Welcome back! 00:00:14.22\00:00:15.32 I have got to say, first of all I want to say Diana 00:00:15.35\00:00:18.30 thank you for joining us. 00:00:18.33\00:00:19.58 I know that you have a testimony of your own. Yes! 00:00:19.61\00:00:24.42 But before we get into that I have to finish up. 00:00:24.45\00:00:26.64 I know what you are saying I came into a relationship 00:00:26.67\00:00:31.25 with Christ, not even with Christ, 00:00:31.29\00:00:35.49 I'm looking at the Bible and realizing that this love is huge 00:00:35.52\00:00:38.46 I want to know did that change you right away? 00:00:38.49\00:00:42.25 Well how did you respond to even getting a taste of that? 00:00:42.28\00:00:47.22 It definitely did not take place overnight. 00:00:47.25\00:00:49.41 I had what we call a conviction and it was just a mental 00:00:49.44\00:00:56.65 understanding that this made sense. 00:00:56.68\00:01:00.22 That this love that I was seeing in here by His actions, 00:01:00.25\00:01:04.63 really expressed something that I never understood before. 00:01:04.66\00:01:08.45 The were things that were contrary to my life. 00:01:08.48\00:01:09.99 So as time progressed I still sold drugs at that time. 00:01:10.02\00:01:14.09 When I realize these things I stopped. 00:01:14.12\00:01:15.97 I stopped, I still smoked myself but I stopped selling it. 00:01:16.00\00:01:21.91 As time continues to progress another year I stopped 00:01:21.94\00:01:24.77 with the alcohol as well. 00:01:24.80\00:01:26.87 But I remember... Can I ask you as you are getting 00:01:26.90\00:01:33.68 into this relationship you are feeling you know what, I'm 00:01:33.71\00:01:36.92 not going to be selling drugs, I am not going to be doing 00:01:36.96\00:01:40.14 that stuff, did you, why did that happen? 00:01:40.17\00:01:44.37 Did you read and just? get a conviction 00:01:44.40\00:01:46.39 Or did you feel like the Holy Spirit just saying... 00:01:46.42\00:01:49.04 It was just an understanding I had not read the whole Bible. 00:01:49.07\00:01:53.75 Or anything for that matter, it was just an understanding 00:01:53.78\00:01:57.53 that I couldn't keep doing these things because these were 00:01:57.56\00:02:00.95 things I was doing prior to understanding what this life 00:02:00.98\00:02:05.06 was like and I knew these things would prohibit me 00:02:05.09\00:02:07.69 because they were contributing to the way I felt, to the way 00:02:07.72\00:02:11.05 I was prior to me seeing this love. 00:02:11.08\00:02:14.19 So I did not want anything to do with them anymore. 00:02:14.22\00:02:16.73 I knew I had to cut them out. 00:02:16.76\00:02:18.30 It took about a year. So I just want to say 00:02:18.33\00:02:21.50 for somebody that does not know how God works 00:02:21.53\00:02:23.42 because I think it is the coolest thing that God slowly, 00:02:23.45\00:02:27.23 As soon as we even get a clue of who He is, and ask Him into 00:02:27.26\00:02:30.83 our lives our heart's cry is please don't leave me like this. 00:02:30.86\00:02:34.90 Please change me and He starts before we can even ask Him. 00:02:34.93\00:02:41.23 I don't even know what to ask for now and the 00:02:41.26\00:02:42.57 Holy Spirit says, you know what, I do. 00:02:42.60\00:02:44.70 Know that it is going to set you free and He starts that 00:02:44.73\00:02:47.18 before our mouth is even moving to ask for that. 00:02:47.21\00:02:49.96 He just start picking things out for me because I didn't know 00:02:49.99\00:02:53.13 what to start with. 00:02:53.16\00:02:54.50 I had anger problems, I had was involved with certain women 00:02:54.53\00:02:58.65 You were taught to look at races in different ways because 00:02:58.68\00:03:02.73 of your dad. 00:03:02.76\00:03:03.86 I mean it is like I could see all that stuff and God says 00:03:03.89\00:03:06.51 you know what, I love you for even looking at Me. 00:03:06.54\00:03:08.79 That's right and I found that when I started studying and 00:03:08.82\00:03:12.02 actually got into the Bible and started looking through 00:03:12.05\00:03:15.44 the passages, it literally would just find a verse to 00:03:15.47\00:03:20.80 counter the verse I heard in the rap music. 00:03:20.83\00:03:23.44 That it will completely discounter it. 00:03:23.47\00:03:25.48 Can you think of one right now can you give us an example? 00:03:25.51\00:03:28.40 okay, I have one, the one that says any means necessary 00:03:28.43\00:03:34.24 what ever the cause, even if it means that lives are lost. 00:03:34.27\00:03:35.92 In other words I'm going to do what I have do, even if 00:03:35.95\00:03:37.94 somebody else has to pay for it. 00:03:37.97\00:03:39.36 Jesus says that, how can I put this? 00:03:39.39\00:03:43.78 He would say things that without Me you can do nothing. 