Welcome to Issues and Answers.
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Today, we're gonna be
dealing with the topic
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From tragedy to triumph.
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You know, that can be applied
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to a lot of
different situations.
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It could be applied to a nation
going from tragedy to triumph,
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from a group of people
from tragedy to triumph,
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from an individual.
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Well, God has blessed us
with the wonderful guest today,
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that is gonna talk about
it all from her life story.
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It is none other
than Ra'Shall Steede.
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Who is a native Selma, Alabama.
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She is going to share with
us personal tragedy in her life
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and how God has
made it a triumph,
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in the midst of everything
that was coming against her.
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It is an amazing story
that you don't want to miss
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and I am so glad
that you've tuned in.
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Ra'Shall is a
graduate of Oakwood University.
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She is a pastor's wife and
has two wonderful children.
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Welcome to the
program, Ra'Shall.
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Thank you, thank you
so much for having me.
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So you are from Selma.
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What was it like
growing up in Selma, Alabama?
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Well, truly when
I think about Selma,
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I just have
wonderful thoughts of Selma.
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Really?
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I know that it
was extremely hard
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with the racial,
tension and everything
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but Selma in my
time there was wonderful,
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because when I think back
about family coming together,
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you know...
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visiting my grandparents,
being with family--
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So how was it for your
family like the generations?
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You know, that's a big
thing, the march on Selma,
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it was a huge, huge thing.
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And did you grow
up with that legacy?
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Did people talk
about it? I mean.
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Well, yes, as matter of fact,
I do believe my grandmother
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and my mother was a
part of the "March".
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They marched?
That took place there.
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Yes, and I also do believe
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that my grand mother was
a part of the Bloody Sunday.
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Oh! Really? That
took place in Selma.
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So my family does have
a stake in the situation
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that took place there and
it was really a tough time
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during that time but as
always God brings us through.
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Well, that's interesting.
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So did people having,
you know, your loved ones,
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did they kind
of say, you know...
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were they angry
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from what they had gone through?
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Did you grow up
in an environment
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where people were segregated?
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And they said, you know, keep,
stay away from white people
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or stay away from other people
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because they're
gonna be mean to you?
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Well, as a
young kid at that time
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I don't remember any of that.
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But I do know that
there was high tension
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as far as blacks
getting great jobs
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or you know, we
couldn't do certain thing
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but it was more so
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not as far as the
kids were concerned.
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I mean, it was more dealing
with the parents and rarely,
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they didn't really
talk about it that much
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it was more an adult situation.
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But when they dealt
with us, it was more of a...
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you know, just,
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it felt like there was
none of this stuff going on.
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Really? So things have changed.
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Yeah, well, in their
attitudes and in their mind
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as far as the
kids were concerned,
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they always, you know, talked,
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you know, it always
a happy time, you know.
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Family getting
together, eating together,
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so a lot of the tension
even if it was going on,
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we weren't a part that.
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We didn't
experience the negative side
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of living in Selma.
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There was one situation though
that I recall as a little girl,
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I don't know I might have
been about seven years old.
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I remember my mother
sending us to the bathroom
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because at that time,
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down the street from
us across broad street
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cause we lived on
field part at the time
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but across
there was broad street
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and the Ku Klux Klan were
actually having a march there.
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And we were sent to the bathroom
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because no one knew it
they would crossed it--
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cross the road over and to--
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you know, cause
trouble or whatever.
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So other than that, that
was the only experience of,
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you know, dealing with
the racial tension of things,
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you know, we went to school,
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you know, it was
just a happy family time.
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Wow.
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Then you had another
incredible experience
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where you actually, you left
Selma you grew up from Selma
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but then you
ended up in Bermuda.
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Well, that is really
funny. Tell me about that.
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Because growing up, you
hear about the Bermuda Triangle
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and you are told to stay
away from the Bermuda Triangle
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and it's funny.
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I was in Oakwood
singing in Dynamic Praise
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and there was a mission
trip that they were having
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and they were
looking for students
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that wanted to be a part.
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I wasn't a student but I
was there singing in the choir.
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So they said, "Come right long."
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And I said to
Bermuda? Really? Really?
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A field trip, six weeks?
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You know we went there--
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You must have a
great singing voice,
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to get a free trip over.
