I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people.
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Hello, and
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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My name is CA Murray,
and thank you once again
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for sharing just a
little of your day with us.
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And as always, we do
thank you for your love,
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your prayers, your support
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of Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
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We thank you
for your partnership
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over the last 31
plus years of assisting us
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in doing what God
has called us to do,
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every time we go
out, every time we preach,
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every time we teach.
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As we travel
literally the world,
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we see what God is
doing through this ministry.
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And just recently, I
was out in California,
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and saw again
the blessings of God
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through the ministry
as lives were changed,
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and just some miraculous things,
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and I'm always mindful
of and cognizant of the fact
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that we couldn't do
what we were called to do.
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We couldn't produce one
program without the love,
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the prayers,
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the tangible support of
those who partner with us
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because you too want
to see Christ come soon.
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You want to see the work
of God finished in the world.
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We are hearing every day
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of things
happening around this world
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that make us long for heaven
and for our heavenly home.
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And I'm thankful for
those who assist in that,
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because for those of
us who are in the church,
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for those of us who
serve the cause of Christ,
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we know that there
is a big field out there
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that needs to be work.
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There're young
people, older people,
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middle age people who
need to hear about the gospel.
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But
particularly our young people
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who are in such
peril with the internet
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and so many other things
happening in the world today.
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We need Jesus as never before.
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And there are
those who God has called
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and given a testimony
and allow to have a testimony
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who use that testimony
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and the calling
of God to touch lives
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and one such person
is my guest for today.
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And this is Jeffrey Cobb.
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Jeffrey, good to have
you here. Glad to meet.
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It's been--
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Oh, man, I'm trying to think,
we got to talk about five,
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seven years
since we've been here--
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Yes.
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Together and
you're looking well.
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Thank God.
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And you haven't lost any pounds,
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the Lord is feeding
you, He is keeping you--
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Amen. Amen. Taking care of you.
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But we praise His name.
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But it's been a little while,
man, and I'm glad you're back,
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back up from Florida.
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The weather a
little better this time
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than I think last
time we had this feeling
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that was a little
chillier last time
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but it's been a few years,
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but you still
working for the Lord.
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You got a great
ministry, great testimony man.
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Amen. Amen. Yeah, yeah.
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We're going to
walk back through that
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because since he
has not been here
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for several years.
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Many of you may not know
his testimony, know his name.
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God has brought him
from a lot of stuff,
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and given him a
very special ministry,
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but has also given--
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You know, Jeff,
what's interesting
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is when you look at your life,
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and you look at all
the stuff you go through.
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God can use even
that negative stuff
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as a stepping stone
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as a reservoir for
the ministry you now have.
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In other words, you
bring to your ministry
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a certain pedigree,
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a certain testimony
that allows you to say,
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"Hey man, I've been
there, I've done that,
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I know that's a dead end."
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That others who
wouldn't have that pedigree
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couldn't make that statement.
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Amen. Amen. Yeah. Yeah.
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Let's before going to our music,
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let's go back a little ways
and talk about where you born?
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I was born in Miami, Florida.
Miami, Florida, Florida guy?
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Yes. Christian home?
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Christian home, yes.
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Adventist
Christian home or just?
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No, just raised a Baptist.
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All right, brothers and sisters?
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Yes, I have three
sisters and four brothers.
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All right.
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Give me some flavor,
man, of your early childhood?
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Let's start early childhood?
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My early
childhood, I was, you know,
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a student in school doing well.
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You know, started, you know,
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hanging out with
my older brother,
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you know, in the
streets to drugs, the women.
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I started in that aspect
of my life and that led me to,
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you know, gang,
shootouts, kidnapping,
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down with organization
of corrupt the judges,
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police officers, and
lawyers for 20 years.
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Let me ask you this, how,
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you say hanging out
with your older brother.
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Of course, you're
influenced by older brother.
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And it is true that young kids,
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young boys tend to
want to model themselves
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after an older brother,
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particularly if they
see him kind of making it
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and kind of successful.
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What kind of age
are we talking about
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you hanging out
with the older brother?
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I was at 15. Fifteen, okay.
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So you're old enough
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to kind of see
and make decisions.
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What were the kinds of things
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that he began to
introduce you to?
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He started introducing
me to, you know, marijuana,
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"Hey man, you
know, just put this up,
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help me package up this."
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And then it went
from that to cocaine.
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Were you always following him
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or did you kind of
branch out on your own
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as you got a little bit older?
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No, I was always following him.
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You know, he was my God. Okay.
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Because anything I
needed, if I needed money,
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if I needed new sneakers
or whatever, I just go to him,
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"Hey, hey, hey, no problem."
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And he's able to
do that. Yeah. Yes.
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Was that
lifestyle what you saw him
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working his way into and through
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kind of attracted to
you, attractive to you?
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Absolutely, you know,
all those money, you know,
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socks of money, shoe boxes,
I remember converses you know,
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boxes of money.
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I was like, "Hey, I want that."
Yeah, yeah, bless your heart.
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How were you doing in
school at this point in time?
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I was doing well.
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In school I played football
and I was running back in 1979.
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Don't you say?
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So I got offer
from Florida State.
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But, you know, with
my brother, you know,
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following him, I
took the dope game.
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I took the drug.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
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Using, selling, pushing,
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where were you
in that, continue?
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I started out selling them.
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Most of the sellers,
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they become
their best customers.
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So I became my best customer.
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At the top end
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what was your
habit in dollars per day?
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I worked with organization,
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we were making
$70,000 a night in Miami.
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Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man.
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How much were you
using a day dollar amount?
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It started, you know, minimum,
you know that I love parties,
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so then it went
to like $600 a day.
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See, that's a
whole heap of money.
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And there's like the old saying,
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they say, "Free stuff kill you."
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My brother had it all,
so it was free so, you know.
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Yeah, now how
was he handling it,
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was he pretty successful?
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I mean, was he,
did he pick up a habit
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or is he just
sort in a retail end.
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No, he, he picked
up a little habit,
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but he was able to
maintain, maintain.
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And different people
respond to drugs differently,
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you know--
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Absolutely.
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You know, some
people one time hooked,
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others have a
little more tolerance,
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other seem to be able to--
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Where were you in that?
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I think I went a
while before I got hook,
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I can use a go
head on and function,
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and do what I needed to do,
and after a while, you know,
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it start taking the best of me.
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Now when you say
taking the best of me,
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walk us through
what that experience was?
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I started using more.
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I started doing
more crazier stuff,
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didn't know, just
lost control just,
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because the organization I was,
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we were like, I was untouchable.
00:08:43.35\00:08:46.29
You know I can
do this and do that
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and I'm not going nowhere,
you know, in that aspect.
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Yeah, when you are surrounded
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by a fairly
large group of people
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doing the same
stuff you're doing,
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you tend to feel kind
of Teflon like, you know,
00:08:59.23\00:09:01.27
nothing is going to stick to me,
00:09:01.30\00:09:02.64
I'm kind of fine.
00:09:02.67\00:09:06.01
Was that kind of your mindset,
00:09:06.04\00:09:07.38
and I can kind
of involved in it,
00:09:07.41\00:09:08.91
so I'm not going to jail,
I'm not going to be succumb,
00:09:08.94\00:09:11.35
overcome by this
thing, I can handle this.
00:09:11.38\00:09:13.62
Right, yes.
00:09:13.65\00:09:14.98
That was in my
mind like, hey, guy,
00:09:15.02\00:09:17.95
you don't corrupt the cops
00:09:17.99\00:09:19.52
and lawyers and
judges and all that.
00:09:19.55\00:09:22.39
I'm not going nowhere, I
can do what I want to do.
00:09:22.42\00:09:25.59
And I just got
wild in the community
00:09:25.63\00:09:28.10
just doing stuff careless
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and shootouts
and all that stuff.
00:09:30.33\00:09:34.14
So you were--
00:09:34.17\00:09:36.24
I'm getting a picture of
a real kind of gangland guy.
00:09:36.27\00:09:38.94
You're involved in
a large organization.
00:09:38.97\00:09:41.04
You've got a lot of people
working for you, with you,
00:09:41.08\00:09:42.94
under you, beside you, a lot of,
00:09:42.98\00:09:45.61
a lot of money
flowing back and forth.
00:09:45.65\00:09:46.98
Yes. Yes.
00:09:47.02\00:09:48.35
So you're just on the
train, man, just kind of ride.
00:09:48.38\00:09:49.82
I'm just going
along with the flow
00:09:49.85\00:09:51.82
and enjoying life I thought.
00:09:51.85\00:09:55.09
About how old at this time?
00:09:55.12\00:09:58.16
By this time I
was maybe about 21.
00:09:58.19\00:10:02.36
Twenty one. Yes.
00:10:02.40\00:10:03.73
So at 21 years of age,
00:10:03.77\00:10:05.10
your personal
dollar handle per day
00:10:05.13\00:10:08.07
is about how much money is
flowing through your hands.
00:10:08.10\00:10:11.97
I can say from...
00:10:12.01\00:10:13.38
10,000 to 15,000 a day.
00:10:16.38\00:10:19.55
That's going through--
00:10:19.58\00:10:20.92
My hand. Jeffrey's hand.
00:10:20.95\00:10:22.28
That's just your cut. Yes.
00:10:22.32\00:10:23.65
Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
00:10:23.69\00:10:25.02
That's seductive man,
00:10:25.05\00:10:26.39
$15,000 a day
at 21 years of age,
00:10:26.42\00:10:29.09
that's hard to
break out of that.
00:10:29.12\00:10:30.83
Oh, yes, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
00:10:30.86\00:10:34.93
Was your--
00:10:34.96\00:10:36.30
Were your parents, your
mom, your dad, your parents,
00:10:36.33\00:10:38.53
the rest of your
siblings were aware
00:10:38.57\00:10:39.90
of the kind of
life you were living?
00:10:39.93\00:10:43.24
Oh, yes.
00:10:43.27\00:10:44.61
Didn't know and it's--
00:10:44.64\00:10:46.98
You know, when my
mom, I mean, you know,
00:10:47.01\00:10:48.74
she got sick and
she couldn't work
00:10:48.78\00:10:50.38
so that's really
what pushed me out
00:10:50.41\00:10:53.58
to start selling the drugs.
