Welcome to the Liberty insider.
00:00:26.59\00:00:28.59
This is your program designed
to bring you up-to-date news,
00:00:28.62\00:00:32.46
views, information, and analysis
00:00:32.49\00:00:35.33
on religious
liberty events in the US
00:00:35.36\00:00:37.77
and around the world.
00:00:37.80\00:00:39.27
My name is Lincoln Steed,
Editor of Liberty Magazine,
00:00:39.30\00:00:42.90
and my guest on the
program is Pati Lawrence.
00:00:42.94\00:00:47.38
And the best way
to characterize you
00:00:47.41\00:00:49.08
as an activist
for religious liberty.
00:00:49.11\00:00:51.75
Exactly.
00:00:51.78\00:00:53.11
Mover and a shaker.
00:00:53.15\00:00:54.48
Thank you.
00:00:54.52\00:00:55.85
On another
program, you and I discussed
00:00:55.88\00:00:57.69
your long personal journey
00:00:57.72\00:00:59.29
to not just becoming
religious liberty activist,
00:00:59.32\00:01:02.36
but entering the
Adventist Church.
00:01:02.39\00:01:04.49
You've been a member now
for quite a while though.
00:01:04.53\00:01:06.80
Yes, since 1989.
Yeah, that's a while.
00:01:06.83\00:01:10.23
In fact, for some
people, that's a lifetime.
00:01:10.27\00:01:11.70
Yes.
00:01:11.73\00:01:13.67
But you're just a young woman.
00:01:13.70\00:01:15.04
Oh, thank you. I was
just gonna say, okay.
00:01:15.07\00:01:17.94
But you've had some
exciting experiences
00:01:17.97\00:01:20.38
that you and I have
discussed some of them
00:01:20.41\00:01:22.31
and I've heard
from other people,
00:01:22.34\00:01:23.68
things that have happened lately
00:01:23.71\00:01:25.05
as you've taken up the challenge
00:01:25.08\00:01:27.22
of reaching out to the community
00:01:27.25\00:01:29.08
and to community leaders
00:01:29.12\00:01:31.35
and some of our
national leaders even.
00:01:31.39\00:01:34.49
I don't know where
you want to start, but,
00:01:34.52\00:01:35.96
you know, tell me a
little bit of what's happened
00:01:35.99\00:01:38.36
and how exciting it's
been and the very real contexts
00:01:38.39\00:01:42.00
that have made a difference
for our church standing
00:01:42.03\00:01:44.63
with some of
these political leaders?
00:01:44.67\00:01:47.70
I'm always
excited to share because
00:01:47.74\00:01:50.24
and I always say this,
00:01:50.27\00:01:51.61
you know, to God be the glory,
00:01:51.64\00:01:52.97
because He's opening the doors.
00:01:53.01\00:01:54.71
It's always when
I least expect it
00:01:54.74\00:01:56.08
or when I'm...
00:01:56.11\00:01:57.45
But you have to knock.
00:01:57.48\00:01:58.81
Yes, yes. He
knows I am willing...
00:01:58.85\00:02:00.82
If you don't
move forward in faith,
00:02:00.85\00:02:02.18
God won't open that door.
00:02:02.22\00:02:03.55
Exactly. He
knows that I'm ready.
00:02:03.59\00:02:05.95
Okay, God, lead me.
00:02:05.99\00:02:07.76
The first time I
met an elected official,
00:02:07.79\00:02:10.09
I'll tell you briefly.
00:02:10.13\00:02:11.46
I don't know if I've
ever told you this story,
00:02:11.49\00:02:13.36
but I'm a chocolate
chip lover, cookie lover.
00:02:13.40\00:02:16.16
Chocolate chip
cookies are my favorite.
00:02:16.20\00:02:17.57
Well, you probably
are cutting your list
00:02:17.60\00:02:19.83
to be on the health...
00:02:19.87\00:02:21.20
I know, I know,
sorry about that.
00:02:21.24\00:02:23.84
But I'm driving
home one evening.
00:02:23.87\00:02:25.21
Carob, let's call
it carob. Okay, carob.
