The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome to The New Journey,
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a program about real life people
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with real life testimonies
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doing real life
ministries for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host,
Pastor Marquis Johns.
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Join us on The New Journey.
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Throughout the Bible,
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God expressed interest in
a specific group of people,
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as a matter of fact, two groups,
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one, the widows, the
other, the fatherless.
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On our show today,
we have a young man
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who grew up in the
foster care system.
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However, throughout his life,
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we see evidence of
exactly what God speaks
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about his having
a specific interest
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in the fatherless.
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On our show today
is Mr. Ross Warner.
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How are you doing, Ross?
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Happy to be
here. Good, good, good.
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Now before we go into the show,
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this is a very
special one for me
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because Ross and I are friends.
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We went to school together,
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we went to Oakwood University
to study theology together.
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And I remember
seeing Ross on campus.
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And Ross just moved in a way
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that reminded me of
people that I'd grown up with,
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people that I
knew from the streets,
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and it was just in his eyes,
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whenever I
looked at Ross's eyes,
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I saw that he had no fear.
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And I would say
that if I had guys
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who were as dedicated to God
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as I've seen them
dedicated to the streets,
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what could be accomplished?
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And Ross was just one
such person in that...
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I took a position on
campus and I asked Ross to be
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the personal
ministries director for me
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when I was doing that.
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And Ross at one point, he said,
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he's getting people to go
on to the community Share Jesus
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and he needed one school bus,
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I'm talking the long school bus,
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the long bus,
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and after a few
weeks, he came back saying,
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"You know, Quis,
I need another bus."
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And I'm like, "Another bus?"
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Second bus, we had a
budget for the second bus.
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Few weeks went by,
he needed a third bus.
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This young man literally had
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three school buses
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full of people going out
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every other Friday sharing Jesus
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with the community.
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And the reason he was able to do
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that is because
Ross had no fear.
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And I think that comes
from some of the things
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he's experienced in life
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that now that he's
given his life to Jesus.
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He still has a lack of fear
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because he knows that
Christ is his protector.
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So, Ross, I just want to
just jump right into your story
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because it's a
very interesting one.
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Okay.
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And to talk about where
that lack of fear came from.
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So tell us about
where you're from.
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Okay. Well, I'm
from Washington DC.
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I lived there for a short period
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and then I moved to Maryland.
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So when you moved to Maryland,
so you were with mom and dad,
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you guys moved to
Maryland or it just...
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Okay. Well, my parents
divorced before I was born.
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Then my mom raised me and
my older brother for a time
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and then she remarried.
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Okay.
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So before you were even born,
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your mom and dad
were no longer together.
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That's correct.
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And so after that point,
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did your dad have any
interest in your life?
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Did...
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None at all.
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Okay, so then
you moved to Maryland
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and all you have now is
your mom and your brother
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and she's trying
to raise you guys,
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and what happens there?
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Okay.
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Well, later on,
she met a gentleman
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and they decided to get married
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and then he said to her
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that he didn't want to
raise someone else's children.
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And so that you have to
choose between me and them.
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Wait, wait, wait.
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So your mother decided
in order to be with this man
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that she would put you
guys in the foster care system.
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Yes.
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How old were you
when this happened?
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I believe seven
years old. Seven years old.
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So seven years old, mom
comes and tells you what?
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How did she
break that news to you?
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You know, I'm not going to be...
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How did she
break that news to you?
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Okay.
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Well, really there
wasn't much said, I was just...
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This is what I'm
going to have to do.
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I think she dropped me
off at my grandmother's house
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on my father's side.
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And my grandmother
on my father's side
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didn't want me
so she dropped me...
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Wait, wait, wait. Okay.
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Because I want the people
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watching to
really to grasp this.
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Okay. I got you.
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So your dad leaves
before you were even born.
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Yes.
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Your mom when
you're seven decides,
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in order to be
with someone else,
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you're a liability.
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Yeah.
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So she drops you off at
your grandmother's house
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on your father's side,
and your grandmother says,
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"Well, I don't want
this responsibility."
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Yes.
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So from there, what happens?
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Then my grandmother
on my father's side,
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she drops me off
at my grandmother
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on my mother's side.
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Okay.
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And then my
grandmother on my mother's side
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was pretty much like,
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"I can't handle this
responsibility also."
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So dad says, "No."
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Yeah.
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Mom says, "No." Mm-hm.
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Dad's mom says, "No." Mm-hm.
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Mom's mom says, "No." Mm-hm.
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What happens after that?
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Then my mother comes
to get me and my brother.
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And when she came back,
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she couldn't really
look at me in the face.
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I'm about seven years old
and I could recognize that.
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But the sad part is
I saw how my family,
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all they could do was criticize.
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They weren't really
trying to support her
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and help her raise us.
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And so she came back and got us.
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And then I would
say moments later,
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she dropped us off at
social service in Maryland.
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Did you know what that building
was when you drove up to it?
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Not at all. Not at all.
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So did you have any expectation
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that you guys are going
into a building together
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and then you were going to come
out of this building together?
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Well, I had a giant suitcase
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so I knew I was
probably going to stay.
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And so basically, as you
were walking in this building,
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you knew this was probably
going to be the last time
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you saw your mother.
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Possibly.
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I mean, I always
had faith that maybe,
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you know, later on, I
would be able to see her.
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Okay.
