Welcome to Issues and Answers.
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Today we're going to talk about
issues and conflicts of youth
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in today's society.
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And what the
church can do to rescue
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and save our young people.
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Our guest today is
Richard Valenzuela.
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Richard is President of
Leadership Diversity Institute,
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the former Education Director
for Silicon Valley FACES,
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former Executive Director
and President of Anytown USA,
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International Council
of Christians and Jews.
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Internationally recognized
for as a diversity specialist.
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He was an active participant
in the Civil Rights Movement
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and now consults
regularly with schools,
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colleges and
universities across the US.
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Richard is going to
share his life experiences
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and working with
over 10,000 young people
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across the country.
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Welcome to the program, Richard.
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My pleasure.
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So glad that you could make it.
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So what's happening
today with our young people?
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Well, you know, my experience
comes from working with
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what I call out of
classroom education
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which is doing camps
and retreats and workshops
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and we'll get
more into that later.
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But what I've observed and what
I've learned from these kids,
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thousands of kids are
some of the major issues
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that are constantly coming up,
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constantly
affecting their lives.
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And one of the big
ones is of course suicide.
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Teen suicide is at
epidemic proportions right now.
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I was working with
one school in California,
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they had up to four
suicides in one year.
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And it made national news
and it just keeps happening.
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You know, when we
take the kids up to camp,
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they begin to reveal, many
of them think about suicide.
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A lot of them
attempted and then thank God
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only a few succeed but it still,
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it's happening too much.
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How did you get involved
in working with young people?
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Have you always,
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has it's always been
something that you've done,
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do you have children
of your own for example?
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Oh, yeah.
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I only have five children
they're all boys except four,
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four fantastic
daughters and one son
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and now have eight grandkids.
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But I've always had
a passion for youth,
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I worked in student government
high school and college
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and it's just,
it's just something
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that I wanted to do.
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You know, it kept directing me,
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I keep being
directed to human relations
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and even though at one time
I wanted to go into business,
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I ended up in the nonprofit
field and in education.
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So that's basically the
interest is just working
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and changing and reaching
these kids because they've got,
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lot of them have
a lot of problems.
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So what were some of
your first experiences
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in working with young people?
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You said right out
of college you started
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working with young people?
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Even before I went to college
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I got invited to
this one camp program
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and which was called Anytown.
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And from there I
thought, gee, this is fantastic,
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we're educating,
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we're not necessarily
just marching or protesting,
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this was in the middle
of civil rights in 1965.
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And so I thought this
is an answer to some degree
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of how to reach kids
before it becomes promise,
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especially when you're dealing
with prejudice too and racism,
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bias and all that.
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It was a good
time to work with them
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and so I volunteered for seven
years all way through college
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and then I got into military
when I was in the service.
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I was one of the first
race relations directors
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or coordinators in the US Navy.
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And then I did
it in the reserves.
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I was one of the first to do it
in the reserve unit in Phoenix.
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So it just kept leading me
to this and so I went to work,
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I got to finish my
degree and went to work
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for the National Conference
of Christians and Jews
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which at that time was
a national organization
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working in interfaith relations,
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in a group relations
and they had the camp going
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so I helped expand
it, took it nationwide,
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you know, many years.
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And so, now we're in
about 20 different cities
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across the country with
about 100 different high schools
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involved in it.
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I like to do more of that
or train more people to do it.
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So you mentioned that suicide
is a very big issue right now
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with young people.
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What are some
of the other issues
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that young people are facing?
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Oh, well, you know, one of
the other ones that's constant
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is the idea of assault
and abuse and date rape.
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One of the segments that we do
in our-- in many of my programs
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or workshops in is dealing
with male female relationships
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and how can we improve them.
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And how they have
messages that they're receiving
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that are negative messages.
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And I'll get
more into that later.
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But it's just the constant
idea that this is happening.
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There are
predators on every campus
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and we need to be
aware of what we can do to,
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to cut that down.
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Especially which is the
30 show I wanted to bring up,
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especially when you
involve drugs or alcohol.
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Then that creates a
lot of problems with abuse
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and molestation et
cetera and then date rape.
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So those go hand in hand
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and again a lot of
kids are still thinking,
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it's cool to smoke
and drink and do all this.
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And they just don't control it.
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So we're going to
be talking today about
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what churches can do
and some of the issues
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that young people are facing
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and how churches and
other groups can help that.
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What is the whole concept
about out of the classroom
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experiences,
learning experiences?
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There's one more
issue I want to touch base
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or can I do it now. Sure.
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Okay, this is this fourth issue
that I think is very important
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especially where
churches are involved.
