As you're well aware,
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we're living in
unprecedented times.
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Join us now for
Today special program.
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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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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, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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I'm JD Quinn.
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And we are so glad
that you have joined us
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for 3ABN Today.
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We have this hour,
a powerful testimony.
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Amen.
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A testimony...
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This is not really...
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What all this is to do
today is to lift Jesus high
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so that He can
draw all unto Himself.
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Because we have a
testimony of a young man
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who was going
down the wrong path,
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and God got his attention.
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The scripture it
reminds me of is Psalm 129:4.
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Psalm 129:4 says,
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"The Lord is righteous.
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He has cut in pieces
the cord of the wicked."
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Whatever is binding you today,
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know that God can cut you free.
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Amen.
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So you want to
introduce our special guest?
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I would certainly.
This is Chris Lane.
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Chris is a big guy.
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Good looking guy,
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but the Lord is just
working all over him.
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And so tell us a little
bit about yourself, Chris.
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Introduce yourself to the people
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that want to know who you are.
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Well, and before...
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We don't want to go
into your history yet,
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because we got to have music.
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But you're... What
are you currently doing?
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Tell us that.
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So currently, I'm
working as a Bible worker
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in Wildwood, Georgia.
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Okay, wonderful.
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And you have an
amazing testimony.
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Well, praise the Lord.
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And He does get all
the glory, doesn't He?
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But before that,
we need to do a music.
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Most certainly.
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And it's our pastor,
Pastor John Lomacang,
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and he's going to be
singing, "I Will Go."
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Give me ears to hear your Spirit
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Give me feet to follow through
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Give me hands to
touch the hurting
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And the faith to follow you
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Give me grace to be a servant
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Give me mercy for the lost
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Give me passion for your glory
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Give me passion
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For the cross
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And I will go where
there are no easy roads
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Leave the comfort that I know
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I will go
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And let this journey be my home
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I will go
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I will go
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I'll let go of my ambition
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Cut the roots that run so deep
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I will learn to give away
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What I cannot really keep
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What I cannot
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Really keep
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Help me see
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with eyes of faith
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Give me strength
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To run this race
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And I will go
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Where there are no easy roads
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Leave the comfort that I know
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I will go
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And let this journey be my own
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I will go
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I will go
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I will go
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Where Lord your glory is unknown
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I will live for you alone
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I will go
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Because my life is not my own
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I will go
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I will go
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I will go
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We love John Lomacang,
our pastor John Lomacang.
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He's a minister of music.
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He is, he is.
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Wonderful Bible teacher,
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but he's a
minister of music as well.
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If you are joining
us just a little later,
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our special guest
today is Chris Lane.
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He is a young
man who started down
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the broad path
toward destruction,
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but God got a hold of him
and now he is a missionary
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and a Bible worker
in Wildwood, Georgia.
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So, Chris, this
is just all about
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what God has done in your life.
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Tell us... Let's
just go all the way back
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to the beginning.
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Did you have a
Christian influence
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growing up?
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Well, I grew up in a
little town in Tennessee,
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and my parents got
divorced when I was four.
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So really, I only have
a couple memories of them
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still being together.
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And my family wasn't
necessary against Christianity
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or the Bible or church,
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but they weren't
necessarily for it either.
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So we were just kind of
somewhere in the middle,
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I guess you could say.
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And we never
really went to church,
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you know, no one
ever read a Bible.
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We didn't pray,
things like that, so.
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And I think a lot of
people maybe are in that group.
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They're not
necessarily against it,
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but it can be
cultural in the south,
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where I grew up,
to be a Christian.
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That just kind of
means you're a nice person,
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but not necessarily
that you're really into it,
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you know?
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So I guess that's
kind of how we were.
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And since my
parents got divorced,
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you know,
something that I've realized
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over the years is that
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when one child doesn't
have one or the other parent,
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they're always going
to suffer for something.
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Yeah.
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You know, children
really need a male and a female.
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And single
parents do a good job,
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but you can never really replace
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the other person.
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Amen.
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And were you an only child?
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No, I have one sister.
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I have one sibling, so.
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Younger or older?
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Older.
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Older. Okay.
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And so my dad
wasn't really around ever.
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He was around
sometimes maybe once a year.
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We would see him for Christmas,
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you know, just to
give a small present
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or something like
that, but not really around.
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And my mother tried,
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but she had a lot
of depressional issues
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that she was
going through herself.
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So I'm sure that was a challenge
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trying to raise us
at the same time up,
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you know, what
she was dealing with.
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And so our house just
became really depressed.
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And so as I got older,
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right as I was going
into my teenage years,
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I think I was around 12 or 13.
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I was just really depressed
and I didn't like being home,
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but thankfully,
I can make friends.
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Amen. So that
was a huge blessing.
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So I would spend
large amounts of time
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at other people's
homes and not my house,
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because it was just
depressing, you know?
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And so, some of the
things that happened that
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kind of really
started hurting my character,
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I guess you could say,
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was my sister
had gotten pregnant
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when she was 14.
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And so I was 12 at the time.
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And that really was really hard
on me because I was thinking,
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you know, "Why are
these things happening?"
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You know, "Why do I
have to have this family?"
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Is what I always thought.
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And at the time,
I was a good kid.
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I made good grades in school.
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School wasn't
difficult when I was little.
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I remember it was really easy
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and I seemed to try
to do the right thing.
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I think kids
really have the impression
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to want to do right
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unless somebody really messes
that up usually, you know?
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And so, it just
kind of kept going down
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this depressing road.
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And then I
remember meeting a friend
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who his parents did drugs.
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And, you know, you always
hear that drugs are bad for you
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and you should never do
these things because they,
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they're going to harm you.
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But I remember we
tried them one day
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and I remember thinking,
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you know, "This
is the best thing
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that I have ever found."
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And I was so happy that I did it
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because when I was
on drugs, I didn't...
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Your mind is
pretty much taken over
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when you do drugs.
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You lose control of your
mind, but I wasn't as depressed.
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And, you know, this is something
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that Satan really
does to people that
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do drugs in the
beginning of their experience.
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He makes them have a good time.
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There is that
season of pleasure,
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as the author of
Hebrew say that it's...
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You know, sometimes
we know how bad sin is,
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but there is like a
little small season of pleasure
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sometimes in the
beginning of sin,
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but then comes
pay day, pay back.
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And you don't know that
when you start, you know?
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And so I. From that point out,
I focused a lot on my feelings.
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And I think that's
one of the biggest dangers
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in doing drugs, is that
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because they make you feel good,
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so then your life just
becomes a focus of how you feel.
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But no matter
whether we feel good
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or we don't feel good,
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you know, doing the right
thing is what's important.
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But so I lived, ended
up living that lifestyle,
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I guess, for the next 10 years.
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Oh, wow.
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And so many
terrible things happened.
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You know, I was in many fights.
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I was almost shot many times.
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It's a miracle, I think,
how I made it through that
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and never was injured or
anything bad happened to me.
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And you never got arrested?
00:12:16.20\00:12:17.97
Well, I did get
arrested one time.
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I got in a fight
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and then I had to
spend a weekend in jail.
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That was good
because being in jail
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sometimes can wake
you up too, you know?
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But yeah, many times I think
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even then the
Lord was protecting me
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because I had
many friends that died.
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Many, many friends that died.
00:12:32.75\00:12:34.68
And I remember the
first day of high school,
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my friend was
arrested and had 11 felonies.
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Whoa.
00:12:40.29\00:12:41.62
And he spent the
next five years in prison
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when we were 14 or 15, so.
00:12:43.16\00:12:45.43
Wow.
00:12:45.46\00:12:46.80
I mean, I was
definitely not hanging
00:12:46.83\00:12:48.16
around the best
characters, you know.
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.00
And that lifestyle...
00:12:50.03\00:12:51.60
Let me stop you
for just a second.
00:12:51.63\00:12:54.04
Was your mother aware
that this was going on?
00:12:54.07\00:12:57.14
You know, at first she
wasn't, but then she was.
00:12:57.17\00:13:00.04
And she didn't really
know how to control us,
00:13:00.08\00:13:03.01
I guess you could say.
00:13:03.04\00:13:04.41
My sister had
previously got arrested
00:13:04.45\00:13:07.68
and sent to juvenile.
00:13:07.72\00:13:09.05
Okay.
00:13:09.08\00:13:10.42
And so, there was definitely
serious issues in our house,
00:13:10.45\00:13:12.65
but I think she
was just overwhelmed.
00:13:12.69\00:13:14.32
Okay.
00:13:14.36\00:13:15.69
And so sometimes, especially
when kids are teenagers,
00:13:15.72\00:13:20.06
their roles change.
00:13:20.10\00:13:21.46
And then the parents
just kind of give up.
00:13:21.50\00:13:23.16
They don't know
what to do, you know?
00:13:23.20\00:13:24.77
Well, and especially,
my mother was bipolar
00:13:24.80\00:13:28.20
and suffered a
lot of depression.
00:13:28.24\00:13:29.70
So I think especially
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.84
if somebody is in a
depressed state of mind,
00:13:31.87\00:13:34.51
like your mom was,
it is overwhelming.
00:13:34.54\00:13:36.88
Yeah.
00:13:36.91\00:13:38.25
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:38.28\00:13:39.61
Yeah.
00:13:39.65\00:13:40.98
But then the Lord
started wooing me,
00:13:41.02\00:13:42.58
I guess you could say.
00:13:42.62\00:13:43.95
So one thing that really
kind of woke me up with all that
00:13:43.99\00:13:49.76
is I was so
depressed from doing that.
00:13:49.79\00:13:52.19
It's funny in the beginning,
it seems so wonderful,
00:13:52.23\00:13:54.30
but then you don't
see all the tragedy
00:13:54.33\00:13:56.20
that's going to happen.
00:13:56.23\00:13:57.67
And so I just became so
depressed that at one point,
00:13:57.70\00:14:00.30
I didn't care
if I lived or died.
00:14:00.34\00:14:02.07
And I kind of was looking
at my life and I thought,
00:14:02.10\00:14:04.81
"Wow, my life
doesn't even really matter,"
00:14:04.84\00:14:06.71
you know, "Would it
matter if I was gone?"
00:14:06.74\00:14:09.24
I was starting to have
those thoughts, you know?
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.45
And I had a lot of friends
died from wrecking their cars
00:14:11.48\00:14:14.48
and overdosing, a lot of drown.
