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 allow me once again
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to thank you for sharing
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just a little of your
no doubt busy day with us.
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So thank you as always
for your love, your prayers,
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your support of Three
Angels Broadcasting Network.
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And when we say that,
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we mean it from the
bottom of our hearts.
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We realize that we could
not do what we're called to do
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without your
partnership and your support,
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these 30 plus years
and God has been good.
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And we've seen
the ministry grow,
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but also we've seen
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the work of God go
throughout this world,
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and we're so thankful
for your love, your prayers,
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your support, your
partnership with us.
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I'm excited today,
for a couple of reasons.
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One, because of
the subject matter,
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and then I'm in the company
of two young good looking guys
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who are on fire for the Lord.
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First, my co-host Jason Bradley,
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I've known since
before he was born.
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That is true. That is true.
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It was my
privilege to baptize his mom
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while she was
still carrying you.
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So basically, since
you got baptized again...
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We don't believe
in infant baptism,
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certainly not in uteral baptism.
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So you have to come out
and get baptized on your own.
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That's right. That's right.
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But when your
mom came to the Lord,
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she was carrying you
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then short after that you made
your entrance into the world.
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And now here we are
30 plus years later...
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Yes.
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Sitting side by
side, so I'm a happy man,
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I'm happy for that. I'm
happy to be here with you.
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Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
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It's good to have you here.
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And then, our guest
is somebody you know.
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Oh, yeah.
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This is my first
time meeting him,
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but we're very excited
to have Eric Camarillo?
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Yes. Camarillo.
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Camarillo. Camarillo.
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Okay, I want to get
it right. Camarillo.
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The ministry is SALT,
he is the founder, S-A-L-T.
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And, Jason, we'll talk about
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what that's all
about in just a little bit
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but how long have you
guys known each other?
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It's probably been at
least a year, maybe two.
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Maybe two.
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I seem to constantly
cross paths with Eric
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at all of these different events
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whether it's GYC or here
or whatever the case maybe,
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he is always doing
something for the Lord.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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If you're on fire for the
Lord and involved in ministry,
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you tend to run into
the same groups of people
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because it's those people
that are on fire for the Lord
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and doing things for the Lord
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that tend to bump up
against each other all the time.
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ASI, GYC, these kinds of things,
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you tend to have a chance
to meet, and sort of greet,
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and work together.
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So, Eric, good to
have you here, man.
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Yeah. No, I'm glad
to be here. Yeah, yeah.
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These guys make me feel old,
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you know, you two...
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These guys are
young men, I feel old.
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Well, at least one of us
can get an AARP discount.
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I appreciate that.
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Yes, sir.
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But a number of things
we're going to talk about today
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before we go to our music
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that we want to
kind of set the table for
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because first of all,
dealing with Eric's story
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shows a number of things.
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Jason, I want to
almost jump to the punch line
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that when you
stand up for the Lord,
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the Lord has promised to
stand up for you, you know.
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Absolutely.
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When you put yourself
on the side of Christ,
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Christ will work
for you, with you,
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through you to
accomplish His will.
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And the road is
not always an easy one,
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many times your faith will
be tested as you well know...
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Yes. In coming to the Lord.
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And as Eric's story will
prove in just a little bit.
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But the punch line is,
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He'll never leave you
nor forsake you, you know.
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And when you look back...
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And sometimes, Eric,
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you can only get
perspective as you turn around
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and kind of look
back where you come from,
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and you can say,
"Oh, yeah, He was there,
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He was there, He was there."
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And your story really
says that in a marvelous way.
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Yeah, praise God.
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Yeah, I'm just glad
to be here right now,
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you know what I mean?
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Yeah, God's really
brought me through.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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You can kind of see the
joy of the Lord in his face.
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Yeah. His countenance.
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Yes.
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As I do in yours.
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So I'll praise
the Lord for that.
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We praise the Lord for
that. Before we go to music...
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Let's just kind of
wade into this thing, man,
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because there is so much good...
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Did you grow up
in a Christian home?
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I did not. I did not.
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No, it was a
primarily Catholic home.
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Yeah, my mom and dad,
generations of Catholics,
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I kind of broke
the mold I guess.
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Yeah. Practicing Catholics?
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You know or kind of just
because Catholic can mean
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Catholic or it can
mean like intensity Catholic
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or kind of partially Catholic?
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I would say kind of in between,
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you know, we go
to church on Sundays.
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You know, pray in the rosary,
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you know, different prayers
that, you know, that happen.
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Yeah, I'm not too involved
in the Catholic Church per se
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but just, you know, at
home it was definitely present.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Brothers and sisters?
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Two younger
brothers. So you're the oldest?
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I'm the oldest, yes.
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So you were grown
up in a Catholic home,
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and where are you born?
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I was actually born in Chicago.
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Yeah, I was born in
Chicago, I moved to Florida,
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I'm in Orlando
now when I was 15.
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Okay. Yeah.
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And that's...
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Yeah, I moved actually
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because I was wearing
the wrong colors one day
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walking home from school.
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And someone held me at gunpoint,
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me and a friend of mine.
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And so my mom...
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I wasn't going to tell my mom
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'cause I knew exactly
what my mom would want to do,
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she want to get out of there
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and, you know, I
have my friends there
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at school and all that
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and, you know, this is
BC, you know, in everything.
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And so, she found out
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and she is like,
"We're going to Florida,
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you know, you've an uncle lives
in Central Florida as well.
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Let's go down there."
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So that's why we
moved down. Okay.
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Because I don't hear
a lot of Florida in you,
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I hear more Chicago
in your speech practice
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that I go to
Florida, kind of thing.
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But just wearing a
wrong color, Jason,
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can get you into a
whole lot of trouble, man.
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It sure can. Yeah, yeah.
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It did. It definitely did, yeah.
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So you moved down to Florida?
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Yeah.
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Yeah, with my family...
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Yeah, I lived in,
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you know, kind of a
rural area for a little bit
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and then moved to more
of like the Orlando area
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when I was 21.
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Give me some sense, Eric,
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what kind of young
person you were, obedient...
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Just a little flavor of your...
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Okay, 15, you're transferred
from Chicago to Florida.
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Right.
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How was that working out
for you, you know, at that age?
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Yeah. No, I was
upset. I was very upset.
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I gave my parents
really hard time about moving.
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I didn't want to go.
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But, you know, we moved,
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and I always thought of
myself as a good kid, you know.
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But, yeah, I came
down, and I had to kind of
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reintegrate
myself into high school.
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I mean, for a while
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I didn't want to go
into lunchroom at school
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when I started at
the new high school,
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I just would hangout
in the bathroom, you know.
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And I would be like,
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"Well, what can I
do productive in here?"
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I'd do pull-ups or
something or I don't know.
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You know, because I didn't
want to go, it's very hard,
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it's very hard to make
friends in high school.
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Yeah.
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And so, you know, I was
more of a shy person back then.
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That's kind of,
yeah, how it went.
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So that move was
kind of traumatic?
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Yeah, it was hard. It
was definitely hard, yeah.
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So did you end
up making friends?
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And did you end up becoming
a little bit more social?
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I did and it's funny
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because the way that
happened was I ended up
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starting a break dancing crew.
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And, you know,
and so that kind of
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put us kind of at
top of the chain I guess
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and, you know, so we got along
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with all the other
clicks and groups in school,
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and we break dance at little
shows, and stuff like that.
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And so that crew became
almost like a brotherhood,
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you know, we came very close.
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Yeah.
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How long after the move
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did this actually kind
of crystallize for you?
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You know...
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Probably about six months. Okay.
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Yeah, six months, not too long.
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Yeah, I found someone,
I was walking to class,
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I saw someone
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with a break dancing
person on their backpack.
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And I went and asked
them, "Do you break dance?"
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And this was maybe...
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You know, I had been starting
to learn back in Chicago.
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And he is like, "Yeah, I do."
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And then so in class,
whenever we won't do anything,
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we just practice break
dancing and that sort of thing.
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Actually, that friend of mine,
we did Bible studies together
00:09:42.74\00:09:46.82
about two years ago,
and he came to Christ.
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Oh, wow.
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Now he is
following the Lord now but...
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And which is exciting,
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you know, someone
from my high school days
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in the same crew
together, and it's just cool.
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We were even
roommates for a little while.
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Yeah, yeah.
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At its height, how big
was this group of people
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that were part of
this break dancing?
00:10:02.00\00:10:03.50
It was probably
about eight of us.
00:10:03.53\00:10:05.23
Yeah, probably about
eight consistent people.
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.90
So you got this
little society now,
00:10:07.94\00:10:09.44
you got some homies as it were,
00:10:09.47\00:10:11.01
and how within
you got some people
00:10:11.04\00:10:12.47
to kind of make
you feel comfortable.
00:10:12.51\00:10:14.61
So the transition wasn't so bad.
00:10:14.64\00:10:17.78
Your high school years
as you look back at them,
00:10:17.81\00:10:20.62
were they pretty successful,
pretty normal, any trauma,
00:10:20.65\00:10:24.22
any drama, or did the
things move along pretty smooth?
00:10:24.25\00:10:25.99
Well, you know, it's...
00:10:26.02\00:10:27.86
One thing that definitely
was tough and growing up...
00:10:27.89\00:10:33.26
My dad had schizophrenia.
00:10:33.29\00:10:36.16
And so, you know,
it was tough growing up
00:10:36.20\00:10:41.60
and, you know,
he is very abusive.
00:10:41.64\00:10:43.94
If we didn't admit to hearing
the voices or seeing the things
00:10:43.97\00:10:46.84
that he saw and heard, he
would get physically abusive.
00:10:46.88\00:10:49.88
And we were told by the doctor
to not validate those things.
00:10:49.91\00:10:55.28
And so as kids, as a young
kid, I was in second grade,
00:10:55.32\00:10:58.75
you know, I had to,
you know, teach my brothers
00:10:58.79\00:11:01.86
and also myself to
not listen to my dad
00:11:01.89\00:11:05.33
when he is saying these things.
00:11:05.36\00:11:06.70
And it would result in
some painful experiences
00:11:06.73\00:11:11.00
but as I got into high school.
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.07
Actually, when I
moved to Florida,
00:11:13.10\00:11:14.70
that kind of
stopped a little bit
00:11:14.74\00:11:16.44
for a little while,
00:11:16.47\00:11:17.81
and I was
bigger, I was stronger,
00:11:17.84\00:11:20.28
it couldn't happen as much.
