I want to spend my life 00:00:01.66\00:00:07.54 Mending broken people 00:00:07.57\00:00:12.51 I want to spend my life 00:00:12.54\00:00:18.61 Removing pain 00:00:18.65\00:00:23.65 Lord, let my words 00:00:23.69\00:00:29.89 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:29.92\00:00:34.36 I want to spend my life 00:00:34.40\00:00:40.17 Mending broken people 00:00:40.20\00:00:45.74 I want to spend my life 00:00:45.77\00:00:51.15 Mending broken people 00:00:51.18\00:00:54.18 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today, 00:01:09.03\00:01:11.03 and Happy Thanksgiving. 00:01:11.07\00:01:12.57 Man, what a wonderful time of the year. 00:01:12.60\00:01:14.34 It is. 00:01:14.37\00:01:15.70 We have Ms. Yvonne here, and of course, Jill, and Greg, 00:01:15.74\00:01:17.74 and the Morikone, and you as the family. 00:01:17.77\00:01:20.28 That's right. 00:01:20.31\00:01:21.64 And this is a very special day, 00:01:21.68\00:01:23.18 one of the holidays that we as Christians 00:01:23.21\00:01:25.41 just love to enjoy. 00:01:25.45\00:01:26.78 That's right. 00:01:26.82\00:01:28.15 It's Thanksgiving, where all of our thanks 00:01:28.18\00:01:29.52 and prayers go to our Heavenly Father. 00:01:29.55\00:01:31.05 Amen. 00:01:31.09\00:01:32.42 And we hope today that you are having 00:01:32.45\00:01:34.92 a great Thanksgiving with those around you. 00:01:34.96\00:01:37.09 But it if you're by yourself, you're not by yourself, 00:01:37.13\00:01:39.89 you're not alone, anytime you submit 00:01:39.93\00:01:42.20 and commit your life to Jesus, 00:01:42.23\00:01:43.57 he's there, and thank you for joining us. 00:01:43.60\00:01:45.57 So we want to be part of your family today 00:01:45.60\00:01:47.87 and you be part of ours for this great celebration. 00:01:47.90\00:01:51.67 We have some programming, 00:01:51.71\00:01:54.01 some footage here taken out in Paradise, California 00:01:54.04\00:01:57.61 through the fires they had this past year. 00:01:57.65\00:02:00.15 And, Greg, you were out there 00:02:00.18\00:02:01.52 and spent a lot of time this past year. 00:02:01.55\00:02:04.45 And you, the viewers, helped. 00:02:04.49\00:02:06.09 And we are thankful for you, the viewers, 00:02:06.12\00:02:07.92 for what you do and support of 3ABN 00:02:07.96\00:02:10.73 getting the gospel to the world in many different ways. 00:02:10.76\00:02:13.56 And one of those is helping so many victims from this fire. 00:02:13.60\00:02:16.73 This is gonna be a great program. 00:02:16.77\00:02:18.10 We've got a few minutes to talk. 00:02:18.13\00:02:19.70 Then we got a lot of footage here today. 00:02:19.73\00:02:21.47 I know. 00:02:21.50\00:02:22.84 Mrs. Yvonne, what are you thankful for? 00:02:22.87\00:02:24.84 I'm thankful for you. Oh, good answer. 00:02:24.87\00:02:26.94 Hey. 00:02:26.98\00:02:29.48 You started well. I know, I know, right. 00:02:29.51\00:02:31.45 How did I do? Good. 00:02:31.48\00:02:32.81 Let me see if I got a tip, no, nothing yet, later. 00:02:32.85\00:02:36.48 And I am thankful for my sis and brother here, 00:02:36.52\00:02:40.46 and our whole 3ABN team, our whole family, 00:02:40.49\00:02:44.39 our viewers who watch and support. 00:02:44.43\00:02:46.96 I'm just so thankful. God has been so good. 00:02:47.00\00:02:51.70 And as I watch what He does, just every day, 00:02:51.73\00:02:55.77 He's doing something in our lives 00:02:55.80\00:02:58.21 that makes a difference. 00:02:58.24\00:02:59.67 He's always there, He's so faithful. 00:02:59.71\00:03:02.24 Amen. He's an awesome God. 00:03:02.28\00:03:05.08 So I'm thankful. I'm just thankful. 00:03:05.11\00:03:07.12 All right, that's what today is all about, 00:03:07.15\00:03:09.48 should be everyday as Christians, right, 00:03:09.52\00:03:11.19 Thanksgiving. 00:03:11.22\00:03:12.55 But today is one of those times we can celebrate 00:03:12.59\00:03:14.62 and the world celebrates Thanksgiving, 00:03:14.66\00:03:16.89 where people do it in different ways, 00:03:16.93\00:03:18.36 but ours is giving thanks to the Lord. 00:03:18.39\00:03:20.20 And thanks to you, without you, 00:03:20.23\00:03:22.63 our viewing and radio listening audience, 00:03:22.66\00:03:25.30 and those around the world, there would be no 3ABN. 00:03:25.33\00:03:28.30 So thank you for helping us continue the vision, 00:03:28.34\00:03:31.41 the mission of taking an undiluted 00:03:31.44\00:03:33.48 three angels' messages into all the world. 00:03:33.51\00:03:35.78 One that would counteract to counterfeit, 00:03:35.81\00:03:37.81 one of the things that people have said over the years, Greg, 00:03:37.85\00:03:40.62 is that, you know, the message is still the same. 00:03:40.65\00:03:44.22 Someone wrote me recently and said, 00:03:44.25\00:03:46.49 "Sometimes I go to different Churches, 00:03:46.52\00:03:48.06 I go here and there, and I really don't know, 00:03:48.09\00:03:50.13 I'm kind of go to the legal side, 00:03:50.16\00:03:51.89 I go to the liberal side. 00:03:51.93\00:03:53.26 But I go back to 3ABN, and I say, 00:03:53.29\00:03:56.26 "That's what I grew upon as a child." 00:03:56.30\00:03:57.63 Amen. 00:03:57.67\00:03:59.00 Now hard to imagine, we've been here that long, 00:03:59.03\00:04:00.97 since as a child and as a young grown up. 00:04:01.00\00:04:04.21 Thank you for sticking to the message 00:04:04.24\00:04:06.27 and the three angels' messages. 00:04:06.31\00:04:07.94 Greg and Jill, tell us what you're all thankful today. 00:04:07.98\00:04:10.81 You know, I love Thanksgiving because it's that time 00:04:10.85\00:04:13.42 where you actually come apart 00:04:13.45\00:04:14.88 and you count your blessings, you thank God 00:04:14.92\00:04:18.52 for what He's done in your life in the past year. 00:04:18.55\00:04:21.12 But not just Thanksgiving, 00:04:21.16\00:04:22.82 God wants us to be grateful every day. 00:04:22.86\00:04:24.59 I love Lamentations 3:22. Oh, yeah. 00:04:24.63\00:04:28.33 It says, "Through the Lord's mercies 00:04:28.36\00:04:30.37 we are not consumed, 00:04:30.40\00:04:31.73 because His compassions fail not." 00:04:31.77\00:04:33.47 They are new every morning. That's right. 00:04:33.50\00:04:36.24 Great is His faithfulness. 00:04:36.27\00:04:38.17 So every morning when we wake up, 00:04:38.21\00:04:40.01 "God I am so grateful for your faithfulness." 00:04:40.04\00:04:43.11 We recently had a 3ABN worship, 00:04:43.14\00:04:45.91 we always meet for corporate worship, 00:04:45.95\00:04:47.42 this is just before this program, 00:04:47.45\00:04:49.18 just before Thanksgiving. 00:04:49.22\00:04:50.72 And the person who is doing the worship 00:04:50.75\00:04:52.59 talked about how we have so much to be grateful for. 00:04:52.62\00:04:55.22 If we have a roof over our heads, 00:04:55.26\00:04:57.13 Thank You Jesus. 00:04:57.16\00:04:58.86 If we have food to eat on the table, 00:04:58.89\00:05:01.30 Thank You Jesus. 00:05:01.33\00:05:03.13 If we have family and friends, 00:05:03.16\00:05:05.13 what a tremendous blessing, so... 00:05:05.17\00:05:07.44 And all of us have the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:05:07.47\00:05:09.87 So I'm thankful for Greg. 00:05:09.90\00:05:11.54 My husband is 17 years, he is such a gift in my life. 00:05:11.57\00:05:16.34 So thankful for you, thankful for you my sis, 00:05:16.38\00:05:19.05 and Danny, and your mentorship in our lives for the 3ABN team, 00:05:19.08\00:05:23.49 and you at home as part of the 3ABN team. 00:05:23.52\00:05:27.29 So I'm just, my cup overflows. Amen. 00:05:27.32\00:05:30.03 All, I love it. That's awesome. 00:05:30.06\00:05:31.39 We got folks here, don't you? Family? 00:05:31.43\00:05:32.76 I do, for Thanksgiving too, I'm so excited. 00:05:32.79\00:05:36.87 My mom and dad, my sister and her husband 00:05:36.90\00:05:40.77 and the four nephews, 00:05:40.80\00:05:42.14 which is probably the most important, 00:05:42.17\00:05:43.87 well, not really most important... 00:05:43.91\00:05:45.24 We've got to make them more to go. 00:05:45.27\00:05:47.01 Great guys. But things are fun. 00:05:47.04\00:05:48.74 It's a lot of fun. Uncle Greg gets a good workout. 00:05:48.78\00:05:51.05 Oh, I bet. 00:05:51.08\00:05:52.41 Four nephews, you know, 00:05:52.45\00:05:53.78 they're getting bigger every time I see them so. 00:05:53.82\00:05:55.55 And I hear they like soccer, so you're gonna have to get out 00:05:55.58\00:05:57.79 and play a little soccer with them. 00:05:57.82\00:05:59.15 Exactly, yes. 00:05:59.19\00:06:00.52 And then I can't walk the next day. 00:06:00.56\00:06:01.89 You're right. 00:06:01.92\00:06:03.26 So I just have to say this one myself. 00:06:03.29\00:06:04.76 We were playing a little tag, 00:06:04.79\00:06:06.26 and I'm not real fast at running right, 00:06:06.29\00:06:08.30 so the six-year-old caught me, the six-year-old, and he said, 00:06:08.33\00:06:13.27 aunty Jill, as he just blew past, 00:06:13.30\00:06:15.14 I'm not even running my fast. 00:06:15.17\00:06:16.74 Makes you feel good. 00:06:20.51\00:06:21.84 I was a little embarrassed. 00:06:21.88\00:06:24.05 I'm thankful to be a part of the ministry of 3ABN 00:06:24.08\00:06:26.45 and thankful for you of course. 00:06:26.48\00:06:28.18 I'm blessed with a wonderful wife, 00:06:28.22\00:06:29.78 wonderful team, working with both of you, 00:06:29.82\00:06:31.45 the entire team. 00:06:31.49\00:06:32.82 It's a blessing, it really is. 00:06:32.85\00:06:34.62 And you were mentioning the Paradise fires, you know, 00:06:34.66\00:06:36.32 there are disasters that happen all over the world 00:06:36.36\00:06:39.09 on a daily basis, you know, 00:06:39.13\00:06:40.73 tragedies in many people's lives. 00:06:40.76\00:06:42.40 And we were there like you said, a year ago, 00:06:42.43\00:06:44.87 but then we had the privilege of going back 00:06:44.90\00:06:47.07 and seeing what has taken place over this past year. 00:06:47.10\00:06:50.71 And it's amazing to me to talk to the people there, 00:06:50.74\00:06:54.58 and they're just explaining, you know, 00:06:54.61\00:06:56.34 we're so grateful to have just a pair of shoes, 00:06:56.38\00:07:01.15 another pair of shoes, a house, something to sleep on. 00:07:01.18\00:07:05.55 They said, "We escaped with the clothes on our backs." 