00:02:25.24\00:02:27.14
I'm driving home one evening,
and I'm thinking to myself
00:02:27.18\00:02:29.41
before I get home to eat dinner,
00:02:29.44\00:02:30.95
I want to eat my
favorite chocolate chip cookie.
00:02:30.98\00:02:32.55
And it's a huge cookie
at a favorite pastry shop.
00:02:32.58\00:02:35.82
So I stop in and I see
over to the side of the table,
00:02:35.85\00:02:39.09
and it says, complimentary
chocolate chip cookies.
00:02:39.12\00:02:41.56
And I'm thinking
that's my cookie,
00:02:41.59\00:02:43.49
but I see a table
set up next to it.
00:02:43.53\00:02:47.03
There was a
tablecloth with an emblem,
00:02:47.06\00:02:48.80
I'm not paying attention.
00:02:48.83\00:02:50.17
Remember, I'm
new on all of this.
00:02:50.20\00:02:51.90
Maybe a week or two before
00:02:51.93\00:02:53.27
I'd had my
conversation with Dennis Seaton.
00:02:53.30\00:02:55.70
He had told me about never know,
00:02:55.74\00:02:57.07
I don't know strangers...
00:02:57.11\00:02:58.44
He is the associate
public relations or PARL,
00:02:58.47\00:03:03.11
religious liberty, PARL director
00:03:03.14\00:03:04.68
for the Pacific Union on
the West Coast of the US.
00:03:04.71\00:03:08.65
I've got to be a little careful.
00:03:08.68\00:03:10.02
Not everyone
watching is an Adventist,
00:03:10.05\00:03:11.39
not everyone
knows the terminology.
00:03:11.42\00:03:13.69
And he had told me just
mingle in the community,
00:03:13.72\00:03:16.79
show up places, don't know...
00:03:16.83\00:03:18.49
You know, just
Introduce yourself.
00:03:18.53\00:03:20.33
So that's fresh on my mind.
00:03:20.36\00:03:21.70
I had also just
recently signed up
00:03:21.73\00:03:23.33
for North American
Religious Liberty Association.
00:03:23.37\00:03:26.03
That was very fresh on my mind.
00:03:26.07\00:03:27.97
So I walk in
00:03:28.00\00:03:29.70
and there's a
tablecloth with an emblem.
00:03:29.74\00:03:32.91
There's a
gentleman behind the table,
00:03:32.94\00:03:35.04
a few brochures and things,
00:03:35.08\00:03:36.88
two other people
standing off to the side.
00:03:36.91\00:03:38.98
They look like they
were closing up something.
00:03:39.01\00:03:40.75
So I thought before I
take a cookie, let me pick up,
00:03:40.78\00:03:43.35
let me be courteous and
pick up a few of the brochures.
00:03:43.39\00:03:45.65
So I went over to the table,
I'm picking up some brochures,
00:03:45.69\00:03:48.19
picture of a gentleman on there.
00:03:48.22\00:03:50.59
So I say hello and I
just introduced myself,
00:03:50.63\00:03:53.16
I'm Pati and I'm
taking the brochures.
00:03:53.19\00:03:55.20
I still have this
cookie on my mind.
00:03:55.23\00:03:57.13
I back up and I literally
step on the foot of someone.
00:03:57.17\00:04:00.34
I turned around
to say excuse me.
00:04:00.37\00:04:03.54
I look at his face, I look at...
00:04:03.57\00:04:04.97
It's the face on the brochure.
00:04:05.01\00:04:06.74
It's an
Assemblyman, Chair of Education
00:04:06.78\00:04:09.24
for the state of
California at that.
00:04:09.28\00:04:11.51
I step on his foot and
I didn't know what to say.
00:04:11.55\00:04:14.48
That he would
remember you for a while.
00:04:14.52\00:04:15.85
He did.
00:04:15.88\00:04:17.22
And we are best
friends ever since,
00:04:17.25\00:04:18.92
three years later.
00:04:18.95\00:04:20.29
And I said, "Oh, excuse me."
00:04:20.32\00:04:21.72
First thing I say
00:04:21.76\00:04:23.09
because I didn't
know what to say.
00:04:23.12\00:04:24.46
I said, "Hi, I'm Pati Lawrence.
