RedeemerInteractive04.html

The Redeemer and

our Mission to the

Philippines

Redeemer now Castor

Abshott Publications

11 Hayling Close

Fareham

Hampshire PO14 3AE

nbpttc@yahoo.co.uk

www.TrojanHorseInternational.com

1 Introduction

I am going to talk about the motor vessel Loodsboat Castor once called Redeemer and her connection with our mission to the Philippines.

Now Castor

Alastair should have been here but he missed the bus.

2 Meeting Alastair

I first met Alastair in 2002 ( he was a young man then just 70 years old) but now he is just 80 years old and what you might call an old sea dog).

Alastair Sutherland

This was soon after our return from our mission to the Philippines, in December 2001. Gordon Smith and I had been to the Philippines working in the Prisons and cities, and in particular New Bilibid Maximum Security Prison.

The Big House

My brother Michael was an inmate who had been sent there in 1996 and was serving a 16 year sentence. We had gone to bring help and relief to him in October 2001.

On my return to England I met Alastair, who was a friend of Gordon, and he had been connected with ships, and knew all about those things I didn’t, and he told me about the LoodsBoot Castor that at one time had been called Redeemer.

Redeemer on the Thames

I became interested in the ship because it sounded an ideal answer to our needs and could be used to further our mission work. It was at that time in Holland and could be brought to Portsmouth and put into service.

It was 46 metres long with cabin capacity of 40 in (4X6 berth, 2X3 berth and 2 X 1) berth cabins. It was a beautiful ship. Built in 1950 and was one of seven. It was a coaster and it is believed to have been reserved for the Dutch Royal Family during the cold war.

Alastair informed me of the Redeemers history and his connection with it.

He told of two of his friends, Denise Collins and Maurice Vitty. Denise Collins was the Captain of the Logos whilst Maurice was the Chief officer.

Vietnamese boat People

It was in 1979 and the Vietnamese were in serious trouble and many boat people set out to sea. Denise and Maurice came across many boat people and rescued them who were escaping persecution by the communists. The Logos stumbled upon these boat people in the South China Seas, who had no were to go and their boats were destroyed by sea pirates. There were about 100 or so. No body wanted to help these people but these men did and got into international trouble. They had no passports and no visa, can you imagine it no one was prepared to help them.

Vietnamese exposed to sea Pirates

The pirates robbed killed threw victims into the ocean raped some of the women. There was no help for these people. This sparked of the idea in Maurice Vitty to purchase his own ship to do Christian mission work. It was then he purchased the Castor, which was one of seven built in 1950 and he renamed her Redeemer.

The ship was renamed Redeemer and set off for the China Seas but ended in Malta where it remained until 1997 doing various mission work.

Alastair mean while had worked on YWAM Mercy Ships, one called the Anastasis and The Good Samaritan. It was then that Alastair was asked to bring the Redeemer to Falmouth and then on to Urk in Holland when it was purchased by Patrick. It was the knowledge of this ship and its history that had caught my attention as it sounded ideal for our use. The proposed use I will tell you about in a moment. I was ideal for the mission were involved in. So with Alastair help we went off the Holland to see the ship.

View Youtube Video 1: Introducing Gordon and Alastair 1

Now at this point we could go and view this video but I suggest you don’t do that now but come back to it after you have viewed this video, in order for you to get the whole picture in context. There is a video play list given at the end of this video for you future use.

3 The mission work

The mission work we were involved in were dealing with those who had been criminals in the past. Killers murderers Robbers. When they have been in jail for 20 years they’ve been released, its a job to get work in the Philippines. And therefor the natural inclination would be to go back to crime. The only way to prevent that, so they don’t go back in to crime is to educate them and give them the tools to get back into business. The problem is though we found that if you educate a car thief he will use hie education to steal an aircraft and fly it into twin towers. That happens. But if you educate a man who has turned around he has skills and abilities that could be put to good use and become a valuable asset to society and we can bring hard evidence to demonstrate this fact and this was our mission. To help people who have been rehabilitated and help them get back into society.