00:03:43.81\00:03:47.90 You can't do anything, but with Me you can do all things. 00:03:47.93\00:03:51.77 I am the vine and you are the branches. 00:03:51.80\00:03:52.93 So as the branch cannot grow fruit by itself, 00:03:52.96\00:03:57.66 unless it is connected to the vine how can I make this 00:03:57.69\00:04:00.76 a possibility? I can't! I can't, I can't do it. 00:04:00.79\00:04:04.15 So everything that was stored in your mind from rap music 00:04:04.18\00:04:08.48 and all that stuff, is that you were using Scripture to 00:04:08.51\00:04:11.22 It was completely countering every single one. 00:04:11.25\00:04:14.92 In fact, it was so prevalent that I had to have some type of 00:04:14.95\00:04:19.74 Scripture music because I was very involved with this music. 00:04:19.77\00:04:22.44 I had started a record label of somewhat and then 00:04:22.47\00:04:26.05 it never got started because of some very controversial 00:04:26.08\00:04:30.30 issues that involves some people getting hurt really bad. 00:04:30.33\00:04:32.84 I literally had to... I like the way you have to say 00:04:32.87\00:04:36.12 that so nicely. Right! Right! Right! 00:04:36.15\00:04:37.57 I guess because I'm somewhat from that kind of background. 00:04:37.60\00:04:44.39 The way you said that was so nice, I thought how 00:04:44.42\00:04:46.33 sweet is that. 00:04:46.36\00:04:47.72 It was terrible, it was terrible. 00:04:47.75\00:04:48.88 It was horrible and people got hurt and you had 00:04:48.91\00:04:50.90 to fold everything. 00:04:50.93\00:04:53.18 and God is saying put Scripture to Music. 00:04:53.21\00:04:55.49 Because that is what you know well. 00:04:55.52\00:04:57.92 I hated that music when I first heard it. 00:04:57.95\00:05:00.11 it was scripture songs and I hated them. 00:05:00.14\00:05:03.07 It sounded so bland, folky. Lame! They were boring. 00:05:03.10\00:05:07.95 But one of them stood out called To Everything There is a Season. 00:05:07.98\00:05:11.72 Just one of them and I kept playing it over and over. 00:05:11.75\00:05:14.25 All of a sudden I started to appreciate the rest of them. 00:05:14.28\00:05:15.93 Because I started to experience the Scriptures in my life 00:05:15.96\00:05:18.89 in my experience. 00:05:18.92\00:05:20.14 Your desires actually change? The desires changed. 00:05:20.17\00:05:22.36 How do you explain that? I had desires for something 00:05:22.39\00:05:26.29 that I had never had a desire for. 00:05:26.32\00:05:27.70 Only God can do that. Only, it would have to be. 00:05:27.73\00:05:31.83 Where did I start? I don't know. 00:05:31.86\00:05:34.68 When I was trying to get off of heroin somebody put me 00:05:34.71\00:05:38.34 with drawing, somebody put me in the living room and put some 00:05:38.37\00:05:41.97 Christian music on and it was like fingers on the chalkboard. 00:05:42.00\00:05:44.65 I'm thinking can you shut that off? 00:05:44.68\00:05:46.89 So it is like when you come from the world everything about 00:05:46.92\00:05:51.78 spirituality almost is beyond what you can even listen to. 00:05:51.81\00:05:56.88 The Holy Spirit just takes us so slowly until we actually feel 00:05:56.91\00:06:02.13 like I can actually feel healed by that. 00:06:02.16\00:06:05.24 That's right, it is, it sounds horrible that music. 00:06:05.27\00:06:09.18 That is because the nature we have compared to what I 00:06:09.21\00:06:13.40 listened to before. 00:06:13.43\00:06:15.59 How did you do that because somebody is going to be watching 00:06:15.62\00:06:17.41 and say how do you fight through that, do you just stick with it? 00:06:17.44\00:06:20.84 I had to discard the rest of the music I was listening to because 00:06:20.87\00:06:24.97 the Bible, I would have kept listening to it and trying 00:06:25.00\00:06:27.80 to follow the Bible I would have kept feeding that nature 00:06:27.83\00:06:32.00 that was I was accustomed to already. 00:06:32.03\00:06:35.67 So you are already accustomed to the taste of it, and you 00:06:35.70\00:06:40.62 are trying to taste something new, the old one is going to 00:06:40.65\00:06:42.72 overlap the new one that you're taking. 00:06:42.75\00:06:43.91 capsule I completely took them all, they were all new CDs. 00:06:43.94\00:06:47.18 I bought them and threw them right in the garbage. 00:06:47.21\00:06:49.76 I had to make that decision to throw them in the garbage. 00:06:49.79\00:06:52.07 I knew I could not keep listening to them anymore. 00:06:52.10\00:06:54.02 That is when God really start working in my life. 00:06:54.05\00:06:58.58 Because my mind was clear now without those evil thoughts 00:06:58.61\00:07:02.50 that they were producing. 