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And that is to the amount
of students today that I see
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at camp or these workshops that
are turning away from faith,
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turning away from religion,
the growing number of atheist,
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agnostic students.
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I did a camp recently
where we had the kids stand up
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for the different faith groups
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and there were
a few Protestants,
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a few Catholics,
a few Jewish kids.
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But all of a sudden
about almost 50% of the camp
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of 50 kids said they
were agnostic or atheist.
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So I think that's something
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that really needs to be
looked at and worked on too.
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Because in, you know,
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I think it has
something to do with suicide.
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Many of the great
percentage of the kids
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that they've analyzed or
studied that have no faith.
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And so it's an easier, you know,
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way to just give up and so.
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But you were telling
me, you were asking about
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the out of classroom
education concept, correct.
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Anything in
particular is the idea.
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So, is every-- Can all
these issues be taken care
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of inside of the
regular classroom?
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Well, that's it.
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This is why this
type of programming
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is can be so effective because,
you know, you've got classrooms
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where the bell goes
off in 45, 50 minutes
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and you've got to move on.
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At least when you have
them away from the classroom
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and that's what out of
classroom education is,
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is taking them
away from the classroom
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and having them to have
time to work out their issues,
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to discuss their issues.
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You know, that's where the
churches have been the leaders
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in out of classroom education,
maybe they weren't aware of it
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but every time they did a camp,
every time they had a retreat.
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Right.
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Out of classroom
education also include sports,
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especially if they're done right
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and for the right
reasons, totally effective.
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After school programs are
becoming more and more popular
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because there's no one
home to take care of the kids,
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so after school programs
are becoming more necessary
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in many schools
across the country.
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So it really
works very effectively
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when you have those students
in an isolated environment,
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in a safe
environment where they're,
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where it's open for them to talk
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about any issues or concerns.
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So when you have
these kind of a situations,
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what are some of the
staff that's helpful to have
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to be able to
support the young people?
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Well, that's a real important
ingredient in any of these
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out of classroom
education programs
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is how qualified the staff
are, how well trained they are
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because you're dealing
with all types of issues
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that they can come
up very, very freely
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and very openly with.
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Once you create
that safe environment,
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kids become trusting
and then they open up
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and that's when we
hear about these issues
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over and over again, so
definitely qualified staff.
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Usually when we do
a retreat with school,
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we have, most of the
staff come from the school
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so they can go back
and support the students
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when they go back to school,
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but we also get
community people to participate.
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Like who?
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Like who?
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Like yourself.
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Yeah, remember that,
when was that 5 years ago
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when you came to one of--
to the camps in California.
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Yeah. And it.
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And I should say I'm a teacher
in a school psychology as well,
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right.
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So you get like a psychologist,
you get some of the counselors.
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Counselors, we get high,
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we get college students to be
in the cabins with the students
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especially if the
faculty can't do that.
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Right.
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And we also have police officers
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that sometimes come in
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and that's another major
prejudice or you know that,
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that often happens.
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So what about
in a church setting
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if you know they're not
necessarily tied to a school,
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what would be some
of the church people,
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of course, I guess you
could have the professionals
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that are in the church, right?
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Sure,
professionals in the church,
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community people that have
other jobs, have other thing,
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but they have an
interest in reducing prejudice
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and helping kids.
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It takes a whole group
of diverse staff as well as,
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as much as you can
diverse student too.
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Because basically what
happens at these retreats is
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they learn from each other
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more than when they
learn from the staff.
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And they're not
based on lecture, you know,
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or necessarily
extensive preaching
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but it's based on
them exchanging them
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learning from one another.
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You mention basically
the four issues that you see,
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the top issues are suicide,
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the effects of drugs and
alcohol on the young people,
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effects of sexual molestation
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and some of the other
issues and assaults, date rape.
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I mean, bullying is nationwide.
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It's good to see
that many schools have
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instituted programs in bullying,
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but now we're cyber bullying,
it's a whole new area you see.
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You hear kids committing suicide
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every other week in newspaper
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about because they
were cyber bullied.
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And that's where
the cyber bullying is
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where a person goes on
Facebook or social media.
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Social media. And
what kinds of things.
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Sadly to say, but what kinds
of maybe explain to our audience
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what is cyber bullying?
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Well, basically if these
kids are looking for friends
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on the internet and or
they are on Facebook or whatever
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all these medias.
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And somebody gets on
their and invites them
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and wants to be their friend,
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it turns out that they
want to do something more,
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they do some harm to
them or they tease them
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or they harass
them. From classmates.
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Yes, classmates and
so eventually, you know,
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and this constant
harassment and, you know,
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there's been lots
of cases like this
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and so the kids can't handle it,
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you know, no more so
they say I'll give it up
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and that's what suicide
is about, just giving up.