00:07:05.59\00:07:09.06 And they were grateful for those 00:07:09.09\00:07:10.43 and that they escaped with... 00:07:10.46\00:07:11.79 Exactly. 00:07:11.83\00:07:13.16 Eighty-five people lost their lives there, 00:07:13.19\00:07:14.90 just tragically. 00:07:14.93\00:07:16.43 Amazing. A town of 20, some, 25,000... 00:07:16.46\00:07:18.37 26,000. 00:07:18.40\00:07:19.73 26,000 people, most of them are displaced. 00:07:19.77\00:07:21.30 That's correct. 00:07:21.34\00:07:22.67 And only 4,000 or so has come back, I mean... 00:07:22.70\00:07:25.01 Basically all of them were displaced 00:07:25.04\00:07:26.44 because there were no utilities, 00:07:26.47\00:07:28.01 not unless you brought a generator 00:07:28.04\00:07:29.38 but they wouldn't let you up there 00:07:29.41\00:07:30.75 because it was very unhelpful 00:07:30.78\00:07:32.11 because of all the smoke, all the contaminants. 00:07:32.15\00:07:34.68 And yet through it all, you're gonna show us today 00:07:34.72\00:07:36.95 by being there and talking to the people that 00:07:36.99\00:07:39.12 God is always there, and the answer is prayer. 00:07:39.15\00:07:42.72 And I mean, incredible things are happening. 00:07:42.76\00:07:44.93 So we wanna go to that in just a minute. 00:07:44.96\00:07:46.83 But just again, I wanna say a big thank you, 00:07:46.86\00:07:49.96 and I'm thankful for Greg and Jill, 00:07:50.00\00:07:51.77 and of course, Yvonne. 00:07:51.80\00:07:53.30 But for Greg and Jill, for your positions here, 00:07:53.34\00:07:56.47 for taking over the responsibility day to day, 00:07:56.50\00:07:59.17 that's called precedent. 00:07:59.21\00:08:00.54 Okay. To be coming. 00:08:00.58\00:08:01.91 You know, agreeing to do that in the last several years. 00:08:01.94\00:08:04.68 And, Jill, you see, oh, oh, 00:08:04.71\00:08:06.51 knowing that God has put you in a position 00:08:06.55\00:08:08.58 for such an hour as this, people resented you, 00:08:08.62\00:08:11.92 retired, we heard you retired, not really, I mean, 00:08:11.95\00:08:14.09 I'm hearing, I'm enjoying it, but it frees me some to, 00:08:14.12\00:08:17.26 you know, I get to do other things, 00:08:17.29\00:08:19.23 and before, I was able to do some music 00:08:19.26\00:08:21.16 and different things besides. 00:08:21.20\00:08:22.90 But, you know, having you here and knowing that 00:08:22.93\00:08:25.23 you are all diagonal, 00:08:25.27\00:08:27.64 believe in the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines, 00:08:27.67\00:08:29.44 which is Bible doctrines, which is truth. 00:08:29.47\00:08:32.11 Your mission is the same as ours. 00:08:32.14\00:08:33.88 We're exactly, you know, 00:08:33.91\00:08:35.24 unified in taking the three angels', 00:08:35.28\00:08:37.68 undiluted three angel's messages 00:08:37.71\00:08:39.41 to the world, 00:08:39.45\00:08:40.78 loving people, doing what we can. 00:08:40.82\00:08:42.88 And with the youth, we got the people 00:08:42.92\00:08:45.95 who literally are onboard with social media streaming, 00:08:45.99\00:08:49.22 all the stuff that... 00:08:49.26\00:08:50.83 It's kind of over my head now and getting, you know, 00:08:50.86\00:08:53.40 I'm okay with television, radio and satellites and all this, 00:08:53.43\00:08:56.97 but all the technology is changing as we know Yvonne. 00:08:57.00\00:08:58.67 Yeah, it is. So I'm thankful for you guys. 00:08:58.70\00:09:01.44 We Pray for you every day. 00:09:01.47\00:09:03.44 And thank you for now letting us 00:09:03.47\00:09:05.37 be a part of the ministry 00:09:05.41\00:09:07.88 that you guys are leading out in. 00:09:07.91\00:09:10.31 So without you, I mean, I can't imagine, I just know 00:09:10.35\00:09:14.15 that God has placed you here for such an hour. 00:09:14.18\00:09:15.88 So what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for you guys. 00:09:15.92\00:09:19.25 And of course, you know, my kids with Melody and Trinity 00:09:19.29\00:09:21.86 and all my grandkids, you know, son in law, Greg, 00:09:21.89\00:09:24.53 and I mean, you know, all this, 00:09:24.56\00:09:25.93 so many things, we can go on about that. 00:09:25.96\00:09:27.30 We do. You didn't say my kids. 00:09:27.33\00:09:29.93 Yeah. I'm thankful for my kids. Of course. 00:09:29.96\00:09:31.53 They're gonna watch this and say mom, he didn't say so, 00:09:31.57\00:09:34.30 well, my whole family. 00:09:34.34\00:09:35.67 No, absolutely, we wanna go, Greg, now. 00:09:35.70\00:09:38.34 Once again we're gonna go to Paradise. 00:09:38.37\00:09:40.41 And this is about what, 45-minute? 00:09:40.44\00:09:42.41 This is a 45 minute roll. 00:09:42.44\00:09:43.85 We basically did, we split up the 2 hours. 00:09:43.88\00:09:46.25 We did a 45 minute roll for the first hour 00:09:46.28\00:09:48.68 and approximately 45 minutes for the second hour. 00:09:48.72\00:09:50.59 So make sure you stay tuned. 00:09:50.62\00:09:51.95 We're going back, we're talking about 00:09:51.99\00:09:53.42 what happened a year ago, what's happening now 00:09:53.46\00:09:56.19 and some exiting things, amazing miracles 00:09:56.22\00:09:58.29 that God is doing there in Paradise, California. 00:09:58.33\00:10:00.03 Great, let's go to it. Okay. 00:10:00.06\00:10:02.06 The sign behind me says, "Welcome to Paradise." 00:10:02.10\00:10:05.60 A little over a year ago, this town was anything 00:10:05.63\00:10:09.47 but a Paradise. 00:10:09.50\00:10:11.34 As the fire roared up over the ridge, 00:10:11.37\00:10:13.31 they say it was consuming a football field every second. 00:10:13.34\00:10:18.61 It's incredible. 00:10:18.65\00:10:19.98 This town of 26,000 people 00:10:20.02\00:10:24.62 lost over 19,000 structures. 00:10:24.65\00:10:28.42 That would be houses, 00:10:28.46\00:10:29.79 businesses, sheds, barns. 00:10:29.82\00:10:34.96 Behind me, you can hear traffic and activity going on. 00:10:35.00\00:10:39.07 One year ago when we were here, 00:10:39.10\00:10:40.57 it was quiet. 00:10:40.60\00:10:42.00 You couldn't hear a bird, 00:10:42.04\00:10:43.84 you couldn't hear any leaves rustling. 00:10:43.87\00:10:46.27 The air was filled with smoke as we were driving up skyway, 00:10:46.31\00:10:50.51 which is the main thoroughfare in an out of this town. 00:10:50.55\00:10:54.02 Signs say, we believe, Paradise strong. 00:10:54.05\00:10:58.72 Tragically that day, 85 people lost their lives. 00:10:58.75\00:11:03.12 We headed up the hill then 00:11:14.10\00:11:16.07 and met at the Ace Hardware parking lot, 00:11:16.10\00:11:18.34 which is the intersection of Pearson and Clark road. 00:11:18.37\00:11:23.45 And then some of our crew dispatched down 00:11:23.48\00:11:27.35 Pearson road off to the east 00:11:27.38\00:11:29.18 to try and set up evacuation warning signs, 00:11:29.22\00:11:31.89 and it was already too late. 00:11:31.92\00:11:33.86 The traffic was just horrendous, 00:11:33.89\00:11:36.93 everybody trying to get out. 00:11:36.96\00:11:38.43 And so else we did was dispatch ourselves 00:11:38.46\00:11:41.53 to intersections. 00:11:41.56\00:11:42.90 I stayed at that particular intersection. 00:11:42.93\00:11:44.67 And for a while, I controlled the traffic signal. 00:11:44.70\00:11:47.57 And then, after that, I put them on red flash 00:11:47.60\00:11:50.27 and just jumped out in the intersection 00:11:50.31\00:11:52.87 and just directed traffic through the whole event. 00:11:52.91\00:11:56.14 Through the whole event? Yeah. 00:11:56.18\00:11:57.68 So you were one of the last people to leave? 00:11:57.71\00:12:00.32 I wouldn't say that, but I did not leave until 00:12:00.35\00:12:05.12 what I saw the last car come through 00:12:05.15\00:12:06.79 in my intersection. 00:12:06.82\00:12:08.22 So I'll just go out there and say that 00:12:08.26\00:12:09.59 he was one of the last people to leave the city of Paradise. 00:12:09.62\00:12:13.60 When I got the all clear from my boss on the radio 00:12:13.63\00:12:16.67 that I could leave, I headed down Clark road 00:12:16.70\00:12:20.64 and there was no way I could escape. 00:12:20.67\00:12:22.14 It was flames everywhere, fire burning, 00:12:22.17\00:12:25.17 and I managed to get turned around 00:12:25.21\00:12:26.64 and head back up to that intersection, 00:12:26.68\00:12:29.54 and we were in the pitchest black darkness 00:12:29.58\00:12:32.08 you have ever seen 00:12:32.11\00:12:33.45 at probably by 9:00 in the morning. 00:12:33.48\00:12:35.38 At 9:00am? 9:00am. 00:12:35.42\00:12:37.05 It was pitch black, all overhead security lights, 00:12:37.09\00:12:41.42 everything came on until the power went out. 00:12:41.46\00:12:43.86 And then of course, then they were gone. 00:12:43.89\00:12:45.79 It was pitch black. 00:12:45.83\00:12:47.16 And then I poked through that last bit of flame on Clark road 00:12:47.20\00:12:50.47 and the sun was shining, 00:12:50.50\00:12:52.60 and there was a helicopter dropping water, 00:12:52.63\00:12:54.90 and it was just a... 00:12:54.94\00:12:56.27 It was a wonderful sight, after a day of that. 00:12:56.30\00:13:00.24 So tell me what 'cause now we're talking about, 00:13:00.28\00:13:02.68 this is the one year anniversary, 00:13:02.71\00:13:04.25 what's this last year been like for you personally 00:13:04.28\00:13:07.68 and maybe for your responsibility 00:13:07.72\00:13:09.12 there as the public works manager, 00:13:09.15\00:13:10.79 for the city of Paradise. 00:13:10.82\00:13:12.15 Well, it's been difficult. 00:13:12.19\00:13:14.06 We had some, you can think that 00:13:14.09\00:13:16.73 you are going to think ahead and think through everything 00:13:16.76\00:13:18.99 and you're prepared 00:13:19.03\00:13:20.36 and you know what's going to happen, 00:13:20.40\00:13:21.73 but we had some really interesting things 00:13:21.76\00:13:24.43 with plastic culverts, plastic drainage pipes. 