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
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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 a 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
of 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 amazing story
that you don't want to miss,
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and I'm 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 so much for
having. Thank you so much.
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So you're 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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I know that it
was extremely hard
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with the racial
tension, everything,
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but Selma in my
time there was wonderful
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because I think back
about family coming together,
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you know,
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visiting my grandparents,
being with family, and...
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So how was it for your
family, like the generations?
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You know that,
that's a big thing
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the March on Selma.
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It was a huge, huge thing.
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Did you grow up
with that legacy?
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Did people talk about it?
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I mean...
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Well, yes.
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As a 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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that took place there...
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They marched? Yes.
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And I also do believe
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that my grandmother 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.
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And it was really a
tough time during that time,
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but as always,
God brings us through.
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Well, that's interesting.
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So did people, 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 grew up
in an environment
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where people were
segregated and they said,
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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 things
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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
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and really 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 it felt like
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there was none of
this stuff going on.
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It was always...
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Things have changed. Yeah.
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Well, and 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 was
always a happy time.
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You know, family
getting together,
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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 of that,
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we didn't experience
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the negative side
of living in Selma.
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There was one situation
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though that I recall as
a young, 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
down the street from us,
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across Broad Street
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because we lived on
Philpot at that time
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but across
there was Broad Street
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and the Ku Klux Klan
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were actually
having a march there.
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And we were sent
into the bathroom
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because no one knew
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if they would
cross the road over into,
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you know, cause trouble
whatever, so other than that,
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that was the only experience of,
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you know, dealing
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with the racial
tension of things.
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Right.
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You know, we went school,
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you know, it was
just a happy family type.
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Wow.
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Then you had another
incredible experience
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where you actually,
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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.
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Tell me about that?
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Because growing up,
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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 finally, I was at 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,
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but I was there
singing in the choir.
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So they said,
"Come, ride along."
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And I said, "To Bermuda?
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Really, a free trip, six weeks?"
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You know, we went there.
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You must have had 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
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and they asked me to
come and I went there,
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you know, six weeks, the
whole time scare to death,
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praying that there is
no triangle to get us.
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But we made it there safely
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and, of course, we
did a lot of God's work
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and just a tad bit of our own.
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Really a lot of
God's work, what?
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What kind of things that 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 would be
ready and be baptized.
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Wow, so you were doing Bible.
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So you're right
there on the frontline.
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So did you see baptisms?
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How was that for
you to be involved
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with the Lord's work?
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It was awesome.
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I didn't knew I
could do a Bible study,
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had no idea, but
it was really awesome.
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Meeting the people,
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you know, Bermuda is
just a beautiful island.
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Yeah. Well, it sounds...
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You know, and the
people are very nice and great.
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Wow.
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It sounds like
God was preparing you
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for the next step.
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What happened
most significantly,
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in a 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 met the Lord.
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You met the Lord? Wow! 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 the Bermudian gentleman?
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I met a Bermudian gentleman.
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I met him through, his
mother was my Bible worker.
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And whenever she couldn't come,
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she would send him to
take me to visit my different,
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to people that I
was doing studies with.
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Yes.
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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 until we came back,
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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 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
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around the island?
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Yes, we did. He
actually had a motorcycle.
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I think that he was, yes,
and I got to drive his boat.
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Oh, 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
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they had Hurricane Fabian
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that I had gone
back home and he was home
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getting ready to
come back to Oakwood.
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But the storm came through
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and it was
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as if he might not have
been able to come back that year
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because it was really bad.
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The storm was really terrible.
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And I went to praying, fasting,
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I watched more news
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than I've ever
watched in my whole life.
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Wow.
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Trying to just
keep up with the storm
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to make sure
everything was going well
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so that he could come back
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...
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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?
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Well, my husband is a pastor,
he is Pastor David Steede,
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he pastors at New Covenant
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Seventh-day
Adventist Church here,
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and he is an awesome pastor.
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I really like him,
I can truly say it.
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Oh, that's good.
He's 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 Bermuda,
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and you met a
Bermudian gentleman.
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Yeah.
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You both came back
and then you got married.
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Where did you go after that?
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Well, after that...
Where was he assigned?