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One of the things that we
try to teach up in the retreats
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and I picked this up from
a young counselor years ago
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and that is to try
to tell the students
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that suicide is only--
it's a permanent solution
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to a temporary problem. Right.
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But, you know, when a
child is going through this,
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they don't think that way,
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they have to really
look at in the future.
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And then you said
the whole concept of
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not having any
concept about God.
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What do you think that
all comes from right now
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in today's society?
00:12:00.85\00:12:02.18
You're saying that you're
going to camps that years ago
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that people had different faiths
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and they would
identify their faith
00:12:06.25\00:12:07.66
but now they're saying
they don't even believe in God.
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You know, I think there's a
lot of things going against it.
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You know, lot of
parents have made the decision
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not to take their children
to church and so they say,
00:12:17.77\00:12:21.20
you know, I've heard
said this several times, oh,
00:12:21.24\00:12:23.47
they will make up
their minds eventually
00:12:23.51\00:12:25.07
or they'll make
up their own choice.
00:12:25.11\00:12:26.84
But you've got to give them,
00:12:26.88\00:12:28.21
you've got to give them
something to choose from
00:12:28.24\00:12:31.55
I think-- That's a good point.
00:12:31.58\00:12:32.91
Yeah, if you don't
do-- Say that again.
00:12:32.95\00:12:34.98
I think you really
got to give your children
00:12:35.02\00:12:37.79
just like me and my wife did.
00:12:37.82\00:12:39.39
We took them to church every
Sunday and eventually we said
00:12:39.42\00:12:42.96
okay, now it's your choice
to whatever religion or faith
00:12:42.99\00:12:45.23
you want to attend but
at least you had a basis,
00:12:45.26\00:12:48.43
at least you had a foundation.
00:12:48.46\00:12:49.90
And that's what, you know,
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.27
this thinking that you
don't give them a choice.
00:12:51.30\00:12:55.00
You know, that they
will get your choice
00:12:55.04\00:12:57.01
even without
nothing to work from.
00:12:57.04\00:13:00.71
I think another thing may be
that we become very scientific.
00:13:00.74\00:13:05.58
You know, everything
is scientific oriented
00:13:05.61\00:13:08.68
and so if you can't prove it
00:13:08.72\00:13:11.25
and that's what
whole faith means you know,
00:13:11.29\00:13:13.05
is to have faith and believe it.
00:13:13.09\00:13:15.66
But so many
people, young people today
00:13:15.69\00:13:17.36
are just into science
and saying it's not working.
00:13:17.39\00:13:22.23
Or they see some of the--
And I've heard this argument,
00:13:22.26\00:13:27.17
I'm sure you have
too over the years about
00:13:27.20\00:13:29.87
all the things have
been done under the violent
00:13:29.90\00:13:33.41
or the worse
things have been done
00:13:33.44\00:13:34.78
under the name
of religion. Right.
00:13:34.81\00:13:36.21
Just like what's going on
in the Middle East right now.
00:13:36.24\00:13:37.98
Under the name of religion,
there's some terror going on,
00:13:38.01\00:13:41.08
there's some violence
going on, killing going on
00:13:41.12\00:13:43.59
and you can look
at that historically
00:13:43.62\00:13:45.49
but that was a
misinterpretation,
00:13:45.52\00:13:48.32
a misguidance, a
misused, misleaders I guess.
00:13:48.36\00:13:52.36
Right, the Bible doesn't
teach violence with religion so.
00:13:52.39\00:13:57.37
You're right, people kind
of take it on their own values,
00:13:57.40\00:14:01.50
groups of people and
therefore, so you're saying that
00:14:01.54\00:14:04.24
youth today are looking
at that seeing the violence
00:14:04.27\00:14:07.68
and the
terrorism and the problems
00:14:07.71\00:14:09.24
that are
associated with religion
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.08
and so they're
walking away from religion.
00:14:11.11\00:14:12.45
Yes, some are.
00:14:12.48\00:14:13.82
Some are saying that
they, there must not be a god
00:14:13.85\00:14:16.32
if all these problems are here.
00:14:16.35\00:14:18.09
But if they don't have
that anchor in the word of God,
00:14:18.12\00:14:21.96
then like you said
when they hit a problem,
00:14:21.99\00:14:25.89
where do they go
with it. That's right.
00:14:25.93\00:14:27.43
They don't know where to go
00:14:27.46\00:14:29.00
and that's where the
suicide and the other acting out
00:14:29.03\00:14:32.53
harmful things come into play.
00:14:32.57\00:14:37.01
Wow.
