I want to spend my life
00:00:01.46\00:00:07.40
Mending broken people
00:00:07.44\00:00:12.37
I want to spend my life
00:00:12.41\00:00:18.75
Removing pain
00:00:18.78\00:00:23.59
Lord, let my words
00:00:23.62\00:00:29.29
Heal a heart that hurts
00:00:29.32\00:00:34.43
I want to spend my life
00:00:34.46\00:00:40.17
Mending broken people
00:00:40.20\00:00:45.21
I want to spend my life
00:00:45.24\00:00:51.15
Mending broken people.
00:00:51.18\00:00:54.78
Hello, and welcome to
another 3ABN Today program.
00:01:07.23\00:01:10.67
My name is Greg
Morikone and my dear wife, Jill,
00:01:10.70\00:01:14.14
and it's always a blessing
00:01:14.17\00:01:15.50
to be able to
share some time with you
00:01:15.54\00:01:17.54
in your living room as we're
in the 3ABN living room here.
00:01:17.57\00:01:22.04
Thank you so
much for your prayers,
00:01:22.08\00:01:24.15
your financial support
for the ministry of 3ABN.
00:01:24.18\00:01:27.25
It's because of
Jesus Christ and you,
00:01:27.28\00:01:30.32
your prayers and
support financially,
00:01:30.35\00:01:32.32
especially that
means so very much to us
00:01:32.35\00:01:34.32
and are making a
difference around the world.
00:01:34.36\00:01:36.99
That's neat, isn't it?
00:01:37.03\00:01:38.36
We can be asleep at night
00:01:38.39\00:01:41.13
and the gospel message over 3ABN
00:01:41.16\00:01:43.30
is going around the
world 24 hours a day
00:01:43.33\00:01:47.37
and lives are being
touched for eternity
00:01:47.40\00:01:49.67
because we get letters here,
00:01:49.70\00:01:51.04
and when we go out
00:01:51.07\00:01:52.47
to meet you at camp
meetings or church events,
00:01:52.51\00:01:55.38
we hear wonderful
stories of how God is...
00:01:55.41\00:01:59.28
Boy, just impressing on people
to give their lives to Him
00:01:59.31\00:02:03.35
and it's a blessing.
00:02:03.39\00:02:04.72
But we have a wonderful
testimony should we say,
00:02:04.75\00:02:07.12
mission stories,
00:02:07.16\00:02:08.49
this is gonna be an
exciting interview today.
00:02:08.52\00:02:10.13
It is.
00:02:10.16\00:02:11.49
And we are so
privileged and honored
00:02:11.53\00:02:13.26
to have Dr. Samuel DeShay
and his wife, Bernice, with us.
00:02:13.29\00:02:17.43
Dr. DeShay is a medical doctor,
00:02:17.47\00:02:20.14
you're an
accomplished concert pianist.
00:02:20.17\00:02:23.04
You and your wife
served in Africa for years
00:02:23.07\00:02:25.67
as a missionary and they
have an exciting testimony.
00:02:25.71\00:02:29.28
God brought them
out miraculously.
00:02:29.31\00:02:31.95
They served in
Nigeria and then Biafra
00:02:31.98\00:02:34.65
and then they
have an exciting story
00:02:34.68\00:02:36.12
how they escaped,
00:02:36.15\00:02:37.49
how God used
them in ministry there
00:02:37.52\00:02:40.16
and you served as
health and temperance direction
00:02:40.19\00:02:42.99
for the general conference
00:02:43.02\00:02:44.36
so we are privileged and honored
00:02:44.39\00:02:46.19
to have both of
you here with us today.
00:02:46.23\00:02:48.03
Thank you. Thank you very much.
00:02:48.06\00:02:50.60
Yeah, and this is
not the first time
00:02:50.63\00:02:53.10
for you to come to 3ABN.
00:02:53.13\00:02:54.74
No, it's not. You
are dear friends with...
00:02:54.77\00:02:58.21
May Chang.
00:02:58.24\00:02:59.57
With, yeah, who had
passed away not long ago
00:02:59.61\00:03:01.34
but she of course was,
00:03:01.38\00:03:03.41
well, Danny
Shelton called her mom.
00:03:03.45\00:03:05.55
Yes.
00:03:05.58\00:03:06.92
She was a tremendous
support of the ministry of 3ABN
00:03:06.95\00:03:09.02
from the very beginning
00:03:09.05\00:03:10.39
and you all knew
her very closely.
00:03:10.42\00:03:13.12
Yes.
00:03:13.15\00:03:14.49
And, of course, her
support of the ministry
00:03:14.52\00:03:15.96
has meant so very much to 3ABN.
00:03:15.99\00:03:18.69
So there is a
neat commonality there.
00:03:18.73\00:03:20.63
Yes. Amen.
00:03:20.66\00:03:22.00
Yeah, for sure.
00:03:22.03\00:03:23.37
Well, you know,
00:03:23.40\00:03:24.73
Danny was brought
to our home by May
00:03:24.77\00:03:28.40
and he visited our
place in those days
00:03:28.44\00:03:32.61
and May used to stay with us
00:03:32.64\00:03:34.84
and go around the
world with us, you know.
00:03:34.88\00:03:37.28
Whenever she came to Maryland.
00:03:37.31\00:03:39.11
And we used to go with her
and she would give donations
00:03:39.15\00:03:42.45
at all these
different places, you know.
00:03:42.48\00:03:44.89
So they always
wanted us to come.
00:03:44.92\00:03:46.69
Amen.
00:03:46.72\00:03:48.12
You know, she's a
special lady because she has...
00:03:48.16\00:03:51.83
You know, had a heart
for God and for mission work.
00:03:51.86\00:03:53.96
That's right. Oh, yes.
00:03:54.00\00:03:55.33
And we know both of you do
too because we've read, well,
00:03:55.36\00:03:58.67
there's a wonderful
book that they have too
00:03:58.70\00:04:00.47
and we've read this
outline and part of the book too
00:04:00.50\00:04:02.47
and gone through
that and, boy, tell you,
00:04:02.50\00:04:04.07
they have a heart
for God, don't they?
00:04:04.11\00:04:05.44
Amen. Amen.
00:04:05.47\00:04:06.81
We're so blessed
to have you both here
00:04:06.84\00:04:08.18
and before we
unpackage your story,
00:04:08.21\00:04:09.54
we want to go to music
00:04:09.58\00:04:10.91
but before the
music, there's a scripture.
00:04:10.95\00:04:13.01
I asked Dr and Mrs.
DeShay if there was a scripture
00:04:13.05\00:04:15.52
that they especially enjoyed
00:04:15.55\00:04:17.59
or that meant something to them
in your life work in ministry.
00:04:17.62\00:04:21.22
And that's Proverbs 3:1-3.
00:04:21.26\00:04:25.76
The Bible says, "My
son, do not forget my law,
00:04:25.79\00:04:29.23
But let your
heart keep my commands,
00:04:29.26\00:04:32.43
For length of days
and long life and peace
00:04:32.47\00:04:35.10
they will add to you.
00:04:35.14\00:04:37.01
Let not mercy and
truth forsake you,
00:04:37.04\00:04:40.28
Bind them around your neck,
00:04:40.31\00:04:42.04
Write them on the
tablet of your heart,
00:04:42.08\00:04:44.65
And so find
favor and high esteem
00:04:44.68\00:04:46.92
in the sight of God and man."
00:04:46.95\00:04:49.65
Praise the Lord. Amen.
00:04:49.68\00:04:51.25
That's a wonderful
life of verse that you have.
00:04:51.29\00:04:54.19
Before we go to their testimony,
00:04:54.22\00:04:56.12
we want to go to
Pastor Wintley Phipps.
00:04:56.16\00:04:58.79
He's a wonderful
friend of this ministry,
00:04:58.83\00:05:01.33
a minister and a
minister in music.
00:05:01.36\00:05:03.50
And he's gonna be ministering
to us right now a song,
00:05:03.53\00:05:06.60
Near the Cross.
00:05:06.63\00:05:08.67
Jesus, keep me
00:05:40.40\00:05:44.21
Near the cross
00:05:44.24\00:05:48.04
There a precious fountain
00:05:48.08\00:05:53.62
Free to all
00:05:55.98\00:05:59.79
A healing stream
00:05:59.82\00:06:04.46
Flows from Calv'ry's mountain
00:06:04.49\00:06:11.80
In the cross, in the cross
00:06:11.83\00:06:19.17
Be my glory ever
00:06:19.21\00:06:24.31
Till my raptured soul shall find
00:06:26.92\00:06:34.66
Near the cross
00:06:48.64\00:06:51.64
A trembling soul
00:06:51.67\00:06:56.04
Love and Mercy found me
00:06:56.08\00:07:03.35
There the
bright and morning star
00:07:03.39\00:07:10.89
Sheds its beams around me
00:07:10.93\00:07:17.17
Near the cross, in the cross
00:07:19.00\00:07:26.37
Be my glory ever
00:07:26.41\00:07:30.41
Till my raptured soul shall find
00:07:33.95\00:07:41.82
Rest beyond the river
00:07:41.86\00:07:47.73
Near the cross
00:08:18.56\00:08:22.20
O Lamb of God
00:08:22.23\00:08:26.53
Bring its scenes before me
00:08:26.57\00:08:32.44
Help me walk
00:08:34.31\00:08:37.28
From day to day
00:08:37.31\00:08:41.78
With its shadows o'er me
00:08:41.82\00:08:48.52
In the cross
00:08:50.13\00:08:54.06
In the cross
00:08:54.10\00:08:57.83
Be my glory ever
00:08:57.87\00:09:02.90
Till my raptured soul
00:09:05.51\00:09:11.11
Shall find
00:09:11.15\00:09:13.62
Rest beyond the river.
00:09:13.65\00:09:19.22
Amen. Amen.
00:09:41.38\00:09:42.71
Thank you so much,
Elder Wintley Phipps,
00:09:42.74\00:09:44.21
that was a beautiful
song, Near the Cross.
00:09:44.25\00:09:47.25
If you're just joining
us, we have Dr. Samuel DeShay
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.89
and his wife, Bernice with us.
00:09:50.92\00:09:52.52
And it is a privilege and a
joy to have you here at 3ABN
00:09:52.55\00:09:56.52
and you know, you both
know Pastor Wintley Phipps.
00:09:56.56\00:10:00.03
Yes. Very well. Yes.
00:10:00.06\00:10:01.50
We know most people.
00:10:01.53\00:10:03.93
You know, I was gonna say that
'cause as we're sitting here,
00:10:03.97\00:10:06.23
you know, watching
this wonderful song
00:10:06.27\00:10:09.10
by Pastor Phipps, we just said,
"So you know Pastor Phipps?"
00:10:09.14\00:10:11.87
And they laughed
and said, "Oh, yes."
00:10:11.91\00:10:13.91
And, you Dr. DeShay said,
00:10:13.94\00:10:15.94
"I've actually accompanied him."
