Friendship Feedback

“I would like to thank the friendsfirst team for assisting me in making some good friendships. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a member”

“I’ve had lots of people contact me whom have been very compatible.”

“I’ve found what I was looking for through Heavenly Partners . I’m extremely happy with the people I’m in contact with. We get on so well.”

“Thank you very much for your help in the past Patricia but I have now found a lovely lady and we want to make a future for ourselves and god willing marry.”

‘all I was looking for, at this stage of my life, when I joined FF was a lady who would become good friend.  I have found her through FF; we phone daily and meet regularly’

Katharine, I’ve more great-news to share with you, Jackie and Sarah ; Joanne Barnes62 just sent me an email asking me if I would like to meet up with her in the next-fortnight for a coffee and that I am very-welcomed to call her on her mobile-phone-number too . I replied yes, please and so Katharine and the rest of you’all ; I am very-determined to make this A SUCCESS, I INTEND TO BE VERY-POSITIVE and APPLY all that knowledge you’all supplied me so far into making it a very-successful-date and I’ll let you’all know how I GOT ON too . Best-Wishes

“Hi there,  Following on from my conversation with Jackie on Friday 22/06/2012 and my previous conversation with Katharine Gray re my membership, could I please formally update you by letting you know that I am now seeing Meirion Jones from Llandovery. I had contacted him a few months ago by letter and have since been in contact by text. We met up a month a go and everything seems to be going great between us.I know my membership is due for renewal, however, I will not be renewing this and Meirion would also like to take his name from the list so that he is not sent anymore profiles. I know that you will need to confirm this with him but he has asked me when emailing to let you know.  Kind regards to Katharine and the Team

‘I would like to thank Friends First for all their help, I met Julia who was in the last part of her Friends First membership and now she is re-locating so that we can start a life together. We will write to you and keep you informed on how the relationship develops but I am very pleased’

Firstly congratulations on your award Katharine – you deserve it. I’m also ringing to say I think I’ve found the lovely person I’ve been looking for. She’s so lovely, so considerate. We can’t stop talking. She’s so attentive to everything. It’s been 20 years since I’ve had that sort of conversation with anyone. She’s very intelligent, very concerned about things and she says all the right things. She thinks I’m lovely too. It’s early days but I’m very happy.

“Thank you so much again for what you have done for and may the Lord bless your wonderful work.  Without it we don’t think we would ever have met, because we moved in different Christian circles, even though living comparatively close.”

“I’ve had more people contact me in the short time I’ve been a member and I am making some really lovely friendships with true Christians.”

“I know I joined friendsfirst to meet other people, but I cannot believe what is happening in my life. I did not anticipate meeting someone so lovely as Felicity and that we would get on so well. If I have learnt anything over the last year it is that it is only when you take a risk, only when you do something different, do you allow God to start working in your life.”

“I am pleased to say I have made a friend in the last six months through your organisation. The friendship is getting stronger each day as the Lord is confirming in his wonderful peace and joy. May I take this opportunity to thank you for your wonderful service of such a discrete nature.”

“thank you Katherine for the many lovely messages you have sent encouraging us. I have every reason to be in a ‘Valentine’s mood these days. On our first date a good month ago after our meal together,  he put his open hands on the table; looking at me saying: ‘I definitely would like to see you again’.  I in reply put my hand in his with a big smile saying ‘lovely’….. etc.. I think for the time being I do not need to receive any profiles, thank you!! We are going to celebrate Valentine’s day together.”

I can assure you I do not have any issues with Heavenly Partners . I have, in fact, enjoyed contacting and talking to many of your lady members

Thank you for your email. Last year my son’s wedding blocked me from going. This year things are different as I have met up with a lady who had just finished with Heavenly Partners as I came on board. At the end of my time with you, I contacted her and visited her at Oakham and now she has just visited me in Highley.I am not sure whether this will extend beyond a very warm friendship, but we shall just have to see! Her name is Alix. I thought that you might be interested

“Thank you for your ministry through friendsfirst . I wish you every success and blessing since I have much reason to be thankful to you for the introductions you have made possible. I have in fact, ‘never had it so good’ as I have made many friends. I am stopping my membership for the time being. Thank you again.”

“Through friendsfirst I’ve started to meet new people and I’ve found we’ve had a lot in common. I’ve found it a very useful and rewarding service.”