00:07:02.53\00:07:04.30 I had the opportunity, I made the decision to go and get 00:07:04.33\00:07:08.23 baptized in 2005. 00:07:08.26\00:07:09.98 I was so scared, I never understood Christians, 00:07:10.01\00:07:13.03 I never knew what a Christian person look like, what they were 00:07:13.06\00:07:15.37 And now you are one. 00:07:15.40\00:07:17.17 No not even yet, I'm going to visit them and I'm scared 00:07:17.20\00:07:20.49 because they do not know what they are like. 00:07:20.52\00:07:21.54 To me the one who was robbing people, 00:07:21.57\00:07:23.63 I'm scared of Christians. 00:07:23.66\00:07:24.66 I'm thinking they are strange, what do they like? 00:07:24.69\00:07:28.90 So I went up to Maine to get baptized because those were 00:07:28.93\00:07:31.08 When you said scared I just have to unfold that for somebody 00:07:31.11\00:07:34.94 Palm's sweating, heart pounding kind of scared? 00:07:34.98\00:07:38.32 Look I had some strange thoughts because of movies 00:07:38.35\00:07:41.84 they were a cult, I don't know what, I'm just talking 00:07:41.87\00:07:44.61 about a Christian in general I'm not talking about a 00:07:44.65\00:07:47.32 certain denomination, I didn't know what they were like so it 00:07:47.35\00:07:50.15 was very different for me. 00:07:50.18\00:07:52.33 I had wanted to go visit them by myself, in Maine 00:07:52.37\00:07:54.60 these are the people who studied with me, 00:07:54.64\00:07:55.83 they gave me the book actually, 00:07:55.87\00:07:57.58 and they even gave my brother-in-law. 00:07:57.62\00:07:59.56 I had got baptized in 2005 in a lake in New Hampshire. 00:07:59.60\00:08:04.51 That is where God got things moving for me because He had 00:08:04.54\00:08:08.34 given me the opportunity to visit a Christian college. 00:08:08.37\00:08:12.27 I was my third year high school I was about to go 00:08:12.30\00:08:16.16 to the next one. 00:08:16.20\00:08:17.17 I saw that Christian college, I did not want to go back 00:08:17.18\00:08:19.53 to finish high school because of all the influences of the 00:08:19.56\00:08:22.47 things I had just came from I did want to go back. 00:08:22.50\00:08:26.64 I felt that this was a refuge right here and I was safe here. 00:08:26.68\00:08:30.16 But I said let me pray about it that was something I had never 00:08:30.20\00:08:33.64 done really before. 00:08:33.68\00:08:34.65 Exactly check with someone else. Check with some one else. 00:08:34.66\00:08:36.78 I can't see, but God had been leading me thus far. 00:08:36.82\00:08:42.69 I just love the way you said that, I can even see, I mean 00:08:42.73\00:08:45.90 who am I checking with? 00:08:45.94\00:08:47.07 But his word was there and I knew it was certain because it 00:08:47.10\00:08:50.41 was coming from the past my life I wasn't just believing it by 00:08:50.44\00:08:53.77 I had no evidence, it was evidence, evidence, evidence 00:08:53.80\00:08:56.76 after evidence after evidence in my life. 00:08:56.79\00:08:58.35 the things that were happening I would ask for and they 00:08:58.39\00:09:01.31 would really happen, they were really happening. 00:09:01.35\00:09:03.22 I had prayed about it said Lord what do you want me to do? 00:09:03.25\00:09:07.06 He said, go back to the high school. 00:09:07.09\00:09:10.68 I said yeah, high school? 00:09:10.71\00:09:13.56 You know the influence. 00:09:13.59\00:09:16.37 Yeah I was like, am I really sure? 00:09:16.41\00:09:19.65 Be said go back. 00:09:19.69\00:09:21.83 I started thinking about it and said, He started to show 00:09:21.87\00:09:26.08 me, I'm not saying that people are not doing this, but they 00:09:26.11\00:09:30.33 was nobody ever came up to me and said, this is what God has 00:09:30.36\00:09:34.54 to offer, this is what the Bible has to offer. 00:09:34.58\00:09:35.59 They gave me a pamphlet here and there but you could tell 00:09:35.63\00:09:39.17 they weren't real serious about it. 00:09:39.21\00:09:40.67 They were just doing it for a job and I would take it 00:09:40.71\00:09:42.40 and throw it, but there was never nobody that took an 00:09:42.43\00:09:44.31 tell what is really going on. 00:09:44.34\00:09:45.31 There is nobody to interact with me, who was a Christian. 00:09:45.32\00:09:48.12 God was showing me that I have to do it. 00:09:48.16\00:09:51.15 I have to be the first one to do it. 00:09:51.18\00:09:53.26 There's nobody, there was plenty of people in that 00:09:53.30\00:09:56.57 Christian college in that area, but where I lived right here in 00:09:56.60\00:10:00.01 this dangerous place there was nobody doing these things, 00:10:00.05\00:10:03.57 showing people like me where we needed to go. 00:10:03.60\00:10:06.46 I mean there is a love that is really, real. 00:10:06.50\00:10:09.32 Then I said I will do it Lord. 00:10:09.35\00:10:11.02 If You will lead me I will do it 00:10:11.05\00:10:12.64 I went back to that high school and with the faith I had 00:10:12.68\00:10:17.24 at the time, it was small, but it was large though. 