00:14:14.52\00:14:16.99
I mean, many
different types of...
00:14:17.02\00:14:18.35
It seems like all my
close friends were dying
00:14:18.39\00:14:20.26
or were in prison.
00:14:20.29\00:14:22.12
And so, it was amazing
00:14:22.16\00:14:24.16
how I really made it
through that, you know?
00:14:24.19\00:14:26.26
And I never got
in serious trouble.
00:14:26.29\00:14:28.13
I never got, you know,
physically maimed or anything,
00:14:28.16\00:14:31.87
which many of my
other friends did.
00:14:31.90\00:14:33.97
So one night I had a dream.
00:14:34.00\00:14:36.47
And I dreamed that
I looked in a mirror
00:14:36.50\00:14:40.18
and when I looked in the mirror,
00:14:40.21\00:14:42.01
I saw 666 on my
hand and on my forehead.
00:14:42.04\00:14:46.05
And I was terrified.
00:14:46.08\00:14:47.62
I remember after
that, I woke up and I was,
00:14:47.65\00:14:50.22
you know, sweating
and I was really scared.
00:14:50.25\00:14:52.85
Because at the time, I
didn't know what 666 meant,
00:14:52.89\00:14:55.29
but I knew it was really
bad and I didn't want it.
00:14:55.32\00:14:57.76
So had you heard
that somewhere or?
00:14:57.79\00:15:00.60
Well, on the TV and things,
00:15:00.63\00:15:03.43
they show 666 in
like a scary connotation.
00:15:03.47\00:15:06.40
Okay, okay.
00:15:06.43\00:15:07.77
And so that was really my
knowledge of what that was.
00:15:07.80\00:15:10.47
I just knew it was really bad,
00:15:10.51\00:15:12.11
and it was maybe associated
with the devil, you know?
00:15:12.14\00:15:15.68
So that's something
that you didn't want.
00:15:15.71\00:15:17.88
And so that kind of
woke me up and I thought,
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.48
you know, that was really
weird because it was very real.
00:15:20.52\00:15:23.15
The dream was very real
00:15:23.18\00:15:24.52
and so it really
impressed me deeply.
00:15:24.55\00:15:26.55
Scared me to death.
00:15:26.59\00:15:27.92
Yeah.
00:15:27.96\00:15:29.29
And then not long after
that, I had another dream.
00:15:29.32\00:15:30.96
So I was standing on a cliff
00:15:30.99\00:15:33.29
and I was
looking down in a valley.
00:15:33.33\00:15:35.16
And on the end of the
valley was an enormous sun,
00:15:35.20\00:15:38.13
like taking up all the space.
00:15:38.17\00:15:40.87
And many people were
walking just into the sun
00:15:40.90\00:15:44.24
and then just being consumed,
00:15:44.27\00:15:45.97
but none of the
people had heads.
00:15:46.01\00:15:48.64
And so that was
scary, just that.
00:15:48.68\00:15:50.65
And then someone
was standing beside me,
00:15:50.68\00:15:52.28
but I couldn't see him.
00:15:52.31\00:15:53.92
And so I asked the
person in my dream, I said,
00:15:53.95\00:15:57.02
"How many
people are down there?"
00:15:57.05\00:15:58.89
And the person said, "665".
00:15:58.92\00:16:01.96
And I said, "Well, but
where's the other person?"
00:16:01.99\00:16:03.96
And then I looked and
they said, "Right here."
00:16:03.99\00:16:06.36
And so that really,
really scared me after that.
00:16:06.39\00:16:10.23
But I never told anybody
00:16:10.27\00:16:11.60
because you can't
tell people those things,
00:16:11.63\00:16:13.13
you know, because maybe
they'll think you're crazy
00:16:13.17\00:16:15.44
or something like that.
00:16:15.47\00:16:17.34
And so I really started to
have deep thoughts after that,
00:16:17.37\00:16:21.24
you know, about my
life, and the world,
00:16:21.28\00:16:22.98
and things like that.
00:16:23.01\00:16:24.35
And it kind of
spiritually awoke me,
00:16:24.38\00:16:26.45
I guess you could say.
00:16:26.48\00:16:27.85
You're how old about now?
00:16:27.88\00:16:29.95
During that time, I
was 22 almost turning 23.
00:16:29.98\00:16:34.49
So you got a job?
00:16:34.52\00:16:37.06
I think at the time...
00:16:37.09\00:16:38.73
Yeah, I think I did have
a job at the time, and so...
00:16:38.76\00:16:41.63
Okay, go ahead.
00:16:41.66\00:16:43.00
And then I was...
00:16:43.03\00:16:44.73
One thing that really I thought
was weird was that my friends
00:16:44.77\00:16:48.27
that I was doing drugs
with and all these things,
00:16:48.30\00:16:50.84
they started giving
me advice about my life.
00:16:50.87\00:16:54.24
And these weren't
the type of people
00:16:54.28\00:16:56.08
that would give you advice.
00:16:56.11\00:16:57.45
You know, normally they...
00:16:57.48\00:16:58.81
But you're saying
it was good advice?
00:16:58.85\00:17:00.18
Yeah, and it was good advice.
00:17:00.22\00:17:01.55
They said, you know, you
really should do something
00:17:01.58\00:17:02.92
with your life.
00:17:02.95\00:17:04.29
Wow.
00:17:04.32\00:17:05.65
And, you know, maybe
you should go to school
00:17:05.69\00:17:07.02
or maybe you should
travel somewhere, you know.
00:17:07.06\00:17:08.42
Maybe you should do
these different things and I...
00:17:08.46\00:17:10.89
That impacted me too,
because I would ask them,
00:17:10.93\00:17:13.29
"Why are you giving me advice?"
00:17:13.33\00:17:14.66
"Well, I don't know,
00:17:14.70\00:17:16.03
I just feel like I
should give you advice."
00:17:16.06\00:17:17.40
You know?
00:17:17.43\00:17:18.77
So it's people who
are telling you things
00:17:18.80\00:17:20.14
they're not putting
into practice in their own?
00:17:20.17\00:17:21.50
Oh, definitely not.
00:17:21.54\00:17:22.87
No, usually the
crowd that you hang around
00:17:22.90\00:17:25.01
when you do those things
00:17:25.04\00:17:26.37
is everyone's
pretty selfish, you know?
00:17:26.41\00:17:28.01
Yeah.
00:17:28.04\00:17:29.38
And I was definitely that
way also, you know, very...
00:17:29.41\00:17:31.51
It's very self
focused when you didn't...
00:17:31.55\00:17:34.38
Apparently, they were
seeing something in you
00:17:34.42\00:17:37.09
that was a little bit different.
00:17:37.12\00:17:38.82
Yeah, I guess maybe the
Lord was really using them too.
00:17:38.85\00:17:42.26
And it's amazing
how the Lord can meet us
00:17:42.29\00:17:44.16
where we are.
00:17:44.19\00:17:45.53
Amen.
00:17:45.56\00:17:46.90
It's so amazing how
he meets us where we are.
00:17:46.93\00:17:48.36
That's something I try
to pray for wisdom now,
00:17:48.40\00:17:51.03
is how to meet
people where they are.
00:17:51.07\00:17:52.47
Amen.
00:17:52.50\00:17:53.84
Because that can be a challenge,
00:17:53.87\00:17:55.20
but God always
knows how to do that, so.
00:17:55.24\00:17:57.11
Yeah.
00:17:57.14\00:17:58.67
So, okay.
00:17:58.71\00:18:00.04
So we're at the
place now where you're...
00:18:00.08\00:18:02.31
People are giving
you a decent directive?
00:18:02.34\00:18:04.91
Yep.
00:18:04.95\00:18:06.28
And so now you're
trying to make some decisions.
00:18:06.31\00:18:08.95
Do I listen to them?
00:18:08.98\00:18:10.32
Are they right?
00:18:10.35\00:18:11.69
Is there some
place for me to go?
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.05
Yep.
00:18:13.09\00:18:14.42
Can I do
something that's positive?
00:18:14.46\00:18:15.79
Yep.
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.16
And then I had,
right after that,
00:18:17.19\00:18:18.53
I had an
impression to call a friend
00:18:18.56\00:18:20.36
that I knew was a good person.
00:18:20.40\00:18:22.80
And I asked him for advice.
00:18:22.83\00:18:24.87
I said, "Well,
all these other people
00:18:24.90\00:18:26.23
were giving me advice.
00:18:26.27\00:18:27.60
What do you think I
should do with my life?"
00:18:27.64\00:18:28.97
And they said, "Oh, I think
you should read the Bible."
00:18:29.00\00:18:31.81
Is what they told me.
That was their advice.
00:18:31.84\00:18:34.04
They said, you should
get a Bible and read it.
00:18:34.08\00:18:37.08
And after I talked to them,
00:18:37.11\00:18:38.45
in my mind I knew
that's what I should do,
00:18:38.48\00:18:40.88
but I didn't want to do it
because I wanted to do what...
00:18:40.92\00:18:44.05
You know, I
wanted to keep myself
00:18:44.09\00:18:46.99
in the forefront.
00:18:47.02\00:18:48.36
I wanted to continue
doing what I thought was
00:18:48.39\00:18:50.83
what you should
do with your life.
00:18:50.86\00:18:52.56
Even though I was
destroying my life,
00:18:52.59\00:18:54.40
you still think, well, I
want to do what I want to do.
00:18:54.43\00:18:57.40
But then I did it.
00:18:57.43\00:18:58.77
I got a Bible and I read it.
00:18:58.80\00:19:00.84
And then I came across
the verse in Matthew 7:7,
00:19:00.87\00:19:04.74
because someone told me,
00:19:04.77\00:19:06.37
"Well, you should start
with the New Testament."
00:19:06.41\00:19:08.98
Is what they said.
00:19:09.01\00:19:10.41
So I picked up the Bible
in Matthew 7:7 and it says,
00:19:10.45\00:19:14.18
"Ask and it shall be given
you, seek and you shall find,
00:19:14.22\00:19:17.59
knock and it
shall be open unto you."
00:19:17.62\00:19:20.72
So I was by myself in my room.
00:19:20.76\00:19:23.43
And so I asked
and I said, "Lord,
00:19:23.46\00:19:25.73
you know that
I've wasted my life
00:19:25.76\00:19:28.13
basically to this point."