00:13:24.47\00:13:28.30 They burned all the way out, 00:13:28.34\00:13:29.67 all the way through under the road. 00:13:29.70\00:13:31.21 All the way through? 00:13:31.24\00:13:32.57 All the way through under the roads. 00:13:32.61\00:13:34.84 And in places where you have a drainage inlet 00:13:34.88\00:13:38.08 and there would be leaves or pine needles down in there, 00:13:38.11\00:13:40.65 it would catch fire and burn all the way through 00:13:40.68\00:13:42.55 under the road, and we were having roads 00:13:42.58\00:13:44.45 that were in imminent danger of collapse. 00:13:44.49\00:13:47.06 And things we had never thought of, 00:13:47.09\00:13:49.26 never dreamed of, we've been had equipment 00:13:49.29\00:13:52.03 and contractors changing culverts 00:13:52.06\00:13:54.53 all over the town 00:13:54.56\00:13:56.23 and still have just a humungous amount 00:13:56.26\00:13:59.17 of culverts that are burned out. 00:13:59.20\00:14:01.90 Never thought of that? Yeah. No. 00:14:01.94\00:14:03.27 Interesting. 00:14:03.30\00:14:04.64 What about the community? What has been... 00:14:04.67\00:14:06.01 As you seen the community, and of course, 00:14:06.04\00:14:07.38 the Seventh-day Adventist Church, you know, 00:14:07.41\00:14:08.74 because of the Adventist health system, 00:14:08.78\00:14:10.11 the hospital that's there, the school, 00:14:10.15\00:14:11.75 the academy, the local Church there, 00:14:11.78\00:14:14.55 how have you seen all that come together 00:14:14.58\00:14:17.29 as in working together? 00:14:17.32\00:14:18.65 Because we've been noticing 00:14:18.69\00:14:20.02 a lot of people using the word courage, 00:14:20.06\00:14:21.42 resilience, resurgence, all those words being used. 00:14:21.46\00:14:25.89 Our Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:14:25.93\00:14:27.46 and our people are the most wonderful people 00:14:27.50\00:14:29.93 on this planet, in my opinion. 00:14:29.96\00:14:32.87 The Seventh-day Adventist gave money to pass out 00:14:32.90\00:14:36.54 to campfire victims, 00:14:36.57\00:14:38.54 and it has been such a blessing to sit 00:14:38.57\00:14:40.78 in on those meetings and see the help 00:14:40.81\00:14:43.61 that's going out to people, 00:14:43.65\00:14:45.41 from just generous donors. 00:14:45.45\00:14:48.98 People that aren't even here donating money 00:14:49.02\00:14:51.12 to help out camp fire victims. 00:14:51.15\00:14:53.72 That's encouraging to see. Yeah, it is. 00:14:53.76\00:14:55.29 And that's a big thank you to you as well 00:14:55.32\00:14:57.66 because we put the need out a year ago, 00:14:57.69\00:14:59.69 and we have still been 00:14:59.73\00:15:01.06 receiving donations for the camp fire 00:15:01.10\00:15:02.43 here in Paradise, California. 00:15:02.46\00:15:03.80 One of the most recent ones, 00:15:03.83\00:15:05.17 is in the month of October actually. 00:15:05.20\00:15:06.60 And so we've been continually sending money here, 00:15:06.63\00:15:08.97 a 100% of it that comes in through 3ABN, 00:15:09.00\00:15:11.27 we pass along to the city here of Paradise, California. 00:15:11.31\00:15:13.91 So that's, thank you to each one of you 00:15:13.94\00:15:16.11 for doing that. 00:15:16.14\00:15:17.48 We sat down in the incident command, 00:15:27.59\00:15:30.06 we had prayer, this was right at 8 o'clock. 00:15:30.09\00:15:33.56 We started hearing report, 00:15:33.60\00:15:36.70 the first one was that the fire is approaching 00:15:36.73\00:15:40.14 and that the town of Paradise had issued an evacuation order 00:15:40.17\00:15:43.77 for our location. 00:15:43.81\00:15:45.47 It was east of Pentz road. 00:15:45.51\00:15:47.51 So we looked at each other and we thought, that's us. 00:15:47.54\00:15:50.91 We have to go, we're going to be evacuating. 00:15:50.95\00:15:53.98 And we had heard reports of flames up 00:15:54.02\00:15:56.42 at the north of campus by that time, 00:15:56.45\00:15:57.89 I walked out to see. 00:15:57.92\00:15:59.42 And to my horror, 00:15:59.45\00:16:01.06 I saw flames on the south end of campus, 00:16:01.09\00:16:03.79 just outside the front door of the hospital. 00:16:03.83\00:16:06.73 I ran back in the command center, I said, 00:16:06.76\00:16:08.96 "Folks, we have flames in the parking lot, 00:16:09.00\00:16:10.77 we have to go now." 00:16:10.80\00:16:12.20 So our lead, 00:16:12.23\00:16:13.84 our emergency management lead was there 00:16:13.87\00:16:16.87 and she said "All right, guys, we got to go, 00:16:16.91\00:16:19.14 get all patients to the emergency room 00:16:19.17\00:16:21.01 for evacuation." 00:16:21.04\00:16:22.98 I'm the manager of the operating room. 00:16:23.01\00:16:25.05 And as soon as I found out that we were evacuating, 00:16:25.08\00:16:28.55 I asked to be excused 'cause three of the patients 00:16:28.58\00:16:32.59 were supposed to start at 7:30, 00:16:32.62\00:16:35.26 and then we had an 8:30 start of another case. 00:16:35.29\00:16:39.49 And so, I held the other case, 00:16:39.53\00:16:43.13 and my concern was getting the three patients 00:16:43.16\00:16:46.00 that were on the operating room tables already, 00:16:46.03\00:16:48.67 get those cases done in to the ER. 00:16:48.70\00:16:51.97 I arrived around 6:35, 7 o'clock for pre-op, 00:16:52.01\00:16:57.95 and I went through prep. 00:16:57.98\00:17:00.02 And the nurse suddenly gets a phone call, and she says, 00:17:00.05\00:17:03.89 "This is never good." 00:17:03.92\00:17:05.25 And they said, "Hold for a second." 00:17:05.29\00:17:07.59 And then she said, "Hold." 00:17:07.62\00:17:09.79 She turned around, I said, "What's going on?" 00:17:09.82\00:17:11.49 And she says "Well, there is a fire." 00:17:11.53\00:17:13.40 I said, "Give me my cell phone." 00:17:13.43\00:17:15.36 So they handed me my cell phone, 00:17:15.40\00:17:16.77 I've got the IV going on, I'm ready to go in for surgery, 00:17:16.80\00:17:20.24 and I was the chief engineer of a fire crew in a fire house. 00:17:20.27\00:17:23.44 And we've been evacuated three times 00:17:23.47\00:17:25.34 through down the canyon. 00:17:25.37\00:17:26.78 And I knew that we had a situation in, 00:17:26.81\00:17:29.21 so I called my wife Cindy, who was in the backyard, 00:17:29.24\00:17:32.01 watching the fire roaring up the Feather River Canyon. 00:17:32.05\00:17:35.95 The Feather River Canyon channels, 00:17:35.98\00:17:38.32 it comes down at the high pressure above it, 00:17:38.35\00:17:40.99 wind was doing 35 to 50, gusting up to 72. 00:17:41.02\00:17:45.19 I knew that this was a big event, 00:17:45.23\00:17:47.33 I asked them to pull my IV out. 00:17:47.36\00:17:49.46 I heard the codes going in the hospital. 00:17:49.50\00:17:52.53 They pulled my IV out, and I got up, and I ran. 00:17:52.57\00:17:56.00 I ran to the front of the hospital 00:17:56.04\00:17:58.41 where the admittance is. 00:17:58.44\00:18:00.94 And as I run out, 00:18:00.98\00:18:02.31 I saw the flames in that parking lot 00:18:02.34\00:18:03.68 you are talking about. 00:18:03.71\00:18:05.08 My home's gone. 00:18:05.11\00:18:06.45 I literally, my son picked me up, 00:18:06.48\00:18:08.95 and we drove through the fire and the smoke, 00:18:08.98\00:18:11.09 and we got to our house, and we had just 00:18:11.12\00:18:14.16 explosions going on around us, I'm Vietnam vet. 00:18:14.19\00:18:17.43 There were embers flying through the air, 00:18:17.46\00:18:19.09 like fireflies on fire being blown by the wind, 00:18:19.13\00:18:21.30 almost like tracer fire. 00:18:21.33\00:18:23.37 And we got to the house, and we only had 15 minutes. 00:18:23.40\00:18:26.17 And I think one of the most important moments 00:18:26.20\00:18:28.84 is I told everybody, 00:18:28.87\00:18:30.27 we're going now, we're leaving, five cars. 00:18:30.31\00:18:33.14 And my daughter said, "One more box." 00:18:33.17\00:18:34.84 And she ran back in, 00:18:34.88\00:18:36.21 and she got her wedding pictures. 00:18:36.24\00:18:38.15 My home is gone, my wife and I are safe, 00:18:38.18\00:18:41.32 and we are grateful for that. 00:18:41.35\00:18:42.92 That's what matters, isn't it, in life? 00:18:42.95\00:18:44.29 Absolutely. 00:18:44.32\00:18:45.65 And we were separated at that time, 00:18:45.69\00:18:47.26 she was over at the school, she teaches kindergarten. 00:18:47.29\00:18:50.46 We were talking on the cell phone. 00:18:50.49\00:18:51.83 I said, "I'm here I'm helping 00:18:51.86\00:18:53.19 with the evacuation of patients. 00:18:53.23\00:18:54.56 I'm fine for now." 00:18:54.60\00:18:55.93 She said, "Yup, I'm here, 00:18:55.96\00:18:57.30 I'm helping to get the kids out of the school." 00:18:57.33\00:19:00.64 And then we had separate cars. 00:19:00.67\00:19:02.57 So, you know, we talked, and then each of us 00:19:02.60\00:19:05.77 made our way out of town, different routes, 00:19:05.81\00:19:08.48 and that's a different story, I won't go into that. 00:19:08.51\00:19:11.01 My home is still standing. 00:19:11.05\00:19:12.91 It's about the fires a half a mile south 00:19:12.95\00:19:15.92 and a mile east of my home. 00:19:15.95\00:19:18.62 So at this point, I have my home. 00:19:18.65\00:19:21.76 But on my way out, 00:19:21.79\00:19:23.73 I called my daughter and told her, 00:19:23.76\00:19:25.49 "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again." 00:19:25.53\00:19:28.60 Because you're trying to get out. 00:19:28.63\00:19:30.63 Yeah, it was... 00:19:30.67\00:19:32.00 But for some reason I wasn't in a panic to get out, 00:19:32.03\00:19:37.51 but then we lost cell services, 00:19:37.54\00:19:39.24 so she was pretty traumatized 'cause she didn't hear from me 00:19:39.27\00:19:42.44 for about 3.5 hours that I'd gotten out. 00:19:42.48\00:19:44.91 Pretty frightening. 00:19:55.52\00:19:56.86 And everyone was obviously trying to get out, 00:19:56.89\00:19:59.86 and it just stopped, and it got to the point 00:19:59.89\00:20:02.73 where me and other people in the car with me, 00:20:02.76\00:20:06.40 we didn't think we're gonna make it. 00:20:06.43\00:20:08.70 I mean, it was just a question for me of, 00:20:08.74\00:20:11.81 "Is it gonna be the heat?" 00:20:11.84\00:20:14.08 or "Are we gonna catch on fire?" 00:20:14.11\00:20:16.11 Propane tanks were exploding all around. 