Welcome to
Celebrating Life in Recovery,
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I'm Cheri your host!
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Have you ever thought, I
just do not know who I am?
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Do you want
figure out who that is?
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We are going to talk
about that on this program and
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I just know that
you will be blessed.
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Come in and join us at the Café.
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Welcome back!
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I want to introduce you
to a friend of mine, and I
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want to really share a lot,
everything about him, I want to
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find what his past was
like, I want you to hear about
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his ministry, his job
and all that kind of stuff.
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So instead of doing
the teaching segment first,
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We're just going to
start with the interview.
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Man, I just know
you're going be blessed.
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So Kerry I just want to
say thank you for coming.
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I have been, the first
time, I don't know if you
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remember the first time I
met you was a few years ago.
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You were working in the
Police Department and then I
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met you again with a
group at Saddleback Church where
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you were doing the
celebrate recovery thing.
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Then I met you again
where you are working with a
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parolee, and each time I'm
just saying who is this guy?
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Who are you? So today I
get to find out everything
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along with the people at
the Café, in the audience.
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So welcome to the
show and who are you?
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Thank you very much and
it's a pleasure to be here,
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there's a lot of people
who would like to know that.
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My wife, my daughter's,
my dog - Oh good so we'll
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send them a copy of the show.
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Ah, who am I?
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I was raised in a home
where we moved probably
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3 or 4 times a year,
from my earliest memories.
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My mother was
married several times.
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She divorced my father
when I was 2, and I didn't meet
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him again until I was 10.
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There was several men
in and out of my life who
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probably could have been
potential fathers but weren't.
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You know what's really
interesting, because when I say
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who are you, I would have
never guessed that you had
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even anything close
to an at risk background.
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That you moved a lot, and
had all these men in your life,
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and there was that
instability, because every time
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I have encountered
you, your very solid in
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God, very solid in who
you are as a man of God with
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integrity and so it
shocks me when you say that,
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it surprises me.
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We think we know
each other when we don't.
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There is a whole lot of
things in everybody's life,
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because God's done
incredible things in all of us.
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Sometimes we realize
it, and sometimes we don't.
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And I see that in other
people as well, were you
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look at them and see
them so solid and God is so
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strong in them and then
you start finding out that's
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not where they started.
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And that is not where I started.
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I don't remember
a lot before age 6.
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But I remember a lot of
physical abuse in the home
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between my mother and her
husband, whichever one it was.
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Cheri: so she
picked abusive men?
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Consistently, and it
wasn't until I became a teenager
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that I got involved in that
and stepped in and said don't do
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this kind of stuff.
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It was right about
then, in my mid-teens,
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that I started going
for walks about midnight,
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because I was just
frustrated with my life
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and what going on and
I needed some answers.
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I start going for walks
and started hearing this voice
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talk to me in the middle
of the night, I didn't even
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know who it was, but it
was just as calming voice that
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said you know what I love
you and it's going to be okay.
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It wasn't till I was
about 15, and when I was 17
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I moved to Boise Idaho
and a Pastor sat down with me
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and started talking to me.
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And shared the love of
Jesus with me, shared about God,
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shared about the gospel.
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And he said something that
totally impacted me and has
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impacted me for
the rest of my life.
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He said you have a purpose,
you are not an accident.
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God designed you for
specific reason and you're the
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only one that can do it,
and I had never heard that.
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And that got my attention.
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And regardless of how
many people are in and out of
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your life, how crazy
and chaotic everything was,
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you said God knows where I'm at.
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He has a plan for my life.
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That gave me an anchor
point, and from that point
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forward I started
allowing the men around me,
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that were men of God,
that were men of integrity,
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to speak into my life.
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Before that I was very
rebellious, very out of control
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so it was an absolute miracle,
in fact the reason I was
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talking to this Pastor,
is because I started spending
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some time with this girl
at this church I was going to.
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I went to church my
whole life growing up just to
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impress people and show
them how many Scriptures
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I knew, and kind of perform
and do the thing but not really
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knowing even who God was.
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So I went to this church
and started spending time with
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this girl, started getting
in a serious relationship
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going and this Pastor sat
me down to tell me that the
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relationship wasn't
based on biblical principles.
