Welcome to Celebrating Life In
Recovery, I'm Cheri your host.
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Sometimes we literally
get slammed in this life, and
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during those
times we see who we are,
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but more
importantly we see who God is.
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That's what we're going
to look on the set at today.
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So come join us!
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Welcome back, I travel all
over the country, and there
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are sometimes I
just get blessed because
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I get to a place, and I
literally get to watch the folks
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that are from that church,
from that community stepping
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out and doing ministry.
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It is a ministry they are
ready have established and
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some people just bless me.
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What they are doing is
so real and so honest, I
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just want to know, where
were they when I was a kid.
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So this next group that
you're going to meet, you have
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met Monica before,
Monica's been on another show.
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It is her family, and as I
got to know them and watching
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the ministry, and watching
them work with adolescents
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and watching them bring
in people into their homes
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and loving on them, and
then I see and hear their
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own testimony and
where God has led them.
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I was so kind of shocked
because some stories I was
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hearing was so sad, yet I
saw this joy and this healing
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that is I wanted for them
to unfold it for me to see how
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those two went together.
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They did and I was blessed
so, I want to have you meet the
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folks that I met when I
was in Greeley California.
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So Mark, come on up
because I want to start with you
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because, I want
to know who you were,
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who's your wife, how
you fell in love, and
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some things before you
share with us what happened.
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Well Cathy was my wife and
we were married 29 years, and
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it was always
getting better - good!
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I've known her since she
was 14, and we have two sons,
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Mark and Luke.
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Cathy was the only girl I
had ever kissed and it still
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that way today - when you
first said that to me, did
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you see the tears of
wield up in my eyes? - yeah!
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My heart just went like
no way, how romantic is that.
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She really was the love of
your life, you have known her
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whole life - yes - yes.
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That is incredibly cool.
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So you end up married and
having your sons and your sons
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move away and you're
going to help them on a move.
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Yes, both of my sons
decided to move to Michigan, my
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older son Mark moved first.
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Luke with his wife Candace
and they have two children
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that they are guardians of,
where going to move to Michigan
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in March of 2006.
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Cathy and I wanted to go
with them because my sister,
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her family were there - so
they are moving to Michigan.
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The ministry I saw them
with the teens and had two
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people with them
from that ministry.
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Candace was pregnant too, right?
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Yes, she was like 7 months
pregnant - okay - at that time.
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We met them at their home
in Bakersfield, my wife and I
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drove the truck and the some
followed in the car behind us.
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The following day in New Mexico,
Luke and I and Raymond, the
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son they were taken
care of, were in the U-Haul.
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Cathy and Candace
and Amanda were following
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in the spot behind us.
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It started snowing, and
when we came on the freeway the
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traffic had stopped, because
there was a wreck farther
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up ahead, so we
stopped behind them.
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A semi truck went slow in
the left lane, and after it
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had went by two cars
spun out by that short time.
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I told Luke to get on the
phone and tell Cathy to pull
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up beside us,
because this can't be safe.
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He picked up the phone and
looked in his mirror and said
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dad were going to get hit.
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All of a sudden our truck
was moving forward, and we hit
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the back of the
truck in front of us.
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We had the biggest U-Haul
truck, and I knew that Cathy
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was behind us and we were
moved forward, so I knew they
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had been hit and it would
be bad because our truck was
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moving, and I had
my foot on the brake.
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You had a lot in those
big U-Haul's, you had a lot
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around you and they
were in a smaller car.
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Yeah, they were
in a Passat - wow.
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And I remember opening
the door of the truck, and I
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didn't want to look back,
because I knew it was going to
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be bad, because we had moved.
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I finally turned my head
and the car had been pushed up
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beside us in the roof was
tore off from the driver side
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and sticking up in the air.
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I walked back there and
picked up the headliner of the
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car and the three girls
were in there - you could see
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them? - yes, and they
were, nobody was moving.
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Then Amanda after a certain
- but you know I've asked
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you this before, because
it seems like time must of
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stood still for
you in that moment?