00:11:20.31\00:11:21.78
And so that part
kind of relaxing a bit
00:11:21.81\00:11:26.68
helped a lot in
my high school years
00:11:26.72\00:11:28.28
moving to Florida.
00:11:28.32\00:11:30.95
Besides that, I mean, you
know, we were little rebellious,
00:11:30.99\00:11:35.26
you know, as teens, I
mean, we did some stuff,
00:11:35.29\00:11:39.16
you know, like
graffiti and things like that,
00:11:39.19\00:11:42.16
different places,
and it just wasn't...
00:11:42.20\00:11:45.17
Yeah, it wasn't too
good, we skip school a lot,
00:11:45.20\00:11:48.80
you know, and it's funny
00:11:48.84\00:11:50.17
because the reason me
skipping school I missed about,
00:11:50.21\00:11:53.54
I had 28 unexcused absences
at the end of my senior year.
00:11:53.58\00:11:57.05
And that was probably the worst
00:11:57.08\00:11:59.51
of all my high
school years there,
00:11:59.55\00:12:01.05
and I had to
excuse those absences.
00:12:01.08\00:12:03.08
So I remember a friend of mine
that was in the crew as well,
00:12:03.12\00:12:07.72
he is like, "Look, you
know, use these doctor's notes,
00:12:07.76\00:12:09.52
they work for me."
00:12:09.56\00:12:10.99
So I go and I turn
these doctor's notes
00:12:11.03\00:12:12.53
into excuse 10 of the absences,
00:12:12.56\00:12:15.10
or I'm sorry, 18 of the absences
00:12:15.13\00:12:18.60
because 10 absences I
could excuse with parent notes.
00:12:18.63\00:12:21.57
So I turn in six notes, each
note having three days on them.
00:12:21.60\00:12:26.84
The next day I come to school,
00:12:26.88\00:12:28.21
a couple of days
before graduation,
00:12:28.24\00:12:30.15
counselor calls me to the office
00:12:30.18\00:12:31.58
and cops in there,
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.28
"You're under
arrest, forgery and fraud."
00:12:33.31\00:12:37.19
I went to jail and I
had 12 felonies on my record
00:12:37.22\00:12:40.09
as an 18 year-old in
and out of high school.
00:12:40.12\00:12:42.49
Twelve felonies on your record?
00:12:42.52\00:12:45.06
I did. Wow.
00:12:45.09\00:12:46.66
And the intention was,
00:12:46.70\00:12:49.70
you know, was
to graduate school,
00:12:49.73\00:12:51.60
I wasn't forging
checks or, you know, whatever
00:12:51.63\00:12:53.74
but to misuse
someone's signature.
00:12:53.77\00:12:55.80
I mean, that's...
00:12:55.84\00:12:57.17
And especially a doctor,
00:12:57.21\00:12:58.54
I mean, that's a
big offense, yeah.
00:12:58.57\00:13:00.54
But I'm...
00:13:00.58\00:13:01.91
Yeah, it kind of
messed me up a little,
00:13:01.94\00:13:03.28
couple of years
after high school.
00:13:03.31\00:13:04.65
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:04.68\00:13:06.01
Now just kind of want to
hit the pause button there
00:13:06.05\00:13:07.92
just a little bit
because you got these felonies,
00:13:07.95\00:13:11.09
does this
mandate jail time or...
00:13:11.12\00:13:14.42
So it did.
00:13:14.46\00:13:17.43
So I was actually only
in jail for a full day.
00:13:17.46\00:13:21.16
And I remember
telling my mom like...
00:13:21.20\00:13:22.76
Where I had to make
that one phone call.
00:13:22.80\00:13:25.07
I'm like...
00:13:25.10\00:13:26.43
My bail was $120,000.
00:13:26.47\00:13:29.77
And with a bail bondsman
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.14
and the collateral and all that,
00:13:31.17\00:13:32.51
they get me out
for 12, you know.
00:13:32.54\00:13:34.34
And so I told my mom,
"Look, don't worry about it."
00:13:34.38\00:13:36.08
We were tight on
money at that time.
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.91
"Do not, you know, I'm good,
we'll wait till the court day,
00:13:37.95\00:13:41.15
I doubt they're going
to keep me in here longer,
00:13:41.18\00:13:43.18
it was for trying
to excuse absences."
00:13:43.22\00:13:46.76
And she...
00:13:46.79\00:13:48.86
You know, I already
had it all in my head,
00:13:48.89\00:13:52.29
you know, "Okay,
well, at least I'm in here,
00:13:52.33\00:13:54.10
I could workout,
you know, I could maybe,
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.13
you know, do
something productive in here."
00:13:56.16\00:13:58.93
But the next day,
they came and got me
00:13:58.97\00:14:02.20
and said someone,
you know, paid my bail.
00:14:02.24\00:14:04.81
My mom talked to
all my relatives,
00:14:04.84\00:14:07.28
they all
gathered money together,
00:14:07.31\00:14:08.74
and they got me out.
00:14:08.78\00:14:10.11
So I was only
in there for a day.
00:14:10.15\00:14:12.28
But, yeah.
00:14:12.31\00:14:14.88
Now let me ask you a
question 'cause it makes me ask,
00:14:14.92\00:14:18.79
what did that
teach you about life?
00:14:18.82\00:14:21.32
Or did that, did it sink in?
00:14:21.36\00:14:22.96
Because sometimes as a teenager
you can go through stuff
00:14:22.99\00:14:25.03
and it's just kind of in,
00:14:25.06\00:14:26.39
went out the other
doesn't do anything
00:14:26.43\00:14:27.76
or it can be a
pivotal point in changing
00:14:27.80\00:14:29.96
how you address life in total.
00:14:30.00\00:14:32.13
What did that do for you?
00:14:32.17\00:14:33.54
You know, it's...
00:14:33.57\00:14:36.40
The thing that...
00:14:36.44\00:14:37.77
That experience
didn't necessarily...
00:14:37.81\00:14:40.18
That experience itself didn't
necessarily do much for me
00:14:40.21\00:14:44.38
but it was the time after
00:14:44.41\00:14:46.31
because with 12
felonies on your record,
00:14:46.35\00:14:48.05
I mean, you can't get a job.
00:14:48.08\00:14:49.95
Actually, I had missed work,
00:14:49.98\00:14:51.45
I was working at Walmart
as a cart pusher at that time.
00:14:51.49\00:14:53.99
I had missed
work, and I was let go.
00:14:54.02\00:14:56.46
So I had no job, I
had no way to make money,
00:14:56.49\00:14:58.43
I couldn't find a job, applied
to fast food restaurants,
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.23
they wouldn't even hire
me because they don't want me
00:15:01.26\00:15:02.96
behind the register with fraud
and, you know, and forgery.
00:15:03.00\00:15:06.47
So it was very difficult.
00:15:06.50\00:15:10.34
I had to learn how to
make money another way.
00:15:10.37\00:15:15.54
And it forced me to
get more into business,
00:15:15.58\00:15:19.08
you know, more
into, you know, sales.
00:15:19.11\00:15:22.92
And that's what I did.
00:15:22.95\00:15:24.85
And my mom,
00:15:24.89\00:15:26.92
you know, kind of helped
me out a little bit with that
00:15:26.96\00:15:28.89
and she got involved,
you know, to support me.
00:15:28.92\00:15:33.06
And yeah, but
it taught me a lot.
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.56
Actually, those skills
I learned after that time
00:15:34.60\00:15:37.47
actually help me
in ministry today.
00:15:37.50\00:15:40.74
You know, 'cause I had
to learn how to prospect,
00:15:40.77\00:15:42.80
how to talk to people,
00:15:42.84\00:15:44.17
how to
understand and read people.
00:15:44.21\00:15:46.34
But yeah, for a time
before that even happened,
00:15:46.37\00:15:48.71
I was, went through a
little depression mode
00:15:48.74\00:15:50.78
for about a year,
year maybe even two years,
00:15:50.81\00:15:54.05
close to two years,
00:15:54.08\00:15:55.42
where all I did was
just play video games
00:15:55.45\00:15:57.22
and, you know, watch
movies, and watch TV.
00:15:57.25\00:15:59.95
Because you're really
kind of banging your head up
00:15:59.99\00:16:01.72
against the wall.
00:16:01.76\00:16:03.09
And this is interesting, Jason,
00:16:03.12\00:16:04.76
how the devil can have you
make a decision very early on
00:16:04.79\00:16:08.43
that has such
long-term ramifications.
00:16:08.46\00:16:10.90
It would have been
better to take the medicine
00:16:10.93\00:16:12.67
from missing the school
than to get your record,
00:16:12.70\00:16:15.44
you know, all
tracked up because of that.
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.07
Yeah, and you can't
that expunge, right?
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.34
Or can you?
Well, you know, I did.
00:16:20.38\00:16:22.24
I ended up getting
expunge, it took a long time.
00:16:22.28\00:16:25.55
But I ended up
getting the expunge,
00:16:25.58\00:16:26.92
I think I was 22 when it was...
00:16:26.95\00:16:30.75
So it took about four years.
00:16:30.79\00:16:33.39
And there was a lot of mess ups
00:16:33.42\00:16:34.76
and, you know, we had
a lawyer that wasn't...
00:16:34.79\00:16:36.89
I guess didn't really know
00:16:36.93\00:16:38.26
what he was
doing as well and so.
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.79
But it took four
years and they...
00:16:39.83\00:16:43.50
I was able to
get expunged, yeah.
00:16:43.53\00:16:45.10
You also touched on something
00:16:45.13\00:16:46.67
and I think it's very important
to highlight is the fact that,
00:16:46.70\00:16:50.24
you know, going through this,
00:16:50.27\00:16:52.14
you had to learn
other ways to make money,
00:16:52.17\00:16:54.31
you had to learn
other ways to survive.
00:16:54.34\00:16:58.21
But these weren't illegal
ways, these were legal ways.
00:16:58.25\00:17:02.98
And you gain the tools
00:17:03.02\00:17:05.39
to be able to
provide a way for yourself,
00:17:05.42\00:17:08.09
which is
important to those people
00:17:08.12\00:17:09.92
that are out there
that are struggling,
00:17:09.96\00:17:11.29
they may have made a
mistake in their past
00:17:11.33\00:17:13.96
and, you know, they don't...