00:14:37.04\00:14:38.37
So what can churches do?
00:14:38.41\00:14:41.01
Because you said that
churches were the leaders.
00:14:41.04\00:14:43.51
Church, it's true,
churches were the leaders
00:14:43.55\00:14:45.48
in the Civil Rights
Movement for example.
00:14:45.51\00:14:48.75
Maybe give us a
little background on how
00:14:48.78\00:14:51.95
some of the churches
help to be able to make things
00:14:51.99\00:14:54.26
better in society and how
you think it can help here
00:14:54.29\00:14:57.36
with the young people today?
00:14:57.39\00:14:59.03
Well, let me give several areas,
00:14:59.06\00:15:00.70
one I think is they do
they need to do more camps,
00:15:00.73\00:15:04.37
they need to do more retreats.
00:15:04.40\00:15:06.30
But not only for their own
members of their-- Children,
00:15:06.33\00:15:09.74
you know,
children of other members
00:15:09.77\00:15:11.37
but also reach out
to nonmembers' children.
00:15:11.41\00:15:15.54
I really enjoy when I see
these churches that bring buses
00:15:15.58\00:15:19.25
into the inner city and
bring kids into their church
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.02
because these kids are
not getting any direction,
00:15:22.05\00:15:24.65
their parents don't want
to or can't go to a church
00:15:24.69\00:15:27.66
for some reason, but if
we got those non then I think
00:15:27.69\00:15:31.66
that would make
a big difference.
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.63
I think the other thing too
I think churches need to expand
00:15:33.66\00:15:35.80
their missionary work.
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.77
The idea of
providing more opportunities
00:15:37.80\00:15:41.14
for young people
to go on a mission
00:15:41.17\00:15:43.17
on one or two year commitment
where they have to sacrifice,
00:15:43.20\00:15:46.68
so they can mature where
they can have that time to think
00:15:46.71\00:15:51.18
as well as support the
church and support God etcetera.
00:15:51.21\00:15:55.12
So you think mission
trips may be even I know,
00:15:55.15\00:15:58.39
I've heard of some that go like
maybe during their spring break
00:15:58.42\00:16:01.16
or during the summer
or even if they can--
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.82
Even though it's short term ones
00:16:02.86\00:16:05.06
but one of things
that I've always admired is
00:16:05.09\00:16:06.66
what the Mormon
Church has done is that
00:16:06.70\00:16:08.96
they've got
extensive missionary program
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.13
and so does your church--
00:16:11.17\00:16:12.60
Seventh-Day Adventist they
can go and serve for whole year
00:16:12.63\00:16:15.80
as a missionary worker.
00:16:15.84\00:16:17.37
But I think it needs to be made
because a lot of young people
00:16:17.41\00:16:20.28
are coming out of
high school not knowing
00:16:20.31\00:16:23.01
what they're going to do.
00:16:23.04\00:16:24.38
Some are not ready for college,
00:16:24.41\00:16:25.91
some don't want
to go to college.
00:16:25.95\00:16:27.82
So why not go on a
one or two year mission.
00:16:27.85\00:16:29.95
I mean, I even
support the-- I mean,
00:16:29.98\00:16:31.79
I'm not even but I've always
supported military service too.
00:16:31.82\00:16:35.59
Get away for a while,
00:16:35.62\00:16:37.03
learn I mean I spent
two years of active duty
00:16:37.06\00:16:39.69
in the US Navy and it
was such an experience
00:16:39.73\00:16:42.50
but it made me think
and then I was ready to
00:16:42.53\00:16:44.63
because I wasn't
going anywhere in college,
00:16:44.67\00:16:46.17
I was changing
majors every semester.
00:16:46.20\00:16:48.20
So I figured out, okay, maybe
I need to get away for a while
00:16:48.24\00:16:52.27
and think about what
direction I want to go
00:16:52.31\00:16:54.88
and the military
service gave me that.
00:16:54.91\00:16:56.51
And it also gave
me the other reason
00:16:56.54\00:16:58.58
why I went in the
service and it's still available
00:16:58.61\00:17:00.72
is the GI Bill go on school.
00:17:00.75\00:17:03.95
So, there's a lot of avenues
to just for children to grow.
00:17:03.99\00:17:09.36
I also have found that some
churches are taking on working
00:17:09.39\00:17:13.33
with foster care programs
supporting foster care parents.
00:17:13.36\00:17:18.93
How do they do that?