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So now you're in the
system, seven years old,
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tell us about that.
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Okay. Well, I was in
some tough conditions.
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I'd probably been through
probably about 10 foster homes.
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There were conditions in where
I had to sleep under my bed
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because I wasn't sure
if I would be bothered
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or touched or anything
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because I came
across individuals
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who were raped,
who were beat up,
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boys and girls.
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Some of the foster
parents, obviously,
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they weren't
interviewed at some point
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because some of
them were drug abusers
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and some of the
most horrible situations.
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And so that's pretty much.
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So from seven years of age...
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Now were you and your brother
together as you guys moved?
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Okay.
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The first home
they dropped us all to,
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the conditions
were very difficult.
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They really
treated us like animals.
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They would have us
outside during the day
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and we would come inside
for food and go back outside,
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no toys, no anything like that.
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And then when it
was time to sleep,
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they would let us sleep.
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It was like I guess you
would call it an orphanage
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without a title.
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So that and I
started complaining and...
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At seven.
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At seven, well, I was
around seven or eight then.
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Okay, so you've
already been here
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for about what 6
months, a year...
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Okay, go ahead.
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And so I started complaining
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because I knew
that this wasn't right.
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And my brother,
he's mentally disturbed
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so he can't really
verbalize what's going on.
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And so, you know, I
started saying things
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to my social worker
who would rarely come
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and eventually,
they took us out.
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They took me up,
they split us up,
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and I went to a new foster home.
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So and this is just
because most of the people
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who are probably watching
this program have no idea
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that things like this
are actually happening.
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Or it's something that they
saw in a movie or read in a book
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that there is a
seven year old child
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who before even he's born,
his father doesn't want him,
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his mother decides in
order to be with someone else
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that she doesn't want him.
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The grandmothers
on both sides decide,
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"We don't want
to deal with this."
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And so the one piece of
family that you have with you,
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you're taken to social
services and then eventually,
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you guys are split up.
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Exactly. Mercy.
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And so the next foster
home you go through now,
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this is the first time,
you're about eight years old.
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This is the first time that
you're basically on your own.
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By myself, yes.
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While I'm living there,
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I might say one of the
best experiences to a degree.
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I met a gentleman, his
name was Charles Jones,
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he was a great father figure.
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Without him
necessarily saying that,
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you know, he was a Christian or,
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you know, he went to
church, he did everything,
00:09:05.61\00:09:08.38
but I saw God in him.
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But I was really sitting
there on him reading the words,
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I saw God in him.
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This man really...
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I called him
actually Santa Claus
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because he took
in a lot of children,
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he raised them.
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For Christmas, he,
you know, gave us gifts
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and things like that.
00:09:21.79\00:09:23.12
He showed us that he loved us.
00:09:23.16\00:09:24.63
But the issue with that
was and where I had to leave
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that I started
getting molested by his wife.
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Mercy.
00:09:28.80\00:09:30.13
And she also molested some
of the other children there.
00:09:30.17\00:09:32.27
So I want it before
we even deal with that
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because that is
terrible, that's tragic.
00:09:35.87\00:09:38.94
But you said you
could see God in him.
00:09:38.97\00:09:41.71
Now is this something
you're saying in hindsight
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or this as a child,
00:09:43.65\00:09:44.98
you could see there was
something different about him,
00:09:45.01\00:09:47.02
how were you able to
identify that it was God
00:09:47.05\00:09:49.18
and is this something
that you're looking back
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and you can see?
00:09:50.59\00:09:51.92
Or had you begun
even at an early age
00:09:51.95\00:09:54.46
to develop a
relationship with God?
00:09:54.49\00:09:56.09
Well, essentially, you
know, when you're growing up
00:09:56.12\00:09:59.09
and everyone is abandoning
you and just leaving you,
00:09:59.13\00:10:03.26
it's like you feel alone.
00:10:03.30\00:10:05.03
So you have no choice
but to call out to somebody
00:10:05.07\00:10:07.10
because you believe
that you're not here,
00:10:07.14\00:10:08.87
you know, by
just out of nowhere.
00:10:08.90\00:10:11.14
So I'm calling out
to the Lord, my God...
00:10:11.17\00:10:13.44
At eight, you're
calling out to the God.
00:10:13.48\00:10:14.81
I'm calling out to the Lord
00:10:14.84\00:10:16.18
and I'm like,
"What's going on here?"
00:10:16.21\00:10:17.55
You know, and I
remember that I missed
00:10:17.58\00:10:20.45
a certain part of a
different foster home
00:10:20.48\00:10:22.08
that I was in.
00:10:22.12\00:10:23.45
When I was there, I just knew
00:10:23.49\00:10:25.45
that God had to
come in and step in
00:10:25.49\00:10:28.06
because the
conditions of the house
00:10:28.09\00:10:29.82
were too
strenuous, were too difficult
00:10:29.86\00:10:31.33
that he had to move me.
00:10:31.36\00:10:33.83
And so I was
exposed to so much bad
00:10:33.86\00:10:36.60
when I saw this
man who was good,
00:10:36.63\00:10:38.07
I knew that there's something
in him that's different.
00:10:38.10\00:10:39.93
Mm-hm.
00:10:39.97\00:10:41.30
And so, you know, he would
say, "Ross, how's it going?"
00:10:41.34\00:10:43.77
He would cook us breakfast.
