Welcome to the New Journey, a
program about real life people
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with real life testimonies doing
real life ministry for Jesus
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Christ. I'm your host, Pastor
Marquis Johns. Join us on the
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New Journey. ¤ ¤
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Could you imagine having
everything that you have taken
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from you because of decisions
that you've made. Christ
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promises us that he will restore
the things that we've lost and
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today we have in the studio a
young man who we're praying that
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God will restore those things
to. Adam Snodgrass, how are you
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doing today? Good, how are you?
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Good, fantastic. Now what I want
to do is first and foremost ask
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you tell us who you are and
then tell us where you're from.
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My name is Adam Snodgrass. I'm
from Frankfurt, Indiana. I'm 33
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years old. I'm a drug addict,
reformed, used drugs for a long
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time. But I would
say I'm a new person now.
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Amen. New creature in Christ.
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I'm definitely a new creature.
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Amen. OK, so now. Young
man, Indiana, you've grown up.
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Any siblings? Yeah, I
have an twin sister, an
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older brother
and a younger sister.
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OK, OK. So you grow up in a home
with a twin sister, Mom and Dad
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both in the home? Uh-huh. So
you turn eventually to a life
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of drugs and alcohol. Tell
us about that. I mean because
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statistically they tell us
that when you grow up with both
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parents... Well
they were divorced right
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before I was a teenager.
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OK, right before you were a
teenager. So tell us about the
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journey into a life of drugs and
violence and so forth, tell us
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about that. Ahh,
Honestly, I mean, I've
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thought about it and thought
about it and tried to pinpoint
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where it all started. You know
it kind of boggles me really
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just seems like my whole life
I was always into never really
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thinking about the consequences
of my actions or anything like
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that and just always ready
to try anything. I guess through
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living like that
and not having the...
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What we're basically saying
is you don't know where this
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started. Not really. I mean
I know where my major addiction
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started with heroin. That was
in Fort Wayne when I became a
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professional tattoo artist.
OK, well tell us about that.
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Is the tattoo industry... I
mean I'm terrified of needles,
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absolutely terrified. I remember
trying to get a tattoo, right
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with the motor, you know those.
It was just so terrifying for
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me that people typically when
I tell them well I have this
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sordid past, they say well where
are you tattoos. I say well
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I'm afraid of needles. So are
those lifestyles linked in any
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way, the heroin.
Well I mean sometimes, not
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always as a rule. I mean you
always make your own decisions.
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There are people, like I say,
for the tattoo industry it's not
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like hand in hand. But there are
some places you know where drugs
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are involved. Fortunately
or unfortunately I happened to
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land in one of those spots.
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So tell us, you're in
Fort Wayne how old are you?
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I was 22. So you
were in Fort Wayne,
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you're 22 years old. Tell us
about what happens that leads
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a 22-year-old young man
into a life of heroin addiction?
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Like I said in the you know
in the beginning I was always, I
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don't know if you want to call
it open minded or whatever, but
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I was always willing to try
anything ever since I drank a
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beer or felt some sort of a
mind-altering buzz or whatever,
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it seemed like a liked it. You
know, I walked into a room one
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day and there was a guy doing
it and I asked him if I could
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try it. So I tried it and
it stole my life. Just one time
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and it just snowballed.
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The way I understand it and
from my days, in the African
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American Community crack is a
huge epidemic; it has been for a
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while. But in the south I know
that the African Americans have
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been exposed to heroin and from
my understanding this is the
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most addictive drug. It is
typically referred to as the
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monkey on your back that
you can't get off. So walk us
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through a life of a heroin
addict. You're 33 now, when did
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you get clean? I
got clean last year.
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OK, last year so that's close
to 10 years of heroin addiction.
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Walk us through
that journey man.
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Of being a heroin addict?
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Yeah, I mean because you've got
to understand. Let me tell you
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I've done cocaine, I've done LSD
I've done mushrooms, I've done
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marijuana, you know, those
things, but because of my fear
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of needles... I've even snorted,
done cocaine, but because of my
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fear of needles heroin in
any of its forms was just like
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terrifying to me. It's
taboo to a lot of people
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even if they do other drugs.
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OK, so now walk us through that.