00:20:16.14\00:20:18.75 There's trees everywhere here. 00:20:18.78\00:20:20.58 And I think it's probably... Falling on the road. 00:20:20.62\00:20:22.35 Yeah, it's probably gonna be a tree that falls on us. 00:20:22.38\00:20:24.32 And we said our goodbyes, and we prayed, 00:20:24.35\00:20:28.56 prayed and prayed and prayed for deliverance for us, 00:20:28.59\00:20:31.49 for everyone in this town, for God's mercy. 00:20:31.53\00:20:33.83 I was on the cardiac/neuro unit, 00:20:37.97\00:20:40.24 and that's when the supervisor told me 00:20:40.27\00:20:42.70 that there's a fire. 00:20:42.74\00:20:44.07 And later I found out that it jumped 25 miles 00:20:44.11\00:20:49.28 within an hour to our hospital. 00:20:49.31\00:20:51.15 And so we're caravanning out of Paradise. 00:20:51.18\00:20:53.78 And a little bit out of Paradise, 00:20:53.82\00:20:55.68 I stopped to watch the fire and see like 00:20:55.72\00:20:59.75 how it's affecting the town. 00:20:59.79\00:21:02.19 And I was like, "Where's my dad? 00:21:02.22\00:21:04.63 Why isn't my dad behind us?" 00:21:04.66\00:21:06.83 I asked my mom and she was like, 00:21:06.86\00:21:09.86 "He went back to the school to go get the servers 00:21:09.90\00:21:11.93 that he had built." 00:21:11.97\00:21:13.30 And I was like, "What! 00:21:13.34\00:21:15.00 No, how can he be going back to town? 00:21:15.04\00:21:17.21 The fire is spreading so fast." 00:21:17.24\00:21:19.51 And so we prayed right then and there, 00:21:19.54\00:21:22.81 and we called my dad. 00:21:22.84\00:21:26.41 At that time, he said he's stuck, 00:21:26.45\00:21:28.98 he's actually not gonna probably make it out 00:21:29.02\00:21:32.15 because fires were just 00:21:32.19\00:21:33.66 springing on both sides of the road, like in the row. 00:21:33.69\00:21:37.46 So he was dodging the fires. 00:21:37.49\00:21:39.43 Yeah, he said, "I'm probably not gonna make it 00:21:39.46\00:21:41.80 because we're not moving, and there's fire all around. 00:21:41.83\00:21:44.77 And people are getting out of their cars 00:21:44.80\00:21:46.70 because they think that they're gonna get stuck, 00:21:46.74\00:21:49.27 and they're going on foot." 00:21:49.30\00:21:52.34 But it's so smokey, and they can't see anything. 00:21:52.37\00:21:55.04 He told me it's literally like midnight. 00:21:55.08\00:21:57.78 And he was like, "I love you. 00:21:57.81\00:22:01.08 And if I don't see you again, like, take care, you know, 00:22:01.12\00:22:05.35 it'll be okay." 00:22:05.39\00:22:07.26 And at that time I was just like crying like a baby. 00:22:07.29\00:22:10.93 Then we were just waiting for our dad. 00:22:10.96\00:22:13.16 And sometimes we didn't get connected to him 00:22:13.19\00:22:15.46 because there were so many people calling Paradise. 00:22:15.50\00:22:18.73 So like here and there, I would get texts from my dad, 00:22:18.77\00:22:21.64 it's still gridlocked, it's still gridlocked. 00:22:21.67\00:22:23.91 And hours later, it's still gridlock, you know, 00:22:23.94\00:22:27.28 he was still stuck in traffic. 00:22:27.31\00:22:29.28 And thankfully after much prayer and... 00:22:29.31\00:22:33.42 Crying and prayer, he made it out, 00:22:36.52\00:22:39.05 he came to where we were in Oroville. 00:22:39.09\00:22:41.92 And as soon as I gave him a hug, I was like "Dad, 00:22:41.96\00:22:44.73 you smell like a burnt person 'cause it was like smoke. 00:22:44.76\00:22:46.86 Smoke. 00:22:46.90\00:22:48.23 Yeah, but I was so thankful and so happy to see my dad 00:22:48.26\00:22:52.47 and realized that really, there's nothing, 00:22:52.50\00:22:55.94 there's nothing that's so important as family, 00:22:55.97\00:22:59.37 as your loved ones. 00:22:59.41\00:23:00.74 I'm standing outside the resiliency building here 00:23:12.02\00:23:14.39 in Paradise, California, 00:23:14.42\00:23:16.16 and you can see the crowd behind me. 00:23:16.19\00:23:19.23 What brought this whole group together 00:23:19.26\00:23:21.06 is the community as a group, coming together 00:23:21.10\00:23:24.60 as a whole to encourage each other, 00:23:24.63\00:23:28.84 to talk about the rebuilding process. 00:23:28.87\00:23:31.44 And also to spend 85 seconds in silence, 00:23:31.47\00:23:35.58 remembering those that passed away here 00:23:35.61\00:23:37.51 tragically in the fires one year ago today. 00:23:37.55\00:23:41.15 It's a very emotional time. 00:23:41.18\00:23:42.92 It was very quiet, obviously, 85 seconds of silence 00:23:42.95\00:23:46.76 for those that passed away. 00:23:46.79\00:23:48.49 Lots of tears, lots of mixed emotions 00:23:48.52\00:23:50.76 for many people, but it's neat to see 00:23:50.79\00:23:52.76 the community coming together in support. 00:23:52.79\00:23:54.96 This sculpture was created out of all the keys 00:23:58.80\00:24:01.70 from anything that has perished from our community, 00:24:01.74\00:24:04.44 may it be churches or banks or houses, 00:24:04.47\00:24:07.74 jet skis, diaries, you name it, and it's on here, 00:24:07.78\00:24:11.35 as well as the keys from our fallen neighbors 00:24:11.38\00:24:13.75 of the deceased. 00:24:13.78\00:24:15.68 Everything on here was done with intention 00:24:15.72\00:24:18.09 and just has a purpose and a meaning behind it, 00:24:18.12\00:24:21.22 even the base itself, being an electric wire spool, 00:24:21.26\00:24:23.89 and this is my artistic representation 00:24:23.93\00:24:26.53 of trying to work on forgiveness and moving forward, 00:24:26.56\00:24:30.07 but it's below, the pain is below 00:24:30.10\00:24:32.97 and the hope is above. 00:24:33.00\00:24:35.34 How did you collect all these keys? 00:24:35.37\00:24:36.91 I just asked. 00:24:36.94\00:24:38.27 I put out may be two three days after our tragedy, 00:24:38.31\00:24:40.71 and I said, "Hey, If you give them to me, 00:24:40.74\00:24:42.74 if you're vulnerable with me, with my family, 00:24:42.78\00:24:45.51 I would love to build you something beautiful 00:24:45.55\00:24:47.18 that represents hope." 00:24:47.22\00:24:49.42 So today's a big day because today 00:24:49.45\00:24:51.22 is the unveiling of the phoenix. 00:24:51.25\00:24:53.12 And so tell me about today 00:24:53.15\00:24:54.56 'cause this is the one year anniversary 00:24:54.59\00:24:55.92 to when the fire started. 00:24:55.96\00:24:57.29 Correct. Today, I invite people home. 00:24:57.33\00:25:01.40 And just like my dad, you know, just two seconds before 00:25:01.43\00:25:03.80 I started talking to you, 00:25:03.83\00:25:05.17 I got the call that my dad's on his way. 00:25:05.20\00:25:06.53 That's the first time, my dad will be back. 00:25:06.57\00:25:09.44 I can't imagine if there's other people 00:25:09.47\00:25:10.97 out there feeling that same way. 00:25:11.01\00:25:12.64 And I'm just so proud that we're home, 00:25:12.67\00:25:15.21 and that I gave it reason 00:25:15.24\00:25:16.95 for people to come back up the hill 00:25:16.98\00:25:20.15 and not to be scared to go down it again. 00:25:20.18\00:25:21.88 Well, there were flames on both sides of the road, 00:25:26.59\00:25:27.92 trees and brush... 00:25:27.96\00:25:30.06 Could you feel the heat? 00:25:30.09\00:25:31.96 At that point, I wasn't feeling the heat. 00:25:31.99\00:25:34.46 There was a lot of smoke. 00:25:34.50\00:25:35.83 But just having fire anywhere nearby, 00:25:35.86\00:25:38.83 we have been given evacuation orders in the past 00:25:38.87\00:25:41.90 and seen smoke, 00:25:41.94\00:25:43.27 but I had never seen flames, you know, near me. 00:25:43.30\00:25:46.84 It was just getting worse in terms of flames and trees 00:25:46.88\00:25:50.55 and cars burning, and then traffic stopped. 00:25:50.58\00:25:55.85 It's a narrow-wooded road with tall trees on either side, 00:25:55.88\00:25:59.29 all of them burnt, 00:25:59.32\00:26:01.02 and you're looking up realizing, 00:26:01.06\00:26:03.16 you know, they could fall at any moment. 00:26:03.19\00:26:05.73 But then there were fires by the road that were very close, 00:26:05.76\00:26:08.73 and the car on my bumper burnt. 00:26:08.76\00:26:10.70 And at one point, and then cars began to honk 00:26:10.73\00:26:13.94 because, we weren't moving at all 00:26:13.97\00:26:15.40 and the flames were encroaching. 00:26:15.44\00:26:18.44 So people were just getting frustrated, 00:26:18.47\00:26:20.08 they weren't angry or aggressive, 00:26:20.11\00:26:22.24 they were just desperate, and began to honk, 00:26:22.28\00:26:26.01 and I even honked, like what good is it gonna do, 00:26:26.05\00:26:28.88 but I did. 00:26:28.92\00:26:31.02 And at one point, 00:26:31.05\00:26:32.39 I eased the car forward out of line, 00:26:32.42\00:26:35.06 just to get away from a fire 00:26:35.09\00:26:36.42 that was on one side of my car. 00:26:36.46\00:26:40.93 And then I realized that this, you know, 00:26:40.96\00:26:43.80 we're not getting out, it just didn't appear that 00:26:43.83\00:26:45.83 there was an way of escape. 00:26:45.87\00:26:48.20 I was praying, singing. 00:26:48.24\00:26:51.14 Grander earth has quaked before 00:26:51.17\00:26:57.98 Moved by the sound of His voice 00:26:58.01\00:27:01.38 Over the phone, I could hear the fire, 00:27:01.42\00:27:02.82 I could hear the flames, crackling and stuff. 00:27:02.85\00:27:05.15 Just say what did it sound like? 00:27:05.19\00:27:07.42 It was, I mean, it was quiet, I couldn't hear anything, 00:27:07.46\00:27:10.96 I heard my mom honk, but I could hear like 00:27:10.99\00:27:12.79 the other cars or anything. 00:27:12.83\00:27:14.90 All I heard was what was in the car 00:27:14.93\00:27:16.33 and then the flames outside of the car. 00:27:16.36\00:27:18.57 And I mean, it's almost like, I could picture like 00:27:18.60\00:27:23.17 where she was and what was going on. 00:27:23.20\00:27:25.24 I ended up calling the police 00:27:25.27\00:27:27.74 because I didn't know that anybody knew 00:27:27.78\00:27:30.75 who was out there. 