00:17:14.00\00:17:16.16
Being railroaded so to speak,
00:17:16.20\00:17:17.80
you know, they go out for a job,
00:17:17.83\00:17:19.40
they get denied
because they have a felony,
00:17:19.43\00:17:21.34
but you're able create
a position for yourself,
00:17:21.37\00:17:26.14
but you've to get the tools.
00:17:26.17\00:17:27.51
Exactly. I think
that's very important.
00:17:27.54\00:17:28.88
Yeah, it was...
00:17:28.91\00:17:30.28
I had to, that was the only way.
00:17:30.31\00:17:32.71
And the thing that
made me move that direction
00:17:32.75\00:17:35.08
actually was I mentioned
I play video games a lot.
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.85
There was a particular
game that I played the most,
00:17:38.89\00:17:41.82
and I play seven in the world
00:17:41.86\00:17:43.19
on online
tournament in that game.
00:17:43.22\00:17:45.36
And I remember thinking,
00:17:45.39\00:17:46.96
maybe I could do
professional gaming,
00:17:47.00\00:17:48.73
you know, I started
to think that in my head,
00:17:48.76\00:17:50.57
I don't need a background
check for that, you know.
00:17:50.60\00:17:52.93
And so I started doing that
00:17:52.97\00:17:56.60
and then they
flew me out to Prague,
00:17:56.64\00:17:58.07
Czech Republic, Microsoft for...
00:17:58.11\00:18:00.04
They flew out the top 12 to do
a one-on-one world tournament.
00:18:00.08\00:18:05.01
And placed third
in the world there.
00:18:05.05\00:18:07.08
So I'm like, "Okay, this is
giving me some credibility."
00:18:07.12\00:18:09.58
You know, I started a
clan, where we had like a,
00:18:09.62\00:18:12.42
you know, our own
little crew and online
00:18:12.45\00:18:14.66
we versus other clans
and our record was crazy,
00:18:14.69\00:18:18.19
it was like 76 and 2 or
something crazy like that.
00:18:18.23\00:18:23.60
And there was one time...
00:18:23.63\00:18:24.97
Because in order
for me to do that,
00:18:25.00\00:18:26.33
I had to be on the game,
00:18:26.37\00:18:28.24
from when I woke up
to when I went to sleep.
00:18:28.27\00:18:30.51
At least for a year I did that.
00:18:30.54\00:18:32.84
And I remember,
one day I just snapped,
00:18:32.87\00:18:35.24
I'm like I can't do this.
00:18:35.28\00:18:37.21
And I got to
find some other way,
00:18:37.25\00:18:39.18
you know, and that's when
I really got more into the,
00:18:39.21\00:18:43.08
you know, business
00:18:43.12\00:18:44.45
and 'cause I had
to find something,
00:18:44.49\00:18:46.29
I just couldn't sit
there and do that any longer,
00:18:46.32\00:18:50.13
I just wasting
my life away I felt.
00:18:50.16\00:18:52.79
See, you were a
mass of potential and...
00:18:52.83\00:18:58.40
Here is what I find.
00:18:58.43\00:18:59.80
When you look at your
life, God never wastes anything,
00:18:59.83\00:19:03.81
you know, all of
these experiences
00:19:03.84\00:19:05.57
become soil for
your resume, you know.
00:19:05.61\00:19:09.94
Okay, you made a mistake here,
00:19:09.98\00:19:11.35
this puts you in
this sort of arena.
00:19:11.38\00:19:14.65
But you're picking
up stuff in this arena
00:19:14.68\00:19:16.75
that you'll be
able to use later.
00:19:16.79\00:19:18.55
So there are so many times
in our lives when we look back,
00:19:18.59\00:19:20.92
we see, you know, God
is working on my resume.
00:19:20.96\00:19:22.29
Right.
00:19:22.32\00:19:23.66
He was actually giving me skills
00:19:23.69\00:19:25.06
that I will need later.
00:19:25.09\00:19:26.90
I'm making a mistake
00:19:26.93\00:19:28.26
but God doesn't let that
mistake be final or fatal.
00:19:28.30\00:19:31.63
He allows that
to build part of me
00:19:31.67\00:19:34.14
and later on I can
use that stuff, you know.
00:19:34.17\00:19:36.04
Absolutely. And it's
the same in your life.
00:19:36.07\00:19:38.24
You know, the God does
some things that is like,
00:19:38.27\00:19:40.24
"Okay, they may not be the best
00:19:40.28\00:19:42.04
but they become foundation
for what I'm doing now."
00:19:42.08\00:19:45.31
So God doesn't
waste stuff, you know.
00:19:45.35\00:19:46.95
And it's very important
to share that with people
00:19:46.98\00:19:49.18
because, you know, it's not...
00:19:49.22\00:19:51.62
So that you don't
go through it in vain.
00:19:51.65\00:19:54.16
You know,
somebody else is struggling
00:19:54.19\00:19:55.89
with possibly the same
thing that you went through.
00:19:55.92\00:19:58.43
And there is
somebody that you can reach
00:19:58.46\00:19:59.93
by sharing your
testimony and sharing
00:19:59.96\00:20:02.26
what God has
brought you through.
00:20:02.30\00:20:03.63
Yeah. Exactly.
00:20:03.67\00:20:05.00
Yeah, looking back
at those experiences,
00:20:05.03\00:20:06.37
you know, I'm able to talk
to people that have records,
00:20:06.40\00:20:08.47
that are having a hard time.
00:20:08.50\00:20:10.14
I'm able to talk to kids
00:20:10.17\00:20:11.51
who are addicted to video games.
00:20:11.54\00:20:13.41
And which just
happened a week or so ago,
00:20:13.44\00:20:16.85
you know, I'm
able to talk to people
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.25
who have been arrested,
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.68
people who have, you
know, been in the hip-hop scene,
00:20:20.72\00:20:23.99
people who have...
00:20:24.02\00:20:25.35
And so, as you
mentioned, the resume,
00:20:25.39\00:20:27.22
you know, I come to Christ
and all these things are here
00:20:27.26\00:20:30.96
that can help me I guess relate
00:20:30.99\00:20:33.60
and witness to
other people, so...
00:20:33.63\00:20:36.06
Yeah. It's interesting.
00:20:36.10\00:20:38.53
How you don't have
to have a jail history
00:20:38.57\00:20:45.31
to talk to the person
who has a jail history.
00:20:45.34\00:20:48.38
But it does legitimize you,
you know, it does give you...
00:20:48.41\00:20:50.81
I can say so and so and so.
00:20:50.85\00:20:55.52
And I say okay, fine.
00:20:55.55\00:20:56.89
But you can say, "No,
man, I was in the joint,
00:20:56.92\00:20:59.29
I know what you went through."
00:20:59.32\00:21:00.82
You know, so it does give
you some instant sort of creed
00:21:00.86\00:21:04.26
with those who have to
go there and you can say,
00:21:04.29\00:21:05.96
"I've been there, now I'm here."
00:21:05.99\00:21:07.86
Right. So this
is what God can do.
00:21:07.90\00:21:10.17
I think I want to put a pause,
hit the pause button here.
00:21:10.20\00:21:12.53
And go to our music
00:21:12.57\00:21:13.90
and sort of breathe a little bit
00:21:13.94\00:21:15.27
'cause here we got
a lot to talk about.
00:21:15.30\00:21:17.67
We got a lot to talk about.
00:21:17.71\00:21:19.31
Our music today is
coming from the Jim Brady Trio,
00:21:19.34\00:21:22.44
it's a good group of,
I'll say, young people.
00:21:22.48\00:21:25.35
Okay.
00:21:25.38\00:21:26.72
But, the Jim Brady Trio
came in just a little bit ago
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.78
and it's a music.
00:21:29.82\00:21:31.15
They are going
to be singing today,
00:21:31.19\00:21:32.52
"The Love of God".
00:21:32.55\00:21:33.89
You'll like this.
00:21:33.92\00:21:35.26
The love of God is greater far
00:21:49.07\00:21:55.31
Than tongue or
pen could ever tell
00:21:55.34\00:22:01.05
It goes beyond the highest star
00:22:01.08\00:22:06.76
And reaches to the lowest hell
00:22:06.79\00:22:12.39
The guilty pair,
bowed down with care
00:22:12.43\00:22:18.57
God gave His Son to win
00:22:18.60\00:22:25.34
His erring child
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.54
He reconciled
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.45
And pardoned from his sin
00:22:31.48\00:22:38.19
Could we with ink the ocean fill
00:22:53.40\00:23:00.28
And were the skies
00:23:00.31\00:23:02.98
Of parchment made
00:23:03.01\00:23:07.55
And every stalk
00:23:07.58\00:23:10.25
On earth a quill
00:23:10.29\00:23:14.62
And every man a scribe
00:23:14.66\00:23:19.09
By trade
00:23:19.13\00:23:23.73
To write the love
00:23:23.77\00:23:29.17
Of God above
00:23:29.20\00:23:32.14
Would drain the ocean dry
00:23:32.17\00:23:38.81
Nor could the
scroll contain the whole
00:23:38.85\00:23:44.55
Though stretched from sky
00:23:44.59\00:23:48.02
To sky
00:23:48.06\00:23:53.70
Oh, love of God
00:23:53.73\00:23:59.50
How rich and pure
00:23:59.53\00:24:02.37
How measureless
00:24:02.40\00:24:06.01
And strong
00:24:06.04\00:24:09.51
It shall forevermore endure
00:24:09.54\00:24:15.38
The saints' and angels'
00:24:15.42\00:24:19.85
Song
00:24:19.89\00:24:24.06
It shall forevermore
00:24:24.09\00:24:30.67
Endure
00:24:30.70\00:24:32.47
The saints' and angels'
00:24:32.50\00:24:36.77
Song
00:24:36.81\00:24:41.11
How wonderful
00:24:41.14\00:24:43.91
How marvelous
00:24:43.95\00:24:46.58
This precious love
00:24:46.61\00:24:52.25
Oh, God!
00:24:52.29\00:24:54.09
The precious love
00:24:54.12\00:24:57.99
Of God
00:24:58.03\00:25:04.40
Amen and amen.
00:25:12.11\00:25:13.44
Our good buddy Tim Parton
part of the Brady Trio there,
00:25:13.48\00:25:16.31
well done.
00:25:16.34\00:25:17.68
We're talking
with Eric Camarillo.
00:25:17.71\00:25:20.15
When we left, you were
kind of in some hot water, man.