00:10:53.62\00:10:54.95
She couldn't work, my
dad, he was getting older.
00:10:54.98\00:10:58.35
So I was like, "You
all don't worry about it,
00:10:58.39\00:11:00.26
I've got, I'll take it."
00:11:00.29\00:11:01.62
Yeah, so this is kind of
like an altruistic thing,
00:11:01.66\00:11:03.66
you're taking
care of your parents.
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.03
Right, right, right, and my dad,
00:11:05.06\00:11:06.66
he was like, "Oh man,
this truck here is no good."
00:11:06.70\00:11:09.50
I went me and my brother
00:11:09.53\00:11:11.43
we brought him
a brand new truck,
00:11:11.47\00:11:12.97
came back and gave him the key.
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.34
Gave him the key. He
said, "What this for?"
00:11:14.37\00:11:15.70
This is yours.
00:11:15.74\00:11:17.17
You know, we were
just doing it like that.
00:11:17.21\00:11:19.01
Yeah, and you
can always find a way
00:11:19.04\00:11:21.71
to put a little
bow on your stuff,
00:11:21.74\00:11:23.38
you know, make it
look kind of nice.
00:11:23.41\00:11:25.08
I'm taking care of my
folks. Right, to justify.
00:11:25.11\00:11:27.95
Right, to justify, precisely.
00:11:27.98\00:11:29.95
I need to ask
you a couple things,
00:11:29.98\00:11:33.32
and I want to go
to music and come back
00:11:33.36\00:11:34.69
and talk what
you're doing today.
00:11:34.72\00:11:38.03
Was there ever a times
in this, you ride in train
00:11:38.06\00:11:41.63
and sometimes life
can be spinning so fast,
00:11:41.66\00:11:43.43
you don't even
get time to think,
00:11:43.47\00:11:44.83
you know, you just
acting and reacting.
00:11:44.87\00:11:47.44
You know, you're
not even processing.
00:11:47.47\00:11:49.50
But where there ever
times when the Holy Spirit
00:11:49.54\00:11:51.41
or your own mind
00:11:51.44\00:11:52.77
or your own sense of
right and wrong said,
00:11:52.81\00:11:54.58
"Hey man, this ain't cool,
00:11:54.61\00:11:56.95
this is not what
I would be doing."
00:11:56.98\00:11:58.31
Or were you just on the
thing, just ride it so fast,
00:11:58.35\00:12:00.18
you didn't have time
for that kind of thinking.
00:12:00.22\00:12:01.88
Yeah, it came a time
late on down in life,
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.85
the down in life.
00:12:04.89\00:12:06.22
When I was doing all
this, it was always in my mind,
00:12:06.25\00:12:10.16
it was some better.
00:12:10.19\00:12:12.39
I could never put my hand on it.
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.46
I couldn't ever I say,
more money, more female,
00:12:14.50\00:12:17.87
more women, more getting
high and I'll put my hand on it.
00:12:17.90\00:12:22.14
Right, right. Yeah, of course.
But I never can put my hand.
00:12:22.17\00:12:25.24
Obviously, you're
looking in the wrong place.
00:12:25.27\00:12:27.18
But it is interesting
how that life can and I--
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.55
you well know
Jeffrey swallow you up.
00:12:30.58\00:12:32.41
Yes.
00:12:32.45\00:12:33.78
You know, you're
making 15, $20,000 a day.
00:12:33.82\00:12:37.15
That's insane kind
of money for a kid.
00:12:37.19\00:12:39.99
Yes. Yes. You know 15,000 a day.
00:12:40.02\00:12:42.42
There are people, families
00:12:42.46\00:12:43.83
who are living on 15,000 a year.
00:12:43.86\00:12:45.86
Yes. Yes. And
you're making 15,000 a day.
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.70
Anything you see in a
store, you walk down a street
00:12:48.73\00:12:51.53
and you see it in the window.
00:12:51.57\00:12:52.97
I can have that. Yes.
00:12:53.00\00:12:54.34
I've no problem.
Let's go and buy it.
00:12:54.37\00:12:55.70
Yes.
00:12:55.74\00:12:58.21
You're dressing
well, you're living well,
00:12:58.24\00:13:01.31
you got piles of cash,
00:13:01.34\00:13:03.61
and of course with
that come "friends."
00:13:03.65\00:13:07.12
I'm gonna put that
in quotes, you know.
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.18
So you got a lot
of people around you,
00:13:09.22\00:13:11.15
some around you
just leeching off you.
00:13:11.19\00:13:13.39
Some are around
you because, you know,
00:13:13.42\00:13:15.62
they just like hanging with you
00:13:15.66\00:13:16.99
'cause you got the
parties at your house,
00:13:17.03\00:13:18.99
so let's go there.
00:13:19.03\00:13:20.36
And of course,
you're going to have women.
00:13:20.40\00:13:21.73
So it doesn't
really allow you sometimes
00:13:21.76\00:13:24.57
time to think about who am I?
00:13:24.60\00:13:26.53
What am I doing?
00:13:26.57\00:13:27.90
But every now and again little
00:13:27.94\00:13:29.27
someone kind of
prick your conscience.
00:13:29.30\00:13:30.64
Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:30.67\00:13:32.01
I guess a better life. Yeah.
00:13:32.04\00:13:33.38
You know, and I only
found that once I got locked up
00:13:33.41\00:13:37.91
and I was facing
30 to life in prison.
00:13:37.95\00:13:42.08
And it came to me all that
00:13:42.12\00:13:45.15
you was looking for is in me,
00:13:45.19\00:13:49.26
is in Jesus, because I
heard a voice one night
00:13:49.29\00:13:52.16
when I was in a County jail
waiting to be going to trial.
00:13:52.19\00:13:57.27
And I heard a voice one
night called me by my name,
00:13:57.30\00:14:00.54
I never heard his voice again.
00:14:00.57\00:14:02.40
I got up,
00:14:02.44\00:14:03.77
I went to the
restroom in the prison.
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.81
I went all over
around, nobody wasn't up.
00:14:05.84\00:14:08.84
Wow.
00:14:08.88\00:14:10.21
It must be guard and I looked
in there and she was asleep.
00:14:10.25\00:14:12.81
And a voice that
you can't explain
00:14:12.85\00:14:16.82
you never, it was--
00:14:16.85\00:14:19.85
I mean a calm sweet voice.
00:14:19.89\00:14:22.56
And I have no
doubt, it was Jesus.
00:14:22.59\00:14:23.93
That was Jesus. Praise the Lord.
00:14:23.96\00:14:25.53
What's interesting, Jeffrey,
00:14:25.56\00:14:26.90
and I know you
can talk about this,
00:14:26.93\00:14:29.30
having done prison ministry.
00:14:29.33\00:14:31.10
A lot of people in
prison will tell you,
00:14:31.13\00:14:33.47
I needed prison to slow me down,
00:14:33.50\00:14:35.77
so I could hear that voice.
00:14:35.80\00:14:37.14
Because I would submit to you
00:14:37.17\00:14:39.27
that that voice is
calling you all the time.
00:14:39.31\00:14:42.34
But it had to get
through $15,000 a day.
00:14:42.38\00:14:45.48
A ton of hang on friends,
women, booze, alcohol, party,
00:14:45.51\00:14:50.69
drugs, that voice can't
scream louder than that.
00:14:50.72\00:14:54.42
It's going to wait
till that get silent,
00:14:54.46\00:14:55.79
then it's gonna talk.
00:14:55.82\00:14:57.16
So would you say
that prison in a sense
00:14:57.19\00:15:02.46
gave you a
chance to hear a voice
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.20
that you otherwise may
not or would not have heard?
00:15:04.23\00:15:06.43
Absolutely,
absolutely, that's a prison
00:15:06.47\00:15:11.77
and that's where I really
accept Christ that in prison.
00:15:11.81\00:15:15.68
And just like you
say, God can get a change
00:15:15.71\00:15:18.65
and we out there, you
know, ripping and running,
00:15:18.68\00:15:21.55
he can't get out of tension.
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.39
So God allow us to go to prison
where we can hear His voice
00:15:23.42\00:15:29.42
and then we can think
about what He was doing.
00:15:29.46\00:15:32.49
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:32.53\00:15:33.86
I've heard that time
and time and time again.
00:15:33.90\00:15:36.70
Prison gave me a
chance to turn off some noise,
00:15:36.73\00:15:40.00
so I could hear a voice of God.
00:15:40.04\00:15:41.50
And it is not a long
time after you getting there,
00:15:41.54\00:15:43.57
you get in the first,
second night you're in there,
00:15:43.61\00:15:45.54
with some peace and quiet,
00:15:45.57\00:15:47.18
Lord is right
there speaking to you.
00:15:47.21\00:15:48.54
Yes. And absolutely, absolutely.
00:15:48.58\00:15:51.35
When you heard that voice,
was it something you fought
00:15:51.38\00:15:54.58
or did you kind of
say, you know what,
00:15:54.62\00:15:56.55
maybe it's time for me to listen
00:15:56.58\00:15:57.92
to what's going on here.
00:15:57.95\00:15:59.29
Yeah, right away.
00:15:59.32\00:16:00.66
And I was tired of
the life I was living,
00:16:00.69\00:16:03.29
but you know, you're
trying to keep that image,
00:16:03.32\00:16:05.26
that bunch over there.
00:16:05.29\00:16:06.70
And once I heard
a voice, I was like,
00:16:06.73\00:16:10.47
I knew it was the Lord
because He started using me
00:16:10.50\00:16:13.54
to teach in a County
jail in Miami County jail.
00:16:13.57\00:16:18.04
But it was some when I used
to serve the drugs to people
00:16:18.07\00:16:22.61
and talk with them.
00:16:22.64\00:16:23.98
They were like, "You need
to be a mentor or counselor,
00:16:24.01\00:16:27.02
man, you talk to
people, you listen to people."
00:16:27.05\00:16:30.62
But, you know I
wouldn't pay any attention,
00:16:30.65\00:16:32.82
come, get your drugs and go on.
00:16:32.85\00:16:35.52
So once I got in jail
and I said, okay, Lord,
00:16:35.56\00:16:42.13
and I told the Lord, I
said, I was, they were saying,
00:16:42.16\00:16:46.50
"What you're facing?"