00:17:18.97\00:17:20.30
Well, basically the
one church I was attending
00:17:20.34\00:17:22.50
in the East Valley in Phoenix,
00:17:22.54\00:17:24.44
basically they got involved
with the foster care program
00:17:24.47\00:17:29.81
with the state and
they brought in speakers
00:17:29.84\00:17:32.41
and lectures and
they have people,
00:17:32.45\00:17:33.78
some parents in the church
became foster care parents
00:17:33.82\00:17:36.62
but not everybody can do that.
00:17:36.65\00:17:38.55
But they can sure support them.
00:17:38.59\00:17:40.46
They can mentor
the students etcetera.
00:17:40.49\00:17:42.86
So the church took this
on as a mission project.
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.69
They're actually having
people come in from the state
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.00
or the county
explain the foster program,
00:17:48.03\00:17:50.90
get their training
and then actually go
00:17:50.93\00:17:52.73
and this is what you
see is the missionary work
00:17:52.77\00:17:54.70
that the church can
do-- That's another major.
00:17:54.74\00:17:56.07
Beyond the children of
their immediate congregation.
00:17:56.10\00:17:59.81
It's a beautiful idea.
00:17:59.84\00:18:01.18
Let me tell you, foster care is
one of the biggest social areas
00:18:01.21\00:18:05.35
today in the social
area or support area
00:18:05.38\00:18:08.75
I guess you call it.
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.12
And I learned that 20 years
ago when I was working with
00:18:10.15\00:18:13.25
one of the private
foster care programs
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.09
that were sending
students to our program
00:18:15.12\00:18:16.76
because here's what they found.
00:18:16.79\00:18:19.03
Many, this is 20 years ago
00:18:19.06\00:18:20.60
and I'm sure it's
still pretty much the truth.
00:18:20.63\00:18:22.96
They found that many of
their parents were of white
00:18:23.00\00:18:25.90
or European background
they were foster cared
00:18:25.93\00:18:27.70
but many of their
students were minority
00:18:27.74\00:18:30.24
so they had a cultural conflict,
00:18:30.27\00:18:31.64
they had a racial
conflict in some families.
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.91
So they started sending
their kids to our program
00:18:33.94\00:18:35.68
because we talk
about race and about,
00:18:35.71\00:18:37.75
you know, all those issues.
00:18:37.78\00:18:39.65
But anyway it is
a growing phenomenon
00:18:39.68\00:18:41.55
and another
reason why it's growing.
00:18:41.58\00:18:43.08
Well, there's more and
more foster care kids out there.
00:18:43.12\00:18:45.59
They used to support
the idea of keeping them
00:18:45.62\00:18:47.52
with their
families no matter what,
00:18:47.56\00:18:49.79
but then they found
there was more violence,
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.63
there was more problems
later on and it was better,
00:18:51.66\00:18:55.36
you know, not to keep
in with certain family.
00:18:55.40\00:18:57.17
Certain families are
not capable of raising kids.
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.10
So now they're pulling
more and more of them out,
00:19:00.14\00:19:02.44
so now the foster care
program has just mushroomed.
00:19:02.47\00:19:05.97
There's many
more in every state.
00:19:06.01\00:19:09.21
And I know in Phoenix or
in Arizona it's quite big
00:19:09.24\00:19:12.11
because a lot of
people come from other states
00:19:12.15\00:19:14.35
and they come
with their problems
00:19:14.38\00:19:15.72
and they don't
always solve them.
00:19:15.75\00:19:18.22
So that, their area would
be a good area to expand it.
00:19:18.25\00:19:23.43
The churches to be able to--
00:19:23.46\00:19:24.83
And just, you know,
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.49
nothing without even
getting into foster care.
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.56
I think there's a
lot of adults in churches
00:19:28.60\00:19:30.47
that could be
mentors to students
00:19:30.50\00:19:32.93
that could help just guide them
00:19:32.97\00:19:34.67
like big brothers
and big sisters do.
00:19:34.70\00:19:36.84
You know, play that role
00:19:36.87\00:19:38.61
because there are
so many families today
00:19:38.64\00:19:40.74
that are dysfunctional
or that are missing a parent
00:19:40.78\00:19:44.41
especially fathers.
00:19:44.45\00:19:46.15
And so, if somebody
could supplement a father,
00:19:46.18\00:19:49.08
you know, it would be fantastic.
00:19:49.12\00:19:51.32
So those are some of the areas
00:19:51.35\00:19:54.22
and let me real
quickly check it.
00:19:54.26\00:19:56.56
You have a nice little list
of things that we're looking at.
00:19:56.59\00:19:58.06
Yeah, I just don't want
to miss any of the areas.
00:19:58.09\00:20:03.20
Oh, you know, one
of the biggest things
00:20:03.23\00:20:04.83
that I've missed here is that.