00:25:20.18\00:25:24.12
Yeah, one would not think
that what that would result in
00:25:24.15\00:25:29.46
felony charges.
00:25:29.49\00:25:31.43
Your family is
trying to deal with that,
00:25:31.46\00:25:33.19
the whole bail
thing, trying to get money,
00:25:33.23\00:25:35.10
trying to get
you back into shape.
00:25:35.13\00:25:37.83
But it did serve to kind of
straighten you out a little bit
00:25:37.87\00:25:40.40
and give you a
different perspective on life.
00:25:40.44\00:25:42.20
Right, it did.
00:25:42.24\00:25:44.44
Tell us how Adventism
came into the picture,
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.28
and how you became part
of the Adventist Church?
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.31
So basically I had, you know...
00:25:49.34\00:25:54.65
I had a girlfriend at the time
00:25:54.68\00:25:58.32
and so her aunt
had given me a Bible,
00:25:58.35\00:26:03.22
the Christmas of 2009.
00:26:03.26\00:26:06.70
And I remember us
going through a breakup
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.83
and in January of 2010,
00:26:09.86\00:26:13.74
I was kind of
depressed about that,
00:26:13.77\00:26:15.50
and I remember
picking up my Bible.
00:26:15.54\00:26:18.57
I was feeling empty.
I picked up my Bible.
00:26:18.61\00:26:22.01
I hadn't even opened it,
00:26:22.04\00:26:23.38
ripped off the
plastic and everything.
00:26:23.41\00:26:24.75
I just flipped
through and started reading.
00:26:24.78\00:26:26.78
I flipped through,
00:26:26.82\00:26:28.18
and I noticed some
of the words were red,
00:26:28.22\00:26:30.62
they caught my attention,
00:26:30.65\00:26:31.99
and I started reading
the Sermon on the Mount.
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.96
And from there I
started to feel this comfort
00:26:34.99\00:26:38.73
that I hadn't felt before.
00:26:38.76\00:26:40.33
And then there were
some things that contradicted
00:26:40.36\00:26:42.86
what was
practiced as a Catholic,
00:26:42.90\00:26:44.83
you know, there was
a specific line said,
00:26:44.87\00:26:47.20
"Do not pray in vain repetition,
00:26:47.24\00:26:48.57
as the heathen do,
00:26:48.60\00:26:49.94
for they think
they will be heard
00:26:49.97\00:26:51.31
for their many words."
00:26:51.34\00:26:52.67
And I was like, "Wait, but,
you know, that's what I do."
00:26:52.71\00:26:55.34
You know, that's what we do,
like that's what Catholics do.
00:26:55.38\00:26:57.98
And so, so yeah, that
kind of is what opened.
00:26:58.01\00:27:01.88
And I started to think,
00:27:01.92\00:27:03.25
"Okay, well, I heard
the story of Adam and Eve,
00:27:03.28\00:27:04.62
let me read that.
00:27:04.65\00:27:05.99
I've heard about the
story of David and Goliath,
00:27:06.02\00:27:07.36
let me read
that from the Bible."
00:27:07.39\00:27:09.26
And that's what
started everything.
00:27:09.29\00:27:11.13
Okay, okay.
00:27:11.16\00:27:12.49
So you jumped from Matthew
5 back into the Old Testament,
00:27:12.53\00:27:15.76
back at the...
00:27:15.80\00:27:17.13
The Lord has kind of given you
what you needed at that time.
00:27:17.17\00:27:19.63
Right. Yeah.
00:27:19.67\00:27:21.00
So you're reading the Bible,
00:27:21.04\00:27:22.37
how does this
relationship began to grow?
00:27:22.40\00:27:23.87
So I remember
reading and reading...
00:27:23.91\00:27:27.38
My mom, you know, she
thought I was going crazy
00:27:27.41\00:27:29.84
'cause she had to
bring me food to my bed
00:27:29.88\00:27:32.18
because literally,
I was just waking up,
00:27:32.21\00:27:34.05
reading all day, going to sleep.
00:27:34.08\00:27:36.28
I'd go to the kitchen, I
have the Bible in my hand,
00:27:36.32\00:27:38.29
be reading.
00:27:38.32\00:27:40.06
And so, you know,
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.32
I started to read
things I didn't understand,
00:27:42.36\00:27:44.83
you know, I stepped
away from the stories
00:27:44.86\00:27:46.70
and started reading other things
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.20
and, you know, some
things in the New Testament,
00:27:48.23\00:27:50.57
there are some
things in the Old Testament.
00:27:50.60\00:27:52.30
And I remember calling
up three groups of friends.
00:27:52.33\00:27:55.47
And I asked them
to teach me the Bible.
00:27:55.50\00:27:58.64
And so one group
was my closer friends,
00:27:58.67\00:28:01.48
they were all nondenominational
00:28:01.51\00:28:05.31
and the other two groups
were actually Adventists.
00:28:05.35\00:28:08.68
And so I got to
learn both perspectives.
00:28:08.72\00:28:12.82
But the Adventist perspective
00:28:12.85\00:28:14.19
is what made the
most sense to me.
00:28:14.22\00:28:16.66
They went into
the Greek and Hebrew,
00:28:16.69\00:28:19.09
it just made sense logically.
00:28:19.13\00:28:21.76
And so I was
more attracted to that
00:28:21.80\00:28:24.10
and that's kind of where
I started to move toward.
00:28:24.13\00:28:27.90
So your mom thought
you were going crazy.
00:28:27.94\00:28:30.24
Yeah. So what
did she say to you?
00:28:30.27\00:28:32.14
What happened after that?
00:28:32.17\00:28:33.51
Well, it's funny because
00:28:33.54\00:28:36.04
she actually set
an appointment a week
00:28:36.08\00:28:38.51
after I started
reading the Bible
00:28:38.55\00:28:39.88
and doing all these things.
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.25
She set an appointment for
me to sit down with a priest.
00:28:41.28\00:28:43.95
So and he was a Filipino priest,
00:28:43.99\00:28:46.35
someone she knew.
00:28:46.39\00:28:47.72
And I was like,
"Okay, I guess I'll do that."
00:28:47.76\00:28:52.59
And so I remember,
00:28:52.63\00:28:53.96
I studied harder than
ever to prepare for that.
00:28:54.00\00:28:56.83
And I'm like, "Oh,
this guy is a priest,
00:28:56.87\00:28:58.20
he knows the stuff."
00:28:58.23\00:28:59.57
So I remember, I
typed seven pages of notes,
00:28:59.60\00:29:04.34
and I actually
probably still have
00:29:04.37\00:29:05.71
those notes somewhere,
00:29:05.74\00:29:08.14
you know, laying around.
00:29:08.18\00:29:09.54
But seven pages of notes
00:29:09.58\00:29:10.91
of what I was
starting to believe
00:29:10.95\00:29:12.41
and how I believed it...
00:29:12.45\00:29:14.85
How it made sense to me.
00:29:14.88\00:29:17.75
Yeah, and then I
went to the church,
00:29:17.79\00:29:19.72
and had that
one-on-one sit down.
00:29:19.75\00:29:21.29
Now, I got to ask you,
00:29:21.32\00:29:22.66
was this meeting with the priest
00:29:22.69\00:29:25.26
was he going to challenge you?
00:29:25.29\00:29:27.23
Was this like a test
kind of a confrontation?
00:29:27.26\00:29:30.73
What was going to be
the tenure of this meeting?
00:29:30.77\00:29:32.70
It was my mom told the priest
00:29:32.73\00:29:35.64
to basically bring me
back to the Catholic church.
00:29:35.67\00:29:37.37
Okay, to kind of
straighten you out.
00:29:37.41\00:29:38.77
Yes, yes.
00:29:38.81\00:29:40.14
And so I remember going there,
00:29:40.18\00:29:41.98
I sat down with
him, it was a small room.
00:29:42.01\00:29:43.71
My mom was actually with
me, I was glad about that.
00:29:43.75\00:29:46.55
So I could kind of
share, and she would listen,
00:29:46.58\00:29:48.58
she actually listen.
00:29:48.62\00:29:49.95
And so the first
thing I brought up
00:29:49.98\00:29:52.35
was Romans 3:23,
00:29:52.39\00:29:54.06
it says, "For all have sinned
00:29:54.09\00:29:55.42
and fallen short
of the glory of God."
00:29:55.46\00:29:56.79
So why is it that we
pray to other saints,
00:29:56.83\00:29:59.29
other people and
that are also sinners?
00:29:59.33\00:30:02.66
And I remember his responses...
00:30:02.70\00:30:04.63
All his responses I
felt kind of took away
00:30:04.67\00:30:08.20
from the Catholic belief
in order to not sound wrong
00:30:08.24\00:30:12.07
or not contradict
what I was saying.
00:30:12.11\00:30:15.74
And so he was like,
00:30:15.78\00:30:17.11
"Oh, well, we
don't pray to them.
00:30:17.15\00:30:18.48
We just acknowledge them.
00:30:18.51\00:30:19.85
The same way you
acknowledge your grandma,
00:30:19.88\00:30:21.72
there is a painting and
you're acknowledging her."
00:30:21.75\00:30:24.45
But I'm like,
you know, in my head,
00:30:24.49\00:30:26.15
I'm thinking there is
prayers that actually say,
00:30:26.19\00:30:28.92
you know, the
prayer to this saint,
00:30:28.96\00:30:30.29
the prayer to this
saint, Hail Mary is a prayer.
00:30:30.33\00:30:33.40
But I didn't want to
argue so I kind of left at that.
00:30:33.43\00:30:36.73
The next thing I
brought up was 1 Timothy 2:5,
00:30:36.77\00:30:39.33
"For there is one God
00:30:39.37\00:30:40.70
and one mediator
between God and man,
00:30:40.74\00:30:42.07
Jesus Christ."
00:30:42.10\00:30:43.44
And I'm like, why do we
have to confess our sins,
00:30:43.47\00:30:46.17
you know, to a priest?
00:30:46.21\00:30:48.21
And he said,
00:30:48.24\00:30:51.71
"You don't
confess your sins to us.
00:30:51.75\00:30:53.42
You just tell us your
sins and we intercede for you."
00:30:53.45\00:30:56.15
And so that also
00:30:56.18\00:30:58.45
I knew took away
from the Catholic belief.