Reason for going

The reason why we went to the Philippines was because my older brother Michael had been sent to Jail, in the Philippines, for 16 years and I was shocked. And I don’t wish to be Pharisaical about this and think I am better than him because I was not always a law abiding citizen but I also knew the type of crime he was capable of doing and I was ashamed at first. I will talk about that later.

Over whelmed

It was during our first mission that Gordon and I were over whelmed by the good work that was being done by religious volunteers in the prisons, as many criminals were being converted from Crime to Christ, and seeking to learn the gospel of Christ.

Angeles City and Olongapo Jails

On our first mission we not only went to New Bilibid Prison but also Angels City Jail and Olongapo District Jail, at Barreto. On that occasion Trojan Horse International (our mission name) appointed a young pastor Monico Caranay to the position of mission worker.

See Youtube video 2: Angeles City Jail Monico Carani 2

New Bilibid Prison

New Bilibid Prison is the largest prison Asia’s Far East housing at that time over 23,000 inmates in the Minimum, Medium and Maximum security compounds. Michael was in the Maximum Security Compound, that housed over 13,000 inmates, and also contains Death Row in which were over 1200 due to die by lethal injection.

NBP Guard Tower

4 Sentenced to Death

Sentenced%20to%20Death%20Front.jpg

Sentenced to Death

To cap it all, in December 1999 Suny Wilson, the first ever English man to be sentenced to Death in the Philippines, was acquitted after 4 year on Death Row in New Bilibid Prison. It we he who gave Michael C.S. Lewis’s book on he release and he called me on Christmas day 1999 and them came to see me with news about Michael. See Suny Wilson Testimony Sentenced to Death. The book Sentenced to Death is available on request. Send request to SecretaryDolores@yahoo.co.uk.

Youtube video 3 : Sentenced to Death Suny Wilson 3

Michael and end of himself

Michael had come to an end of himself in 1998 and eventually read a book by C S Lewis, that was given to him by an English man that had been on Death Row for 4 years. His name is Suny Wilson. Michael was convinced that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God and as a result like me in my early years searched out Christian books and the bible to learn the gospel of Christ.

CS%20Lewis.jpg

Mere Christianity

There were many Christian and religious groups in the Prison.

Lucas P. Dangatan Jr.

Michael got a lot of help from Rev Lucas Dangatan, a former inmate, convicted of robbery with violence, who loaned him all his library books.

Michaels Testimony

You can hear Michael’s testimony in person on a recording he made in the prison.

View Youtube video 4: Michael’s Testimony 4

Michael was baptized as a believer in the prison by Lucas P. Dangatan. And it was knowledge of this that move Gordon and I to go on our mission and to write our story.

I wrote our story in my book

It was then that I decided to finish my book, Converted on LSD Trip 5 and publish it on 11th February 2001.

Converted on LSD Trip

As a result of that Gordon Smith , an old friend from Aylesbury contacted me as he had seen a write up in the news paper and we planned there and then to go to the Philippines to bring relief and help to my brother.

Cast your net on the other side of the ship

When publishing this book I was reminded of a verse in scripture, which says, after they had cast their net on the other side of the ship, and he was astonished and they that were with him, at the draught of fishes that they had taken. I will explain that shortly

We decide to go to the Philippines

As a result of the new paper article that appeared in the Buck Herald in Aylesbury Gordon contacted me by telephone after 30 years.

Lucas Baptizes Michael in an old US Army Oil Drum

After this Michael and Lucas agreed on a plan to form the first ever Teacher Training College in a prison to teach men how to preach the gospel and we took all the necessary steps to achieve this.

To view Lucas P. Dangatan’s profile 6

Go to the Web link 1 and read it is in Appendix 8 of our book Trojan Warriors. He returned to the jail after his release from prison as a Religious volunteer, as Head Pastor of New Bilibid Prison Theological.