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.47
Encourage the
students in your church,
00:20:06.50\00:20:10.64
the young people that
are role models of the faith
00:20:10.67\00:20:13.71
to participate in
workshops like ours
00:20:13.74\00:20:16.81
because here's a problem
I have found over the years
00:20:16.85\00:20:18.75
is some of the religious groups
00:20:18.78\00:20:20.12
did not want to
send their kids there
00:20:20.15\00:20:21.48
because they
had their own camps.
00:20:21.52\00:20:22.88
And they want to
reinforce their own beliefs.
00:20:22.92\00:20:24.85
But I always ask, well,
send me your role models,
00:20:24.89\00:20:26.89
send me the kids that know your
faith so they can teach others
00:20:26.92\00:20:30.29
and that's how we can overcome
the issue of so many kids
00:20:30.33\00:20:33.36
I would think, I
mean they could reach out
00:20:33.40\00:20:35.33
as peers to those nonbelievers.
00:20:35.36\00:20:38.57
So if you can send your kids,
00:20:38.60\00:20:40.44
don't just keep
them all to yourself.
00:20:40.47\00:20:42.94
Just, you know,
00:20:42.97\00:20:45.11
let them be little
missionaries in other workshops.
00:20:45.14\00:20:50.08
And so that would,
that would be real helpful.
00:20:50.11\00:20:52.08
Yeah, I think that sounds
really good so the foster care,
00:20:54.72\00:20:58.52
the attending workshops that
churches could have more camps
00:20:58.55\00:21:02.36
you're saying
where they can invite
00:21:02.39\00:21:04.63
beyond just their
regular environments.
00:21:04.66\00:21:07.93
I know that
Seventh-day Adventists
00:21:07.96\00:21:09.30
they have Sabbath
school, they have pathfinders
00:21:09.33\00:21:11.87
which is kind of like
boy scouts and girl scouts.
00:21:11.90\00:21:14.90
So you're
saying don't just focus
00:21:14.94\00:21:17.24
on just the kids in the church,
00:21:17.27\00:21:19.44
go beyond the
walls of the church
00:21:19.47\00:21:21.44
and reach out into the community
00:21:21.48\00:21:24.45
and try to make a difference.
00:21:24.48\00:21:26.15
There's one other
area that I want to mention
00:21:26.18\00:21:29.08
if we have the time.
00:21:29.12\00:21:30.45
Sure. Okay.
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.82
And that is, you know,
one of the things I think
00:21:31.85\00:21:33.19
the churches need
to reinforce again
00:21:33.22\00:21:35.59
which I was told as a young man.
00:21:35.62\00:21:39.59
I was in the Catholic Church
at the time and this priest,
00:21:39.63\00:21:42.86
older man, and he taught me
00:21:42.90\00:21:46.10
the concept of
sacred mind and sacred body.
00:21:46.13\00:21:49.20
And I know that your church
is very much involved with that,
00:21:49.24\00:21:52.21
that, but for young people,
they don't see it that way.
00:21:52.24\00:21:54.81
They don't see their
body or their mind as sacred
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.71
until years later most of us
and that's where all the drugs
00:21:56.75\00:22:00.45
and the alcohol and negative
behaviors sometimes come,
00:22:00.48\00:22:04.22
you know, the smoking.
00:22:04.25\00:22:05.85
I mean, I've heard some
stories where, you know,
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.42
I've not only--
See one of the areas
00:22:08.46\00:22:12.19
that we touch on at
camp is disabilities
00:22:12.23\00:22:14.60
and I'll cover that more later
00:22:14.63\00:22:15.96
but the idea that sometimes
we cause our own disabilities,
00:22:16.00\00:22:19.30
you know.
00:22:19.33\00:22:20.67
What do you mean?
00:22:20.70\00:22:22.04
Disabilities can
happen to us by chance by fate
00:22:22.07\00:22:23.91
what have you.
00:22:23.94\00:22:25.27
But if we cause our own
disability by drugs or alcohol
00:22:25.31\00:22:28.94
like my uncle.
00:22:28.98\00:22:30.31
He started smoking
cigarette at the age of 16 or 14
00:22:30.35\00:22:34.22
I can't remember for sure but
anyway by the time he was 20,
00:22:34.25\00:22:37.45
he was smoking a pack a day.
00:22:37.49\00:22:39.15
Time he was 30, he was
smoking two packs a day
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.82
and about the age of 35 he
was diagnosed with emphysema.
00:22:41.86\00:22:45.69
And so all you know
having the disease of the lungs.
00:22:45.73\00:22:49.76
And let me tell
you that they gave him
00:22:49.80\00:22:51.80
a small little
container of oxygen
00:22:51.83\00:22:53.70
to breathe in
every once in awhile.
