Doing it for Dad

If it wasn’t for his kids, Derek Stubbings’ life would be very different. Incarcerated in 2019 for assault charges, Derek’s kids have played a hugely important role in helping him not only get his life back on track but completely turn it around. Tracey Cooper spoke with Derek who is now a proud soldier and flag sergeant for the Ngāmotu Corps (New Plymouth).

Derek Stubbings’ face lights up when he talks about his kids, and with good reason.

‘I’ve got nine kids and nine mokos (grandchildren),’ he says proudly. ‘And the tenth moko is due in May.’

It hasn’t been easy road, but Derek is the first to admit he’s been no angel. With his whānau (family) backing him and support from the Ngāmotu Corps (church), he’s well on the way to a brighter future for himself and his growing whānau.

With the word Mongrel tattooed across his chest there’s no hiding his background, although Derek says faith has always been a part of his life.

‘Mum was Catholic. She didn’t preach it to us, but we just knew when she’s reading the Bible just leave her alone. She used to bless us before we’d go to bed and bless us when we were leaving the house.’

But for Derek, things started to fall apart when he was 16, and eventually, in 2019, he was jailed for three and a half years on a range of assault charges.

‘During that time being incarcerated and maybe two years to go, I thought my best chance of parole was down the track. And I thought I’ll just do my time.’

Children’s intervention

Derek says he didn’t qualify for any reintegration or release to work programmes, but wasn’t aware that his children had been working behind the scenes to get help for their dad.

‘My children had put out a support call to help Dad. I think the only one that picked that up was Chris (Taylor) from The Salvation Army.’

Derek was ‘gobsmacked’ to hear that his kids had been working with Chris, the whānau and probation service, determined to find a solution.

‘The kids weren’t backing down,’ he says.

The Salvation Army Reintegration services was Derek’s first interaction with The Salvation Army. Derek returned to New Plymouth, and while the 12-month programme presented its own challenges, Derek says it was within himself that the real struggle took place.

‘It was more so compliance with myself, and how to reintegrate back with my babies and the community. I sort of needed to be resurrected from the inside rather than jump straight on the bandwagon.’

It wasn’t a perfect 12 months, being back in the same community, surrounded by the same temptations which he’d already paid the price for.

‘I made myself scarce for a couple of months and there were a lot of trip ups. You’re thinking, do you get back on the horse or what? It was like, which door do I walk through? I knew I had to go through one door, and I looked behind me and there’s my babies, they never left my side,’ he says.

‘So I came to the realisation that if I keep walking this path, finish my reintegration and probation, it meant I would have my hands free to make a future from here on in.’

God’s intervention

Derek says God revealed a plan for him.

‘Go back to school, get up some credits and graduate with something so the community could have me back working. Plus regain all those attributes we just need as a person to get back into mainstream society.’

He’s doing that now, painting houses while also studying mental health and addiction and eventually aiming to complete a social work degree.

Derek says the support of Te Ope Whakaora (The Salvation Army) has been crucial, and he became more involved with the church through Māori Ministries.

‘The spirit started to wake up then,’ he says.

It was during this healing phase of his life that then-corps officer Captain Karl Foreman asked if Derek would be interested in becoming a soldier. Once again, he faced a big decision.

‘I didn’t have much to offer, but I like to learn and I like to work. I said I’d love to, but I have too much respect for the place, not to mention I still had a vape, still had alcohol. Hard drugs weren’t so much of a problem as the drinking.’

Once again, his children showed him the way.

‘Don’t be half-hearted about it, Dad. You can’t do this half pai (pie).’

In the end, it was an easy decision and one he’s happy to have made.

‘I think I will find my spiritual being here,’ he says. ‘Definitely 100 percent of my path is here, every need is met. Honestly, The Salvation Army helped me raise my family up … They certainly straightened my spirit out. I’ve just got to grow the brain now. But yeah, it’s different now, it’s awesome.’