Lucas P. Dagatan’s Profile

There were many criminals in the prison who too, like Michael had turned from crime to Christ and they worked together forming self help groups to help one another.

Teaching:

1 The gospel

2 Para Legal Skills

3 Communication skills

4 Education

5 Our proven success William Poloc

William was our first man sent to go back to his home City at Baguio, in August 2002.

View Web Link 7 William Poloc’s Testimony 7

That is number 62 Trojan Warriors (Click to view)

He was a converted criminal and we funded his mission work to Baguio City Jail and Benguet Provincial Jails. We funded him until January 2003. And since then he has founded two churches and a Technological Institute in Baguio City.

View Youtube Video 8: 8William Poloc our first sent man

New Bilibid Prison satellite picture

The prison is 12 hectors and there are Catholics, Born Against, Evangelical Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist that all have their differing views, so Michael like me at the age of twenty did his own reading and learned the truths of the Gospel from the Bible its self, without the Gloss of a religious persuasion.

I would be sceptical about such a story

Michael and I were in fact both criminals in the 60’s and so we knew how to live and work with crime and criminals. Gordon and

A proposal to the Undersecretary

and Director of the Prison

We went to the Undersecretary of Justice Jose Calida and discussed a proposal for qualifying inmates to be transferred from other Jails to the Maximum Security prison and partake in the education and training that they would need to function as a teacher of the Gospel, on leaving prison. This was agreed and we share our idea with the Director of the Prison and he was happy with the plan and said if the President her self agreed then that was fine by him. This meeting was televised and is on Youtube. Praying with the Director.

Video Youtube video 9: Praying with the Director of New Bilibid Prison9

And also we requested 100 men to write their testimonies of conversion from crime to Christ.

View Youtube Video 10: Requesting 100 10 men to write Testimonies

Writing the book and our return

to the Philippines

On our return from the first mission I met Alastair who then told me about his work and about the Redeemer. During the coming year I worked with Lucas, Michael and I via the Internet and we put together the book Trojan Warriors that tells the whole story.

Trojan Warriors

The Story The Testimonies

The book was published that eventually contained 66 testimonies of some of Asia’s most notorious criminals that had been converted form crime to Christ. And the whole story it told in the book.

Recidivism

Michael had turned from crime to Christ like many of these men. William Poloc had too, so had lucas Dagatan.

It was our plan to proved the necessary help for those men who like Michael had turned from crime to Christ.

We had all experienced the transforming work of God in our lives and so we were prepared to support this kind of Christian work, both in the Philippines and the UK.

6 Our qualifications

Michael and I had both been sent to prison in the 60’s for malicious wounding and carrying a fire arm without a license.

Michael had been to detention centre on two occasions before that and also Rochester Borstal and finally Maidstone Prison. I was sent to Dover Borstal.

We knew how to break the law, steal cars, rob houses cause grievous bodily harm and run from the police.

We were both convicted criminals and qualified to break the Law and pay no regard to individuals or society. We were no angels.

When I left Dover Borstal I was determined to have a good time and proceeded to have a 3 year career of undetected crime.

Also Michael did not return to prison after his home leave and was on the run for over a year with a changed identity.

At the age of twenty I had no fear of God and thought religion was for cissy people and it didn’t bother me about the way I lived or the crimes I got involved in.

The one Christian woman I knew was enough to turn any one away from Christianity because she condemned all the things I was doing saying my life was sinful. How could any one enjoy life living the way she did was my response to her.

On the 16th January 1970, I had a bad experience on LSD and called out to the Lord for help and he heard my cry. I turned from crime and the wrong way of life that night and learned to follow Jesus Christ as best I could.

View the video 11 : David Clarke gives his testimony11

I tell my testimony to many people in Luton on the 22nd on May 1972.

When I was converted I was not connected with any church and so I went to various churches learning the differences and their particular views. I studied the scripture my self and a range of classical Christian literature, to educate myself.