00:16:46.53\00:16:47.87
They were like 30
to life in prison.
00:16:47.90\00:16:50.67
Because we had drug
houses by the school,
00:16:50.71\00:16:53.04
we were selling to the kids.
00:16:53.07\00:16:55.48
And I said, "Lord, if
you get me out of this one,
00:16:55.51\00:16:58.08
just this one."
00:16:58.11\00:16:59.71
I will serve you till I go
into the grave till I die."
00:16:59.75\00:17:04.19
And by God grace, now
has been happen 20 years.
00:17:04.22\00:17:07.06
Praise the Lord. Yeah.
00:17:07.09\00:17:08.42
They'll attack on a
another low wrist slap
00:17:08.46\00:17:10.53
just because
you're selling to kids.
00:17:10.56\00:17:12.19
Just the fact that you--
00:17:12.23\00:17:13.56
you parked that
little drug thing
00:17:13.60\00:17:14.93
near a school.
00:17:14.96\00:17:16.30
Your brother don't
really take too much kindness
00:17:16.33\00:17:18.60
in that kind of stuff.
00:17:18.63\00:17:19.97
And that's what
happened when ATF alcohol,
00:17:20.00\00:17:22.00
tobacco and firearm.
00:17:22.04\00:17:23.67
When they came in
there, you know they were like,
00:17:23.71\00:17:25.87
"Jo, do you know you're
dealing with blah, blah, blah."
00:17:25.91\00:17:29.44
I didn't go back to
court for two years.
00:17:29.48\00:17:32.41
They set me for
two years. Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:32.45\00:17:34.62
The judge were like, "I
don't want to see his face."
00:17:34.65\00:17:36.55
Right, right, yeah, the fact
that you're pushing the kids.
00:17:36.58\00:17:39.02
They don't take
kindly to that at all.
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.92
No. No. No. No. No.
Yeah, yeah, bless your heart.
00:17:41.96\00:17:45.29
You know what--
00:17:45.33\00:17:46.93
and listening to your story
00:17:46.96\00:17:48.30
because I've heard
parts of it before.
00:17:48.33\00:17:50.67
I look at Peter,
00:17:50.70\00:17:52.97
Peter had some
character strength.
00:17:53.00\00:17:54.70
He had lot of
character weaknesses.
00:17:54.74\00:17:56.64
But the Lord took
those character flaws
00:17:56.67\00:18:02.54
and used them for His
glory once he got converted.
00:18:02.58\00:18:05.55
Because they say, when you,
00:18:05.58\00:18:06.92
when you're converted
strengthen your brother.
00:18:06.95\00:18:08.42
Here you are.
00:18:08.45\00:18:10.59
You're selling drugs and
given counsel, you know--
00:18:10.62\00:18:14.66
Yes. Yes.
00:18:14.69\00:18:16.02
Because this is in your
nature to try to help folk,
00:18:16.06\00:18:19.93
even when you're
selling them drugs.
00:18:19.96\00:18:21.63
So I'll give you drugs,
00:18:21.66\00:18:23.00
but also to tell your how
to get your life straight.
00:18:23.03\00:18:24.47
You know, you think
kind of thing like that,
00:18:24.50\00:18:26.74
and then what's interesting
is the Lord is saying,
00:18:26.77\00:18:30.81
"If I can get that drug
sale part out of this life,
00:18:30.84\00:18:33.98
that counseling
background I can use that."
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.21
Because that's his nature,
00:18:36.24\00:18:37.58
his nature is to
try to help people.
00:18:37.61\00:18:39.61
You know even to the point
where he's using his drug money
00:18:39.65\00:18:41.85
to help his parents,
00:18:41.88\00:18:43.95
so that there's
some good in there
00:18:43.99\00:18:46.25
that God is
saying, "If I can get this,
00:18:46.29\00:18:48.02
this other stuff out of here.
00:18:48.06\00:18:49.66
I think I've got
some skills here,
00:18:49.69\00:18:51.49
that I can use for My glory."
00:18:51.53\00:18:54.16
Absolutely, and while
you bringing up that pint.
00:18:54.20\00:18:58.00
And I think one reason
why I didn't get really time
00:18:58.03\00:19:01.94
but I was in at
least six months about it
00:19:01.97\00:19:05.07
every facility in Miami-Dade 6.
00:19:05.11\00:19:07.51
I've been to prison four time.
00:19:07.54\00:19:09.78
But in the community
00:19:09.81\00:19:11.18
when I heard somebody
lights was off, I'll go pay it.
00:19:11.21\00:19:15.62
You know I'm like, "Hey,
hey whole day I give him a--
00:19:15.65\00:19:19.15
Yeah, man they'll spend
all their money in drugs
00:19:19.19\00:19:21.46
and their lights off.
00:19:21.49\00:19:22.86
I go pay their
light bill. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.16
You know, and I come
back to what you say,
00:19:25.19\00:19:27.26
"I always had in my
heart of helping people."
00:19:27.30\00:19:29.70
Right, right.
00:19:29.73\00:19:31.07
Now and I need to be clear
00:19:31.10\00:19:32.43
because we're not
trying to justify drug money,
00:19:32.47\00:19:35.74
to help folk or would you.
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.11
What I'm saying is
under all that crust,
00:19:37.14\00:19:40.54
there was some good there.
00:19:40.58\00:19:42.38
It was being
facilitated by drug money
00:19:42.41\00:19:45.11
and as I see Christ
looking at our lives.
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.95
Christ says, I can
take what's good in there,
00:19:47.98\00:19:50.89
scrape off the dirt off the top
00:19:50.92\00:19:53.49
and I can find
some good down there.'
00:19:53.52\00:19:55.32
' So he's looking
at what you can be
00:19:55.36\00:19:58.29
with the entrance of His Spirit
00:19:58.33\00:20:01.36
and there's some
good going on down there.
00:20:01.40\00:20:04.67
So he had to send you to jail
00:20:04.70\00:20:06.37
or at least he
allowed you go to jail
00:20:06.40\00:20:08.10
one, two, three,
four, four times?
00:20:08.14\00:20:10.31
I did, I went six
times... Six times.
00:20:10.34\00:20:13.14
In the County for selling, I
did four times in the prison.
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.88
Okay, so, had
little fake, but...
00:20:15.91\00:20:17.61
Yeah, yeah.
Absolutely. Excuse me.
00:20:17.65\00:20:22.18
Yeah, but he got through. Yes.
00:20:22.22\00:20:23.82
Praise the Lord. Amen.
00:20:23.85\00:20:25.19
And it's been
through many, many years.
00:20:25.22\00:20:26.92
So you know God
is speaking to you,
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.09
you come out of
there the last time
00:20:30.13\00:20:34.56
with a determination to do what?
00:20:34.60\00:20:38.20
To live for Christ
00:20:38.23\00:20:40.94
and reach back and help the ones
00:20:40.97\00:20:43.30
that what I went through
00:20:43.34\00:20:47.21
that I can grab
their hand and help them.
00:20:47.24\00:20:50.51
And it's always when,
00:20:50.55\00:20:52.78
when the guy's
got out of prison.
00:20:52.81\00:20:55.68
I was that person
that always were there.
00:20:55.72\00:20:57.95
"Hey man, what's going on?
00:20:57.99\00:20:59.32
Here go a packet,
you can make some money.
00:20:59.35\00:21:01.72
But God the last time
say, I want to use you.
00:21:01.76\00:21:04.93
See, my job
00:21:04.96\00:21:06.56
when I was out there
in the world into drug,
00:21:06.59\00:21:09.16
my job was to set up drug houses
00:21:09.20\00:21:12.17
in whatever
community whatever it took,
00:21:12.20\00:21:14.84
that was my job, I want this.
00:21:14.87\00:21:16.94
I'm gonna set this
up where I can bring
00:21:16.97\00:21:18.94
some more guys in to sell drugs.
00:21:18.97\00:21:21.34
Once I gave my life to Christ,
He said, "I want you to use you
00:21:21.38\00:21:26.35
to set up houses
where my daughters
00:21:26.38\00:21:29.52
and my sons come out of prison,
where they can have a place,
00:21:29.55\00:21:33.09
where they can come
00:21:33.12\00:21:34.46
and where they can get a
deeper relationship with me.
00:21:34.49\00:21:36.69
See that's what I'm
saying, the exact parallel.
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.69
You had the
organizational skills
00:21:39.73\00:21:43.10
from the drug
days to set stuff up.
00:21:43.13\00:21:45.33
To go into the community,
size up the community,
00:21:45.37\00:21:48.34
see what it needs
in that case drug wise
00:21:48.37\00:21:51.17
but to see what it need
00:21:51.21\00:21:52.54
and then see how
you can facilitate that.
00:21:52.57\00:21:54.31
Well, those skills,
Jesus can use those skills.
00:21:54.34\00:21:56.81
Absolutely.
00:21:56.85\00:21:58.18
Yeah, he can use
your networking skills,
00:21:58.21\00:21:59.55
you got the drive,
you're self motivator.
00:21:59.58\00:22:01.32
You know you're up
with the entrepreneur.
00:22:01.35\00:22:03.95
You know, you can do
all that kind of stuff
00:22:03.99\00:22:05.82
for the cause of Christ.
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.26
So now Christ is
saying, use that stuff for me,
00:22:07.29\00:22:10.09
and obviously
you're hearing Him.
00:22:10.13\00:22:12.19
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:22:12.23\00:22:13.56
Praise God. Absolutely.
00:22:13.60\00:22:14.93
Let me ask you this, man.
00:22:14.96\00:22:16.30
When did the Adventist
connection come for you?
00:22:16.33\00:22:19.07
I almost got a life sentence
in prison over the Sabbath.
00:22:19.10\00:22:23.81
Because this guy say, "Hey man,"
00:22:23.84\00:22:25.94
I said, "No, man, I
don't gave my life to Christ."
00:22:25.97\00:22:28.61
He said, "Man, come
go down to this service."
00:22:28.64\00:22:31.41
When I went down to the service,
00:22:31.45\00:22:33.58
this guy told my I couldn't
eat a pork chop, shrimp,
00:22:33.62\00:22:37.22
couldn't drink
no more good liquor.