00:04:24.49\00:04:26.09
I'm a member of North American
Religious Liberty Association."
00:04:26.13\00:04:29.80
Well, he wasn't too
happy to hear that at first.
00:04:29.83\00:04:31.43
He put up his hand.
Oh, wall of separation.
00:04:31.47\00:04:35.44
Well, again,
I'm new to all this.
00:04:35.47\00:04:37.07
I don't... I'm not
versed in what to say.
00:04:37.11\00:04:38.94
I say whatever.
00:04:38.97\00:04:40.31
I have no filter
sometimes, it just comes out.
00:04:40.34\00:04:42.18
So I said, "Oh, yes.
00:04:42.21\00:04:43.55
You know, Thomas
Jefferson coined that phrase."
00:04:43.58\00:04:46.45
And then he started to
kind of laugh, he relaxed.
00:04:46.48\00:04:50.35
And his district
director walked over,
00:04:50.39\00:04:52.92
he says, "Oh, this is
my district director."
00:04:52.95\00:04:54.66
She handed me her card.
00:04:54.69\00:04:56.02
He handed me his card and said,
00:04:56.06\00:04:57.53
"Well, stop by
our office sometime,
00:04:57.56\00:04:58.89
we'd like to talk."
00:04:58.93\00:05:00.93
Three years later,
great relationship with him.
00:05:00.96\00:05:04.63
So you did stop by?
00:05:04.67\00:05:06.00
I did stop. I've
continued to stop by.
00:05:06.03\00:05:08.04
Well, actually what I did was
00:05:08.07\00:05:09.40
I went to a meet
and greet that he had.
00:05:09.44\00:05:10.81
And let me tell you
about this meet and greet.
00:05:10.84\00:05:12.51
I showed up, but
every time I showed up,
00:05:12.54\00:05:14.58
I handed him something.
00:05:14.61\00:05:16.08
I had... Liberty
Magazine is the first thing
00:05:16.11\00:05:18.41
I hand to everyone.
00:05:18.45\00:05:19.78
We put you on our merit list.
00:05:19.81\00:05:21.75
Because on the NARLA card,
00:05:21.78\00:05:23.79
North American Religious
Liberty Association card,
00:05:23.82\00:05:25.15
it says, promote
Liberty Magazine,
00:05:25.19\00:05:26.82
and I thought,
okay, that's my way in.
00:05:26.86\00:05:29.02
I'm gonna hand a
Liberty Magazine,
00:05:29.06\00:05:30.73
have them with me always.
00:05:30.76\00:05:32.16
And I had that long, I
should have brought one,
00:05:32.19\00:05:34.16
that long introductory
card about what a member does.
00:05:34.20\00:05:37.30
That became my calling card.
00:05:37.33\00:05:38.77
I'd write my name, my
phone number and email.
00:05:38.80\00:05:41.90
So when I showed up
at a meet and greet,
00:05:41.94\00:05:44.17
it was just
after school shooting
00:05:44.21\00:05:45.94
and he had been
a school teacher,
00:05:45.97\00:05:47.58
now Chair of Education
for the state of California.
00:05:47.61\00:05:51.05
He might as well have
had a Target T-shirt on...
00:05:51.08\00:05:53.98
I mean, a target not the store,
but he was like a target there.
00:05:54.02\00:05:58.65
There were opposers there.
00:05:58.69\00:06:00.06
They were hammering him.
00:06:00.09\00:06:01.56
What are you
gonna do about this?
00:06:01.59\00:06:02.92
What are you gonna
do about our schools?
00:06:02.96\00:06:04.29
There were
teachers, there were parents,
00:06:04.33\00:06:05.66
they're saying,
00:06:05.69\00:06:07.03
we gave you money for this
or you have money for this,
00:06:07.06\00:06:08.70
you have money for that.
00:06:08.73\00:06:10.07
He was literally
being emotionally beat up
00:06:10.10\00:06:11.43
that whole meeting.
00:06:11.47\00:06:12.80
Now knowing because
of the first meeting that
00:06:12.83\00:06:14.97
when I first met him,
00:06:15.00\00:06:16.34
he says after these
meetings, obviously...
00:06:16.37\00:06:18.54
And so you hung by.