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He went to the seminary? Right.
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To Andrews? Okay.
00:09:58.96\00:10:00.30
So after he left
Andrews, then where did you go?
00:10:00.33\00:10:02.60
We went to Massachusetts.
00:10:02.63\00:10:03.97
We moved to
Massachusetts in 2005,
00:10:04.00\00:10:07.64
and we pastored
there for almost 5 years.
00:10:07.67\00:10:11.07
And then we received the call
to come to Memphis, Tennessee
00:10:11.11\00:10:14.21
and that's where we reside.
00:10:14.24\00:10:17.01
So, how was it moving
00:10:17.05\00:10:18.38
from the Northeast
Coast down to the South?
00:10:18.41\00:10:23.05
Back again to
the south, I guess.
00:10:23.08\00:10:24.52
Back again to the south.
00:10:24.55\00:10:26.59
Well, it was really interesting.
00:10:26.62\00:10:31.29
I tell you,
history is really crazy.
00:10:31.33\00:10:33.93
Because in the history
books, again, I read about,
00:10:33.96\00:10:37.80
you know, Rhode
Island, and Massachusetts,
00:10:37.83\00:10:40.10
and Plymouth Rock
and all of those things
00:10:40.14\00:10:42.14
and here I found myself
00:10:42.17\00:10:44.31
actually living
there and being a part
00:10:44.34\00:10:46.41
and now to come back home again.
00:10:46.44\00:10:48.94
It was really refreshing
00:10:48.98\00:10:50.31
because I was
not suited for snow,
00:10:50.35\00:10:53.18
you know, it was
really cold there.
00:10:53.21\00:10:55.18
So and I was far
away from my family.
00:10:55.22\00:10:59.39
So the move of coming back
00:10:59.42\00:11:02.66
was really, it was rough
00:11:02.69\00:11:05.79
but it was really happy.
00:11:05.83\00:11:07.53
It was a happy time
00:11:07.56\00:11:08.90
because I was gonna
be close to my family.
00:11:08.93\00:11:11.90
Right.
00:11:11.93\00:11:13.27
So now,
00:11:13.30\00:11:14.64
this is where a
life-changing event
00:11:14.67\00:11:16.94
happened in your life
and I want you to share.
00:11:16.97\00:11:19.14
Take your time
and share with us.
00:11:19.17\00:11:21.14
What happened on
one particular night,
00:11:21.18\00:11:24.61
when you were driving back
from Huntsville to Memphis?
00:11:24.65\00:11:29.65
Okay.
00:11:29.68\00:11:31.22
Well, first of all,
00:11:31.25\00:11:33.52
living in
Massachusetts like I said,
00:11:33.56\00:11:35.52
I was a distance
away from my family.
00:11:35.56\00:11:38.73
So I really only got to
see them may be once a year.
00:11:38.76\00:11:42.33
And so moving back to
Memphis it was really,
00:11:42.36\00:11:45.43
moving to Memphis it
was really exciting for me
00:11:45.47\00:11:48.30
because I was only
three and a half hours away
00:11:48.34\00:11:51.67
from my family,
00:11:51.71\00:11:53.34
considering
00:11:53.38\00:11:55.01
or really being 20
something hours away from them.
00:11:55.04\00:11:58.61
So that night or that day
00:11:58.65\00:12:01.45
it was actually Easter.
00:12:01.48\00:12:03.95
It was April 4, 2010, Easter.
00:12:03.99\00:12:09.52
Sabbath, it was
on Sabbath that we,
00:12:09.56\00:12:11.69
well, it was actually
the Sabbath before Easter.
00:12:11.73\00:12:15.96
We decided to move, I mean,
I'm sorry, to visit, yes...
00:12:16.00\00:12:19.53
To travel down to
Huntsville, to visit relatives?
00:12:19.57\00:12:21.50
To travel to
Huntsville, to see my mom
00:12:21.54\00:12:23.91
after all of those years
of not being able to see her.
00:12:23.94\00:12:27.08
It was a beautiful sunny
day, I woke up that morning...
00:12:27.11\00:12:29.94
This was your first
visit to see your mother
00:12:29.98\00:12:31.58
from having moved back?