00:10:15.98\00:10:17.35
That's right. Yes.
00:10:17.38\00:10:18.71
And he was actually a pastor.
00:10:18.75\00:10:20.12
Yes, he was a pastor
00:10:20.15\00:10:21.48
at the Emmanuel
Brinklow Church, in there.
00:10:21.52\00:10:23.49
You said started out with...
00:10:23.52\00:10:25.29
Seventy-six members
was in the congregation
00:10:25.32\00:10:27.42
when he became the
pastor but by the time he left,
00:10:27.46\00:10:30.09
we were more than 300.
00:10:30.13\00:10:32.43
Praise the Lord
for his ministry.
00:10:32.46\00:10:33.93
Now there are
more than a thousand.
00:10:33.96\00:10:35.63
Yes. Wow.
00:10:35.66\00:10:37.03
It's really grown
your church there.
00:10:37.07\00:10:38.63
Oh, yes. Yes.
00:10:38.67\00:10:40.00
Amen. It has grown.
00:10:40.04\00:10:41.37
But I started off
as a young pianist.
00:10:41.40\00:10:45.84
You know, they made me
the pianist when I was 13.
00:10:45.87\00:10:49.04
Wow. Wow.
00:10:49.08\00:10:51.18
For the church? For the church.
00:10:51.21\00:10:52.75
Yeah. Well, let's go back.
00:10:52.78\00:10:54.15
Tell us a little bit
about your growing up years
00:10:54.18\00:10:57.52
and then how you met.
00:10:57.55\00:10:58.89
Let's start there, Dr. DeShay
and then we really want to see
00:10:58.92\00:11:01.16
how God has led in
your life, you as a couple,
00:11:01.19\00:11:04.26
missionaries and
wonderful stories
00:11:04.29\00:11:05.83
that you have
00:11:05.86\00:11:07.20
and time will get away
from us in a hurry, I know,
00:11:07.23\00:11:08.56
'cause there's
some wonderful stories.
00:11:08.60\00:11:10.10
Can we go back
even before your birth?
00:11:10.13\00:11:11.87
Can we back to your mom and
dad because you have a book,
00:11:11.90\00:11:14.94
'Out of Biafra by Canoe'
00:11:14.97\00:11:17.14
and you talk in
the first chapter about
00:11:17.17\00:11:19.47
how your mom and dad met?
00:11:19.51\00:11:21.01
So tell us about
that, the miracle of that?
00:11:21.04\00:11:22.81
Well, I should
that my mom and dad
00:11:22.84\00:11:25.45
were very active in the church
00:11:25.48\00:11:29.78
but my mom's
grandfather was born in 1824.
00:11:29.82\00:11:35.52
Oh, wow.
00:11:35.56\00:11:36.89
And he became the
first Seventh-day Adventist
00:11:36.93\00:11:40.10
in the family
and then after that,
00:11:40.13\00:11:44.20
he died at 114
00:11:44.23\00:11:47.04
which was probably
longer than most of the people
00:11:47.07\00:11:51.17
in those days, you know.
00:11:51.21\00:11:52.61
Oh, yeah. Even now, yes.
00:11:52.64\00:11:54.51
By double. A 114.
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.45
Incredible.
00:11:57.48\00:11:59.25
And my mom's mother will
be a 100 years old next month.
00:11:59.28\00:12:04.32
Not your mom's
mother, your wife's mother.
00:12:04.35\00:12:06.35
I'm sorry.
00:12:06.39\00:12:08.92
So you have some longevity there
00:12:08.96\00:12:11.36
in both sides of the family?
00:12:11.39\00:12:12.86
Yes, it's a blessing,
you know. God blessed us.
00:12:12.89\00:12:15.80
But Mom and Dad
DeShay met in the church.
00:12:15.83\00:12:18.47
Dad DeShay had
come from Kentucky
00:12:18.50\00:12:21.24
and he had never
been around people
00:12:21.27\00:12:23.84
who did not smoke.
00:12:23.87\00:12:25.34
Okay.
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.71
And one day, the friends
00:12:26.74\00:12:28.08
that he was
living with said to him,
00:12:28.11\00:12:29.44
"Come on, you ought
to go to church with me.
00:12:29.48\00:12:30.81
I will show you a church
where people never smoke."
00:12:30.85\00:12:32.81
And he said, "No
such church exist."
00:12:32.85\00:12:36.22
So when he came to the church,
of course, Mom was the usher.
00:12:36.25\00:12:39.15
Okay.
00:12:39.19\00:12:40.52
And of course, she greeted him
00:12:40.56\00:12:41.89
and she was quite an
attractive young lady.
00:12:41.92\00:12:44.66
And he thought, "My, you know,
I'll come back here again?"
00:12:44.69\00:12:47.83
And he did but eventually,
00:12:47.86\00:12:50.53
he wanted to have
a friendship with her
00:12:50.57\00:12:54.24
and as my husband
mentioned in the book,
00:12:54.27\00:12:57.17
she was not so willing
00:12:57.21\00:12:59.37
and the church members
of course, were quite upset.
00:12:59.41\00:13:02.61
'Cause he was not an Adventist?
He was not an Adventist.
00:13:02.64\00:13:04.51
He's not an Adventist.
And he was still smoking.
00:13:04.55\00:13:06.38
And he had just
come from Kentucky.
00:13:06.41\00:13:08.45
Kentucky.
00:13:08.48\00:13:09.82
Which is where the
DeShays had originated.
00:13:09.85\00:13:11.85
Okay.
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.22
And my grandfather,
00:13:13.25\00:13:15.22
my great uncle had a large farm,
00:13:15.26\00:13:20.30
400 acres, you
know, upper Kentucky.
00:13:20.33\00:13:24.57
So when he got to the
church and met this young lady,
00:13:24.60\00:13:27.54
the people in the
church said to him,
00:13:27.57\00:13:30.14
"You had better be careful."
00:13:30.17\00:13:32.54
And eventually, they
decided they would go for a walk
00:13:32.57\00:13:35.68
and their
relationship reached a point
00:13:35.71\00:13:38.75
where he wanted to marry her.
00:13:38.78\00:13:40.38
Well, this was
not to be heard of.
00:13:40.42\00:13:42.78
Right. Nobody in
the city knew him.
00:13:42.82\00:13:45.45
So she decided to pray.
And she prayed and she prayed.
00:13:45.49\00:13:51.86
And she had the same answer
for three consecutive prayers.
00:13:51.89\00:13:56.56
And so she confronted
him. And what was the answer?
00:13:56.60\00:13:59.60
The answer was that he
had been married before.
00:13:59.63\00:14:03.00
And he had had a child
00:14:03.04\00:14:04.84
and the mother
had died in childbirth
00:14:04.87\00:14:07.48
and of course, he
had come to Ohio...
00:14:07.51\00:14:09.74
And the baby. And the baby.
00:14:09.78\00:14:11.11
And she had a dream about that.
She had a dream three times.
00:14:11.15\00:14:13.21
Wow.
00:14:13.25\00:14:14.58
And so when she confronted him,
00:14:14.62\00:14:16.48
he was blown and
he said to my husband,
00:14:16.52\00:14:21.92
"It just took my life away
00:14:21.96\00:14:23.93
to know that the Lord
had shared with her my life
00:14:23.96\00:14:27.66
because nobody in the
congregation knew that."
00:14:27.70\00:14:30.07
So it was the
truth. It was the truth.
00:14:30.10\00:14:32.17
He had been married and taken
both the mother and the child,
00:14:32.20\00:14:35.44
the baby had died in childbirth.
00:14:35.47\00:14:37.27
And he then knew he
better relate to this lady
00:14:37.31\00:14:40.41
and he better go to this church.
00:14:40.44\00:14:42.31
So he became an Adventist
00:14:42.34\00:14:44.78
and they were
subsequently married.
00:14:44.81\00:14:47.12
What a staunch
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:14:47.15\00:14:49.32
Yes, he was the first
Adventist from his church.
00:14:49.35\00:14:51.45
And there was a lady
by the name of Dobbins,
00:14:51.49\00:14:54.86
Bonnie Dobbins,
lived in Oberlin.
00:14:54.89\00:14:57.96
And she took him under her wing
00:14:57.99\00:15:00.43
and showed him all the things
about the church and all...
00:15:00.46\00:15:05.23
How to be a
leader... Like mentored him.
00:15:05.27\00:15:07.37
Mentored him, literally. Yes.
00:15:07.40\00:15:08.74
Praise the Lord.
00:15:08.77\00:15:10.11
And he became of course,
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.47
the staunch leader of the church
00:15:11.51\00:15:13.17
and they
subsequently had five children,
00:15:13.21\00:15:15.38
three boys and two girls.
00:15:15.41\00:15:16.95
Amen.
00:15:16.98\00:15:18.31
So where do you come
in the line, Dr. DeShay?
00:15:18.35\00:15:20.02
I'm the last... The baby
00:15:20.05\00:15:21.85
Of the children.
00:15:21.88\00:15:23.22
He's the last of the first four.
00:15:23.25\00:15:24.79
He has a younger
sister, Beverly Artise,
00:15:24.82\00:15:27.72
you've heard of Walter Artise...
00:15:27.76\00:15:29.09
Of course. Yes.
00:15:29.12\00:15:30.46
Well, Beverly is
his younger sister.
00:15:30.49\00:15:32.46
Okay. Incredible.
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.50
So what was life like
00:15:35.53\00:15:37.90
growing up in
the DeShay household?
00:15:37.93\00:15:40.34
Well, you know, the
interesting thing was,
00:15:40.37\00:15:43.84
in Columbus, it was not bad.
00:15:43.87\00:15:46.21
Columbus, Ohio.
00:15:46.24\00:15:47.58
'Cause Columbus was
a nice place, you know,
00:15:47.61\00:15:48.94
and there were lot
of significant people
00:15:48.98\00:15:51.35
around that area
including the Harding family.
00:15:51.38\00:15:55.52
Okay.
00:15:55.55\00:15:56.89
And we became
friends of Dr. Harding
00:15:56.92\00:15:59.52
and all of that clan, you see.
00:15:59.55\00:16:02.16
And Dr. Harding was just
a wonderful person to me,
00:16:02.19\00:16:07.83
all through.
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.17
When I started piano
00:16:10.20\00:16:11.73
with one of the
members of the church
00:16:11.77\00:16:13.80
who was a German
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:16:13.84\00:16:17.71
German-African and
he was a piano teacher
00:16:17.74\00:16:22.71
and he taught me to
play but he told me,
00:16:22.74\00:16:25.85
said, "Now, son," he said,
00:16:25.88\00:16:28.88
"I'm telling you,
you have to be careful
00:16:28.92\00:16:32.45
and you have to
do what I tell you."
00:16:32.49\00:16:35.16
And he was a,
you know, very good.