00:06:18.57\00:06:19.91
I hung around. I've
done that ever since.
00:06:19.94\00:06:21.58
So I hung up.
00:06:21.61\00:06:22.94
Okay, I'm just gonna
wait, I'm just gonna wait.
00:06:22.98\00:06:25.01
The reason I knew
about that meet and greet,
00:06:25.05\00:06:26.78
because prior to
that, after I met him,
00:06:26.82\00:06:28.65
I went on to his website
00:06:28.68\00:06:30.49
and I started studying
a little bit about him.
00:06:30.52\00:06:32.32
I read his bio, I
wanted to know about him.
00:06:32.35\00:06:34.52
If I met him again,
00:06:34.56\00:06:35.89
what am I going to
talk about this time,
00:06:35.92\00:06:37.26
not Thomas Jefferson, you know?
00:06:37.29\00:06:40.23
And I signed up
for his newsletter.
00:06:40.26\00:06:42.46
I read his legislation,
what he's been successful in.
00:06:42.50\00:06:44.93
I noticed one
that caught my eye.
00:06:44.97\00:06:47.44
So I'm waiting.
00:06:47.47\00:06:49.17
And sure enough,
00:06:49.20\00:06:50.54
he's there alone
with his staffer.
00:06:50.57\00:06:51.91
So I walk up to him. And
he remembered me miserably.
00:06:51.94\00:06:55.81
And then he says
to me, interesting.
00:06:55.84\00:06:57.18
He says, "Oh, I was just talking
00:06:57.21\00:06:58.55
about you last
week in our office,"
00:06:58.58\00:07:00.05
Maybe he is saying the
girl who wanted the cookie
00:07:00.08\00:07:01.65
and stepped on my foot.
00:07:01.68\00:07:03.02
I don't know.
00:07:03.05\00:07:04.39
So I handed him my NARLA card,
00:07:04.42\00:07:05.75
I handed him a Liberty Magazine.
00:07:05.79\00:07:07.16
Now remember, he
comes off this meeting
00:07:07.19\00:07:08.79
of being emotionally abused
the whole time by opposers.
00:07:08.82\00:07:12.33
So I said to him,
I said, "You know,
00:07:12.36\00:07:14.46
I just want to thank you
for your successful legislation
00:07:14.50\00:07:18.17
that you passed on
closing down puppy mills,
00:07:18.20\00:07:20.64
those horrible puppy mills."
00:07:20.67\00:07:22.14
And he's, "Go puppies."
00:07:22.17\00:07:24.31
He was happy, he was smiling.
00:07:24.34\00:07:25.67
And then I left...
00:07:25.71\00:07:27.04
And I said hello to
the staffers and I left.
00:07:27.08\00:07:29.18
Ever since then I show
up at his meet and greets,
00:07:29.21\00:07:32.28
his town halls, I
show up with something
00:07:32.31\00:07:35.02
and I hand it to him.
00:07:35.05\00:07:36.48
It's gotten to the
point where he sees me,
00:07:36.52\00:07:38.59
and before I walk up to
him, "What do you have for me?"
00:07:38.62\00:07:41.12
He's already
holding out his hand.
00:07:41.16\00:07:43.22
I think I said to Dennis,
00:07:43.26\00:07:44.59
"One day, if I ever
run out of literature,
00:07:44.63\00:07:45.96
I'm gonna have to
take him pastries."
00:07:45.99\00:07:47.43
But you cannot
run out of Liberty,
00:07:47.46\00:07:48.90
they come at you
every couple of months.
00:07:48.93\00:07:50.27
Well, literature. Yeah, but...
00:07:50.30\00:07:52.23
So I'm always handing that out.
00:07:52.27\00:07:55.17
So how this also grew,
00:07:55.20\00:07:56.87
I went to another meet
and greet where it was him
00:07:56.91\00:07:59.31
and the local
LA city councilmen.
00:07:59.34\00:08:02.11
In the town hall
00:08:02.14\00:08:03.91
there were
probably about 80 people.
00:08:03.95\00:08:06.11
And it was in my
favorite pastry shop.
00:08:06.15\00:08:07.55
Again, he always
held it in that shop.
00:08:07.58\00:08:09.28
So we bought it there also.