00:10:17.28\00:10:19.83 I started preaching, I never talked, I used to talk about rap 00:10:19.87\00:10:25.03 on the corners and things like that, but now I was using 00:10:25.07\00:10:30.20 that speech to reach people. 00:10:30.23\00:10:31.70 To reach people and people came out. 00:10:31.73\00:10:33.99 People came out. 00:10:34.03\00:10:35.28 Were you surprised that they wanted to hear it? 00:10:35.32\00:10:37.17 That they wanted to hear it? 00:10:37.21\00:10:38.70 I'm not surprised at all because I recognize, even though they 00:10:38.73\00:10:43.72 had not gone through exactly what I have been through, 00:10:43.76\00:10:47.27 the center of their desires was the same, it was to have a 00:10:47.30\00:10:50.85 belonging, of belonging somewhere. 00:10:50.89\00:10:52.64 Why have you chosen me? Why am I here in this life? 00:10:52.68\00:10:56.08 science tries to explain these things through evolution that 00:10:56.11\00:10:59.47 the survival of the fittest, which I strongly believed then 00:10:59.50\00:11:01.99 but it didn't fit, it didn't make sense. 00:11:02.02\00:11:05.06 It didn't make sense at all. 00:11:05.09\00:11:07.01 So in high school that is where you guys met? 00:11:07.04\00:11:09.19 Yeah! To me what is really interesting is that when he 00:11:09.23\00:11:14.31 came back you had know him prior so he was kind of a bad guy. 00:11:14.34\00:11:17.18 Yeah! So were you doing drugs, were 00:11:17.21\00:11:21.25 you doing the same thing? 00:11:21.28\00:11:22.45 Well actually it is funny, because I did drugs, I sold 00:11:22.48\00:11:26.69 drugs, but outside of school we never hung out. 00:11:26.73\00:11:29.31 So it was funny because we were like really in school friends 00:11:29.35\00:11:32.49 and oh you guys should go out because you look so cute 00:11:32.52\00:11:35.09 together, and we're like, whatever. 00:11:35.12\00:11:36.76 So we were like really good friends, but it was like we 00:11:36.79\00:11:40.86 never went any farther and now I thank God because we probably 00:11:40.90\00:11:42.56 would have never be in the situation we are right now. 00:11:42.59\00:11:44.57 Getting married and doing it the right way. 00:11:44.60\00:11:47.05 I like when you said the right way! Because in that lifestyle 00:11:47.08\00:11:54.63 nothing is the right way. No it is not. 00:11:54.67\00:11:55.94 So it would have been all jumbled up so God has a plan 00:11:55.97\00:11:59.48 for everything. So when he came back and was all converted I was 00:11:59.51\00:12:01.97 like okay, this is cool you know. 00:12:02.00\00:12:03.42 I had like Christian friends and all that?!?!?! 00:12:03.46\00:12:07.48 I was like, I didn't put it off, like Oh no God! 00:12:07.52\00:12:10.66 I was like Okay so. Did you have some of that 00:12:10.70\00:12:13.30 in your background? Yeah I was like quote unquote 00:12:13.34\00:12:16.43 Catholic when I grew up, but I would be in the clubs 00:12:16.46\00:12:19.52 on Saturday, go to church on Sunday. 00:12:19.56\00:12:21.36 So then he stated telling me about the Bible and stuff. 00:12:21.39\00:12:24.88 I was like yeah, I believed in the Bible because I believe 00:12:24.91\00:12:28.37 in God, I use to pray when I was deep in a hole and stuff 00:12:28.41\00:12:31.57 like that and then I asked questions. 00:12:31.60\00:12:35.10 Wait, wait, what was that prayer God if you can get me out of 00:12:35.13\00:12:36.59 this one... I'll never do it again. 00:12:36.63\00:12:38.33 I know that prayer. 00:12:38.36\00:12:40.19 Your back the same week doing the same thing. Exactly! 00:12:40.23\00:12:43.13 Then I asked some questions... You know what is funny? 00:12:43.17\00:12:46.04 That God even honors that. 00:12:46.08\00:12:47.39 I know! Because He loves us. 00:12:47.43\00:12:48.67 It is so beautiful and so messed up how we are, like I won't 00:12:48.71\00:12:51.78 do it again because God just got me out of this one. 00:12:51.81\00:12:53.61 So He can get me out of another one, but I just asked some 00:12:53.65\00:12:56.99 questions and tried to stump him all the time. 00:12:57.02\00:12:59.21 Like I am going to ask him more questions and he is not going 00:12:59.24\00:13:01.01 to know the answer. 00:13:01.04\00:13:02.14 Did you know she was doing that? 00:13:02.18\00:13:03.65 Yeah! but God prepared me, I had no prior experience with the 00:13:03.68\00:13:12.86 Bible, just one year. 00:13:12.90\00:13:14.18 I was able to answer thoroughly all those questions. 