Counties Senior Evangelist, Ray Dadswell, shares how a recent encounter with a lifeboat crew member brought back memories of God’s goodness.

Ray Dadswell

Ray and Carol, with their sons Edward and Adrian, lived in South Thailand for many years and moved into Counties in 1985. Carol worked with the Bible Exhibition, and Ray had the specific task of outreach to overseas students and immigrant families in the area. Now his main duties are with the RAF Air Cadets, Eastbourne Squadron, and several other volunteer positions.

RAY’S STORY

I am chaplain to the Eastbourne squadron of RAF Air Cadets, a job which I have been doing for more than nine years now. My duties are pastoral care, enrolment of new cadets following their initial training, and a once-a-month Padre's Hour.

I am totally free to do as I wish in my session, rather like PHSE in schools, but at special occasions in the year, focusing on Christian festivals, and I often invite other people to come in and address the cadets (usually 30-40 at a time, although there are double that number in the squadron).

Last week, for example, we had a visit from the lifeboat crew. The four crew members explained what they do, the encouragements and challenges of the job, and answered the young people's questions.

At the end of their presentation, I asked for an opportunity to tell a story!

Several years ago, one of my granddaughters, whom I'll call Sasha, met up with my late wife Carol in Eastbourne for coffee and catch-up. They were together for an hour or so, Carol came home, and Sasha said she was returning to her accommodation. In fact, she did not return to the psychiatric unit of our hospital, where she was having residential treatment. She walked to the pier, right to the end, and threatened to jump off into the water! A passer-by - my wife described that person as a guardian angel - called the police, and the police called the lifeboat. Thankfully, Sasha didn't follow through with her threat and was escorted to her unit.

Now, back to the cadets’ visit last week. One lifeboat crew member said to me: “I was on duty that day.” Imagine my emotions!

The RNLI does wonderful work hereabouts and at times it can be very dangerous, so we have every respect for them.