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No, it was just some
friends that I had met,
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that knew about the
trip and asked me to come.
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And I went there, you
know, six weeks the whole time
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scared to death praying that
there is no triangle to get us.
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But we made it there
safely and of course,
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we did a lot of God's work
and just a tad bit if our own.
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Really, lot of God's work?
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What, what kind
of things did you do?
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Well, we were
doing Bible studies,
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we were getting--
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they were having a crusade
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and we had to prep the community
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and get them ready,
give them Bible studies
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and you know, talking to them
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and getting their understanding.
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So when it came
time for the crusade,
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they will be
ready and be baptized.
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Wow, so you were
doing Bible study,
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you were right
there on the front line.
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So did you see baptisms?
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How was that for you to
be involved in Lord's work?
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Yeah, it was awesome.
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I didn't know I could do a
Bible study. I had no idea.
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But it was really
awesome, meeting the people,
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you know, Bermuda is
just a beautiful island.
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Yeah--
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You know, and people
are very nice and great.
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Wow.
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It sounds like God was
preparing you for next step.
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What happen most
significant thing
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in most significant way for you
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on the beautiful
island of Bermuda,
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something that would
change your life forever?
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What was that?
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Well, I meet the
Lord. You met the Lord, wow.
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Yes.
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It was just an
awesome experience
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but I did meet a gentleman.
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You met a
gentleman? I met a gentleman.
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You met a Bermudian gentleman.
I met a Bermudian gentleman.
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I met him through--
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his mother was my Bible worker
and when ever she couldn't come
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she would send him to
take me to visit my different--
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the people that I
was doing studies with.
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And we just
really got acquainted
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and we got to know each other.
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But nothing really happened
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until I came back to the States.
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So did you kind of do,
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you know,
everyone would like to know
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a good romance story,
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you know, did you
walk the beaches together?
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Yes we did.
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Did you ride those
little mopeds around the island?
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Yes we did, He
actually had motorcycle,
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I think that he was--
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yes, and I got
to drive his boat.
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So nice--
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You know, so it was
really, it was really nice
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but this was my friend.
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But it was during the time
they had hurricane Fabian that,
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I had gone back home and
he was home getting ready
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to come back to Oakwood
but the storm came through
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and it was as if he might
not have been able to come back
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that year because
it was really bad,
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the storm was really terrible
and I went to praying, fasting
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I watched more news than I've
ever watched in my whole life,
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trying to keep up with storm
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to make sure
everything was going well,
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so that he could come back.
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And he did get to come back.
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It was bad but he was
able to come back to Oakwood
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and from then on we were--
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So you guys continued
the budding relationship
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and then you got married.
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And then we got
married. You got married.
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So now, tell me
something about your husband,
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what kind of work does he
do? Well my husband is a pastor.
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He is Pastor David Steede.
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He pastors
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at New Covenant Seventh-day
Adventist Church here.
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And he is an awesome pastor,
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I really like him,
I could truly say it.
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Well, that good!
He is really good.
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And I think he is a
very compassionate young man.
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So where did you guys go?
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So you went from Selma,
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a really tough
area of the country,
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you took a chance, you
went over to the Bermuda
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and you met a
Bermudian gentleman.
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You both came back and
then you both got married.
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Where did you go after that?
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Well, after that...
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What was your sign?
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You went to the
seminary to Andrews,
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okay, so after you left
Andrews then where did you go?
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We went to Massachusetts,
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we moved to
Massachusetts in 2005.
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And we pastored
there for almost 5 years
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and then we received a call
to come to Memphis, Tennessee
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and that's where we reside.
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So how was it moving
from the North east coast
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down to the South?
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Back again to
the South, I guess.
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Back again to the south,
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well, it was really interesting.
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I tell you
history is really crazy,
00:10:31.43\00:10:33.96
because in the history
book again I read about,
00:10:34.00\00:10:37.80
you know Road
island and Massachusetts
00:10:37.83\00:10:40.17
and Plymouth rock
and all of those things
00:10:40.20\00:10:42.24
and here I find myself actually
living there and being a part
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and now to come back home
again, it was really refreshing
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because I was
not suited for snow,
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you know, it was
really cold there so--
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and I was far
away from my family.