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That I was a risk for
this girl and he didn't want me
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to spend any more time with her.
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It is the first time that a man
stepped in my life and said no.
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Cheri: Here's some boundaries.
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Kerry: here's some structure
we are going to put around you.
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I fought it and when I got
home I heard that same voice
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saying, I want you to
follow this man, and every man
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that I place over you
and let them lead you.
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Let them guide you and
direct you, so that was the
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beginning of the
journey when I was 17.
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It has just been a
constant journey since then.
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There is a lot of things
that have happened, a lot of
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men involved, but God
just began teaching me and
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building things into me
that were things of integrity,
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and things of
strength and foundation.
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Stuff that I had
never had before.
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Cheri: what about your
folks, your siblings, any of
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that? What did they think?
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When I first accepted
Jesus my family listed me as the
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black sheep - it's
like what are you doing!
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You don't need a crutch
like that, that's what I heard
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from my family, what do you
need a crutch like that for?
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Why don't you go drink
with us, why don't you go party
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with us, why don't
you go hang out with us?
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My mother, in a drunken
stupor one night sat down with
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me and said, I don't
know you and I don't want you
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around anymore, you go
away and I want my son back.
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Because God had so changed
my life and since then my
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mother has accepted Jesus
and is serving God with all
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of her heart, it's awesome.
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Cheri: I love that, but
it's really tough because
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you know when you bring
God into that chaos it's
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like it confronts everybody.
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It's like you turn the
light on and all the darkness
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looks even darker,
people just want you to go away.
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So it's not that you
became a freak or anything,
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it's just that you
have brought in some reality
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and it scares everyone -
including me, I didn't know,
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I do deal with that.
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Because this is my
family that I love and I want to
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spend time with and they
were all throwing up the walls
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and just go away, go
away and stop preaching.
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Some of them are still
that way, a couple of them,
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but most of them have
seen I'm the only one in the
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family that has the
same address for the last
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20 years, still
living in the same house and
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live in the same town.
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I have a full-time
job, I have a career,
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I have things for a
long time for the rest
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of my family didn't even have.
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I'm the only one, in 3
generations that I know of,
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that got married to one
lady and stayed with her.
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Cheri: that's amazing.
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Kerry: and we have been
married now for 28 years.
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Cheri: so the whole
generational thing, at least in
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your life, has
stopped, we're okay.
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God has got His hand on us.
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You know your sister has
been through a lot lately.
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Can you talk a
little bit about that?
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My younger sister, she
was abused when she was very
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young and she was very
shy and withdrawn partially
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because of that
and some other things.
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She discovered drugs,
she discovered cocaine first
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and then methamphetamine
gave her boldness,
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it allowed her to
come out of her shell.
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Of course later as the
bondage starts putting its claws
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in it and it began to
control her life, and so we
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prayed for her, talked
to her, tried to draw her in
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and she didn't want to
have anything to do with God.
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She got into a very tragic
accident probably about 10
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years ago, it was a motorcycle
accident and she almost
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lost her foot because of it.
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Cheri: when you talk
about almost lost her foot,
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you're talking...
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Kerry: bones, muscles,
tendons - everything - she was
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walking around on a stump
and her foot was hanging on
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by a piece of skin, when
they said you need to sit down.
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So they took
her to the hospital.
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They knew she would never
walk again, they didn't know
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if they could
put the foot back on.
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But they did put the
foot back on and she did walk,
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and walks absolutely
normal, totally healed
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- that's amazing.
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She got away from the
addiction and started into
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recovery, and
started coming to church and
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doing what was right.
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Those old associations,
and those old things begin
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to draw her back
and back she went.
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Cheri: but when that
happens don't you just want to
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say no, don't you call
them and don't you hang out.
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And not that people are
bad or good, but those will
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suck you right
back in, do not do it.
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Don't think that way again,
don't dress that way again,
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and don't do all that
kind of stuff, and I'm sure
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because it was your
sister, and I have had family
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members of that has had
to, and I just want to say,
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Ah but what, you
just can't stop them.
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Kerry: I tried, I
told her bad company
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corrupts good morals,
don't hang out with people
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who are going to
corrupt the standard you've got.
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Of course I'm not,
you understand I'm fine.
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And little by little
you see the eroding of those
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standards and going
back into that lifestyle.
