“But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength”
2 Timothy 4:17
Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my story.
Doit4Loui is a charity that teaches children from the age of 6 months how to self rescue in water. It was set up after the loss of our little boy Loui Aspinall who was just 3 years old when he drowned on holiday.
I Emma (Loui's mum) didn’t really believe in God, in fact I had never actually given it much thought. It was a few months after Loui's death that I got this desire to find out if there was more after this life, and if there was, where my little boy had gone.
I heard about the Alpha course and decided to go along with an open mind. At the end of each session I couldn’t wait for the next one, I had this urge to know more about who God was and what the bible said.
One thing I seemed to struggle with was Jesus death on the cross. I couldn’t understand what this actually meant or why it mattered so much. I just didn't get it, but I couldn't get it out of my mind.
Towards the end of the alpha course, one night while I was in bed, God was constantly on my mind. I couldn't sleep so I got up and went downstairs. It was at this point the penny finally dropped. What i'd been battling with for weeks finally made sense. Jesus died on the cross for sinners like me. He gave his life as a sacrifice to take away our sin. Through him we are forgiven for all the wrong we have ever done, and through him we can be reunited with God.
I felt such a relief, like a huge weight had been lifted, after all the weeks of questions and confusion I finally got it. This was the night I made the choice to accept and follow Jesus.
At this point my family thought I was going crazy and Gav my partner (now husband) wasn't too sure about it all either, but he was supportive and happy that I had found something to help me. As the weeks passed I started going to church and read my bible, I began to understand more about God. I then made the outward declaration and was baptised.
As I began to get stronger I felt led to look into Water Safety, to see what was out there for children. I came across a program that taught children from as young as 6 months old how to roll over and float in water. The problem was, it wasn't available in the UK. There was nothing at all here in the UK that taught children how to survive in water and I would have to go to America for 4 weeks to get the training which cost £6000
I knew this was God's calling for my life and i knew i would have to take a step of faith.
For the next 12 months family, friends and our local community worked together and we fundraised over £10,000.
I travelled to Florida July 2016 and completed the training. God blessed us in so many ways whilst we were over there and brought so many amazing people into our lives.
The next step after the training was to find a pool to teach in. This wasn't easy. There seemed to be problem after problem. First of all I couldn't get the right insurance, as this type of program wasn't recognise here in the UK. The next problem was with the pool I was supposed to be using, after weeks of preparing I was told that there were some issues which meant I couldn't use the pool. I was so disheartened and even questioned if I was doing the right thing.
Just then, when I was about to lose hope, God stepped in and dealt with the problems. A pool just 2 minutes from where we live, which we never even knew existed came to light. It was perfect. Small, private, just what I needed.
God also dealt with the insurance problem and provided an insurance company that would cover me, I couldn’t believe it, as everyone else I contacted had said no and I was just about to lose hope with this too.
Each time I was about to give up God stepped in. I am now teaching children how to self rescue in water. He has revealed to me my purpose in this life and equipped me with everything I need to accomplish it.
Although the pain of losing Loui will never go away and we miss him so much, God has kept us strong as a family, in fact he has made us stronger than ever. Our daughter Darcy was only 5 years old at the time we lost Loui. She is growing into a very strong young lady, she knows God loves us and is growing closer to him every day. He is guiding her and I can see the impact he has in her life. Gav has also come a long way and he is experiencing God's love and power in his life. I thank God for opening my eyes to the truth. For forgiving me and blessing me. I hope and pray that he continues to guide me, in Jesus name AMEN.
To find out more about God's work with Doit4Loui please visit our website http://DOIT4LOUI.com
Thank you
Emma