00:19:28.16\00:19:30.07
And I said, "But, you
know, God, if you're there,
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.40
would You forgive me?"
00:19:32.43\00:19:33.77
And I said, "And if You
do, then I'll live for You."
00:19:33.80\00:19:37.87
And so like when I did it,
00:19:37.91\00:19:39.97
I really felt like
the presence of something
00:19:40.01\00:19:42.48
was with me and my...
00:19:42.51\00:19:43.85
I felt my prayer was
answered in that moment.
00:19:43.88\00:19:45.95
Wow, how wonderful.
00:19:45.98\00:19:47.32
That's funny.
00:19:47.35\00:19:48.68
Wow.
00:19:48.72\00:19:50.05
So yeah, I really...
00:19:50.09\00:19:51.42
And the best way I
describe it as I was connected.
00:19:51.45\00:19:52.99
I felt really
connected from that point out.
00:19:53.02\00:19:56.46
So all of a
sudden, you felt a warmness
00:19:56.49\00:19:58.86
that perhaps
there is a place for me.
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.93
Yeah, and I
really felt the presence
00:20:01.96\00:20:04.07
of physically something with me,
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.97
and it a very
powerful experience.
00:20:06.00\00:20:07.70
Wow.
00:20:07.74\00:20:09.07
So maybe the Lord sent an
angel to protect me because...
00:20:09.10\00:20:11.74
Or the Holy Spirit...
00:20:11.77\00:20:13.24
To fight off all those things
that were in my life, you know?
00:20:13.27\00:20:15.61
And I felt
delivered immediately.
00:20:15.64\00:20:18.28
I have lost all
the desire to do drugs,
00:20:18.31\00:20:21.18
and I never did them after that.
00:20:21.22\00:20:22.62
You know, my
favorite of Matthew 7:7
00:20:22.65\00:20:25.62
is the version in Luke 11:9,
00:20:25.65\00:20:29.59
where Jesus says,
"Ask and it'll be given,
00:20:29.62\00:20:32.56
seek and you will find,
knock and it will be open."
00:20:32.59\00:20:37.27
And you know, I think that
00:20:37.30\00:20:40.44
when we think
about it in verse 13,
00:20:40.47\00:20:43.84
Luke 11:13, he says,
where he's really directing us.
00:20:43.87\00:20:48.58
He says, "If you being evil
00:20:48.61\00:20:52.68
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.75
how much more will
the heavenly Father
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.62
give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask?"
00:20:57.65\00:21:01.46
And in the Greek,
it's linear verbs,
00:21:01.49\00:21:04.43
that you're asking
and keep on asking,
00:21:04.46\00:21:06.86
seeking and keep on seeking,
knocking and keep on knocking.
00:21:06.90\00:21:11.27
So I believe if...
00:21:11.30\00:21:14.00
My sister had a
similar experience.
00:21:14.04\00:21:16.30
I told her to pray that prayer
00:21:16.34\00:21:19.07
and asked to be
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:21:19.11\00:21:21.24
and she'd done
drugs for over 20 years.
00:21:21.28\00:21:23.38
Oh, wow.
00:21:23.41\00:21:24.75
I mean, hardballs.
00:21:24.78\00:21:26.11
Yeah.
00:21:26.15\00:21:27.48
What is it when you
take heroin and cocaine,
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.79
put it together,
speedball, hardball?
00:21:30.82\00:21:33.25
Whatever it was,
00:21:33.29\00:21:35.09
and she was
delivered immediately.
00:21:35.12\00:21:39.59
So God... You felt that God
had cut you free from the cords
00:21:39.63\00:21:44.80
that were binding you.
00:21:44.83\00:21:46.17
Oh, yeah, there was no...
00:21:46.20\00:21:47.54
There was no
question in my mind that
00:21:47.57\00:21:48.90
God had answered my
prayer in that exact moment.
00:21:48.94\00:21:52.57
I mean, even
while I was praying,
00:21:52.61\00:21:54.08
I knew that He'd accepted it.
00:21:54.11\00:21:55.64
Wow.
00:21:55.68\00:21:57.01
And there's no
better feeling in the world
00:21:57.05\00:21:58.38
than to be accepted by the Lord
00:21:58.41\00:21:59.78
and know that
your slate's clean.
00:21:59.81\00:22:01.55
Amen.
00:22:01.58\00:22:02.92
And, you know, right after that,
00:22:02.95\00:22:04.29
many wonderful
things started happening.
00:22:04.32\00:22:07.36
So it was after that, I,
you know, kept reading and then
00:22:07.39\00:22:11.16
when I would pray something,
00:22:11.19\00:22:12.93
I felt the prayer
was almost answered
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.06
before I ended up
finishing the prayer.
00:22:15.10\00:22:17.70
And so I remember
praying for a job,
00:22:17.73\00:22:19.97
because I needed
a job after that.
00:22:20.00\00:22:21.60
And I had left the
place that I was staying with
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.77
because I was
staying with a friend,
00:22:24.81\00:22:26.14
but, you know, he
wasn't a good influence.
00:22:26.17\00:22:28.28
So I knew I just had to
get out of that situation.
00:22:28.31\00:22:31.25
And so he ended up
living with some girl
00:22:31.28\00:22:35.08
that he just randomly met.
00:22:35.12\00:22:36.45
So the Lord removed him,
00:22:36.48\00:22:38.35
and then I left and
found another place.
00:22:38.39\00:22:41.52
And then I prayed for a job.
00:22:41.56\00:22:43.22
I said, "Well,
Lord, I need a job now."
00:22:43.26\00:22:44.99
And so I had a dream that night
00:22:45.03\00:22:46.46
that there was this new
gym that had just opened up
00:22:46.49\00:22:49.56
and it said,
Christian gymnastics gym on it.
00:22:49.60\00:22:52.47
And so I really
felt deeply impressed
00:22:52.50\00:22:55.40
that I was going to get a job
00:22:55.44\00:22:56.81
if I went there
because it was a Christian gym.
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.44
And in my mind, I
thought every single person
00:22:59.47\00:23:02.11
had the same connection.
00:23:02.14\00:23:04.18
And so I thought,
"Oh, well, for sure,
00:23:04.21\00:23:06.01
if they're Christians,
00:23:06.05\00:23:07.38
they're
definitely going to hire me."
00:23:07.42\00:23:09.12
And so I went
there and I went up
00:23:09.15\00:23:10.65
to the counter of the girl
00:23:10.69\00:23:12.22
that was working at
the desk and I said...
00:23:12.25\00:23:15.29
She said, "Hi, how's it going?"
00:23:15.32\00:23:16.66
I said, "God told me that
I'm supposed to work here."
00:23:16.69\00:23:19.79
And that's
exactly what I told her
00:23:19.83\00:23:21.20
because I just believed it.
00:23:21.23\00:23:23.20
And so she looked
at me kind of stunned.
00:23:23.23\00:23:25.50
And then she was like, "Uh,
well, let me go get the owner."
00:23:25.53\00:23:28.04
And so she went
and got the owner
00:23:28.07\00:23:29.40
and I told him this same thing.
00:23:29.44\00:23:30.77
I said, "God told me that
I'm supposed to work here."
00:23:30.81\00:23:33.24
And he was shocked.
00:23:33.27\00:23:34.74
And then we
talked for a long time
00:23:34.78\00:23:36.85
and he hired me.
00:23:36.88\00:23:38.21
And so I ended up
working there for two years.
00:23:38.25\00:23:39.85
Praise God.
00:23:39.88\00:23:41.22
Amen.
00:23:41.25\00:23:42.58
And then later I found out that
he was a Seventh-day Adventist.
00:23:42.62\00:23:45.72
So the Lord
immediately brought me
00:23:45.75\00:23:48.66
to connection with
someone in the truth.
00:23:48.69\00:23:50.99
Now one thing that
happened though, was
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.13
he didn't share
with me at the time,
00:23:53.16\00:23:55.50
but I did learn
that, you know, he...
00:23:55.53\00:23:57.93
That's when I first
learned about the Sabbath,
00:23:57.97\00:24:00.20
because one time
someone said that
00:24:00.24\00:24:02.87
they went to church on Saturday.
00:24:02.90\00:24:04.41
So that was my
first introduction to...
00:24:04.44\00:24:06.78
But it wasn't like he sat
down and gave you Bible study.
00:24:06.81\00:24:09.24
No, definitely not. No.
00:24:09.28\00:24:10.61
Okay.
00:24:10.65\00:24:11.98
So here God's got a hold of you.
00:24:12.01\00:24:14.48
How did you end up in Mexico?
00:24:14.52\00:24:17.05
So after that, I was praying
00:24:17.09\00:24:19.95
and I had
actually read the book,
00:24:19.99\00:24:23.73
Tortured for Christ, a
book about Richard Wurmbrand,
00:24:23.76\00:24:27.73
a Russian pastor who
was tortured for 14 years.
00:24:27.76\00:24:31.03
Someone had gave me that.
00:24:31.07\00:24:32.77
And that was... That's
a pretty incredible book
00:24:32.80\00:24:34.77
that talks about
he was sent to jail.
00:24:34.80\00:24:36.87
When communism came into Russia,
00:24:36.91\00:24:39.07
he was a pastor
that stood up and said
00:24:39.11\00:24:41.24
they weren't going
to follow communism.
00:24:41.28\00:24:43.31
And then he was
arrested and put in jail.
00:24:43.35\00:24:45.71
So I read his testimony
right after he was released
00:24:45.75\00:24:48.42
after 14 years, he
wrote a testimony book.
00:24:48.45\00:24:51.62
And so after that,
00:24:51.65\00:24:52.99
I felt a really deep impression.
00:24:53.02\00:24:54.99
Because I said, "Well,
Lord, what do I need to do now?"
00:24:55.02\00:24:58.49
And then I felt the Lord
calling me to be a missionary.
00:24:58.53\00:25:02.00
And, but one thing that
00:25:02.03\00:25:03.93
I didn't want to be
a missionary at first,
00:25:03.97\00:25:05.63
because I kept thinking about
00:25:05.67\00:25:07.20
the book that I read.
00:25:07.24\00:25:09.00
And so it kept
coming into my mind,
00:25:09.04\00:25:10.77
oh, you're going to be tortured.
00:25:10.81\00:25:12.14
You're going to be tortured.