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Yeah afterwards, I realize
that I do not remember any
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noises, it seemed real
peaceful, and I remember
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thinking, God is making
this peaceful - because there
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were people were sliding
into each other all around you
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- yeah there were about 20
to 25 cars in the total pile up.
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There were semi's, a city
bus, but there was this strange
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peace at the same time,
and I remember thinking, God is
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doing this because this is
something you normally read
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in Reader's Digest and tragedy
stories and just those stories.
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I remember having that
thought went through my mind,
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they should be
in Reader's Digest,
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but it is happening to me.
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This was real.
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I was a volunteer fireman
in the past and I remembered
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the ABCs of
rescues first is airway.
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So I checked my wife airwave,
but there was no, nothing,
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I mean, when I
picked up her head.
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I tried to open her airway,
but nothing happened - wow.
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Then I can see a blue
lump on her neck, and I thought
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her neck was probably
broken, and so I just laid - so
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you going through doing
the right thing, everything was
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kind of peaceful, slow
motion, sound and even the snow
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was still falling.
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Yes, and it started snowing
harder after the accident,
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and it popped into my mind
these are Jesus' tears that
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froze, you know,
because it was cold out.
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And one thing -
because you felt a sense of God
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grieving for you? - yes,
because I knew Jesus doesn't
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want anybody to die, and
He is sad when there is death
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of saved or unsaved
people, especially the unsaved
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people, He is more sad.
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I wanted to say something,
but the only thing that came
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to my mind was
Jesus be with her - Amen!
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Afterwards, I realized God
is in my life, this is coming
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to my mind because
I always doubt myself.
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My relationship with God,
sometimes - but during that
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time, you didn't
doubt Him at all.
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He was right there, present
with you, even feeling His
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tears on your skin.
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Yeah, and Luke came
around after he can get through
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the wreck and we
stood there and we prayed.
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Just for a short moment
that we would stick with God and
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not let this ruin our lives
- I'm going to come back to
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this right here, but I
want to ask Luke to come up.
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So will you come back up
after I introduced folks to
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Luke, to Amanda, to Monica.
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Then I want to know, why
is it that when I met you the
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only thing I felt was
a man of God full of joy.
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So this right now, I do
not know how you survived that.
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So, I want to talk with
your son real quick - sure.
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Luke, come on up, and so now I
see your father going over there
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You knew that you were
going to get hit, you knew
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at that moment said that
something is going to happen.
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Did you even want to get
out of a car and go back there?
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The first thing I thought
we were hit, I was on the
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passenger side so I
didn't see the car was to get
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Raymond to safety, because
when I got out of the U-Haul
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after we got hit.
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I looked back, and a couple
hundred feet back I saw this
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semi at a high-speed hit a
car stopped on the roadway.
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So I knew it was really
dangerous - so you had this
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little kid with you still
- right and so I basically
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yanked him out of the U-Haul
and ran to the side of the
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freeway towards a fence
side and have him stand there.
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I still had my dads cell
phone in my hand, and I called
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911, and they said
there was already emergency
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vehicles on the way.
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I was like okay and they
asked if anyone was hurt, and I
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stop for a second and
thought that I hadn't even seen
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the car that my wife
and my mom were riding in.
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I thought, you
know what I don't know.
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So, she said that's
fine, emergency crews are on
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their way so I hung up.
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And to get to the U-Haul, since
there was a big pile up behind
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us I had to crawl under the
semi that we had been hit into.
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When I got on their side,
I saw the car and it didn't
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look like a car,
it was so destroyed
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When I first saw it, I was
so shocked because it didn't
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look like a car, it just
look like a pile of metal.
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Yeah, yeah and I got up to
the car and looked because my
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wife was right in
the back seat sleeping.
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The bumper and part of the
trunk was pushed up over her
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and I called her name a
few times, she didn't move she
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didn't say anything.
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My dad was working on my
mom trying to clear her airway
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and Amanda was crying and
begging me to get her out of
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the car - so Amanda was
at that point becoming fully
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awake - she - she was already
awake by the time I got there.