00:13:14.21\00:13:17.38 Praise God! I thought he was amazing. 00:13:17.41\00:13:19.12 I thought he had something up his sleeve and 00:13:19.16\00:13:20.70 just read something. 00:13:20.74\00:13:21.71 So in this high school it was like your first, like when you 00:13:25.10\00:13:30.38 talk about the demoniac, that Christ heals all of the demons 00:13:30.42\00:13:33.28 come out, and because I want you to go back and tell them. 00:13:33.32\00:13:36.40 So He is like I want you to tell them, go back and tell them 00:13:36.43\00:13:39.48 so that was your first evangelistic gig? 00:13:39.52\00:13:41.70 That was it! 00:13:41.74\00:13:42.71 That was in high school and just finish out with a bang. 00:13:42.72\00:13:46.14 Everybody who did not know me prior to the way I use to be 00:13:46.18\00:13:49.45 a lot of people knew what I did and how I handled myself, 00:13:49.49\00:13:53.02 everybody in that high school knew me afterwards for doing 00:13:53.06\00:13:56.56 the work of God. 00:13:56.60\00:13:59.40 I had a public speaking class open forum, my teacher was 00:13:59.43\00:14:04.33 blown away and she was just blown away. 00:14:04.36\00:14:06.91 She couldn't believe atheist, Muslims in that class 00:14:06.94\00:14:09.76 and the things that I would speak would just reach out 00:14:09.80\00:14:12.58 to everybody. 00:14:12.62\00:14:14.04 So when you say the atheist and Muslims it didn't matter to you 00:14:14.08\00:14:16.88 where somebody was coming from because what you were saying 00:14:16.91\00:14:19.65 was that the hole is the same? Exactly! it is not that, Oh this 00:14:19.68\00:14:23.52 is right and yours is wrong, that is not the case here. 00:14:23.55\00:14:26.78 But the case is, where is the real desire? 00:14:26.82\00:14:29.96 Where's the real love here found and that is what everybody 00:14:30.00\00:14:33.45 is looking for. Where my going to get the 00:14:33.48\00:14:35.89 the good from? I knew this was it because how it 00:14:35.93\00:14:40.37 worked in my life. 00:14:40.41\00:14:41.53 That's how I knew for a fact and she recognized it too. 00:14:41.57\00:14:44.81 Okay we are so, well I wish we had more time we're running 00:14:44.84\00:14:49.01 out of time so we will introduce a couple people, well I will 00:14:49.04\00:14:53.17 just open it up for questions. 00:14:53.21\00:14:54.44 We want to introduce a couple people on the set. 00:14:54.47\00:14:57.98 Let's start right over here. Well my name is Edwin Cotto 00:14:58.01\00:15:01.56 this brother was a prayer answered in my life. 00:15:01.59\00:15:05.53 In what way? Well I grew up in a similar 00:15:05.56\00:15:08.68 background and when time came in my life where I had to drop 00:15:08.72\00:15:13.84 everything, included dropping my friends and when I dropped 00:15:13.88\00:15:18.97 them I felt what now? 00:15:19.01\00:15:22.23 I'm all by myself doing this on my own I need some encouragement 00:15:22.26\00:15:26.39 I need some encouragement and God just worked the pieces. 00:15:26.42\00:15:30.56 What I used to do would go online in chat rooms and meet 00:15:30.60\00:15:34.71 friends there and that was all I had. 00:15:34.74\00:15:36.40 One friend of mine, I was explaining him my situation 00:15:36.44\00:15:40.70 and he ask me where do you live? I said I live in Jersey. 00:15:40.73\00:15:45.84 He said wait a minute and he got in contact with some other 00:15:45.87\00:15:48.71 people and all of a sudden I got a phone call. 00:15:48.74\00:15:51.53 Because you lived in New Jersey? That's right! 00:15:51.57\00:15:54.28 He lived in Jersey not too far for me maybe 8 or 9 miles 00:15:54.32\00:15:57.82 from me and when he called me I just thank God. 00:15:57.86\00:16:01.34 My prayer was answered. 00:16:01.37\00:16:05.06 Because there is, like when you were talking about going into 00:16:05.09\00:16:08.12 recovery and into Ministry, even though you are learning 00:16:08.16\00:16:12.41 all this you need friends around you. 00:16:12.44\00:16:15.21 That's right! 00:16:15.25\00:16:16.22 You had a lot of friends from the street when you were dealing 00:16:16.23\00:16:17.72 and hanging out on street corners and rapping 00:16:17.75\00:16:19.61 and that stuff and now you are a Christian, like now I'm lonely. 00:16:19.65\00:16:23.76 I'm by myself and so I just had the faithful and say, well, Lord 00:16:23.79\00:16:27.87 if You want me to do it You will provide the laborers. 