00:25:12.17\00:25:13.51
Sometimes the devil
puts the worst scenario
00:25:13.54\00:25:16.64
in our mind to make us fear,
00:25:16.68\00:25:18.55
so that we don't
follow through with it.
00:25:18.58\00:25:21.28
But after about a
year of doing that,
00:25:21.32\00:25:23.12
I mean, man, a long time went by
00:25:23.15\00:25:24.82
and I was just thinking,
00:25:24.85\00:25:26.19
"No way, I could never do that.
00:25:26.22\00:25:27.62
You know, I'm not
that type of person."
00:25:27.66\00:25:29.09
I just didn't
feel worthy enough to
00:25:29.12\00:25:31.59
because of my
previous life, you know?
00:25:31.63\00:25:33.29
The devil likes
to throw those things
00:25:33.33\00:25:35.03
back up in your mind,
00:25:35.06\00:25:36.40
think that you
can't do anything.
00:25:36.43\00:25:38.33
So finally after a year,
00:25:38.37\00:25:40.94
I finally surrendered
to the Lord and I said,
00:25:40.97\00:25:43.37
"Okay, I'll be a missionary.
00:25:43.41\00:25:45.81
I'll go anywhere in the world
00:25:45.84\00:25:47.28
and I'll do
anything you want me to do."
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.28
That's what I told the Lord.
00:25:49.31\00:25:50.88
And right after that, I
met someone and he said,
00:25:50.91\00:25:53.31
"Well, I'm moving to Mexico
full time to do ministry work
00:25:53.35\00:25:58.39
and I'm looking for somebody."
00:25:58.42\00:26:00.12
And so I thought that
00:26:00.16\00:26:01.49
that was the
Lord opening the door.
00:26:01.52\00:26:03.09
And so I agreed
to go there with him.
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.56
And so this was a Baptist.
00:26:05.59\00:26:08.20
I don't know
that he was a pastor,
00:26:08.23\00:26:09.76
but I think he was basically
like a lay Baptist pastor.
00:26:09.80\00:26:14.17
They don't
really do that the same,
00:26:14.20\00:26:15.54
but pretty much
that's what he was.
00:26:15.57\00:26:17.71
And so his
family moved down there
00:26:17.74\00:26:19.37
and I went with them.
00:26:19.41\00:26:20.88
And I was going to be a health
00:26:20.91\00:26:22.78
and PE teacher at a school there
00:26:22.81\00:26:25.01
because that's
what I was studying
00:26:25.05\00:26:26.82
at the time in school.
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.28
And so I went there
00:26:28.32\00:26:29.65
and they never had a PE program.
00:26:29.68\00:26:32.02
The school was the
worst educated school
00:26:32.05\00:26:34.26
in the whole
state of North Mexico,
00:26:34.29\00:26:36.83
which is a huge area.
00:26:36.86\00:26:38.33
And so we ended
up helping with that,
00:26:38.36\00:26:40.33
and so that's kind of
how we started down there.
00:26:40.36\00:26:42.83
But now had you
joined the Baptist church,
00:26:42.86\00:26:45.10
or you just end up
associated with it?
00:26:45.13\00:26:47.14
Yeah, I was like
unofficially a missionary.
00:26:47.17\00:26:49.50
I never officially joined them
00:26:49.54\00:26:51.14
because I guess I just
didn't have the desire to.
00:26:51.17\00:26:54.24
So you had...
00:26:54.28\00:26:55.61
At this point had not
joined any particular church?
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.71
No.
00:26:57.75\00:26:59.08
Okay. Okay.
00:26:59.11\00:27:00.45
And you just knew
that the Lord was leading?
00:27:00.48\00:27:01.85
Yep.
00:27:01.88\00:27:03.22
And I just wanted the...
00:27:03.25\00:27:04.59
And the doors were open.
00:27:04.62\00:27:05.95
After the Lord
helped me overcome,
00:27:05.99\00:27:07.36
I finally agreed to do that.
00:27:07.39\00:27:09.22
So you were there for two years?
00:27:09.26\00:27:11.39
I was there one year.
00:27:11.43\00:27:12.76
One year.
00:27:12.79\00:27:14.13
One year in Mexico, yeah.
00:27:14.16\00:27:15.50
And what we did basically
there, was we had food ministry
00:27:15.53\00:27:17.50
where we would
help people with food.
00:27:17.53\00:27:19.67
We would go to their house...
00:27:19.70\00:27:21.20
And then someone had
sent a thousand Bibles.
00:27:21.24\00:27:25.21
Someone had just said,
well, we got a thousand Bibles
00:27:25.24\00:27:27.78
and we're going to
send them down there.
00:27:27.81\00:27:29.44
And so we sent
them down to Texas,
00:27:29.48\00:27:31.11
and it was my job to
bring them over the border.
00:27:31.15\00:27:34.25
There was a... During the
time that I was in Mexico,
00:27:34.28\00:27:36.89
there was a war going on
00:27:36.92\00:27:38.79
and I didn't know
this before I went.
00:27:38.82\00:27:40.49
But when I went there,
there was a big drug war
00:27:40.52\00:27:43.49
and it was really dangerous.
00:27:43.53\00:27:44.99
At first, it wasn't really bad,
00:27:45.03\00:27:46.83
but then it
really escalated quick.
00:27:46.86\00:27:48.86
They were... What they would do
00:27:48.90\00:27:50.47
was they would blow
up houses with grenades,
00:27:50.50\00:27:53.67
like in our town.
00:27:53.70\00:27:55.04
And if you cleaned it
up, like they would...
00:27:55.07\00:27:58.17
They were killing
people for cleaning it up.
00:27:58.21\00:28:00.04
Oh, my.
00:28:00.08\00:28:01.41
And one... The town
that we were in, I think,
00:28:01.44\00:28:05.21
11 mayors were murdered
that year, just in our town.
00:28:05.25\00:28:09.05
And they took a
bunch of Americans,
00:28:09.08\00:28:10.95
a bunch of them.
00:28:10.99\00:28:12.35
You know, they cut
all their heads off.
00:28:12.39\00:28:13.72
I mean, it was crazy.
00:28:13.76\00:28:15.09
And so when all this happened,
all the missionaries left.
00:28:15.12\00:28:18.89
There was our group,
00:28:18.93\00:28:20.50
and then there
was one other group
00:28:20.53\00:28:21.86
that was staying there.
00:28:21.90\00:28:23.23
They literally all left
Mexico because they were...
00:28:23.26\00:28:25.97
I mean, it was a real fear.
00:28:26.00\00:28:27.40
That was very, very dangerous,
00:28:27.44\00:28:29.50
but I just didn't
feel like I could leave.
00:28:29.54\00:28:31.57
I just... I felt so impressed
that I had to stay there,
00:28:31.61\00:28:35.34
that I couldn't leave.
00:28:35.38\00:28:36.71
And they said, "You know,
why aren't you going to leave?
00:28:36.75\00:28:38.81
You could die."
00:28:38.85\00:28:40.18
And I said, "Well,
who's going to tell everybody
00:28:40.22\00:28:42.68
about the Lord if I leave?"
00:28:42.72\00:28:44.25
That was what I
kept thinking about.
00:28:44.29\00:28:46.19
And it was during this time
00:28:46.22\00:28:47.72
that you're bringing the
Bibles across the border?
00:28:47.76\00:28:50.19
Yeah.
00:28:50.23\00:28:51.56
And the Lord
really worked miracles.
00:28:51.59\00:28:53.46
I felt protected
00:28:53.50\00:28:54.83
as long as I was
bringing the Bibles over.
00:28:54.86\00:28:57.13
Because at the
border, at that time,
00:28:57.17\00:28:59.67
someone had been shot
and killed at the border.
00:28:59.70\00:29:02.70
The people that
inspect when you come over,
00:29:02.74\00:29:06.11
and so they brought
in a bunch of soldiers
00:29:06.14\00:29:08.41
and closed down
the border completely.
00:29:08.44\00:29:10.55
So it was very
difficult to cross at that time.
00:29:10.58\00:29:13.05
If you were
American, especially,
00:29:13.08\00:29:14.92
they would stop you,
00:29:14.95\00:29:16.28
and it would be
couple hour process.
00:29:16.32\00:29:17.92
They would question
you and search everything.
00:29:17.95\00:29:20.96
But when I would
bring the Bibles over,
00:29:20.99\00:29:23.29
the soldier, like I
wouldn't even have to stop,
00:29:23.32\00:29:25.76
and the soldier would
just flag me to go through.
00:29:25.79\00:29:28.36
I mean, that was a
miracle, a huge miracle.
00:29:28.40\00:29:31.73
It was so awesome
00:29:31.77\00:29:33.23
that the Lord
really worked that out.
00:29:33.27\00:29:35.40
And then the
persecution started.
00:29:35.44\00:29:37.84
So my friend that
was a local there,
00:29:37.87\00:29:40.34
they took him
and they beat him up
00:29:40.38\00:29:42.98
and they put him
in jail for no reason,
00:29:43.01\00:29:45.25
just because I
think he was with us.
00:29:45.28\00:29:47.52
Because the way
they worked down there,
00:29:47.55\00:29:49.18
is they just want
to control the area
00:29:49.22\00:29:51.29
and they want to know
everything that's going on.
00:29:51.32\00:29:54.12
And so they did
that and that was hard
00:29:54.16\00:29:56.76
because I'm just
sitting at the jail outside,
00:29:56.79\00:29:59.09
you know, can't
really do anything.
00:29:59.13\00:30:00.50
And my friend's really
beat up inside the jail.
00:30:00.53\00:30:03.93
And then they had threatened us.
00:30:03.97\00:30:05.47
The way they work there
is, they'll threaten you
00:30:05.50\00:30:07.57
and then they come
to your house at night,
00:30:07.60\00:30:09.30
and then they kidnap you,
00:30:09.34\00:30:10.91
and then do whatever, you know?
00:30:10.94\00:30:12.34
And so they had yelled
at us and threatened us.
00:30:12.37\00:30:14.74
And I remember one night,
00:30:14.78\00:30:16.71
the police
would bring them there
00:30:16.75\00:30:18.71
because the police and
them are kind of united.
00:30:18.75\00:30:21.65
And so the police and a
bunch of carloads of them
00:30:21.68\00:30:24.59
came to where I was staying
and I was just by myself.