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But my first thought was
to pray, and I prayed to God
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and said God, I know that
you can raise them from the
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dead, but I said I had
peace about this and that I felt
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it happen for a reason, I
am okay with this happening
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because You're in control.
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Like my dad said, I felt
total peace at that time.
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So literally isn't that
interesting, that literally God
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just was with you guys,
because both of you said the
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same thing.
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For whatever reason, as
strange as this might sound to
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anybody, was that I knew
that God was with me - oh yeah!
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I knew that God was with
them, I knew that we were okay.
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There was not a doubt in
when the Bible says that it is
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a peace that passes
all understanding that is
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totally true, because
the worst day of my life,
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I was feeling terrible
but was totally at peace.
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Totally at peace - your
wife and your daughter didn't
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make it - right my wife
was seven months pregnant with
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Katrina. Right!
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They did not - and even
when you say with Katrina, and
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that you found out it was a
girl during the autopsy - yeah,
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afterwards it was a day or
two after the funeral home.
00:11:25.46\00:11:28.36
They had asked if I had known
it was boy or girl, I said no,
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so they found out and told me.
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Wow, how did you survive that?
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And did that peace's
stay with you as you walked
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from the accident.
00:11:40.14\00:11:41.82
Cause that had to be
crazy with all the emergency
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vehicles got there and tried
to get everybody dealt with.
00:11:44.79\00:11:47.54
Like I rode with Amanda
to the hospital and spent the
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rest of the day in the
hospital with her, but the peace
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never left, and honestly, I
had hard times where I'm sad,
00:11:53.36\00:11:57.71
but being at peace I've
still had the peace so - because
00:11:57.74\00:12:02.06
you know, you will
see them again - oh yeah.
00:12:02.09\00:12:03.69
And that definitely helps.
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.52
I wonder how people who
don't believe in God or have a
00:12:05.56\00:12:07.73
relationship with Him or
how they can deal with death.
00:12:07.77\00:12:10.58
Because with no hope, I
can't see how you can handle a
00:12:10.61\00:12:13.39
situation like that.
00:12:13.42\00:12:15.10
Did those scriptures
about the Resurrection and
00:12:15.14\00:12:17.59
seeing your loved ones
again, did those scriptures
00:12:17.62\00:12:20.04
come up for you right away?
00:12:20.08\00:12:21.56
I don't remember certain
scriptures, but I remember just
00:12:21.59\00:12:24.66
having that peace of
Yeah I would see them again,
00:12:24.69\00:12:27.09
that they were
saved there was no doubt.
00:12:27.13\00:12:28.99
I never doubted, like
is it true or anything.
00:12:29.03\00:12:32.11
The whole thing has just
made everything more real to me.
00:12:32.15\00:12:35.55
And you know that, and
we're going to get back to that,
00:12:35.59\00:12:38.92
because that's what I saw in
your life when I met you guys at
00:12:38.95\00:12:42.50
first, I saw such a joy, I'm
going to Saturday Night Live and
00:12:42.54\00:12:46.18
watching you minister to youth
and you love of each other.
00:12:46.22\00:12:49.98
There is such a joy and such
a realness in your Christianity.
00:12:50.01\00:12:53.73
I mean, it really is that
you are the hand and feet of
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Christ in that community,
and so when you start telling me
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this and I'm thinking what do
you mean that you've just lost
00:12:59.72\00:13:02.57
your wife, what you mean
and I wanted to stop knowing
00:13:02.60\00:13:05.66
you're doing this ministry
and saying, are you okay
00:13:05.69\00:13:08.91
And you're looking at me
saying I'm more than okay - oh
00:13:08.95\00:13:12.13
yeah - that's a lot.
00:13:12.17\00:13:13.37
Because before I had more
trust in having a good job or
00:13:13.40\00:13:16.68
providing for my family
wanting to do it for myself,
00:13:16.72\00:13:19.96
where God wasn't number 1.