00:12:31.61\00:12:32.95
After we have moved, yes.
00:12:32.98\00:12:34.32
After, you know, so
I was really excited,
00:12:34.35\00:12:36.35
this was also the first time
00:12:36.38\00:12:37.82
that we could come
for alumni weekend.
00:12:37.85\00:12:40.69
You know, and so I was
really excited about that
00:12:40.72\00:12:43.36
and after church, we
went to church, he preached,
00:12:43.39\00:12:46.73
and after church
it was so beautiful,
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.10
we just let's get into the
car and drive to Huntsville.
00:12:49.13\00:12:52.70
So we drove to Huntsville
in hopes of seeing my family
00:12:52.73\00:12:56.00
as well as
00:12:56.04\00:12:59.27
getting to see some
activities from alumni weekend.
00:12:59.31\00:13:02.24
And then as anybody else,
00:13:02.28\00:13:04.18
anyone else that's
leaving from alumni
00:13:04.21\00:13:06.01
or leaving from a trip,
00:13:06.05\00:13:07.42
you got in the car
and then you headed back.
00:13:07.45\00:13:10.65
But then something...
00:13:10.69\00:13:12.59
That night we were driving
back and it was pretty late,
00:13:12.62\00:13:17.19
we had stayed
around for a while.
00:13:17.23\00:13:18.73
It was pretty late,
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.10
and my husband was driving,
00:13:20.13\00:13:24.83
and we were on the road,
00:13:24.87\00:13:27.24
and basically the
next thing I could recall
00:13:27.27\00:13:32.14
is that we're
actually rolling, or tumbling,
00:13:32.17\00:13:37.25
or down the highway and...
00:13:37.28\00:13:41.68
The car is flipping
over and over and over.
00:13:41.72\00:13:44.95
Just you had
gotten into an accident?
00:13:44.99\00:13:46.32
Yes. Okay.
00:13:46.35\00:13:47.69
I got into an accident,
00:13:47.72\00:13:49.36
and the car is
flipping and flipping.
00:13:49.39\00:13:51.53
And I can remember
00:13:51.56\00:13:53.93
hearing a voice
say to me, "Call me."
00:13:53.96\00:13:58.00
Because during that time
00:13:58.03\00:13:59.37
I was awaken out of
my sleep into a roll.
00:13:59.40\00:14:03.47
And I thought my
husband was talking to me,
00:14:03.51\00:14:06.78
but he wasn't.`
00:14:06.81\00:14:08.24
And I heard this
voice that just said to me
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.68
as clear as day, "Call me."
00:14:10.71\00:14:12.61
And I'm thinking call me,
00:14:12.65\00:14:14.08
but I'm so scared
00:14:14.12\00:14:15.85
and I started
just calling Jesus.
00:14:15.88\00:14:20.19
"Jesus, help us,
save us, forgive us."
00:14:20.22\00:14:22.99
And I just kept repeating
that over, and over, and over
00:14:23.02\00:14:27.20
and the car finally stopped.
00:14:27.23\00:14:30.13
And when the car stopped,
00:14:30.17\00:14:32.40
my family, well, my
daughter started screaming
00:14:32.43\00:14:35.90
and so I turned around to
help her get out of the car
00:14:35.94\00:14:39.44
and, you know, let her
get through the sunroof,
00:14:39.47\00:14:41.84
and got my son out of the car,
00:14:41.88\00:14:43.35
and my husband had
gotten out of the car,
00:14:43.38\00:14:45.61
but I couldn't
get out of the car.
00:14:45.65\00:14:47.95
So when I
unfasten the seat belt,
00:14:47.98\00:14:50.79
I kind of dropped.
00:14:50.82\00:14:53.02
And then a gentleman came by
00:14:53.05\00:14:56.22
and he said, "Don't move her
00:14:56.26\00:14:57.89
because we don't know
what's wrong with her."
00:14:57.93\00:15:00.33
And then I heard my son
say, "The car is gonna blow."
00:15:00.36\00:15:04.93
But I guess I turned the switch
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.27
and took the
keys out of the car.
00:15:08.30\00:15:09.64
You did?