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So she did and was
in it for several years.
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Cheri: not wanting to talk
with you or anybody at all.
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Know if she was using,
she would not hang around me.
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If she wasn't using she would
call and want to talk to me.
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She was using a lot so
we didn't talk very much.
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About 6 months ago she
got into a car accident where
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she was thrown out of
the car about 80 feet and she
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landed, primarily, on her face.
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So she broke like 86 bones
an her face, broke her hip,
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broke her leg, broke her
collar bone, she just really
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got messed up
and should have died.
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One of the first responders
to the scene that found
00:09:48.75\00:09:52.05
her was holding onto her.
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And this lady is not a
Christian, but she heard a
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voice saying, she's choking.
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Dana had stopped breathing,
stopped doing everything.
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But she had a hold of
her arm just squeezing and so
00:10:01.85\00:10:04.88
she turned her over and
she started breathing again.
00:10:04.91\00:10:06.96
The blood and stuff
came out of her mouth and she
00:10:06.99\00:10:09.23
basically saved her life.
00:10:09.26\00:10:10.92
They lost her 2 or
3 times on the flight
00:10:10.95\00:10:13.63
from northern Idaho to Boise.
00:10:13.66\00:10:16.24
When she got in the
hospital she came to, out of the
00:10:16.27\00:10:19.63
coma, she knew that God
had said, are you done yet?
00:10:19.66\00:10:23.58
I'm right here - and I
just want to say something.
00:10:23.61\00:10:26.62
I know that you know this.
00:10:26.65\00:10:28.39
God did not cause the
accident, didn't set it up,
00:10:28.42\00:10:31.14
It's just that He
says, are you done yet?
00:10:31.17\00:10:34.25
You know God Himself I
think at times says I can't
00:10:34.28\00:10:37.38
stand to see you
even hurt anymore.
00:10:37.41\00:10:39.83
I can stand another
drunk driving accident, or DUI,
00:10:39.86\00:10:42.61
or another child molested, or
you in another bad relationship,
00:10:42.64\00:10:46.81
or all the sudden damaging
your liver little bit more.
00:10:46.84\00:10:49.80
I can't stand it
are you done yet?
00:10:49.83\00:10:51.59
Because I love you, and
I feel like that is what
00:10:51.62\00:10:53.71
He said to her, are you done?
00:10:53.74\00:10:54.97
Luckily she said yes.
00:10:55.00\00:10:56.74
Kerry: she woke up
from that and said I am done
00:10:56.77\00:10:58.79
and she is serving God.
00:10:58.82\00:11:00.47
She is walking, and going
to church with us every Sunday.
00:11:00.50\00:11:03.10
Cheri: an her face
looks - not my sister's face
00:11:03.13\00:11:07.41
from before, but
she's beautiful - Amen!
00:11:07.44\00:11:09.81
You can see God's
love shining out from her.
00:11:09.84\00:11:11.83
She is going through
surgery still to correct
00:11:11.86\00:11:14.93
things, she has a few
more big ones in front of
00:11:14.96\00:11:16.87
her but her heart is
so in love with Jesus
00:11:16.90\00:11:20.12
- don't you just love that?
00:11:20.15\00:11:21.90
Yep - it's like oh, and that
has got to be the best feeling.
00:11:21.93\00:11:24.92
I remember every once in
awhile when I get to pray
00:11:24.95\00:11:27.88
with my family for what
ever reason, there's a crisis
00:11:27.91\00:11:29.89
and they let me, I
just almost tremble,
00:11:29.92\00:11:32.37
Oh, please hear God.
00:11:32.40\00:11:34.70
Turn it over.
00:11:34.73\00:11:36.73
Well it is interesting
I talked to her about,
00:11:36.76\00:11:38.10
she wanted to talk to
me, she said before I was
00:11:38.13\00:11:41.27
going to church because
you was going to church,
00:11:41.30\00:11:42.80
I was doing the worship
stuff because everyone else
00:11:42.83\00:11:45.51
was doing it because
other people were doing it.
00:11:45.54\00:11:47.61
It wasn't my personal
relationship with Jesus.
00:11:47.64\00:11:50.65
And now it is, He loves
me and I love Him, this is
00:11:50.68\00:11:54.34
about Him and me, it's
not about anybody else.