00:30:58.49\00:31:02.29
And so, you know, but
again, I didn't want to argue,
00:31:02.32\00:31:04.69
you know, I
kind of left at that.
00:31:04.73\00:31:06.06
And the last thing I
brought up was the Sabbath.
00:31:06.09\00:31:08.53
Why is it that
the Sabbath was moved
00:31:08.56\00:31:11.33
from Saturday to Sunday?
00:31:11.37\00:31:14.07
You know, it's in
history, why was it moved?
00:31:14.10\00:31:16.14
And he told...
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.51
His response to me was,
"The Sabbath was always Sunday.
00:31:17.54\00:31:21.21
It was never changed."
00:31:21.24\00:31:22.58
And so after
that, I'm like okay,
00:31:22.61\00:31:24.41
this guy does not know
what he is talking about,
00:31:24.45\00:31:26.08
I'm just going to
end it right here.
00:31:26.11\00:31:29.48
But, you know, my
mom heard everything
00:31:29.52\00:31:31.12
and at the end he is like,
00:31:31.15\00:31:32.49
"Look, you have a New
King James Bible anyway,
00:31:32.52\00:31:34.59
you need a Catholic Bible."
00:31:34.62\00:31:36.83
I remember taking the Bible home
00:31:36.86\00:31:38.43
and I compared, I'm like,
00:31:38.46\00:31:39.79
"Oh, well, maybe
he just was answering
00:31:39.83\00:31:41.16
based on his Bible or whatever."
00:31:41.20\00:31:42.70
Verses were the same.
00:31:42.73\00:31:44.07
It was all the same,
00:31:44.10\00:31:45.83
there were certain changes
00:31:45.87\00:31:47.44
but in what I
was sharing with him,
00:31:47.47\00:31:49.40
the texts were the same.
00:31:49.44\00:31:50.77
So yeah, that was...
00:31:50.81\00:31:53.17
That actually
helped solidify my belief
00:31:53.21\00:31:55.21
that I was going in
the right direction.
00:31:55.24\00:31:57.05
And it's interesting
because the Catholic Church
00:31:57.08\00:31:59.11
actually admitted to
changing the Sabbath to Sunday.
00:31:59.15\00:32:03.32
Right. Yeah, yeah.
00:32:03.35\00:32:04.69
He has gone against the
dogma of his church fathers,
00:32:04.72\00:32:08.76
who proudly say,
00:32:08.79\00:32:10.13
"That shows how powerful
00:32:10.16\00:32:11.86
we are that we
made that change."
00:32:11.89\00:32:13.53
So that really
kind of locked you
00:32:13.56\00:32:15.06
into the fact that,
00:32:15.10\00:32:16.43
"Okay, it's time for
me to make this change?"
00:32:16.46\00:32:17.80
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:17.83\00:32:19.40
Where did you go from there
as far as pursuing Adventism?
00:32:19.43\00:32:22.10
Well, I ended up
googling an Adventist Church.
00:32:22.14\00:32:25.74
I wanted to find
an Adventist Church
00:32:25.77\00:32:28.51
that my mom would be
most likely to attend.
00:32:28.54\00:32:31.11
And that would have
be an Filipino church,
00:32:31.15\00:32:32.51
she is Filipino.
00:32:32.55\00:32:33.92
So I Googled
Adventist Filipino church,
00:32:33.95\00:32:35.68
I had heard
vaguely someone mentioned
00:32:35.72\00:32:37.69
that there was a
Filipino Adventist Church.
00:32:37.72\00:32:40.29
I googled it, I went
in, the first person I saw,
00:32:40.32\00:32:43.06
I said, I want to be baptized,
he was one of the elders.
00:32:43.09\00:32:46.23
I just walked in and
said, "I want to be baptized."
00:32:46.26\00:32:48.96
And I thought
that was just normal,
00:32:49.00\00:32:50.47
you know, I was
reading the Bible, I'm like...
00:32:50.50\00:32:53.34
And he was
like, "Oh, okay, well,
00:32:53.37\00:32:55.30
the pastor is not here
00:32:55.34\00:32:56.67
and, you know, let me get
on the phone with the pastor."
00:32:56.71\00:32:58.41
So he called the pastor,
00:32:58.44\00:32:59.77
pastor was at
another church and...
00:32:59.81\00:33:01.98
And yeah, then I started a study
00:33:02.01\00:33:03.35
with the pastor.
00:33:03.38\00:33:05.45
And after a month, I
was baptized on May 21st.
00:33:05.48\00:33:09.62
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:33:09.65\00:33:10.99
You know, a couple of
things popped into me.
00:33:11.02\00:33:12.69
Jason, I see with this,
00:33:12.72\00:33:14.06
we're going to be tight on time
'cause there's so much here.
00:33:14.09\00:33:16.62
You and your mom
are pretty close,
00:33:16.66\00:33:18.69
and you seem to have a very
caring nurturing relationship
00:33:18.73\00:33:20.80
as far as your mom is concerned.
00:33:20.83\00:33:22.36
When you left
that Catholic priest,
00:33:22.40\00:33:23.97
what was your mother's
take on that whole little deal
00:33:24.00\00:33:28.00
because obviously
you filed this under,
00:33:28.04\00:33:30.21
"I got to get out of here."
00:33:30.24\00:33:31.57
You know, but
where is she mentally
00:33:31.61\00:33:32.94
with this whole thing?
00:33:32.97\00:33:34.31
You know,
that's a good question.
00:33:34.34\00:33:35.68
She actually left
feeling disappointed
00:33:35.71\00:33:38.58
because she knew
that some of the things
00:33:38.61\00:33:41.38
that he said were not in
tune with the Catholic faith.
00:33:41.42\00:33:44.82
And so, she left disappointed,
00:33:44.85\00:33:46.35
she still
wanted me to come back.
00:33:46.39\00:33:48.89
But that was her
last resort, I guess.
00:33:48.92\00:33:51.43
And so, at that
point, there was nothing
00:33:51.46\00:33:54.03
more that can be done, you know.
00:33:54.06\00:33:55.63
But, yeah, she
left disappointed.
00:33:55.66\00:33:57.27
God bless her heart.
00:33:57.30\00:33:59.10
So now one month in,
you're baptized and you're in.
00:33:59.13\00:34:03.51
How are you feeling
about this new relationship?
00:34:03.54\00:34:06.01
I'm feeling good.
00:34:06.04\00:34:07.44
You know, it's...
00:34:07.48\00:34:08.81
I feel freedom, I feel,
00:34:08.84\00:34:10.85
I mean, just happier,
00:34:10.88\00:34:15.58
my countenance is different,
my goals have changed.
00:34:15.62\00:34:19.55
I remember my goal
before Christ was to...
00:34:19.59\00:34:23.66
I was very big in
the business world
00:34:23.69\00:34:25.39
after that whole thing happened,
00:34:25.43\00:34:26.76
I was into
sales, and I was like,
00:34:26.80\00:34:28.13
"Okay, you know..."
00:34:28.16\00:34:29.50
I listened to
motivational speakers a lot.
00:34:29.53\00:34:30.87
I'm like my goal is to
make a million dollars a year
00:34:30.90\00:34:32.33
at the age of 30
00:34:32.37\00:34:33.70
and to make it
every year there on
00:34:33.74\00:34:35.07
for the rest of my life.
00:34:35.10\00:34:36.44
That was my goal.
00:34:36.47\00:34:37.81
I remember when I was converted,
00:34:37.84\00:34:40.88
I started studying the Bible,
00:34:40.91\00:34:42.24
I went back to same start books,
00:34:42.28\00:34:43.61
I wrote that goal down.
00:34:43.65\00:34:44.98
I went to that same
book, I erased it and I put...
00:34:45.01\00:34:48.88
And I sat there for
a while, and I prayed,
00:34:48.92\00:34:50.72
and I'm like to win a
million souls for Christ
00:34:50.75\00:34:54.19
in my lifetime,
00:34:54.22\00:34:55.82
which was just crazy,
00:34:55.86\00:34:57.83
it's just crazy to think about
00:34:57.86\00:34:59.19
but having that there
in the back of my mind,
00:34:59.23\00:35:03.90
it helps keep me focused,
00:35:03.93\00:35:05.43
you know, it helps
keeps me remembering
00:35:05.47\00:35:07.64
what I am doing
all this for, you know.
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.97
But yeah, I was gung-ho,
00:35:10.01\00:35:11.67
and I remember
I had found a job,
00:35:11.71\00:35:13.81
and I was happy.
00:35:13.84\00:35:15.38
Actually,
working at bank, ironic,
00:35:15.41\00:35:17.55
with felony of forgery charges,
00:35:17.58\00:35:19.21
you know, I was
working at a bank.
00:35:19.25\00:35:22.75
It was expunged at that time.
00:35:22.78\00:35:24.19
And so, you know,
and I had a good job,
00:35:24.22\00:35:27.79
22 years old, $50, 000
a year, desk, suit, tie,
00:35:27.82\00:35:31.49
I'm like, I was just on
top of the world at that point.
00:35:31.53\00:35:34.53
Yeah, it was very good.
00:35:34.56\00:35:36.46
So then what happened,
why did you leave the bank?
00:35:36.50\00:35:40.17
Or when did you leave the
bank? What took place there?
00:35:40.20\00:35:42.97
Yeah, it's, you know,
00:35:43.00\00:35:44.77
I worked at the
bank, it was good,
00:35:44.81\00:35:46.91
I got my license,
00:35:46.94\00:35:48.54
you know, they paid
for me to get a license.
00:35:48.58\00:35:50.38
And I worked there,
00:35:50.41\00:35:52.85
you know, I started in
June and then in August,
00:35:52.88\00:35:56.72
they had asked me
to work on a Saturday.
00:35:56.75\00:35:58.99
Now my conviction on the Sabbath
00:35:59.02\00:36:01.26
wasn't fully there yet and so...
00:36:01.29\00:36:05.99
But I did go to the manager,
00:36:06.03\00:36:07.40
I did go to the
assistant manager,
00:36:07.43\00:36:08.76
I said, "You
know, I can't do that
00:36:08.80\00:36:11.43
because I'm the
Adventist Christian whatever."
00:36:11.47\00:36:12.80
And they are like,
00:36:12.83\00:36:14.17
"Well, all bankers have to work
00:36:14.20\00:36:15.54
every other
Sabbath now or whatever,
00:36:15.57\00:36:17.44
every other Saturday."
00:36:17.47\00:36:19.04
And so I ended up doing it.