00:15:09.67\00:15:11.01
I did all of this
not really knowing
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.41
what's going on and
then a few minutes later
00:15:13.44\00:15:15.84
I heard the fire department come
00:15:15.88\00:15:19.01
and they cut me out of the car.
00:15:19.05\00:15:23.22
And I heard them
just asking me, you know,
00:15:23.25\00:15:26.25
what's my name
00:15:26.29\00:15:27.62
and all of these
things and I said, "Okay."
00:15:27.66\00:15:29.62
It must be important
00:15:29.66\00:15:30.99
because they want
me to remember my name.
00:15:31.03\00:15:33.73
So I have to remember who I am,
00:15:33.76\00:15:35.10
these are all the things
that are going through my mind.
00:15:35.13\00:15:37.63
And apparently I told them,
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.00
who I was and next thing I knew,
00:15:39.03\00:15:41.40
I heard helicopter sounds
00:15:41.44\00:15:43.20
where they had
flown me to the hospital
00:15:43.24\00:15:46.17
to actually at that time
00:15:46.21\00:15:47.98
it was the Med in Memphis,
Tennessee, the trauma...
00:15:48.01\00:15:51.21
Trauma centre.
00:15:51.25\00:15:52.58
We need to know,
that's well-known for that.
00:15:52.61\00:15:53.95
And they had taken my
family to Mississippi.
00:15:53.98\00:15:56.89
So you are in
the hospital? Yeah.
00:15:56.92\00:15:59.49
And what was the diagnosis?
What did they say to you?
00:15:59.52\00:16:03.22
Well, they didn't
say anything to me
00:16:03.26\00:16:05.83
because at that point
I was going in and out,
00:16:05.86\00:16:08.06
but they told my family
00:16:08.10\00:16:10.50
that it didn't look good,
00:16:10.53\00:16:13.07
and that I had a broken leg,
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.97
and then they
found out other things
00:16:16.00\00:16:18.44
that was wrong with
me, which turned out to be,
00:16:18.47\00:16:21.04
both legs were
broken, they're saying.
00:16:21.08\00:16:23.08
But my right leg,
00:16:23.11\00:16:24.78
it was the artery
and it was really damaged
00:16:24.81\00:16:26.95
and they tried to
save it several times,
00:16:26.98\00:16:29.98
but they couldn't save it.
00:16:30.02\00:16:33.59
So they ended up
having to take it.
00:16:33.62\00:16:36.42
And during that time,
00:16:36.46\00:16:38.49
during that process I
coded on the table twice.
00:16:38.53\00:16:41.73
That means that you died.
00:16:41.76\00:16:43.60
I flat-lined twice on the table.
00:16:43.63\00:16:47.17
My family got a phone call twice
00:16:47.20\00:16:49.34
to come to the
hospital for me and...
00:16:49.37\00:16:54.41
And they essentially, like
you said, they took your leg.
00:16:54.44\00:16:58.11
How long were
you in the hospital?
00:16:58.15\00:17:00.22
I was in the hospital for about
00:17:00.25\00:17:03.52
maybe three and a
half months or so.
00:17:03.55\00:17:08.22
I was there and
then I went to rehab
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.76
on the other
side of the hospital
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.43
and I was there
for about a month.
00:17:12.46\00:17:15.20
And then I went
home in my hospital bed
00:17:15.23\00:17:18.77
for a month.
00:17:18.80\00:17:20.80
But before I went home,
00:17:20.84\00:17:24.81
there was a
situation at the hospital
00:17:24.84\00:17:27.08
when it was time
for me to go home.
00:17:27.11\00:17:29.44
When it was time
for me to go home,
00:17:29.48\00:17:32.45
I had to get in a car.
00:17:32.48\00:17:36.15
I was afraid to get in a car.
00:17:36.18\00:17:39.05
So I couldn't get in a car
00:17:39.09\00:17:40.72
and I beg them to
put me in ambulance.
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.22
However, I still
couldn't get in the ambulance
00:17:43.26\00:17:45.69
because I just kept
seeing the car in my head.
00:17:45.73\00:17:51.53
I kept, so I
didn't wanna get in a car.