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So the move of
coming back, was really--
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it was rough but
it was really happy--
00:11:03.93\00:11:07.60
it was a happy time
00:11:07.60\00:11:08.93
because I was gonna
be close to my family.
00:11:08.96\00:11:12.00
Right.
00:11:12.03\00:11:13.40
So now this is where
a life changing event
00:11:13.44\00:11:17.07
happened in your life
and I want you to share,
00:11:17.11\00:11:19.14
take your time and share with us
00:11:19.17\00:11:21.21
what happened on
one particular night
00:11:21.24\00:11:24.68
when you were driving back
from Huntsville to Memphis.
00:11:24.71\00:11:29.75
Okay.
00:11:29.78\00:11:31.15
Well, first of all,
living in Massachusetts,
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.92
like I said I was
distance away from my family,
00:11:34.96\00:11:38.79
so I really only got to
see them maybe once in a year
00:11:38.83\00:11:42.26
and so moving back to
Memphis, it was really--
00:11:42.30\00:11:45.37
moving to Memphis, it
was really exciting for me
00:11:45.40\00:11:48.24
because I was
only three and half,
00:11:48.27\00:11:51.07
I was away from my
family, considering
00:11:51.11\00:11:55.64
really being 20
something hours away from them,
00:11:55.68\00:11:58.65
so that night or that
day it was actually Easter.
00:11:58.68\00:12:04.19
It was April 4th
2010 Easter Sabbath,
00:12:04.22\00:12:10.23
It was on Sabbath that we well,
00:12:10.26\00:12:12.63
it was actually the
Sabbath before Easter.
00:12:12.66\00:12:16.00
We decided to move--
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I mean, I'm sorry...
00:12:18.00\00:12:19.63
To travel down to Huntsville?
00:12:19.67\00:12:21.44
To travel down to
Huntsville to see my mom,
00:12:21.47\00:12:23.91
after all of those years
of not being able to see her.
00:12:23.97\00:12:27.04
It was beautiful sunny
day. I woke up that morning.
00:12:27.08\00:12:30.01
This was your first
visit to see your mother from--
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After we moved, yes.
00:12:32.08\00:12:33.58
After--
00:12:33.62\00:12:34.95
you know, so I
was really excited.
00:12:34.98\00:12:36.35
This was also the first the time
00:12:36.38\00:12:37.82
that we could
for alumni weekend,
00:12:37.85\00:12:40.72
you know, and so I was
really excited about that
00:12:40.76\00:12:43.39
and after church,
we went to church,
00:12:43.43\00:12:45.53
he preached and I after
church, it was so beautiful
00:12:45.56\00:12:49.13
we just "Let's get in the
car and drive to Huntsville."
00:12:49.16\00:12:52.60
So we drove to Huntsville
in hopes of seeing my family,
00:12:52.63\00:12:55.90
as well as getting to see some--
00:12:55.94\00:12:59.31
getting to see some
activities from alumni weekend.
00:12:59.34\00:13:02.34
And then as anybody else.
00:13:02.38\00:13:04.31
anyone else that's
leaving from alumni
00:13:04.35\00:13:06.18
or leaving from a
trip, you got in the car
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.85
and you headed
back, but then something--
00:13:08.88\00:13:12.22
That night we were driving
back and it was pretty late.
00:13:12.25\00:13:17.26
We had stayed
around for a while,
00:13:17.33\00:13:18.76
it was pretty late
and my husband was driving
00:13:18.79\00:13:24.90
and we were on
the road and basically
00:13:24.93\00:13:30.27
the next thing I could recall
is that we are actually rolling
00:13:30.31\00:13:36.58
or tumbling down
the highway and--
00:13:36.61\00:13:41.75
The car is
flipping, over and over,
00:13:41.78\00:13:44.95
just you have
gotten into an accident.
00:13:44.99\00:13:46.62
Yes, we had
gotten into an accident
00:13:46.65\00:13:49.39
and the car is
flipping and flipping
00:13:49.42\00:13:51.56
and I can remember hearing
a voice say to me, "Call me."
00:13:51.59\00:13:58.03
Because during that time, I
was awakened out of my sleep
00:13:58.07\00:14:01.77
into a roll and I thought
my husband was talking to me
00:14:01.80\00:14:06.88
but he wasn't.