00:22:53.74\00:22:55.64
Well, the last 25
years of his life,
00:22:55.67\00:22:57.61
he had a tank that he
had to roll around with him
00:22:57.64\00:23:00.08
wherever he went
00:23:00.11\00:23:01.54
and so he lost out
being with his grandchildren,
00:23:01.58\00:23:05.88
he couldn't go outside, it
was just this tank followed him,
00:23:05.91\00:23:08.82
this oxygen tank.
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.22
But he caused it,
00:23:10.25\00:23:11.62
he could have
prevented that and, you know,
00:23:11.65\00:23:13.66
you hear of other
things and accidents
00:23:13.69\00:23:15.22
that happen is a
result of being intoxicated
00:23:15.26\00:23:18.66
can result in being disabled.
00:23:18.69\00:23:23.53
So we need to teach
more of that sacred body
00:23:23.57\00:23:25.57
and sacred mind concept I think.
00:23:25.60\00:23:27.37
Yeah.
00:23:27.40\00:23:28.74
How about parents
or extended family?
00:23:28.77\00:23:31.24
What do you see their
role in being able to help
00:23:31.27\00:23:33.34
some of the young people?
00:23:33.38\00:23:34.78
Well, I, you know, I wish that
we had more parenting workshops
00:23:34.81\00:23:38.58
that's for sure.
00:23:38.61\00:23:40.35
I like one of the
concepts I heard about LA
00:23:40.38\00:23:42.55
about 15 years ago or
so they were, they were.
00:23:42.58\00:23:46.72
Whenever they
arrested a young person,
00:23:46.76\00:23:48.82
they would go after
the parents and say okay,
00:23:48.86\00:23:50.63
now you have to go to a workshop
00:23:50.66\00:23:52.29
or a seminar on parenting
00:23:52.33\00:23:54.00
because this
child is out of control
00:23:54.03\00:23:55.80
or making too
many mistakes etcetera.
00:23:55.83\00:23:57.87
And I think we need to
look at those type of training
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.80
workshops too.
00:23:59.83\00:24:02.54
I think there's a lot
of single parent families,
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.47
it's becoming a phenomena
00:24:04.51\00:24:05.84
that how many
children are being born
00:24:05.87\00:24:07.58
out of wedlock today.
00:24:07.61\00:24:09.04
So here's kids that need
support they need, you know,
00:24:09.08\00:24:12.15
somebody to mentor
them as I was saying before.
00:24:12.18\00:24:15.95
Hopefully that, yeah parents
can do more there's no doubt.
00:24:15.98\00:24:19.99
And we can reach out to
other students or the kids.
00:24:20.02\00:24:24.06
So are you available to travel
and to be able to do trainings
00:24:24.09\00:24:28.03
for people?
00:24:28.06\00:24:29.40
Yes, I'm kind of
semi retired right now
00:24:29.43\00:24:31.43
but what I've come
down to the conclusion.
00:24:31.47\00:24:34.17
And I think God has been
involved in this decision,
00:24:34.20\00:24:36.67
He just said, you know,
you need to train other people.
00:24:36.71\00:24:41.54
You need to
make a difference now
00:24:41.58\00:24:42.94
in getting other younger
individuals to do the work
00:24:42.98\00:24:46.55
that I've been doing for years
00:24:46.58\00:24:47.92
and I've trained
others I've got mentees
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.09
and I've been a
mentor to several
00:24:50.12\00:24:52.95
that have become you know
national speakers etcetera.
00:24:52.99\00:24:57.53
But I need to do more of that,
00:24:57.56\00:24:59.53
I like to initiate
programs in churches
00:24:59.56\00:25:03.10
and schools
wherever, school districts
00:25:03.13\00:25:07.57
and teach them how
to do it themselves
00:25:07.60\00:25:09.50
so then I can walk
away and it continues.
00:25:09.54\00:25:12.67
In fact I have several
school districts in Phoenix
00:25:12.71\00:25:15.01
that are now doing these
workshops all in their own,
00:25:15.04\00:25:17.71
and it works out just great.
00:25:17.75\00:25:19.15
So what kind of, how
would you set that up as far as,
00:25:19.18\00:25:23.05
what could a person expect
00:25:23.08\00:25:24.42
if they're going to
be having a training,
00:25:24.45\00:25:25.79
is it like a one
day or two day or,
00:25:25.82\00:25:29.19
you know, how many?
00:25:29.22\00:25:30.56
What kind of people
should be pulled together
00:25:30.59\00:25:32.86
to be able to do that?