00:11:54.37\00:11:56.45
She said that is why I
know I will never go back
00:11:56.48\00:11:59.38
- I'm okay now - yeah.
00:11:59.41\00:12:00.64
That's incredible, so
coming from that background
00:12:00.67\00:12:03.75
and watching, even some
family member choosing to
00:12:03.78\00:12:07.12
still live in addiction
and all that kind of stuff,
00:12:07.15\00:12:09.24
and even her coming out
of addiction, is where God
00:12:09.27\00:12:12.28
lead you from as far as
employment, as far as where
00:12:12.31\00:12:16.45
you met your wife and
all that kind of stuff.
00:12:16.48\00:12:19.53
I met my wife before I
got saved at church camp up
00:12:19.56\00:12:22.45
where I live - because
you were just going - yeah.
00:12:22.48\00:12:24.71
And my mom said go to
this camp, so okay I went to
00:12:24.74\00:12:29.36
this camp and met
this cute young girl there.
00:12:29.39\00:12:30.97
Started hanging out with
her and found out she was from
00:12:31.00\00:12:32.85
Boise, so see we move all
the time and sure enough my
00:12:32.88\00:12:35.82
mom said we are going to
move again, Boise, I say Boise
00:12:35.85\00:12:38.19
That's okay, so I went
to Boise and found her again
00:12:38.22\00:12:42.32
and start going to that church.
00:12:42.35\00:12:43.53
That is where met that
Pastor, that is where he shared
00:12:43.56\00:12:45.66
the gospel with me and
then my family moved again.
00:12:45.69\00:12:48.09
I told my mom no
for the first time.
00:12:48.12\00:12:51.77
Cheri: I'm not going
this time - I'm not going.
00:12:51.80\00:12:54.46
We had a big fight,
she was very angry with me.
00:12:54.49\00:12:57.15
She said you're
going, I said I'm not.
00:12:57.18\00:12:59.36
I'm not going I can't.
00:12:59.39\00:13:00.95
So she said you find a family
that will take you and you
00:13:00.98\00:13:04.37
can stay, because she
didn't think I would, and I did.
00:13:04.40\00:13:06.87
God opened up the door
for Christian family that was
00:13:06.90\00:13:09.11
going to that same church
and they took me into their
00:13:09.14\00:13:11.39
home, I don't know why they did.
00:13:11.42\00:13:12.45
Because I was a
rebellious angry kid,
00:13:12.48\00:13:14.64
I would've done it.
00:13:14.67\00:13:15.83
Cheri: and you know what
is really interesting and
00:13:15.86\00:13:17.32
I got to say it here is
that I can't imagine you
00:13:17.35\00:13:19.81
as an angry
rebellious kid, so what did that
00:13:19.84\00:13:22.01
look like for you.
00:13:22.04\00:13:23.08
Because every time I
have seen you, every time I
00:13:23.11\00:13:25.37
have come in and out of
your life throughout the years,
00:13:25.40\00:13:28.03
you have been gentle
and even almost quiet in the
00:13:28.06\00:13:32.83
way you come across.
00:13:32.86\00:13:34.43
So what did angry,
rebellious look like to you?
00:13:34.46\00:13:37.79
With the lack of father
figure, with the constant
00:13:37.82\00:13:40.87
moving and not building
relationships, and not knowing
00:13:40.90\00:13:43.33
how to build relationships,
because we're constantly
00:13:43.36\00:13:45.52
in a point of transition.
00:13:45.55\00:13:47.04
Constantly going to the
new school were your the new
00:13:47.07\00:13:48.85
kid, so you know
you're the victim,
00:13:48.88\00:13:50.84
you're going to have to
walk to that whole thing again.
00:13:50.87\00:13:52.57
That and other things cause
such a frustration and anger
00:13:52.60\00:13:56.41
that I was mad at everybody.
00:13:56.44\00:13:59.68
I was mad at the world, I
didn't care about anybody.
00:13:59.71\00:14:02.07
I used to tell the guys
on my caseload, when I was
00:14:02.10\00:14:05.66
supervisor on probation
parole, if God had gotten a hold
00:14:05.69\00:14:08.66
of me when I was 17 I would
have been dead or in prison.
