story

See my video testimony

Brought up as a son of a missionary in a remote corner of Zambia in Africa, I always thought salvation was mine by right because my parents were godly people. I was taught principles of behaviour from the Bible and went to a school which was just for "missionaries kids". There was little interference from the world outside of my protected environment and I grew up thinking that the only people who sinned were some of the local drunks. They were going to hell anyway because Granny said so! The adults in my life were all godly people who prayed often and gave sacrificially to "further the ends of the Gospel". My peers had mostly been brought up the same way and if any of them strayed even slightly we regarded them with a sort of sympathetic derision. If they didnt sort out their lives they would end up with some of the drunks in Granny's hell! To me God was someone I respected but I didnt really have a personal relationship with him. After all, Granny would organise it with God that I end up in heaven having eternal tea and rock cakes with her, and possibly God now and then.

When I went to secondary school, I was shocked to find a terrible world full of people of all ages who had not the slightest respect for God. In fact, they actually swore using His name! I was absolutely shattered and my world turned upside down. How could anyone NOT know Jesus?

Ultimately the pressures of boarding school and the lifestyle of my peers got to me and I felt justified in "trying out" some of the things that they got up to. I went from bad to worse and my life soon became the same as any other teenage boy of that time.

After school, I went To England for training and continued my life without any regard for God. I saw Him as someone who just wanted to force me to do good things.

One day without warning, I suddenly realised I was totally lost. God had almost disappeared from my life and I was very miserable and insecure. Surprisingly, as I turned to Jesus in my room and asked Him to help me He was right there right then.I realised He had never left me anyway and all I had to do was reach out to Him. Right then and there I asked him to forgive me and take over as master of my life and my days of rebellion were over. He is a faithful and true God who has stuck with me ever since then and I know one day we will have rock cakes and tea with granny in heaven. All you need to do is ask Him and he will do the same for you. Today He is the centre of my life and I live with a constant anticipation of more changes He will bring about in me. Thank you, Lord Jesus.