00:14:06.91\00:14:08.38
And I heard this
voice that just said to me
00:14:08.41\00:14:10.65
as clear as day, "Call me."
00:14:10.68\00:14:12.85
And I'm thinking,
"Call me, "but I'm so scared
00:14:12.88\00:14:16.05
and I started just calling
Jesus, Jesus help us, save us,
00:14:16.08\00:14:22.32
forgive us, and I
just kept repeating that
00:14:22.36\00:14:24.53
over and over and over.
00:14:24.56\00:14:27.30
And the car finally stopped.
00:14:27.30\00:14:30.23
And when the car
stopped, my family,
00:14:30.27\00:14:33.60
well my daughter
started screaming
00:14:33.64\00:14:36.04
and so I turned around to
help her get out of the car
00:14:36.07\00:14:39.51
and, you know, let her
get through the sunroof
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.98
and got my son out of the car
00:14:42.01\00:14:43.41
and my husband had
gotten out of the car.
00:14:43.45\00:14:45.68
But I couldn't
get out of the car.
00:14:45.71\00:14:48.22
So when I
unfasten the seat belt,
00:14:48.25\00:14:50.85
I kind of dropped and--
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.92
then a gentleman came by
and he said don't move her
00:14:53.96\00:14:57.96
because we don't know
what's wrong with her.
00:14:57.99\00:15:00.53
And then I heard my son
say the car is gonna blow!
00:15:00.56\00:15:04.97
But I guess I turned the switch
00:15:05.00\00:15:08.44
and took the
keys out of the car.
00:15:08.47\00:15:09.80
You did?
00:15:09.84\00:15:11.17
I did all of this not
really know what's going on
00:15:11.21\00:15:14.41
and then and few minutes later,
00:15:14.44\00:15:15.91
I heard the fire department come
00:15:15.94\00:15:19.21
and they cut me out of the
car and I hear them ask me,
00:15:19.25\00:15:26.02
you know, what's my
name and all of these things
00:15:26.05\00:15:29.09
and I said, okay,
it must be important
00:15:29.12\00:15:30.93
because they want
me to remember my name.
00:15:30.96\00:15:33.83
So I have to remember who I am,
00:15:33.90\00:15:35.20
these are all the things
that are going through my mind.
00:15:35.23\00:15:37.77
And apparently I
told them who I was
00:15:37.80\00:15:40.00
and next thing I knew,
I heard helicopter sounds,
00:15:40.04\00:15:43.24
where they had flown
me to the hospital too,
00:15:43.27\00:15:47.08
actually at that time it
was Med in Memphis, Tennessee,
00:15:47.14\00:15:50.71
The trauma
centre. The trauma centre.
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.08
You need to know.
Trauma centre, yes.
00:15:52.11\00:15:53.48
It's well known for that.
00:15:53.52\00:15:54.85
And they had taken my
family to Mississippi.
00:15:54.88\00:15:57.05
So you are in the hospital
and what was the diagnosis?
00:15:57.09\00:16:01.66
What did they say to you?
00:16:01.69\00:16:03.46
Well, they didn't
say anything to me
00:16:03.49\00:16:05.86
because at that point
I was going in and out.
00:16:05.89\00:16:08.13
But they told my family
that it didn't look good
00:16:08.16\00:16:13.07
and that I had a broken
leg and then they found out
00:16:13.10\00:16:17.71
other things that
was wrong with me,
00:16:17.74\00:16:19.71
which turned out to be
both legs were broken the same
00:16:19.74\00:16:23.14
but my right leg was--
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.05
the artery in it
was really damaged.
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.05
And they tried to
save it several times
00:16:27.12\00:16:30.29
but they couldn't save it.
00:16:30.32\00:16:33.86
So they ended up
having to take it.
00:16:33.89\00:16:36.73
And during that
time, during that process
00:16:36.76\00:16:39.66
I was coded on the table twice.
00:16:39.69\00:16:41.93
That means that you died.
00:16:41.96\00:16:43.93
I flat lined twice on the table.
00:16:43.97\00:16:47.34
My family got a phone call twice
00:16:47.40\00:16:49.44
to come to the
hospital for me and--
00:16:49.47\00:16:54.54
And they essentially,
00:16:54.58\00:16:56.81
like you said,
they took your leg.
00:16:56.85\00:16:58.18
How long were
you in the hospital?