00:14:08.69\00:14:11.18
I know I would have -
right because you were going in
00:14:11.21\00:14:13.21
that direction - oh yeah.
00:14:13.24\00:14:14.56
So this family says, you
know what you can stay here.
00:14:14.59\00:14:17.33
Set some boundaries I'm
sure - they did, they set
00:14:17.36\00:14:21.32
some boundaries
which I broke all of.
00:14:21.35\00:14:22.65
I start hanging out at
this church, and hanging out
00:14:22.68\00:14:27.04
with this cute girl and
this Pastor sat me down and
00:14:27.07\00:14:29.40
said it's all done, you
have to be done with that,
00:14:29.43\00:14:32.44
you just have to.
00:14:32.47\00:14:33.78
So I went home, God
told me to obey so I did.
00:14:33.81\00:14:35.98
I came back and he sat
down and began tutoring me
00:14:36.01\00:14:38.73
and teaching me
how to be a man of God.
00:14:38.76\00:14:41.11
He walked that pretty
girl and I threw premarital
00:14:41.14\00:14:45.33
counseling and that's
my wife - for 28 years.
00:14:45.36\00:14:48.73
One of the things that
God did to do the gentleness,
00:14:48.76\00:14:50.91
it's I have 4
daughters and no sons.
00:14:50.94\00:14:53.01
So I live in a home
with one wife, 4 daughters,
00:14:53.04\00:14:56.50
1 bathroom where we have
been for the last 20 years
00:14:56.53\00:14:59.16
and God surrounded me
with women so I would have
00:14:59.19\00:15:02.06
to be gentle, I
would have to be calm.
00:15:02.09\00:15:05.01
He helped train that
out of me if you will.
00:15:05.04\00:15:09.10
You talked a little
earlier about probation parole,
00:15:09.13\00:15:13.06
what is that, what do
you mean by that, and how did
00:15:13.09\00:15:15.75
God lead you
into that direction?
00:15:15.78\00:15:17.14
That's was pretty fascinating,
00:15:17.17\00:15:18.46
I did a lot of different jobs.
00:15:18.49\00:15:19.80
I did a car washing
job, did dish washing,
00:15:19.83\00:15:22.09
did all sorts of
different odd jobs.
00:15:22.12\00:15:24.45
And then I got a job working
for a company where I was
00:15:24.48\00:15:27.29
a liaison between some
drivers for long haul trailers.
00:15:27.32\00:15:30.98
Pulling trailers all
over the United States
00:15:31.01\00:15:33.91
from Boise Idaho.
00:15:33.94\00:15:35.04
I was working with them
and one of the guys in the
00:15:35.07\00:15:37.88
church said, "hey
the prison is hiring. "
00:15:37.91\00:15:39.57
We need to put in an
application, I said I spent half
00:15:39.60\00:15:42.74
my life running away from
cops, I don't want to be one.
00:15:42.77\00:15:44.91
He said no I really think
the Lord is in this, we need
00:15:44.94\00:15:47.95
to go put in the application.
00:15:47.98\00:15:49.01
Well that rat, I don't
even think he put in his
00:15:49.04\00:15:50.37
application, but I went
and put mine in - that's funny.
00:15:50.40\00:15:53.31
I put my application in
and they called me for an
00:15:53.34\00:15:55.70
interview, so I told them
where I worked that out was
00:15:55.73\00:15:57.96
going to go for this
silly little interview for a
00:15:57.99\00:15:59.58
little bit and I would be
back, don't worry about it.
00:15:59.61\00:16:01.13
Because I don't want the job.
00:16:01.16\00:16:02.32
So I go to the interview
and they want to hire me.
00:16:02.35\00:16:04.54
And I go back to my job
and they say, we are really
00:16:04.57\00:16:06.63
glad the interview went
well because we are going to
00:16:06.66\00:16:08.08
have to let you go
- you are kidding me!
00:16:08.11\00:16:11.81
That's what I
said, you are kidding me.
00:16:11.84\00:16:13.88
No, we looked at our
records and we are in the red
00:16:13.91\00:16:15.89
and you are one of the
last ones hired so we are really
00:16:15.92\00:16:18.25
glad you are going to
go to work for the prison.