00:17:51.57\00:17:54.87
And they wanted to
put me on medication,
00:17:54.90\00:17:58.51
to get me in the car,
00:17:58.54\00:18:00.88
but I couldn't do medication
00:18:00.91\00:18:03.48
because I didn't wanna
be hooked on medication
00:18:03.51\00:18:06.15
every time I got into the car.
00:18:06.18\00:18:08.45
So I just prayed a lot
that God would help me,
00:18:08.48\00:18:13.02
and he helped me get in the car,
00:18:13.05\00:18:14.99
he helped me to
get in the ambulance,
00:18:15.02\00:18:17.96
and they drove me home.
00:18:17.99\00:18:20.36
But at the same time
00:18:20.40\00:18:21.73
there was a wonderful gentleman,
00:18:21.76\00:18:23.20
it's amazing how
God always put someone
00:18:23.23\00:18:28.50
in your life at the time.
00:18:28.54\00:18:31.17
And the actual paramedic
that was in the ambulance,
00:18:31.21\00:18:35.14
he was a young guy
00:18:35.18\00:18:36.51
and I didn't even
remember his name.
00:18:36.54\00:18:38.51
But all I
remember were the tattoos
00:18:38.55\00:18:40.55
that he had on his arm
00:18:40.58\00:18:41.98
and he was
sitting there with me.
00:18:42.02\00:18:44.12
And I was crying, and screaming,
00:18:44.15\00:18:46.42
and not acting like
a first lady at all.
00:18:46.45\00:18:49.59
You know, I was just...
00:18:49.62\00:18:50.96
Understandably.
00:18:50.99\00:18:52.39
I was really scared to
death but he said, "It's okay,
00:18:52.43\00:18:56.10
" and he held my
hand the whole trip home.
00:18:56.13\00:18:59.53
And that was just amazing for me
00:18:59.57\00:19:01.10
because it helped me
to, you know, comfort.
00:19:01.14\00:19:04.17
It comforted me
in that situation.
00:19:04.21\00:19:07.38
So you went through rehab.
00:19:07.41\00:19:09.14
Now, you also
happen to be in Memphis,
00:19:09.18\00:19:11.05
which is known for
prosthetics, right?
00:19:11.08\00:19:13.11
Yes.
00:19:13.15\00:19:14.48
So that was a real
blessing, the top place,
00:19:14.52\00:19:16.18
one of the top
places in the country,
00:19:16.22\00:19:17.65
where they actually
manufacture and make them.
00:19:17.69\00:19:19.75
How was that for you
to, I mean, did you...
00:19:19.79\00:19:24.73
Do they
automatically give that to you
00:19:24.76\00:19:26.59
or did you have
to take time to heal?
00:19:26.63\00:19:28.33
How did that work?
00:19:28.36\00:19:29.70
Well, for me there
was a lot of damage done
00:19:29.73\00:19:34.50
in the accident on me.
00:19:34.54\00:19:36.04
Because what I found out
later was that my right leg
00:19:36.07\00:19:39.91
was in and out of the car.
00:19:39.94\00:19:42.68
And the car was rolling
over it as we were rolling.
00:19:42.71\00:19:46.21
And I honestly believe
00:19:46.25\00:19:48.28
that's why God
spoke to me to say,
00:19:48.32\00:19:52.82
to call Him,
00:19:52.85\00:19:54.42
because I think in that
moment as I was calling Him,
00:19:54.46\00:19:58.39
it got louder and louder.
00:19:58.43\00:20:00.50
And I think during
that time, you know,
00:20:00.53\00:20:03.20
I couldn't feel the pain
of what was going on with me,
00:20:03.23\00:20:06.30
I couldn't feel any of
that because I was calling Him.
00:20:06.33\00:20:10.01
So a lot of damage was
done, a lot of meat was taken.
00:20:10.04\00:20:13.58
So I went through
a lot of skin grafts
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.78
and everything on
both legs, and, you know.
00:20:15.81\00:20:19.75
So it took a long
time for me to heal
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.32
before I could even get
00:20:22.35\00:20:23.69
into the prosthetics
and different things.
00:20:23.72\00:20:26.92
Like how long?
00:20:26.96\00:20:28.29
It took about a
year or may be a half
00:20:28.32\00:20:31.49
before I could
actually get there
00:20:31.53\00:20:32.86
and they could
fit me for prosthetic.