00:10:43.81\00:10:45.14
He would take us
out to different states,
00:10:45.17\00:10:46.84
and feed us, and just tell us,
00:10:46.88\00:10:48.34
you know, that he cared about us
00:10:48.38\00:10:49.71
and that he wanted
to be there for us.
00:10:49.74\00:10:51.35
So I knew that there was
something different about him
00:10:51.38\00:10:52.91
and I enjoyed it.
00:10:52.95\00:10:54.28
But like I said earlier,
that eventually, I had to leave
00:10:54.32\00:10:56.58
because the
woman was very abusive.
00:10:56.62\00:10:58.12
So how did he...
00:10:58.15\00:11:01.22
So this had been something
that was going on before you
00:11:01.26\00:11:05.06
and while you were there.
00:11:05.09\00:11:06.59
How was he dealing with his wife
00:11:06.63\00:11:08.96
who was doing this?
00:11:09.00\00:11:10.33
Okay.
00:11:10.37\00:11:11.70
Once he found
out, he started crying
00:11:11.73\00:11:13.17
and that was the
first time I saw a man cry.
00:11:13.20\00:11:15.40
And he cried and he grabbed her
and said, "What are you doing?"
00:11:15.44\00:11:19.94
And, you know, she...
00:11:19.97\00:11:21.31
So wait, wait, wait. Yeah.
00:11:21.34\00:11:22.68
Did he catch her in the act?
00:11:22.71\00:11:24.05
I told him. I told him. Okay.
00:11:24.08\00:11:25.95
I learned at a young age that
if you don't make enough noise,
00:11:25.98\00:11:28.28
no one will hear you.
00:11:28.32\00:11:29.75
And those are some
of the survival tactics
00:11:29.78\00:11:32.35
that you have to
develop over time
00:11:32.39\00:11:34.06
so you'll be able to
survive in the system.
00:11:34.09\00:11:35.76
Mm-hm.
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.13
And so I told him
and he grabbed her and,
00:11:37.16\00:11:39.46
you know, she
screamed, she cried,
00:11:39.49\00:11:40.83
and she said she was sorry.
00:11:40.86\00:11:42.26
And like I said,
he was crying also
00:11:42.30\00:11:44.13
and I think that at that point,
00:11:44.17\00:11:45.57
he realized that he was
going to have to let me go
00:11:45.60\00:11:47.54
because it wasn't
a healthy environment
00:11:47.57\00:11:49.17
and so I had to
go to another foster.
00:11:49.20\00:11:50.54
Did he continue
to have foster kids?
00:11:50.57\00:11:53.27
I believe so. Okay.
00:11:53.31\00:11:55.74
So that's your...
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.11
So again, and this
is a remarkable story
00:11:57.15\00:12:00.25
because I know the Ross now.
00:12:00.28\00:12:01.98
Yeah.
00:12:02.02\00:12:03.35
That you go through all of this
and so you get to another...
00:12:03.39\00:12:06.29
When do you
finally get somewhere
00:12:06.32\00:12:08.72
that you stay for an
extended period of time
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.56
that you begin to
associate a feeling of home?
00:12:11.59\00:12:15.36
When did that happen?
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.37
Man, it took a while.
00:12:17.40\00:12:18.90
Okay, all right, I
went to another one,
00:12:18.93\00:12:22.10
which was very difficult, then
of course, as I said earlier,
00:12:22.14\00:12:23.91
I went to about 10
different foster homes.
00:12:23.94\00:12:26.84
There was one of
my foster parents,
00:12:26.88\00:12:28.68
she was Adventist.
00:12:28.71\00:12:30.05
And I would say
that that was a home.
00:12:30.08\00:12:31.48
You know, and while I was
there she showed me pretty much.
00:12:31.51\00:12:35.08
She was like,
"You have to go to...
00:12:35.12\00:12:37.49
I want you to come
to church with me."
00:12:37.52\00:12:38.85
It was a strong imply. How
old were you at this point?
00:12:38.89\00:12:41.26
I was about maybe
13 or probably 14.
00:12:41.29\00:12:44.96
Okay, okay.
00:12:44.99\00:12:46.93
You know, she told me that
00:12:46.96\00:12:48.73
I want you to
become a junior deacon.
00:12:48.76\00:12:50.17
I want you to be
involved in church.
00:12:50.20\00:12:51.63
And at that time, I'm like,
00:12:51.67\00:12:53.00
"I don't really
want to do that."
00:12:53.03\00:12:55.57
But she's told me,
and she's sheltering me,
00:12:55.60\00:12:57.27
and she's making me feel loved
and cared about to a degree
00:12:57.31\00:12:59.67
so I'm like, I
need "This is okay."
00:12:59.71\00:13:01.94
And so, you know,
everything is going pretty good
00:13:01.98\00:13:05.08
but then after a
while, I started...
00:13:05.11\00:13:07.72
because I grew up in so
many different foster homes
00:13:07.75\00:13:10.69
and where people
were so inconsistent
00:13:10.72\00:13:12.55
and they would give me promises
00:13:12.59\00:13:13.92
and tell me they
would be there for me.
00:13:13.96\00:13:15.52
It was hard for me to trust her.
00:13:15.56\00:13:17.03
It was hard for me to
receive any type of love
00:13:17.06\00:13:19.19
that she was trying to give me.
00:13:19.23\00:13:20.70
And so
eventually, I left, I left
00:13:20.73\00:13:24.10
and went to stay
with someone else.
