Shoe repairman Jeffrey Hewitt uses his business to spread the gospel to others.

by MELISSA WICKHAM

JEFFREY HEWITT is in the business of "heeling" and saving soles.

His shoe and bag repair shop, JK's Shoe Doc located upstairs RTs Hardware in Worthing, Christ Church, is a one-stop shop for renewing both soles and souls.

The devout Christian of 20 years takes every opportunity to witness to his customers.

You can drop off shoes and leave a changed person after Jeffrey gets through telling you about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Even his slogan: "We are in the business of heeling, saving soles, giving a new life and making all shoe types shine with glory," is influenced by his religious beliefs.

A member of the Abundant Life Assembly, the 41-year-old husband and father admitted he didn't get to go out witnessing as often as he wanted, so he decided to spread the gospel from behind his counter.

It isn't easy since some of his customers aren't always receptive but he is willing to be patient. He knows, from his own experience, that it takes time to give one's life over to God.

"I remember how I first came to God," he said chatting with the SUNDAY SUN from his small shop.

"I was passing Abundant Life Assembly on my way to the theatre when I heard the music and singing so I stopped and listened. A lady invited me in but I declined. Another time, I passed and listened again. I did that about three or four times and each time the lady invited me in I said: 'No' until I eventually decided to go inside.

From then on, I started going there and I gave my life to God," he explained, adding:

"When I first started out [in my business], I tried to witness to people but that was kind of touchy, touchy. A lot of the customers just come to get their shoes done and they're not interested in hearing the gospel but I still try to witness or hand out a flyer or something."

It hasn't been easy running a small business on his own. He has come a long way from knowing absolutely nothing about shoe repair to being a master of the trade.

The Kew Road, Tudor Bridge, St Michael resident was unemployed and broke when a friend recommended that he ask for a job at a shoe repair shop in the City. Jeffrey was hesitant at first, but decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a try.

He got a crash course on how to repair soles; luckily, he is a quick learner and, soon enough, he was holding his own next to the pros.

He moved out of that shop and started up his own business in 1995.

There are a few rules you have to follow when conducting business at his shop, however. Jeffrey insists on a deposit on all shoes – this is to ensure the customer returns for the shoes; shoes must be mud-free and he accepts no credit, IOUs or barters.

Despite these measures, not many people respect what he does and it shows.

"I had a man bring his shoes in wet and muddy. I told him he would have to take them home, scrape off the mud and bring them back. He asked me if I wasn't running a shoe repair shop.

"They don't respect me, they give me a hard time. Some of them bring in shoes at the last minute and want you to stop what you're doing to repair their shoes. Then when you don't, they get an attitude. But I know how to deal with people like that – I tell them don't come back," he said matter-of-factly.

Customers leave all sorts of things in their handbags when they drop them off and a less scrupulous person would take advantage of this, but not Jeffrey.

"You would be surprised at what I find. Once a lady came in to have her bag repaired and she left her whole pay cheque inside. I had it for about three or four days. She came back and asked me if I saw something in her bag and I told her to come for her pay cheque," he recounted.

"I had another case where a lady came back from England and left about £40 in her bag and some jewellery. Her husband came back a few days later and I told him to tell her to clean out her bag carefully the next time because she forgot money in it.

"He was so shocked at my honesty he asked me if I really left the money in the bag. I told him it wasn't mine. About two days later, he came back with a $20 bill and said his wife sent it for me just to say 'thanks'," he said.

For Jeffrey, Christianity is a "doing" word and he plans to keep on doing his bit to make a difference one soul or, in this case, sole at a time.