David was born and raised in Eltham on a dairy farm. He grew up in a close-knit family, one of four children, with a strong Scottish and Christian heritage. In 1948 he witnessed his younger brother’s death. This was very traumatic and played on in his mind for a long time. Then in 1951 he lost his father and things began to change at home. David’s mother became very protective of her family and wouldn’t let her children socialise with anyone other than in the church. Every Sunday afternoon they would have Sunday School and his family would drive around picking up the other children for the 3pm class in Ngaere. David was an adventurous teen who wanted to get out and meet other people and do things that were not permitted by his mother. He had been brought up with Christianity all his life and once school finished he decided he’d had enough of it... |
He went away to see what the world had to offer. But it didn’t turn out to be very good. David ended up asking himself where life was taking him. The way of the world seemed to consist of fighting and drugs and there was no future in it. He decided the best thing to do was to come back to the Lord. So he prayed to God and asked for His forgiveness. He decided following Jesus gave life meaning and purpose. A verse that stuck with David is John 3:17, “For God did not send HisSon into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
David has been a farmer most of his life, spending twenty years as a shepherd. Then he decided to give town a go spending seven years at the Hawera Cemetery as a grounds man, and says, “it is very interesting what goes on at the cemetery.” But town was driving him bonkers, he hated looking out his window at someone else’s house. Besides he says, “you spend too much money living in town.” It was time to return to the country, where he enjoys working the land out in wide-open spaces, with beautiful views of the mountain and farmland. Here he has spent the rest of his working career on dairy farms and is still milking a small herd.
David has lived out in Kapuni for the past eleven years with his dog Jack and cat Johnny, not far from the Fonterra lactose plant. As an independent man David was humbled by the practical help his neighbours and church family showed him, after his left hip operation in 2011. The benefits of his new hip are showing with this season’s garden being a stunner. He has dug up a huge garden with plenty of fresh vegetables to share around.
David describes himself as a shy man, but enjoys other people’s company. He enjoys giving a bit of cheek and having a laugh. David loves following the rugby and listening to the pipe band (bagpipes). David has worshipped here at Hawera Baptist Church for the past eight years and has a passion to see many more people in our community come to know Jesus.
David has been a farmer most of his life, spending twenty years as a shepherd. Then he decided to give town a go spending seven years at the Hawera Cemetery as a grounds man, and says, “it is very interesting what goes on at the cemetery.” But town was driving him bonkers, he hated looking out his window at someone else’s house. Besides he says, “you spend too much money living in town.” It was time to return to the country, where he enjoys working the land out in wide-open spaces, with beautiful views of the mountain and farmland. Here he has spent the rest of his working career on dairy farms and is still milking a small herd.
David has lived out in Kapuni for the past eleven years with his dog Jack and cat Johnny, not far from the Fonterra lactose plant. As an independent man David was humbled by the practical help his neighbours and church family showed him, after his left hip operation in 2011. The benefits of his new hip are showing with this season’s garden being a stunner. He has dug up a huge garden with plenty of fresh vegetables to share around.
David describes himself as a shy man, but enjoys other people’s company. He enjoys giving a bit of cheek and having a laugh. David loves following the rugby and listening to the pipe band (bagpipes). David has worshipped here at Hawera Baptist Church for the past eight years and has a passion to see many more people in our community come to know Jesus.