00:13:20.00\00:13:21.94
Now I have the real joy
because I am not looking to more
00:13:21.97\00:13:26.00
feeling happier safe by
what I do or what I earn, or how
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comfortable I am or the
amount of money or any of that.
00:13:29.16\00:13:31.82
I found out that God is
the only thing that will ever
00:13:31.86\00:13:34.48
bring true joy or
happiness and that is the most
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important thing.
00:13:36.29\00:13:37.29
A lot of good has
come out of a bad thing.
00:13:37.33\00:13:40.97
God has led my to
dedicating my life to being a
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missionary, my whole
life, not a 1 or 5 years or 10
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years, it's my whole
life, no retirement, nothing.
00:13:46.70\00:13:49.20
I'm just being in missionary
- and it's almost like
00:13:49.24\00:13:52.55
when you see, to me some
time, somebody will say, you
00:13:52.59\00:13:55.55
know, this world, I
really actually like it here and
00:13:55.59\00:13:58.48
I'm thinking, man people are
dying, people are losing family
00:13:58.51\00:14:02.08
members, there's addiction,
molest, and we were really
00:14:02.12\00:14:05.15
made for another
place - old yeah.
00:14:05.18\00:14:07.30
Death really has you
evaluate that, do you actually
00:14:07.34\00:14:10.44
believe what the Bible
has to say about you know,
00:14:10.47\00:14:13.51
this world is so hurtful,
and God said there is going to
00:14:13.54\00:14:16.74
be a day I will
comeback and were out of here.
00:14:16.78\00:14:19.24
Yeah - and until then
work for Me - I'm looking
00:14:19.28\00:14:22.39
forward to that,
because it just showed me how
00:14:22.43\00:14:25.47
everything is meaningless
in this world and people is
00:14:25.50\00:14:29.28
all that matters to me now.
00:14:29.31\00:14:30.65
You know relationships
with people and sharing what
00:14:30.69\00:14:32.65
Jesus has done in my life
and what He can do for them.
00:14:32.69\00:14:35.71
I wish I could show them
you, and I should say, you at
00:14:35.74\00:14:38.85
work, but it's not work
for you in your life, loving
00:14:38.89\00:14:41.96
on folks,
because it is way cool.
00:14:42.00\00:14:44.06
Yeah, I don't view it
as work, missionary work
00:14:44.10\00:14:47.37
is not work to me.
00:14:47.40\00:14:48.87
I look forward to it I
love it - your a man of God.
00:14:48.90\00:14:52.60
So, you know, when you're
dad talked about your mom and
00:14:52.64\00:14:55.51
said that that was the
first girl I ever kissed, that
00:14:55.54\00:14:58.49
was the same for you -
Yep and growing up I wasn't
00:14:58.52\00:15:01.39
someone that I'm only
going to kiss my wife, whatever
00:15:01.43\00:15:04.26
I never said that or
ever thought about it,
00:15:04.30\00:15:05.77
it just ended up that way.
00:15:05.80\00:15:07.45
I was thankful for
it, very thankful for it.
00:15:07.48\00:15:09.26
Exactly, Luke you got to
meet the gentleman that ran
00:15:09.30\00:15:13.08
into Candace - yes -
what happened with that?
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.96
Because I don't even think
unless you know, I know you,
00:15:16.00\00:15:19.06
so, I believe the story,
but it is almost unbelievable.
00:15:19.09\00:15:22.09
Yes, the day after the accident
since it happened in New Mexico
00:15:22.12\00:15:25.96
and close to our family on my
dad's side of the family so we
00:15:25.99\00:15:29.15
able to be right away with
relatives, which it was nice.
00:15:29.18\00:15:32.31
The day after since we
were moving I had about a
00:15:32.34\00:15:34.58
thousand dollars in the
car and I didn't have anything
00:15:34.62\00:15:37.23
to do that day, I felt like
doing something, so I wanted
00:15:37.27\00:15:39.85
to go look for it.