00:27:30.78\00:27:32.11 And because there was no cell service really, 00:27:32.15\00:27:34.48 it was very spotty and no one had really known, 00:27:34.52\00:27:39.65 you know, who was in the hospital, 00:27:39.69\00:27:41.12 who's leaving the hospital so... 00:27:41.16\00:27:43.46 Seas that are shaken And stirred 00:27:43.49\00:27:49.50 Can be calmed And broken for my regard 00:27:49.53\00:27:54.54 I called her, 00:27:54.57\00:27:57.81 I didn't want to upset her, but at the same time 00:27:57.84\00:28:00.38 I didn't feel like I should leave 00:28:00.41\00:28:01.74 without saying good bye. 00:28:01.78\00:28:03.35 And I really don't know what I said to her, 00:28:03.38\00:28:05.91 but she could tell that I was trapped 00:28:05.95\00:28:08.22 and she kept saying just drive mom, just drive. 00:28:08.25\00:28:10.92 And I said, there's no driving, we're trapped. 00:28:10.95\00:28:15.32 And then she said, just don't stop praying, 00:28:15.36\00:28:18.29 don't stop praying. 00:28:18.33\00:28:19.76 And while she was talking to me, 00:28:19.79\00:28:22.16 somebody who was very distraught, 00:28:22.20\00:28:26.27 whose car had burnt, just opened the door 00:28:26.30\00:28:28.07 and jumped in, didn't know whose... 00:28:28.10\00:28:29.64 Into your car? Into my car. 00:28:29.67\00:28:31.54 She didn't know whose car she was jumping into, 00:28:31.57\00:28:33.31 but she recognized me, and she, well, 00:28:33.34\00:28:35.38 I am on the phone with my daughter, 00:28:35.41\00:28:37.11 she cries out, Dr. McLarty, we're going to die. 00:28:37.15\00:28:39.95 And I said I know, I know, 00:28:39.98\00:28:41.95 and I just kept praying and singing. 00:28:41.98\00:28:43.32 You said I know? Wow! 00:28:43.35\00:28:45.59 So you knew you were gonna die. Yeah. 00:28:45.62\00:28:47.66 And through it all, Through it all 00:28:47.69\00:28:51.56 My eyes are on me 00:28:51.59\00:28:54.73 And it is well with me 00:28:54.76\00:28:59.63 I mean, she actually told me goodbye. 00:29:02.67\00:29:06.01 The phone kept going out, and I would wait, 00:29:06.04\00:29:08.54 and I would try calling her and she would answer. 00:29:08.58\00:29:10.98 At one point, I called her 00:29:11.01\00:29:12.35 and she said, you know this is it, 00:29:12.38\00:29:13.88 I'm not gonna make it out of here, 00:29:13.92\00:29:15.25 and she said good bye. 00:29:15.28\00:29:16.85 My best friend actually was there with me. 00:29:16.89\00:29:19.15 She was crying with me. 00:29:19.19\00:29:20.89 And it was very, very stressful. 00:29:20.92\00:29:22.79 Yeah. 00:29:22.82\00:29:24.16 And then cell phone service has gone, you know. 00:29:24.19\00:29:26.19 The phone hung up, and I told them in the car, 00:29:26.23\00:29:29.00 I said, you know, I just lost my mom. 00:29:29.03\00:29:31.83 And, you know, that was the last time I said, 00:29:31.87\00:29:35.57 like that's the last time I ever gonna hear from her, 00:29:35.60\00:29:37.74 you know, so... 00:29:37.77\00:29:41.44 Far be it from me To not believe 00:29:41.48\00:29:44.98 Even when my eyes can't see 00:29:48.98\00:29:53.42 It's hard to believe it's one year, 00:29:53.46\00:29:55.72 after the fire took place here in Paradise, California. 00:29:55.76\00:29:59.49 How many times have you been back here on this campus? 00:29:59.53\00:30:01.56 It's my first time. This is your first time. 00:30:01.60\00:30:04.70 And when you say that you stood and watched this burn, 00:30:04.73\00:30:07.27 this part burn, where were you? 00:30:07.30\00:30:09.17 Originally, I was at the front of the hospital 00:30:09.20\00:30:10.74 at the emergency room. 00:30:10.77\00:30:12.77 Which is right off to our left here. 00:30:12.81\00:30:14.28 Yes. 00:30:14.31\00:30:16.01 And we were not aware that the hospital 00:30:16.04\00:30:19.08 was actually burning, but the fire department 00:30:19.11\00:30:21.48 notified us that we had to leave the building. 00:30:21.52\00:30:23.12 So we went to the helipad which is in front of me 00:30:23.15\00:30:25.62 and waited out there because it's a clear space. 00:30:25.65\00:30:29.66 And it was there that you saw this burning? 00:30:29.69\00:30:31.63 Yes. 00:30:31.66\00:30:32.99 Along with everything else that's around you, 00:30:33.03\00:30:34.36 which is absolutely incredible. 00:30:34.40\00:30:36.13 Yeah, it was 360 degrees of fire. 00:30:36.16\00:30:39.23 Yeah, I can only imagine standing here 00:30:39.27\00:30:41.07 or being there on the helipad, 00:30:41.10\00:30:43.44 which has been turned into a remembrance, 00:30:43.47\00:30:46.34 which is really, really special. 00:30:46.37\00:30:48.54 And I haven't seen that, 00:30:48.58\00:30:49.91 I mean, I haven't been over there. 00:30:49.94\00:30:51.28 You haven't been there yet. No. 00:30:51.31\00:30:53.68 I'm just seeing some things from a distance, 00:30:53.72\00:30:55.78 that thinking back 00:30:55.82\00:30:57.15 'cause that's where we were last. 00:30:57.19\00:30:58.52 And this mountain That's in front of me 00:30:58.55\00:31:04.49 Will be thrown into The midst of the sea 00:31:04.53\00:31:11.17 As you go back to that day, 00:31:11.20\00:31:13.30 it brings back, I know, 00:31:13.34\00:31:14.67 a tremendous amount of memories, right? 00:31:14.70\00:31:16.67 Yup, you could hear fire alarms going off, 00:31:16.71\00:31:19.61 propane tanks exploding. 00:31:19.64\00:31:22.48 Lyra, what is it like for you to think, wow! 00:31:22.51\00:31:25.91 My mom was standing out here, and some of the photos 00:31:25.95\00:31:28.82 that we've seen are just tremendous. 00:31:28.85\00:31:30.62 Yeah. Flames, smoke. 00:31:30.65\00:31:33.05 What's that like to think about your mother being there? 00:31:33.09\00:31:37.13 It's like scary to think about 00:31:37.16\00:31:39.43 because it brings back, 00:31:39.46\00:31:40.93 like my memories of that day, and like, 00:31:40.96\00:31:44.30 talking to her on the phone. 00:31:44.33\00:31:46.23 But obviously, it can't affect me 00:31:46.27\00:31:49.57 as much as it did her, since she was there in person. 00:31:49.60\00:31:53.38 I wanna ask this question to both of you, 00:31:53.41\00:31:54.81 what has carried you through this past year? 00:31:54.84\00:31:57.91 Here we've been a year since that horrible day. 00:31:57.95\00:32:01.15 You don't just get over something like that, 00:32:01.18\00:32:02.82 that happened today and you're over it tomorrow. 00:32:02.85\00:32:04.52 I wish I could give this rosy testimony 00:32:04.55\00:32:08.29 of all these amazing things that have happened to me since. 00:32:08.32\00:32:13.63 I would say that emotionally, 00:32:13.66\00:32:16.90 you know, just my feelings, 00:32:16.93\00:32:20.10 and anybody else that's been here 00:32:20.14\00:32:21.47 would know what I mean. 00:32:21.50\00:32:22.84 You feel like you've been erased as a human. 00:32:22.87\00:32:24.21 Oh, wow! 00:32:24.24\00:32:25.57 I mean, you just kind of feel that you've just been, 00:32:25.61\00:32:29.34 I don't know, erased. 00:32:29.38\00:32:32.91 But I have had to just rely on my beliefs. 00:32:32.95\00:32:38.59 And most of the stuff, I don't feel it, 00:32:38.62\00:32:41.72 I just have to believe. 00:32:41.76\00:32:43.12 And through it all, Through it all 00:32:43.16\00:32:46.80 My eyes are on You 00:32:46.83\00:32:50.17 And through it all, Through it all It 00:32:50.20\00:32:53.30 Andis well 00:32:53.34\00:32:54.87 You're holding something in your hand, 00:32:59.91\00:33:01.91 looks like a journal to me. 00:33:01.94\00:33:03.35 Well, everybody talks about their journal, you know, 00:33:03.38\00:33:05.91 it's supposed to be important 00:33:05.95\00:33:07.28 when you go through a hard time, 00:33:07.32\00:33:08.65 so I thought, I'd try this journal. 00:33:08.68\00:33:11.19 And I've never been a journaler, 00:33:11.22\00:33:13.56 so I wasn't sure what to do, and I made it my devotion. 00:33:13.59\00:33:18.19 So I would date it, and then I'd put down 00:33:18.23\00:33:22.70 the chapter that I was reading, 00:33:22.73\00:33:25.57 and I started off just paraphrasing it. 00:33:25.60\00:33:28.80 And I'd try, my goal in Bible studies, 00:33:28.84\00:33:31.54 I try to read one chapter of the Bible a day, 00:33:31.57\00:33:34.48 and one chapter Proverbs, and one chapter of Psalms. 00:33:34.51\00:33:37.51 Oh, that's good. 00:33:37.55\00:33:38.88 So the idea is that I'm reading through the Bible, 00:33:38.91\00:33:41.42 and that with Proverbs, that I'd become wise, 00:33:41.45\00:33:43.75 and with Psalms, I know how to pray and praise, 00:33:43.79\00:33:45.75 'cause if I can't think of it, David, kind of tells me. 00:33:45.79\00:33:48.06 Yeah. 00:33:48.09\00:33:50.33 You have something you wanna share? 00:33:50.36\00:33:51.69 Yes. 00:33:51.73\00:33:53.06 I can hold this for you, so you know... 00:33:53.09\00:33:54.43 Okay. 00:33:54.46\00:33:55.80 We were under pressure beyond our ability to endure 00:33:55.83\00:33:58.13 and despaired feeling like 00:33:58.17\00:33:59.50 we had received the death sentence. 00:33:59.53\00:34:01.54 But this happened so that we might not rely on ourselves, 00:34:01.57\00:34:04.64 but on God, who raises the dead. 00:34:04.67\00:34:06.84 He delivered us from deadly peril 00:34:06.88\00:34:08.68 and He will deliver us again. 00:34:08.71\00:34:10.35 On Him, we have set our hope 00:34:10.38\00:34:12.11 that He will continue to deliver us 00:34:12.15\00:34:13.98 as you help us by your prayers. 00:34:14.02\00:34:17.12 Wow! That's powerful. 00:34:17.15\00:34:18.52 So looking to the Lord for strength. 00:34:18.55\00:34:20.46 And through it all, Through it all 00:34:20.49\00:34:24.43 My eyes are on You 00:34:24.46\00:34:27.60 And it is well It is well 00:34:27.63\00:34:34.60 So let go my soul And trust in Him 00:34:34.64\00:34:42.14 The waves and wind still know 00:34:42.18\00:34:46.08 His name 00:34:46.11\00:34:50.32 There are lots of people 00:34:50.35\00:34:51.69 that are going through their own storms, 00:34:51.72\00:34:53.05 their own fires, 00:34:53.09\00:34:54.42 maybe saving their own lives. 