00:13:24.13\00:13:25.53
Okay.
00:13:25.57\00:13:26.90
So how old were you when
you decided to leave her home?
00:13:26.94\00:13:28.27
I was about 17, 18 years old.
00:13:28.30\00:13:30.44
So 18 years of age,
00:13:30.47\00:13:32.81
you decide to leave the
place that you now feel as home.
00:13:32.84\00:13:36.85
Yes.
00:13:36.88\00:13:38.21
But because of the disconnect
00:13:38.25\00:13:39.95
and the inability to
trust authority figures,
00:13:39.98\00:13:42.98
you decide it's best
to strike out on your own.
00:13:43.02\00:13:44.89
Exactly. So now
you're 18 years old.
00:13:44.92\00:13:46.76
You're in the
streets of Washington DC.
00:13:46.79\00:13:49.19
About what year was this?
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.16
I would say about 2004.
00:13:51.19\00:13:54.50
So what is life like
for an 18 year old man
00:13:54.53\00:13:58.73
in Washington DC?
00:13:58.77\00:14:00.17
A 18 year old
man, boy, I don't know.
00:14:00.20\00:14:02.27
Okay.
00:14:02.30\00:14:03.64
Developmentally, where you are,
but what is Washington DC life
00:14:03.67\00:14:06.74
for an 18 year old in 2004?
00:14:06.78\00:14:08.94
Okay. Well, it was pretty tough.
00:14:08.98\00:14:12.45
There was a time where
I was sleeping in my car,
00:14:12.48\00:14:14.38
sleeping at some
of my friend's houses.
00:14:14.42\00:14:16.95
Eighteen, you had a car? Yeah.
00:14:16.99\00:14:18.62
How did you get a car at 18?
00:14:18.65\00:14:19.99
Well, she helped
me get a car, man.
00:14:20.02\00:14:22.76
And she...
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.89
I went around
to different places
00:14:24.93\00:14:26.83
and I stayed with
them and I slept in my car
00:14:26.86\00:14:28.60
and, you know,
those were I guess
00:14:28.63\00:14:30.53
the primary
places that I stayed,
00:14:30.57\00:14:32.00
my friends'
houses and in my car.
00:14:32.03\00:14:33.60
I know, but tell me
00:14:33.64\00:14:35.14
what is street life
like in Washington DC?
00:14:35.17\00:14:38.87
Here you are, you are
18, you're in a street now.
00:14:38.91\00:14:41.11
Yeah. Yeah, what's going on?
00:14:41.14\00:14:42.48
Do you want to
know about exactly
00:14:42.51\00:14:43.85
how I went about with the...
00:14:43.88\00:14:45.21
How are you
surviving in the streets in DC?
00:14:45.25\00:14:48.12
Well, okay.
00:14:48.15\00:14:50.69
I went to...
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.05
I was approached
in high school by...
00:14:52.09\00:14:53.89
I went to new high school
00:14:53.92\00:14:55.26
and I was approached by
a German who said to me,
00:14:55.29\00:14:57.43
"Do you want to make some money?
00:14:57.46\00:14:59.23
Some fast money."
00:14:59.26\00:15:00.60
And I said to him, "Doing what?"
00:15:00.63\00:15:01.96
And he so sat me down
with another friend of mine
00:15:02.00\00:15:03.97
and he asks me in
pretty much proposition.
00:15:04.00\00:15:07.14
He said, "If you guys
want to make some money,
00:15:07.17\00:15:08.70
I need you to come.
00:15:08.74\00:15:10.07
We can do this
together. We can make a robbery.
00:15:10.11\00:15:11.57
We can do this
robbery at gunpoint."
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.21
And so I said, "Okay."
00:15:13.24\00:15:14.94
And I looked at my friend
to see if he was really for it
00:15:14.98\00:15:17.98
and, "Yeah, I'm for it too."
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.75
So we started...
00:15:20.78\00:15:23.49
We robbed a store at gunpoint
00:15:23.52\00:15:26.89
and after that it
was strangle robbery...
00:15:26.92\00:15:31.33
So again let's
paint the picture,
00:15:31.36\00:15:32.69
so you go through life
feeling like no one wants you.
00:15:32.73\00:15:35.10
Yes.
00:15:35.13\00:15:36.46
The one place you
feel someone wants it,
00:15:36.50\00:15:38.47
it's hard for you to
really trust this person
00:15:38.50\00:15:40.54
in the long run
00:15:40.57\00:15:41.90
because of all
the broken promises
00:15:41.94\00:15:43.27
leading up to this moment.
00:15:43.30\00:15:44.64
Exactly.
00:15:44.67\00:15:46.01
And so you
strike out on your own,
00:15:46.04\00:15:47.38
you're 18, she
helps you get a car
00:15:47.41\00:15:48.74
but you're trying to figure out,
00:15:48.78\00:15:50.11
"How am I going to survive?
00:15:50.15\00:15:51.48
How am I gonna make it?"
00:15:51.51\00:15:52.85
Someone approaches you
and kind of interests you
00:15:52.88\00:15:54.68
in making some fast
money through robbing people.
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.28
Yeah.
00:15:56.32\00:15:57.65
So then from that
point on you, this gentleman,
00:15:57.69\00:15:59.75
and another
gentleman are going around
00:15:59.79\00:16:02.22
doing robbery at gunpoints,
strong arm robbery basically.