I finally joined the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist church, in 1976, went to Wolverhampton Polytechnic to the Teacher Training College, qualified as a Lecturer and got my first job as lecture, in 1978, at Luton College of Higher Education, teaching Electronics.

I was also called by the Lord and sent by the church to preach the gospel in 1982 and for the next two year preached at many churches through out England.

7 The Redeemer

Now back to the Redeemer. Alastair, Gordon and I had been to Holland12 to see the ship and we envisaged we could bring it Portsmouth.

It would make an ideal base to do similar work, just like a floating prison, to do similar work to what was being done in New Bilibid Prison.

Also Gordon and I, along with others, went to the Vice Chancellor of Portsmouth University, to discuss the feasibility of using their Web server and educational status, to run our open distance learning program, for rehabilitation and leaning and to obtain academic status for qualifying students. With their web server we could communicate internationally with those inthe Philippines or anyway in the world.

The Redeemer could be a home, refuge and floating College.

We also had a meeting with the Principal of the Portsmouth College, situated just near where he planned to bring the Redeemer, in order to ascertain if he would take on board our students living on the Redeemer. I was all set to go.

8 Putting it together

Michael and I were both criminals in the 60’s and had experience conversion from crime to Christ and we knew how to work with criminals and what was needed to help them. We knew how to live and work with crime and criminals. And that was our intention to us the Redeemer as a base in Porstmouth before and after Michales release.

I had been a lecturer for 20 years and a Baptist minister and Christain for 30 years. Michael had been a business man and Managing director of his own company. We were both convicted converted criminals having been in prison. We believe we knew how to build a team of workers to do the mission work we were doing.

Problems in Stubbington

An example of the type problem we could help with was a drug problem with youngsters in Stubbington villaged, where I lied at the time. It was a real one, not imaginary and due to the fact the Local Authority, Police, Schools and New Paper were not interested I informed Prince Charles and he wrote back a very encouraging letter, supporting our work.

Informing Prince Charles

So I sent my findings to Prince Charles along with a copy of all these video’s.

View Youtube videos:

View Youtube video 13: Stubbington Village a drug problem 13 1

View Youtube Video 14: Stubbington Village a drug problem 14 2

View Youtube Video 15: Stubbington Village 10 years On 15

View Youtube Video 16: Dead Man speaks to the young people in

Stubbington Village 16.

These youngsters were in a prison without bars but they could not see it. He wrote back to me thanking me for informing him and encouraged me to continue the work we wished to do.

Letter from Prince Charles

ViewYoutube video 17: Stubbington Village the Philippines 17

9 Great difficulties and great opposition

It was evident help was needed and it was not all easy going. We had some real encouragements and had to face real opposition.

1 A group of inmates, about 50 men, took exception to our work and methods and sent back word to the UK to discredit our work.

I had already identified the nature of the problem and I alerted the men in the prison NBPTI in an address I gave them warning them of what would happen if they did not follow the scripture. That address we recorded and can be viewed.

View Youtube video 18 : David Clarke address to NBPTI Elders 18

This opposition came from certain inmates in the jail who then sent evil reports back to the UK discrediting our work.

2 Michael and I realised we needed to clearly set out our objectives, yet again, for even though we had published them all in our book Trojan Warriors, it seemed as though no one took any notice.

The manuscripts, for the book had passed backwards and forwards between Lucas Dangatan and I, via the internet, along with the front cover of the book, designed by KULAY artists before going to print. So what was in the book was known before hand, had those involved read the document.

So the content of our book and our clearly written objectives was known before hand before publishing. How ever Michael and I on realizing the problem discussed the issues and made a video, that December 2002, in three parts.

They are:

View Youtube Video 19 : The Beginnings 19

View Youtube video 20 : The Vision 20

View Youtube video 21 : Our Doctrinal Basis 21

These video’s are a must to view by anyone who is serious about the work of preachig the gospel.