00:22:37.25\00:22:39.52
I'm like, man, this guy is mad.
00:22:39.55\00:22:41.32
So I went by, you know,
I have my knife in prison
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.99
and I grabbed
the guy by the neck.
00:22:45.03\00:22:46.73
I said, "Man,
if you ever tell me
00:22:46.76\00:22:48.10
to go back down to this
junk, I'll cut your head off."
00:22:48.13\00:22:50.77
I was serious,
man, you try on me."
00:22:50.80\00:22:52.63
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.00
You know you try on me,
man, with that foolishness.
00:22:54.04\00:22:58.27
Oh, man.
00:22:58.31\00:22:59.64
You figured, I gave up the drugs
00:22:59.67\00:23:01.51
and now you gonna
take my pork, my beer--
00:23:01.54\00:23:03.24
Yeah. Oh, man, no, no, no.
You're taking everything else.
00:23:03.28\00:23:06.75
Because I grew up a Baptist
00:23:06.78\00:23:08.82
and I saw a lot
of them doing it.
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.92
So I was like, hey man,
that's the way to go, man.
00:23:10.95\00:23:13.22
I'm like you got to
twist it bro, you know.
00:23:13.25\00:23:17.33
So that was, that was
your first taste of Adventism.
00:23:17.36\00:23:20.66
Yes. Yeah.
00:23:20.70\00:23:22.03
How did the change come
00:23:22.06\00:23:23.43
'cause that was not
actually a good introduction?
00:23:23.47\00:23:25.23
No, I went--
00:23:25.27\00:23:26.60
Didn't meant to kill somebody,
that's not good at all.
00:23:26.63\00:23:27.97
After they took
me to my main prison
00:23:28.00\00:23:29.94
where I was going to do my time.
00:23:29.97\00:23:32.57
I get done and there
were some guys from Miami.
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.14
You know they had drill,
"Hey man, what's up, brother."
00:23:35.18\00:23:38.51
We got everything, I'm like,
00:23:38.55\00:23:39.88
"No, man, I now
gave my life to Christ."
00:23:39.91\00:23:41.68
He said, "Okay man.
00:23:41.72\00:23:43.05
Let me introduce
you to these brothers."
00:23:43.08\00:23:45.35
I say, "All right, say, hey man.
00:23:45.39\00:23:47.12
Looking at them,
man, how you doing?
00:23:47.16\00:23:48.49
All right.
00:23:48.52\00:23:49.86
Hey man, we go to
church on Saturday.
00:23:49.89\00:23:52.63
I was like, man, here
got a Saturday junk again.
00:23:52.66\00:23:57.10
I say, "Okay, I'll go one time."
00:23:57.13\00:23:59.87
I went one time and
I've been over 20 years.
00:23:59.90\00:24:02.57
All right, all
right, I receive that.
00:24:02.60\00:24:04.51
Amen. Amen. Amen.
00:24:04.54\00:24:08.38
One good hook. One good.
00:24:08.41\00:24:09.84
What was the change?
Was it change in you?
00:24:09.88\00:24:12.38
Was it change in your life?
You're in a major facility now.
00:24:12.41\00:24:16.55
What was the change?
00:24:16.58\00:24:19.02
He would just after I--
00:24:19.05\00:24:22.06
You know, after I look
back and after, you know,
00:24:22.09\00:24:24.79
speaking with God
00:24:24.83\00:24:26.16
and how I've seen God was
using me in the County jail.
00:24:26.19\00:24:30.30
It was strange in a County jail.
00:24:30.33\00:24:33.03
They would let me go
up to different floors
00:24:33.07\00:24:35.10
and I was in the
Bible, you know teaching.
00:24:35.14\00:24:38.31
They don't allow that.
00:24:38.34\00:24:39.67
They would let me go
up to different floors
00:24:39.71\00:24:41.98
teaching Bible study.
00:24:42.01\00:24:43.61
And once as I came along,
00:24:43.65\00:24:45.71
the more and more and
more I heard his voice
00:24:45.75\00:24:48.28
and I was at peace.
00:24:48.32\00:24:50.75
Once I got to
prison and start going to
00:24:50.79\00:24:55.49
the Adventist service.
00:24:55.52\00:24:59.66
That message took
away my, my drug habit.
00:24:59.69\00:25:04.87
And it was strange,
I was like, oh, man.
00:25:04.90\00:25:08.07
I'm like, oh, man, I got peace.
00:25:08.10\00:25:11.24
I was like, man just
taken away of my drug habit.
00:25:11.27\00:25:15.68
It had and I stared
reading Patriarch and Prophet
00:25:15.71\00:25:20.38
written by Ellen White.
00:25:20.42\00:25:21.88
I just start reading that
book and I couldn't put it down.
00:25:21.92\00:25:25.15
And I kept reading it, and
reading it, and reading it.
00:25:25.19\00:25:29.79
It start changing
my life and I was like,
00:25:29.82\00:25:32.86
"Hey, I don't want the
drugs no more, I won't die."
00:25:32.89\00:25:35.73
And then I was
saying, you know what,
00:25:35.76\00:25:37.53
I don't want to
go back in that area.
00:25:37.57\00:25:39.43
I don't want to
go back to Miami,
00:25:39.47\00:25:41.37
and that's when I
decided to stay in Gainesville.
00:25:41.40\00:25:44.14
In Gainesville. Yeah, yeah.
00:25:44.17\00:25:47.18
As far as
getting drugs in prison
00:25:47.21\00:25:50.65
and I'm not indicting the
whole system just straight
00:25:50.68\00:25:52.85
and stating the
fact, easy or difficult?
00:25:52.88\00:25:55.65
Oh, it's easy. Yeah.
00:25:55.68\00:25:57.29
See before I gave
my life to Christ,
00:25:57.32\00:25:59.35
I was in the County jail.
00:25:59.39\00:26:02.66
You know every night, man,
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.56
we used to have
plates of cocaine in the cell
00:26:04.59\00:26:07.83
just weed,
alcohol, drinking and weed.
00:26:07.86\00:26:13.03
It was just like we
were still on the street.
00:26:13.07\00:26:14.40
On a street.
00:26:14.44\00:26:15.77
So if you want to
continue to have it,
00:26:15.80\00:26:17.37
prison is not an impediment
to doing what you want to--
00:26:17.41\00:26:19.64
No, no.
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.01
You can get it
everything you want in prison.
00:26:21.04\00:26:25.45
Let's say as it
did happen in a prison,
00:26:25.48\00:26:28.38
I'm going to preach.
00:26:28.42\00:26:30.72
Just let you know how
corrupt the prison system.
00:26:30.75\00:26:35.16
Two inmates shot
each other in prison.
00:26:35.19\00:26:40.66
So who brought the guns in?
Right, precisely were two guns.
00:26:40.70\00:26:44.83
Two guns. Two guns, yeah.
00:26:44.87\00:26:46.20
And they shot
each other in a prison.
00:26:46.23\00:26:47.74
In prison. Wow.
00:26:47.77\00:26:51.31
That's rough stuff. It's rough.
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.07
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's rough.
00:26:53.11\00:26:55.04
So you need, you
need Christ in prison.
00:26:55.08\00:26:59.91
I always want to say
more than you do on a street,
00:26:59.95\00:27:01.78
certainly as much
as you do on a street
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.69
because it's
like, it's rough inside
00:27:03.72\00:27:05.95
like it is outside.
00:27:05.99\00:27:07.32
Right, it's so rough
where you just have certain area
00:27:07.36\00:27:10.96
you can go into prison,
00:27:10.99\00:27:12.83
you can't too
much get away from it,
00:27:12.86\00:27:15.16
so you have to
really make your mind up
00:27:15.20\00:27:19.07
that I'm going in this corner
and this what I'm gonna do.
00:27:19.10\00:27:22.54
You know, I'm gonna give
my life to Christ or Mary.
00:27:22.57\00:27:25.27
I'm gonna study, I'm
gonna do what I need to do,
00:27:25.31\00:27:27.98
because if you
don't have your life
00:27:28.01\00:27:30.68
right before you
leave out of there,
00:27:30.71\00:27:33.05
there is no chance,
because once you go out of door,
00:27:33.08\00:27:35.52
you go to drugs, the
girls, the drugs, the alcohol,
00:27:35.55\00:27:39.75
all that type of stuff.
00:27:39.79\00:27:41.56
So you got to be
able to have the victory
00:27:41.59\00:27:44.03
over that stuff in
prison before you come out.
00:27:44.06\00:27:47.63
Uh-huh.
00:27:47.66\00:27:49.46
And you know, because you
used to be one of the guys
00:27:49.50\00:27:52.10
waiting on the outside
00:27:52.13\00:27:53.70
to welcome him
back into the old life.
00:27:53.74\00:27:55.97
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:27:56.00\00:27:58.57
And I used to go
by the County jail
00:27:58.61\00:28:01.31
when the women
come out, looking good,
00:28:01.34\00:28:03.91
hey what's up,
what you're doing?
00:28:03.95\00:28:05.45
Where you going?
00:28:05.48\00:28:06.85
Well, I don't
really have nowhere to go.
00:28:06.88\00:28:08.25
Hey, come on, I got
some way, you got the drug,
00:28:08.28\00:28:10.82
you got the money."
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.19
I got you a apartment,
00:28:12.22\00:28:13.56
so now God is calling
me to counteract that.
00:28:13.59\00:28:16.09
When they come out
have transition houses
00:28:16.12\00:28:19.49
where they can come
and get on their feet
00:28:19.53\00:28:22.23
and get to know God
and provide them with job.
00:28:22.26\00:28:25.87
Yeah, now we're
moving into your current
00:28:25.90\00:28:29.84
dare I say line of work.
00:28:29.87\00:28:31.21
Yes.
00:28:31.24\00:28:32.81
But it's based
on those same skills
00:28:32.84\00:28:36.14
that you had developed before.
00:28:36.18\00:28:38.51
Waiting for people to come out,
00:28:38.55\00:28:39.88
so you can take
them into their old life.
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.95
Now you're waiting
for them to come out,
00:28:41.98\00:28:43.99
so you can help
them have a new life.
00:28:44.02\00:28:45.85
Absolutely. Alrighty.