00:15:39.89\00:15:40.87
One of my uncles and two
of my youth leaders flew in
00:15:40.91\00:15:44.51
the day of the accident
just to stay and support us,
00:15:44.54\00:15:48.11
stay with us.
00:15:48.15\00:15:49.13
So we were going to drive
out to the wrecking yard where
00:15:49.16\00:15:52.41
the car was at, it was about
10 miles from the accident site.
00:15:52.44\00:15:54.44
To look for the
money, so we got there and
00:15:54.47\00:15:57.46
looked through the car for
a while and couldn't find it.
00:15:57.49\00:15:58.98
The guy that worked at
the wrecking yard said a few
00:15:59.02\00:16:01.59
times that you should
go look at the accident
00:16:01.62\00:16:03.24
site and see if you
can't find it there.
00:16:03.27\00:16:04.59
I didn't really want to do
that I thought there was no way
00:16:04.62\00:16:06.73
I was going to find it,
there was a big pile-up and
00:16:06.77\00:16:08.72
it had snowed the day
before, and melted off, but as I
00:16:08.76\00:16:10.68
like, I'm not going to find it.
00:16:10.71\00:16:11.68
I kept saying that so
like, alright, we will.
00:16:11.69\00:16:14.01
So we went to the
accident site, and we got there
00:16:14.04\00:16:16.33
There was some
vehicles still there?
00:16:16.37\00:16:18.62
There was not exactly
where our car was at, but there
00:16:18.65\00:16:21.19
have been multiple wrecks
along the freeway, and there
00:16:21.22\00:16:23.73
was still some semis
and cars in different spots.
00:16:23.76\00:16:26.13
They hadn't been taken
away and it was pretty much
00:16:26.16\00:16:28.49
exactly 24 hours
after the accident.
00:16:28.53\00:16:30.65
So we went to the site, when we
got there was a crew measuring
00:16:30.69\00:16:35.56
and surveying the
accident site and investigating
00:16:35.59\00:16:37.81
how it happened.
00:16:37.84\00:16:38.86
I asked them if they had
seen a little wallet with the
00:16:38.90\00:16:41.38
money and they said no.
00:16:41.42\00:16:42.39
They were really
nice, said they were sorry,
00:16:42.40\00:16:44.39
and they got to talk to me.
00:16:44.42\00:16:45.45
And so we turned to leave
and when we turned to leave
00:16:45.48\00:16:47.99
there was a man
standing with them that wasn't
00:16:48.02\00:16:50.41
dressed like them and I could
tell he wasn't part of them.
00:16:50.44\00:16:52.66
He was just standing
around, and he came up to me and
00:16:52.70\00:16:55.33
when he got close to me, he
started crying and told me I
00:16:55.37\00:16:57.97
heard what you said.
00:16:58.01\00:16:59.19
I am the driver who hit and
killed your family yesterday.
00:16:59.23\00:17:03.32
In my first -
how do you do that.
00:17:03.36\00:17:05.83
I'm just stunned even hearing
it, it is just I can even
00:17:05.87\00:17:09.80
imagine looking him and for
that split second saying okay
00:17:09.83\00:17:13.73
God were are we going with this.
00:17:13.77\00:17:15.47
I didn't have time to
think, my first reaction,
00:17:15.50\00:17:18.42
honestly was all God
was I walked right up
00:17:18.45\00:17:21.37
to him and hugged him
and told him it's okay.
00:17:21.41\00:17:24.26
My family and I won't have
any hard feelings, it's okay,
00:17:24.29\00:17:28.76
we know you didn't mean
it and we forgive you and God
00:17:28.80\00:17:33.23
forgives you too.
00:17:33.27\00:17:34.48
He was just crying for a
few minutes and hugging me and
00:17:34.52\00:17:38.30
saying he was
sorry and thank you.
00:17:38.34\00:17:39.91
Then he said, I am not much
of a godly man, but last night I
00:17:39.95\00:17:44.12
I was so troubled that in
the hotel room I prayed to God
00:17:44.16\00:17:48.30
and accepted God because
of this, because I didn't
00:17:48.33\00:17:50.28
know what to do.