00:16:58.21\00:17:00.55
I was in the hospital for about
00:17:00.58\00:17:03.92
maybe three and a
half months or so--
00:17:03.95\00:17:07.92
I was there.
00:17:07.96\00:17:09.29
And then I went to rehab
00:17:09.32\00:17:10.96
on the other
side of the hospital
00:17:10.99\00:17:12.49
and I was there
for about a month
00:17:12.53\00:17:15.23
and then I went home in
my hospital bed for a month.
00:17:15.26\00:17:20.94
But before I went home
00:17:20.97\00:17:25.04
there was
situation at the hospital,
00:17:25.07\00:17:27.21
when it was time
for me to go home,
00:17:27.28\00:17:29.68
when it was time
for me to go home
00:17:29.71\00:17:32.45
I had to get in a car.
00:17:32.48\00:17:36.25
I was afraid to get in a
car. So I couldn't get in a car.
00:17:36.28\00:17:40.86
And I begged them to
put me in the ambulance.
00:17:40.89\00:17:43.29
However, I still I
couldn't get in the ambulance
00:17:43.32\00:17:45.79
because I just kept seeing
the car in my head, I kept,
00:17:45.83\00:17:52.63
so I didn't want
to get in the car.
00:17:52.67\00:17:55.00
And they wanted to
put me on the medication
00:17:55.04\00:17:58.71
to get me in the car.
00:17:58.74\00:18:01.04
But I couldn't do
medication because I didn't want
00:18:01.08\00:18:04.55
to be hooked on medication
every time I got into the car.
00:18:04.58\00:18:08.72
So I just prayed a
lot that God would help me
00:18:08.75\00:18:13.15
and He helped get in the car.
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.29
He helped me to
get in the ambulance
00:18:15.32\00:18:18.16
and they drove me home.
00:18:18.19\00:18:20.53
But at the same time
00:18:20.56\00:18:21.86
there was a wonderful gentleman,
00:18:21.90\00:18:23.37
it's amazing that how
God always put someone--
00:18:23.40\00:18:28.17
In you life--
00:18:28.20\00:18:29.54
In your life at the
time and the actual paramedic
00:18:29.57\00:18:33.78
that was in the
ambulance, he was a young guy
00:18:33.81\00:18:36.31
and I didn't even
remember his name.
00:18:36.34\00:18:38.61
But all I
remember was the tattoos
00:18:38.65\00:18:40.65
that he had on his arms
00:18:40.72\00:18:42.08
and he was sitting there with me
00:18:42.12\00:18:44.32
and I was crying and screaming
00:18:44.35\00:18:46.59
and not acting like
a first lady at all,
00:18:46.62\00:18:49.79
you know, I was
just scared to death.
00:18:49.82\00:18:52.49
I was really scared to
death but he said "it's okay."
00:18:52.53\00:18:56.13
And he held my
hand the whole trip home
00:18:56.16\00:18:59.53
and that was just amazing for me
00:18:59.57\00:19:01.20
because it helped me
to, you know, comfort--
00:19:01.24\00:19:04.51
it comforted me
in that situation.
00:19:04.54\00:19:07.54
So you went through rehab.
00:19:07.61\00:19:09.28
Now you also
happened to be in Memphis,
00:19:09.31\00:19:11.15
which is known for
prosthetics, right.
00:19:11.18\00:19:14.15
So that was real
blessing, the top place,
00:19:14.18\00:19:16.32
one of the top
places in the country,
00:19:16.35\00:19:17.75
where they actually
manufacture and make them.
00:19:17.79\00:19:19.95
How was that for you to--
00:19:19.99\00:19:23.02
I mean, did you--
00:19:23.06\00:19:24.89
do they
automatically give that to you
00:19:24.93\00:19:26.73
or did you have
to take time to heal?
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.43
How did that work?