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Well I guess being a heroin
addict, you know, before you're
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an addict you try it. I have
an addictive personality. I do
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everything extremely, good
or bad. Once I tasted the heroin
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as a drug it becomes attached
to your DNA. So after so many
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times of using it when your body
starts to withdraw from it, when
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the effects of the drugs to away
you get flu-like symptoms. You
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become achy and ill and you
throw up and you can't eat and
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it controls you. You'll do
anything for it because you know
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that your wellness, your feeling
better, what you think is
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feeling better is you know $50
away or whatever. So you just
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do anything for it. Nothing
matters but that. Then it
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matters. Whatever your
responsibilities are in the day
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whatever it is. Literally there
was a point in time where if I
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didn't wake up with $100 in my
pocket I couldn't eat breakfast.
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So I mean it controls you. It
takes everything away from you.
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You know that's the only thing
that's first and foremost in
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your life. So here
we have this young man,
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Indiana-born, 22 years of age,
gets hooked on heroin, living
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the lifestyle of a tattoo artist
heroin addict. How were you
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able to function
socially or were you able to?
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Coming full circle now I've
talked to people that knew me
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then and know me now and
they say that I was a completely
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different person. Through
my eyes I was able to function
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socially because if I was sick,
off of dope, if I didn't have
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drugs, I was completely
antisocial, mood swings very
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like an emotional rollercoaster
but as soon as I got the drug
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it like brings a calm. So that's
how I functioned socially was
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to make sure that I always had
drugs. I feel like I've always
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been a leader, you know, I
can talk, I can speak, so I use
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those gifts which are gifts that
I have and I harnessed them into
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evil and into negativity. So
I was always to get whatever I
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wanted. So people knew that
I was high and if it might have
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been somebody else they probably
wouldn't have accepted it but I
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sell you a dream even when I'm
on this stuff, so I would just
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make people comfortable
with myself, at least I thought.
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So heroin addiction, does this
lead to a life of violence, a
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life of crime. It
leads to whatever it takes to
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get the drug. So what
did it take for you to
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get the drug that landed
you quite possibly in jail?
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Theft, deception, losing
face, no respect, I mean, just
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absolutely like I say it's
a juggernaut. That drug is the
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devil himself. It's an epidemic
now. There's so much going on
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with that drug in the United
States right now it's ridiculous
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At 33, I'm looking back, 22
to 33, how were relationships?
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Did you have any relationships
in that period of time?
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Yes I had relationships. You
mean like a significant other?
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Yes, of course. Yeah, I
was with a girl for like
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10 years. We had five kids
together. Ultimately in the end
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we lost every single one of them
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OK, and when you say we lost
them did you lose them to her?
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Was she also an addict?
Yeah, she was also an addict.
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So you lost them to the system?
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To the state. How
do you feel about that?
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Well. I mean, that's tough man,
that's tough to think about, my
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addiction has caused me to
forfeit the ability to be a
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father to my children. Not
just oh I can't see them some.
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They are now wards of
the state I'm assuming?
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They've been adopted
away for about four years.
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How are you coping with that?
Now, in your sobriety, as you
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think back on this, how
are you feeling about this?
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In my sobriety? I feel terrible.
I have a lot of regrets, um I
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miss them. I would do
anything to get them back.
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You know, I pray a lot. Honestly
in the height of my addiction
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you know I never advocate
suicide but there were times
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for a long period of time
that I would as soon swallowed a
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shotgun barrel than face the
day. So heroin keeps you so numb
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I think when I
hit bottom was then.
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So during the addiction what
was your relationship like with
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their mother and your kids?
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Horrible. It was completely
turmoil, it was chaos, it was
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violent you know. We're better
off without each other in that
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state. So you
lose the kids, and I'm
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painting the picture because I
need the audience, I need those
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of the viewers and even
for myself to really get a full
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understanding of what's
happening here. A young man,
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in Indiana, becomes a
tattoo artist, leads to heroin
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addiction, falls in love,
obviously with a young lady,
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produces a number of children,
and the relationship is so
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violent and so topsy turvy
because of the addiction that
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both of you guys share it
compromises your ability to
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raise this family.
One hundred percent.
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So that's who you
are. That's who I was.
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That's who you were, absolutely
that's where you've been. How
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did you get here to one year
of sobriety. I mean, because...
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Again the mythology
around or what we know who don't
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understand the life style
of the heroin addict, from my
00:12:39.39\00:12:44.76
understanding it's impossible
almost to break that addiction.
