I was almost 8 years old when Harold and Ruth Pidwell started in ministry at Georgetown Baptist church. I don't think I would be a follower of Jesus today if it hadn't been for Harold and his wonderful love and care of us all at Georgetown. I appreciated his teaching and his interest in every person in our congregation. I was almost 12 when my grandmother was dying and I remember his visits to our home that were so appreciated by Nana and all our family. Harold's presentation of God as a loving Father with wide open arms seems to stick with me, and his injunction, that if we wanted to know Jesus and become like him, then read the gospels, read the gospels, read the gospels. His way of looking at Bible teachings in new and for all our family, refreshing ways, laid a foundation for how we as a family have gone on in our faith journeys. I can remember my younger sister and I, aged 7 and 11 at the time, having a meal at the manse the day my nana died, so we were out of the way while mum and dad made funeral arrangements, and then the wonderful way Harold lead the funeral. Even one of my atheistic uncles was impressed. Even after the Pidwells left Invercargill to continue ministry at North East Valley Baptist in Dunedin, we continued a close connection with them as my older sisters were at Otago Uni and chose to go to North East Valley Baptist. My main memory of Harold is that he was a very godly man and knowing him helped me decide to go on a faith journey with Jesus for all my life. He will be greatly missed by Ruth and his extended family and by all who knew him.