00:20:32.89\00:20:35.16
And I remember driving
up to precision prosthetics.
00:20:35.20\00:20:39.33
And there was a young man
there who was the owner of it
00:20:39.37\00:20:44.01
and he said to me,
00:20:44.04\00:20:46.57
"It's gonna be okay."
00:20:46.61\00:20:47.94
Because when I drove
up in the parking lot,
00:20:47.98\00:20:49.31
I'm thinking, "Why
in a world am I here?
00:20:49.34\00:20:51.85
You know, I was just scared,
00:20:51.88\00:20:54.32
I saw a lamp in the window
that had a leg and I'm like,
00:20:54.35\00:20:57.92
"Oh, God, is this
really happening?"
00:20:57.95\00:21:00.12
You know, even though
I knew I had lost my leg.
00:21:00.16\00:21:03.22
You know, it's something
00:21:03.26\00:21:04.59
when you go
through the process of,
00:21:04.63\00:21:07.30
you know, dealing with it.
00:21:07.33\00:21:08.66
It was just like, wow, I
mean, I'm scared to death.
00:21:08.70\00:21:11.43
So I went inside there
00:21:11.47\00:21:14.17
and he was so nice
and he comforted me
00:21:14.20\00:21:17.11
and told me it's gonna be okay.
00:21:17.14\00:21:19.27
And he just measured me
00:21:19.31\00:21:22.04
and just talk to me
about the whole process
00:21:22.08\00:21:24.51
and it went so well.
00:21:24.55\00:21:26.01
It went well about a
year and may be 11 months.
00:21:26.05\00:21:32.39
I finally got,
00:21:32.42\00:21:34.06
he finally was able
to shape a leg or socket,
00:21:34.09\00:21:39.19
which is the part that
actually goes on your leg
00:21:39.23\00:21:41.83
and, you know, for my leg
00:21:41.86\00:21:43.77
and I was able to
start trying to, you know,
00:21:43.80\00:21:46.27
just put it on and get my
leg comfortable with that.
00:21:46.30\00:21:48.97
But it was really,
these legs are very expensive.
00:21:49.00\00:21:53.91
You know, I
always wanted a Lexus
00:21:53.94\00:21:56.98
but I guess this is my Lexus.
00:21:57.01\00:22:00.22
Because they are, you know
00:22:00.25\00:22:01.98
the cheapest one
is about $28,000.
00:22:02.02\00:22:06.35
Wow.
00:22:06.39\00:22:07.72
You know, if you want
one that does something,
00:22:07.76\00:22:10.16
or you look
like something that's
00:22:10.19\00:22:11.56
50,000, 60,000, 80, 000 dollars
that you have to pay to get.
00:22:11.59\00:22:16.56
You know those things in many...
00:22:16.60\00:22:17.93
Is it covered through insurance?
00:22:17.97\00:22:19.30
Well, see that's the key
because many times, you know,
00:22:19.33\00:22:22.70
you get insurances not thinking,
00:22:22.74\00:22:25.31
that something like
this is gonna happen.
00:22:25.34\00:22:27.14
Of course not.
00:22:27.18\00:22:28.51
When we got our insurance,
00:22:28.54\00:22:30.38
you know, we weren't
thinking about losing a limb,
00:22:30.41\00:22:33.15
so many times you skip on that.
00:22:33.18\00:22:36.22
And so my insurance
it was a good insurance
00:22:36.25\00:22:38.92
but it didn't cover
everything it needed to cover.
00:22:38.95\00:22:42.99
So I, my family,
00:22:43.02\00:22:44.96
and I had to try
and come up with funds,
00:22:44.99\00:22:47.23
which is a very hard situation.
00:22:47.26\00:22:51.63
But I encourage anyone,
00:22:51.67\00:22:54.27
even though you don't ever think
00:22:54.30\00:22:55.87
that you would
have to experience this,
00:22:55.90\00:22:59.34
you never know.
00:22:59.37\00:23:00.98
So don't skip on those things
when it comes to insurance
00:23:01.01\00:23:04.91
because it is really hard
00:23:04.95\00:23:07.25
when you don't have
that into your insurance.