00:12:44.79\00:12:49.66
Yeah. A lot of people that know
me that are actual drug users
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themselves, when you're on that
drug you don't want to be like
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that. I quit it. I don't do it.
And everybody that knows that
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they're like man if you can quit
I can quit. I have done nothing
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to quit drugs. I gave it to God,
man and he took it away from me.
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So I want you to walk us
through to how you got here, not
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physically locationwise,
but how you got here mentally,
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emotionally clean. How did that
happen? Tell us what happened.
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Well I was in my hometown you
know it had been years since I'd
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been with the other woman that
I was talking about and my wife
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now before we were married,
we were still using. One day she
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said I love you but I can't
be like this. She has a daughter
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who is my daughter. She walked
away and she said I'm going to
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get clean and if you want to be
with me then you'll do the same
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thing. And I wanted to be clean
for a long time and I love her
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with everything that I am and it
was worth it to me. It sounds so
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bad and not saying it wasn't
worth it to get clean then just
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to not have my other children
taken because it was worth it
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then. I was just so blinded by
the drugs you know. If I had to
00:14:33.17\00:14:36.87
do it all over again I would do
it differently. But back to the
00:14:36.91\00:14:42.21
point is she left so I knew a
guy named Rob Parker who I met
00:14:42.24\00:14:47.48
in prison and I knew that he had
turned his life over the Christ.
00:14:47.52\00:14:50.35
We come from the same streets,
the same gutter, you know the
00:14:50.39\00:14:54.32
same criminal mind set and he
called me and told me that one
00:14:54.36\00:14:58.43
day out of the blue he had
turned his life over to Christ.
00:14:58.46\00:15:02.20
We conversed for a few minutes
and hung the phone up. I always
00:15:02.23\00:15:06.43
remembered that and that day
that my wife just told me that
00:15:06.47\00:15:10.37
she was going to get clean,
he was the first person that I
00:15:10.41\00:15:14.21
thought of because I knew that
I wouldn't have any other choice
00:15:14.28\00:15:18.18
if I committed myself to do this
he would help me. So I called
00:15:18.21\00:15:22.32
him. It was a Wednesday night
and it was like 11:30 at night.
00:15:22.35\00:15:26.39
He lives two hours away. He was
there in two hours and he picked
00:15:26.45\00:15:31.13
me up and took me to his house.
The biggest thing about heroin
00:15:31.16\00:15:35.26
is you're so scared to withdraw
off of it. I think a lot of
00:15:35.30\00:15:39.30
people that are hooked on it
don't get off of it because it
00:15:39.33\00:15:41.97
hurts, the withdrawal off
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.34
of heroin and it can kill
you. I prayed. I know you're not
00:15:43.37\00:15:48.41
supposed to tempt God but
the words in my head were God if
00:15:48.44\00:15:53.75
you're real and you want me
to serve you and you want me to
00:15:53.78\00:15:58.45
be your son, you know if you
can part the seas, if you can
00:15:58.52\00:16:02.52
raise the dead then you can
take this life and not let me
00:16:02.56\00:16:06.90
withdraw. And I did it. When
I was at his house there was a
00:16:06.93\00:16:11.07
little bit of sweats. I went two
or three days without the drug
00:16:11.13\00:16:16.07
and I feel like I do now. To me
I chalk that up to nothing short
00:16:16.10\00:16:21.04
of a miracle. I want
to go back to something.
00:16:21.08\00:16:26.18
Now what was the longest stint
that you've done in prison?
00:16:26.21\00:16:28.32
Three and a half years.
00:16:28.35\00:16:29.82
Three and a half years. This
was in the midst of your heroin
00:16:29.85\00:16:34.12
addiction? No I went
to prison before I was
00:16:34.16\00:16:36.39
a heroin addict. OK, so
before you were. OK, OK.
00:16:36.42\00:16:38.99
Because I was going to ask how
does that affect... I remember
00:16:39.03\00:16:44.33
being in jail. You can get
almost anything you want. And
00:16:44.37\00:16:47.24
most people don't know that.
Most people don't know that.
00:16:47.30\00:16:50.11
Anything that you want you can
find; liquor, drugs, I tell you.
00:16:50.14\00:16:54.74
You've got a lot more_.