00:08:09.32\00:08:12.29
But there were staffers
from Mayor Garcetti's office,
00:08:12.32\00:08:16.16
staffers from the
local LA county supervisor,
00:08:16.19\00:08:19.66
being a port town,
San Pedro, California,
00:08:19.69\00:08:22.90
port officials, other
city council officials,
00:08:22.93\00:08:26.13
and I'm thinking
I'm sitting there,
00:08:26.17\00:08:27.87
I'm thinking, "Okay, I probably
00:08:27.90\00:08:29.24
won't have a chance
to, you know, to meet any,
00:08:29.27\00:08:32.14
maybe even go up to him
00:08:32.17\00:08:33.51
with all these
important people around."
00:08:33.54\00:08:35.41
And he says, "All right,
we're going to open up for Q&A,
00:08:35.44\00:08:37.55
we only have time for
maybe three or four questions."
00:08:37.58\00:08:41.02
So I'm still sitting there
00:08:41.05\00:08:42.38
thinking with all
with Garcetti's office,
00:08:42.42\00:08:44.09
with LA county supervisor there,
00:08:44.12\00:08:46.25
port officials,
00:08:46.29\00:08:47.62
what chances do I have
for them to call on me.
00:08:47.66\00:08:50.83
But they would think that
00:08:50.86\00:08:52.19
you're not gonna be an attacker.
00:08:52.23\00:08:53.56
So you...
00:08:53.60\00:08:54.93
But he knows I would be
friendly fire, if anything.
00:08:54.96\00:08:58.47
So he says,
"Okay, first question."
00:08:58.50\00:09:00.77
So I raised my hand,
00:09:00.80\00:09:02.14
I don't get
called on I'm like, okay.
00:09:02.17\00:09:04.17
Second time,
don't get called on,
00:09:04.21\00:09:06.04
I'm thinking,
"Hmm, this might be
00:09:06.07\00:09:07.41
the last question."
00:09:07.44\00:09:08.78
But I raised my hand,
he points right to me.
00:09:08.81\00:09:10.75
I almost wanted to
turn around like, "Oh, me?"
00:09:10.78\00:09:13.31
He points right to me.
00:09:13.35\00:09:14.75
So all I said
again, I introduce myself
00:09:14.78\00:09:16.95
as a member of North American
Religious Liberty Association,
00:09:16.99\00:09:19.59
and I just
wanted to just thank him
00:09:19.62\00:09:22.56
for his work for
bringing this together
00:09:22.59\00:09:24.66
for the
information we heard today.
00:09:24.69\00:09:26.39
And to remember,
00:09:26.43\00:09:27.80
I'm here to help you in
any way I can, just call me.
00:09:27.83\00:09:31.03
Then I turned to the councilman,
00:09:31.07\00:09:32.40
for some I ever
met the councilman.
00:09:32.43\00:09:33.77
I'm telling him the same thing.
00:09:33.80\00:09:35.14
Thank you for your
dedication, your commitment.
00:09:35.17\00:09:37.94
As I'm talking
to the councilman,
00:09:37.97\00:09:39.77
he's pointing to
someone across the room
00:09:39.81\00:09:41.38
who later I found out was
his Deputy Chief of Staff.
00:09:41.41\00:09:44.01
He's telling him to come to me.
00:09:44.05\00:09:46.01
He's pointing to him
and then pointing to me.
00:09:46.05\00:09:48.65
So the meeting ended.
00:09:48.68\00:09:50.65
Deputy Chief of
Staff comes up to me,
00:09:50.69\00:09:52.19
gives me his card says,
00:09:52.22\00:09:53.56
"You ever need to
meet with us, call us."
00:09:53.59\00:09:57.09
But after that, something
else amazingly happened.
00:09:57.13\00:10:00.40
Representative from the
county supervisors office
00:10:00.43\00:10:03.47
came up to me and
gave me a flyer and says,
00:10:03.50\00:10:05.47
"We're sponsoring a
human trafficking event.
00:10:05.50\00:10:07.34
Would you be
interested in attending?"
00:10:07.37\00:10:09.40
Someone from the
local city college comes in.