00:19:28.46\00:19:29.83
Well for me there
was a lot of damage done
00:19:29.86\00:19:34.64
in the accident on me
because what I found out later
00:19:34.67\00:19:38.04
was that my right leg
was in and out of the car
00:19:38.07\00:19:42.64
and the car was rolling
over it as we were rolling
00:19:42.68\00:19:46.48
and I honestly believe
that's why God spoke to me,
00:19:46.51\00:19:51.82
to say to call him
because I think in that moment
00:19:51.85\00:19:56.39
as I was calling Him,
it got louder and louder
00:19:56.42\00:20:00.73
and I think during that time,
00:20:00.80\00:20:02.76
you know, I
couldn't feel the pain
00:20:02.80\00:20:04.77
of what was going on with
me, I couldn't feel any of that
00:20:04.80\00:20:07.74
because I was calling him.
00:20:07.77\00:20:10.17
So a lot of damage was
done, a lot of meat was taken.
00:20:10.21\00:20:13.64
So I was went
through skin grafts
00:20:13.68\00:20:15.94
and everything on
both legs and you know.
00:20:15.98\00:20:19.75
So it took a long
time for me to heal
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.38
before I could even
get into the prosthetics
00:20:22.42\00:20:26.05
and different things.
00:20:26.09\00:20:27.42
Like how long?
00:20:27.46\00:20:28.79
It took about a
year maybe a half
00:20:28.82\00:20:31.53
before I could
actually get the a--
00:20:31.56\00:20:32.89
and it could fit
me for prosthetics
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.23
and I remember driving
up to precision prosthetics
00:20:35.26\00:20:39.43
and there was a young man
there who was the owner of it.
00:20:39.47\00:20:44.27
And he said to me
"It's going to be okay".
00:20:44.31\00:20:47.64
Because when I drove
up in the parking lot,
00:20:47.68\00:20:49.34
I've been thinking
why in world am I here,
00:20:49.38\00:20:52.08
you know, I was just scared,
I saw a lamp in the window
00:20:52.11\00:20:56.15
that had a leg
and I am like oh God!
00:20:56.18\00:20:58.89
Is this really happening,
you know, even though I knew
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.49
I had lost my leg,
you know, it's something
00:21:01.52\00:21:04.43
when you go
through the process of,
00:21:04.46\00:21:07.40
you know, dealing with it.
00:21:07.40\00:21:08.93
It was just like, wild, I
mean, I am scared to death.
00:21:08.96\00:21:11.47
So I went inside there--
00:21:11.50\00:21:14.27
and he was so nice
and he comforted me
00:21:14.30\00:21:17.17
and told me,
"it's gonna be okay,"
00:21:17.21\00:21:19.37
and he just measured me
00:21:19.41\00:21:22.08
and just talked to me
about the whole process
00:21:22.11\00:21:24.61
and it went so
well, it went well.
00:21:24.65\00:21:27.72
About a year and
maybe eleven months,
00:21:27.75\00:21:32.32
I finally got--
00:21:32.35\00:21:34.22
he finally was able
to shape a leg or socket
00:21:34.26\00:21:39.23
which is the part that
actually goes on your leg and,
00:21:39.26\00:21:42.60
you know, for my leg and I
was able to start trying to,
00:21:42.63\00:21:46.13
you know, just put it on
00:21:46.17\00:21:47.50
and get my leg
comfortable with that
00:21:47.57\00:21:49.04
but it was really--
00:21:49.07\00:21:51.01
this legs are
really expensive, you know.
00:21:51.04\00:21:54.34
I always wanted a Lexus
but I guess this is my Lexus,
00:21:54.38\00:22:00.32
because they are--
00:22:00.35\00:22:01.85
you know, the
cheapest one is about $28,000.
00:22:01.88\00:22:06.49
Wow.
00:22:06.52\00:22:07.86
You know, if you want
one that does something
00:22:07.89\00:22:10.33
or look like something
that's 50, 60, $ 80,000
00:22:10.36\00:22:15.03
that you have to pay to
get, you know, those things.
00:22:15.06\00:22:17.87
Is it covered through insurance?
00:22:17.90\00:22:19.37
Well, see that's the
key because many times,
00:22:19.40\00:22:22.44
you know, you get
insurances not thinking,
00:22:22.47\00:22:25.47
that something like
this is gonna happen.
00:22:25.51\00:22:28.01
When we got our insurance,
00:22:28.04\00:22:30.55
you know, we weren't
thinking about losing a limb.
00:22:30.61\00:22:33.08
So many times you skimp
on that so and my insurance,
00:22:33.11\00:22:37.79
it was a good insurance,
but it didn't cover everything
00:22:37.82\00:22:41.89
that he needed to cover.