00:25:32.89\00:25:35.10
Well, what I like
to do the best is,
00:25:35.13\00:25:38.40
the best I think
method would be to have
00:25:38.43\00:25:41.74
bring him to a workshop,
00:25:41.77\00:25:43.10
a three or four day
workshop that we do.
00:25:43.14\00:25:45.51
And then have him go
through the activity.
00:25:45.54\00:25:49.28
Because the first time
around, let me tell you,
00:25:49.31\00:25:52.75
our workshops not only work
effectively on young people,
00:25:52.78\00:25:56.48
adults, teachers have all said
00:25:56.52\00:25:59.85
this is one of
the best experiences
00:25:59.89\00:26:01.69
or in service
trainings I've ever attended
00:26:01.72\00:26:04.83
and they get to go
through some of their issues.
00:26:04.86\00:26:06.49
And I think
they have to do that.
00:26:06.53\00:26:08.16
And then the second
time they come around,
00:26:08.20\00:26:09.96
they go through experience,
then they start looking at the,
00:26:10.00\00:26:12.33
at the way it's done and
the dynamics and the process
00:26:12.37\00:26:17.31
that makes it successful.
00:26:17.34\00:26:19.64
And so you need
to have him there.
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.58
I can do a one
or two day workshop
00:26:21.61\00:26:23.55
and show them some of
the exercises and go over
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.48
because here's the
other thing I've found
00:26:25.51\00:26:26.92
is many of these
exercises are out there,
00:26:26.95\00:26:28.85
they've been
out there for years.
00:26:28.88\00:26:30.65
But if you don't know how
to process or debrief from
00:26:30.69\00:26:33.29
and get the maximum
out of these activities,
00:26:33.32\00:26:35.59
you know, sometimes you
can work to the negative side
00:26:35.62\00:26:39.63
rather than the
positive side. Right, right.
00:26:39.66\00:26:42.46
Well, I certainly appreciate
you coming to the program today
00:26:42.50\00:26:45.00
and explaining to us
about the youth issues
00:26:45.03\00:26:49.04
and how churches and
other community groups
00:26:49.07\00:26:52.04
can get involved in helping
and making a big difference.
00:26:52.07\00:26:56.34
And certainly, you know,
00:26:56.38\00:26:58.71
you can attest to the work
that's been done over the years
00:26:58.75\00:27:01.88
that has reached so many people.
00:27:01.92\00:27:04.42
Again I just want
to thank you so much
00:27:04.45\00:27:06.05
for watching this program today.
00:27:06.09\00:27:08.32
And before we leave, I would
like to be able to just take
00:27:08.36\00:27:11.19
a moment right now
to have prayer for those
00:27:11.23\00:27:14.36
that are watching the
youth leaders, the pastor,
00:27:14.40\00:27:17.20
the parents and even
some of the young people
00:27:17.23\00:27:19.37
that may be involved in some
of the challenges that we face.
00:27:19.40\00:27:23.87
So let's have a prayer right now
00:27:23.91\00:27:25.51
and ask God's help for that.
00:27:25.54\00:27:28.58
Thank You heavenly Father
for all that You've done for us.
00:27:28.61\00:27:31.15
Thank You for
Your Son Jesus Christ,
00:27:31.18\00:27:34.65
Who died on the cross to
save us and most importantly
00:27:34.68\00:27:37.62
He came down on this
earth and lived the life.
00:27:37.65\00:27:39.75
He was a young
person at one time and Lord,
00:27:39.79\00:27:42.42
it's Your power to the
presence of the Holy Spirit
00:27:42.46\00:27:45.69
and the angels dear God
that are going to come to search
00:27:45.73\00:27:48.33
and rescue your young people,
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.47
so we just want
to ask for Your help
00:27:50.50\00:27:52.67
in anyway that we
can especially as church
00:27:52.70\00:27:54.64
is to intervene and
make a big difference
00:27:54.67\00:27:56.50
in the lives of
young people today,
00:27:56.54\00:27:58.04
and we thank you
the name of Jesus, amen.
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.21
Amen.
00:28:00.24\00:28:01.58
Again thank you
so much for coming--
00:28:01.61\00:28:03.14
My pleasure.
00:28:03.18\00:28:04.51
And wish you well as
you go back to Phoenix
00:28:04.55\00:28:06.15
and to your family and continue
to do these wonderful camps.
00:28:06.18\00:28:09.42
And again thank you
so much for joining us
00:28:09.45\00:28:12.35
on Issues and Answers today,
00:28:12.39\00:28:13.72
we hope that it was helpful
and I will see you next time.
00:28:13.76\00:28:17.29
God bless.
00:28:17.33\00:28:18.66