Our story as a family begins at Brighton Uni where Andrea and me meet. We were friends at Uni but it wasn't until sometime after Uni and after being flat mates for 6 months that we became a couple. We started `going out` in Sept 2001. The following November I lost my job at PFP in Brighton. In January my Mum was diagnosed with  a brain tumour and by March of 2002 I had moved back home to Mum and Dad's. At the beginning of 2003. Andrea had to move to Philadelphia, In America for several months work as part of her PhD course. I went to visit her several times in Philly and we had a great time. I was there for a week around valentines day 2003, and asked Andrea to marry me on 15th Feb 2003. She said "YES!!!" (of course) and we were married on 16th August 2003! After that I moved back to Brighton and in with Andrea.

Sadly the following December my Mum passed away. Me and Andrea spent the next few years settling into married life and doing some bits on the house and working and all the usual stuff.

Meanwhile Andrea finished her PhD at Brighton Uni, and then got some work at the Family Investment call centre in town for a for a few months before getting a research job at UCL in London for a year. After that Andrea got a job at Sussex Uni which meant she didn't have the 4 hour commute everyday!

After 4 Years at WWF I'd had enough, and I now do database contract work in the charity sector.
 

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Gunnell - I'm the head of the family! I'm originally from Coulsdon, Surrey, England. I lived there until 1996 when I started University in Brighton, where I got a Computing and Geography Degree. Back in Coulsdon, I went to school at Woodcote, and after that I went to Coulsdon College.

After finishing college I went to work for a motor insurance company in south London, called IGB. That was OK really, some funny people there, but after a year I'd had enough and decided to go to university in Brighton. I loved being in Brighton for those 3 years, it's a really great place with so much to do I made many good friends while there. But in June 99 I finished my course and came back to live in Coulsdon.

In August 1999 I got a job at Swetenhams Direct Marketing. I was working in the bureau department doing database stuff. In December 1999 me and my mate Dawson went off to Thailand and Australia for 5 weeks. That was brilliant. After that it was back to work for me. After 6 more months at Swetenhams I left and got a job in Brighton for PFP.

So then it was back to Brighton. I moved around a fair bit after first moving to Brighton, but eventually ended up living with my friend Andrea, from university, for 6 months. Shortly after we moved out of the house we shared we became a little more than friends, to which most of our mates said "About time!!". I moved out of the place we shared because Andrea had bought a place of her own a bit out of town, and went to live with another friend from university for a further 6 months. Soon after starting my relationship with Andrea I started going to Holland Road Baptist Church were I became a Christian in mid-September 2001.

Ever since I can really remember I always knew that there is a God. I didn't know what this God was exactly but it seemed obvious to me that mankind was made differently from the rest of the animal kingdom and that the theory of evolution wasn't entirely correct. Although I believed in God, and didn't know a great deal about Christianity, I had my own ideas as to what God was.

During the time I was living with Andrea I was very unhappy in the job that I was doing. I never seemed to have any money and felt trapped in my situation. These factors combined were causing me a great deal of stress and were making me particularly unhappy. It was during this time that I really noticed that Andrea was some how different from me. She had some thing that I didn't and it gave a real spark and energy about her. I soon realised that Andrea's faith had a major influence on her, and that she seemed to have a purpose and a direction in her life. I began to ask Andrea lots of questions about her faith and to begin to delve into what she believed and why. We had many long conversations about her faith but it always seemed to me, to be something that I could never have. I held many similar beliefs to Andrea but couldn't see through the barrier in front of me and never thought that I would be able to. After continually asking Andrea lots of question about her faith she suggested that we both go on an alpha course that was starting at Holland Road in a few months times. I agreed but didn't know what to except at all and said to myself "well if I don't like it after the first 2 or 3 then I'll stop going"

In the time that led up to the alpha course starting I continued to learn more about Christianity through Andrea. We went to an event that was put on at Holland Road during the summer mission time when New Hope church from America come over. I agreed to go along with Andrea but I wasn't keen on the idea of it being a religious evening and Andrea assured me that it wouldn't be at all.

I really enjoyed the evening and it was a lot better than I had ever imagined that it would be. That evening was really a big turning point for me. I had actually been inside the church! Although it wasn't an actually Sunday service I had been there! When I listened to Rhys (the pastor) speaking that evening it really did feel like he was talking directly at me and that there was no one else in the room. After this, I made that big step and went to an actual Sunday service with Andrea. I was very apprehensive about this, but once I was in there I felt really moved by what I saw and what I heard. I was moved nearly to tears in the service and really felt the calling of the Lord.

At this time, Andrea and me, moved out of the house we were renting and she bought a house in Bevendean and I moved in to a flat with a friend from university in kemptown. During the time we spent living together our friendship had grown and grown and had at that point become more than just friends. I continued to go church most Sundays with Andrea after this and about the same time as the alpha course was starting I considered myself to be a Christian. I believed in Jesus Christ. I knew that he had lived on the earth and he had died to save us.

I really enjoyed the alpha course and found it immensely useful and insightful. The discussions that we would have on our tables helped answer questions and get to know each other. It really helped to be among other seekers, and new Christians, and some more mature Christians. It was very much a learning environment where I felt that could ask questions and that there were people there who could answer them and we would all help each other to understand Jesus and the Christian message.

In November 2001 I `left` PFP to much relief and wondered how I ever managed to endure the year and half that I was there!!! I was now out of work! I then bummed around Brighton for another 3 months and then had to move back to my parents in Coulsdon. Then in March 2002 I got a job working for the WWF (no not the wrestlers!!) saving the world. I did database work there for another 4 years, before doing a contract with World Vision for a year and a half, That was a great job. Only 3 days a week! It was in Milton Keynes though so that was a bit of trek. After that I went to TW CAT to become their Marketing Data Manager. TW CAT is a charity marketing agency in central Brighton which is where I am now.