00:28:45.89\00:28:47.56
Talk to me about
00:28:47.59\00:28:48.92
what transition
housing is all about
00:28:48.96\00:28:50.89
and how you figure into that?
00:28:50.93\00:28:52.43
Transition houses is for
acts a friend of men and women
00:28:52.46\00:28:57.80
once they've been released.
00:28:57.83\00:29:00.30
See a lot of them when
they, when they release you,
00:29:00.34\00:29:02.54
you just have 50
bucks, a one-way ticket.
00:29:02.57\00:29:05.57
Wherever you're going,
00:29:05.61\00:29:06.94
we gonna send you
there with 50 bucks,
00:29:06.98\00:29:08.68
you're on your own.
00:29:08.71\00:29:10.15
So a lot of, once
you're released what you have.
00:29:10.18\00:29:15.02
A lot of their
parents have moved
00:29:15.05\00:29:16.65
from that area to another area
00:29:16.69\00:29:19.12
and so what you do is
go back to what you know.
00:29:19.15\00:29:23.63
So transition house
help you come to a place.
00:29:23.66\00:29:28.40
Shelter from the
Storm is where you can come,
00:29:28.43\00:29:31.27
get to know Christ,
provide you with a job,
00:29:31.30\00:29:35.24
where you don't have
to work back in a society.
00:29:35.27\00:29:38.41
You don't have to worry
about, oh I'm staying here,
00:29:38.44\00:29:41.14
so I don't got the rent money.
00:29:41.18\00:29:42.78
I got to go rob somebody
00:29:42.81\00:29:45.48
or sell some
drug to pay my rent.
00:29:45.51\00:29:47.48
It's a place where you can
be trans back in the community
00:29:47.52\00:29:50.95
with Christ in your life
00:29:50.99\00:29:52.72
and where myself and the staff
00:29:52.75\00:29:56.69
where we can walk you
and help you hold your hands
00:29:56.73\00:30:00.63
as you come back in a community.
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.10
Okay, let's contextualize that,
Jeffrey, just a little bit.
00:30:02.13\00:30:06.13
The ministry is
Shelter from the Storm.
00:30:06.17\00:30:08.24
Yes.
00:30:08.27\00:30:09.60
Shelter from the
Storm seeks to provide,
00:30:09.64\00:30:12.51
dare I say, a landing place
00:30:12.54\00:30:14.84
for people who
come out of prison.
00:30:14.88\00:30:17.05
Because when you come
out, you got $50 in your pocket
00:30:17.08\00:30:20.08
and a ticket to go someplace.
00:30:20.12\00:30:21.62
That's it. That's
it. And that's it.
00:30:21.65\00:30:23.45
So really truth be told,
they're almost daring you
00:30:23.49\00:30:30.19
not to go back
into the old lifestyle.
00:30:30.23\00:30:32.39
Because you don't have a job,
00:30:32.43\00:30:35.30
you may or may
not have some friends.
00:30:35.33\00:30:37.73
The people you know
are the people from prison
00:30:37.77\00:30:40.94
or the people you knew
before you went into prison.
00:30:40.97\00:30:43.47
Absolutely. And you
just kind out there.
00:30:43.51\00:30:45.97
So the natural
tendency my mind says,
00:30:46.01\00:30:48.41
is to go back to
something familiar.
00:30:48.44\00:30:50.41
Go back to what you know. Yeah.
00:30:50.45\00:30:51.78
So you're gonna go,
you're gonna ease your way
00:30:51.81\00:30:53.18
back into the old lifestyle
00:30:53.21\00:30:54.75
because you don't have a
handle on a new lifestyle.
00:30:54.78\00:30:57.62
Oh, you haven't
been shown a new way.
00:30:57.65\00:30:59.59
Precisely. Precisely. Yes.
00:30:59.62\00:31:01.49
So you're like the bridge now
00:31:01.52\00:31:03.73
to try to get them
over the hump dare I say.
00:31:03.76\00:31:06.86
Absolutely. By
providing one place to land.
00:31:06.90\00:31:10.13
You know some place to--
00:31:10.17\00:31:11.87
Housing.
00:31:11.90\00:31:13.23
Housing, some
shelter from the storm.
00:31:13.27\00:31:14.74
Yes, amen. Yeah.
00:31:14.77\00:31:16.10
And an employment? Yes.
00:31:16.14\00:31:18.37
Wow.
00:31:18.41\00:31:20.11
You look, what
the Lord always say,
00:31:20.14\00:31:22.61
see where my uncle
just go right back to you
00:31:22.64\00:31:25.08
say the skills.
00:31:25.11\00:31:26.45
My uncle, he had a lawn service,
00:31:26.48\00:31:28.18
so I used to cut lawn
with him and this other guy,
00:31:28.22\00:31:31.65
I used to cut
lawn and I was so good,
00:31:31.69\00:31:34.26
I'll go to prison and come back.
00:31:34.29\00:31:35.89
The next day I'm
on the truck. Okay.
00:31:35.92\00:31:37.93
Oh, when I was selling drugs
00:31:37.96\00:31:39.46
and the police
was hard on my trail.
00:31:39.49\00:31:42.26
I jump on to lawn, okay,
hey man, I want to go to work.
00:31:42.30\00:31:44.67
Hey, come on.
00:31:44.70\00:31:46.03
So I did that,
00:31:46.07\00:31:48.74
and then you know
when you, if you go on,
00:31:48.77\00:31:51.84
when you run.
00:31:51.87\00:31:53.21
You see guys on side of the road
00:31:53.24\00:31:54.58
cutting grass.
00:31:54.61\00:31:56.18
So the Lord say, "Okay,
what I want to use you to do
00:31:56.21\00:31:59.38
is start up a lawn service."
00:31:59.41\00:32:01.58
So when the guy
is already in prison,
00:32:01.62\00:32:03.59
they already doing lawn service.
00:32:03.62\00:32:05.72
So when they come
into your facility,
00:32:05.75\00:32:08.72
you can give them a job,
because all your application,
00:32:08.76\00:32:12.06
if you've been
convicted of a felony,
00:32:12.09\00:32:14.26
they call it a box.
00:32:14.30\00:32:16.16
Once you check that,
00:32:16.20\00:32:17.53
your application
go into trash can.
00:32:17.57\00:32:19.53
Yeah. Yeah. They
go into trash can.
00:32:19.57\00:32:21.80
So these guys can't
get job, so what they do?
00:32:21.84\00:32:24.64
They go back to what they know.
00:32:24.67\00:32:26.27
What I do employ
these guys, not only that,
00:32:26.31\00:32:29.98
with a felony you cannot
much get a place to live.
00:32:30.01\00:32:33.92
Just somehow in a
made apartment I was living
00:32:33.95\00:32:36.25
and the roof fell in and
they told me I had to move.
00:32:36.28\00:32:39.49
I went to go try
to get apartment.
00:32:39.52\00:32:41.69
And I signed
out the application,
00:32:41.72\00:32:43.06
they did deny me
and that was like,
00:32:43.09\00:32:45.93
"Well, you got a
felony conviction."
00:32:45.96\00:32:48.63
And I was like,
00:32:48.66\00:32:50.00
"Man, I have
been almost 20 years."
00:32:50.03\00:32:52.23
They say, "You got
to be out 20 years.
00:32:52.27\00:32:54.24
Say you one month from 20 years.
00:32:54.27\00:32:57.27
We still can't
give you the apartment."
00:32:57.31\00:32:58.97
Wow.
00:32:59.01\00:33:00.34
So through the lawn service,
00:33:00.38\00:33:02.84
I'm able to
provide them with jobs.
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.95
Also I have
contact with realtors.
00:33:04.98\00:33:08.52
So when they get ready
to move in their own place,
00:33:08.55\00:33:10.69
I go to the realtor,
that lawns I'm taking care of,
00:33:10.72\00:33:13.92
I'm gonna say, "Hey,
I got a guy coming out,
00:33:13.96\00:33:16.09
good guy,
00:33:16.12\00:33:17.46
can you rent him
one of your apartment.
00:33:17.49\00:33:20.96
And I'll be the one and the guy,
00:33:21.00\00:33:23.13
they stand in and they say,
00:33:23.16\00:33:24.83
"Yeah, okay
Jeffrey, that is good."
00:33:24.87\00:33:26.67
But I let the customer
know from the lawn service.
00:33:26.70\00:33:30.01
The ministry that I'm doing
00:33:30.04\00:33:33.68
and one guy just met
00:33:33.71\00:33:37.41
and he was like,
"What's you doing?
00:33:37.45\00:33:39.55
I am like, I'm cutting grass
and I shared the testimony.
00:33:39.58\00:33:42.32
I say him, I'm having guy
get out of jail in prison.
00:33:42.35\00:33:44.59
He sat me down and he say,
00:33:44.62\00:33:47.56
"Man, you're doing a good thing,
00:33:47.59\00:33:48.92
man, is needed."
00:33:48.96\00:33:50.33
He say, "Get in," I got
in. He took me to his house.
00:33:50.36\00:33:55.90
It take four of us two
hours the cut his lawn.
00:33:55.93\00:33:59.27
Oh, my soul.
00:33:59.30\00:34:00.64
So he said, he said, "I've
got some big stuff coming up."
00:34:00.67\00:34:04.84
I say, yeah.
00:34:04.87\00:34:06.21
He say, yeah, I
got some big stuff.
00:34:06.24\00:34:07.81
He said, I like
what you're doing,
00:34:07.84\00:34:09.34
the ministry you're doing.
00:34:09.38\00:34:11.01
And he took me
to the subdivision
00:34:11.05\00:34:14.82
where he is gonna built
and develop a 100 homes.
00:34:14.85\00:34:18.05
He said, "I want you
to do it right away."
00:34:18.09\00:34:20.29
And with this subdivision,
00:34:20.32\00:34:23.12
he said as we do to your houses.
00:34:23.16\00:34:25.99
We will recommend
you to the owners.
00:34:26.03\00:34:30.47
And it was like,
I had like two guys.
00:34:30.50\00:34:33.10
He said, man you
need to get four guys.
00:34:33.13\00:34:35.17
He said, man, you,
00:34:35.20\00:34:36.54
are you going to be
able to handle this stuff.
00:34:36.57\00:34:38.31
I won't lie.