00:16:02.26\00:16:08.03
Car theft too, everything.
You name it, we we're doing it.
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.43
Okay.
00:16:10.47\00:16:11.80
So let's go. So
armed robbery, what else?
00:16:11.83\00:16:14.57
Car theft. Car theft.
00:16:14.60\00:16:15.94
What else? Drugs, alcohol.
00:16:15.97\00:16:17.31
Drugs, alcohol, what else?
00:16:17.34\00:16:19.17
I would say that's...
00:16:19.21\00:16:20.54
Name it, you
were doing it. Yeah.
00:16:20.58\00:16:21.91
So from the time
you were 17 to you
00:16:21.94\00:16:25.41
were about what age
were you involved in this?
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.45
I would say about 20,
around in my late 20s.
00:16:27.48\00:16:31.92
Late 20s. Late 20s.
00:16:31.95\00:16:33.29
Okay, so this becomes the
only life you really know.
00:16:33.32\00:16:38.96
Yeah.
00:16:38.99\00:16:40.33
With the exception of this one
Christian lady who took you in
00:16:40.36\00:16:43.60
and this guy who long ago
reminded you of Santa Claus.
00:16:43.63\00:16:47.04
Yeah.
00:16:47.07\00:16:48.40
How do you get
or when do you begin
00:16:48.44\00:16:51.27
to call out if
you will to the God
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.71
you were calling out
to when you were eight?
00:16:53.74\00:16:55.98
Okay.
00:16:56.01\00:16:57.35
All right. What is the scenario?
00:16:57.38\00:16:59.25
What's the situation
that you find yourself
00:16:59.28\00:17:00.92
in that now you're
calling out saying, "Save me."
00:17:00.95\00:17:03.99
Or are you even
doing that? Okay.
00:17:04.02\00:17:06.15
I got into a point
after all of the robberies
00:17:06.19\00:17:08.56
and the car thefts,
00:17:08.59\00:17:10.33
and it was just
so much taking place
00:17:10.36\00:17:11.89
where I knew that God
had to be protecting me
00:17:11.93\00:17:13.83
because from
being chased on the road
00:17:13.86\00:17:16.60
with guys with
waving guns at the car
00:17:16.63\00:17:18.47
or just in some of the
most horrible situations,
00:17:18.50\00:17:22.14
I knew that if I continue this,
00:17:22.17\00:17:23.54
I will be dead at a young
age or I would be imprisoned.
00:17:23.57\00:17:26.91
And so I kind of gave that
up, and me and my friends...
00:17:26.94\00:17:30.55
I'm spending time
with them like I said,
00:17:30.58\00:17:32.28
they mean something dear to me.
00:17:32.31\00:17:34.02
As I'm spending time with
them, they're taking care of me,
00:17:34.05\00:17:35.98
they're looking out for
me, they're encouraging me
00:17:36.02\00:17:38.62
that it's going to be okay.
00:17:38.65\00:17:39.99
And I said to myself that,
00:17:40.02\00:17:41.92
"Man, you know, I know
that they aren't fully happy.
00:17:41.96\00:17:43.76
I know that they don't
really know their purpose
00:17:43.79\00:17:45.93
and I know they have questions."
00:17:45.96\00:17:47.56
And from my experience going
to different Baptist churches,
00:17:47.60\00:17:50.40
you know, we hear
the hoos and the haas
00:17:50.43\00:17:52.07
but I don't have substance.
00:17:52.10\00:17:53.64
And so I'm affected by
that and so I knew that
00:17:53.67\00:17:56.07
they probably
wouldn't go to their pastors
00:17:56.10\00:17:57.64
to the local
churches and stuff like that
00:17:57.67\00:17:59.24
and so they would
have to probably...
00:17:59.27\00:18:00.61
They would want
to get it first hand
00:18:00.64\00:18:02.01
and so I started praying,
00:18:02.04\00:18:03.38
I said, "Lord,
if you're real..."
00:18:03.41\00:18:05.21
At this time I remember,
00:18:05.25\00:18:06.58
I was in my car and
I had no place to stay.
00:18:06.61\00:18:08.12
How old are
you? I'm probably 19.
00:18:08.15\00:18:09.72
Okay.
00:18:09.75\00:18:11.09
I'm 19 and I'm saying, "Lord,
I don't have a place to stay.
00:18:11.12\00:18:12.85
I'm probably at the
lowest point in my life
00:18:12.89\00:18:15.66
and I need you.
00:18:15.69\00:18:17.69
If you are real, I
need you to show yourself."
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.23
And that's
pretty much how it went.
00:18:20.26\00:18:22.46
It just seemed as if God
moved in such a mighty way
00:18:22.50\00:18:27.60
that I can't really
explain how fast like
00:18:27.64\00:18:30.41
when you call out to the
Lord, he answers like that.
00:18:30.44\00:18:32.64
Yeah.
00:18:32.67\00:18:34.01
And so...
00:18:34.04\00:18:36.58
One thing, I'm sorry,
I'm stuttering so much...
00:18:36.61\00:18:38.41
It's okay, go ahead, go ahead.
00:18:38.45\00:18:39.78
I'm so excited, you
know, fire in my bones.
00:18:39.81\00:18:41.78
Go ahead, go ahead.