00:16:35.19\00:16:40.00
So he assigned me, he said,
00:16:40.03\00:16:42.20
"I'm giving you
three songs to learn."
00:16:42.23\00:16:44.53
Okay.
00:16:44.57\00:16:46.33
When I came back for
my next lesson, I had 20.
00:16:46.37\00:16:50.74
And he just couldn't
believe it, he thought...
00:16:50.77\00:16:53.01
He was amazed.
"Are you kidding me?"
00:16:53.04\00:16:54.71
He said, "You have 20 songs?"
I said, "Yeah, I have 20."
00:16:54.74\00:16:58.48
So I played all 20 for him
00:16:58.51\00:16:59.95
and he just couldn't believe it.
00:16:59.98\00:17:01.35
How old were you then
when you started in...?
00:17:01.38\00:17:03.59
Thirteen, I was 12.
00:17:03.62\00:17:05.95
He started at 12 but
he was 13 at this time.
00:17:05.99\00:17:08.36
Wow.
00:17:08.39\00:17:09.72
Because, didn't you say, at
13, you were the church pianist?
00:17:09.76\00:17:11.59
Yes. One year later.
00:17:11.63\00:17:13.43
That's where
I'm just getting at.
00:17:13.46\00:17:14.80
So I took music
lessons it seems for years
00:17:14.83\00:17:16.93
and I didn't do so well.
00:17:16.97\00:17:19.73
So, one year, you
started piano lessons,
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.77
I guess you had an interest.
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.14
You didn't start at
four or five years old.
00:17:24.17\00:17:25.77
You started at 12 and at
13, you're church pianist.
00:17:25.81\00:17:28.54
Yes.
00:17:28.58\00:17:29.91
You must have been,
00:17:29.94\00:17:31.28
God's obviously
given you a gift in music.
00:17:31.31\00:17:32.65
Yes, He did. He did.
00:17:32.68\00:17:34.02
Well, the interesting
thing was that his siblings,
00:17:34.05\00:17:36.45
his sister had
taken piano lessons,
00:17:36.48\00:17:38.09
the other sister...
00:17:38.12\00:17:39.45
But my sister was outstanding.
00:17:39.49\00:17:40.82
Before you? Yes.
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.19
Okay?
00:17:42.22\00:17:43.56
But his father had said to him,
00:17:43.59\00:17:44.93
"None of them are doing anything
00:17:44.96\00:17:46.29
with the music
that I've paid for."
00:17:46.33\00:17:47.66
Like me, what happened to me?
00:17:47.70\00:17:49.03
So he said, "If you want music,
00:17:49.06\00:17:50.40
you're gonna have to
pay for it yourself."
00:17:50.43\00:17:51.77
So then he had to get a
job to pay for his music.
00:17:51.80\00:17:53.84
At 12. So you did?
00:17:53.87\00:17:55.20
I got a job at
12. You got a job...
00:17:55.24\00:17:56.57
He was gonna show him
that, I have it, so he did.
00:17:56.60\00:17:59.27
That's the motivation.
00:17:59.31\00:18:00.64
And I never missed
paying for my lessons.
00:18:00.68\00:18:03.08
Wow.
00:18:03.11\00:18:04.91
And I took for years
00:18:04.95\00:18:07.02
but I never
missed paying on time.
00:18:07.05\00:18:08.92
Yes, for years. I paid on time.
00:18:08.95\00:18:10.95
And you practiced hard?
00:18:10.99\00:18:12.45
Oh, yes. Always.
00:18:12.49\00:18:14.92
Now you've
progressed to the point,
00:18:14.96\00:18:16.46
you went to some
competitions, right?
00:18:16.49\00:18:18.76
Oh, yeah, I went to
many, many competitions,
00:18:18.79\00:18:21.46
'cause, you know, in those days
00:18:21.50\00:18:22.83
that was a big deal.
00:18:22.86\00:18:24.20
Right.
00:18:24.23\00:18:25.57
So they wanted you to compete
00:18:25.60\00:18:27.07
and I got in all
these competitions
00:18:27.10\00:18:31.17
and they would
have you come and play
00:18:31.21\00:18:33.11
with all these different people
00:18:33.14\00:18:34.88
and then they would vote
to see who had done the best.
00:18:34.91\00:18:39.51
And did you have
any competitions?
00:18:39.55\00:18:40.92
Were there any competitions
scheduled for Friday night?
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.69
Yes. It started off on Friday.
00:18:43.72\00:18:45.95
So, what happened to them?
00:18:45.99\00:18:47.32
So, you as a
Seventh-day Adventist...
00:18:47.36\00:18:48.82
Yes.
00:18:48.86\00:18:50.19
You know, you might have
some issues with that, right?
00:18:50.23\00:18:52.53
For playing in a
competition on a Friday night,
00:18:52.56\00:18:55.53
on the Sabbath, God's holy day.
00:18:55.56\00:18:57.47
And mom had told me,
00:18:57.50\00:18:59.83
"Son, you're not gonna
do this on Friday night."
00:18:59.87\00:19:04.54
I said, "That's right."
00:19:04.57\00:19:06.37
So she said, "Don't worry."
00:19:06.41\00:19:07.74
She said, "The Lord will
do something better for you."
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.78
Wow. Oh.
00:19:09.81\00:19:11.15
And so I didn't.
She had a strong faith.
00:19:11.18\00:19:13.95
And so, you know,
she just kept pushing me,
00:19:13.98\00:19:17.25
"Son, go ahead."
00:19:17.29\00:19:18.62
She said, "You can do it."
00:19:18.65\00:19:19.99
And my father
always had the attitude,
00:19:20.02\00:19:22.62
"Son, you can do anything."
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.43
He said, "Don't even
worry." He said, "Just keep on."
00:19:24.46\00:19:28.46
And the school that I went to,
00:19:28.50\00:19:31.37
I looked up one day
in the public school
00:19:31.40\00:19:35.00
and my mom was
sitting in, normally I said,
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.17
"What are you doing here?"
00:19:37.21\00:19:39.94
And she said, "Just hold on."
00:19:39.97\00:19:42.91
And they called me up
00:19:42.94\00:19:45.31
and they gave me all
of these honors, you know,
00:19:45.35\00:19:49.02
and I had done well in chemistry
00:19:49.05\00:19:50.89
and all these things,
you know, and so they said,
00:19:50.92\00:19:54.62
"Now we're gonna give you
00:19:54.66\00:19:55.99
the honor of the
highest award in school."
00:19:56.02\00:20:00.80
So they gave me this.
00:20:00.83\00:20:02.56
So not only in music, academics,
00:20:02.60\00:20:04.90
the Lord has
given you a great gift.
00:20:04.93\00:20:06.27
Yes. Scholastically.
00:20:06.30\00:20:07.64
Yes, yes. Yes, scholastically.
00:20:07.67\00:20:09.17
Now, you also had a
desire from a young age,
00:20:09.20\00:20:11.61
not only were
you gifted musically
00:20:11.64\00:20:13.14
but you were
interested in medical things.
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.64
Yes.
00:20:15.68\00:20:17.01
So at what age did you
think, "I want to be a doctor."
00:20:17.05\00:20:20.75
Did that come to
you at a young age?
00:20:20.78\00:20:22.52
Yes.
00:20:22.55\00:20:23.99
I had decided by the
time I was in the ninth grade
00:20:24.02\00:20:28.52
that I should go into medicine.
00:20:28.56\00:20:30.96
Wow.
00:20:30.99\00:20:32.33
And so I was attempting
00:20:32.36\00:20:35.43
but the school didn't have Latin
00:20:35.46\00:20:38.63
and I said, "But I
have to have Latin."
00:20:38.67\00:20:40.90
Yeah.
00:20:40.94\00:20:42.27
They said, "We don't touch.
We don't touch Latin here."
00:20:42.30\00:20:44.67
I said, "Well, I have to have it
00:20:44.71\00:20:46.61
in order to go
to the next level."
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.74
Yes.
00:20:48.78\00:20:50.11
So they said, "Well,
what are we gonna do?"
00:20:50.15\00:20:52.05
So they said, "We'll look.
00:20:52.08\00:20:54.18
We'll do
something special for you."
00:20:54.22\00:20:56.08
I said, "Okay."
00:20:56.12\00:20:57.82
So they said,
"We're gonna send you over
00:20:57.85\00:20:59.45
to the next school
00:20:59.49\00:21:01.79
where it's a
little more advanced
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.89
and we will allow you to
have Latin in that school."
00:21:03.93\00:21:09.00
Now in those days,
00:21:09.03\00:21:10.37
they had
segregated school systems.
00:21:10.40\00:21:11.73
Yes, the
schools were segregated.
00:21:11.77\00:21:13.10
And in the black
schools, Latin was not taught.
00:21:13.13\00:21:14.90
So then he had to be carted
over to a non-black school
00:21:14.94\00:21:18.41
where Latin was a
regular part of the...
00:21:18.44\00:21:20.58
So how did that go?
00:21:20.61\00:21:21.94
The school was a
very good school though.
00:21:21.98\00:21:24.21
Okay.
00:21:24.25\00:21:25.58
But I, you know, I went
over to the Latin school
00:21:25.61\00:21:30.59
and I decided I was
gonna ahead and study the Latin
00:21:30.62\00:21:34.49
but I took it very seriously.
00:21:34.52\00:21:37.99
And so the Latin teacher
was a very interesting lady
00:21:38.03\00:21:42.16
and every exam, she
would reseat the students,
00:21:42.20\00:21:46.80
so the first student in
the first row was the top A.
00:21:46.84\00:21:50.91
Okay.
00:21:50.94\00:21:52.27
And then on down the line...
00:21:52.31\00:21:54.08
So the one in the back
row in the corner was the F?
00:21:54.11\00:21:57.61
F, that's right.
00:21:57.65\00:21:58.98
You don't want to
be in that seat, right?
00:21:59.01\00:22:00.78
You don't want
the back row seat.
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.85
You don't want
anybody to see you there.
00:22:02.88\00:22:04.75
All right.
00:22:04.79\00:22:06.12
So you were very
diligent you said.
00:22:06.15\00:22:07.49
Yes.
00:22:07.52\00:22:08.86
That could be
some peak motivation.
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.23
And I went on and I, you know,
I decided I would do my best
00:22:10.26\00:22:15.06
and I got in the A
row and eventually,
00:22:15.10\00:22:17.67
got to the first seat.
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.03
Wow.
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.40
And so I should,
00:22:20.44\00:22:21.87
now I think God has
blessed me with this.
00:22:21.90\00:22:24.57
And the teacher
was not very happy
00:22:24.61\00:22:26.07
with that however.
00:22:26.11\00:22:27.44
No, the teacher was not
happy. She got very upset.
00:22:27.48\00:22:30.35
Anyway, we went along.
00:22:30.38\00:22:32.15
That you would let a
student from another school
00:22:32.18\00:22:33.52
come over and...