00:16:27.90\00:16:30.87 I know the harvest is ripe and You are going to provide it. 00:16:30.91\00:16:34.27 I went back to high school, I had 3 other friends that 00:16:34.31\00:16:37.31 became converted because of me witnessing to them. 00:16:37.35\00:16:40.31 My wife was the fourth one. 00:16:40.35\00:16:42.23 now I met this brother over here, Edwin and we had a 00:16:42.27\00:16:47.94 whole group now. 00:16:47.97\00:16:49.27 That is too fun, so Edwin what you are saying to is that 00:16:49.31\00:16:53.12 he lifted you up as much as you lifted him up? 00:16:53.16\00:16:55.14 Yeah, because my hope was to convert my friends that I had 00:16:55.18\00:16:58.64 with me in the streets, and so I tried to witness to them 00:16:58.68\00:17:02.11 and they do not want to hear that. 00:17:02.15\00:17:04.27 Because it is foolishness to them. 00:17:04.31\00:17:06.36 It is, they did not want to hear anything and I would give them 00:17:06.39\00:17:10.18 books and talk to them or invite 00:17:10.22\00:17:12.00 them and it just wasn't going to happened so when 00:17:12.04\00:17:16.24 he came around and I met his friends, I had more friends 00:17:16.28\00:17:19.60 and it was incredible and that's when we started. 00:17:19.64\00:17:22.12 We got started. Actually from that point on 00:17:22.16\00:17:24.94 which was really fun, is that you guys started doing ministry 00:17:24.97\00:17:29.50 as a team, it started forming something. 00:17:29.53\00:17:32.80 That's right! Do you think God had a plan? 00:17:32.84\00:17:36.04 I mean I would have to say I could have been in that 00:17:36.08\00:17:39.27 Christian college training to be a missionary that I had planned 00:17:39.31\00:17:45.31 for me instead He sent me back to this high school and these 00:17:45.35\00:17:51.32 friends I met, that were converted, I did not know them 00:17:51.35\00:17:54.94 prior to that time. 00:17:54.98\00:17:57.03 So it is not like I knew them for years. 00:17:57.06\00:17:59.28 I've only known this man for about 3 years. 00:17:59.31\00:18:01.45 since I've been converted and yet we have become so close. 00:18:01.49\00:18:05.18 Close as a unit we became, we worked well together. 00:18:05.22\00:18:08.70 We have the same mindset and we just wanted to reach people 00:18:08.73\00:18:12.62 with what God had reached us with. 00:18:12.65\00:18:14.58 The same way He did it for us. 00:18:14.61\00:18:16.10 so we continued to do things like go to parks, set up 00:18:16.14\00:18:20.43 programs, cooking classes, food, and I invited all my old 00:18:20.46\00:18:24.72 friends from projects. 00:18:24.75\00:18:25.85 I think how funny is that, cooking classes and I am like 00:18:25.88\00:18:29.47 alright I am listening as you were listing those things and 00:18:29.51\00:18:33.06 thinking, cooking classes? 00:18:33.09\00:18:34.23 You would be surprised, surprised, they all came. 00:18:34.26\00:18:37.37 They were drugged up that same night I told them. 00:18:37.40\00:18:40.43 They were drugged up and I prayed, our health message is 00:18:40.47\00:18:46.82 so it draws, I mean it draws. 00:18:46.85\00:18:49.39 Because somebody left and they don't even know what health 00:18:49.42\00:18:51.76 message means. 00:18:51.79\00:18:52.76 What did he just say? What health message? 00:18:52.77\00:18:54.21 What you are saying is that it matters what you put in your 00:18:54.24\00:18:57.30 mind and your body and you were trying to teach that even? 00:18:57.34\00:19:00.69 Exactly and they all, that is exactly what we were teaching 00:19:00.73\00:19:04.05 because it... It killed me to learn to 00:19:04.09\00:19:06.39 drink water. Give me tequila but water has an awful taste. 00:19:06.42\00:19:10.77 can I mean I had to really train myself. 00:19:10.80\00:19:12.78 No, it was like that with a lot of my friends because they still 00:19:12.82\00:19:16.54 smoked and their taste was perverted and like you said with 00:19:16.57\00:19:20.26 the water they were supplying that with Hennessy. 00:19:20.29\00:19:23.28 So this was obviously there but I showed them, come to this 00:19:23.31\00:19:28.47 class at this park and see what we have to offer you. 00:19:28.50\00:19:32.13 So you are 20, 21 years old. 19! 19 I love that! 19! 00:19:32.17\00:19:35.76 How could I not love you? 00:19:35.79\00:19:38.05 How could you not love him? 00:19:38.08\00:19:40.27 I so understand why you do. You wouldn't love me if you 00:19:40.31\00:19:42.51 like me before I was converted. 00:19:42.55\00:19:44.43 I couldn't stand people like me the way I am now, but God 00:19:44.47\00:19:49.51 just completely flipped like a fraction He flipped it. 00:19:49.54\00:19:53.72 Now they all came and they asked me, when are you going 00:19:53.75\00:19:57.90 to do another one? 00:19:57.93\00:19:58.90 Cooking class? Cooking class! 