00:18:41.82\00:18:43.15
And so my friends,
the thing about is,
00:18:43.18\00:18:45.82
you know, like I said
they were like family.
00:18:45.85\00:18:47.72
They were like
so much family to me
00:18:47.76\00:18:49.09
and I said, so I'm like,
"Man, I want them saved."
00:18:49.12\00:18:51.36
I mean, we know
when we we're born,
00:18:51.39\00:18:54.96
as in young age,
there's good and evil.
00:18:55.00\00:18:56.40
We've heard
about heaven and hell
00:18:56.43\00:18:57.80
and I know no one wants
to go to hell, am I right?
00:18:57.83\00:19:00.44
And so I said to myself,
"Man, I want to go to heaven.
00:19:00.47\00:19:03.34
And I want my
friends to go to heaven.
00:19:03.37\00:19:04.77
And I want them to be happy
because they were my family."
00:19:04.81\00:19:07.21
I wanted my little
brother that I knew
00:19:07.24\00:19:08.88
that I wasn't really able to see
00:19:08.91\00:19:11.08
because at the time my
mom was with my stepdad
00:19:11.11\00:19:13.72
and he really did not
want me around too much.
00:19:13.75\00:19:15.52
And so I knew
that I cared about him
00:19:15.55\00:19:17.19
and I wanted him to know
who Christ was for himself.
00:19:17.22\00:19:18.72
Okay, okay.
00:19:18.75\00:19:20.09
So I was just like, the only
way this is going to happen is
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.06
if I have to follow
Christ because I know that,
00:19:22.09\00:19:24.49
they might not
listen to no one else.
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.43
So if I have to be that person
00:19:26.46\00:19:27.96
that introduces
them that is so big.
00:19:28.00\00:19:30.03
Right. And that's how it went.
00:19:30.07\00:19:31.83
And so you called out to
God and God begins to answer.
00:19:31.87\00:19:34.00
How do you see him
answering? Tell me.
00:19:34.04\00:19:35.37
Okay, okay. So this is exciting.
00:19:35.40\00:19:38.11
This is exciting
brother. This is exciting.
00:19:38.14\00:19:39.67
All right, so I
started going to the church
00:19:39.71\00:19:45.45
that my foster mother
used to take me to, all right?
00:19:45.48\00:19:48.62
And I didn't
necessarily go in the church
00:19:48.65\00:19:50.49
because there were times that
I would trinkle in occasionally
00:19:50.52\00:19:53.25
just off the street.
00:19:53.29\00:19:54.62
But I would be discouraged,
00:19:54.66\00:19:55.99
people would see
me in my white T-shirt
00:19:56.02\00:19:57.79
because I didn't look like them,
00:19:57.83\00:19:59.16
they would give me
these types of snares
00:19:59.19\00:20:00.86
and so I would
step away at times.
00:20:00.90\00:20:02.56
So I knew I didn't want to
go to the front door directly,
00:20:02.60\00:20:04.83
so I'll go to the
side door to the Lord
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.43
and I would sit there and
bible study with this pastor...
00:20:06.47\00:20:07.80
Mercy, mercy.
00:20:07.84\00:20:09.17
Oh, yes.
00:20:09.20\00:20:10.54
So I would have sit
there with this pastor
00:20:10.57\00:20:11.91
and he would talk
to me about the Lord,
00:20:11.94\00:20:13.48
how he cares about man.
00:20:13.51\00:20:14.84
We would go
through topical lessons
00:20:14.88\00:20:16.31
such as baptism,
salvation, the Ten Commandments
00:20:16.34\00:20:18.61
those things like
that and I would say,
00:20:18.65\00:20:20.25
"Oh, man, this makes
sense, this is practical."
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.72
And I guess right there,
00:20:22.75\00:20:24.79
his name is Pastor MacNicol.
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.59
He's a man of God. Okay.
00:20:26.62\00:20:28.26
And so he's talking
to me and I'm like, Okay,
00:20:28.29\00:20:30.49
so the Lord loves me that much.
00:20:30.53\00:20:31.96
I have to talk to
my brothers about it.
00:20:31.99\00:20:33.53
I might not be able to
give them all the answers
00:20:33.56\00:20:35.53
but this man knows a little
bit of something about Jesus.
00:20:35.56\00:20:37.23
Right, right, right.
00:20:37.27\00:20:38.60
So I'll go back
and tell my friends
00:20:38.63\00:20:39.97
and I'll bring them.
00:20:40.00\00:20:41.34
I'll bring one
of my friends first,
00:20:41.37\00:20:42.70
and we're sitting down
00:20:42.74\00:20:44.07
and I remember the first time
we go there, we go, it's like,
00:20:44.11\00:20:47.01
we're listening to rap
music a little bit at the time,
00:20:47.04\00:20:49.34
you know, I listen
to all sorts of things.
00:20:49.38\00:20:50.91
I'm not gonna name them.
00:20:50.95\00:20:52.41
So we go there,
00:20:52.45\00:20:56.28
he's like, "Man, it
didn't make sense, man,
00:20:56.32\00:20:57.89
but I want to know if I
can give up these things."
00:20:57.92\00:20:59.59
I'm like, "Man, you know what
let's just focus on the Lord
00:20:59.62\00:21:02.02
and eventually these
things will fall the way."
00:21:02.06\00:21:03.96
He's like, "Okay, all
right, that makes sense.
00:21:03.99\00:21:05.76
So we're going."