Well great. So we don't have to
00:16:54.78\00:17:00.82
go back there. So then Jessica
gets clean. You decide hey I
00:17:00.85\00:17:06.86
want to get clean. We
got clean simultaneously in
00:17:06.89\00:17:09.12
separate areas. She went to
Kokomo, I went to Bluffton. We
00:17:09.16\00:17:14.00
both got clean, stayed in
contact on the phone. I guess
00:17:14.03\00:17:18.80
it's a statistic that couples
who are addicts together, they
00:17:18.83\00:17:23.34
try to get clean together have
a very high failure rate. You
00:17:23.37\00:17:26.88
trump each other. One person
wants to stop, the other one
00:17:26.91\00:17:30.38
doesn't, so the other one feeds
into it, vice versa, it just
00:17:30.41\00:17:34.02
doesn't work. So we went
out separate ways for about two
00:17:34.05\00:17:38.25
months and we got clean. And
then once she felt that she was
00:17:38.29\00:17:42.26
strong enough to come back out
and for us to be in proximity
00:17:42.29\00:17:46.23
together, she moved to
where I was, we got married and
00:17:46.26\00:17:49.63
here I am. Wow,
wow. So go through
00:17:49.66\00:17:55.74
withdrawal, sweats,
whatever over by Rob's house.
00:17:55.77\00:17:58.17
Very little withdrawal.
00:17:58.21\00:17:59.54
Very little, that's important.
00:17:59.57\00:18:00.91
I went through withdrawal before
and it almost killed me a couple
00:18:00.94\00:18:05.95
times. So that's the reason you
00:18:05.98\00:18:07.88
highlighted this had
to have been a miracle.
00:18:07.92\00:18:11.02
I always knew that there was
some kind of creator before I
00:18:11.05\00:18:15.52
knew it was Jesus Christ.
I'm not so naive to think that
00:18:15.56\00:18:20.70
everybody's just kind of
appeared here. I picked up a
00:18:20.76\00:18:25.83
Bible and I started reading it.
God showed me he exists. When I
00:18:25.87\00:18:32.77
know that I can withdraw off
the drug. I knew how much I was
00:18:32.81\00:18:37.75
doing that there's no way I
should have had it that easy
00:18:37.78\00:18:42.68
when I came off of that drug.
00:18:42.72\00:18:49.82
And that's what's blowing me
away. I wasn't in your shoes but
00:18:49.86\00:18:54.60
I understand exactly what you're
saying. You're saying the shear
00:18:54.63\00:18:59.33
volume that I was doing, the
life that I compromised in the
00:18:59.37\00:19:02.70
past, having gone through
withdrawal in the past what
00:19:02.74\00:19:08.24
happened on this day was
different. I'm sorry, but give
00:19:08.28\00:19:12.28
me a little bit more than
outside a little shakes. Walk us
00:19:12.31\00:19:16.89
through that day. OK, so Rob
shows up, two hours. And I can
00:19:16.92\00:19:19.95
so relate to that. I had a
friend who brought me into the
00:19:19.99\00:19:22.82
faith. I called him. Whenever
I would call him, one in the
00:19:22.86\00:19:25.59
morning, three in the morning,
four in the morning, he'd get up
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.00
out of his bed. He'd come
wherever I was. And so I can
00:19:27.03\00:19:29.96
relate to that. But walk
us through. So you're at Rob's
00:19:30.00\00:19:33.34
walk us through that night,
that day, walk us through that.
00:19:33.37\00:19:36.91
The night that Jessica
decided to go get clean, we were
00:19:36.94\00:19:40.41
actually doing drugs that night.
I mean it was within like five
00:19:40.44\00:19:44.31
minutes, she says hey I don't
want to do this, I'm leaving.
00:19:44.35\00:19:48.25
This is your ultimatum. And she
left. And I love her for that.
00:19:48.28\00:19:52.15
So I'm still high. As soon
as she left my side I'm like I
00:19:52.19\00:19:59.69
can't do this, I have to get
clean. So I called Rob and he
00:19:59.76\00:20:07.20
came and got me. So on the way
to his house I was terrified man
00:20:07.24\00:20:10.84
You know I've never been so
scared in my life because I knew
00:20:10.91\00:20:14.74
what was coming, the withdrawal.