00:36:19.07\00:36:22.48
The next month came
September, October, November.
00:36:22.51\00:36:25.95
Actually, it was in
September that happened.
00:36:25.98\00:36:28.12
In October,
00:36:28.15\00:36:30.09
you know, I felt
conviction still,
00:36:30.12\00:36:32.29
I went to the district manager,
00:36:32.32\00:36:36.89
"Nothing we can do."
00:36:36.93\00:36:38.99
The next month November, I
went to HR and to regional,
00:36:39.03\00:36:44.20
"Nothing we can do."
00:36:44.23\00:36:45.57
And so at that point, I'm like,
00:36:45.60\00:36:47.04
"Okay, I guess,
you know, God..."
00:36:47.07\00:36:48.90
My rationalization
was, "Well, God led me here,
00:36:48.94\00:36:51.44
so I'll donate the money
I make on Saturday to God.
00:36:51.47\00:36:55.98
I'll witness to
people at my desk,
00:36:56.01\00:36:57.78
you know, I'll make
sure to be more intentional
00:36:57.81\00:36:59.15
about witnessing on Saturday."
00:36:59.18\00:37:00.52
You were trying
to massage your way
00:37:00.55\00:37:01.88
through the thing, yeah.
00:37:01.92\00:37:03.25
Yeah, exactly.
00:37:03.28\00:37:04.62
And it wasn't until
February of the next year
00:37:04.65\00:37:07.39
that something just clicked
00:37:07.42\00:37:09.49
and my relationship with
God was just going downhill.
00:37:09.52\00:37:12.96
And I knew what
it was, you know,
00:37:12.99\00:37:14.96
'cause, you know, you
can repent for something,
00:37:15.00\00:37:19.10
you know, and
feel better about it
00:37:19.13\00:37:20.94
and, you know, know
that God has forgiven you.
00:37:20.97\00:37:23.64
But in this case,
this was a scheduled sin,
00:37:23.67\00:37:26.94
it was something
that was on my calendar.
00:37:26.98\00:37:29.08
I knew I can repent,
00:37:29.11\00:37:31.11
but then I knew two weeks later
00:37:31.15\00:37:32.48
I was going to
do the same thing.
00:37:32.51\00:37:33.98
So my relationship, it
was just going downhill,
00:37:34.02\00:37:36.18
I was hiding more
and more from God.
00:37:36.22\00:37:38.89
And it wasn't until two friends
came over that just something,
00:37:38.92\00:37:42.02
something clicked in me.
00:37:42.06\00:37:43.39
Yeah, yeah.
00:37:43.43\00:37:44.76
I'll have to move you along
because there is so much here
00:37:44.79\00:37:47.16
because you eventually
had to leave that job.
00:37:47.20\00:37:51.30
I did leave. I
ended up going into work.
00:37:51.33\00:37:55.97
I have 500 bucks in
the savings account.
00:37:56.00\00:37:58.37
I went into work,
and I went to my...
00:37:58.41\00:38:01.11
This was very difficult for me,
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.18
you know, 22
years, no college degree,
00:38:03.21\00:38:04.68
this was my dream,
that's what I wanted.
00:38:04.71\00:38:07.58
I love my job.
00:38:07.62\00:38:09.22
I went to my boss, and I
said, "I can't do this anymore."
00:38:09.25\00:38:12.19
He is like,
"What? Why can't you do?"
00:38:12.22\00:38:13.56
I'm like, "I can't
keep working on the Sabbath,
00:38:13.59\00:38:16.12
you know, it's affecting
my relationship with God."
00:38:16.16\00:38:19.26
And he is like, "Well,
every banker has to do it,
00:38:19.29\00:38:21.40
you know, I don't
know what to tell you."
00:38:21.43\00:38:23.73
"Okay, well, I
resign, I'm done, you know."
00:38:23.77\00:38:26.97
And so he is like...
00:38:27.00\00:38:28.34
He was shocked
and he responding,
00:38:28.37\00:38:30.17
he is like, "Type up
your resignation then."
00:38:30.21\00:38:32.71
So I go to my desk.
00:38:32.74\00:38:35.44
I type up my resignation,
I lay it on his desk,
00:38:35.48\00:38:40.42
I go to the bathroom, and I cry.
00:38:40.45\00:38:42.48
I cry for 5 to 10
minutes in the bathroom.
00:38:42.52\00:38:45.85
And I'm like,
"God, what do I do?"
00:38:45.89\00:38:49.72
I have 500 bucks in
the savings account,
00:38:49.76\00:38:51.29
I have $2, 000
worth of bills to pay,
00:38:51.33\00:38:53.16
I was living on
my own at this point,
00:38:53.19\00:38:55.10
I had car payment, rent,
00:38:55.13\00:38:57.87
you know, I had all these things
00:38:57.90\00:38:59.60
I had to pay
for, and I didn't know
00:38:59.63\00:39:00.97
what was going to
happen after that.
00:39:01.00\00:39:02.34
That's a major step
of faith. Absolutely.
00:39:02.37\00:39:04.11
It was very difficult
but God got me through.
00:39:04.14\00:39:08.11
Yeah.
00:39:08.14\00:39:09.48
So continuing on,
like, you were out of a job
00:39:09.51\00:39:14.52
but then how did you
become employed again?
00:39:14.55\00:39:17.65
Did you get some
other form of employment?
00:39:17.69\00:39:20.26
Yeah, you know,
I didn't get a job
00:39:20.29\00:39:25.16
after that point
00:39:25.19\00:39:27.70
that could actually pay
my bills for six months.
00:39:27.73\00:39:31.67
And it's crazy
because God provided
00:39:31.70\00:39:33.17
every single time,
00:39:33.20\00:39:34.54
you know, just a quick
example, the first month,
00:39:34.57\00:39:37.47
I had 500 bucks in
the savings account,
00:39:37.51\00:39:40.31
I have 500 bucks
that came from like sick
00:39:40.34\00:39:42.78
and vacation time or whatever.
00:39:42.81\00:39:44.58
I had a 1,000 bucks to make up.
00:39:44.61\00:39:46.11
On the last day of the month,
00:39:46.15\00:39:47.48
a 1, 000 dollar
direct deposit hit my bank.
00:39:47.52\00:39:49.72
And I'm like,
"Where did this come from?"
00:39:49.75\00:39:51.62
And it's like
Chase. I'm like, "Chase?
00:39:51.65\00:39:53.46
Why are they paying
me? I'm done, you know."
00:39:53.49\00:39:55.92
I called them
up, and I find out.
00:39:55.96\00:39:57.33
And they are like,
00:39:57.36\00:39:58.69
"Oh, well, you
worked four days in February
00:39:58.73\00:40:00.73
so what that means
00:40:00.76\00:40:02.10
so since you're still
on the books for February,
00:40:02.13\00:40:04.37
all your
customer and your clients
00:40:04.40\00:40:06.10
actually got products
without you being there.
00:40:06.13\00:40:08.74
So you got paid
$1,000 of commission."
00:40:08.77\00:40:10.14
More commission
00:40:10.17\00:40:11.51
than the other
bankers that were there
00:40:11.54\00:40:12.87
the whole month
while I was at home.
00:40:12.91\00:40:17.05
Wow.
00:40:17.08\00:40:18.55
And so God provided
there, I'm like, yes.
00:40:18.58\00:40:20.95
And then, you know, next month
I got a job as a dishwasher
00:40:20.98\00:40:23.42
making 500 bucks a month.
00:40:23.45\00:40:24.79
And God always made
up the extra $1,500.
00:40:24.82\00:40:26.92
Another job the next
month, 1,000 bucks a month,
00:40:26.96\00:40:28.82
God made up the 1,000.
00:40:28.86\00:40:30.19
It just continued
00:40:30.23\00:40:31.56
until finally two
dentists called me up,
00:40:31.59\00:40:34.13
and I remember Dr. Neubrander's,
00:40:34.16\00:40:37.23
they called me up,
00:40:37.27\00:40:38.60
I just saw him the
other day, we caught up.
00:40:38.63\00:40:40.77
They said, "We
heard your testimony.
00:40:40.80\00:40:44.77
We know you don't
have any experience
00:40:44.81\00:40:46.14
in dental assisting or whatever.
00:40:46.17\00:40:47.98
But we want to hire
you as a dental assistant,
00:40:48.01\00:40:50.38
we'll pay you
the amount of money
00:40:50.41\00:40:51.75
you need to survive."
00:40:51.78\00:40:53.21
And go from there.
00:40:53.25\00:40:54.65
Now you didn't
go seeking this job,
00:40:54.68\00:40:56.02
this job kind of
walked towards you.
00:40:56.05\00:40:57.39
They called me. Yeah.
00:40:57.42\00:40:59.59
They called me,
yeah. It was crazy.
00:40:59.62\00:41:02.46
So how long were
you at this position
00:41:02.49\00:41:04.39
and what happened there?
00:41:04.43\00:41:06.16
Yeah, I was there for
about a year and half.
00:41:06.19\00:41:08.16
You know, at this time
00:41:08.20\00:41:09.53
I'm still in school
getting my bachelor's
00:41:09.56\00:41:10.90
and all of that, you know.
00:41:10.93\00:41:12.33
So I was trying
to balance all that,
00:41:12.37\00:41:14.10
SALT had started at that time.
00:41:14.14\00:41:16.47
And so, yeah, I was
there for about year and half,
00:41:16.50\00:41:19.74
and then I had
to end up quitting.
00:41:19.77\00:41:23.04
Again, I quit my job.
00:41:23.08\00:41:25.71
And the reason was because SALT
00:41:25.75\00:41:27.42
had its one year anniversary
00:41:27.45\00:41:29.28
and we had about
850 young adults come up
00:41:29.32\00:41:31.49
for an AY event
that we were hosting,
00:41:31.52\00:41:33.92
the worship and everything.
00:41:33.96\00:41:35.29
And at that point SALT
did not have structure,
00:41:35.32\00:41:37.66
you know, I was young...
00:41:37.69\00:41:39.03
I was 22, 23 when I
started this organization.
00:41:39.06\00:41:41.16
I didn't know how
to do any of that.
00:41:41.20\00:41:43.93
Now let's pivot hard
in the direction of SALT.
00:41:43.97\00:41:45.97
First of all, where
did it come from the idea,
00:41:46.00\00:41:48.30
and when it started,
what did you have in mind
00:41:48.34\00:41:50.44
or what did God
plant in you for SALT?