00:30:24.62\00:30:28.19
And it's a
pretty surreal feeling
00:30:28.22\00:30:29.89
when you're in a foreign country
00:30:29.92\00:30:31.69
and you're
literally by yourself.
00:30:31.73\00:30:34.03
And I mean, that's a
different experience, you know.
00:30:34.06\00:30:36.93
I'd never experienced that.
00:30:36.97\00:30:38.30
Except you had one with you
00:30:38.33\00:30:39.67
that never left
you or forsake you.
00:30:39.70\00:30:41.04
That's right.
00:30:41.07\00:30:42.40
But it is still when
you're there in that moment,
00:30:42.44\00:30:44.11
you know, it's pretty intense.
00:30:44.14\00:30:46.34
And then a little voice
whispered inside my head
00:30:46.37\00:30:49.14
and it said, "Pray."
00:30:49.18\00:30:50.51
Amen.
00:30:50.55\00:30:51.88
And so that was when I
learned how to pray fervently.
00:30:51.91\00:30:54.38
I bet. I bet.
00:30:54.42\00:30:55.88
And so after I
prayed for a very long time,
00:30:55.92\00:30:58.25
I don't know how long it was.
00:30:58.29\00:31:00.32
And then I got up and
no one was there anymore,
00:31:00.36\00:31:02.32
and they had all left.
00:31:02.36\00:31:03.69
All the people had left.
00:31:03.73\00:31:05.06
Praise God.
00:31:05.09\00:31:06.43
So I was just very thankful
that the Lord had protected me.
00:31:06.46\00:31:09.16
When so many people
around me were falling,
00:31:09.20\00:31:11.43
the Lord really protected me.
00:31:11.47\00:31:13.37
And, you know, during
that time, I had fear.
00:31:13.40\00:31:16.17
I had real fear.
00:31:16.20\00:31:17.54
You know, I
physically was very scared,
00:31:17.57\00:31:19.81
but I learned during that time
00:31:19.84\00:31:21.48
that even when we're
scared, we should have courage.
00:31:21.51\00:31:23.81
Amen.
00:31:23.85\00:31:25.18
And so no matter
what we feel physically,
00:31:25.21\00:31:28.25
it's okay if you're scared.
00:31:28.28\00:31:29.62
Sometimes you can't help it.
00:31:29.65\00:31:31.25
You know, I can't
help if I feel fear.
00:31:31.29\00:31:33.46
If I don't... Sometimes
I don't and sometimes I do,
00:31:33.49\00:31:36.19
but the Lord wants us to
have courage during those times,
00:31:36.22\00:31:38.99
even if we feel the fear,
00:31:39.03\00:31:41.36
to still have
courage and still do
00:31:41.40\00:31:42.96
what we're supposed to do.
00:31:43.00\00:31:44.33
Amen
00:31:44.37\00:31:45.70
So what happened to the ministry
00:31:45.73\00:31:47.14
there was that since I
guess the devil realized
00:31:47.17\00:31:49.50
he couldn't kill
it from the outside,
00:31:49.54\00:31:51.91
then the leader
started drinking alcohol.
00:31:51.94\00:31:55.48
And so then it
kind of just imploded,
00:31:55.51\00:31:57.58
you know, over time.
00:31:57.61\00:31:59.11
And that sadly happens sometimes
00:31:59.15\00:32:01.22
when we don't realize,
but if we are influences
00:32:01.25\00:32:04.69
who can destroy the
ministry from within.
00:32:04.72\00:32:06.96
And so we really have
to pray for the leaders
00:32:06.99\00:32:09.96
more than anyone, I think,
00:32:09.99\00:32:11.83
because the devil wants
all the leaders to compromise
00:32:11.86\00:32:14.56
so that the ministry dies.
00:32:14.60\00:32:16.97
And so after this had happened,
00:32:17.00\00:32:18.93
I was really
depressed because it,
00:32:18.97\00:32:20.90
you know, it wasn't
just a one moment thing.
00:32:20.94\00:32:22.67
It was over the
course of months.
00:32:22.70\00:32:25.07
But then they started
teaching different things
00:32:25.11\00:32:27.31
and our influence
kind of got destroyed.
00:32:27.34\00:32:29.54
And so I went back to
Tennessee and I prayed and I...
00:32:29.58\00:32:34.12
You know, it was
like, well, what now, God?
00:32:34.15\00:32:35.82
I always think of the
disciples like well, what now?
00:32:35.85\00:32:38.55
What do we go back to?
00:32:38.59\00:32:39.92
You know, we've
experienced all these things.
00:32:39.95\00:32:41.56
So let me ask this question.
00:32:41.59\00:32:43.73
You've been in Mexico
00:32:43.76\00:32:46.33
and you've seen
the Lord's protection.
00:32:46.36\00:32:50.03
He's taught you
to pray earnestly.
00:32:50.07\00:32:52.37
When you get back to Tennessee,
00:32:52.40\00:32:54.67
you're finding that all of this,
00:32:54.70\00:32:59.17
the dangers, the
things that you've gone,
00:32:59.21\00:33:02.14
it's pressing you
closer to the Lord.
00:33:02.18\00:33:04.45
Oh, yeah.
00:33:04.48\00:33:05.81
You're just... You
know that God is it.
00:33:05.85\00:33:09.28
All right, so
you're back in Tennessee.
00:33:09.32\00:33:11.55
So when I get there, I was,
00:33:11.59\00:33:14.09
you know, just kind of
praying on what to do next.
00:33:14.12\00:33:16.29
And so I turned on
the TV, but at the time,
00:33:16.32\00:33:18.69
we didn't really have cable.
00:33:18.73\00:33:20.10
So I thought I was just
going to be watching PBS,
00:33:20.13\00:33:23.16
which is just a public
channel from where we are,
00:33:23.20\00:33:25.30
because I was staying
at my grandmother's house.
00:33:25.33\00:33:27.64
I think there was
two or three channels.
00:33:27.67\00:33:30.17
And it was a
very old television.
00:33:30.21\00:33:31.57
She really never used it.
00:33:31.61\00:33:32.94
But then there was a
guy, there was a preacher,
00:33:32.97\00:33:35.21
and so I saw, oh,
well, we've picked up some,
00:33:35.24\00:33:37.91
you know,
evangelist or something on TV.
00:33:37.95\00:33:40.35
So I started watching it.
00:33:40.38\00:33:42.08
And what caught my
attention was he said,
00:33:42.12\00:33:44.29
"Do you know
the Ten Commandments
00:33:44.32\00:33:45.65
were blue?"
00:33:45.69\00:33:47.59
And then I thought,
"Well, I've never heard that.
00:33:47.62\00:33:49.32
That's interesting."
00:33:49.36\00:33:50.69
So I started watching it
00:33:50.73\00:33:52.13
and then I found it
came on every morning
00:33:52.16\00:33:54.40
and every evening, twice a day.
00:33:54.43\00:33:57.10
So in the
morning, I would watch it
00:33:57.13\00:33:58.57
and write down all the verses.
00:33:58.60\00:34:00.24
And then in the evening,
00:34:00.27\00:34:01.60
I would just sit
down and watch it.
00:34:01.64\00:34:03.17
And I did that for one month.
00:34:03.20\00:34:05.27
And then that's how I
learned all the truths.
00:34:05.31\00:34:07.68
I learned later that
that was a prophecy series
00:34:07.71\00:34:11.11
and that it was
3ABN that I was watching.
00:34:11.15\00:34:13.52
And so that's how the
Lord showed me the truth.
00:34:13.55\00:34:16.25
And then after I
learned all that,
00:34:16.28\00:34:18.12
I looked up which
churches keep the Sabbath.
00:34:18.15\00:34:21.22
And there was a
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:34:21.26\00:34:23.89
in the city that I grew up in.
00:34:23.93\00:34:25.46
It's funny, I never knew that.
00:34:25.49\00:34:27.20
And so I went there
00:34:27.23\00:34:28.56
and then I became a Seventh-day
Adventist after that.
00:34:28.60\00:34:30.97
You know... It's amazing.
00:34:31.00\00:34:32.33
It is amazing.
00:34:32.37\00:34:34.34
I'm just going to
interject something quickly.
00:34:34.37\00:34:36.30
When God called me
to full-time ministry,
00:34:36.34\00:34:38.57
I mean, I knew at the time
00:34:38.61\00:34:40.61
I was not
associated with any church
00:34:40.64\00:34:42.78
because we had
moved to central Texas,
00:34:42.81\00:34:45.25
a little bitty town.
00:34:45.28\00:34:47.48
But I wouldn't watch 3ABN
00:34:47.52\00:34:50.89
because I thought
Adventist were a cult.
00:34:50.92\00:34:53.49
And God was teaching me...
00:34:53.52\00:34:55.69
God taught me the
truth of the Sabbath,
00:34:55.72\00:34:57.46
the truth of the
state of the dead,
00:34:57.49\00:34:59.43
everything, because God told me,
00:34:59.46\00:35:00.93
forget what I thought I knew.
00:35:00.96\00:35:02.30
And he sat at his
feet and he'd teach me.
00:35:02.33\00:35:04.83
And I remember turning
on 3ABN one day by accident.
00:35:04.87\00:35:10.34
I was just flipping
through the channels.
00:35:10.37\00:35:12.31
I was out preaching salvation
by grace through faith.
00:35:12.34\00:35:15.78
Everything was by
grace, including obedience.
00:35:15.81\00:35:19.38
And you know what?
00:35:19.41\00:35:20.95
I turned on 3ABN
and the preacher said,
00:35:20.98\00:35:25.05
"I don't know what
everybody's problem
00:35:25.09\00:35:26.49
is with obedience.
00:35:26.52\00:35:27.86
It's all by faith."
00:35:27.89\00:35:29.39
And you know, here's my
point in telling you this.
00:35:29.42\00:35:32.19
That was so close
to what I was teaching
00:35:32.23\00:35:34.76
that I actually
started listening.
00:35:34.80\00:35:36.67
I thought, well, maybe
they're not all Adventist.
00:35:36.70\00:35:39.40
But as I listened,
00:35:39.43\00:35:41.90
the one thing
that I was clueless
00:35:41.94\00:35:43.61
on was prophecy.
00:35:43.64\00:35:46.31
I mean, God had
taught me so much,
00:35:46.34\00:35:47.98
but I'm begging him.
00:35:48.01\00:35:49.58
And I learned these truths.