00:19:58.91\00:20:00.57 Or anything because they are hurting inside, deep down 00:20:00.60\00:20:04.66 a lot of us knew what we were going through, even though it 00:20:04.69\00:20:08.41 seemed cool, it was in, this was our environment and we 00:20:08.45\00:20:12.10 didn't want to be like this. We saw that the only conclusion 00:20:12.14\00:20:13.97 did this with death or prison. 00:20:14.01\00:20:15.94 There's nothing out, there's nothing in his life for us. 00:20:15.98\00:20:20.89 So we took something that the Bible offered that was sure, 00:20:20.92\00:20:25.79 it was wonderful, I mean a crown in heaven? 00:20:25.83\00:20:28.65 We don't deserve a crown, I will take it and thank you 00:20:28.68\00:20:30.98 eternal life, I wanted that in the world. 00:20:31.01\00:20:33.68 But I wanted to have that in sin though. 00:20:33.71\00:20:35.87 But now he has given it to me in peace. 00:20:35.90\00:20:37.99 And actually love that you never experienced, it yours now. 00:20:38.02\00:20:42.24 It's mine, it's mine. To laugh out loud, 00:20:42.27\00:20:44.77 to feel good in your own skin. 00:20:44.80\00:20:45.96 To not be worried about somebody harming me. 00:20:46.00\00:20:49.14 Stabbing me, robbing me, it's the threat is still there, but 00:20:49.17\00:20:54.57 now the only difference is I have a refuge in Christ. 00:20:54.60\00:20:58.96 That is the difference now. 00:20:59.00\00:21:00.54 That's huge. That is huge because He is 00:21:00.58\00:21:02.91 bigger than all of us. 00:21:02.94\00:21:04.10 Somebody asked me one time are you afraid to go what ever 00:21:04.14\00:21:07.95 place, in prison or in with a gang infested area? 00:21:07.98\00:21:12.11 Are you afraid, and I am thinking I am walking in with 00:21:12.14\00:21:14.36 God himself and I don't feel afraid. 00:21:14.40\00:21:17.08 I think that if God wasn't working out with somebody 00:21:17.11\00:21:19.99 I wouldn't be walking in. 00:21:20.03\00:21:21.00 So you do have that sense of being, God has got my back 00:21:21.01\00:21:24.66 on this one. That's right! 00:21:24.69\00:21:25.66 I read that verse in the Bible where it says the Angels of the 00:21:25.67\00:21:29.81 Lord encamped around about them that belief and 00:21:29.85\00:21:32.48 trust in the Lord. 00:21:32.51\00:21:33.86 I'm like whoa that is serious, before I came walking through 00:21:33.89\00:21:37.70 these streets and I'm not afraid because I had a knife or gun 00:21:37.73\00:21:41.50 on me, but now I have nothing on me and I am not afraid. 00:21:41.54\00:21:46.56 I have no weapon. 00:21:46.59\00:21:48.39 During all that time, so you are meeting with Edwin and you 00:21:48.42\00:21:52.57 guys are doing ministry in the street together, cooking 00:21:52.60\00:21:57.11 classes, you have your friends, people around you, during 00:21:57.14\00:22:01.62 that time you guys fall in love and Marry? 00:22:01.65\00:22:02.70 Yeah! Right! Sounds so nice. 00:22:02.73\00:22:06.42 How's that, was that not so nice? 00:22:06.46\00:22:09.19 Yeah it was actually. Good! It was! 00:22:09.22\00:22:11.89 So give us a little bit, we love hearing that stuff. 00:22:11.92\00:22:17.40 So romantic. You want to share, Okay! 00:22:17.44\00:22:19.81 It was funny because neither of us was actually thinking this is 00:22:19.85\00:22:27.31 the guy for me, or the person I am going to marry. 00:22:27.35\00:22:28.53 I had just got out of a really bad relationship months ago, 00:22:28.56\00:22:34.33 so I wasn't going to be with anybody. 00:22:34.36\00:22:35.63 I got to a point where I was really happy being by myself. 00:22:35.66\00:22:38.65 Cause you always know how it is in the world, you need to 00:22:38.69\00:22:41.30 date somebody, you need to be with this person just to have 00:22:41.34\00:22:43.91 that comfort with the other person and it makes 00:22:43.95\00:22:46.86 you feel good. 00:22:46.90\00:22:47.87 When I make God it was like I feel that comfort. 00:22:47.88\00:22:52.36 So God fulfilled that for you? Yes! So I need that. 00:22:52.39\00:22:56.95 How am I going to be with some body who provides that comfort? 00:22:56.98\00:22:59.97 When it is still going to be empty, because I am still going 00:23:00.00\00:23:02.95 to be wanting for something. 00:23:02.99\00:23:04.46 That is what happens to a lot of people in relationship, their 00:23:04.49\00:23:06.77 still wanting it, that is why they keep moving on. 00:23:06.80\00:23:09.83 So when I got that with Christ, I was like so happy. 