00:23:07.28\00:23:10.82
Well, right now, I would
like to invite your husband
00:23:10.85\00:23:13.36
Pastor David Steede
to come on to the set
00:23:13.39\00:23:17.19
because he was a big part,
00:23:17.23\00:23:18.99
I'm sure and we
didn't have the opportunity
00:23:19.03\00:23:21.50
to have your children
00:23:21.53\00:23:23.33
who actually I had
taught at one time,
00:23:23.37\00:23:25.30
they're very
precious, David and Summer.
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.54
But I understand now
00:23:27.57\00:23:30.24
that you're on your own,
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.64
you drive, you do
all kinds of stuff.
00:23:32.67\00:23:34.41
Can you share with us Pastor,
00:23:34.44\00:23:35.78
you know, from
your point of view?
00:23:35.81\00:23:37.38
Yes.
00:23:37.41\00:23:38.75
How do you think your wife?
How does she get through this?
00:23:38.78\00:23:40.98
I mean, looking on as your,
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.35
as this is the love of your life
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.09
and to see her,
00:23:44.12\00:23:45.45
I mean, look at her
now, she is just beautiful.
00:23:45.49\00:23:48.69
What can you share with us?
00:23:48.72\00:23:50.09
Yeah.
00:23:50.13\00:23:51.49
You know,
00:23:51.53\00:23:54.30
before the accident my wife
00:23:54.33\00:23:59.40
loved to shop.
00:23:59.43\00:24:01.54
I mean, shop,
shop, shop unbelievable.
00:24:04.64\00:24:10.05
Just like, almost
woke up to go the store,
00:24:10.08\00:24:12.65
you know, so that's the reason
she get up in the mornings
00:24:12.68\00:24:14.55
to go to the store.
00:24:14.58\00:24:15.92
And I thought
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.42
that there just
might be a possibility
00:24:18.45\00:24:20.92
that, not that she was sort of,
00:24:20.96\00:24:23.22
you know, somewhat limited
00:24:23.26\00:24:25.99
that, that might decrease.
00:24:26.03\00:24:29.83
But it has definitely increased.
00:24:29.86\00:24:31.67
So, you know, what I'm
saying, and so she gets around,
00:24:31.70\00:24:34.80
she drives often times,
00:24:34.84\00:24:36.97
she would drive
and take the kids,
00:24:37.01\00:24:39.87
you know, to school,
or she will pick them up.
00:24:39.91\00:24:43.45
There is nothing she
can't do. She gets it done.
00:24:43.48\00:24:45.58
Really? She gets it done.
00:24:45.61\00:24:46.95
Was that hard to do? Was
that hard to start driving?
00:24:46.98\00:24:48.85
It was very hard
to start driving.
00:24:48.88\00:24:51.09
What was inside of
you that kept you going
00:24:51.12\00:24:53.79
with all these
things that came against you
00:24:53.82\00:24:56.62
and having to
relearn certain skills?
00:24:56.66\00:24:59.29
How did you do it?
00:24:59.33\00:25:00.66
My children, my
family was really the drive.
00:25:00.70\00:25:05.50
I remember my
daughter saying to me,
00:25:05.53\00:25:08.54
"Mom, can you
take us to the park?
00:25:08.57\00:25:10.77
It's right down the street."
00:25:10.81\00:25:13.51
And I said, "Yeah."
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.54
If you only know how far down
00:25:15.58\00:25:17.35
the street is for me and my mind
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.41
because like I said,
I still kept reliving,
00:25:19.45\00:25:23.32
you know, being in the car.
00:25:23.35\00:25:24.75
And in my mind
00:25:24.79\00:25:26.22
I didn't wanna be the
cause of anything happening
00:25:26.25\00:25:28.99
to my children.
00:25:29.02\00:25:30.39
So it was safer for me to
stay in the passenger seat,
00:25:30.43\00:25:34.26
but one day
00:25:34.30\00:25:35.90
I told them to go
inside and do their homework
00:25:35.93\00:25:38.80
and I said,
"I'm gonna try this."