00:21:05.79\00:21:07.13
And before you know it,
00:21:07.16\00:21:08.50
we go talk to
his little brother.
00:21:08.53\00:21:09.86
And then once we go
talk to his little brother,
00:21:09.90\00:21:11.27
he's like, "Ah, man, I'm
gonna come check it out."
00:21:11.30\00:21:13.74
He's checking it out
and then I'm like I will...
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.47
at the time I actually trying
00:21:15.50\00:21:16.84
to get in this community college
00:21:16.87\00:21:18.21
but I flunked out
because of my drug habit.
00:21:18.24\00:21:19.57
But in the process of
that, eventually like I said
00:21:19.61\00:21:22.18
I'm trying to
find out who Christ is.
00:21:22.21\00:21:23.88
I met a young lady
00:21:23.91\00:21:25.28
who was there at
this community college
00:21:25.31\00:21:27.58
and she had
interest in the Lord.
00:21:27.62\00:21:29.92
She was catholic at
that time I believe.
00:21:29.95\00:21:31.65
And so I told
her, "Well, why not.
00:21:31.69\00:21:33.19
You can come to church with me.
00:21:33.22\00:21:34.56
You can come check out the Lord
00:21:34.59\00:21:35.92
that I'm trying to get to know."
00:21:35.96\00:21:37.29
And so all this is taken
place before you know it.
00:21:37.33\00:21:41.80
I get a phone call.
00:21:41.83\00:21:43.16
We leave out, I'm
chilling with my boys,
00:21:43.20\00:21:44.97
my three friends at
the time and I'm like,
00:21:45.00\00:21:46.57
you know, the
pastor gives me a call
00:21:46.60\00:21:48.24
and says, "Ross, don't
be scared of the water."
00:21:48.27\00:21:50.37
I said, "What is
this about? Oh, baptism."
00:21:50.41\00:21:54.04
It struck and so
after that, I got baptized.
00:21:54.08\00:21:57.21
And at the time, I had dreads,
00:21:57.25\00:21:59.48
you know, I grew
up in an environment
00:21:59.51\00:22:02.18
where it was
encouraged to have dreads.
00:22:02.22\00:22:04.75
Not saying that
anything is wrong with it
00:22:04.79\00:22:06.12
but the lifestyle
that I had followed,
00:22:06.15\00:22:07.49
you know, the weed,
the dreads, the caprese,
00:22:07.52\00:22:09.19
you know the
shabby caprese of the '91,
00:22:09.22\00:22:10.73
I had about two of those.
00:22:10.76\00:22:12.09
I conducted myself in a way
that I wanted to be that thug
00:22:12.13\00:22:14.90
because that was
pushed up for me.
00:22:14.93\00:22:16.73
You know, you're
nobody, you're nothing,
00:22:16.77\00:22:18.20
so the streets is
what, you know, you are.
00:22:18.23\00:22:20.40
The streets is what you're made,
00:22:20.44\00:22:21.77
these are your friends.
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.14
This herd type of mentality.
00:22:23.17\00:22:24.74
Further on, I get baptized
and while I'm there, later on,
00:22:24.77\00:22:29.81
this gentleman
comes to me saying,
00:22:29.84\00:22:31.18
"Ross, I see a pastor in you."
00:22:31.21\00:22:33.01
And I say, "Oh, not me
brother. Not me, not at all."
00:22:33.05\00:22:37.55
You know, I'm
just here, you know,
00:22:37.59\00:22:38.92
I just want to
learn about the Lord,
00:22:38.95\00:22:40.96
take a seat, you
know, do some ministry.
00:22:40.99\00:22:43.26
And not only that was I baptized
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.56
and the gentleman approaching
but also one of the pastors,
00:22:45.59\00:22:48.56
senior pastors
approach me saying,
00:22:48.60\00:22:49.93
"Ross, I want you to, you
know, do some Bible work."
00:22:49.96\00:22:51.93
So I'm doing Bible work
working for the evangelistic...
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.40
The Bible work is when you
go and tell people about Jesus.
00:22:54.44\00:22:56.10
Exactly.
00:22:56.14\00:22:57.47
But he saw this in you
00:22:57.51\00:22:58.84
because it was what
you are already doing.
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.21
Yeah, pretty
much. Okay, go ahead.
00:23:00.24\00:23:01.58
So I'm doing that.
00:23:01.61\00:23:03.14
And then eventually
he mentions he says,
00:23:03.18\00:23:04.51
"Ross, have you
ever heard of Oakwood?"
00:23:04.55\00:23:07.12
and I'm saying, "What's Oakwood?
00:23:07.15\00:23:10.25
Never heard of that."
00:23:10.29\00:23:11.62
You know, and so he said,
"You need to check it out."
00:23:11.65\00:23:14.32
So I'm like, "Okay.
I'll check that out."
00:23:14.36\00:23:15.76
But me, you know,
when I was in high school,
00:23:15.79\00:23:17.46
I didn't pay any
attention at all.
00:23:17.49\00:23:20.50
You know, I only came
to class to get some food,
00:23:20.53\00:23:22.46
talk to my friends,
pick up a girl, and leave.
00:23:22.50\00:23:24.63
You know, that's pretty...
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.00
My friends know how things went,
00:23:26.03\00:23:27.70
you know, and so I
really didn't pay attention.