I didn't know if I was going to
00:20:14.78\00:20:18.58
commit to it. So I get to
his house and I'm like kind of
00:20:18.61\00:20:22.88
waiting on the next morning when
I wake up is usually when the
00:20:22.92\00:20:26.22
symptoms start, the runny nose,
the achiness, you know. I woke
00:20:26.25\00:20:29.92
up with that. I was kind of
achy. Didn't really eat so much.
00:20:29.99\00:20:35.56
From the first day he took me
to a charity auction at Kingdom
00:20:35.60\00:20:41.30
Academy in Bluffton, Indiana.
Just like from day one I was
00:20:41.34\00:20:48.11
around Christians and people
that are in faith. I felt kind
00:20:48.14\00:20:53.92
of achy a little bit but
nothing compared to the level of
00:20:53.95\00:20:59.69
withdrawal that I thought I was
going to go through, that I had
00:20:59.72\00:21:06.70
been through before. So we leave
the auction and go to his house.
00:21:06.73\00:21:12.00
I didn't eat for a day and a
half or so. Had some cold sweats
00:21:12.03\00:21:16.50
and stuff throughout the nights
for maybe three or four days,
00:21:16.57\00:21:21.54
maybe a week or so and then I
just woke up and I seemed like
00:21:21.58\00:21:26.51
I was a human being again.
00:21:26.55\00:21:29.68
So what Rob did contributed
significantly to your being
00:21:29.72\00:21:37.73
clean? Yeah. Is Rob
still around? Yeah. OK.
00:21:37.76\00:21:41.20
He lives in Berne. I live
in Bluffton, but it's about 15
00:21:41.23\00:21:45.33
minutes away. So still have
contact with each other. We go
00:21:45.37\00:21:49.40
to the same church. Rob
introduced me to my employer.
00:21:49.44\00:21:52.97
The first Sunday that I went
to church with him he actually
00:21:53.01\00:21:57.81
introduced me to him and Rick
my boss, he asked me if I was
00:21:57.85\00:22:02.62
all right to work and I said yes
and this was about five months
00:22:02.65\00:22:09.09
or so. I work on a hog farm
in the farrow to finish barn.
00:22:09.12\00:22:14.46
That's what I do every day now
is go to work and work with the
00:22:14.50\00:22:18.53
hogs. So
basically there are a few
00:22:18.57\00:22:24.84
people that have contributed to
the new Adam that we see before
00:22:24.87\00:22:30.51
us. One of those is undoubtedly
the number one is Jesus Christ.
00:22:30.55\00:22:36.12
For God put Jessica in your
life and God put Rob in your
00:22:36.15\00:22:40.59
life. So now here's the segment
of the program that this is your
00:22:40.66\00:22:45.39
opportunity to be the Jessica
or the Rob for someone out there
00:22:45.43\00:22:49.53
right now struggling with heroin
Someone who doesn't feel like
00:22:49.56\00:22:54.30
they can get clean, someone who
is afraid of the withdrawals,
00:22:54.34\00:22:59.54
someone who is completely given
to that lifestyle. I want you to
00:22:59.57\00:23:04.75
look in the camera over my
shoulder and Adam I want you to
00:23:04.78\00:23:08.42
speak to the Adam you once were,
the guy who was afraid to get
00:23:08.48\00:23:12.09
clean, the guy that you
confessed, if you will, or you
00:23:12.12\00:23:17.43
said that it was worth it, your
kids were worth it but you just
00:23:17.46\00:23:21.46
didn't do it, the guy who
has two or three kids who won't
00:23:21.50\00:23:25.40
kick the habit. I want you
now to speak to that gentleman,
00:23:25.43\00:23:29.74
speak to that lady, speak to
the person who is where you were
00:23:29.77\00:23:34.04
18, 19, 24 months ago.
Speak to them if you will.
00:23:34.08\00:23:38.91
OK. Well listen to me. I know
you're scared and I know that
00:23:38.98\00:23:46.12
this seems impossible feat
to overcome but if you put your
00:23:46.15\00:23:51.86
faith in God and you mean it
and you want to change He will
00:23:51.89\00:23:57.73
work miracles in your life and
you can beat the odds. I didn't
00:23:57.77\00:24:03.54
think I would ever beat them and
when I got to know Jesus Christ
00:24:03.57\00:24:09.31
he told me that anything is
possible through him and He's
00:24:09.34\00:24:14.82
shown me that daily.