3 With the help of a Philippine pastor I registered our ministry as Trojan Horse International (TULIP) Phils. Incorporated.

Security Exchange Commission Document

This enabled us to register with the Bureau of Corrections as an independent ministry and work in all the Jails in the Philippines

Appointed Chaplain for the Values Formation

4 One encouragement was that I was appointed Chaplain to the VFFII Prison by Monico Carani who has been appointed the Chief Chaplain of a Prison ministry since our visit the year previously. He now had the responsibility for and access too all the 1500 jails in the Philippines. Which I think causes some Jealousy among the inmate pastors and RVO’s.

See David performing his function as Chaplain within New Bilibid Prison

View Youtube Video 22: The Sanctity of Marriage 22

See also Monico Carania working in his new appointment presiding over the National Philippines Police Association in New Bilibid Prison.

View Video 23: Chief Chaplain Monico 23 Carani PNP Association

6Both Ging Roberts and Rob White died of Heroin overdoses. Both of these told their sad stories to me on video before they died and they both wanted warn others of the serious effects of drugs.

View Youtube videos:

1 Stubbington Village a Drug Problem Jamie Roberts 01 24

2 Stubbington Village a Drug Problem Jamie Roberts 02 25

3 Stubbington Village a Drug Problem Jamie Roberts

Chasing the Dragon 26

4 Rob White dies of a heroin overdose 27

It also turned out the Ging or Jamie Roberts father was the leading Police Drug Squad expert in Hampshire for a number of years and I now realise why he may have retired on 2000, as it was well know his son was a drug dealer and addict to heroine. It just didn’t look Good. All of this is documented and on video.

Video (Click to view)

John Roberts Curriculum Vitae 28

10 Observations, reflection and future plans

We could not get the land to bring the Redeemer to Portsmouth and so were unable to go any further with it. However I am now of the opinion that rather than invest in a building or a ship, all of which cost money, and all have accompanying legal problems.

1 Build a team of people, who have the determination, skills and training to do the task in hand. If they haven’t the skills or training then give then the training and education necessary to go about the business of reform, education, and rehabilitation another way.

2 Ensure the team have the same vision, like a policy or statement of beliefs relating to actions.

Steps I have taken

In the Prison

1 I have mentioned some things we did however I wrote and published my Daily Diary of Trojan Horse called, “Before the Cock Crows”29. Available on our web site and all major book shops. ISBN 978-09-539473-3-5

In this book I gave my recommendations regarding future work, in order to help others.

2 I have also just published my story of conversion from crime to Christ, in Converted on LSD, Extended Edition, which will help anyone who is interested in finding out more about the gospel and the salvation that Jesus came to bring.

In it I point out the many religious errors of those who should know better.

Steps in the UK

I have taken some steps towards this in the setting up the, Bierton Particular Baptists 30 Internet College ( there may well be other ways), to encourage the necessary learning and recruit interested persons.

Future Vision

To educate and trained people to work as a body and then it can move like a swarm of bees or birds, to do the job in hand.

Alastair and I have in fact discussed the possibility of going to see Loodsboot Castor to see if she could be used in any way.

Our Work

We share our life stories to all interested groups at no charge and we are free to travel at home and aboard.

Michael’s Death

Sadly Michael died in the Prison before our vision of bringing help and relief to many was realized but the vision we have still goes on.

MichaelCoffinFace%202.jpg

Buried at Olongapo

Michael and I realised there was a lot to be done so listen to his Last will and Testament

View Video 31: Dead man speaks to youth in Stubbington 31

Our Mission to the Philippines

I am currently writing an account of our mission to the Philippines in which I recall the religious errors I encountered, and teach in doctrinal way the truth relating to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe I am set for a defence and conformation of the gospel.

11 William C. Poloc’s Work in Baguio City

Thankfully our work in the Philippines was not in vain and we can report that our man William Poloc is a sent minister of Trojan Horse International. This demonstrates that God has worked, blessing my ministry as a sent minister from the Bierton Particular Baptist Church, in January 1981. This may be considered a vindication, from the lord, that I stood for the right things when at the Bierton Church, and in my contention with those in the Philippines, that turned from the way of grace, to follow the traditions of men.

