The Testimony of Ian Hughes
Ian Hughes was born and brought up in Aberystwyth along with his two brothers. Here is his testimony in his own words.
I come from a working class background. My father worked as a GPO engineer and my mother worked as an usher in the local cinema. My mother language is Welsh. We attended Chapel about 4 times a year and I attended Sunday school until I was a teenager. I did not believe in God. I learnt how to attend chapel and to give just enough to avoid the Minister or the treasurer calling!
My childhood was a happy one. I lived next to the Harbour, which meant most of my summers were spent swimming, boating and fishing. I spent my early teenage years with the Sea Cadets, where I continued my love for sailing, travelling and adventure. School was a different matter, and I did not do well in any subjects. My heart was set on the sea, (plus I didn’t have any qualifications) so at 16 I joined the Royal Navy.
My father died unexpectedly, which caused me to become depressed and increasingly dependent on alcohol. I spent my 17th birthday in the Falklands, my 18th in the Gulf. I became increasingly isolated.
The turning point in my life came when another close relative died. I began to realise that if I died, it would be hell and not heaven that awaited me. God had already been preparing me for this point, as he had sent a Christian couple as missionaries to sailors. They had been very understanding, but I had taken advantage of them and had used my chapel background to pretend that I was a Christian. This was a lie I perpetuated both on and off the ship.
I soon came to realise that I was certainly not a follower of Jesus. I was a hypocrite. In Christmas 1985, I gave my life to the Lord, and my life completely changed. When the ship was docked in Portsmouth, I attended the local Elim church
My life in the navy completely changed. I became the minister of Zion Baptist Church in Llanelli but afterward I felt exercised to evangelise around the Talley Lakes, not far from Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire.
Ian wrote this testimony around 2017.