Hello Kathryn, sorry i should have replied to you mail.  I am writing to a really nice man at present, although I haven’t met him on this site Kathryn.  We have been writing now from the end of October, last year.  God is amazing, his hand stretches across to the far end of the earth.  God is in control right now so I am leaving everything up to him. Thank you for keeping in touch, and i wish your organisation every success and keep up the good work.  Kind regards.

The reality was beyond my wildest dreams. In my first batch of profiles there was an intelligent man who was actively looking for a woman self confident in her own ideas, and who particularly warmed to my self description as, ‘feisty, principled, passionate and compassionate’. [I see myself as a ‘niche market’ rather than a ‘supermarket’ item!] What is more, the way that he expressed his Christian faith exactly resonated with my own Christian experience. I emailed him on the Friday I received my first batch of profiles, we spoke for the first time on the phone on the Sunday evening, during which call we established several mutual acquaintances, and tentatively met after work on the Wednesday evening at a town in between our homes. As I write, the relationship is still embrionic and may come to nothing, but meanwhile I eagerly await the evening phone call and look forward to the next date like being a teenager all over again. For the first time I have actually given thanks for being single again at this point in my life! Having been solidly married for a long time, I discover what insecurity in a relationship is like again, wondering how long it will last, not quite knowing what to expect of the other’s behaviour, but it is all part of the adventure of discovery and the risk which we take in meeting new friends.  If it all ends tomorrow, my membership will have been worthwhile just to get this far, so thank you for being there, friendsfirst.

“I have been in contact with someone from your membership for eight months and we have been dating for the past six months. I don’t ever remember feeling so happy and family and friends have noticed the difference in me. Please withdraw my membership from friendsfirst.”

“I have never done anything like this before but I joined because the emphasis was on friends first and because people are not automatically looking for relationships. The Christian element is very important to me and I’ve been finding it a very valuable service.”

“I am very excited to tell you that although I didn’t do anything much during my first six months of membership because I was in a sort of local relationship, once that was over, I contacted lots of people on my profile lists. One person wasn’t even a member any longer when I contacted her but we have now been seeing each other for a while and it is going very well.  I think contact by letter is the best way.”

I’d like to cancel my membership – I’ve met somebody through Friends First and it’s going really well. I took all your advice on board and it’s someone who seemed completely unsuitable on paper – he lives miles away, we didn’t appear to have anything in common but I contacted him anyway and we’ve just clicked.  Everything you say about contacting people anyway is true.

“Thank you very much for your first letter with profiles which I received a few days ago, also your much needed encouragement. I did on of the hardest jobs in my life and phoned 2 numbers but no reply, but in a very short while Peter from Reading rang back and he was so very nice and thankful to me for phoning him, He called 3 times on Saturday, he use to live and work here in Belfast and knows people I know. One man was in my class at school, so it a small world after all and because of this background, I feel very safe with him. He asked to exchange snaps (photo’s) which I did, his arrived this morning which I’m very pleased to see, he looks soft and kind. I phoned to thank him and we had another long conversation. He is so happy and positive about the future with me – it is incredulous how a friendship can happen so easily and quickly. So it seems my life maybe beginning at 69 thanks to you at Heavenly Partners . I did not really believe that you would help me and I do feel sorry for thinking like that. I trust Peter can give me a life worth living and I trust God to provide anything we may lack.”

‘I have travelled all around the country and met up with people in London, Bristol, Devon, Oxford and Birmingham. Ive really enjoyed meeting them all.’

“Please terminate my membership as I’ve met someone really nice and therefore see no point in continuing. I’ve enjoyed being a member and thank you for your time”

“friendsfirst really is about making new friends. I’m meeting so many new people and making lots of good friends – its just great – thanks and keep it up!”

“Thank you for your last letter and questionnaire duly completed. I will not be renewing my membership as I rejoice in the friendship of John. We are getting on very well so far and I am so glad that I persevered and took courage in both hands! Your advice was good. So thank you for all your help and advice and of course I am absolutely thrilled to have found a truly wonderful Christian friend. I will certainly let you know if there is any further outcome!! I am recommending friendsfirst to others and will continue to do so. May you continue to be encouraged in all you seek to do and I have so appreciated your patience and willingness to chat especially in the early stages when it all seems a bit scary!”