I tell the truth in my defence and confirmation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A living proof of the truth that all things work together for good, to them that love God, and are the called according to his purposes. Rom. 8 verse 28. That the things that have happened to me have turned out rather for the furtherance and confirmation of the gospel.

News from the Philippines

Re: News Up date confirming the ministry

Wednesday, 28 March, 2012 1:32 From: “William Poloc sr” <williampolocsr@yahoo.com> To: “David Clarke” nbpttc@yahoo.co.uk

Dear David,

God’s work here in the Northern Philippines bloomed most especially here in the city of Baguio. The Baguio Christ-Centred Church also multiplied with the following daughter churches and other ministries.

We have:

1 The Pilot- Christ-Centred Church,

2 The Kamog Christ-Centred Church,

3 The Christ-Centred-Church Theological School (TULIP),

4 The Christ- Centred Radio Ministry, The Christ-Centred Jail Ministries etc.). We’ll, we are truly blessed by these works He has entrusted to us.

To God be the glory!

We are all doing great anyway and my family as well. Regards to everyone. God bless!!

In Christ, 

William and Family Christ-Centred Ministries, Philippines

12 Alastair’s Story

My first contact with Maurice Vitty was somewhere about 1982 when Denise Collins took me to Bigin Hill to meet him and his family, then his wife Hilary and their baby daughter. Denise Collins was the chief officer on the Hospital Ship Anastasis which was then being made ready for service, and which I had joined in the summer of that year at Piraeus Greece, where she had been laid up four years being made seaworthy with the help of volunteer workers.

While on the M.V. Anastasis I had got to know Denise Collins and he told me about his experience on the Book Ship Logos when he had been the Captain, and Maurice had been the chief officer, and when in the South China Sea, the ship Logos encountered some boats of Vietnamese fleeing persecution, who were in dire straits and needed help. They had been attacked by pirates and were running out of water and provisions, and they were brought on board for assistance, according to the law of the sea. The weather was bad and during the night the boats were broken up so there was no option but to keep them on board until they could be landed in some place of safety. This proved to be a problem to find a country that would accept them.

This incident was the beginning of the vision for the ship that later became named the Redeemer. After Denise and Maurice left the Logos Denise went to the Anastasis and Maurice became involved with helping those Vietnamese that made it to England, and started a work based in Woolwich. He acquired a building there and started a work with needy people, and some years followed while the vision took shape, and they looked for a ship to do the work that had inspired them in the South China Sea. After I think about seven years and looking at several options they settled on buying the Loods Boot Castor, one of several Dutch offshore Pilot vessels all named after Stars, and one which had been used as a supply vessel for the North Sea Oil industry and was laid up in Holland. She became the Redeemer registered in Malta and after initial preparations sailed to Malta en route to the China Sea. That however never happened and she became based at Malta for 10 years doing short expeditions from there in the Mediterranean.

In 1996 when I was on the book ship Doulos and at Seychelles for a period of crew relaxation, I had a call from Maurice asking if I would like to join the Redeemer in Malta, and in due course I did. I was with the ship off and on from then till 1999 when she had been sold to a Belgian Owner. I stayed with the ship in Holland where she had been taken for repair at Urk until the sale was completed, then I got married and settled in Poole Dorset.

13 Redeemer Video Play List

1 Introducing Gordon and Alastair

2 Angeles City Jail Monico Carani

3 Sentenced to Death Suny Wilson

4 Michael’s Testimony

5 Converted on LSD Trip

6 Web Link: Lucas P. Dangatan’s profile

7 Web Link: William Poloc’s Testimony

8 William Poloc our first sent man

9 Praying with the Director of New Bilibid Prison

10 Requesting 100 men to write Testimonies

11 David Clarke gives his testimony