00:35:49.61\00:35:52.11
And then that's
how God brought me
00:35:52.15\00:35:56.32
into the
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:35:56.35\00:35:58.29
was through 3ABN.
00:35:58.32\00:35:59.65
Yeah, and I had learned
about the Sabbath before,
00:35:59.69\00:36:02.76
about the day,
00:36:02.79\00:36:04.13
but I couldn't
see any difference.
00:36:04.16\00:36:05.59
In my mind, there was...
00:36:05.63\00:36:06.96
I couldn't see the difference
between one day or the other,
00:36:07.00\00:36:10.20
but when I saw it in
prophecy, it made perfect sense.
00:36:10.23\00:36:13.57
Amen. Amen.
00:36:13.60\00:36:14.94
And, you know, I was so thankful
00:36:14.97\00:36:16.37
that out of the whole world,
00:36:16.40\00:36:18.44
that God would allow
me to hear the truth.
00:36:18.47\00:36:21.24
Amen.
00:36:21.28\00:36:22.61
And then He would
allow me to even hear it,
00:36:22.64\00:36:24.15
to have the decision.
00:36:24.18\00:36:25.81
I was so thankful
for that opportunity.
00:36:25.85\00:36:28.12
And especially on a TV
00:36:28.15\00:36:29.62
that just didn't
hardly get anything...
00:36:29.65\00:36:31.85
And at the right time.
00:36:31.89\00:36:33.22
Yeah, amen.
00:36:33.25\00:36:34.59
Yeah, it's pretty
amazing how the Lord works.
00:36:34.62\00:36:37.36
And so after that,
00:36:37.39\00:36:39.83
I went back to
Mexico for a short time
00:36:39.86\00:36:44.07
because I had to finish
delivering all the Bibles.
00:36:44.10\00:36:47.37
And so after I did that,
I came back and I realized
00:36:47.40\00:36:50.71
that I needed to learn
how to give a Bible study,
00:36:50.74\00:36:53.44
because everybody kept talking
about giving Bible studies.
00:36:53.48\00:36:57.55
Before, we didn't really
have a focus on Bible study.
00:36:57.58\00:37:00.82
In other churches, they don't
necessarily have that focus
00:37:00.85\00:37:04.72
and definitely not
prophecy, you know?
00:37:04.75\00:37:07.19
So I went to... Someone told
me about a school in Florida
00:37:07.22\00:37:12.06
that helps you to learn
how to give a Bible study.
00:37:12.09\00:37:14.53
Amen.
00:37:14.56\00:37:15.90
So I went to the School Life
00:37:15.93\00:37:17.30
that during that
time was at Florida,
00:37:17.33\00:37:19.73
and it was such an
awesome experience.
00:37:19.77\00:37:21.80
And I felt like I was
in my own world there.
00:37:21.84\00:37:25.67
And that, you
know, there was just rays
00:37:25.71\00:37:27.51
of knowledge being
poured into my mind.
00:37:27.54\00:37:29.21
Praise the Lord.
00:37:29.24\00:37:30.58
And I loved every minute of it.
00:37:30.61\00:37:31.95
Amen.
00:37:31.98\00:37:33.31
Praise the Lord.
00:37:33.35\00:37:34.68
Thank you, Jesus.
00:37:34.72\00:37:36.05
So ever since then, I thought,
00:37:36.08\00:37:37.42
well, this is what I need
to do with the rest of my life.
00:37:37.45\00:37:39.55
I just need to be, you know,
what they call a Bible worker
00:37:39.59\00:37:42.49
or a missionary.
00:37:42.52\00:37:43.99
And so I've done
that ever since then,
00:37:44.03\00:37:46.36
you know, Lord willing.
00:37:46.39\00:37:47.73
But now you ended up going
as a missionary to an Indian...
00:37:47.76\00:37:52.80
Somewhere in the east?
00:37:52.83\00:37:54.60
Philippines.
00:37:54.64\00:37:55.97
Yep.
00:37:56.00\00:37:57.34
Well, right after
that, right after I learned
00:37:57.37\00:37:58.71
how to give a Bible study,
00:37:58.74\00:38:00.08
I went to Washington state
00:38:00.11\00:38:01.98
and I worked there one
year as a Bible worker.
00:38:02.01\00:38:04.91
And then they had
a wonderful program.
00:38:04.95\00:38:06.68
They had 30 Bible
workers during that time.
00:38:06.72\00:38:08.88
Wow.
00:38:08.92\00:38:10.25
Huge, huge program.
00:38:10.29\00:38:11.62
But then they stopped
the program after that.
00:38:11.65\00:38:13.89
And so when...
00:38:13.92\00:38:15.26
So then someone
was talking to me
00:38:15.29\00:38:17.06
and they were sharing about,
00:38:17.09\00:38:18.99
well, what's the
places in the world
00:38:19.03\00:38:21.73
that don't know Jesus?
00:38:21.76\00:38:23.53
That was at the time
00:38:23.57\00:38:24.90
when they were
really sharing about that.
00:38:24.93\00:38:26.50
And I think it
was Japan and Thailand
00:38:26.53\00:38:28.80
and I think there
was a couple other...
00:38:28.84\00:38:30.57
Yeah, the 10/40 window
00:38:30.61\00:38:31.94
is what they were talking about.
00:38:31.97\00:38:33.38
And that really impressed me.
00:38:33.41\00:38:34.74
And I thought, man,
can you imagine someone
00:38:34.78\00:38:36.64
that's never even
had the opportunity?
00:38:36.68\00:38:38.71
And I was so
thankful that God had given me
00:38:38.75\00:38:40.78
so many opportunities to learn.
00:38:40.82\00:38:43.32
And so that's
when we prayed about it
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.12
and I ended up
going to Thailand.
00:38:45.15\00:38:47.62
That's where I went.
00:38:47.66\00:38:48.99
And I ended up
working in Thailand,
00:38:49.02\00:38:50.53
in the Philippines
for about four years.
00:38:50.56\00:38:53.13
And then while you were in
the Philippines, you met...
00:38:53.16\00:38:56.16
I met my wife.
00:38:56.20\00:38:57.53
Very godly woman.
00:38:57.57\00:38:58.90
That's right.
00:38:58.93\00:39:00.27
Now tell us, you and
May made an, I think,
00:39:00.30\00:39:03.14
an incredible decision.
00:39:03.17\00:39:05.17
They both are missionary minded.
00:39:05.21\00:39:07.54
When you all
married, you decided
00:39:07.58\00:39:11.15
we're going to be missionaries
00:39:11.18\00:39:12.51
and you decided
not to have children
00:39:12.55\00:39:14.72
because you didn't
want anything to interfere?
00:39:14.75\00:39:19.65
Yeah, well, we, we're
trying to read a lot of things
00:39:19.69\00:39:23.02
and we got a lot of
counseling before we were,
00:39:23.06\00:39:25.16
when we were
deciding to get married.
00:39:25.19\00:39:27.60
And when we were
going through that process,
00:39:27.63\00:39:29.60
I really just felt
convicted that God wanted me
00:39:29.63\00:39:32.70
to be a missionary
solely focused on other people.
00:39:32.73\00:39:36.00
And that was a hard thing.
00:39:36.04\00:39:37.37
So we definitely
talked about that
00:39:37.41\00:39:38.81
because it's not easy for a wife
00:39:38.84\00:39:41.34
to choose to be a
missionary either.
00:39:41.38\00:39:43.48
But that was
really important to me,
00:39:43.51\00:39:45.18
and I knew that we had
to come together on that
00:39:45.21\00:39:48.02
before marriage.
00:39:48.05\00:39:49.38
Amen.
00:39:49.42\00:39:50.75
And we decided that, you know,
if we had lived 50 years prior,
00:39:50.79\00:39:54.52
we probably would have had kids,
00:39:54.56\00:39:55.89
because I love children.
00:39:55.92\00:39:57.49
I've been a teacher
in different things,
00:39:57.53\00:39:59.53
but we felt that, you
know, when you have children,
00:39:59.56\00:40:01.76
that's your ministry.
00:40:01.80\00:40:03.20
Because you have children,
so your whole ministry changes.
00:40:03.23\00:40:05.17
Thank you for saying that.
00:40:05.20\00:40:06.53
Amen.
00:40:06.57\00:40:07.90
One hundred percent different
when you have children.
00:40:07.94\00:40:09.60
Amen. Amen.
00:40:09.64\00:40:10.97
And, you know, I
just want to tell you,
00:40:11.01\00:40:12.34
sometimes I'll be
at a women's ministry
00:40:12.37\00:40:14.81
or something speaking.
00:40:14.84\00:40:16.18
I'll say, "Now
how many of you here
00:40:16.21\00:40:17.75
are in full-time ministry?"
00:40:17.78\00:40:19.65
And maybe a couple of
hands go up and I'll say,
00:40:19.68\00:40:22.08
"Now wait a minute, how
many of you are mothers?
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.99
Then all these hands go up.
00:40:25.02\00:40:27.36
Being a mother is
a full-time ministry.
00:40:27.39\00:40:30.09
Being a father is
a full-time ministry.
00:40:30.13\00:40:32.69
Your family is your ministry,
and I'm so glad you said that.
00:40:32.73\00:40:37.50
Yeah.
00:40:37.53\00:40:38.87
And it can be a challenge
when you have a big family.
00:40:38.90\00:40:40.97
And especially
when you're doing,
00:40:41.00\00:40:42.47
trying to move and
do different things,
00:40:42.50\00:40:44.24
it can be a huge challenge.
00:40:44.27\00:40:46.17
Until, you know, not
against anybody that has kids,
00:40:46.21\00:40:48.54
because kids are wonderful.
00:40:48.58\00:40:49.91
But, yeah, I think it's really.
Because Paul even talks about,
00:40:49.94\00:40:53.01
if you can stay single, do that.
00:40:53.05\00:40:55.52
But, you know, I
wanted to be married, so.
00:40:55.55\00:40:58.09
And you know,
it's a huge blessing
00:40:58.12\00:40:59.45
when you're
married, because like,
00:40:59.49\00:41:01.16
especially doing Bible work,
00:41:01.19\00:41:02.82
there's no issue to
any house that we go to.
00:41:02.86\00:41:05.73
Everyone receives
us openly because...