00:41:50.47\00:41:52.37
Because now you're doing
00:41:52.41\00:41:53.74
this whole
dental assistance thing
00:41:53.78\00:41:55.44
but God's got a
whole other agenda for you.
00:41:55.48\00:41:57.28
So let's kind of
pivot in that direction,
00:41:57.31\00:41:59.68
where did it come from
with the idea of doing what?
00:41:59.71\00:42:02.95
So SALT is an acronym for
Service And Love Together.
00:42:02.98\00:42:06.35
The idea was...
00:42:06.39\00:42:08.22
And the reason why it
sparked was because in the area,
00:42:08.26\00:42:11.16
the churches seemed
00:42:11.19\00:42:12.53
to all kind of like
doing their own thing.
00:42:12.56\00:42:14.66
And we wanted
to create something
00:42:14.70\00:42:16.03
where it would be able to
unite the people in that area,
00:42:16.06\00:42:21.27
not just to unite them
for worship but just to serve,
00:42:21.30\00:42:24.44
to make an
impact in the community.
00:42:24.47\00:42:25.87
The second thing we saw a lack
00:42:25.91\00:42:27.68
of practical
outreach being done,
00:42:27.71\00:42:29.78
community service being done,
00:42:29.81\00:42:31.28
and a lack of
consistent outreach being done.
00:42:31.31\00:42:34.32
So relationships
were not being built,
00:42:34.35\00:42:36.38
and we wanted to do
Christ method of evangelism
00:42:36.42\00:42:38.25
which was creating
those relationships.
00:42:38.29\00:42:40.52
Now this was you
and a group of people,
00:42:40.56\00:42:41.89
something that started
00:42:41.92\00:42:43.26
kind of in your
mind that you kind of,
00:42:43.29\00:42:44.69
let me use the word,
infected others with?
00:42:44.73\00:42:46.70
Where was the genesis of that?
00:42:46.73\00:42:48.06
So it first was a
thought that I had,
00:42:48.10\00:42:51.63
I shared it with
two friends of mine
00:42:51.67\00:42:53.84
that were also
leaders in the church
00:42:53.87\00:42:56.24
I was at that time.
00:42:56.27\00:42:57.91
And they helped kind of build it
00:42:57.94\00:43:00.94
from ground up, we
made a name together,
00:43:00.98\00:43:03.55
we started, you know,
00:43:03.58\00:43:04.91
first couple of events together.
00:43:04.95\00:43:06.65
Our first event was
in September of 2011.
00:43:06.68\00:43:11.25
And we had about 150
young adults come out
00:43:11.29\00:43:13.89
from different churches.
00:43:13.92\00:43:15.69
And then the next
one was in November, 250.
00:43:15.72\00:43:17.86
And then, our year anniversary
which is in September of 2012,
00:43:17.89\00:43:22.66
we had a 150 people come out.
00:43:22.70\00:43:24.27
So it was
growing, it was growing.
00:43:24.30\00:43:27.40
So the idea was to
get young people together
00:43:27.44\00:43:30.34
to make an impact outside
00:43:30.37\00:43:32.31
of the church in the community.
00:43:32.34\00:43:33.68
Exactly. Exactly.
00:43:33.71\00:43:35.04
What are some examples of
how you have made an impact?
00:43:35.08\00:43:39.15
What are some of the things
00:43:39.18\00:43:40.52
that you do to
reach the community?
00:43:40.55\00:43:42.28
So right now, we
have a homeless outreach
00:43:42.32\00:43:47.16
that we do breakfast,
00:43:47.19\00:43:48.92
and now we're doing
actually a dinner now
00:43:48.96\00:43:51.33
but we're doing dinner,
00:43:51.36\00:43:52.69
we have a clothing
trailer called Change.
00:43:52.73\00:43:56.83
And so we're
able to bring clothing
00:43:56.87\00:43:58.97
to the homeless downtown,
00:43:59.00\00:44:00.34
we find a lack of dress clothing
00:44:00.37\00:44:02.87
for the homeless there,
they didn't have access to that
00:44:02.90\00:44:04.67
so we have that
clothing trailer there.
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.17
And we're actually about
to purchase a shower trailer
00:44:06.21\00:44:07.91
as well for the homeless.
00:44:07.94\00:44:09.51
So that the
homeless can take a shower,
00:44:09.54\00:44:11.61
get changed, and
then go to a job,
00:44:11.65\00:44:13.88
go do what they
need to do, you know.
00:44:13.92\00:44:18.19
We're actually just pending
00:44:18.22\00:44:19.72
one donation, that's on its way,
00:44:19.75\00:44:22.12
once that donation comes,
we're making that purchase.
00:44:22.16\00:44:24.03
I actually have a
picture of a design
00:44:24.06\00:44:26.19
of that shower trailer too.
00:44:26.23\00:44:28.06
Yeah.
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.43
So it is
something that's coming up.
00:44:29.46\00:44:30.97
While that picture is coming,
00:44:31.00\00:44:34.80
the idea behind SALT
00:44:34.84\00:44:36.91
then is active
community involvement.
00:44:36.94\00:44:40.24
Yes.
00:44:40.28\00:44:41.61
Is there a spiritual component
00:44:41.64\00:44:42.98
as far as teaching is concerned,
00:44:43.01\00:44:44.35
or is this just really helping
00:44:44.38\00:44:45.71
those who
cannot help themselves?
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.08
So there is a
spiritual component.
00:44:47.12\00:44:49.05
Every year, we have
an evangelistic series.
00:44:49.08\00:44:51.05
Our harvest director
is Lo-Ammi Richardson.
00:44:51.09\00:44:53.89
And so we hop at
different places to do
00:44:53.92\00:44:56.09
this evangelistic
series to harvest the seeds
00:44:56.12\00:44:58.13
that were planted
throughout the year.
00:44:58.16\00:45:00.43
So, for example,
this year our goal
00:45:00.46\00:45:02.86
is to have an
evangelistic series
00:45:02.90\00:45:04.23
for our homeless friends.
00:45:04.27\00:45:05.67
They all hangout
around the library,
00:45:05.70\00:45:07.04
we're going to rent
a room in the library
00:45:07.07\00:45:08.70
like a big conference
room 100 people, have food,
00:45:08.74\00:45:12.67
and, you know,
we'll be launching
00:45:12.71\00:45:14.28
our shower trailer at that time.
00:45:14.31\00:45:16.34
We'll be able to meet
needs at the same time they can,
00:45:16.38\00:45:19.85
you know, sit for
the evangelistic series
00:45:19.88\00:45:21.85
that we're going to be
having, and go from there.
00:45:21.88\00:45:25.22
So that's kind
of one of the ways
00:45:25.25\00:45:26.72
that we're doing that.
00:45:26.76\00:45:28.09
Let me ask, are
those pictures ready
00:45:28.12\00:45:29.46
'cause I really
want to go to those
00:45:29.49\00:45:30.96
and kind of take a look
00:45:30.99\00:45:32.33
at what we're dealing with here.
00:45:32.36\00:45:34.80
Particularly,
that shower trailer.
00:45:34.83\00:45:36.70
There is the outline there.
00:45:36.73\00:45:38.60
It's four
bathrooms, four showers,
00:45:38.63\00:45:42.67
and it's about
$35,000, you know, the quote,
00:45:42.70\00:45:46.51
I think there is 38,
yeah, $38,000 actually.
00:45:46.54\00:45:50.15
So that's kind of
one of the programs,
00:45:50.18\00:45:52.11
I actually have a picture
of the change trailer too.
00:45:52.15\00:45:53.58
So this is something
you can just tow and...
00:45:53.62\00:45:57.55
So do you have a truck?
00:45:57.59\00:45:58.92
You're going to need
a truck for this also?
00:45:58.95\00:46:00.32
We're going to need a truck.
00:46:00.36\00:46:02.09
We are going to need a truck
00:46:02.12\00:46:03.46
'cause our
change trailer already
00:46:03.49\00:46:04.83
is being towed by a truck.
00:46:04.86\00:46:06.19
By a truck, so you need
second one for this one.
00:46:06.23\00:46:07.70
Yeah, that's a big concern.
00:46:07.73\00:46:10.43
That's our change trailer,
00:46:10.47\00:46:11.80
that's one for the clothing
for our homeless friends.
00:46:11.83\00:46:15.30
Yeah, it looks inside...
00:46:15.34\00:46:16.71
And we have some
carpenters donate their time
00:46:16.74\00:46:18.67
and they designed it,
it's like a big closet.
00:46:18.71\00:46:22.31
Yeah, but it's nice,
it's nice. Praise the Lord.
00:46:22.34\00:46:25.11
And another program
we're launching here...
00:46:25.15\00:46:27.95
This month
actually we're launching,
00:46:27.98\00:46:29.88
in the midst of launching,
00:46:29.92\00:46:31.25
a tutoring program for
kids in section A complex.
00:46:31.29\00:46:34.32
Yeah, that's kind
of the list of our...
00:46:34.36\00:46:36.36
That first part it's
kind of the homeless program,
00:46:36.39\00:46:38.53
how that's going to be designed,
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.00
under that is
our tutoring program.
00:46:40.03\00:46:42.00
We hired a head tutor,
00:46:42.03\00:46:43.37
we have about
three volunteer tutors
00:46:43.40\00:46:44.90
at the moment,
00:46:44.93\00:46:46.27
and we have 12 kids
that we're working with,
00:46:46.30\00:46:48.60
working with
their parents as well.
00:46:48.64\00:46:50.71
And we'll be
focusing on Math and reading.
00:46:50.74\00:46:53.14
And we'll be tutoring
right their in the club house
00:46:53.17\00:46:55.14
and in their community.
00:46:55.18\00:46:57.61
And we're also going to
employ the high school students
00:46:57.65\00:47:00.78
in that community
to also help tutor.
00:47:00.82\00:47:03.32
So they will be making money
and also money will be going
00:47:03.35\00:47:05.55
to a scholarship fund for them.
00:47:05.59\00:47:07.86
So that the
donations that go toward that,
00:47:07.89\00:47:11.19
I mean, not only
they covering supplies
00:47:11.23\00:47:12.56
for tutoring program
00:47:12.59\00:47:13.93
but they are also
helping a high school student
00:47:13.96\00:47:16.20
'cause we've seen...