00:22:33.55\00:22:34.88
Yes, she would
pound on the desk,
00:22:34.92\00:22:36.48
you know, "You
should think of it.
00:22:36.52\00:22:38.79
You would allow
this student to come here
00:22:38.82\00:22:40.62
from another school
and surpass all of you."
00:22:40.66\00:22:43.96
She said, "I'm so angry."
00:22:43.99\00:22:45.96
And she would pound on the desk,
00:22:45.99\00:22:47.60
you know, and all
of this, you know.
00:22:47.63\00:22:49.73
But I said, "Well, so it so be."
00:22:49.76\00:22:52.87
Well, that's difficult.
00:22:52.90\00:22:54.24
There is a lot of
racial tensions in those days.
00:22:54.27\00:22:55.60
Great deal. Yes, yes.
00:22:55.64\00:22:58.24
So how did you deal with that?
00:22:58.27\00:23:01.58
Well, I just continued to study
00:23:01.61\00:23:03.81
and I continued to progress.
00:23:03.85\00:23:06.01
That's a good way. No
point that you can do it.
00:23:06.05\00:23:07.85
And, you know, as time went on,
00:23:07.88\00:23:09.75
I decided to just, you know,
keep studying and continue.
00:23:09.78\00:23:14.36
Amen.
00:23:14.39\00:23:15.72
And then of course, I
was doing the music and,
00:23:15.76\00:23:17.36
you know, the music helps
you with all these other things.
00:23:17.39\00:23:21.10
Yes, it does.
00:23:21.13\00:23:22.46
Because when you do,
you know, studies and music,
00:23:22.50\00:23:26.13
it kind of
helps you up mentally.
00:23:26.17\00:23:30.67
I believe that.
00:23:30.71\00:23:32.04
I was just gonna say,
00:23:32.07\00:23:33.41
you didn't let
it discourage you.
00:23:33.44\00:23:34.78
You kept pressing
forward. You kept studying.
00:23:34.81\00:23:36.85
I'm gonna be the
best that I can be,
00:23:36.88\00:23:39.11
that God has given me
to be and I agree with you,
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.52
music helps scholastically,
intellectually, emotionally,
00:23:41.55\00:23:46.25
all of those things that helps.
00:23:46.29\00:23:47.62
So you've
reached a certain point,
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.02
you're getting close to
college and you're good at music
00:23:49.06\00:23:52.16
but yeah, you
want to do medicine.
00:23:52.19\00:23:53.60
So how did you decide,
I want to pursue medicine?
00:23:53.63\00:23:56.97
How did you decide...
00:23:57.00\00:23:58.33
Well, I went to Union College...
00:23:58.37\00:23:59.70
You want a career in
music or medicine? Okay.
00:23:59.73\00:24:01.40
I went to Union college
00:24:01.44\00:24:02.77
and Union College
had a professor there
00:24:02.80\00:24:05.61
by the name Guy C. Jorgensen.
00:24:05.64\00:24:09.24
Okay.
00:24:09.28\00:24:10.61
Well, Jorgensen was
a head of chemistry.
00:24:10.65\00:24:14.05
And Jorgensen,
00:24:14.08\00:24:16.48
he would have a test every year
00:24:16.52\00:24:19.09
and the student who did the best
00:24:19.12\00:24:20.76
would be his reader.
00:24:20.79\00:24:23.76
So I became his reader
00:24:23.79\00:24:26.09
and then I
progressed to each year
00:24:26.13\00:24:30.30
and progressed all right.
00:24:30.33\00:24:32.43
And so he took me in
his, kind of, charge.
00:24:32.47\00:24:37.41
So he helped me greatly
00:24:37.44\00:24:39.31
and he did little
funny things, you know.
00:24:39.34\00:24:41.18
He would say,
00:24:41.21\00:24:43.21
"Sam," he said, "look,
00:24:43.24\00:24:46.61
I want you to help me out here."
00:24:46.65\00:24:48.18
I said, "Okay,
what do you need?"
00:24:48.22\00:24:50.45
He said, "Well," he said,
00:24:50.49\00:24:53.96
"I need a reader
for my department.
00:24:53.99\00:24:57.23
And he will grade
the student scores
00:24:57.26\00:24:59.79
and be my assistant."
00:24:59.83\00:25:02.73
He said, "I
want you to do that."
00:25:02.76\00:25:04.10
I said, "Me?"
00:25:04.13\00:25:06.20
Well, they hadn't had any
black students as anything.
00:25:06.23\00:25:10.07
Sure. Wow. Yeah.
00:25:10.11\00:25:11.44
So then they asked me to do that
00:25:11.47\00:25:13.34
and when the people
would come from Union college,
00:25:13.38\00:25:16.28
they were coming
from South and Arkansas
00:25:16.31\00:25:19.75
and all these
different places, you know,
00:25:19.78\00:25:21.35
and I thought, "Well."
00:25:21.38\00:25:23.42
But they would ask me,
"How did you get to be this?"
00:25:23.45\00:25:26.45
I said, "What do you mean?"
00:25:26.49\00:25:27.92
You're the
assistant here. Well, amazing.
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.09
They said, "How did
you get to be this?"
00:25:30.13\00:25:31.69
I said, "Well, I don't know."
00:25:31.73\00:25:33.26
You know, it's
neat to see how God has,
00:25:33.29\00:25:35.10
you know, led in your life.
00:25:35.13\00:25:36.46
Yes.
00:25:36.50\00:25:37.83
You know, 'cause you
think about this, obviously,
00:25:37.87\00:25:39.20
you didn't just sit
back and do nothing.
00:25:39.23\00:25:40.57
You worked very
hard. You're very diligent.
00:25:40.60\00:25:42.64
God gave you many
talents. That's right.
00:25:42.67\00:25:44.51
And but you worked hard at them,
00:25:44.54\00:25:46.37
and so now you
are here in college,
00:25:46.41\00:25:48.71
and then you started
having some, is it some dreams
00:25:48.74\00:25:51.31
or some impressions about death?
00:25:51.35\00:25:53.58
Yes. Isn't that correct?
00:25:53.62\00:25:54.95
Tell us a little bit
about that experience
00:25:54.98\00:25:56.35
and then what happened?
00:25:56.38\00:25:57.72
Well, in those later years,
00:25:57.75\00:25:59.52
I started having symptoms
00:25:59.55\00:26:01.92
that I might be concerned about,
00:26:01.96\00:26:05.46
but I just put them off as,
00:26:05.49\00:26:07.43
you know, sort of
background things.
00:26:07.46\00:26:10.53
Meet some health
challenges, issues maybe.
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.64
Yes.
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.00
And I think one of the
things that influenced it was,
00:26:15.04\00:26:16.37
he had a brother
who was a pastor,
00:26:16.40\00:26:18.57
who did have medical
issues that were quite severe...
00:26:18.61\00:26:22.14
Serious.
00:26:22.18\00:26:23.51
But of course, he
lived until he was 70,
00:26:23.55\00:26:24.88
so the Lord blessed him.
00:26:24.91\00:26:26.25
Amen.
00:26:26.28\00:26:28.98
But those were
the good old days.
00:26:29.02\00:26:31.79
So you wondered
about your own mortality
00:26:31.82\00:26:34.82
and then you found the Lord.
00:26:34.86\00:26:36.93
Oh, I thought I was
dying. I really did.
00:26:36.96\00:26:39.16
You thought you
were dying? Yeah, well.
00:26:39.19\00:26:40.86
What about the time
when you were in the worship
00:26:40.90\00:26:44.73
and you had a answer to prayer,
00:26:44.77\00:26:47.17
when the Lord told you
that you would not die?
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.97
Ooh! Wow! Tell us
about that experience?
00:26:50.01\00:26:52.74
Yes, I was, you know,
00:26:52.77\00:26:54.74
a lot of times I had impressions
00:26:54.78\00:26:57.71
that things
were kind of serious.
00:26:57.75\00:27:01.28
And I wondered about it
00:27:01.32\00:27:02.82
but I would pray
and ask the Lord,
00:27:02.85\00:27:04.55
and then Lord assured me that,
00:27:04.59\00:27:06.32
"No, everything
would be all right."
00:27:06.35\00:27:08.69
But I went home, after I...
00:27:08.72\00:27:13.16
I went to Loma Linda,
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.23
I came down with
this thing on my leg,
00:27:15.26\00:27:18.10
you know, it was a little lump.
00:27:18.13\00:27:19.77
Oh.
00:27:19.80\00:27:21.14
And it troubled me
and I worried about it
00:27:21.17\00:27:23.20
but I wasn't but
till about 19 or 18...
00:27:23.24\00:27:28.88
You were 20.
00:27:28.91\00:27:30.25
Twenty years old,
so just in college...
00:27:30.28\00:27:31.61
Twenty-three.
00:27:31.65\00:27:32.98
Just in college, you were in...
00:27:33.01\00:27:34.35
Now in medical
school in Loma Linda.
00:27:34.38\00:27:36.08
Okay, medical school.
00:27:36.12\00:27:38.35
And I decided to go
and see the physician.
00:27:38.39\00:27:44.03
That's a good thing
if you discover a lump.
00:27:44.06\00:27:45.56
Yes. I mean, you know.
00:27:45.59\00:27:47.03
But of course, they
were doing physical exams.
00:27:47.06\00:27:48.93
He was in his second
year of medical school.
00:27:48.96\00:27:51.00
Okay.
00:27:51.03\00:27:52.37
And they were doing physicals,
00:27:52.40\00:27:53.74
learning how to do physicals
and when he did himself,
00:27:53.77\00:27:56.87
he started
palpitating on his own legs
00:27:56.91\00:27:59.47
and he felt this lump.
00:27:59.51\00:28:01.28
Wow.
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.35
But I went to the physician
00:28:03.38\00:28:06.28
and the
physician was very casual,
00:28:06.31\00:28:11.19
and I didn't like
the way he handled things
00:28:11.22\00:28:13.62
because I felt,
00:28:13.66\00:28:14.99
"Well, he was
the school physician
00:28:15.02\00:28:16.62
but he didn't seem to..."
00:28:16.66\00:28:18.79
Be concerned. Much interest, no.
00:28:18.83\00:28:21.16
So I told him, I said,
"No, I'm not satisfied."
00:28:21.20\00:28:25.37
So he insisted that I
go and see the surgeon.
00:28:25.40\00:28:29.37
So he sent me over to see
the surgeon at Loma Linda.
00:28:29.40\00:28:32.41
Dr. Miller.
00:28:32.44\00:28:33.78
And Dr. Miller
who had been there
00:28:33.81\00:28:35.58
from time whatever, he said,
00:28:35.61\00:28:38.88
my mother was the
first nurse in charge
00:28:38.91\00:28:42.02
of the clinics at Loma Linda.
00:28:42.05\00:28:43.75
Wow.
00:28:43.79\00:28:45.12
He said, "I'm very
pleased to meet you."
