23/10/2024
This is the inspiring testimony of SeedHope's founder, Josh Searle, and how he launched SeedHope in honour of his Dad's memory 🙏
I want to share the testimony of my Father. He was the reason I decided to start SeedHope.
It is my hope that he blesses this project in heaven and uses it to share testimonies from many amazing people around the world.
My Father did not grow up as a Christian, he grew up in anarchy, often relocating as he was growing up, he didn’t do well at school (neither did I) but he was a great communicator and very entrepreneurial minded.
His younger adult life was spent driving cars he couldn’t afford, attempting various business ventures and taking part in fraudulent activity which resulted with him spending time in prison.
He became a Christian before I was born. I remember many years of him struggling financially but this did not affect our childhood. I have amazing memories growing up with my parents.
In 1998, one of his business ideas finally worked! He launched a company called AquAid, which today is one of the leading water cooler businesses in the UK.
One of the unique elements of his business model was the charity angle. For every bottle of water sold, the company offers a donation to charity to fund water projects.
Today, these donations total more than £16 million. Over 5000 water pumps have been installed across Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The number of people with clean drinking water as a result of my Dad’s business is now 2 million – and counting!
He never took credit for this incredible achievement, instead he would say it was God’s grace that delivered these projects.
Unfortunately, the business success, preaching and charity work wasn’t enough. Dad also loved cars.
He was a man who lived to the extreme. He could never do anything in half measures, this was also true when it came to driving.
Anywhere he went, he had to get there as fast as possible.
July 7th 2022 was a normal day until I got a call from my brother at around 18:00.
My brother and I have a business together and we would speak 2 or 3 times a day, so naturally I answered the call like I normally would, “What’s happening brother, what are you up to?”
I will never forget his distressed voice, “Josh, drive to Mum’s house now.”
Mum and Dad only live a 10-minute drive from mine. When I asked why he simply replied, “Dad has died in a car accident, the police are on the way to Mum’s, we need to get there NOW.”
Nothing can prepare you for the shock, disbelief, panic and sadness that hits your body.
I will never forget that evening. I had to call my other brother who lives 4 hours away, my grandparents (Dad’s parents) and some of his closest friends.
I will never forget their reaction when I broke the news and the events that followed.
Our Dad was a great believer and servant to God. He used to regularly preach in local villages around Cambridge and would always encourage my siblings and I to read the Bible.
He didn’t like to see people struggling and would always try and cheer up anyone who seemed down. We know he would hate to see us sad, especially because of him. We use this as strength to carry on his legacy and grow the business and charity he leaves behind.
I actually came up with the idea for SeedHope in 2016. I was driving back from church with Dad and shared the concept of gathering inspiring testimonies from around the world and sharing them with people to bring them closer to God.
He loved the idea but unfortunately, I never launched the project. Work and life always seemed more important but the concept was always at the back of my mind, especially after attending church.
Following the accident, I decided I would launch it in memory of him.
Friends, I am by no means a perfect Christian, but I hope SeedHope can become a platform to share amazing testimonies from people around the world.
If you have a testimony that you would like to share with our growing community, I would love for you to submit something here.
God bless, Josh.