00:22:41.92\00:22:43.26
So I--
00:22:43.29\00:22:44.63
my family and I had to
try and come up with funds,
00:22:44.66\00:22:47.36
which is very hard situation.
00:22:47.40\00:22:51.63
But I encourage anyone,
00:22:51.67\00:22:54.40
even though you don't ever think
00:22:54.44\00:22:55.90
that you would
have to experience this,
00:22:55.94\00:22:59.67
you never know.
00:22:59.71\00:23:01.11
So don't skimp on those things,
when it comes to insurance
00:23:01.14\00:23:05.05
because it is really hard
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.32
when you don't have
that into your insurance.
00:23:07.35\00:23:10.99
Well, right now, I would
like to invite your husband
00:23:11.02\00:23:13.36
Pastor David Steede
to come on to the set
00:23:13.39\00:23:17.26
because he was the
big part, I am sure.
00:23:17.33\00:23:19.79
And we didn't
have the opportunity
00:23:19.83\00:23:21.50
to have your children,
00:23:21.53\00:23:23.43
who actually I
have taught at one time,
00:23:23.47\00:23:25.37
very precious David and Summer.
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.74
But I understand now
that you are on your own,
00:23:27.77\00:23:32.61
you drive, you do
all kinds of stuff,
00:23:32.64\00:23:34.44
can you share with us Pastor,
00:23:34.48\00:23:35.84
you know, from
your point of view.
00:23:35.88\00:23:38.78
How do you think you wife,
how did she get through this?
00:23:38.81\00:23:41.05
I mean, looking on as as your--
00:23:41.08\00:23:42.42
as this is the love of
your life, and to see her,
00:23:42.45\00:23:45.12
I mean look at her
now, she just beautiful,
00:23:45.15\00:23:48.69
what can you share with us?
00:23:48.72\00:23:50.09
Yeah, you know,
before the accident
00:23:50.13\00:23:56.23
my wife loved to shop...
00:23:56.26\00:24:01.34
I mean shop, shop,
shop, unbelievable.
00:24:04.64\00:24:10.15
Just like I almost
woke up to go to the store,
00:24:10.18\00:24:12.71
you know, that the reason
00:24:12.75\00:24:14.12
she get up in the
mornings to go the store.
00:24:14.15\00:24:15.65
And I thought that there just
might be a possibility that,
00:24:15.68\00:24:21.82
now that she was sort of,
you know, some what limited
00:24:21.86\00:24:26.09
that that might decrease.
00:24:26.13\00:24:29.96
But it has definitely increased,
00:24:30.03\00:24:31.73
you know what I am saying.
00:24:31.77\00:24:33.10
And so she gets
around, she drives often times,
00:24:33.13\00:24:36.97
she would drive
and take the kids,
00:24:37.01\00:24:39.84
you know, to school
or she'll pick them up,
00:24:39.87\00:24:43.51
there's nothing she can't do.
00:24:43.55\00:24:44.88
She gets it done.
00:24:44.91\00:24:46.25
Really? She gets it done.
00:24:46.28\00:24:47.62
Was that hard to do? Was
that hard to start driving?
00:24:47.65\00:24:48.98
It was very hard
to start driving.
00:24:49.02\00:24:51.12
What was inside of
you that kept you going
00:24:51.15\00:24:53.82
with all these
things that came against you
00:24:53.86\00:24:56.56
and having to
re-learn certain skills?
00:24:56.59\00:24:59.33
How did you do it?
00:24:59.36\00:25:00.76
My children, my
family was really the drive.
00:25:00.83\00:25:05.57
I remember my
daughter saying to me,
00:25:05.60\00:25:08.67
"Mom, can you
take us to the park?
00:25:08.70\00:25:10.84
It's right down the street."
00:25:10.91\00:25:13.58
And I said,
yeah, if you only know
00:25:13.61\00:25:16.48
how far down the
street is for me in my mind
00:25:16.51\00:25:19.38
because, like I said,
I still kept re-living,
00:25:19.41\00:25:23.39
you know being in
the car and in my mind
00:25:23.42\00:25:26.35
I didn't want to be the cause
00:25:26.39\00:25:27.96
of any thing
happening to my children.