00:41:05.76\00:41:08.06
Well, and then you're
also protecting yourself
00:41:08.10\00:41:10.63
because as a couple,
00:41:10.67\00:41:12.57
husband and wife
going out, then it's not...
00:41:12.60\00:41:15.44
You know, that's
something that we learned
00:41:15.47\00:41:17.54
in ministry school is
we never give counseling.
00:41:17.57\00:41:21.34
We used to say
to the opposite sex
00:41:21.38\00:41:23.51
without the other,
00:41:23.55\00:41:24.88
but now we
realize it doesn't matter
00:41:24.91\00:41:27.45
who you want to
protect yourself.
00:41:27.48\00:41:29.32
Oh, yeah.
00:41:29.35\00:41:30.69
Yeah.
00:41:30.72\00:41:32.05
So you are...
00:41:32.09\00:41:33.86
What was it like for you
00:41:33.89\00:41:38.09
and May in becoming one,
00:41:38.13\00:41:41.36
as husband and
wife and one in purpose?
00:41:41.40\00:41:44.87
Well, I'm really happy that
00:41:44.90\00:41:46.43
we moved to
Thailand because it was...
00:41:46.47\00:41:49.00
It's
interesting in our situation
00:41:49.04\00:41:50.74
because we come
from different cultures.
00:41:50.77\00:41:52.91
She's from Asia
and I'm from the US,
00:41:52.94\00:41:56.08
but we moved to Thailand,
00:41:56.11\00:41:58.21
which was another
country for both of us.
00:41:58.25\00:42:00.72
So we had to learn...
00:42:00.75\00:42:02.08
While we were trying to learn
that language and that culture,
00:42:02.12\00:42:06.09
it unified us in that,
00:42:06.12\00:42:07.72
because it was
something totally different
00:42:07.76\00:42:09.49
for both of us.
00:42:09.52\00:42:10.86
So we learned a lot of
wonderful lessons about,
00:42:10.89\00:42:13.86
you know, it's
not me against her,
00:42:13.90\00:42:16.26
but it's us both changing
ourselves to be like Christ
00:42:16.30\00:42:20.57
and to follow His culture.
00:42:20.60\00:42:22.94
Because really,
there's only one culture
00:42:22.97\00:42:25.01
we should follow and
that's the Christian culture.
00:42:25.04\00:42:27.88
And so there can
be challenges in that,
00:42:27.91\00:42:29.68
but I'm really happy that
we went through that experience
00:42:29.71\00:42:33.08
because it helped us
both to see the other person
00:42:33.11\00:42:37.02
and also how other people think.
00:42:37.05\00:42:39.62
You know, when you're learning
another culture, you're not...
00:42:39.65\00:42:42.16
Learning a
language is one thing,
00:42:42.19\00:42:43.89
but then you have
to learn how to say it.
00:42:43.93\00:42:46.06
That's a very big thing too.
00:42:46.09\00:42:48.06
You can't just have the words,
00:42:48.10\00:42:49.80
you have to know how
to present the words.
00:42:49.83\00:42:52.07
You're a very wise young man.
00:42:52.10\00:42:53.84
Well, I don't know about that.
00:42:53.87\00:42:55.20
I think the Lord is very wise.
00:42:55.24\00:42:56.57
Amen. Amen.
00:42:56.60\00:42:57.94
You're a good student then.
00:42:57.97\00:42:59.31
Yeah. Well, praise the Lord.
00:42:59.34\00:43:00.68
Amen.
00:43:00.71\00:43:02.04
Yeah. So, yeah.
00:43:02.08\00:43:03.41
So what we're doing
now is the Bible work.
00:43:03.45\00:43:06.78
And one thing
that I really enjoy
00:43:06.82\00:43:08.88
about the Bible
work is, in my opinion,
00:43:08.92\00:43:11.89
that's the best thing
you can do as a missionary.
00:43:11.92\00:43:14.72
I think going to people's houses
00:43:14.76\00:43:16.32
is such a wonderful ministry.
00:43:16.36\00:43:19.03
And because when
you're at someone's house,
00:43:19.06\00:43:20.73
you can really
learn about the person,
00:43:20.76\00:43:23.20
you can learn about their needs,
00:43:23.23\00:43:24.87
about their physical needs.
00:43:24.90\00:43:26.80
And we try to follow,
00:43:26.84\00:43:28.17
you know, Jesus' counsel
about reaching the person,
00:43:28.20\00:43:31.41
and then, you know,
00:43:31.44\00:43:32.77
telling them to come follow you.
00:43:32.81\00:43:34.14
So that's really
what we focus mostly on,
00:43:34.18\00:43:36.95
is going to the people's
homes and trying to meet
00:43:36.98\00:43:40.12
their physical needs if we can.
00:43:40.15\00:43:42.35
And then, you know,
doing Bible studies with them
00:43:42.38\00:43:44.85
and we've had many,
many wonderful experiences.
00:43:44.89\00:43:48.06
And especially
even with all the,
00:43:48.09\00:43:49.89
you know, the COVID
things that are going on,
00:43:49.92\00:43:52.19
we found that even during that,
00:43:52.23\00:43:53.63
we still kept
going to people's houses.
00:43:53.66\00:43:56.40
And there's something about
when you're at someone's house,
00:43:56.43\00:43:58.77
they feel safe.
00:43:58.80\00:44:00.14
Yes.
00:44:00.17\00:44:01.50
You know, when
you're out somewhere,
00:44:01.54\00:44:02.87
people are timid and scared.
00:44:02.90\00:44:04.74
And we thought, oh,
what are we going to do?
00:44:04.77\00:44:06.47
You know, no one's going
to receive us into their house
00:44:06.51\00:44:08.71
because when
everything was shut down,
00:44:08.74\00:44:10.95
but everybody almost still
received us into their house.
00:44:10.98\00:44:14.18
And we had many Bible
studies during that time.
00:44:14.22\00:44:17.12
And I think this is
such an important time
00:44:17.15\00:44:19.99
because people know
something's going on.
00:44:20.02\00:44:23.06
They don't know
what, but people know
00:44:23.09\00:44:25.09
that there's something
going on with the world
00:44:25.13\00:44:27.66
and people are waking
up spiritually to that.
00:44:27.70\00:44:30.70
And so we've had...
00:44:30.73\00:44:32.07
We experienced many
people accepting Christ
00:44:32.10\00:44:35.14
during the time when
everything was shut down.
00:44:35.17\00:44:37.54
Praise the Lord.
00:44:37.57\00:44:38.91
So I think even
during this time,
00:44:38.94\00:44:41.48
you know, when
there's so much fear
00:44:41.51\00:44:43.58
and things like that,
I remember how the Lord
00:44:43.61\00:44:46.11
helped me
through hard situations.
00:44:46.15\00:44:48.78
And even though I was
very scared at the time,
00:44:48.82\00:44:51.79
God gave me courage
to overcome those things.
00:44:51.82\00:44:54.92
And I think we need
courage during this time,
00:44:54.96\00:44:57.99
that even if we feel fear,
00:44:58.03\00:44:59.56
you know, that can be okay,
00:44:59.59\00:45:00.93
but we still need to
have courage to push on
00:45:00.96\00:45:04.33
and to do what we know
is right and not to give up.
00:45:04.37\00:45:07.24
One thing that we were
talking about beforehand
00:45:07.27\00:45:10.14
was about patience.
00:45:10.17\00:45:12.27
Tell me about
patience in your opinion?
00:45:12.31\00:45:15.61
Well, I don't know that
I'm an expert on patience,
00:45:15.64\00:45:18.08
but we do deal with
that a lot in what we do,
00:45:18.11\00:45:21.88
especially because when
you go to people's houses,
00:45:21.92\00:45:24.65
for example, you
don't want to rush them,
00:45:24.69\00:45:28.92
or go too fast, or
make them feel like
00:45:28.96\00:45:31.33
you're forcing
them into a decision.
00:45:31.36\00:45:34.16
And we always
want them to know that
00:45:34.20\00:45:35.86
we're there because
we want to help them.
00:45:35.90\00:45:37.97
And our job really is to
just to present the message.
00:45:38.00\00:45:42.10
Our job is to
help them in any way
00:45:42.14\00:45:43.64
we can and just to present it.
00:45:43.67\00:45:45.91
The Lord wants us to know that
our job is to give the message,
00:45:45.94\00:45:50.68
but how they
respond to the message,
00:45:50.71\00:45:52.71
that's up to the Holy Spirit.
00:45:52.75\00:45:54.08
Amen. Most certainly.
00:45:54.12\00:45:55.45
And sometimes that can
be discouraging to people
00:45:55.48\00:45:57.65
because when they do
share with other people
00:45:57.69\00:46:00.92
or work with other people,
00:46:00.96\00:46:02.29
sometimes they can put
the results on themselves
00:46:02.32\00:46:06.09
and they, you know, they think
00:46:06.13\00:46:08.70
they measure themself
by how other people accept
00:46:08.73\00:46:11.40
or reject it.
00:46:11.43\00:46:12.77
But that's the
work of the Holy Spirit
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.50
and we shouldn't
measure ourself by that.
00:46:14.54\00:46:16.44
You know, it's
just like Paul said.
00:46:16.47\00:46:19.57
I look at it that
we're planters of seed.
00:46:19.61\00:46:22.84
We're planting the good word.
00:46:22.88\00:46:24.48
It depends on the
soil it's going into,
00:46:24.51\00:46:26.41
but Paul says some
plants, some water,
00:46:26.45\00:46:29.62
but it's God that
brings the harvest.
00:46:29.65\00:46:31.82
And if you force
it any other way,
00:46:31.85\00:46:35.56
it doesn't work.
00:46:35.59\00:46:36.93
And I've found that
00:46:36.96\00:46:38.29
if you really
think about it in the...
00:46:38.33\00:46:39.66
Sometimes in the beginning,
00:46:39.69\00:46:41.03
it seems like
you're doing a lot,
00:46:41.06\00:46:43.20
but really when you learn
00:46:43.23\00:46:44.57
it's the Lord gives the
wisdom to plant the seed,
00:46:44.60\00:46:48.27
the Lord waters the seed,
00:46:48.30\00:46:49.77
and the Lord harvests the seed.
00:46:49.80\00:46:51.97
But I'm just so thankful
that the Holy Spirit allows us
00:46:52.01\00:46:55.04
to have a part in each of those.