00:34:54.46\00:34:55.79 Is there something that you would have 00:34:55.82\00:34:57.16 for somebody at home to say... 00:34:57.19\00:34:59.36 Well, for myself and, you know, 00:34:59.39\00:35:01.73 I may be kind of unique is to keep going, 00:35:01.76\00:35:04.67 and I have to rely on something other than emotions. 00:35:04.70\00:35:08.17 And sometimes forced myself to pray, 00:35:08.20\00:35:11.51 like I say, I've had, 00:35:11.54\00:35:12.87 you know, forced myself to pray 00:35:12.91\00:35:15.61 and forced myself to continue reading the Bible. 00:35:15.64\00:35:17.95 And I never questioned God, 00:35:17.98\00:35:23.79 I mean, I never had doubts about God. 00:35:23.82\00:35:25.65 That's one thing that I don't struggle with. 00:35:25.69\00:35:27.66 That's great. 00:35:27.69\00:35:29.02 I believe God is loving, and pure, and holy, 00:35:29.06\00:35:31.23 and good, and just, and faithful. 00:35:31.26\00:35:34.76 I struggle with, what do I do now. 00:35:34.80\00:35:37.80 And what should my decision be. 00:35:37.83\00:35:40.70 But I would say, never stop praying, 00:35:40.74\00:35:43.34 never stop reading the Bible. 00:35:43.37\00:35:45.11 And, you know, don't rely on your emotions, 00:35:45.14\00:35:49.21 keep the word endurance and perseverance, you know. 00:35:49.24\00:35:52.18 I probably use these words a lot, 00:35:52.21\00:35:53.55 and I just keep thinking about that, 00:35:53.58\00:35:54.92 where to endure, where to endure. 00:35:54.95\00:35:56.48 And through it all, Through it all 00:35:56.52\00:36:00.39 My eyes are on You 00:36:00.42\00:36:03.89 It's gonna get better. 00:36:03.93\00:36:05.49 It's tough at first, it is, and there's gonna be moments 00:36:05.53\00:36:09.03 where you think like, 00:36:09.06\00:36:12.40 this is so bad, like I can't go on, 00:36:12.43\00:36:15.14 I can't do it anymore. 00:36:15.17\00:36:16.50 But like, you can, 00:36:16.54\00:36:18.51 it's possible to move on from that. 00:36:18.54\00:36:24.05 Yeah, you know, being young, 00:36:24.08\00:36:26.38 you have your whole life ahead of you. 00:36:26.41\00:36:27.78 The waves and wind still know His name 00:36:33.52\00:36:40.90 The waves and wind still know His name 00:36:40.93\00:36:46.37 And through it all, Through it all 00:36:52.34\00:36:56.34 My eyes are on You 00:36:56.38\00:36:59.95 And through it all, Through it all It is well 00:36:59.98\00:37:07.16 And through it all, Through it all 00:37:07.19\00:37:11.13 My eyes are on You 00:37:11.16\00:37:14.16 As Dr. McLarty reminded us, 00:37:14.20\00:37:16.30 if you feel like your life is being erased, 00:37:16.33\00:37:18.70 hang onto Jesus, 00:37:18.73\00:37:20.07 because He's not letting go of you. 00:37:20.10\00:37:22.60 I think of Isaiah 43, 00:37:22.64\00:37:25.51 it talks about Jesus calling you by name, 00:37:25.54\00:37:28.54 you're not forgotten. 00:37:28.58\00:37:30.05 He knows exactly where you're at. 00:37:30.08\00:37:32.81 What situation is going on in your life, personal, 00:37:32.85\00:37:36.62 maybe with your family, your work. 00:37:36.65\00:37:40.86 A fire in your own life, God knows all about it. 00:37:40.89\00:37:44.93 This here is where the Paradise 00:37:44.96\00:37:46.29 Seventh-day Adventist Church stood. 00:37:46.33\00:37:48.53 It looks like just kind of a barren, rough, dirt field. 00:37:48.56\00:37:52.33 But you know what, the Church is not gone. 00:37:52.37\00:37:54.77 Yes, the building's gone, but the people are still here. 00:37:54.80\00:37:58.54 It may just look desolate, but they're gonna build 00:37:58.57\00:38:00.84 another church here. 00:38:00.88\00:38:02.34 Hang onto Jesus. 00:38:02.38\00:38:04.15 Remember, He loves you with an everlasting love. 00:38:04.18\00:38:07.48 He has His arms around you. 00:38:07.52\00:38:09.35 During a test, they say, the teacher is silent. 00:38:09.38\00:38:12.45 So as we go through these fires, 00:38:12.49\00:38:14.12 these floods of life, 00:38:14.16\00:38:15.72 God is right there with us in the midst of the storm. 00:38:15.76\00:38:20.10 So how's your soul with Jesus today? 00:38:20.13\00:38:22.33 Are you well with Jesus? 00:38:22.36\00:38:24.23 I pray that is. 00:38:24.27\00:38:26.97 As I was trying to leave the hospital, 00:38:27.00\00:38:30.01 we ended up getting stuck 00:38:30.04\00:38:31.37 with in probably 200 yards of the hospital. 00:38:31.41\00:38:34.34 The sheriff was in front of me and there were cars 00:38:34.38\00:38:36.51 that were abandoned in front of us, 00:38:36.54\00:38:37.88 ambulance burning up. 00:38:37.91\00:38:39.65 And there were other vehicles that had been abandoned, 00:38:39.68\00:38:41.72 starting to catch fire. 00:38:41.75\00:38:43.65 And the sheriff and I were conversing back and forth. 00:38:43.69\00:38:46.72 He knew I had patients in my vehicle, 00:38:46.76\00:38:48.69 and I told him, we need help. 00:38:48.72\00:38:51.16 The fire had actually came up to the side of the road 00:38:51.19\00:38:55.40 and fires were catching on the other side of the road, 00:38:55.43\00:38:57.93 so we had no place to go. 00:38:57.97\00:38:59.33 There was no back, no forward, no side. 00:38:59.37\00:39:02.27 And so basically we decided the best thing to do 00:39:02.30\00:39:05.44 was to move our vehicles both sides of the road, 00:39:05.47\00:39:09.44 depending on where the flames were to try 00:39:09.48\00:39:11.25 and make sure that our vehicles 00:39:11.28\00:39:12.91 didn't have direct contact with flames. 00:39:12.95\00:39:15.68 And so the individuals in my vehicle, 00:39:15.72\00:39:17.65 at this point, there were three patients, 00:39:17.69\00:39:20.99 and I had added another individual community person, 00:39:21.02\00:39:24.29 their vehicle had broken down. 00:39:24.33\00:39:26.53 And it was a 75-year-old community member 00:39:26.56\00:39:28.93 that I saw standing on the side of the road. 00:39:28.96\00:39:31.13 And I said, "Get in my vehicle now." 00:39:31.17\00:39:33.80 And so she was talking on her phone at that point. 00:39:33.84\00:39:36.81 And finally I said, "Lady, 00:39:36.84\00:39:38.71 you need to get in my vehicle right now, 00:39:38.74\00:39:40.21 get off your phone and get in here 00:39:40.24\00:39:42.14 for your own safety." 00:39:42.18\00:39:43.51 And so she actually came around 00:39:43.55\00:39:44.88 and sat in the front seat of my vehicle, 00:39:44.91\00:39:46.58 so my vehicle is completely full 00:39:46.61\00:39:47.95 at this point. 00:39:47.98\00:39:49.32 So it's you, a 75-year-old, 00:39:49.35\00:39:50.69 two ICU patients, and a hospice patient. 00:39:50.72\00:39:54.22 And I was calling my children at this point 00:39:54.26\00:39:56.83 because it did not look like I was gonna make it. 00:39:56.86\00:39:59.89 And so I called my son and said, 00:39:59.93\00:40:01.33 "I love you, and I don't know that 00:40:01.36\00:40:03.00 I will see you again. 00:40:03.03\00:40:04.37 But just know that you are important to me." 00:40:04.40\00:40:08.84 And then I called a friend and said, 00:40:08.87\00:40:10.97 "I need you to watch over my kids." 00:40:11.01\00:40:13.04 So let me just hit on some of the story right here. 00:40:13.07\00:40:15.58 So your children don't have their mother? 00:40:15.61\00:40:18.81 Correct. 00:40:18.85\00:40:20.18 She actually passed away five months before, yeah. 00:40:20.22\00:40:22.25 So you are just recently widowed, 00:40:22.28\00:40:24.92 and your kids don't have their mom 00:40:24.95\00:40:26.62 because their mom just died, 00:40:26.65\00:40:27.99 and now you have to call your son, 00:40:28.02\00:40:30.63 and say I'm not gonna make it. 00:40:30.66\00:40:32.03 Yup. 00:40:32.06\00:40:33.40 So I was relying on God to take care of us 00:40:36.16\00:40:38.87 'cause just God can know, you know, 00:40:38.90\00:40:40.24 what's best for my family. 00:40:40.27\00:40:41.60 And through it all, Through it all 00:40:46.37\00:40:49.98 My eyes are on You 00:40:50.01\00:40:53.42 And it is well It is well 00:40:53.45\00:41:00.49 So let go my soul And trust in Him 00:41:00.52\00:41:08.03 The waves and wind still know His name 00:41:08.06\00:41:15.20 Chaplain Brown, to see that footage of a year ago, 00:41:15.24\00:41:17.91 when we were there and the chapel at the Chico, 00:41:17.94\00:41:21.31 Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:41:21.34\00:41:22.68 and to hear your testimony 00:41:22.71\00:41:24.55 and to how the Lord preserved you 00:41:24.58\00:41:27.08 on your escape out, with the flames all around, 00:41:27.12\00:41:30.22 your children, making that journey, 00:41:30.25\00:41:32.79 talking about the loss 00:41:32.82\00:41:34.16 that had just taken place last year in your life 00:41:34.19\00:41:35.96 with your wife passing away. 00:41:35.99\00:41:38.09 A lot of emotion and here we are, 00:41:38.13\00:41:40.86 one year later on the property, 00:41:40.90\00:41:43.97 your house is behind us, 00:41:44.00\00:41:46.74 describe what's taken place over this last year, 00:41:46.77\00:41:49.00 because people followed your story, 00:41:49.04\00:41:51.31 were touched by your testimony. 00:41:51.34\00:41:53.24 And so what's this last year been like for you? 00:41:53.27\00:41:58.08 It's been a year that you never anticipate 00:41:58.11\00:42:00.98 happening in your life of course. 00:42:01.02\00:42:03.28 And within that, there's been 00:42:03.32\00:42:04.95 a lot of opportunities for gratitude, 00:42:04.99\00:42:07.39 for seeing God's goodness 00:42:07.42\00:42:09.19 and His hand through this experience. 00:42:09.22\00:42:12.99 Some of the things that transpired of course 00:42:13.03\00:42:15.53 right after the fire, we, 'cause of chaplain services 00:42:15.56\00:42:18.77 have been involved in supporting the community, 00:42:18.80\00:42:21.54 some of the things you actually see on my property 00:42:21.57\00:42:23.44 are gifts from the community. 00:42:23.47\00:42:26.14 Like what would we be looking at here? 00:42:26.17\00:42:27.54 So there's a trailer 00:42:27.58\00:42:28.91 that's still on our property right now 00:42:28.94\00:42:30.58 that's been used multiple times 00:42:30.61\00:42:32.15 by multiple families as a place to live, 00:42:32.18\00:42:36.05 so that was a gift to our community. 