00:10:09.44\00:10:11.51
She was director of foster
care for the college and says,
00:10:11.54\00:10:14.61
"Does your organization
help with foster care?"
00:10:14.64\00:10:17.51
There were several
other community leaders
00:10:17.55\00:10:20.92
that came up to me giving
me their cards and saying,
00:10:20.95\00:10:22.88
"Can you help us?
00:10:22.92\00:10:24.25
Can we work together?"
00:10:24.29\00:10:25.62
So they immediately
saw you and, of course,
00:10:25.65\00:10:28.39
the membership
and the organization
00:10:28.42\00:10:30.13
you represent as a resource?
00:10:30.16\00:10:31.66
As a resource. It
became a resource.
00:10:31.69\00:10:34.00
That's success. It was amazing.
00:10:34.03\00:10:36.30
I went to the
human trafficking event.
00:10:36.33\00:10:39.03
I've been...
00:10:39.07\00:10:40.40
That's been a
standalone ministry for me
00:10:40.44\00:10:42.04
now for three years.
00:10:42.07\00:10:43.51
We've put on other events.
00:10:43.54\00:10:45.17
I've built relationships
00:10:45.21\00:10:46.54
with LA county
supervisor's office
00:10:46.57\00:10:48.34
with some of
these other nonprofits.
00:10:48.38\00:10:50.41
And in doing this I
have gained, probably,
00:10:50.45\00:10:54.28
I'll say on my books, or
in my book of my resources
00:10:54.32\00:10:57.72
that I can take out and offer,
00:10:57.75\00:10:59.42
I probably have about 40
to 45 different nonprofit.
00:10:59.45\00:11:04.53
Not county resources,
these are individual people
00:11:04.56\00:11:07.00
who are on the
ground run nonprofits
00:11:07.03\00:11:10.57
that are out there
helping the community
00:11:10.60\00:11:12.63
that I help support, I
show up for their events,
00:11:12.67\00:11:15.27
sometimes they need volunteers,
00:11:15.30\00:11:17.04
I call them if I need something.
00:11:17.07\00:11:18.61
This is pretty much
a full-time job now.
00:11:18.64\00:11:20.51
It has become a full-time.
I live and breathe this work.
00:11:20.54\00:11:22.81
Yeah, wonderful.
00:11:22.84\00:11:25.35
Community services also,
00:11:25.38\00:11:26.75
social services with the county,
00:11:26.78\00:11:28.72
county services.
00:11:28.75\00:11:30.35
We've become
almost best friends,
00:11:30.39\00:11:32.15
and not to mention
my growing relationships
00:11:32.19\00:11:34.16
with elected officials.
00:11:34.19\00:11:35.82
Well, it's almost
a textbook example
00:11:35.86\00:11:37.69
of how to make
yourself available
00:11:37.73\00:11:40.46
on behalf of what you believe.
00:11:40.50\00:11:42.33
But it's really a
personality thing.
00:11:42.36\00:11:44.87
Being used by the
Lord and just being open
00:11:44.90\00:11:47.10
and ready and not negative,
00:11:47.14\00:11:50.01
but reaching out to
those in responsibility.
00:11:50.04\00:11:52.71
Well, it is
God. Wonderful story.
00:11:52.74\00:11:54.34
I was never
really a social person.
00:11:54.38\00:11:56.68
I was pretty much a
loner always, but not now.
00:11:56.71\00:11:59.95
Not now, God can at
least open the doors.
00:11:59.98\00:12:02.38
God will change all of us.
And I could say the same thing.
00:12:02.42\00:12:05.65
My wife knows I'm
very introspective.
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.62
And, you know, I'm
not social naturally,
00:12:08.66\00:12:10.03
but you're forced into...
00:12:10.06\00:12:11.39
Not forced, you're
encouraged into this
00:12:11.43\00:12:14.76
by the Lord's charted to us all.
00:12:14.80\00:12:16.87
We need to take a break now.
00:12:16.90\00:12:18.23
We'll be back shortly,
00:12:18.27\00:12:19.60
but stay with us for more
of this exciting story of God
00:12:19.63\00:12:22.80
giving opportunities to
a woman who's shown herself
00:12:22.84\00:12:26.64
willing to serve
and to reach out.
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.68