00:23:09.87\00:23:13.51 I don't need anybody, then my husband caught my eye. 00:23:13.55\00:23:17.12 Will you know what is incredible when you say that, because 00:23:17.16\00:23:20.31 a lot of women will never understand that until they 00:23:20.34\00:23:22.15 surrender to God. 00:23:22.18\00:23:23.15 It is like we constantly choose relationships out of need, and 00:23:23.17\00:23:26.89 God says don't do that. 00:23:26.93\00:23:28.05 Let me fill that need and I will bring your husband to you. 00:23:28.09\00:23:31.52 That's right! He did! 00:23:31.56\00:23:32.73 Yeah, He did it, because it was the farthest thing 00:23:32.76\00:23:35.11 from my mind that this guy I knew from high school 00:23:35.14\00:23:38.68 when we had English class together and we actually 00:23:38.72\00:23:41.47 did a play together and I was his wife 00:23:41.50\00:23:42.47 in the play we did. 00:23:42.48\00:23:43.45 No way! Oh how funny is that? In 9th grade. 00:23:43.46\00:23:45.47 I was Julius Caesar. Did anyone video that? 00:23:45.50\00:23:47.62 I would love to just keep that video. 00:23:47.66\00:23:49.27 Please, I would throw it away. 00:23:49.30\00:23:50.29 It was very cheesy, but we got the highest grade. We did! 00:23:50.33\00:23:56.66 It was real nice and I was like 00:23:56.69\00:24:01.90 we actually at first did not want to be together because 00:24:01.93\00:24:05.89 we had all these other people that we were with. 00:24:05.93\00:24:07.02 We didn't want to seem like, Okay now we're together would 00:24:07.05\00:24:10.51 separate the group like that and we didn't want to make 00:24:10.54\00:24:13.97 it feel awkward for people. 00:24:14.00\00:24:15.04 So for a long time we were not going to date, we are not 00:24:15.08\00:24:17.75 you know what I am saying? 00:24:17.79\00:24:19.84 Then it was just like, I think God really does want us to be 00:24:19.88\00:24:21.49 together and from there we started dating and stuff and 00:24:21.52\00:24:26.99 got married after awhile. 00:24:27.02\00:24:28.19 It was just strange in itself, because I was never planning 00:24:28.22\00:24:32.10 to get married, ever, ever, I had such a dislike for women 00:24:32.13\00:24:35.88 in the sense that I would not let them get to close because 00:24:35.91\00:24:39.62 the environment I grew up in they were very treacherous. 00:24:39.66\00:24:42.29 Everybody played everybody. 00:24:42.33\00:24:44.69 It wasn't just the women, the men, they had a good reason 00:24:44.73\00:24:47.64 because the men that they were with prior to them being 00:24:47.67\00:24:50.89 treacherous played them out so they were all like that. 00:24:50.92\00:24:53.61 So I never kept them too close to me, but He just brought it 00:24:53.64\00:24:58.80 together, because I did not plan that at all. 00:24:58.83\00:25:00.26 God heals all that. 00:25:00.29\00:25:02.00 You have a beautiful child. Yeah! 00:25:02.04\00:25:03.82 He's just delightful. 00:25:03.86\00:25:06.59 To me it is amazing when God says, not only will I bring 00:25:06.63\00:25:11.05 healing, and I want you to go 00:25:11.09\00:25:13.50 tell someone, and I want you to bless other people. 00:25:13.53\00:25:16.20 I also want to bless you and your home in your family. 00:25:16.23\00:25:20.12 I want to say we have to end this segment so I will say 00:25:20.16\00:25:23.14 thank you for being on the program, but before we end 00:25:23.17\00:25:26.08 I want you to introduce Jeffrey because I want Jeffrey to come 00:25:26.12\00:25:33.06 to come in and sing a song that really meant something to you. 00:25:33.10\00:25:35.80 so set up the song and introduce Jeff and we will take off. 00:25:35.83\00:25:40.46 Well Jeffrey is and amazing person because he, I met him 00:25:40.49\00:25:45.09 without actually meeting him until recently 00:25:45.12\00:25:47.66 When I was going through a hard time in my Christian walk, 00:25:47.69\00:25:51.17 I started to forget why I was doing what I was doing. 00:25:51.20\00:25:55.40 In reaching out to people hard times were coming, trials 00:25:55.43\00:25:59.59 and they were really testing me. 00:25:59.63\00:26:01.72 I had gotten a CD in the mail, from a friend of mine who knew 00:26:01.75\00:26:06.28 I was going through these issues 00:26:06.32\00:26:07.44 and she sent me $20 for my baby because my baby was born and 00:26:07.48\00:26:10.87 I had no job at the time. 00:26:10.90\00:26:12.58 That CD was there and I put it on, I don't know why I did it. 00:26:12.62\00:26:16.47 I just put it on. 00:26:16.51\00:26:17.48 The song I heard, the name of the CD was 00:26:17.49\00:26:21.95 Why Have You Chosen Me? 00:26:21.99\00:26:23.35 It brought back to my mind the very things that I had started 00:26:23.39\00:26:30.98 to do and why I started to do mission. 00:26:31.02\00:26:33.92 It's going to be cool so I half to say we are going to come back 00:26:33.95\00:26:36.79 and I want to start with that song just because it is amazing. 00:26:36.82\00:26:39.62 We will talk again we come back. 00:26:39.66\00:26:42.14 Stay with us! 00:26:42.17\00:26:43.24