00:16:18.28\00:16:19.56
I don't want to go
to work for the prison,
00:16:19.59\00:16:21.61
so I went to
work for the prison.
00:16:21.64\00:16:23.23
Cheri: that is hysterical,
don't you think God is funny?
00:16:23.26\00:16:26.95
Kerry: Oh, He's hilarious!
00:16:26.98\00:16:28.15
Cheri: to me I think God
was just saying eventually he
00:16:28.18\00:16:31.65
is going to get
that I set this up.
00:16:31.68\00:16:33.47
Kerry: Yep and I
didn't, I fought it for awhile.
00:16:33.50\00:16:35.70
The whole 5 weeks I'm in
the academy being training to do
00:16:35.73\00:16:39.89
handcuffing, arrest techniques,
fire arms and all that
00:16:39.92\00:16:41.91
stuff, it's kind of cool
training but I'm like what am I
00:16:41.94\00:16:43.85
doing here, this is not
what I want to do with my life.
00:16:43.88\00:16:46.43
I had been doing a lot
of evangelism while I was
00:16:46.46\00:16:49.76
doing those other jobs.
00:16:49.80\00:16:50.85
I would be on the
streets on the weekend talking
00:16:50.89\00:16:52.33
to guys and
telling them about God.
00:16:52.36\00:16:54.03
When I walked into the
prison, my first day on the job,
00:16:54.06\00:16:57.08
some of those same guys
were there as prisoners.
00:16:57.11\00:17:01.00
They thought I followed
them in - exactly it's like
00:17:01.03\00:17:04.03
were you doing here.
00:17:04.06\00:17:05.42
So they started
meeting me when I was on shift,
00:17:05.45\00:17:07.87
with their Bibles
asking me questions because
00:17:07.90\00:17:09.87
they knew who I was.
00:17:09.90\00:17:11.89
As a state employee that
gets a little bit interesting.
00:17:11.92\00:17:14.76
Cheri: it's really discouraged
on to bring God into the
00:17:14.79\00:17:20.36
picture with all
that kind of stuff - yes.
00:17:20.39\00:17:21.67
So I was in the
lieutenants office and she said,
00:17:21.70\00:17:24.27
what are you
doing with the inmates?
00:17:24.30\00:17:25.93
I said, I'm doing work
crews, I'm helping, she said
00:17:25.96\00:17:29.27
that is not what
I'm talking about.
00:17:29.30\00:17:30.98
What's this Bible thing?
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.14
Well they know me
from before and they know
00:17:32.17\00:17:35.24
that I'm a Christian
so they bring me their
00:17:35.27\00:17:37.45
Bibles and ask me questions.
00:17:37.48\00:17:38.58
Well you can't do that.
00:17:38.61\00:17:40.19
I said, with all due
respect my job as a correctional
00:17:40.22\00:17:43.54
officer is to use my life
experience to prepare them
00:17:43.57\00:17:47.57
for the outside and there
is only one thing I'm good at,
00:17:47.60\00:17:50.31
and that is God,
that is all I know.
00:17:50.34\00:17:52.71
So they are asking me
something that I know and
00:17:52.74\00:17:54.96
I am answering their questions,
00:17:54.99\00:17:56.02
is that against the rules?
00:17:56.05\00:17:57.12
Come to find out
that Lieutenant was
00:17:57.15\00:17:58.94
a back slidden Christian. - wow!
00:17:58.97\00:18:00.99
She was very concerned
for me that I was going to
00:18:01.02\00:18:04.24
get ganged by the offenders
and get disorientated and walk
00:18:04.27\00:18:07.54
away from God like she did.
00:18:07.57\00:18:08.69
I ended up helping her
recommit her life to the Lord in
00:18:08.72\00:18:11.56
her office that day -
that's incredible - and then she
00:18:11.59\00:18:14.33
was my most staunch protector
from that point forward.
00:18:14.36\00:18:18.40
And God had you doing what
you were doing and it's okay.
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.47
Kerry: as long as I
stay within the policy of the
00:18:21.50\00:18:23.51
department -
exactly - and so I did.
00:18:23.54\00:18:25.81
I was there for about 2
years and then I moved to
00:18:25.84\00:18:28.54
probation parole
which is where met Max and
00:18:28.57\00:18:31.03
a bunch of other guys.