00:46:55.08\00:46:57.81
So does your church,
00:46:57.85\00:46:59.85
when you're
working as a Bible worker
00:46:59.88\00:47:01.98
and that means
he's a full-time...
00:47:02.02\00:47:04.45
He and May both are
full-time in going out,
00:47:04.49\00:47:07.66
presenting Bible studies
00:47:07.69\00:47:09.19
and letting
people know God's truth.
00:47:09.22\00:47:12.06
Does your
church give you like...
00:47:12.09\00:47:14.23
Have people written in
saying, "I want Bible studies."
00:47:14.26\00:47:17.50
Or how do you
get your appointments
00:47:17.53\00:47:19.33
for Bible studies?
00:47:19.37\00:47:20.70
Well, all but one
of the Bible studies
00:47:20.74\00:47:23.10
that we've gotten
so far have been from
00:47:23.14\00:47:24.87
just going to
the people's houses
00:47:24.91\00:47:26.44
and talking to them.
00:47:26.47\00:47:28.18
And, you know, some people...
00:47:28.21\00:47:29.74
Are you meaning like
you're going door to door?
00:47:29.78\00:47:32.11
Yep, we go door to door.
00:47:32.15\00:47:33.58
That's a lost art nowadays.
00:47:33.62\00:47:35.18
It is.
00:47:35.22\00:47:36.55
But, you know, I love it so much
00:47:36.58\00:47:38.12
because I really
enjoy meeting people.
00:47:38.15\00:47:41.06
I enjoy talking to people
00:47:41.09\00:47:43.26
and it's so nice when
you can just talk to them
00:47:43.29\00:47:47.10
and kind of find
out where they are.
00:47:47.13\00:47:48.46
We read a survey, is
usually how we do it,
00:47:48.50\00:47:50.50
just to kind of
get them talking.
00:47:50.53\00:47:52.23
Because we have
a community center
00:47:52.27\00:47:54.34
at our church that's inside,
00:47:54.37\00:47:56.47
in the middle of
the town where we are,
00:47:56.50\00:47:58.64
and we teach health messages
00:47:58.67\00:48:00.44
there and cooking
classes and things like that.
00:48:00.48\00:48:03.21
So at first, we just
share about the community center
00:48:03.24\00:48:06.08
and then we kind of change
the conversation to spiritual.
00:48:06.11\00:48:09.02
And then we just ask
them different things.
00:48:09.05\00:48:11.89
And then if they would
like to study the Bible
00:48:11.92\00:48:14.52
or just study
prophecy, it's what we ask them.
00:48:14.56\00:48:16.73
And so, you know, a
lot of people say no,
00:48:16.76\00:48:18.69
but a lot of people say yes too.
00:48:18.73\00:48:20.90
Amen.
00:48:20.93\00:48:22.26
You know, I can stand
in front of 20,000 people
00:48:22.30\00:48:26.30
and deliver a message
and not feel knee knocking
00:48:26.33\00:48:29.64
because it's just you
totally dependent upon the Lord.
00:48:29.67\00:48:32.64
But the idea of
going door to door does,
00:48:32.67\00:48:36.61
would send a
shiver down my spine.
00:48:36.64\00:48:39.71
Did it take you a while?
00:48:39.75\00:48:41.08
You know, it did.
00:48:41.12\00:48:42.45
And it's funny when I remember
the first time in high school
00:48:42.48\00:48:44.12
when I had to get
up front, I thought,
00:48:44.15\00:48:45.62
oh, I'll just
have to drop the class.
00:48:45.65\00:48:47.39
There's no way I can do that.
00:48:47.42\00:48:49.42
Because there's
something about getting up
00:48:49.46\00:48:51.03
in front of your peers,
00:48:51.06\00:48:52.39
which can be terrifying.
00:48:52.43\00:48:54.20
But you know, the Lord
helped me through that.
00:48:54.23\00:48:55.90
And the first time we
were going to go door to door,
00:48:55.93\00:48:58.77
when I first found out
that the church did that,
00:48:58.80\00:49:02.77
you know, I thought, oh, well
I have to learn how to do that.
00:49:02.80\00:49:05.04
And I remember I
went to my friend's house,
00:49:05.07\00:49:07.74
there was already a member.
00:49:07.78\00:49:09.11
This was when I
first joined the church.
00:49:09.14\00:49:11.11
And I said, you
know, the worst thing
00:49:11.15\00:49:13.28
that I'm terrified of, I think,
00:49:13.31\00:49:15.68
is to go to
people's houses and do that.
00:49:15.72\00:49:17.72
I said, "There's
no way I can do that."
00:49:17.75\00:49:19.79
And I asked him, you know,
I said, "How do you do that?"
00:49:19.82\00:49:21.92
And he said, "Well,
I've never done that."
00:49:21.96\00:49:23.66
And I said,
"Well, we have to do it."
00:49:23.69\00:49:25.33
I said, "That's the
one thing we can't do,
00:49:25.36\00:49:27.43
so we have to do that.
00:49:27.46\00:49:28.80
We have to overcome it."
00:49:28.83\00:49:30.17
So we prayed and we
thought, what's the...
00:49:30.20\00:49:34.07
Who should we go to?
00:49:34.10\00:49:35.44
You know, where should we start?
00:49:35.47\00:49:36.81
And he said, "Well,
you know, I've heard that
00:49:36.84\00:49:39.54
if you reach to the poor people,
00:49:39.57\00:49:41.34
they're more open."
00:49:41.38\00:49:42.71
This is just our...
You know, what we thought.
00:49:42.74\00:49:44.08
That's not
necessarily true but...
00:49:44.11\00:49:45.95
And so he had a
little daughter at the time.
00:49:45.98\00:49:48.58
She was, I think, four or
five and she was really cute.
00:49:48.62\00:49:51.22
And so I said, "Oh,
we should bring her too
00:49:51.25\00:49:53.12
because people love cute kids."
00:49:53.15\00:49:55.52
And so we found this one place
that was government housing
00:49:55.56\00:49:59.76
in the city where we were.
00:49:59.79\00:50:01.46
And we went to there and
we said, "What do we say?"
00:50:01.50\00:50:03.47
And I said, "I don't know.
00:50:03.50\00:50:04.83
Maybe the Lord will
just tell us what to say."
00:50:04.87\00:50:07.07
And so I get his little cute kid
00:50:07.10\00:50:09.00
and I'm holding her.
00:50:09.04\00:50:10.37
And then I knock on the door
00:50:10.41\00:50:11.74
and he's kind of
standing way back.
00:50:11.77\00:50:13.11
And they came to the
door and I just blanked.
00:50:13.14\00:50:16.21
And I said, "Do you
want to study the Bible?"
00:50:16.24\00:50:18.78
And then the guy looked
at me and he's like, "No,"
00:50:18.81\00:50:20.98
and he closed
the door, you know.
00:50:21.02\00:50:23.28
And so my
friend's laughing at me.
00:50:23.32\00:50:25.05
And he sees me doing
this, he starts laughing.
00:50:25.09\00:50:26.92
So I said, "All
right, you try to do it."
00:50:26.96\00:50:29.26
And so he gets his kid
00:50:29.29\00:50:30.63
and he goes up and
he does the same thing.
00:50:30.66\00:50:32.56
He blanks, says the same thing,
00:50:32.59\00:50:34.63
and they just close the door
00:50:34.66\00:50:36.00
and we are both
laughing at each other.
00:50:36.03\00:50:37.73
But then we kept
trying, we didn't give up.
00:50:37.77\00:50:39.50
Amen.
00:50:39.53\00:50:40.87
And then people
started actually talking to us.
00:50:40.90\00:50:43.37
And, you know, I
got Bible studies
00:50:43.41\00:50:44.74
from just that
with no knowledge.
00:50:44.77\00:50:46.88
So sometimes even when the Lord
00:50:46.91\00:50:49.68
knows that we'll try,
He equips us and helps us.
00:50:49.71\00:50:53.75
And you can tell the
Holy Spirit was there
00:50:53.78\00:50:55.52
because we had no
idea what we were doing.
00:50:55.55\00:50:57.45
Well, but at least now
00:50:57.49\00:50:59.02
that the Lord's taught
you to do an icebreaker first.
00:50:59.05\00:51:02.19
Before, you just
plopped it out there, huh?
00:51:02.22\00:51:04.79
Yeah.
00:51:04.83\00:51:06.16
I think... So do you and
May still do go door to door?
00:51:06.19\00:51:09.33
Oh, yeah, that's
what we do every week.
00:51:09.36\00:51:11.13
Yeah, that's how we get
all of our Bible studies.
00:51:11.17\00:51:12.77
And I'll probably do it forever.
00:51:12.80\00:51:14.60
As long as the
door's open for us
00:51:14.64\00:51:17.31
to be allowed to do that,
00:51:17.34\00:51:18.67
I'm going to continue
doing that type of work.
00:51:18.71\00:51:20.81
I just... To me, in my opinion,
00:51:20.84\00:51:23.08
that's the most valuable
work I can do as a missionary.
00:51:23.11\00:51:27.22
And you have
learned... You know, you are...
00:51:27.25\00:51:29.22
Sometimes we
think of missionaries
00:51:29.25\00:51:31.19
and we think they've
got to be over in Africa
00:51:31.22\00:51:34.26
or down in Brazil or whatever.
00:51:34.29\00:51:36.39
But you know what?
00:51:36.42\00:51:38.49
United States needs missionaries
00:51:38.53\00:51:40.80
worse than anything.
00:51:40.83\00:51:42.16
And you are a missionary
in the state of Georgia.
00:51:42.20\00:51:45.10
So the Lord is, has...
00:51:45.13\00:51:48.87
You've overcome
that fear of rejection.
00:51:48.90\00:51:52.41
You no longer take it personally
00:51:52.44\00:51:54.44
because you
realize it's all up to God.
00:51:54.48\00:51:55.94
Yep.
00:51:55.98\00:51:57.31
Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:51:57.35\00:51:58.68
Well, we are...
00:51:58.71\00:52:00.58
Already, I mean, this has
been such a wonderful testimony,
00:52:00.62\00:52:04.62
but we're down to our time
00:52:04.65\00:52:06.02
that we need to
take a quick break
00:52:06.05\00:52:08.12
for a news break.
00:52:08.16\00:52:09.49
Then we'll be
back in just a moment
00:52:09.52\00:52:11.53
for a closing thought.
00:52:11.56\00:52:12.89