00:34:38.34\00:34:39.67
Yeah, he said you need
more guys and past I went
00:34:39.71\00:34:43.95
and I got some
more guys and he took me
00:34:43.98\00:34:47.62
and we just started it
this month the contract.
00:34:47.65\00:34:52.09
So we're doing, he say, hey man,
00:34:52.12\00:34:53.56
there's a lot of
more stuff coming up.
00:34:53.59\00:34:55.62
I think you gonna
need another truck
00:34:55.66\00:34:57.16
and more equipment.
00:34:57.19\00:34:58.53
I was like yeah. He
said, yeah, he said, get in.
00:34:58.56\00:35:01.33
He went and took
me to 30 more acres.
00:35:01.36\00:35:04.27
He say, I'm gonna be developing.
00:35:04.30\00:35:05.83
He says it's plenty of work,
00:35:05.87\00:35:07.27
is you going to
be able to handle it.
00:35:07.30\00:35:09.14
And I said, Lord, you
know, I need a blessing
00:35:09.17\00:35:12.14
with more lawn
equipment and stuff.
00:35:12.17\00:35:14.44
And also where I
can bring guys in
00:35:14.48\00:35:17.01
and they can
have a job right away.
00:35:17.05\00:35:19.55
One of the things
that touch me so much.
00:35:19.58\00:35:25.59
I had two guys in the house.
00:35:25.62\00:35:28.22
They were going,
looking for a job
00:35:28.26\00:35:30.09
for a couple months.
00:35:30.13\00:35:32.36
And they were doing all
that they can and they were,
00:35:32.39\00:35:36.33
they couldn't get a job.
00:35:36.36\00:35:37.87
You can see it in their face
00:35:37.90\00:35:39.83
that they were about to give up.
00:35:39.87\00:35:43.37
And I will pray
with them every morning,
00:35:43.41\00:35:45.67
when I make sure
when they come back,
00:35:45.71\00:35:47.44
I will be like,
"Hey God, got a time."
00:35:47.48\00:35:49.64
And the guy were like, "Man,
00:35:49.68\00:35:51.15
I'm not looking
for no lot of money.
00:35:51.18\00:35:52.68
I just want a few
dollars in my pocket."
00:35:52.71\00:35:55.15
I went in my pocket and
gave each one of them $30.
00:35:55.18\00:35:58.65
And that $30 hold them over
00:35:58.69\00:36:01.49
after that both of them
were blessed with a job.
00:36:01.52\00:36:04.49
Now they have moved out
and they are doing well.
00:36:04.53\00:36:07.46
Nice, nice, nice.
00:36:07.50\00:36:09.43
Obviously, the Lord is
blessing your ministry.
00:36:09.46\00:36:11.20
I've got, you
know, so many things,
00:36:11.23\00:36:13.84
I see how God is using
those networking skills
00:36:13.87\00:36:17.77
that you used to
employ for the devil,
00:36:17.81\00:36:19.87
you're now using for the Lord.
00:36:19.91\00:36:22.01
And He's bringing
people into your path
00:36:22.04\00:36:24.78
to help facilitate
what you're trying to do.
00:36:24.81\00:36:26.85
Are we talking
about one transition house
00:36:26.88\00:36:29.28
that you run or several?
00:36:29.32\00:36:31.45
No, it's one,
it's one at a time.
00:36:31.49\00:36:34.02
Like I told you
before we came on,
00:36:34.06\00:36:35.79
I was rebellious.
00:36:35.82\00:36:37.16
I'm like, hey, I
won't just do that stuff,
00:36:37.19\00:36:39.29
stay in my corner, man,
I'm not going to go do it.
00:36:39.33\00:36:42.56
And right as I pray and I say,
00:36:42.60\00:36:46.63
"Lord, wherever
you send me I'll go."
00:36:46.67\00:36:50.37
Okay.
00:36:50.41\00:36:51.74
So I'll call Brian
to say, "Hey can you."
00:36:51.77\00:36:54.94
You know I was
trying, I can tell you now,
00:36:54.98\00:36:56.64
I was trying to get you
all to come in that prison
00:36:56.68\00:36:58.61
where inmates shot each other.
00:36:58.65\00:37:00.88
So I was like can
you all come down here,
00:37:00.92\00:37:03.35
and do some taping,
because when I go there,
00:37:03.39\00:37:05.82
it's from 150 to 200
guys come to the service.
00:37:05.85\00:37:09.69
So Brian would be like, no,
00:37:09.72\00:37:11.06
but, it's been a
while since you came.
00:37:11.09\00:37:12.93
We'll like you to come here,
00:37:12.96\00:37:14.36
and we start talking
about you know what I can do.
00:37:14.40\00:37:17.93
Now Brian, of course is
our, is our Brian Hamilton,
00:37:17.97\00:37:20.20
our CFO here at 3ABN.
00:37:20.24\00:37:21.84
And after that, I start
getting calls from Wyoming,
00:37:21.87\00:37:27.84
Michigan, Memphis,
Tennessee, Barbados,
00:37:27.88\00:37:34.78
they were like "Hey,
you need to come over here
00:37:34.82\00:37:37.12
and we need, you
need to come train us
00:37:37.22\00:37:40.16
how to do transition houses.
00:37:40.19\00:37:42.92
And I was like,
okay, I was like okay
00:37:42.96\00:37:46.09
and but they were like,
we don't have the funds.
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.20
Hey, you can't, the
church cannot take on this
00:37:48.23\00:37:51.00
because there's
too much liability.
00:37:51.03\00:37:53.23
If one of these
inmate do something,
00:37:53.27\00:37:54.94
they gonna try
to sue the church.
00:37:54.97\00:37:56.30
The church so is a
independent ministry.
00:37:56.34\00:37:58.54
I was like, Lord, you know,
if you bless me with the funds,
00:37:58.57\00:38:02.91
I will go help these other one,
00:38:02.94\00:38:05.18
train them how to
do a transition house.
00:38:05.21\00:38:08.18
And a transition
house coexists I believe
00:38:08.22\00:38:11.92
the Seventh-day
Adventists believe.
00:38:11.95\00:38:14.26
So one side, I say,
"Okay Lord, I would do that."
00:38:14.29\00:38:19.26
And just while I
was here yesterday,
00:38:19.29\00:38:23.10
and I was hearing the
Lord say, you need to expand.
00:38:23.13\00:38:27.14
I'm like, Lord,
why I need to expand.
00:38:27.17\00:38:29.30
He said, Go on ye.
00:38:29.34\00:38:31.77
He say, "The
prison, the federal prison
00:38:31.81\00:38:34.44
that you gonna be
going in next month,
00:38:34.48\00:38:37.28
that's a larger
federal prison in the nation.
00:38:37.31\00:38:41.05
It's a hour away from me.
00:38:41.08\00:38:43.15
Pastor Dave was
calling me so much
00:38:43.18\00:38:45.89
from the federal prison,
00:38:45.92\00:38:47.36
I was like man, I'm like
I didn't did a crime or so.
00:38:47.39\00:38:50.76
You know 'cause I was busy
and they wanted me to come in.
00:38:50.79\00:38:54.06
It's a larger federal
prison in the United States.
00:38:54.10\00:38:57.27
And he said, "Now look at,
00:38:57.30\00:38:59.73
I just got a call
from my Adventists
00:38:59.77\00:39:02.00
that work at the women prison.
00:39:02.04\00:39:03.71
She said, Jeff, man.
00:39:03.74\00:39:05.47
"We need a group as
Adventist women here,
00:39:05.51\00:39:07.64
we need a group."
00:39:07.68\00:39:09.18
The Lord say,
look that prison up.
00:39:09.21\00:39:11.61
When I looked
at women prison up,
00:39:11.65\00:39:13.38
it's 30 minutes from me
00:39:13.42\00:39:15.15
is the largest women
prison in the United State.
00:39:15.18\00:39:18.49
I was like, oh, my gosh.
00:39:18.52\00:39:20.82
So your little dream
have hit in a rocking chair
00:39:20.86\00:39:23.19
just kind of went up in smoke
00:39:23.22\00:39:24.99
because God got some
more stuff for you to do.
00:39:25.03\00:39:26.56
And I'm like,
okay, I'm like okay
00:39:26.59\00:39:29.56
and the Lord say,
you have to expand.
00:39:29.60\00:39:31.97
And by God's grace,
God have sent the people.
00:39:32.00\00:39:38.47
We have a guy that
came to the ministry,
00:39:38.51\00:39:41.11
the head deacon in the church.
00:39:41.14\00:39:44.01
And he working with pathfinders.
00:39:44.05\00:39:46.75
We got another guy
00:39:46.78\00:39:48.25
that he is a deacon in training.
00:39:48.28\00:39:51.32
He is the
custodian in off the church.
00:39:51.35\00:39:54.32
We have another guy that
came through the program,
00:39:54.36\00:39:57.19
he is married,
00:39:57.23\00:39:58.56
him and his
wife, the one tutoring.
00:39:58.59\00:40:00.40
So the Lord, I was like,
"Hey, you go, I need to expand.
00:40:00.43\00:40:03.83
They were like bad time.
00:40:03.87\00:40:05.40
I was like, "Hey man, you
know, I don't have no money.
00:40:05.43\00:40:10.57
He say, Jeff, you know
we got to get something.
00:40:10.61\00:40:13.41
He say, man, and
all three of them say,
00:40:13.44\00:40:15.34
man, we will be
willing to do two nights,
00:40:15.38\00:40:19.41
two nights a
week for minimum wage.
00:40:19.45\00:40:22.45
Wow. Minimum wage.
00:40:22.48\00:40:23.82
We say we notice a minute,
00:40:23.85\00:40:25.62
and these guys have been
out ten years, seven years,
00:40:25.65\00:40:30.23
five years, they
have been now modified.
00:40:30.26\00:40:34.10
One of the guys
been out ten years.
00:40:34.13\00:40:36.03
He's the one who's
running the lawn service.
00:40:36.06\00:40:37.73
Wow.
00:40:37.77\00:40:39.10
While I'm here is ex offenders
is running the lawn service
00:40:39.13\00:40:43.61
while I'm here.
00:40:43.64\00:40:44.97
Yeah, yeah.