00:18:31.06\00:18:32.17
You know the first time I
heard you say that you are
00:18:32.20\00:18:34.85
going from this environment
to move in here, is that
00:18:34.88\00:18:37.50
you said that all of a
sudden those same guys that are
00:18:37.53\00:18:39.75
in jail are right
in front of me again.
00:18:39.78\00:18:41.41
It was because they
started getting out on parole -
00:18:41.44\00:18:43.67
exactly- so I was
there talking to them,
00:18:43.70\00:18:45.35
and I went here than they
all started showing up here,
00:18:45.38\00:18:47.40
it was incredible.
00:18:47.43\00:18:48.58
And so for people who haven't
seen the program with you and
00:18:48.61\00:18:53.69
Max who is Max and when
you say that is where I met Max
00:18:53.72\00:18:56.60
Max Rivera is one of the
guys that came out of prison
00:18:56.63\00:18:59.45
and on to my
caseload, one of many.
00:18:59.48\00:19:01.36
But God did something
different with Max and I,
00:19:01.39\00:19:04.91
He built a relationship.
00:19:04.94\00:19:06.36
When Max came out I
talked to him like other guys,
00:19:06.39\00:19:10.74
I invited him to church,
like a lot of other guys.
00:19:10.77\00:19:13.13
Max is one of the
few that actually came.
00:19:13.16\00:19:14.60
He start coming church and
started learning about God.
00:19:14.63\00:19:16.80
I'm not sure of all of
his reasons for coming, but I
00:19:16.83\00:19:20.17
knew God was - I think
he was playing you at first.
00:19:20.20\00:19:21.88
Kerry: it's a very
strong possibility.
00:19:21.91\00:19:24.25
You know we had a saying
with probation parole, our
00:19:24.28\00:19:29.36
bosses would say you have
to be careful not get gamed.
00:19:29.39\00:19:31.38
And we know because we
are around those offenders
00:19:31.41\00:19:33.67
all the time, they are
going to game us, they are going
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.17
to game us a lot, but
our hope is in gaming us and
00:19:36.20\00:19:40.14
doing those things
they eventually see the
00:19:40.17\00:19:42.62
fruitlessness of that
and the fruitfulness of
00:19:42.65\00:19:44.12
living a pro-social life.
00:19:44.15\00:19:45.59
You know I just have to
tell you, I was interviewing
00:19:45.62\00:19:49.27
this guy that
just got out of prison.
00:19:49.30\00:19:51.33
He said, you know I
found out that the parole board
00:19:51.36\00:19:55.45
likes to have little
certificates, you know they just
00:19:55.48\00:19:58.33
like to know you completed
something and all that.
00:19:58.36\00:20:00.84
He said, So I took a
Bible study class because at the
00:20:00.87\00:20:05.58
end of that they gave you
your certificate and I was a
00:20:05.61\00:20:08.02
come in with this certificate
and just know that I am
00:20:08.05\00:20:12.28
going to impress them.
00:20:12.31\00:20:13.45
He said, do you know God
caught me, so I think that
00:20:13.48\00:20:18.05
what you are saying that
during that time, regardless
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.42
of the game that you
are aware of that, set some
00:20:20.45\00:20:24.12
boundaries and watch
them grow through that.
00:20:24.15\00:20:26.54
Right, God says, that
God's word does not return void.
00:20:26.57\00:20:29.18
It will accomplish
what He sent it to do.
00:20:29.21\00:20:31.70
So I was hoping and
praying that the seeds that we
00:20:31.73\00:20:35.35
were planting and those
young men's lives, were going
00:20:35.38\00:20:37.35
to bear fruit, and in
Max Rivera's life it did.
00:20:37.38\00:20:39.73
And several other
young men's lives it did.
00:20:39.76\00:20:41.90
They heeded the call
and start following God and
00:20:41.93\00:20:45.45
starting
turning their life over.
00:20:45.48\00:20:47.03
Max's story is incredible,
he's done phenomenal things.
00:20:47.06\00:20:49.53
He is on the governor's
task force for gang related
00:20:49.56\00:20:52.16
issues in Idaho.