00:42:36.08\00:42:38.05 So after the fire, we ended up finding housing 00:42:38.09\00:42:40.72 for many, many people. 00:42:40.76\00:42:42.92 A lot of basic necessities, financially, clothing, 00:42:42.96\00:42:48.06 you name it, we've tried to support. 00:42:48.10\00:42:50.90 And through those experiences, 00:42:50.93\00:42:52.83 we've had an opportunity to really touch the inner core 00:42:52.87\00:42:57.74 and need of this community. 00:42:57.77\00:42:59.11 Oh, yeah. 00:42:59.14\00:43:00.48 And to see people as they really are. 00:43:00.51\00:43:02.81 And what I discovered is that 00:43:02.84\00:43:05.61 there is a real resiliency in humanity. 00:43:05.65\00:43:08.78 Oh yeah, that's true. 00:43:08.82\00:43:10.55 And it's been amazing to see people's journey, 00:43:10.59\00:43:13.25 and their gratitude that comes back 00:43:13.29\00:43:15.96 from the gifts that we're just redistributing 00:43:15.99\00:43:18.93 back to them. 00:43:18.96\00:43:20.30 And so I found that through this last year, 00:43:20.33\00:43:23.73 through all of the activities, through the support 00:43:23.77\00:43:25.67 that we've given to so many people, 00:43:25.70\00:43:27.90 that really I've been as blessed in return 00:43:27.94\00:43:30.87 as the blessings that I feel like 00:43:30.91\00:43:32.64 I've been able to give. 00:43:32.67\00:43:34.34 What's it been like for you and your children to come back 00:43:34.38\00:43:37.78 here and spend, what, 00:43:37.81\00:43:39.15 how many weeks since you've moved 00:43:39.18\00:43:40.52 back into your home? 00:43:40.55\00:43:41.88 So actually it's been months now, at this point. 00:43:41.92\00:43:43.25 Okay. 00:43:43.28\00:43:44.62 We've moved in 3.5 months after the fire. 00:43:44.65\00:43:46.69 Wow, that's pretty quick. So it was. 00:43:46.72\00:43:48.42 We actually ended up 00:43:48.46\00:43:49.79 doing a lot of work on the property 00:43:49.82\00:43:51.46 to get utilities reconnected to the home. 00:43:51.49\00:43:54.76 Coming back into the house, it felt like a different home, 00:43:54.80\00:43:59.23 it wasn't really our home at first. 00:43:59.27\00:44:02.10 We lived in an RV for 3.5 months. 00:44:02.14\00:44:05.17 And so, it was interesting being displaced. 00:44:05.21\00:44:08.34 It was something I'd never anticipated 00:44:08.38\00:44:10.11 happening in my life to live out, you know, 00:44:10.15\00:44:13.28 a space that you didn't choose to live out of. 00:44:13.31\00:44:15.52 Yeah. 00:44:15.55\00:44:16.89 And so coming back home, 00:44:16.92\00:44:18.25 it took us probably two or three months 00:44:18.29\00:44:20.19 to reconnect with the house. 00:44:20.22\00:44:23.12 If you look around this community, 00:44:23.16\00:44:24.49 it's not the same community, 00:44:24.53\00:44:26.19 it was probably the biggest loss 00:44:26.23\00:44:27.56 that we had in this community was the community itself. 00:44:27.60\00:44:30.83 You know, my neighbors are all gone if you look. 00:44:30.87\00:44:32.80 Yeah, it's incredible, as you said, right. 00:44:32.83\00:44:34.20 I mean, this is your neighbor, was right here, that's close. 00:44:34.24\00:44:37.57 Their house burned? Exactly. 00:44:37.61\00:44:39.24 What about the next neighbor? Their house burns. 00:44:39.27\00:44:41.64 And what about the next neighbor? 00:44:41.68\00:44:43.01 Their house burns. 00:44:43.04\00:44:44.38 Yes, and if you go down the street the other way, 00:44:44.41\00:44:46.38 the same thing, house after house after house. 00:44:46.41\00:44:49.18 And so we really were the only people living, 00:44:49.22\00:44:51.35 back in this neighborhood for months and months 00:44:51.39\00:44:54.26 due to the fire. 00:44:54.29\00:44:55.62 To school for my kids is now a half an hour, 00:44:55.66\00:44:59.96 instead of five minutes. 00:45:00.00\00:45:02.76 The lights in town are pretty much gone, 00:45:02.80\00:45:07.54 as far as, you know, 00:45:07.57\00:45:08.90 the traffic that you normally have, 00:45:08.94\00:45:10.81 the lights from your neighbors' homes, 00:45:10.84\00:45:13.27 so it's a really dark community at night, that's difference. 00:45:13.31\00:45:15.24 Wow, yeah. 00:45:15.28\00:45:17.68 You have to drive for shopping, 00:45:17.71\00:45:20.75 so it takes more time to do everything. 00:45:20.78\00:45:25.29 But I think at the end, you just have to realize that 00:45:25.32\00:45:27.92 this is a different community, a different time 00:45:27.96\00:45:30.69 and not try and recreate what you had, 00:45:30.73\00:45:33.80 but to look forward 00:45:33.83\00:45:35.30 and look for the blessings and for the reality that 00:45:35.33\00:45:39.87 this is a new community now. 00:45:39.90\00:45:41.24 You know, I'm just gonna ask that 00:45:41.27\00:45:42.60 because here we are Thanksgiving season, 00:45:42.64\00:45:43.97 and we should be thankful every day of the year. 00:45:44.01\00:45:46.11 I know, this time of year, November 00:45:46.14\00:45:47.91 is a special time of thanks, 00:45:47.94\00:45:49.28 but how does one find something positive 00:45:49.31\00:45:53.38 when tragedy's on the run because here in Paradise, 00:45:53.42\00:45:56.18 we're talking about the fire that ravaged this community. 00:45:56.22\00:45:58.25 But then, you may be 00:45:58.29\00:45:59.62 in your own fire, in your own life, 00:45:59.65\00:46:01.72 wherever you are in the world. 00:46:01.76\00:46:03.53 So how would you, Pastor, give hope to someone 00:46:03.56\00:46:06.39 or encourage them on how to find something 00:46:06.43\00:46:08.56 out of their own ashes in their own loves? 00:46:08.60\00:46:11.20 You know, my home was preserved, 00:46:11.23\00:46:13.34 it's to me a miracle that it's still here. 00:46:13.37\00:46:16.30 And in my home, there is a little saying that 00:46:16.34\00:46:20.21 my wife had bought and put on the wall, 00:46:20.24\00:46:22.54 and it says, "Gratitude makes what we have into enough." 00:46:22.58\00:46:25.85 Wow! Say that one more time. 00:46:25.88\00:46:27.22 Gratitude makes what we have into enough. 00:46:27.25\00:46:30.92 And I think that as I have listened to people's lives 00:46:30.95\00:46:35.39 post fire that many of them are grateful, 00:46:35.42\00:46:39.83 just for the basic necessities. 00:46:39.86\00:46:41.86 It's not about the stuff that you have or had, 00:46:41.90\00:46:45.37 it's not about your position in your job, 00:46:45.40\00:46:49.30 it's really about just, 00:46:49.34\00:46:51.57 you know, being thankful for today 00:46:51.61\00:46:53.88 and for what you have, 00:46:53.91\00:46:55.24 which in the very essence of it is life 00:46:55.28\00:46:57.68 and that's what so many people left here with, 00:46:57.71\00:47:00.62 and they had nothing to return to other than maybe a property, 00:47:00.65\00:47:05.65 everything was gone. 00:47:05.69\00:47:07.09 And so often I hear from people that the blessings that 00:47:07.12\00:47:10.49 they actually received from the fire 00:47:10.53\00:47:11.86 was the loss of their material things, 00:47:11.89\00:47:16.00 and it freed them up to a different life 00:47:16.03\00:47:17.37 and a different opportunity. 00:47:17.40\00:47:18.73 Which is really hard to really even think about, 00:47:18.77\00:47:20.24 so really, that was a blessing to have a loss, 00:47:20.27\00:47:23.41 is that what you are saying? 00:47:23.44\00:47:25.57 That's hard. Yes, yes. 00:47:25.61\00:47:28.61 It's a perspective of it 00:47:28.64\00:47:29.98 I wasn't anticipating coming out 00:47:30.01\00:47:31.71 of so many people in this community 00:47:31.75\00:47:33.65 'cause I hear them come through our clinics, 00:47:33.68\00:47:36.38 they talk to our associates themselves at the hospital, 00:47:36.42\00:47:39.52 which I work, that over and over again, 00:47:39.55\00:47:42.72 they're finding blessings out of the loss 00:47:42.76\00:47:45.39 and the change in their life. 00:47:45.43\00:47:47.80 So talking with you, Pastor, is just, again, I'm inspired, 00:47:47.83\00:47:50.87 I was inspired by your testimony a year ago, 00:47:50.90\00:47:53.50 and I'm inspired again and encouraged. 00:47:53.54\00:47:55.97 To me, as I look at you, it seems as though your soul 00:47:56.00\00:47:58.81 is well, right, with God. 00:47:58.84\00:48:02.04 How do you have that day to day connection with Him? 00:48:02.08\00:48:03.41 I mean how do you... 00:48:03.45\00:48:04.78 'Cause I mean, to me, you seem at peace 00:48:04.81\00:48:06.15 even though you lost your wife, your community's gone, 00:48:06.18\00:48:09.55 you know, your house is here which I'm sure 00:48:09.58\00:48:11.29 some people are dealing with survivors guilt maybe. 00:48:11.32\00:48:13.99 You know, like, wow, how come everyone, 00:48:14.02\00:48:15.62 all surround me, it's gone, and mine's here. 00:48:15.66\00:48:19.33 How do you have that peace in your own personal life, 00:48:19.36\00:48:21.90 where it is well with God? 00:48:21.93\00:48:25.00 I think it again comes back to gratitude. 00:48:25.03\00:48:27.57 I'm grateful for what I have. 00:48:27.60\00:48:30.67 You know, there's things that I wish 00:48:30.71\00:48:32.17 that I had on the personal level, 00:48:32.21\00:48:34.44 with my wife, of course. 00:48:34.48\00:48:36.04 But as far as, in the material things, 00:48:36.08\00:48:38.91 I think that I'm on the same journey 00:48:38.95\00:48:40.42 as the rest of the community. 00:48:40.45\00:48:42.88 And that I have my kids at the end of the day. 00:48:42.92\00:48:45.35 I have a place to live. 00:48:45.39\00:48:48.62 And that which I have I realized is really not mine, 00:48:48.66\00:48:53.09 it's just a gift. 00:48:53.13\00:48:54.46 This home shouldn't be here. 00:48:54.50\00:48:55.83 When you look back at this home, 00:48:55.86\00:48:58.00 it shouldn't be standing on this property, 00:48:58.03\00:49:00.50 it shouldn't be in this community. 