00:24:14.85\00:24:16.18
Adam as I was listening to you
talk about Jessica, the one word
00:24:16.22\00:24:23.46
that just jumped out at me
was love. The Bible tells us in
00:24:23.49\00:24:30.70
I John 4 that God is love and
the bond he was able to forge
00:24:30.73\00:24:37.87
between you and Jessica was what
you needed, the tangible reality
00:24:37.94\00:24:43.55
of his love, if you understand
what I'm saying. But friend let
00:24:43.61\00:24:49.18
me unpack this. God is love. God
is always there, God is there, I
00:24:49.22\00:24:54.26
mean God is there, I think
the wise man Solomon says when I
00:24:54.29\00:24:59.26
make my bed in hell He is there.
Not that God is in hell but no
00:24:59.29\00:25:02.86
matter how low I sink God is
still there for me but there are
00:25:02.90\00:25:06.43
times when we grope in
the darkness looking for the
00:25:06.47\00:25:10.31
tangible reality that is God.
Sure. And as Jessica turned to
00:25:10.34\00:25:17.91
walk away from you you said
Oh my, Oh my, I can't be without
00:25:17.95\00:25:24.09
that love. That love as the Song
of Solomon says was stronger
00:25:24.12\00:25:30.26
than the death you felt
you would experience if you
00:25:30.29\00:25:33.13
withdrew, if you allowed
withdrawal to set in. That love
00:25:33.16\00:25:36.73
was stronger than the yoke of
the bondage that you were in to
00:25:36.77\00:25:40.77
heroin. So I'm thinking about
Jesus saying in the book of Luke
00:25:40.80\00:25:44.71
I have come to set the captives
free. I have come to liberate
00:25:44.74\00:25:48.28
the oppressed, I have come to
break the prison houses and you
00:25:48.34\00:25:52.78
are a living testimony that Gad
can step into your reality and
00:25:52.81\00:25:57.75
alter it in a moment and in the
twinkling of an eye. Because you
00:25:57.79\00:26:02.86
said to us that the way a person
kicks heroin, if you will, is
00:26:02.89\00:26:07.93
close to death. You were
functional. You maybe didn't
00:26:07.96\00:26:12.80
eat a day and a half or so, but
you were functional and you were
00:26:12.83\00:26:16.34
immediately around people and
you were social whereas in the
00:26:16.37\00:26:22.91
past you had been antisocial.
Were there moments Adam, a high
00:26:22.94\00:26:29.45
moment like hey wait it's been
two or three days and I haven't
00:26:29.48\00:26:33.39
used. Tell us about a
couple of those moments.
00:26:33.42\00:26:37.43
Yeah, you know it kind of hit
me I'd say a couple times when
00:26:37.49\00:26:43.40
maybe not right so at the
beginning. You know I had done
00:26:43.43\00:26:48.84
drugs for so long. I think
it hits me more so now that
00:26:48.87\00:26:54.24
actually within just the past
couple months I think back and
00:26:54.28\00:26:59.18
just think of where I came from
and where Jessica has come from
00:26:59.21\00:27:04.45
and where we are now. Sometimes
we'll just be walking down the
00:27:04.49\00:27:09.66
street to the store or something
and just get to talking and be
00:27:09.69\00:27:14.73
like do you remember when we
couldn't even do this; when we
00:27:14.76\00:27:19.40
couldn't even go outside
and appreciate the day, when we
00:27:19.43\00:27:25.07
couldn't watch a sunset and
magnify in its beauty. Now we
00:27:25.11\00:27:30.75
do that together. I'll
speak for myself and her,
00:27:30.78\00:27:37.95
we just fell in love with Jesus
00:27:37.99\00:27:39.32
Christ. And
through realizing how much
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.89
you love Jessica it shows you
how much you love God and how
00:27:42.92\00:27:46.80
much He loves you and then He
invited you and Jessica together
00:27:46.83\00:27:51.63
to walk hand in hand, basking in
the sunshine, watching even the
00:27:51.67\00:27:56.40
sunset into a new journey.
Brothers and sisters at home
00:27:56.44\00:28:00.91
my heart has been warmed. I
pray that yours has. Dare to
00:28:00.94\00:28:05.38
dream. God bless you.
00:28:05.41\00:28:07.22