00:28:45.15\00:28:46.49
He said, "But, listen."
00:28:46.52\00:28:47.86
He said, "This is
very, very serious."
00:28:47.89\00:28:49.49
Ooh.
00:28:49.52\00:28:50.86
He said, "This has to
come out immediately."
00:28:50.89\00:28:54.00
And I think
that was like one day
00:28:54.03\00:28:55.96
and within another two days,
00:28:56.00\00:28:57.60
he had me in the
hospital at Loma Linda,
00:28:57.63\00:29:00.87
and they operated me and
they took out this tumor.
00:29:00.90\00:29:04.57
They lifted the whole thing out,
00:29:04.61\00:29:06.17
from knee to hip.
00:29:06.21\00:29:07.91
Ooh. This is substantially...
00:29:07.94\00:29:10.45
Yeah, they took
out the whole muscle.
00:29:10.48\00:29:11.81
And it was quite a
dramatic thing and of course,
00:29:11.85\00:29:14.88
I went through
many changes mentally.
00:29:14.92\00:29:17.52
Of course.
00:29:17.55\00:29:19.25
But I went home and one of
my old Sabbath school teachers,
00:29:19.29\00:29:25.23
you know, he said, "Oh, DeShay."
00:29:25.26\00:29:28.43
He said, "Listen."
00:29:28.46\00:29:31.17
He said, "I had diabetes
00:29:31.20\00:29:34.84
and I prayed to the
Lord that He would heal me
00:29:34.87\00:29:39.24
but He didn't heal me,
00:29:39.27\00:29:40.61
so what makes you
think He's gonna heal you?"
00:29:40.64\00:29:43.04
Wow.
00:29:43.08\00:29:44.45
And I went back and
tell my mother, she said,
00:29:44.48\00:29:46.48
"Son, don't listen to him."
00:29:46.51\00:29:48.25
Yeah.
00:29:48.28\00:29:49.62
She said, "That man is not,
00:29:49.65\00:29:52.19
he's not having a Spirit a God."
00:29:52.22\00:29:54.22
She said, "No,
don't listen to him."
00:29:54.26\00:29:56.86
So anyway I thought
that was very interesting.
00:29:56.89\00:29:59.83
It was a rhabdomyosarcoma.
It was a rhabdomyosarcoma.
00:29:59.86\00:30:02.93
It was serious. Very serious.
00:30:02.96\00:30:04.30
And at that time, of course,
all the people that had had it,
00:30:04.33\00:30:07.34
because there
was no chemotherapy,
00:30:07.37\00:30:09.00
there was no
radiation, either surgery or...
00:30:09.04\00:30:12.04
And everyone
else was in a bottle
00:30:12.07\00:30:14.61
because they had not had many...
00:30:14.64\00:30:15.98
So they had them all
in bottles on the shelves.
00:30:16.01\00:30:18.28
Like that before.
00:30:18.31\00:30:20.22
So... So this is extremely rare.
00:30:20.25\00:30:22.18
Extremely rare. Yeah.
00:30:22.22\00:30:23.55
So following that
surgery, he decided,
00:30:23.59\00:30:26.05
"Well, I'm not gonna be
able to finish medicine."
00:30:26.09\00:30:29.09
They gave him
four years to live.
00:30:29.12\00:30:30.93
Even after the surgery.
00:30:30.96\00:30:32.29
After the surgery,
00:30:32.33\00:30:33.66
he had four years
to live and he said,
00:30:33.70\00:30:35.03
"Well, if I'm
going to finish medicine,
00:30:35.06\00:30:36.80
that's two more years.
00:30:36.83\00:30:38.27
One year of
internship then, my demise."
00:30:38.30\00:30:43.20
So he decided to
go to the seminary.
00:30:43.24\00:30:45.81
So he left medicine
and went to the seminary.
00:30:45.84\00:30:48.31
He figured, "Well, I can
do the seminary in one year
00:30:48.34\00:30:51.61
and then I would have at
least three years to work
00:30:51.65\00:30:54.62
before my life would be taken."
00:30:54.65\00:30:57.35
But after going to the seminary,
00:30:57.39\00:30:59.45
his mother told him,
00:30:59.49\00:31:01.29
"Look, the Lord just
wanted you to be humble.
00:31:01.32\00:31:04.79
You're not going to die.
00:31:04.83\00:31:06.16
You should go on
back to medicine."
00:31:06.19\00:31:08.16
And of course,
00:31:08.20\00:31:09.53
he had to go back to
medicine but in order to get in,
00:31:09.56\00:31:13.47
he had to have
somebody to refer...
00:31:13.50\00:31:15.80
But my mother was
a very strong person.
00:31:15.84\00:31:17.47
Amen. Strong influence.
00:31:17.51\00:31:19.67
And that's when Dr.
Harding came to his assistance.
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.88
Okay.
00:31:21.91\00:31:23.24
Dr. Harding then wrote
to Loma Linda telling them
00:31:23.28\00:31:26.11
that they should
readmit this young man
00:31:26.15\00:31:28.35
'cause in those days,
00:31:28.38\00:31:30.85
you know, it wasn't easy
for us to get into Loma Linda.
00:31:30.89\00:31:33.09
Yes.
00:31:33.12\00:31:34.46
And for him to
have taken the time out,
00:31:34.49\00:31:36.52
they thought was not reasonable
but when Dr. Harding wrote,
00:31:36.56\00:31:41.30
they reconsented
and took him back in.
00:31:41.33\00:31:44.33
Is this the Dr. Harding
00:31:44.37\00:31:45.70
who was brother of the then
president of the United States?
00:31:45.73\00:31:48.57
That's right. Yes.
00:31:48.60\00:31:49.94
So this is a pretty good
letter of recommendation.
00:31:49.97\00:31:51.84
Very good.
00:31:51.87\00:31:53.41
That's a potential
letter of recommendation
00:31:53.44\00:31:56.44
for many reasons.
00:31:56.48\00:31:58.38
That's some influence for sure.
00:31:58.41\00:32:01.05
And the fact that I was black
was another issue, you know.
00:32:01.08\00:32:06.86
Sure.
00:32:06.89\00:32:08.22
Because they didn't
take but two a year.
00:32:08.26\00:32:09.76
Two of us a year. Oh, wow.
00:32:09.79\00:32:11.39
Two blacks, no matter
how many were qualified?
00:32:11.43\00:32:13.60
Wow, it's amazing.
00:32:13.63\00:32:15.33
And they had taken me in
00:32:15.36\00:32:17.17
and then many
people tried to figure out,
00:32:17.20\00:32:19.67
"Well, why did they take you?"
00:32:19.70\00:32:22.04
And I said, "Well, I don't know
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.07
but I guess the Lord had
something to do with it."
00:32:24.11\00:32:26.98
You know, that's very, you know,
00:32:27.01\00:32:28.34
when you think about
life, you know, a young man,
00:32:28.38\00:32:30.35
early 20s...
00:32:30.38\00:32:31.81
Yes.
00:32:31.85\00:32:33.18
Facing basically a condition
that could take your life
00:32:33.21\00:32:35.22
and your future was
so bright in two fields
00:32:35.25\00:32:38.42
that I'm thinking of
right now is music and medicine
00:32:38.45\00:32:41.62
and then to be
grappling with that, boy,
00:32:41.66\00:32:43.96
that will really
00:32:43.99\00:32:45.99
either it'll take
you closer to the Lord
00:32:46.03\00:32:48.30
or turn you to
the other direction.
00:32:48.33\00:32:49.66
That's right.
00:32:49.70\00:32:51.03
But what amazes me is
that God put it in your heart,
00:32:51.07\00:32:54.44
"Okay, I don't think
I can finish medicine,
00:32:54.47\00:32:56.57
so let me go to seminary
00:32:56.60\00:32:57.94
and still maybe have
a few years of service."
00:32:57.97\00:33:00.01
To me that shows his heart.
00:33:00.04\00:33:01.38
It shows a heart of ministry
00:33:01.41\00:33:02.78
and God spared
you for a purpose.
00:33:02.81\00:33:04.98
I look at the
clock, our time is going.
00:33:05.01\00:33:06.85
So let's go to when you two met
00:33:06.88\00:33:08.52
'cause we want to
get to those miracles
00:33:08.55\00:33:10.39
and mission story
in Africa, so let's...
00:33:10.42\00:33:12.12
I probably gonna
bring up that story.
00:33:12.15\00:33:13.49
Yes. 'Cause it
will get too long.
00:33:13.52\00:33:14.86
Perfect.
00:33:14.89\00:33:16.22
Tell us how you met
and how that happened?
00:33:16.26\00:33:17.59
Because how you
became Mrs. DeShay?
00:33:17.63\00:33:18.96
Well, we met while we were
colporteuring in Pittsburg,
00:33:18.99\00:33:22.33
there was a...
00:33:22.36\00:33:23.70
While he's in medical school.
00:33:23.73\00:33:25.07
He was going to
go to medical school
00:33:25.10\00:33:26.43
that fall and I was...
00:33:26.47\00:33:28.14
I had been
already two years. Okay.
00:33:28.17\00:33:30.37
He had been two years.
It was after the surgery?
00:33:30.41\00:33:32.54
No, no, no, no. Was
it after the surgery?
00:33:32.57\00:33:33.98
No, this was before the surgery.
00:33:34.01\00:33:35.78
When you first met?
00:33:35.81\00:33:37.15
We first met when you
were doing your colporteuring
00:33:37.18\00:33:38.71
to get your
entrance to Loma Linda.
00:33:38.75\00:33:40.62
Okay.
00:33:40.65\00:33:41.98
I was colporteuring
00:33:42.02\00:33:43.35
because I had finished
pre-nursing at Oakwood,
00:33:43.39\00:33:46.15
but I wanted to go back
to college and mother said,
00:33:46.19\00:33:48.82
"There is no way."
00:33:48.86\00:33:50.19
There's no money
to go back to college
00:33:50.23\00:33:51.56
so I chose to sell magazines.
00:33:51.59\00:33:53.66
And when we got to Pittsburg...
This is the mother who's 99.
00:33:53.70\00:33:56.16
When we got to
Pittsburg, of course,
00:33:56.20\00:33:58.10
he was there selling
books and our director,
00:33:58.13\00:34:02.94
Ms. Nancy Harris decided that
00:34:02.97\00:34:05.67
he should be
interested in another young lady
00:34:05.71\00:34:08.18
who was not
interested in him at all.
00:34:08.21\00:34:09.84
Okay.
00:34:09.88\00:34:11.21
And that was, and the rest of us
00:34:11.25\00:34:12.58
weren't interested,
00:34:12.61\00:34:14.32
but as soon as I got the money
that would pay for one semester
00:34:14.35\00:34:19.35
left at Oakwood
that I wanted to attend,
00:34:19.39\00:34:21.96
I called my mother and said,
00:34:21.99\00:34:23.32
"Please, send me
money, so I can come home.