“I am writing to tell you of some recent good news regarding someone I have met through your service. Her name is Natalie. We started corresponding through email and late met. Our friendship has developed into a strong relationship and we have fallen deeply in love with each other! We thought that you would be please to hear about this, and we are so thankful to God, and to you for running your service. As a result of this I would like to ask you to please remove my name from your mailing list and cancel my membership so that my profile is no longer sent out. Thank you very much for your service and I pray that it will continue to bring people together in the same way that it has us. God bless and thank you again!”

“I now have a regular friendship with a friendsfirst member so now is a good time to stop my profile going out.”

“I have been proactive and have met several nice people this past year, and talked on the phone to several more . I have been in the happy position of meeting several, and also deciding not to meet several others, but I have had a good number of opportunities, which I have really enjoyed and appreciated. I have even had a marriage proposal in the past few months from a FF member but did not feel I could commit to marriage to this particular person, but we remain friends.”

“I just wanted to thank you for the latest list of profiles – Dennis is coming to see me on Monday and I am very happy”

“During the year I have been reasonably pro-active having at least one date with at least 8 nice ladies, and still visit one every few weeks. Doing this and reading your literature and guidance has been helpful and as a result have struck up a meaningful friendship with a young lady in our fellowship which I hope will develop. Thank you for doing the valuable work you do and I will keep your details should I feel the need to re-apply in the future. In the meantime may God continue to bless your ministry.”

“I’ve been getting on really well with one of the ladies you sent me in my profiles a month ago. There’s really a connection there and I’m very excited about it. It’s surpassed all my expectations. Thank you so much to both you and Dawn for all you’ve done.”

“Dear friendsfirst team, I enrolled with you for a year’s membership and have chatted to a very nice gentleman, however I have since had contact with another gentleman on a regular basis (who happened across my path) and, as this is developing into something close, I feel it would be wisest to ask if you would remove my name & details from the circulation list.  I would appreciate your keeping in contact with me for the duration of my membership in case these circumstances alter.  Thank you for your courtesy and professionalism throughout my limited experience of your services.”

“I’m happy to not rejoin the Friends First service because I’ve made a couple of good new friends including Sylvia from Caerphilly”

“Please take my name off the Directory. I have struck up an excellent friendship with another member and want to develop that now. Thank you for your service. friendsfirst has worked out really well for me.”

“Everyone at Heavenly Partners have been so kind and encouraging, thank you so much, I have met a companion through Heavenly Partners and I am very happy.

“I’m just ringing to let you know we’re still getting on really well and to thank you for finding her for me. We went to the theatre in Stratford with the ticket concession Katharine organized for members and made a weekend of it, giving us more time to get to know each other. Thank you to you both.”

I’m in fairly regular contact with a number of ladies and so feel Heavenly Partners has enabled me to achieve a goal for which I’m thankful.

“Please find enclosed my renewal fee. Barrie and I have been in correspondence (we’re meeting next week) and have exchanged limericks. I thought you might like this one:-
So what do you think of Heavenly Partners
Well I’m quite sure you could do wors(t)
They make introductions
Without causing ructions
With happiness you might just burst.

“I’ve met some wonderful people so far. I’m absolutely delighted.”

‘I am still in touch with someone from FF as a good friend with no romantic attachments, which is great.’

“Dear Katharine,  I joined friendsfirst with considerable scepticism, doubting that there really was anyone out there for me, but feeling that I had to try. The unlikely stories on the web page encouraged me. I resolved that I would work at making contact with people for two years. I had been looking for a suitable partner for over three years, during which time only one possibility had crossed my horizon. It is not good for woman to be alone either, but it was unlikely to happen locally. I thought that I would make contact with lots of people, including people who were not obvious partners, and perhaps meet people with whom there was no future, all of which would be good experience, anyway.

I’ve been seeing one of the other members very regularly for eleven months now. It’s wonderful. We’re going to New York soon together as we both love traveling. Please take me off your membership directory. Thank you for such an excellent service and for all the personal service you gave me.”

“I have made a lovely friendship with Kate and see her regularly. I have made a real effort, and found everyone very friendly and of a good moral standard. I think that friendsfirst is an excellent idea and organisation, and I look forward to continuing with you.”

I have been very pleased with friendsfirst but now ask that you stop sending out my profile to members even though my membership does not expire until September.

“I am very pleased I have joined friendsfirst. It has provided a good structure for making contact possible. Without it I would have been very hesitant to approach a woman. Now I find it very easy to pick up the phone and chat as one friendsfirst member to another – my confidence has grown. Keep up the good work – your service is greatly needed.”