00:40:45.01\00:40:46.34
Now, the Lord has
given you a call to expand.
00:40:46.37\00:40:50.05
But he also has
put the potential
00:40:50.08\00:40:52.58
for expansion in your path,
00:40:52.61\00:40:55.08
because you're
meeting people who are saying,
00:40:55.12\00:40:57.62
"I'm gonna develop this land.
00:40:57.65\00:40:59.32
We're going to
need lawn service.
00:40:59.35\00:41:00.76
I'm going to develop
this piece of property.
00:41:00.79\00:41:02.52
We're going to
need lawn service.
00:41:02.56\00:41:03.89
So the potential
for growth is there,
00:41:03.93\00:41:05.99
but also the
potential for jobs for people
00:41:06.03\00:41:08.16
when you, when you do grow.
00:41:08.20\00:41:09.53
Absolutely, and I
give them a chance
00:41:09.56\00:41:11.83
because I'll be right out there
with them, I love them all.
00:41:11.87\00:41:14.94
I'll be ministering to
them all through the day.
00:41:14.97\00:41:18.21
Keeping us
together because in the past
00:41:18.24\00:41:21.94
when they get these
other jobs, the worldly job,
00:41:21.98\00:41:25.75
they get with
the guys on the job,
00:41:25.78\00:41:28.15
they start drinking,
they start using drugs,
00:41:28.18\00:41:31.02
they're not the
wild, they were like,
00:41:31.05\00:41:32.42
hey, man, I'm gonna move.
00:41:32.45\00:41:34.56
You know, they
get with their group.
00:41:34.59\00:41:36.99
But working with the lawn
00:41:37.03\00:41:38.36
been this and stuff we together.
00:41:38.39\00:41:41.53
I'm checking with them,
I'm going to the job site.
00:41:41.56\00:41:44.43
We day--
00:41:44.47\00:41:45.80
the house, the lawn service,
the truck is right though.
00:41:45.83\00:41:49.47
So they just come
right out of the house,
00:41:49.50\00:41:51.54
get in the lawn
truck, go to work.
00:41:51.57\00:41:53.68
You don't have to worry
about no transportation.
00:41:53.71\00:41:57.41
So that's a blessing to do.
00:41:57.45\00:42:01.05
I don't know, Jeff,
00:42:01.08\00:42:02.42
if there could be a more
suited kind of employment.
00:42:02.45\00:42:05.95
You're outside in the
sunshine and fresh air.
00:42:05.99\00:42:07.42
Yes.
00:42:07.46\00:42:08.79
You're in Florida, so
it's good all the time.
00:42:08.82\00:42:10.43
Amen. Yes. Good
most of the time.
00:42:10.46\00:42:12.29
You know, and it's
a healthy environment
00:42:12.33\00:42:16.36
and it's controlled.
00:42:16.40\00:42:17.73
Now what I want to ask you is,
00:42:17.77\00:42:19.10
how do you weave your
Adventist Christianity
00:42:19.13\00:42:24.71
into this mix.
00:42:24.74\00:42:27.21
You know what,
what part does it play
00:42:27.24\00:42:29.01
into this whole, you
know, you've got a house,
00:42:29.04\00:42:31.58
you've got
people coming and going.
00:42:31.61\00:42:33.11
How do you filter
Adventism into that whole thing?
00:42:33.15\00:42:35.92
What I do--
00:42:35.95\00:42:38.82
anybody can
come, any denomination.
00:42:38.85\00:42:43.16
But what I do, when
I go into the prisons,
00:42:43.19\00:42:45.43
I go into the
prison as open population.
00:42:45.46\00:42:49.20
That mean
anyone can come. Right.
00:42:49.23\00:42:51.53
And once I started,
the Lord start using me,
00:42:51.57\00:42:54.70
I'm preaching with my testimony,
00:42:54.74\00:42:56.77
where I used to be
00:42:56.81\00:42:58.14
and the Lord help me
with a transition house.
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.74
A lot of guy be like,
"Hey, I want to come."
00:43:00.78\00:43:03.51
I say, "You sure
you want to come."
00:43:03.55\00:43:05.21
They were like yeah.
00:43:05.25\00:43:06.58
Before they come,
00:43:06.61\00:43:07.95
they have to sign
the rules and regulations
00:43:07.98\00:43:09.55
where it say, you
have to go to church,
00:43:09.58\00:43:11.29
worship on Sabbath,
00:43:11.32\00:43:12.65
you got to go to prayer meeting.
00:43:12.69\00:43:14.16
You got to go to NAAA.
00:43:14.19\00:43:16.09
If you don't have a
GED, you got to go downtown
00:43:16.12\00:43:20.03
to take classes to get your GED.
00:43:20.06\00:43:22.13
Okay. So
requirements there. Yes.
00:43:22.16\00:43:24.57
So that's what I do
and a lot of time I preach,
00:43:24.60\00:43:27.64
they were like,
"Hey, what denomination?"
00:43:27.67\00:43:29.14
I'm Seventh-day Adventist.
00:43:29.17\00:43:31.21
And that's what I do
and they come to there
00:43:31.24\00:43:36.68
and a lot of them say,
00:43:36.71\00:43:38.18
"Hey man, I am
ready but by God grace,
00:43:38.21\00:43:42.95
last year alone God allowed
me to baptize over 100 guys
00:43:42.98\00:43:48.32
into the Seventh-day Adventist.
00:43:48.36\00:43:49.72
Praise the Lord. Praise God.
00:43:49.76\00:43:52.26
And a lot of guys I--
00:43:52.29\00:43:54.60
right now I just
went to my office
00:43:54.63\00:43:56.77
because I got this much letters
00:43:56.80\00:44:00.74
that people want to
come to the transition house,
00:44:00.77\00:44:03.54
I care house number five. Yeah.
00:44:03.57\00:44:05.51
And I just looked at
the stack, I was like, Lord,
00:44:05.54\00:44:08.54
I mean like
Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee,
00:44:08.58\00:44:13.72
you know all over.
00:44:13.75\00:44:15.15
And I'm like, Lord,
you gonna have to do
00:44:15.18\00:44:18.55
so I know you
are going to do so.
00:44:18.59\00:44:20.09
Right. This is a exciting stuff.
00:44:20.12\00:44:21.46
Now, you can only
take five max at a time?
00:44:21.49\00:44:24.73
Yes. Wow, wow.
00:44:24.76\00:44:26.80
That five must
fill up fast. Real fast.
00:44:26.83\00:44:29.20
When I go back,
00:44:29.23\00:44:31.30
we're getting ready
to do a lot of remodeling
00:44:31.33\00:44:33.60
because November
1st will be 14 years.
00:44:33.64\00:44:38.04
So I'm doing a little remodeling
00:44:38.07\00:44:39.67
because I got a group
coming in around June,
00:44:39.71\00:44:43.61
a whole new group coming in.
00:44:43.65\00:44:45.91
So what do you do with
the groups that you have?
00:44:45.95\00:44:48.15
They already moved
out, they got their places,
00:44:48.18\00:44:50.62
I talked to a
couple other relatives,
00:44:50.65\00:44:52.62
they have lounge
for, they have places,
00:44:52.65\00:44:55.92
and I just don't
take guys from prison,
00:44:55.96\00:45:00.16
this was exception.
00:45:00.20\00:45:02.70
When I go to preach at
churches I try to find a prison.
00:45:02.73\00:45:06.40
I want to go in
and preach, share.
00:45:06.43\00:45:08.70
Right.
00:45:08.74\00:45:10.07
And one day I went
to this County Jail
00:45:10.11\00:45:11.74
and talking
ministry into this guy.
00:45:11.77\00:45:15.78
One day I was riding
and his mother called me,
00:45:15.81\00:45:19.68
she said, hey, Jeff.
00:45:19.71\00:45:21.25
She was crying, I
said, what's going on.
00:45:21.28\00:45:23.22
She said my son used
to go to church school all
00:45:23.25\00:45:26.35
and he left home at 15
and it's been 25 years.
00:45:26.39\00:45:31.46
Oh, my soul.
00:45:31.49\00:45:32.83
She says, he
called me and says Mom,
00:45:32.86\00:45:36.43
I need to go away Jeff,
00:45:36.46\00:45:38.67
I need to go away
somebody who can relate to me.
00:45:38.70\00:45:42.97
I think if I don't
make this move away Jeff,
00:45:43.00\00:45:45.54
I'm gonna get killed out here.
00:45:45.57\00:45:47.74
His mom said, I'm
glad there were no cop
00:45:47.78\00:45:49.68
'cause I made a U-turn
in the middle of the street.
00:45:49.71\00:45:56.12
And she brought him
and he made him laugh.
00:45:56.15\00:46:01.29
He said, hey, man, my
mamma kidnapped me man.
00:46:01.32\00:46:03.59
Just put me in the
car and brought me to you.
00:46:03.63\00:46:06.70
Right now the guy is doing good.
00:46:06.73\00:46:10.87
Praise the Lord.
00:46:10.90\00:46:12.23
He is doing great,
man, he always call me
00:46:12.27\00:46:14.70
and say hey, man, I
appreciate you, man.
00:46:14.74\00:46:17.67
He is doing so good.
00:46:17.71\00:46:19.04
Now, he's talking
about being married
00:46:19.07\00:46:21.01
and he is back in the
church after 25 years.
00:46:21.04\00:46:24.25
Twenty five years. Wow.
00:46:24.28\00:46:25.61
So this what the
ministry provided.
00:46:25.65\00:46:28.02
You know because
I've been out there,
00:46:28.05\00:46:30.99
I can relate.
00:46:31.02\00:46:32.35
I make sometime that
decision to do that there.
00:46:32.39\00:46:37.73
We've had and heard
about so much of success
00:46:37.76\00:46:41.16
has there any bit of time
when you had to ask somebody
00:46:41.20\00:46:43.20
who just didn't want to cut it.
00:46:43.23\00:46:45.70
You got to go. Yes, yes.
00:46:45.73\00:46:47.60
Lot of the time
I'll just, you know,
00:46:47.64\00:46:50.41
I talk and I just
don't throw them out,
00:46:50.44\00:46:52.34
I say, hey, I'm
gonna give you a week,
00:46:52.37\00:46:55.38
you know, to find
you somewhere to go
00:46:55.41\00:46:58.91
because this is not good.