00:34:23.36\00:34:26.06
I'm finished.
00:34:26.09\00:34:27.43
I don't need to work
anymore this summer."
00:34:27.46\00:34:29.26
And Ms. Harris said,
00:34:29.30\00:34:30.63
"Well, Samuel
DeShay needs more books,
00:34:30.67\00:34:33.47
so we'll give him
what you have left
00:34:33.50\00:34:35.80
and he can add that to his
and we'll subtract it from,
00:34:35.84\00:34:39.61
you know, we'll make sure
you get the credit for it."
00:34:39.64\00:34:41.64
That was fine.
00:34:41.68\00:34:43.01
So I left one half
and when I got to school,
00:34:43.04\00:34:46.28
instead of them
crediting my account,
00:34:46.31\00:34:48.32
they had debited my account.
00:34:48.35\00:34:50.42
So I had this animosity in
my heart to this gentleman.
00:34:50.45\00:34:55.82
And eventually, when
I... That's not a good start.
00:34:55.86\00:34:57.89
Wasn't a good start.
00:34:57.93\00:34:59.63
When he went back to medicine,
00:34:59.66\00:35:01.43
so then after he had
been out for two years,
00:35:01.46\00:35:04.53
when he was out for two years,
00:35:04.57\00:35:05.90
then I went to Loma Linda
00:35:05.93\00:35:07.40
and probably, he was
in his last semester,
00:35:07.44\00:35:10.24
just before he left
to go to the seminary,
00:35:10.27\00:35:12.61
and a friend of mine from China,
00:35:12.64\00:35:15.28
was a close friend of
mine and she was a vocalist...
00:35:15.31\00:35:17.25
And I used to play
for her all the time.
00:35:17.28\00:35:18.61
He used to play for her.
00:35:18.65\00:35:19.98
So she was telling him,
"You should be dating Bernice."
00:35:20.02\00:35:22.95
And of course, I didn't
know anything about this
00:35:22.98\00:35:25.89
but he would, you know, just,
he didn't make any ascension,
00:35:25.92\00:35:29.29
but then they
told that he was dying,
00:35:29.32\00:35:31.13
so this young lady and I
would write him cards to say,
00:35:31.16\00:35:33.96
you know, "May
the Lord bless you..."
00:35:34.00\00:35:35.33
Encouragement. Yes. And go on.
00:35:35.36\00:35:37.17
Then he came back to Loma Linda,
00:35:37.20\00:35:39.10
when he got back to Loma Linda,
00:35:39.13\00:35:40.67
I'm now a junior nursing student
00:35:40.70\00:35:43.17
and there were five of us
Black girls at Loma Linda,
00:35:43.20\00:35:46.11
so he chose to take all
five of us out at one time.
00:35:46.14\00:35:49.34
Oh, a group date. A group date.
00:35:49.38\00:35:52.01
He's gonna take us skating.
00:35:52.05\00:35:53.45
We did not know that he
was taking us for his sister
00:35:53.48\00:35:57.59
to preview us all.
00:35:57.62\00:35:59.25
So he took us by
his sister's house
00:35:59.29\00:36:02.39
and she had two small
children and we went there
00:36:02.42\00:36:06.39
and I walk into this
room, and of course, she's,
00:36:06.43\00:36:08.80
her husband is not there,
so she has clothes piled up,
00:36:08.83\00:36:13.17
she has dishes in the sink
00:36:13.20\00:36:14.74
and she's working everyday
with these two pre-schoolers,
00:36:14.77\00:36:18.11
so all the young ladies
went into the living room
00:36:18.14\00:36:20.31
and sat down and I said to her,
00:36:20.34\00:36:22.74
"There is no way I can sit down.
00:36:22.78\00:36:24.61
What can I do to help
you so that we can leave
00:36:24.65\00:36:26.65
'cause we want to go skating?"
00:36:26.68\00:36:28.28
So she said, "Fine. If
you'll just iron my dress."
00:36:28.32\00:36:31.55
So we did and then we all left.
00:36:31.59\00:36:34.22
Well, I did not know that
she said to him the next day,
00:36:34.26\00:36:38.93
"Of all five, the only
one you should date is Bernice
00:36:38.96\00:36:42.60
because she's not gonna
be interested in your money
00:36:42.63\00:36:45.23
and all those things."
00:36:45.27\00:36:46.74
You have a servant's heart.
00:36:46.77\00:36:48.10
But in the
meantime, that was fine.
00:36:48.14\00:36:49.47
That's beautiful.
00:36:49.50\00:36:50.84
But that summer
before I met him then,
00:36:50.87\00:36:54.31
he had gone to my
home to meet my mother
00:36:54.34\00:36:57.35
with the young
man that I was dating.
00:36:57.38\00:36:59.55
She was to me,
to marry a pastor.
00:36:59.58\00:37:02.05
And my mother
wrote me back and said,
00:37:02.08\00:37:04.75
"We don't have money
for you to get married.
00:37:04.79\00:37:08.09
You have only one more year.
You're in your junior year.
00:37:08.12\00:37:10.49
One more year. Wait."
00:37:10.53\00:37:12.36
That made sense to
me so I said, "Fine."
00:37:12.39\00:37:14.50
But he had taken Samuel,
his brother and our friend,
00:37:14.53\00:37:18.63
Johnny who wrote
the questions for us.
00:37:18.67\00:37:21.00
He had taken them with
him to talk to my mother
00:37:21.04\00:37:24.67
and my mother had
written to me and said,
00:37:24.71\00:37:27.14
"Well, why don't you
get interested in Johnny
00:37:27.18\00:37:29.58
or William, who was his
brother or that Sam DeShay,
00:37:29.61\00:37:32.88
that Sam DeShay
was so much fun."
00:37:32.91\00:37:35.72
And of course, my
answer to her was...
00:37:35.75\00:37:37.29
I can see that.
00:37:37.32\00:37:38.65
My answer to her was, "He
is going straight to hell."
00:37:38.69\00:37:43.83
He is going... That's
rather a strong sound.
00:37:43.86\00:37:47.00
Because I said, he's
going to be a physician
00:37:47.03\00:37:49.40
and these physicians
are only interested in women
00:37:49.43\00:37:53.07
and money and I
cannot go to hell with him.
00:37:53.10\00:37:57.74
Okay.
00:37:57.77\00:37:59.11
So... Wow.
00:37:59.14\00:38:00.64
So when I...
00:38:00.68\00:38:02.01
He had
accomplished right against...
00:38:02.04\00:38:03.81
There was...
00:38:03.85\00:38:05.18
When I get this
letter from my mother
00:38:05.21\00:38:06.68
and it's all settled.
00:38:06.72\00:38:08.05
So when he comes
back to Loma Linda
00:38:08.08\00:38:09.85
and he takes us
all out for this date,
00:38:09.88\00:38:11.99
there's nothing in me
that says, you know...
00:38:12.02\00:38:14.52
Right.
00:38:14.56\00:38:15.89
He's an interesting person
00:38:15.92\00:38:17.26
but anyway his
sister chose me, he didn't.
00:38:17.29\00:38:19.33
His sister did. Wow.
00:38:19.36\00:38:20.70
So what year were
both of you married?
00:38:20.73\00:38:23.20
In 1960. Wow.
00:38:23.23\00:38:26.37
Incredible. 1960.
00:38:26.40\00:38:27.74
We finished in '59.
00:38:27.77\00:38:29.10
So almost 60 years of
marriage and teamwork together
00:38:29.14\00:38:33.27
because fast forwarding
then, you guys get married...
00:38:33.31\00:38:36.08
Yes.
00:38:36.11\00:38:37.45
And then you get
involved in the mission field.
00:38:37.48\00:38:39.65
You received the call from
the General Conference though?
00:38:39.68\00:38:41.58
Yes, we both had
signed up before he had met.
00:38:41.62\00:38:43.59
Okay. To be missionaries.
00:38:43.62\00:38:45.12
So when the call came,
there was no discussion.
00:38:45.15\00:38:48.39
We were both ready
to go. Yes, let's do it.
00:38:48.42\00:38:50.43
Amen, amen.
00:38:50.46\00:38:51.79
We were working at
the Riverside hospital
00:38:51.83\00:38:53.16
in Nashville,
Tennessee at that time.
00:38:53.19\00:38:55.13
Okay.
00:38:55.16\00:38:56.50
And the General
Conference sent everything,
00:38:56.53\00:38:57.87
telegrams, everything.
00:38:57.90\00:38:59.60
Supposed to come immediately
that we were greatly needed,
00:38:59.63\00:39:03.04
so we left and went over.
00:39:03.07\00:39:04.71
They had never sent a
black physician out before.
00:39:04.74\00:39:07.78
That was the first
time? Was the first time.
00:39:07.81\00:39:09.58
Very first one.
00:39:09.61\00:39:10.95
So this was going to be
00:39:10.98\00:39:12.31
an interesting experience but...
00:39:12.35\00:39:13.85
What year did the call come?
00:39:13.88\00:39:15.32
1960 it came,
but we left in '61.
00:39:15.35\00:39:18.09
So it was right
after you got married
00:39:18.12\00:39:19.45
then you received the call?
00:39:19.49\00:39:20.82
Oh, yes, we were
married for a year.
00:39:20.86\00:39:22.19
Well, I should
mention that the lady
00:39:22.22\00:39:23.66
that I went to get
help from in Pittsburg
00:39:23.69\00:39:27.73
where I met her was
Dr. Ladicy Isabelle Blake,
00:39:27.76\00:39:33.20
graduate of
American Missionary College.
00:39:33.23\00:39:36.67
She had worked with Kwahu.
00:39:36.71\00:39:38.04
And she told me,
she said, "Now listen."
00:39:38.07\00:39:40.21
She said, "I will help you
to get your entrance's fee."
00:39:40.24\00:39:46.55
So I held her to
that and she helped me
00:39:46.58\00:39:49.45
to get my entrance
fee to get in through...
00:39:49.48\00:39:51.49
Praise the Lord, you know,
00:39:51.52\00:39:52.85
He brings those
people across our paths...
00:39:52.89\00:39:54.92
That will do what He
wants. Amen, that's great.
00:39:54.96\00:39:57.66
So you received the call,
you're married just a year,
00:39:57.69\00:40:00.30
you received the call,
what country was it to,
00:40:00.33\00:40:02.16
and what was supposed
to be your job description?
00:40:02.20\00:40:04.17
Our first country
was to have been Ghana
00:40:04.20\00:40:06.70
and we were to work at a
hospital, Kwahu Hospital.
00:40:06.74\00:40:10.91
But in route,
00:40:10.94\00:40:12.27
the General
Conference changed their mind
00:40:12.31\00:40:13.88
and sent us to Nigeria.
00:40:13.91\00:40:15.48
Oh, yeah.