00:25:38.83\00:25:41.64
You know, so I just
got into driver seat,
00:25:41.67\00:25:44.31
first of all I had to figure out
00:25:44.34\00:25:46.37
how to work the prosthetic leg,
00:25:46.41\00:25:48.28
and talk to God a little bit,
00:25:48.31\00:25:49.78
"How in a world did
you take the right leg?"
00:25:49.81\00:25:52.68
You know, I mean,
why would, you know,
00:25:52.71\00:25:54.98
that this is the driving leg
00:25:55.02\00:25:57.39
but I learned to
manipulate the leg and,
00:25:57.42\00:26:00.16
you know, move it to
the side over my lap,
00:26:00.19\00:26:02.82
so that I could get in the car
00:26:02.86\00:26:04.39
and I practiced
driving out of the driveway
00:26:04.43\00:26:07.63
and going back and
doing that for a while.
00:26:07.66\00:26:10.20
And then backing out
00:26:10.23\00:26:11.93
and driving down
the street a little bit,
00:26:11.97\00:26:14.47
it took time
00:26:14.50\00:26:16.04
because it was
more of a mental thing.
00:26:16.07\00:26:20.51
You know, it was more of
getting my mind back around.
00:26:20.54\00:26:23.28
But everything
during this whole experience
00:26:23.31\00:26:25.75
I prayed a lot.
00:26:25.78\00:26:27.55
I'm glad you've mentioned prayer
00:26:27.58\00:26:29.75
because I know that
there are some people at home
00:26:29.78\00:26:32.49
who've gone through
00:26:32.52\00:26:33.86
some of the
experiences that you have,
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.22
perhaps soldiers
that have gone to war,
00:26:35.26\00:26:37.59
other people who've
been in car accidents,
00:26:37.63\00:26:41.56
or because of health reasons
00:26:41.60\00:26:43.10
that have gone through an
amputation such as yourself.
00:26:43.13\00:26:47.87
And I'm asking for prayer.
00:26:47.90\00:26:50.51
Sure. We can have
prayer about that.
00:26:50.54\00:26:51.87
You really had a rich
experience from Selma,
00:26:51.91\00:26:55.81
to Bermuda, to Memphis,
from tragedy to triumph.
00:26:55.84\00:27:00.82
Yes.
00:27:00.85\00:27:02.18
Would you offer prayer, please?
00:27:02.22\00:27:03.75
Yes.
00:27:03.79\00:27:05.89
To heavenly Father,
00:27:05.92\00:27:08.02
we thank you so much
for allowing us to be here
00:27:08.06\00:27:12.56
today to experience,
00:27:12.59\00:27:14.53
telling our testimony
that it may help someone
00:27:14.56\00:27:18.10
who's experiencing this, God.
00:27:18.13\00:27:20.67
This is not an easy situation
00:27:20.70\00:27:23.14
to go through
struggles and traumas
00:27:23.17\00:27:26.44
and come through
shine in the God.
00:27:26.47\00:27:29.21
The only way we can
do it is through You.
00:27:29.24\00:27:30.91
Amen.
00:27:30.95\00:27:32.28
It's You that gives
us the strength, Lord.
00:27:32.31\00:27:34.48
I can see how people lose hope
00:27:34.52\00:27:37.15
and I can see how
depression takes in,
00:27:37.19\00:27:40.02
but one thing I
remember in my experience
00:27:40.06\00:27:43.32
is that I had to go back
00:27:43.36\00:27:44.86
and think about
all of the things
00:27:44.89\00:27:46.46
that you have done for me,
00:27:46.49\00:27:48.33
all of the places you
have been with me before.
00:27:48.36\00:27:52.03
And by doing that
it helped me to know
00:27:52.07\00:27:55.94
that if You were with me then,
00:27:55.97\00:27:57.54
You will be with me
now through this situation.
00:27:57.57\00:28:00.51
And that all we have to
do is forever call upon You
00:28:00.54\00:28:03.48
and You were here.
00:28:03.51\00:28:05.01
You are there for us,
when we are in trouble.
00:28:05.05\00:28:07.72
Seek you first and
no matter what happens,
00:28:07.75\00:28:11.55
call on You, and
You are there for us.
00:28:11.59\00:28:14.52