00:47:16.23\00:47:17.57
We've been in that
community for five, six years
00:47:17.60\00:47:19.07
and we've seen
high school students
00:47:19.10\00:47:21.84
so much
potential but they end up,
00:47:21.87\00:47:24.81
you know, one
of them dropped out
00:47:24.84\00:47:26.21
and started
selling drugs, you know.
00:47:26.24\00:47:28.88
And he is so
smart, so much potential,
00:47:28.91\00:47:31.68
and we wanted to
be able to find a way
00:47:31.71\00:47:33.88
to reach these kids
00:47:33.92\00:47:35.25
and also help
00:47:35.28\00:47:36.62
the high school
students as well.
00:47:36.65\00:47:38.02
So... Couple of things.
00:47:38.05\00:47:39.85
And I see my time is
slipping away from me,
00:47:39.89\00:47:41.52
but we spent a lot of
time on your personal testimony
00:47:41.56\00:47:44.66
because I wanted to get to know
00:47:44.69\00:47:46.13
the man that God
would plant this idea
00:47:46.16\00:47:49.70
in his mind because
it's not revolutionary,
00:47:49.73\00:47:52.03
but it certainly is timely.
00:47:52.07\00:47:53.60
It is something that
the world needs right now.
00:47:53.64\00:47:57.61
Are you 501c3? We are.
00:47:57.64\00:47:59.01
Okay, okay.
00:47:59.04\00:48:00.38
So we can donate to you
00:48:00.41\00:48:01.74
and get a little
receipt for that kind of thing.
00:48:01.78\00:48:03.11
Exactly, yes.
00:48:03.14\00:48:04.48
And which is
important, which is important.
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.31
Your basic area of function
is where at this point in time?
00:48:06.35\00:48:12.02
We currently do
not have an office.
00:48:12.05\00:48:14.99
We're working out
of different places,
00:48:15.02\00:48:17.16
different
churches, my apartment.
00:48:17.19\00:48:19.86
You know, but that is something
we're looking toward to,
00:48:19.89\00:48:22.56
to have a place.
00:48:22.60\00:48:24.63
Yeah, yeah. Now you are working?
00:48:24.67\00:48:27.24
Yes. In school?
00:48:27.27\00:48:28.67
Yes. And doing SALT?
00:48:28.70\00:48:31.34
And the Lord is still squeezing
that into 24 hours a day.
00:48:31.37\00:48:33.84
Yes, He is. Yes,
He is. It's hard.
00:48:33.88\00:48:36.11
The master's program...
00:48:36.14\00:48:37.48
My master's is going to
be a non-profit management.
00:48:37.51\00:48:39.61
I do graduate this December,
00:48:39.65\00:48:41.02
but it's definitely
hard to juggle everything.
00:48:41.05\00:48:44.09
Yeah, very hard.
00:48:44.12\00:48:45.45
But we have about 20 leaders
so dividing between all them
00:48:45.49\00:48:49.72
and as we get more leaders in,
00:48:49.76\00:48:51.43
it's kind of
helping take the load off.
00:48:51.46\00:48:52.86
That's my next question.
00:48:52.89\00:48:54.46
So it's divided,
the work is divided.
00:48:54.50\00:48:55.83
Yes.
00:48:55.86\00:48:57.20
You might have to write
a book on time management.
00:48:57.23\00:48:58.57
Oh, I'm not the
best at that yet.
00:48:58.60\00:49:01.40
I still have a long way to go.
00:49:01.44\00:49:03.27
I will say that the leaders,
you know, I love all of them,
00:49:03.30\00:49:06.54
they put so much
time, so much effort,
00:49:06.57\00:49:08.58
they are all lay
people, all young adults.
00:49:08.61\00:49:11.21
And just their
dedication to the ministry,
00:49:11.25\00:49:13.65
to help it run is just
amazing, and it's helping a lot.
00:49:13.68\00:49:17.85
One of the things that
I really love about SALT
00:49:17.89\00:49:19.62
is its practical Christianity.
00:49:19.65\00:49:22.12
You're not just saying,
"Oh, I'll pray for you."
00:49:22.16\00:49:24.99
And leaving it at that,
00:49:25.03\00:49:26.36
you're meeting
the people's needs,
00:49:26.39\00:49:28.03
you're establishing
what their needs are,
00:49:28.06\00:49:30.07
and you're meeting them,
00:49:30.10\00:49:31.43
and you're ending in evangelism.
00:49:31.47\00:49:33.10
And I think that is just awesome
00:49:33.13\00:49:35.40
and so needed.
00:49:35.44\00:49:36.97
Well said, well said.
00:49:37.01\00:49:38.34
So basically, all of the people
that are involved with SALT
00:49:38.37\00:49:40.88
at this point are
volunteer individuals?
00:49:40.91\00:49:42.98
They are all volunteer.
00:49:43.01\00:49:44.65
We're paying a small
stipend to our head tutor
00:49:44.68\00:49:48.18
to help the
program keep running.
00:49:48.22\00:49:50.05
Besides that, ultimately
00:49:50.09\00:49:51.69
we do want to
start paying people
00:49:51.72\00:49:53.59
when we can average
00:49:53.62\00:49:54.96
a good amount of
donations per month
00:49:54.99\00:49:56.52
and make some income.
00:49:56.56\00:49:58.16
So right now your
donations are really going back
00:49:58.19\00:49:59.96
into the infrastructure,
and the hardware,
00:50:00.00\00:50:02.86
and the equipment that
you need to run the program.
00:50:02.90\00:50:04.97
Every donation is going straight
00:50:05.00\00:50:07.14
to the work.
00:50:07.17\00:50:08.50
And I wanted to establish
that that nobody is dipping in,
00:50:08.54\00:50:10.51
nobody is getting
money out of this.
00:50:10.54\00:50:12.04
Your money is going
back into buying stuff
00:50:12.07\00:50:15.54
that the community can use that,
00:50:15.58\00:50:16.91
that enhances
the program of SALT.
00:50:16.95\00:50:18.41
Exactly, exactly,
yeah. Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:50:18.45\00:50:21.28
I do want to say, I
want to thank the watchers,
00:50:21.32\00:50:24.65
the people who
are watching this show
00:50:24.69\00:50:26.02
because of us being
on here in last year,
00:50:26.05\00:50:28.72
talking about SALT
and sharing what we do,
00:50:28.76\00:50:32.79
we brought in over
$22,000 in donations
00:50:32.83\00:50:36.36
from people watching.
00:50:36.40\00:50:37.73
And one of those
individuals donated $16,500.
00:50:37.77\00:50:42.50
And so, you know, I just...
00:50:42.54\00:50:44.34
She might be watching now,
00:50:44.37\00:50:45.97
you know, I just want
to thank all of the donors
00:50:46.01\00:50:48.38
that have donated so far.
00:50:48.41\00:50:50.71
Yeah, yeah, and for
which we praise the Lord.
00:50:50.75\00:50:52.71
But your goals are ambitious
but they are God blessed.
00:50:52.75\00:50:57.25
You know, Jason, you're saying,
00:50:57.29\00:50:58.62
you're working on
your master's now.
00:50:58.65\00:50:59.99
So we go from a guy
00:51:00.02\00:51:01.36
with a whole handful of felonies
00:51:01.39\00:51:03.19
to the founder of a
ministry who God is using,
00:51:03.22\00:51:06.49
who has gone through
his undergrad degree,
00:51:06.53\00:51:08.60
now in his graduate work
and still carrying on his work
00:51:08.63\00:51:10.77
for the Lord.
00:51:10.80\00:51:12.13
You are a testament to
the goodness of the Lord
00:51:12.17\00:51:15.67
and what God can
do through a person
00:51:15.70\00:51:17.87
once you dedicate
your life to them.
00:51:17.91\00:51:19.87
And it doesn't really matter,
Jason, what your past is.
00:51:19.91\00:51:23.41
And you know this,
00:51:23.45\00:51:24.78
I'm not telling you
that you don't know...
00:51:24.81\00:51:26.15
Absolutely.
00:51:26.18\00:51:27.52
That once you
kind of make that pivot
00:51:27.55\00:51:28.88
and surrender to God,
00:51:28.92\00:51:30.25
God can take and
do some stuff for you,
00:51:30.29\00:51:31.85
with you, to you, through
you that will surprise even you.
00:51:31.89\00:51:34.89
Yes, that's right. Praise God.
00:51:34.92\00:51:36.26
Yeah. And SALT is a great thing.
00:51:36.29\00:51:37.63
Want to go right
through the contact information.
00:51:37.66\00:51:40.53
And we're gonna leap over
into our time a little bit
00:51:40.56\00:51:42.20
but this is a
great ministry obviously,
00:51:42.23\00:51:45.00
one that deserves your prayers,
and your financial support.
00:51:45.03\00:51:49.97
SALT is doing a great
work, and it's something
00:51:50.01\00:51:51.84
that can be
replicated in other areas.
00:51:51.87\00:51:55.14
So if you want to, one,
00:51:55.18\00:51:58.18
fund this or
help with the funding,
00:51:58.21\00:52:00.22
two, you want to
talk to Eric to try to see
00:52:00.25\00:52:02.38
how maybe you can do something
00:52:02.42\00:52:03.82
allied to this, or akin to this,
00:52:03.85\00:52:05.65
or parallel to
this in your area,
00:52:05.69\00:52:07.59
here is the contact
information that you need.
00:52:07.62\00:52:11.63
Service and Love Together
or SALT for short is a youth
00:52:11.66\00:52:15.63
and young adult ministry
00:52:15.66\00:52:17.27
that reflects the
character of Christ
00:52:17.30\00:52:19.63
through relational evangelism,
00:52:19.67\00:52:21.77
meeting the needs of others,
equipping people for service,
00:52:21.80\00:52:25.34
and fostering spiritual growth.
00:52:25.37\00:52:27.91
To learn more about SALT,
00:52:27.94\00:52:29.51
visit their
website SaltOutreach.org.
00:52:29.54\00:52:33.18
That's SaltOutreach.org.
00:52:33.21\00:52:36.28
Or call them at area code
00:52:36.32\00:52:37.82
(407) 712-0687.
00:52:37.85\00:52:43.02
You may also write to SALT,
00:52:43.06\00:52:45.13
136 Blue Pointe
Way Apartment 360
00:52:45.16\00:52:49.10
in Altamonte
Springs, Florida 32701.
00:52:49.13\00:52:53.37