00:17:50.32\00:17:51.29
So he didn't say much
else, I said I'm sorry this all
00:17:51.30\00:17:57.51
happened, but I know
God is with you, and that's
00:17:57.55\00:18:00.31
all that matters,
so we parted ways.
00:18:00.35\00:18:03.27
A lot of people ask me if I
felt anger since or whatever
00:18:03.31\00:18:06.82
I just tell them that I
didn't truly forgive him.
00:18:06.86\00:18:09.41
because forgiveness
is your letting it go,
00:18:09.44\00:18:11.74
it's done and it's forgotten.
00:18:11.77\00:18:13.23
And I honestly have
not been angry at him ever.
00:18:13.26\00:18:15.38
I actually someday, hope to get
to meet and talk to him again,
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.64
because I wish him the
best I hope he's doing well.
00:18:18.67\00:18:20.65
So we didn't press
charges or anything - you didn't
00:18:20.68\00:18:22.82
press charges and then a
blessing that you gave him was
00:18:22.85\00:18:24.96
don't carry
this your whole life.
00:18:24.99\00:18:26.80
You didn't mean to do
this, this is not something that
00:18:26.83\00:18:28.98
you set out for, I'm
sorry, the weather was so
00:18:29.02\00:18:31.41
horrendous, I mean all
those kind of things, but you
00:18:31.44\00:18:34.39
know, had you responded
in a different way, you could
00:18:34.42\00:18:37.22
have totally destroyed
him for the rest of his life.
00:18:37.26\00:18:39.99
Because I'm sure the images
that he was going to carry away
00:18:40.02\00:18:43.68
was this tremendous guilt,
and you said don't do that.
00:18:43.71\00:18:47.81
Yeah I've actually felt in
my position, if it be harder for
00:18:47.84\00:18:51.90
me if I killed the
people that having lost them.
00:18:51.94\00:18:54.33
Because for me, I just can't
imagine that would be terrible.
00:18:54.36\00:18:57.44
Yet he had to see them all,
he was actually was someone who
00:18:57.47\00:19:00.09
got a blanket for Amanda
while she was still in the car.
00:19:00.13\00:19:03.24
So I know what he has to
live with the rest of his life.
00:19:03.27\00:19:06.29
So while you guys were
going back to see what happened
00:19:06.32\00:19:09.56
he actually was coming
forward, can I do anything?
00:19:09.60\00:19:12.77
I guess so, I don't remember
seeing him, because at the
00:19:12.80\00:19:15.93
wreck our remember certain
things and other things I don't
00:19:15.96\00:19:19.06
I don't remember - exactly - so.
00:19:19.09\00:19:20.82
I would like to
talk with Amanda and
00:19:20.86\00:19:23.32
just see, but know that
man you have blessed me.
00:19:23.35\00:19:27.57
You blessed me even
before I heard all this, I was
00:19:27.60\00:19:31.75
just blessed by who you
were and the fact that you were
00:19:31.79\00:19:33.97
so incredibly in your ministry
to these youth that were around
00:19:34.01\00:19:38.99
you then I heard this, then
I hear this story about your
00:19:39.02\00:19:42.43
wife, and the follow-up.
00:19:42.46\00:19:44.37
I hadn't even heard about
the forgiveness part, but I
00:19:44.40\00:19:46.50
thought, you know what, this
is not a guy who walked out and
00:19:46.53\00:19:49.89
just is an incredible man of
God, this is a man of God that
00:19:49.92\00:19:53.24
has struggled with horrendous
things, but did not let
00:19:53.27\00:19:56.42
go the hand of God
during those times.
00:19:56.45\00:19:58.77
Man, Man, okay Amanda.
00:19:58.80\00:20:01.73
You know, it's, you were
living with Luke and Candace,
00:20:01.76\00:20:07.24
in the car with the girls,
they were with your brother,
00:20:07.27\00:20:12.06
the boys in a U-Haul and
you were the only survivor here.
