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 In
the Summer of 2004, the people of St albans were blessed that John Pridmore
visited our city to preach the Word of God and to tell his own story.
With
talks at the Abbey and in some of the Schools, John Pridmore told the tale
of his conversion from a gangster to a Christian.
Ss
Alban & Stephen parish invited John to come to talk to us at the Marshalswick
Mass Centre one Sunday evening, where we enjoyed some Praise & Worship
music followed by John's moving story. Here's an extract from what he said:
I
was born in the east end of London. At the age of 10, my parents got divorced
and I made an unconcious decision not to love any more.
At the age of 13 I had started stealing. By 15 I was put in a detention centre
(a youth prison). I left home having been released. My only qualification
was stealing, so that's what I did.
At 19 I was in prison again and because the way I dealt with my pain was
with anger, I was always fighting. They put me on 23 hour solitary confinement
and I came out of there even more angry and bitter.
"I liked fighting so I thought I might as well get paid for it"
I
started bouncing round the east end and west end of London. I liked fighting
so I thought I might as well get paid for it! I met some guys who seemed
to have everything and I started to work for them. Before long I found myself
working with them instead of for them. These were the guys who ran most of
the organised crime in London. To my shame I was involved in massive drug
deals, protection rackets and vicious crime of all sorts.
I had what I thought was everything. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot.
But yet there was something missing... This struck me more than ever, when
I thought I had killed someone. I knew I had to change my life...
John now works full time for God. No one pays him. He lives completely off his providence, telling his story all over the Earth.
Have a read of John's book "From Gangland to Promised Land"
in which he talks more about his background, and then, one night, he hit
a man with a knuckle duster. Thinking the man was dead, he fled the scene.
Soon after, something extraordinary happened which changed his life forever.
There's
a copy of the original in the Marshalswick Mass Centre library) or the 2004
reissue with two extra chapters is available from St Andrews Bookshop (London
Road, St Albans) or online at xt3.com
Also, there's more about about John on his website www.johnpridmore.com
PS John asks that we please pray for him so that he might do his will always and for a special intenion.
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