00:46:58.95\00:47:01.75
This is not
getting this, you know.
00:47:01.78\00:47:06.65
In 14 years, I never had
nobody want to jump on me,
00:47:06.69\00:47:11.03
strike me or knock me.
00:47:11.06\00:47:12.89
Matter of fact one guy
came and he said hey, man.
00:47:12.93\00:47:16.30
He said, man, this is a good
program but I'm not ready for.
00:47:16.33\00:47:21.17
He said, I want
to leave but I can't.
00:47:21.20\00:47:23.41
I said what's your problem?
00:47:23.44\00:47:25.07
He said, man, I don't
have no money to catch the bus.
00:47:25.11\00:47:28.78
I said that's no
problem, and he said--
00:47:28.81\00:47:33.45
I said man about
you're being honest,
00:47:33.48\00:47:36.08
that you are not ready for this.
00:47:36.12\00:47:38.72
Or just, I'm gonna get my
guard to take you out of town,
00:47:38.75\00:47:41.69
I'll get my guard to take you up
00:47:41.72\00:47:43.29
to the Greyhound bus station
and they'll put you on the bus.
00:47:43.32\00:47:48.63
He was like, well,
I don't have no money,
00:47:48.66\00:47:50.47
he don't have no money.
00:47:50.50\00:47:51.83
I said, don't
worry it, God bless,
00:47:51.87\00:47:53.94
because right now I
have the contract of the lawn
00:47:53.97\00:47:58.64
with the Greyhound bus station.
00:47:58.67\00:48:00.68
So they were able
to put him on the bus
00:48:00.71\00:48:04.08
and I said just
take it out from my money
00:48:04.11\00:48:05.75
when you pay me.
00:48:05.78\00:48:07.12
Yeah, yeah, so God
really has given you the network
00:48:07.15\00:48:10.99
to be able to
facilitate your dream.
00:48:11.02\00:48:13.05
So you have a cook
there at the house,
00:48:13.09\00:48:14.62
are you cooking for them,
00:48:14.66\00:48:15.99
or the people
make their own meals,
00:48:16.02\00:48:17.36
how does that work?
00:48:17.39\00:48:18.73
No, they do their own
meals, and that's why I say,
00:48:18.76\00:48:22.03
I have to expand
so I can get, but--
00:48:22.06\00:48:27.57
Now they cook their own
meals, and it would be fun.
00:48:27.60\00:48:31.84
They take turns cooking,
00:48:31.87\00:48:33.31
one brother, hey,
man, I can cook, man.
00:48:33.34\00:48:36.01
As all the guys we
come in, he posed to cook.
00:48:36.04\00:48:40.45
He don't know how to cook.
00:48:40.48\00:48:42.15
These guys come
and they're hungry,
00:48:42.18\00:48:44.95
man they're hungry, man,
00:48:44.99\00:48:46.45
they're like,
man, what this, man.
00:48:46.49\00:48:48.42
Oh, man, and
we're just laughing,
00:48:48.46\00:48:50.46
everybody getting along.
00:48:50.49\00:48:51.83
And then you have some
guy, man, I can burn, man.
00:48:51.86\00:48:55.06
Man, and they come,
man, they cook, man,
00:48:55.10\00:48:58.13
and it's like I remember
one guy, mane, he cooked,
00:48:58.17\00:49:00.87
he said, man, I'm gonna
cook you some wild fish, man.
00:49:00.90\00:49:04.07
I'm gonna have a little
blah, blah, yeah, right.
00:49:04.11\00:49:07.14
Man, that was the
best fish I ever had.
00:49:07.18\00:49:09.81
Man, it was so
good but, it showed him
00:49:09.84\00:49:12.95
how to set into
a home environment
00:49:12.98\00:49:15.88
'cause we have
meetings every Monday,
00:49:15.92\00:49:17.72
they meet me with any concerns.
00:49:17.75\00:49:20.16
Okay, so this is ongoing therapy
00:49:20.19\00:49:21.86
and counseling and helping them.
00:49:21.89\00:49:23.22
Absolutely.
00:49:23.26\00:49:24.59
You know, so, man,
we have a good time.
00:49:24.63\00:49:28.56
Now, do you live yourself
00:49:28.60\00:49:29.93
at the house or
you live in some place?
00:49:29.96\00:49:31.30
I lived there for
about 10, 11 years.
00:49:31.33\00:49:37.74
But then I
moved, I had to move out
00:49:37.77\00:49:40.41
because it was like,
I was too close to them
00:49:40.44\00:49:43.48
once I got to discipline them.
00:49:43.51\00:49:45.58
It'd be like, it was
like family, you know, like.
00:49:45.61\00:49:49.52
So I had to move
out and that's why...
00:49:49.55\00:49:52.09
that's why now I
have to get a staff to,
00:49:55.36\00:49:59.19
you know, in the morning,
00:49:59.23\00:50:00.80
in the daytime I will
be there, I control with.
00:50:00.83\00:50:03.77
They got a head deacon
in one of our churches.
00:50:03.80\00:50:06.33
He take them
job on, pick 'em up,
00:50:06.37\00:50:09.40
but in the day I
do in the daytime,
00:50:09.44\00:50:13.54
in the morning, this
way he come on overnight
00:50:13.58\00:50:17.15
'cause see, that was,
the problem start coming in.
00:50:17.18\00:50:20.02
Right. You know,
overnight in the end.
00:50:20.05\00:50:22.38
They don't want no guy over them
00:50:22.42\00:50:23.92
in a program with them.
00:50:23.95\00:50:25.72
So we will come in with the guys
00:50:25.75\00:50:27.59
who have been through the
programs 7, 10 and 5 years.
00:50:27.62\00:50:31.36
That would be the
staff for overnight.
00:50:31.39\00:50:33.06
I see. I see.
00:50:33.09\00:50:34.43
So they would know if
they're coming in on drugs,
00:50:34.46\00:50:36.36
getting high or
whatever, they can track.
00:50:36.40\00:50:38.80
Know where to look for--
00:50:38.83\00:50:40.17
Yeah. Yeah, know
the tell-tale signs.
00:50:40.20\00:50:42.40
Do you vet your personal
when the person comes out
00:50:42.44\00:50:46.88
and wants to
come to your facility.
00:50:46.91\00:50:49.58
Do you have any
kind of process to say,
00:50:49.61\00:50:53.11
okay, we'll take this one,
00:50:53.15\00:50:54.62
we probably bet
not take this one
00:50:54.65\00:50:56.12
'cause he is not
ready or do you used to
00:50:56.15\00:50:57.49
kind of take them
through what you got.
00:50:57.52\00:50:58.85
No, no, what I do is go to--
00:50:58.89\00:51:02.86
What I do is go to the
prison ministry workers
00:51:02.89\00:51:05.49
in the prison.
00:51:05.53\00:51:06.93
So they'll call me and
say, hey Jeff, I got a guy,
00:51:06.96\00:51:10.37
I won't recommend
him if he want to--
00:51:10.40\00:51:14.37
He'd been coming to the study,
00:51:14.40\00:51:16.20
he had been
baptized for four years.
00:51:16.24\00:51:18.74
He had been coming to
the study, to the study,
00:51:18.77\00:51:21.88
I'm recommending this guy here.
00:51:21.91\00:51:24.48
So I would take them,
and a guy said in a letter,
00:51:24.51\00:51:29.58
what I do, I call a prison.
00:51:29.62\00:51:31.99
If he ain't going in there,
00:51:32.02\00:51:33.36
he is not going when he get out.
00:51:33.39\00:51:34.72
Precisely. Yeah.
00:51:34.76\00:51:36.09
So it be like this and that,
00:51:36.12\00:51:37.56
oh, I see when the
last time he got in trouble.
00:51:37.59\00:51:40.46
You know if he had
trouble making in prison,
00:51:40.50\00:51:42.26
he is going to come
and bring that trouble,
00:51:42.30\00:51:44.47
so, yes, I do the
screening process.
00:51:44.50\00:51:46.74
Okay, so the prison
system has already done
00:51:46.77\00:51:49.50
some of that screening for you.
00:51:49.54\00:51:51.37
And you can take a good
recommendation from inside.
00:51:51.41\00:51:54.24
Yes. Yeah.
00:51:54.28\00:51:55.61
This program is
unique, it is beneficial,
00:51:55.64\00:52:00.15
it is God blessed, it is
just a wonderful opportunity.
00:52:00.18\00:52:04.85
You may want to help him.
00:52:04.89\00:52:06.22
You may want to help
finance what he is trying to do,
00:52:06.25\00:52:08.69
because he is on the
cusp of great growth,
00:52:08.72\00:52:12.39
wonderful and unique program
00:52:12.43\00:52:14.33
or you may want to try
to do something like this.
00:52:14.36\00:52:16.56
You need little help
00:52:16.60\00:52:17.93
'cause Jeff, he can
surely give it to you.
00:52:17.97\00:52:19.57
Here is the contact information,
00:52:19.60\00:52:21.44
here is the address,
his contact information
00:52:21.47\00:52:24.31
and use this.
00:52:24.34\00:52:25.67
Call him, write him.
00:52:25.71\00:52:27.24
Send him some funds
00:52:27.28\00:52:28.61
because he is doing a
great work for the Lord.
00:52:28.64\00:52:30.11
Here's the contact information
that you're going to need.
00:52:30.15\00:52:34.42
If you would like to support
00:52:34.45\00:52:35.78
the Shelter from
the Storm Ministry,
00:52:35.82\00:52:38.19
you may write to them at
1500 South East 23rd Lane
00:52:38.22\00:52:42.96
in Gainesville, Florida 32641.
00:52:42.99\00:52:47.13
That Shelter from the
Storm, 1500 South East 23rd Lane
00:52:47.16\00:52:52.00
Gainesville, Florida 32641.
00:52:52.03\00:52:56.34
You may also call them
in area code (352) 339-4732.
00:52:56.37\00:53:02.61
That's (352) 339-4732
00:53:02.64\00:53:07.55
or email them at
lois.jones@yahoo.com.
00:53:07.58\00:53:12.62
That's lois.jones@yahoo.com.
00:53:12.65\00:53:16.32