00:49:00.54\00:49:02.64 And so I realized that, you know, 00:49:02.67\00:49:05.97 maybe I paid the mortgage, but in all reality, 00:49:06.01\00:49:08.34 God's the giver of all gifts, and it is a gift. 00:49:08.38\00:49:12.05 And so we've used it like we did before the fire, 00:49:12.08\00:49:15.52 as a space for community to come. 00:49:15.55\00:49:17.49 You know, on my property, 00:49:17.52\00:49:18.85 we have some friends living here 00:49:18.89\00:49:20.39 just like I lived on someone else's property 00:49:20.42\00:49:22.16 for 3.5 months. 00:49:22.19\00:49:24.56 We've tried to make sure 00:49:24.59\00:49:26.16 that the gifts that God gave to us 00:49:26.19\00:49:27.90 that we are returning them 00:49:27.93\00:49:29.60 as best as possible and blessing the community. 00:49:29.63\00:49:32.43 It's in giving that we receive, you know, 00:49:32.47\00:49:34.80 that reminder is something that I experience every day 00:49:34.84\00:49:38.87 that as I give, I actually receive back more, 00:49:38.91\00:49:41.84 and it just gives you 00:49:41.88\00:49:43.21 a different perspective on life, 00:49:43.24\00:49:45.01 and I think a positive perspective. 00:49:45.05\00:49:47.58 Is there anything in closing 00:49:47.62\00:49:48.95 that you would like to share with our audiences viewing 00:49:48.98\00:49:51.55 from around the world, 00:49:51.59\00:49:52.92 something an encouragement, something that comes in mind 00:49:52.95\00:49:54.56 that you would like to share in closing. 00:49:54.59\00:49:57.99 I would say that, we all have fires 00:49:58.03\00:50:00.80 that we go through in life. 00:50:00.83\00:50:02.46 Trials of our faith, personal trials that's 00:50:02.50\00:50:07.54 whether it's disease that is ravaging your life 00:50:07.57\00:50:12.87 or someone you love's life, whether it's, you know, 00:50:12.91\00:50:15.08 loss of a job, a loss of a community, 00:50:15.11\00:50:18.41 loss of a relationship, that in reality 00:50:18.45\00:50:22.88 we can always find something to be thankful for. 00:50:22.92\00:50:26.55 You know, it's a perspective that we choose to make, 00:50:26.59\00:50:31.69 and it's a daily perspective we choose to make. 00:50:31.73\00:50:33.86 So I would encourage you that whatever you are going through, 00:50:33.90\00:50:36.93 no matter how big your trials are at the moment, 00:50:36.97\00:50:41.10 that look for the positive, look for the God moments 00:50:41.14\00:50:44.74 'cause those are really the things 00:50:44.77\00:50:46.11 at the end of the day that we can look back on 00:50:46.14\00:50:49.11 and know that we are not alone, 00:50:49.14\00:50:52.48 God loves us, he has a plan for our life. 00:50:52.51\00:50:55.78 It may not be the plan that we had for our life, 00:50:55.82\00:50:58.49 but it's one of those things 00:50:58.52\00:50:59.85 where I think at the end of the day, 00:50:59.89\00:51:01.29 we can look back and say, 00:51:01.32\00:51:03.46 you know, God was with us 00:51:03.49\00:51:04.83 through our trials and out of it, 00:51:04.86\00:51:06.63 we've learned things that we never thought we will. 00:51:06.66\00:51:09.20 And then it is well with my soul, then, isn't it? 00:51:09.23\00:51:10.90 It is. 00:51:10.93\00:51:12.27 You know, it's one of those things that 00:51:12.30\00:51:14.40 when you think back, you know, 00:51:14.44\00:51:15.77 music can touch your soul like nothing else. 00:51:15.80\00:51:17.94 You know, songs like "It is well with my soul," 00:51:17.97\00:51:21.38 it gives you the peace that you need through your storms 00:51:21.41\00:51:24.51 and that comes alone 00:51:24.55\00:51:25.88 from that relationship with God. 00:51:25.91\00:51:28.92 It is well 00:51:28.95\00:51:36.26 With my soul 00:51:36.29\00:51:43.60 It is well 00:51:43.63\00:51:50.97 With my soul 00:51:51.01\00:51:58.51 It is well, it is well, 00:51:58.55\00:52:05.75 With my soul 00:52:05.79\00:52:12.79 So where do we go from here? 00:52:12.83\00:52:16.16 I think that's a question lots of people are asking. 00:52:16.20\00:52:21.64 I think it's a clear thing 00:52:21.67\00:52:23.00 that it's gonna be a lot different. 00:52:23.04\00:52:28.11 We know that God leads. 00:52:28.14\00:52:31.68 And through, you know, the ashes and the fire, 00:52:31.71\00:52:37.32 God, He'll lead us somewhere, and we're waiting for that. 00:52:37.35\00:52:42.89 It is well 00:52:42.92\00:52:50.17 With my soul 00:52:50.20\00:52:57.51 It is well, it is well, 00:52:57.54\00:53:04.71 With my soul 00:53:04.75\00:53:12.15 It is well, it is well, 00:53:12.19\00:53:19.49 With my soul 00:53:19.53\00:53:26.03 I was actually just talking to some of these people, 00:53:26.07\00:53:28.70 they were sharing how... 00:53:28.74\00:53:30.21 Yeah, they were sharing their whole stories about 00:53:30.24\00:53:31.57 how they were able to get out and so forth. 00:53:31.61\00:53:33.21 And I am the blessed one, you know. 00:53:33.24\00:53:35.48 And I'm just like "Wow," 00:53:35.51\00:53:36.98 it puts my life into perspective 00:53:37.01\00:53:38.51 because here I am, like, my house is still standing, 00:53:38.55\00:53:42.18 you know, my family wasn't threatened, 00:53:42.22\00:53:44.19 my little, precious kitty cat wasn't threatened, you know, 00:53:44.22\00:53:46.62 it's just like, 00:53:46.65\00:53:47.99 their perspective has totally changed, 00:53:48.02\00:53:49.36 which has also changed my own perspective, you know. 00:53:49.39\00:53:51.83 What really matters is my relationship with God, 00:53:51.86\00:53:56.03 with my family, my friends, you know, 00:53:56.06\00:53:57.63 that's all that really matters. 00:53:57.67\00:53:59.00 Yeah. 00:53:59.03\00:54:00.37 And that's just really humbled me 00:54:00.40\00:54:01.74 in working with these precious people 00:54:01.77\00:54:03.10 and victims here. 00:54:03.14\00:54:04.47 It's just like, yeah, so much to... 00:54:04.51\00:54:05.84 Yeah, so reaching out to others is actually 00:54:05.87\00:54:08.14 benefits me amazingly. 00:54:08.18\00:54:10.55 It's just, I thank God for that. 00:54:10.58\00:54:12.18 The waves and wind still know His name 00:54:19.42\00:54:24.73 And through it all, Through it all 00:54:30.80\00:54:34.70 My eyes are on You 00:54:34.74\00:54:38.37 And through it all, Through it all It is well 00:54:38.41\00:54:45.81 And through it all, Through it all 00:54:45.85\00:54:49.55 My eyes are on You 00:54:49.58\00:54:52.75 And it is well with me 00:54:52.79\00:54:57.33 Oh, what an incredible footage and what an incredible story. 00:55:02.76\00:55:06.13 And I mean, it just, what's it do to you, 00:55:06.17\00:55:09.14 hearing some of these stories and... 00:55:09.17\00:55:11.67 It's to me is just amazing. 00:55:11.71\00:55:13.27 I mean, to see how people go through all of these things 00:55:13.31\00:55:19.11 and yet we know God is with them. 00:55:19.15\00:55:20.98 Amen. 00:55:21.02\00:55:22.35 But it's just the pressure, and oh, it's just... 00:55:22.38\00:55:25.65 It's heart breaking. It's heart breaking. 00:55:25.69\00:55:27.82 The impact it must have on you, Greg, 00:55:27.86\00:55:29.72 'cause you were there, we were watching, 00:55:29.76\00:55:31.09 but you were there. 00:55:31.13\00:55:32.46 Yeah, very emotional being there, 00:55:32.49\00:55:33.83 the first, you know, right after it happened, 00:55:33.86\00:55:35.20 we were just there a couple of days 00:55:35.23\00:55:36.56 after it happened. 00:55:36.60\00:55:37.93 And then to go back even a year later, 00:55:37.97\00:55:39.30 I mean, it's amazing to see 00:55:39.33\00:55:40.67 there's just skeletons of trees, 00:55:40.70\00:55:42.04 just standing totally just, yeah, 00:55:42.07\00:55:43.41 there's still cars that are burned out, 00:55:43.44\00:55:44.91 buildings that haven't been cleaned up, 00:55:44.94\00:55:47.98 it's just, it's amazing the massive job there. 00:55:48.01\00:55:50.11 We just ended with Pastor Chaplain Brown, 00:55:50.15\00:55:52.38 just, this is the stuff that we didn't have time 00:55:52.41\00:55:54.15 to put in the video but the heat around his house, 00:55:54.18\00:55:56.12 this is incredible, his house survived. 00:55:56.15\00:55:57.95 The heat around his house, they estimate at 2,000 degrees. 00:55:57.99\00:56:01.22 The taproots and trees 00:56:01.26\00:56:02.59 which go down in the ground totally gone, 00:56:02.62\00:56:04.19 so yes, the trees gone but also the tap root, 00:56:04.23\00:56:06.29 the root system, totally burned up, 00:56:06.33\00:56:08.06 tremendous heat, it's incredible. 00:56:08.10\00:56:09.43 Amazing. 00:56:09.46\00:56:10.80 And these gutters as you said were... 00:56:10.83\00:56:12.73 They were on fire Melted, burned. 00:56:12.77\00:56:14.67 Because there were leaves in the gutters 00:56:14.70\00:56:16.04 and the gutters were on fire because... 00:56:16.07\00:56:17.64 The house didn't burn. Nope. 00:56:17.67\00:56:19.01 I mean, that's just amazing. Really is. 00:56:19.04\00:56:20.84 But the loss of life was tremendous too. 00:56:20.88\00:56:22.74 Oh, terrible. Yeah, absolutely. 00:56:22.78\00:56:24.21 Yes. Eighty-five. 00:56:24.25\00:56:25.58 Eighty-five people lost their lives. 00:56:25.61\00:56:27.52 I mean, incredible and to deal with that, I mean, 00:56:27.55\00:56:29.82 this is something it's gonna last for a long time, you know. 00:56:29.85\00:56:32.35 Oh, yeah, a long time, absolutely. 00:56:32.39\00:56:34.42 So, well, thank you so much for bringing that. 00:56:34.46\00:56:36.52 We're gonna have a second hour... 00:56:36.56\00:56:37.89 We're gonna show 00:56:37.93\00:56:39.26 how you the viewer and your support, 00:56:39.29\00:56:41.13 what it's done for the encouragement 00:56:41.16\00:56:43.26 and a blessing to those 00:56:43.30\00:56:44.63 and those folk in Paradise are very thankful 00:56:44.67\00:56:46.47 for you as we are. 00:56:46.50\00:56:47.84 Hey, we'll be back in just a moment. 00:56:47.87\00:56:49.24 Stories that touch our hearts, 00:57:00.25\00:57:03.22 stories of changed lives. 00:57:03.25\00:57:06.39 The prayers and financial support 00:57:06.42\00:57:08.26 of people just like you 00:57:08.29\00:57:10.13 are what make it possible for us to tell the stories 00:57:10.16\00:57:13.46 that make a difference. 00:57:13.50\00:57:15.00 You are 3ABN. Thank you for your support. 00:57:49.33\00:57:53.00