Bgw Speaker

At the age of three, I narrowly escaped death while attending a residential school. Subsequently, I was placed in foster care, only to be expelled by my foster parents at the age of thirteen. Two weeks after becoming independent, I took a leisurely walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon. During my stroll, I paused at a bench to rest when a van approached, seeking directions. I indicated the way he needed to go, and as he began to drive off, he suddenly stopped, reversed, and requested that I guide him. He assured me he would drop me off wherever I wished, and I accepted his offer and entered the van.
He drove me to the mountains, where he brandished a large fishing knife against my neck and demanded that I remove my clothing. After he assaulted me, he instructed me to exit the vehicle while it was still in motion. I jumped out and tumbled onto the gravel road, sustaining numerous scratches and lying in a pool of my own blood. In that moment, I felt as though I had died within. Overwhelmed with despair, I expressed to an angel that I wished to die. The angel gently inquired again about my desires, prompting me to reconsider. I then declared my wish to live.
The perpetrator was apprehended by the police, who informed me that he was preparing to target another victim when they found him in a hotel. During the court proceedings, he ominously stated, "I didn't kill you in the mountains, but I will kill you when I get out." This threat instilled fear in me for many years, until I reached the age of forty and relocated from Vancouver, BC, to Nanaimo, BC, on Vancouver Island, where I met my wife, Sylvia. I confided in her that I had endured enough and expressed my desire to return to the mountains where I had nearly lost my life in order to forgive my assailant.
When we arrived at the mountains, my heart raced, and I was drenched in sweat. I stepped out of the car and stood there, envisioning the van and recalling the traumatic events that transpired. I had prepared a note that read, "I forgive you, and I let you go." With resolve, I extended my hand and proclaimed my forgiveness.
This is only the spec of who Bill is, as he endured so much in his life. Through his endurance and many years of heartache, he wants to let people know that whatever you go through, you have the ability to endure and to thrive in the things you do and want to do. Don’t let nobody stop you. Today I am a filmmaker telling our story, telling my story.