Church comes to the rescue (From Barry And District News)

Church comes to the rescue

AN AUSTRALIAN man who found his long-lost brother in Barry owes one of the happiest days of his life to a local church.

Allan Neal, 42, wanted to marry his long-term partner Nicola Sanders, 28. But after breaking his back and battling with nerve damage, Allan is unemployed. And with four children, a wedding was not a priority.

When the pastor of Elim Church, Gerwin Marshallsea, found out, he arranged the wedding service, flowers, food and entertainment at the reception, in Dow Corning Social Club, for the couple on Saturday, September 28

Allan, a security consultant, met Nicola when he came to Britain six years ago. He said: "I was attending the funeral of my younger brother Stephen. She'd been invited as the sister of Stephen's best friend. We became close but not romantically involved until I came back to the UK a year later."

When Allan was 10, his parents split up. His father came back to the UK with Allan's youngest brother Kevin. When two of Allan's three brothers died within a few years of each other, he was determined to find his remaining sibling.

He said: "I came back to England and met Nicola again. Then I found Kevin in Barry and visited him. I fell in love with Wales and Nicola, and I moved here 20 months ago."

Allan was not religious until a friend invited him to the Elim Church in Pyke Street. He said:

"Something clicked and I became a Christian.

"When Pastor Gerwin Marshallsea told me the church was paying for our wedding, I nearly cried.

"Although they say it was God's doing, I recognise the generosity of Gerwin Marshallsea, his wife Denny, Paul and Joe Gronow and the congregation of Elim Church.

"It was one of the happiest days of my life and I owe it all to them. I've travelled a lot, but never found this much kindness anywhere outside Australia."