00:40:15.51\00:40:16.85
And we arrived in Nigeria
'cause we were on a ship,
00:40:16.88\00:40:19.38
so that gave us an
opportunity for decision.
00:40:19.41\00:40:23.02
But if you can
imagine the turmoil
00:40:23.05\00:40:28.02
that went in our minds
00:40:28.06\00:40:29.39
because I did not
want to go to Nigeria.
00:40:29.42\00:40:32.89
And why is that, why
didn't you want to go?
00:40:32.93\00:40:35.23
It didn't have
a good reputation.
00:40:35.26\00:40:36.93
Ghana was the developed
country in West Africa.
00:40:36.97\00:40:39.80
It was... Okay.
00:40:39.83\00:40:41.67
In the minds of
we black Americans,
00:40:41.70\00:40:45.34
it was the most progressive
African country at that time.
00:40:45.37\00:40:48.54
This is just 1961.
00:40:48.58\00:40:50.51
Right, and Nigeria
was more third world.
00:40:50.55\00:40:52.88
More third world. Okay.
00:40:52.91\00:40:54.25
So we arrived...
00:40:54.28\00:40:55.62
And Nigeria had a lot of issues.
00:40:55.65\00:40:57.09
We arrived in Nigeria
and fortunately we arrived
00:40:57.12\00:41:00.56
and there were many
physicians at the hospital,
00:41:00.59\00:41:03.02
we went to the
Eleyele Hospital first, and...
00:41:03.06\00:41:05.86
And Doctor Nagel
was there, you know,
00:41:05.89\00:41:08.36
who lived to be a 100.
00:41:08.40\00:41:10.27
And were already,
many, many physicians.
00:41:10.30\00:41:12.63
There were five
physicians there.
00:41:12.67\00:41:14.27
So you joined the staff there?
00:41:14.30\00:41:15.80
Or were you in
charge of the hospital or...
00:41:15.84\00:41:17.64
Well, no, we were
there for six months.
00:41:17.67\00:41:21.64
My husband was very innovative
00:41:21.68\00:41:23.45
in his
interactions with the staff
00:41:23.48\00:41:26.78
and we were told by the staff
that we were gonna be sent away
00:41:26.82\00:41:30.89
because we were
doing too many things.
00:41:30.92\00:41:32.79
Because here we
are, African-Americans,
00:41:32.82\00:41:35.99
so the Africans naturally...
00:41:36.02\00:41:38.26
They feel comfortable.
They were comfortable.
00:41:38.29\00:41:40.03
Of course.
00:41:40.06\00:41:41.40
They could identify with us
00:41:41.43\00:41:42.76
and my husband was
doing all kinds of things,
00:41:42.80\00:41:44.13
getting latrines built for them,
00:41:44.17\00:41:46.27
making sure that they had
silverware to use to work,
00:41:46.30\00:41:49.20
eat with.
00:41:49.24\00:41:50.57
Amen.
00:41:50.61\00:41:51.94
Doing all these things
00:41:51.97\00:41:53.31
and so one of the businessman
just would come and say,
00:41:53.34\00:41:55.51
his secretary said,
00:41:55.54\00:41:57.21
"If you don't stop,
they're gonna send you away."
00:41:57.25\00:41:59.91
But to me those are good things.
00:41:59.95\00:42:01.28
Well...
00:42:01.32\00:42:02.65
You want to
minister to the people.
00:42:02.68\00:42:04.25
But anyway, when
she would tell us this,
00:42:04.29\00:42:05.95
we would laugh
because he would say,
00:42:05.99\00:42:07.52
"We're the youngest
things on the block?"
00:42:07.56\00:42:09.89
They're not
gonna send us anywhere.
00:42:09.92\00:42:12.86
We're just...
00:42:12.89\00:42:14.23
He was 26 and I'm 24, 23 anyway.
00:42:14.26\00:42:18.53
Eventually, after six months,
00:42:18.57\00:42:20.44
we got the call that we
were going to another hospital.
00:42:20.47\00:42:24.41
And we were going over there
00:42:24.44\00:42:26.07
because the
missionaries had to go on leave.
00:42:26.11\00:42:28.04
But it was a
government hospital.
00:42:28.08\00:42:30.41
And it was...
00:42:30.45\00:42:31.78
And the
government was, you know,
00:42:31.81\00:42:33.52
put all the money up
and everything, so...
00:42:33.55\00:42:35.48
That was good and
we were gonna be there
00:42:35.52\00:42:37.15
and he was gonna be in-charge
and I was gonna do the nursing,
00:42:37.19\00:42:40.16
I was gonna be the nurse
administrative so, off we went.
00:42:40.19\00:42:43.66
So why don't you tell us
some testimonies or miracles
00:42:43.69\00:42:47.86
or experiences, does something,
00:42:47.90\00:42:50.17
I know we don't have time
to share all the testimonies
00:42:50.20\00:42:52.43
of what took
place there in Africa,
00:42:52.47\00:42:55.07
but is there
something that stood out to you?
00:42:55.10\00:42:57.07
Maybe a patient or
an experience or...
00:42:57.11\00:43:00.38
We had many miracles. Okay.
00:43:00.41\00:43:02.94
You know... Think
one of the ones...
00:43:02.98\00:43:04.91
And those people who would come
00:43:04.95\00:43:06.78
and they were in
desperate situation
00:43:06.82\00:43:10.62
and they would come
and they would, you know,
00:43:10.65\00:43:13.15
they just come and
have a presentation there
00:43:13.19\00:43:16.52
and then we just had
to take care of them.
00:43:16.56\00:43:18.19
One that was really
paramount in my mind
00:43:18.23\00:43:21.63
is that we had a lady to come
in that needed acute surgery
00:43:21.66\00:43:26.33
and when the surgery
was, when it was identified
00:43:26.37\00:43:30.47
that that's what she needed,
we found that her hemoglobin,
00:43:30.51\00:43:33.61
her blood
levels were so very low
00:43:33.64\00:43:35.88
that we couldn't do the surgery,
00:43:35.91\00:43:37.65
so then as the physician
Samuel sent out and asked,
00:43:37.68\00:43:41.38
"Could someone be tested to see
00:43:41.42\00:43:43.05
if their blood
would match and no body...
00:43:43.08\00:43:45.22
No one's blood
matched. Nobody was willing.
00:43:45.25\00:43:47.29
So eventually,
he said, "Test me."
00:43:47.32\00:43:50.13
And they tested
him and he matched.
00:43:50.16\00:43:52.39
So he then he
stopped, gave a pint of blood,
00:43:52.43\00:43:55.43
got her going and then
finished the surgery and...
00:43:55.46\00:43:59.37
Boy, I wonder how many times
that happens, not too often.
00:43:59.40\00:44:01.74
No, that doesn't.
00:44:01.77\00:44:03.34
No, so we were
very grateful for that,
00:44:03.37\00:44:05.47
but we had another
lady who came in...
00:44:05.51\00:44:07.24
That's the servant's heart. Yes.
00:44:07.28\00:44:08.61
I see that in
both of you, you know,
00:44:08.64\00:44:10.28
that desire to
reach out and to minister
00:44:10.31\00:44:13.62
and to help and bless others.
00:44:13.65\00:44:14.98
I'm sorry, go ahead.
00:44:15.02\00:44:16.35
But there was
another one that...
00:44:16.38\00:44:18.05
There're many
but there was a lady
00:44:18.09\00:44:20.26
who came in with
an acute abdomen,
00:44:20.29\00:44:22.79
and this lady of course,
it was very sensitive to touch
00:44:22.82\00:44:27.86
and by the time
he did the physical
00:44:27.90\00:44:29.46
and all and decided that
00:44:29.50\00:44:30.83
there's a
problem in her abdomen,
00:44:30.87\00:44:32.23
we better open her up
and when they did, of course,
00:44:32.27\00:44:36.47
there was worms that
scare us and we counted out...
00:44:36.50\00:44:40.94
Inside the bowel.
00:44:40.98\00:44:44.31
Oh, wow. And we took them...
00:44:44.35\00:44:46.41
Well, we didn't,
the surgery staff did
00:44:46.45\00:44:48.38
and we had a large basin and...
00:44:48.42\00:44:50.89
And I fill the
basin full of worms,
00:44:50.92\00:44:54.22
469, I think it was.
00:44:54.26\00:44:56.99
You counted them? Yes, we did.
00:44:57.03\00:45:00.00
We counted all.
00:45:00.03\00:45:01.36
We have a picture at home
00:45:01.40\00:45:02.73
and 'cause most people would
never believe it but it was...
00:45:02.76\00:45:05.73
It was a record. It was.
00:45:05.77\00:45:08.47
I think they hadn't
had a case like that.
00:45:08.50\00:45:13.27
How many years were you
in Africa as missionaries?
00:45:13.31\00:45:16.64
As missionaries, we
were there for 13 years,
00:45:16.68\00:45:19.91
but then after Samuel
00:45:19.95\00:45:21.65
became in-charge of
the health department,
00:45:21.68\00:45:24.29
he would go back and forth.
00:45:24.32\00:45:26.02
And then his last
year, we spent in Africa.
00:45:26.05\00:45:29.39
We went back with the girls
so they would have some idea.
00:45:29.42\00:45:32.53
So tell us about the
escape 'cause you were in Biafra
00:45:32.56\00:45:36.60
and that's, they
seceded from Nigeria, correct?
00:45:36.63\00:45:40.44
And then there was a
lot of unrest you could say.
00:45:40.47\00:45:43.10
Civil wars, that's
what you would call.
00:45:43.14\00:45:44.57
Yes, there was
a civil war. Okay.
00:45:44.61\00:45:46.04
And during this civil war,
00:45:46.07\00:45:47.88
Samuel had agreed to teach
all of the medical personnel,
00:45:47.91\00:45:53.05
you know, the soldiers
and all, how to do first aid.
00:45:53.08\00:45:55.95
So that was a
positive thing for us,
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.92
and as the civil war progressed,
00:45:58.95\00:46:02.52
it became very evident
00:46:02.56\00:46:03.89
that we American
women should leave
00:46:03.93\00:46:06.96
and the United States
government sent in planes.
00:46:07.00\00:46:10.53
And all missionaries
00:46:10.57\00:46:11.90
and foreign women
and children left.
00:46:11.93\00:46:13.27
Well, we had no children,
00:46:13.30\00:46:14.64
so there was no
need for me to leave.
00:46:14.67\00:46:16.17
I knew that if I had left,
00:46:16.20\00:46:18.21
he would not have come any time.
00:46:18.24\00:46:20.48
He would have stayed
until the very end and I said,
00:46:20.51\00:46:22.21
"And they'll end up killing
you 'cause you're tall and black
00:46:22.24\00:46:25.25
and it was the houses who
were larger than the people
00:46:25.28\00:46:29.82
where we were but anyway.
00:46:29.85\00:46:31.19
Okay. They...
00:46:31.22\00:46:33.46
So he was the size of
00:46:33.49\00:46:34.82
more of the people
who were the enemy...
