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Gary Moore, Norwich taxi-driver and YMCA Norfolk furniture project worker, has always had a sense of adventure. At the age of 8 he ran away from home, heading for Africa. His mum caught up with him complete with suitcase, at the bus stop.

 

His love for adventure has never diminished. As a younger man he served with the Royal Military Police and, after a rather poor career due to the demon drink, he joined the French Foreign Legion. After a brief spell he was discharged and eventually returned home where, finding himself homeless he moved into the Norwich YMCA, and there came under the influence of Christians for the first time.

 

After a soul-searching time, he decided to take the plunge himself and follow Jesus. "The change in my life was both immediate and, in some ways, dramatic," he said. "I stopped almost straight away for one thing.

 

"As the first few days after my conversion to Jesus Christ moved along, I saw for myself first-hand evidence of my new life, of the fact that I had been born again of the spirit of God and was in fact, what the Bible called 'a new creation'.

 

"One day I had my usual walk and was passing through the crowded market place in Norwich when a man barged into me, nearly knocking me over. Just a few short days before I would've attacked him; instead, I asked him if he was all right! He was the most surprised man in Norwich that day, the more so when I began to talk to him about my Jesus. He was amazed, shaking his head as he left me. A small crowd had gathered and I told them as well about my Jesus!

 

"I began to smile at everybody I met; the joy of knowing Jesus loved me just overflowing from deep inside of me, from heart to face muscles. 23 years later I'm still smiling."

 

Since that time Gary has travelled to more countries than he ever dreamed of as a young boy, with adventure after glorious adventure. Gary has been to Russia and the Siberian Far East and preached in the Gulag camps.

 

He's made trips to Africa deep in the bush to take church services, visited South American prisons and travelled in Eastern Europe. In the last few years, he's been involved in Bible smuggling into China and meeting with the underground church there. He has also been into that most secret of nations, North Korea. 

 

Married for all that time to Tracey, he has two children and two grandchildren.

Gary has written a book about his experiences, entitled "Gary's Story", published by Booksurge, and is available online at £9.78 from www.amazon.co.uk or £7 from the Norwich Christian Resource Centre.