00:25:27.99\00:25:30.43
So it was safer for me to
stay in the passenger's seat.
00:25:30.46\00:25:34.30
But one day, I
told them go inside
00:25:34.30\00:25:37.67
and do their home work
00:25:37.70\00:25:39.03
and I said, I am gonna try this,
00:25:39.07\00:25:41.60
you know, so I just
got into driver's seat.
00:25:41.64\00:25:44.37
First of all, I
had to figure out
00:25:44.41\00:25:46.41
how to work the prosthetic leg
and talk to God a little bit,
00:25:46.44\00:25:49.78
how in the world did
you take the right leg,
00:25:49.81\00:25:52.68
you know, I mean.
00:25:52.71\00:25:54.08
Why would, you know,
this is the driving leg.
00:25:54.12\00:25:57.35
But I learned to
manipulate the leg and,
00:25:57.39\00:26:00.39
you know, move it
to the side over my lap
00:26:00.42\00:26:02.99
so that I could get
in the car and practiced
00:26:03.02\00:26:05.19
driving out of the
drive way and going back
00:26:05.23\00:26:08.80
and doing that for a
while and then backing out
00:26:08.83\00:26:12.00
and driving down
the street a little bit.
00:26:12.03\00:26:14.54
It took time because it
was more of a mental thing,
00:26:14.57\00:26:20.68
you know, it was more of
getting my mind back around
00:26:20.71\00:26:23.35
but everything
during the whole experience,
00:26:23.38\00:26:25.71
I prayed a lot.
00:26:25.75\00:26:27.62
I am glad,
you've mentioned prayer.
00:26:27.65\00:26:29.85
Because I know that
there are some people at home,
00:26:29.88\00:26:32.92
who've gone through
some of the experiences
00:26:32.95\00:26:34.49
that you have, perhaps
soldiers who have gone to war.
00:26:34.52\00:26:37.69
Other people who've
been in car accidents
00:26:37.73\00:26:41.66
or because of health reasons
00:26:41.70\00:26:43.16
that have gone
through an amputation,
00:26:43.20\00:26:46.57
such as yourself and
I am asking for prayer.
00:26:46.60\00:26:50.57
Sure. We can have
prayer about that.
00:26:50.61\00:26:51.94
You really had a rich experience
00:26:51.97\00:26:53.94
from Selma to
Bermuda to Memphis,
00:26:53.98\00:26:58.81
from tragedy to triumph.
00:26:58.85\00:27:01.02
Yes.
00:27:01.05\00:27:02.38
Would you offer
a prayer, please?
00:27:02.42\00:27:03.75
Yes.
00:27:03.82\00:27:06.05
Dear Heavenly
Father, we thank you so much
00:27:06.09\00:27:10.26
for allowing us to be
here, today to experience,
00:27:10.29\00:27:14.63
telling our testimony
that it may help someone,
00:27:14.66\00:27:18.17
who's experiencing this God.
00:27:18.20\00:27:20.74
This is not a easy
situation to go through,
00:27:20.77\00:27:24.54
struggles and traumas
and come through shining.
00:27:24.57\00:27:28.74
But God the only way we
can do it is through you.
00:27:28.78\00:27:32.08
It's you that gives
us the strength, Lord.
00:27:32.11\00:27:34.55
I can see how people lose hope
00:27:34.58\00:27:37.19
and I can see how
depression takes in
00:27:37.22\00:27:40.09
but one thing I
remember in my experience
00:27:40.16\00:27:43.43
is that I had to go back
00:27:43.46\00:27:44.93
and think about
all of the things
00:27:44.96\00:27:46.49
that you have done for me,
00:27:46.53\00:27:48.36
all of the places you
have been with me before
00:27:48.40\00:27:52.10
and by doing that
it helped me to know
00:27:52.13\00:27:56.10
that if you were with me then,
00:27:56.14\00:27:57.57
you will be with me
now through this situation.
00:27:57.61\00:28:00.61
And that all we have to
do is forever call up on you
00:28:00.64\00:28:03.68
and you will hear.
00:28:03.71\00:28:05.08
You are there for us
when we are in trouble.
00:28:05.11\00:28:07.85
Seek you first and
no matter what happens,
00:28:07.88\00:28:11.95
call no you and
you're there for us.
00:28:11.99\00:28:14.29