00:46:34.86\00:46:36.19
That's correct.
Okay, I understand.
00:46:36.22\00:46:37.56
So we...
00:46:37.59\00:46:38.93
Well, I was taller
than most of the locals.
00:46:38.96\00:46:41.36
Yes. We were there.
00:46:41.40\00:46:42.73
And I don't know,
00:46:42.76\00:46:44.53
I kind of look
like I was a foreigner.
00:46:44.57\00:46:46.97
And the people when they
would stop me along the way,
00:46:47.00\00:46:49.64
they weren't quite
sure who I was, so...
00:46:49.67\00:46:53.94
Anyway it came time,
eventually, in the book,
00:46:53.98\00:46:56.68
it tells you the precursors
as to how the decision was made
00:46:56.71\00:46:59.38
but we decided
we needed to leave.
00:46:59.41\00:47:01.45
We had come to a point
where the sounds close to us
00:47:01.48\00:47:05.35
suggested that we had to leave.
00:47:05.39\00:47:06.72
Wow.
00:47:06.76\00:47:08.09
And we had a Pastor
Kentrall who was still in Aba,
00:47:08.12\00:47:11.16
so it was the three
of us with the mission.
00:47:11.19\00:47:12.83
We contacted one another.
00:47:12.86\00:47:14.33
Got in his car and
headed toward Western Nigeria.
00:47:14.36\00:47:19.13
Our hospital.
00:47:19.17\00:47:20.50
But there was a letter...
00:47:20.54\00:47:22.04
You were the
last three to get out?
00:47:22.07\00:47:23.41
We were the last
three. Last three Americans.
00:47:23.44\00:47:24.77
Of all
missionaries, Americans. Okay.
00:47:24.81\00:47:26.21
And we had letters
from the Biafran government
00:47:26.24\00:47:29.74
to my husband saying,
00:47:29.78\00:47:31.35
"Don't stop this man
when he gets ready to leave
00:47:31.38\00:47:34.72
because he has
been a help to us."
00:47:34.75\00:47:37.02
So we get to the
Niger River and of course,
00:47:37.05\00:47:39.79
there's a line
probably a mile or two.
00:47:39.82\00:47:42.46
Is that the border?
00:47:42.49\00:47:43.83
Border that foreigners
try and get across the river.
00:47:43.86\00:47:45.53
Foreigners trying to get away.
00:47:45.56\00:47:46.90
Because the
fighting was coming close
00:47:46.93\00:47:49.90
and we could actually hear it.
00:47:49.93\00:47:52.73
Anyway, we
showed them our letters
00:47:52.77\00:47:55.14
and then they just escorted
us up to the very front.
00:47:55.17\00:47:57.34
They escorted us to
the front line and then,
00:47:57.37\00:48:00.08
and not only that, but
they told all the people
00:48:00.11\00:48:03.24
who were in front of us.
00:48:03.28\00:48:04.61
Don't worry.
00:48:04.65\00:48:05.98
You have to wait
00:48:06.01\00:48:07.35
because we've got
to get this doctor out.
00:48:07.38\00:48:08.92
So we got right up to the front
and then here comes this canoe,
00:48:08.95\00:48:13.09
two canoes with a board across
00:48:13.12\00:48:15.09
and we're driving
a beautiful Peugeot.
00:48:15.12\00:48:20.23
Elder Kentrall was, not us.
00:48:20.26\00:48:21.93
So this is the
border, is a river.
00:48:21.96\00:48:23.30
Yes, the river is
there... Three miles wide.
00:48:23.33\00:48:24.67
They put...
They're three miles wide?
00:48:24.70\00:48:26.07
Three miles wide.
00:48:26.10\00:48:27.44
They put this car,
these men just lifted this car
00:48:27.47\00:48:29.94
onto this...
00:48:29.97\00:48:31.31
So no crane? No.
00:48:31.34\00:48:32.67
But the thing that
mattered though was we got
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.04
in the middle of the
river and I said to the people,
00:48:34.08\00:48:37.21
I said, "You know,
00:48:37.25\00:48:38.58
this is a very dangerous thing."
00:48:38.61\00:48:41.58
I looked and I
saw on the other side,
00:48:41.62\00:48:46.42
soldiers with guns.
00:48:46.45\00:48:48.46
Were they pointed at you? Yes.
00:48:48.49\00:48:49.96
Well, that doesn't
sound a comfortable situation.
00:48:49.99\00:48:52.29
I said to the
people, I said, "You know,
00:48:52.33\00:48:55.20
this is a very
dangerous situation.
00:48:55.23\00:48:56.83
We better get out
of here." You know...
00:48:56.87\00:48:58.73
There is nothing we
could do, we were in the canoe,
00:48:58.77\00:49:00.77
and we had to
wait until it landed.
00:49:00.80\00:49:02.30
When it landed, the
soldiers... That's scary.
00:49:02.34\00:49:05.47
The soldiers who were
there started talking with us
00:49:05.51\00:49:08.38
very rough saying,
00:49:08.41\00:49:11.85
"How is that you're
gonna get out of here?
00:49:11.88\00:49:13.21
Why didn't you come
when we asked you to come?"
00:49:13.25\00:49:14.92
To make a long story short.
00:49:14.95\00:49:16.55
They peeled a piece of
paper off of a paper bag
00:49:16.58\00:49:19.95
to write in our particulars,
00:49:19.99\00:49:21.32
so then we knew this was a hoax.
00:49:21.36\00:49:23.73
They weren't gonna
do anything, you know,
00:49:23.76\00:49:25.26
a piece of paper off, anyway.
00:49:25.29\00:49:27.46
So then, we realized
they were Biafran soldiers.
00:49:27.50\00:49:30.40
And as we left,
00:49:30.43\00:49:31.83
every city that we
passed through fell that day.
00:49:31.87\00:49:35.44
Did they, really? They fell.
00:49:35.47\00:49:36.91
Until... Until right after you?
00:49:36.94\00:49:38.27
Right after we left.
00:49:38.31\00:49:39.64
Every city that we went through
path fell to the Biafran army.
00:49:39.67\00:49:42.91
That's amazing. It is.
00:49:42.94\00:49:44.98
Just the Lord
miraculously spared your lives
00:49:45.01\00:49:48.42
and brought you out
just in the nick of time.
00:49:48.45\00:49:50.52
Just in time. That's right.
00:49:50.55\00:49:51.99
Amen.
00:49:52.02\00:49:53.36
Now you spent a number of years
as missionaries there in Africa
00:49:53.39\00:49:56.19
and then in
other leadership roles,
00:49:56.22\00:49:57.56
you're at the
General Conference,
00:49:57.59\00:49:58.93
you're one of the
youngest, at 40 years of age,
00:49:58.96\00:50:00.70
you had a leadership
role at the General Conference
00:50:00.73\00:50:03.93
so you traveled around
the world in that role.
00:50:03.97\00:50:06.70
What was your responsibility
at the General Conference?
00:50:06.74\00:50:08.84
Well, I was in charge
of the health department
00:50:08.87\00:50:12.31
for the General Conference.
00:50:12.34\00:50:13.74
Which again like we said,
00:50:13.78\00:50:15.11
you traveled all over the world.
00:50:15.14\00:50:16.58
Quick question for you.
00:50:16.61\00:50:18.55
Are there any regrets for
going as a missionary family?
00:50:18.58\00:50:22.88
I know, you know,
being a doctor, you know,
00:50:22.92\00:50:24.75
a person could make
a whole lot of money,
00:50:24.79\00:50:26.45
live a very nice,
which is okay, you know,
00:50:26.49\00:50:28.66
for some people but I
know that was a concern for you
00:50:28.69\00:50:31.09
and you're considering
him as a spouse years ago,
00:50:31.13\00:50:34.26
but any regrets is going as
a missionary serving others.
00:50:34.30\00:50:36.87
Not a bit. Not at all.
00:50:36.90\00:50:38.80
No.
00:50:38.83\00:50:40.17
We still did not have the money
00:50:40.20\00:50:41.54
and all of those
things but we had...
00:50:41.57\00:50:43.00
We still don't.
Many experiences.
00:50:43.04\00:50:45.67
We still don't have money.
00:50:45.71\00:50:47.11
Opportunities, you
know, that the Lord is willing
00:50:47.14\00:50:49.44
to hear and answer our prayers.
00:50:49.48\00:50:51.21
And to be used of
him. Isn't that a blessing?
00:50:51.25\00:50:52.58
Yes, that's the important part.
00:50:52.61\00:50:54.12
Should tell you that
God has been good to us.
00:50:54.15\00:50:56.18
Amen.
00:50:56.22\00:50:57.62
And He opened up some new areas
00:50:57.65\00:51:02.09
where the DeShays have gone
00:51:02.12\00:51:04.79
and they've called me, you know,
00:51:04.83\00:51:07.30
we've got these places
over here in DeShay County.
00:51:07.33\00:51:11.03
Wow. In
Arkansas, said, "Really."
00:51:11.07\00:51:15.80
Well, God opens a neat
00:51:15.84\00:51:17.31
and amazing doors,
you know, for all of us.
00:51:17.34\00:51:18.77
I know I've been aspired today
00:51:18.81\00:51:20.68
listening to Dr. DeShay
and his dear wife, Bernice,
00:51:20.71\00:51:23.75
sharing about how God
has worked in their lives,
00:51:23.78\00:51:25.68
spared their lives,
worked in miraculous ways
00:51:25.71\00:51:28.92
and there's more in a book.
00:51:28.95\00:51:30.65
There is.
00:51:30.69\00:51:32.02
Out of Biafra by Canoe
00:51:32.05\00:51:33.89
and if you want to
purchase this book,
00:51:33.92\00:51:35.86
if you want to invite
the DeShays to your church
00:51:35.89\00:51:38.23
or to your area to
share their testimonies
00:51:38.26\00:51:40.86
of what God is
doing in their lives,
00:51:40.90\00:51:43.30
here is how you
can do, just that.
00:51:43.33\00:51:45.10
If you'd like to
contact the DeShays
00:51:48.27\00:51:50.17
or purchase their book,
you can write to them at,
00:51:50.21\00:51:52.51
5132 Darvel Circle,
Columbia, Maryland 21044.
00:51:52.54\00:51:57.91
That's 5132, Darvel Circle,
Columbia, Maryland 21044.
00:51:57.95\00:52:04.02
You can call
them at 410-740-8151.
00:52:04.05\00:52:08.32
That's 410-740-8151.
00:52:08.36\00:52:12.49
They can also be
reached at 301-787-4500,
00:52:12.53\00:52:16.56
that's 301-787-4500.
00:52:16.60\00:52:19.83
You can also email them
at DeShay.Bernice@gmail.com.
00:52:19.87\00:52:24.11
That's
D-E-S-H-A-Y. Bernice@gmail.com.
00:52:24.14\00:52:28.94