00:20:12.09\00:20:16.84
Yeah - do you
remember the accident?
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.84
I remember bits and pieces.
I don't remember stopping or
00:20:19.88\00:20:25.28
getting hit, but I was
knocked unconscious and I
00:20:25.32\00:20:29.95
remember coming out of that.
00:20:29.99\00:20:31.45
I seeing things around
and smelling stuff - the fact
00:20:31.49\00:20:35.26
that I remember was one
time the seatbelt was on and it
00:20:35.30\00:20:39.04
was really tight - yeah.
00:20:39.07\00:20:40.48
I was crying because my
seat was pushed forward, and it
00:20:40.52\00:20:44.10
was really like tight on me.
00:20:44.13\00:20:46.32
I was crying for someone to take
it off and I was really confused
00:20:46.35\00:20:49.66
I didn't know what was
going on - so then who got
00:20:49.69\00:20:54.66
you out of the car?
00:20:54.69\00:20:55.66
Mark - say okay so Mark
gets you out of the car,
00:20:55.67\00:20:57.70
literally get you
into a safe place.
00:20:57.73\00:20:59.55
Yell well Mark cut my
seatbelt off and I think one
00:20:59.58\00:21:03.00
of the paramedics actually
pulled me out of the car.
00:21:03.03\00:21:07.36
And then they took me to
the ambulance, and I had to sit
00:21:07.39\00:21:11.68
in there while
they checked stuff.
00:21:11.71\00:21:13.17
Did you see Candace or - I
didn't think to look back -
00:21:13.20\00:21:18.25
okay - for some reason.
00:21:18.28\00:21:19.68
That's why it's so confused
about it, because I looked
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.47
over at Cathy and remember
seeing her face and she was
00:21:22.51\00:21:25.41
bleeding, I remember that
but I never thought to look
00:21:25.45\00:21:28.31
back at Candace.
00:21:28.35\00:21:29.38
You know, I know, just because
I talk with you before, I
00:21:29.41\00:21:33.37
know little bit about what
has happened here is that you
00:21:33.40\00:21:37.02
are the only survivor in
this family that had just taken
00:21:37.05\00:21:41.24
you in and you love, you
held something for full year.
00:21:41.27\00:21:45.43
Can you talk about that?
00:21:45.46\00:21:46.91
I did because I thought
well, since I wasn't really
00:21:46.94\00:21:51.44
related, I kind of felt
really bad because I had just
00:21:51.48\00:21:55.95
come into this family.
00:21:55.98\00:21:57.04
I had survived this accident
in their family members, 3
00:21:57.08\00:22:00.61
of them were killed in one day.
00:22:00.65\00:22:02.76
I had a really strong, well
Satan had a stronghold over me
00:22:02.79\00:22:07.51
and I was just blaming myself
- and the guilty that I should
00:22:07.54\00:22:12.23
have died they
should have lived - yeah.
00:22:12.26\00:22:13.84
I was thinking a man
they're not going to like it and
00:22:13.87\00:22:16.77
they are going to hate me
for this because I thought
00:22:16.81\00:22:19.15
they would hold something
against me because I was the
00:22:19.19\00:22:21.50
only one who survived.
00:22:21.54\00:22:23.13
All on all they were actually
where happy - but a year later,
00:22:23.16\00:22:27.68
you come back to the site
because you are staying with
00:22:27.71\00:22:30.49
the family, and you
actually bought it up to them.
00:22:30.52\00:22:33.27
Yeah, now I told them
that is what I thought,
00:22:33.30\00:22:36.53
but they disagreed.
00:22:36.56\00:22:38.59
Really, strongly - uh-huh, yes
- because they love you, yeah.
00:22:38.62\00:22:43.03
To me I could just see these
guys literally saying, what
00:22:43.06\00:22:48.90
did you mean, because
we never thought that.
00:22:48.93\00:22:51.71
Yeah, - is that
what they told you too.