00:20:52.19\00:20:53.56
He led a Cin?co de Ma?yo?event
where he did an outreach
00:20:53.59\00:20:56.55
in the parks to the gangs.
00:20:56.59\00:20:58.28
You know when you talk
about Max and doing that,
00:20:58.32\00:21:02.45
this is a guy that was
facing like 80 years in prison.
00:21:02.48\00:21:06.49
This is a guy that could
walk off and leave you for
00:21:06.52\00:21:10.45
dead and not
think twice about it.
00:21:10.48\00:21:12.28
And this is a guy whose
whole family was Mafia involved.
00:21:12.31\00:21:15.50
You actually walked into
this home and would mentor him.
00:21:15.53\00:21:19.92
So when you say he did
this with the governor,
00:21:19.95\00:21:23.35
with Cin?co de Ma?yo?Day
and the stuff I want people
00:21:23.38\00:21:27.63
get the feel of, and we're
going to meet Max in the next
00:21:27.66\00:21:30.67
segment, but I want people to
get a feel, this is incredible.
00:21:30.70\00:21:33.84
Absolutely, it's a miracle.
00:21:33.87\00:21:35.27
When you talk about the
government's tasks force thing,
00:21:35.30\00:21:39.87
what is that about?
00:21:39.90\00:21:41.26
There is a gang issue
in Idaho and for many years
00:21:41.29\00:21:44.72
Idahoans did not want to
see that and they didn't want
00:21:44.75\00:21:47.86
to recognize it, but
eventually they had to because
00:21:47.89\00:21:50.37
it had gotten out of control.
00:21:50.40\00:21:51.87
So now they are
looking for solutions to how to
00:21:51.90\00:21:53.79
minister to the gangs,
how to meet their needs,
00:21:53.82\00:21:55.66
how to deal
with this gang issue.
00:21:55.69\00:21:57.50
Well Max Rivera today is
a man who was part of the
00:21:57.53\00:22:01.81
gangs, but now it's
a mighty man of God.
00:22:01.84\00:22:03.90
He knows Biblical principles
and he knows what those
00:22:03.93\00:22:06.38
gang members need.
00:22:06.41\00:22:07.70
The rest of the programs
that come up, although they
00:22:07.73\00:22:10.78
are good at dealing
with some of the symptoms,
00:22:10.81\00:22:12.67
they can't deal
with the heart issues
00:22:12.70\00:22:14.47
and Max knows that God can.
00:22:14.50\00:22:15.98
You know I go ahead and
take a break because I want to
00:22:16.01\00:22:18.87
break and come back and
talk about, for one I want to
00:22:18.90\00:22:23.88
talk about you in your take
on why did he respond to you.
00:22:23.91\00:22:28.43
Why did he respond in
such a way, why did he stand up
00:22:28.46\00:22:32.30
and how did he get the
strength underneath him
00:22:32.33\00:22:34.02
and why did the other guys too.
00:22:34.05\00:22:35.60
And I know the answer to
that, because I know you right!
00:22:35.63\00:22:38.80
But I want to talk about
that, I want to meet Max.
00:22:38.83\00:22:40.68
I want to talk about some
things that you maybe you can
00:22:40.71\00:22:44.67
encourage even the church to
do that, it's a little different
00:22:44.70\00:22:47.70
when people come in the
door and then I want to find out
00:22:47.73\00:22:49.56
what you are doing now because
you have another gig now.
00:22:49.59\00:22:50.94
It is not
probation parole - right!
00:22:50.97\00:22:54.12
So we are going to be
right back, stay tuned and I
00:22:54.15\00:22:56.61
want you as you listen
to this testimony, as you
00:22:56.64\00:23:00.02
listen to this
story, as you hear from the
00:23:00.05\00:23:02.60
point of view of
Kerry about these guys and
00:23:02.63\00:23:06.99
how God has
moved in Kerry's life.
00:23:07.02\00:23:08.96
I want you just
think about God and your
00:23:08.99\00:23:11.16
own life and just say,
you know what I want the
00:23:11.19\00:23:13.25
same thing in my life.
00:23:13.28\00:23:14.31
I want you to move in my
life the same way, well not the
00:23:14.34\00:23:16.99
same way you know what I mean.
00:23:17.02\00:23:18.37