00:22:51.75\00:22:53.33
As we love you, we never
thought that we never for a
00:22:53.36\00:22:55.95
minute want harm come to you.
00:22:55.99\00:22:58.04
Don't ever think that
again don't carry that.
00:22:58.08\00:23:00.40
Yeah, I don't anymore -
and you still living there?
00:23:00.44\00:23:04.10
Yes - this is
your family - uh-huh.
00:23:04.14\00:23:06.35
Yeah, I accept them
as my family now - with
00:23:06.38\00:23:08.86
your grief,
because you messed up.
00:23:08.90\00:23:14.45
I actually wasn't as
close to Cathy, because I didn't
00:23:14.49\00:23:18.48
see her that much.
00:23:18.51\00:23:19.48
But I didn't know
her, but a little bit.
00:23:19.50\00:23:22.36
Candace, Luke had went on
a trip for two weeks for work
00:23:22.39\00:23:26.35
or something and I
really got close to Candace.
00:23:26.39\00:23:29.90
We talked a lot and I really
started to get close to her.
00:23:29.93\00:23:32.64
I was really bummed
because it seemed like when your
00:23:32.67\00:23:36.21
really start to get close
to someone in life, they are
00:23:36.24\00:23:39.74
always taken away from you.
00:23:39.78\00:23:41.06
Or something happens where
there's a wall between there,
00:23:41.09\00:23:45.06
something like that, so I
was really, come on you know,
00:23:45.09\00:23:49.03
I was asking God why
did You take her way?
00:23:49.06\00:23:51.17
I just started
to get close to her.
00:23:51.20\00:23:52.73
and for people that
don't know, because you're
00:23:52.77\00:23:55.25
mom had some issues with
relationships, drugs, and you
00:23:55.28\00:23:59.43
were abandoned as a
child and now you are in this
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.30
home and something happens.
00:24:02.34\00:24:04.02
It feels like to you that this
is always happening, so part
00:24:04.06\00:24:08.92
of your healing must be
allowing God to say, you know
00:24:08.95\00:24:12.34
what I am not going to
take people away from you, I'm
00:24:12.38\00:24:15.74
sorry when this happens.
00:24:15.77\00:24:17.16
I'm sure that God
grieved for you as much as
00:24:17.19\00:24:20.94
He grieved for anyone else.
00:24:20.98\00:24:22.28
And I mean, that
accident in any other survivors
00:24:22.32\00:24:25.05
in that accident,
because what you have been
00:24:25.09\00:24:27.79
through in your life already.
00:24:27.82\00:24:28.91
I still want to adopt you
and I know I don't have to
00:24:28.94\00:24:32.36
because you have family.
00:24:32.40\00:24:33.81
But man, I just
want to adopt you.
00:24:33.85\00:24:36.74
I want to thank you for
sharing with us, because I know
00:24:36.77\00:24:40.40
it's not always easy to share.
00:24:40.44\00:24:41.82
Do you want to say something
before I bring Monica up?
00:24:41.86\00:24:45.29
No, - okay, we are going
to go ahead and take a break
00:24:45.33\00:24:48.70
and I know that this is kind
of intense, well this is intense
00:24:48.73\00:24:54.78
And when we lose someone a
whole family tragedy happens.
00:24:54.81\00:24:59.32
Literally, this is even
bigger than the family as a
00:24:59.36\00:25:02.04
ministry and family tragedy.
00:25:02.08\00:25:03.97
But when we come back, we
are going to talk about how God
00:25:04.01\00:25:08.49
stepped in this family and
made everything real and full
00:25:08.53\00:25:12.49
of joy and they walked
into a ministry and into a life
00:25:12.52\00:25:16.45
that they probably
wouldn't have walked into it.
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.71
the realism with what we
deal on this planet not hit them
00:25:18.74\00:25:22.72
if not slammed into
them with this accident.
00:25:22.75\00:25:24.89
So you'll be right
back. Stay with us!
00:25:24.92\00:25:27.58