00:23:27.74\00:23:32.31
I knew my grades were really bad
00:23:32.34\00:23:33.74
but they said, "You
can still try at Oakwood."
00:23:33.78\00:23:36.31
I said, "All right. I'll
try. I'll give Oakwood a call."
00:23:36.34\00:23:40.65
And so I'm talking to...
00:23:40.68\00:23:43.18
I'm putting my application
00:23:43.22\00:23:45.02
and I'm talking to
this woman on the phone,
00:23:45.05\00:23:46.39
she says, "Don't worry,
00:23:46.42\00:23:47.76
I'm going to help
you get through this."
00:23:47.79\00:23:49.12
I mean, I'm late
for registration.
00:23:49.16\00:23:50.49
Then I get a phone
call from this lady,
00:23:50.53\00:23:52.09
young lady in admissions.
00:23:52.13\00:23:53.80
And she says, "For
some reason, I feel like
00:23:53.83\00:23:55.50
I'm impressed to
get you in school,
00:23:55.53\00:23:57.63
to get you enrolled."
00:23:57.67\00:23:59.00
So she took my application,
my admittance application
00:23:59.03\00:24:01.30
and took it from
the bottom of a pile
00:24:01.34\00:24:02.84
and got it accepted
directly just like that.
00:24:02.87\00:24:04.31
Mercy.
00:24:04.34\00:24:05.67
So I just want to slow
down for a moment because...
00:24:05.71\00:24:07.04
Yeah, go ahead.
00:24:07.08\00:24:09.04
But here's the reason
why I want to slow down
00:24:09.08\00:24:10.95
is because this is
when I get to know you.
00:24:10.98\00:24:14.22
Yes.
00:24:14.25\00:24:15.58
And with all of
what you've just said,
00:24:15.62\00:24:17.95
I mean, the
parents not wanting you,
00:24:17.99\00:24:20.72
the
grandparents not wanting you,
00:24:20.76\00:24:23.19
the foster system
treating you wrong
00:24:23.22\00:24:27.43
and giving you a bad hand,
00:24:27.46\00:24:29.73
and then you end up at a church
00:24:29.76\00:24:32.53
where someone
sees something in you
00:24:32.57\00:24:35.20
because of what God
has already placed in you
00:24:35.24\00:24:37.21
because you've been...
00:24:37.24\00:24:38.57
At 8, you cried out to
him, at 19, you cried out to him
00:24:38.61\00:24:40.98
and now God is making
good on answering that prayer.
00:24:41.01\00:24:45.91
So you get to
Oakwood because I know this
00:24:45.95\00:24:48.78
and so I want you to
tell this to those watching.
00:24:48.82\00:24:53.79
Did you end up going
to Oakwood by yourself?
00:24:53.82\00:24:56.32
No, oh, you know.
00:24:56.36\00:24:59.83
Okay, so I get accepted
and I have to put this out
00:24:59.86\00:25:05.10
just how much God provides.
00:25:05.13\00:25:07.54
So like I said, I
shared with you previously.
00:25:07.57\00:25:10.27
I didn't have any money.
00:25:10.31\00:25:11.64
I went to Oakwood with
just a little bit of money,
00:25:11.67\00:25:13.68
probably about a $100 to $200
00:25:13.71\00:25:15.78
and that's nothing
as compared to solution.
00:25:15.81\00:25:17.55
Oh, yeah.
00:25:17.58\00:25:18.91
And so when I get up
there, a woman that I live with,
00:25:18.95\00:25:22.45
she was a landlord
and she had evicted me
00:25:22.48\00:25:24.29
because I was
unable to pay the bills.
00:25:24.32\00:25:26.55
She said, "You know what,
you're accepted at the school,
00:25:26.59\00:25:28.52
I'm going to drive
with you up to the school."
00:25:28.56\00:25:29.89
That's all she said.
00:25:29.92\00:25:31.26
When I got up to the
admission, well, registration,
00:25:31.29\00:25:33.66
she came out and gave me $3,000
00:25:33.70\00:25:35.23
so I can get to
school for first semester.
00:25:35.26\00:25:36.60
Mercy, mercy.
00:25:36.63\00:25:37.97
So because I want to get this
00:25:38.00\00:25:42.57
and we have to
start coming to a close.
00:25:42.60\00:25:46.71
I got you.
00:25:46.74\00:25:48.08
But some other guy
that have been talking to
00:25:48.11\00:25:51.65
when you were in DC,
00:25:51.68\00:25:54.72
when you got to Oakwood...
00:25:54.75\00:25:56.08
Okay.
00:25:56.12\00:25:57.45
And quickly, quickly, quickly.
00:25:57.49\00:26:00.86
So I went there
in my first year,
00:26:00.89\00:26:04.73
my friends that I
was associated with that,
00:26:04.76\00:26:06.90
you know, we were
friends and everything,
00:26:06.93\00:26:08.43
they decided to
get baptized also.
00:26:08.46\00:26:11.20
I believe all four of them
and even my foster brother,
00:26:11.23\00:26:14.34
we later connected, I
started ministering to him
00:26:14.37\00:26:17.51
and then he later got baptized.
00:26:17.54\00:26:18.87
I mean, this
gentleman was selling cocaine
00:26:18.91\00:26:21.14
out of his apartment
and had no future goals
00:26:21.18\00:26:24.65
and not want to live anymore
00:26:24.68\00:26:26.01
and so because I
submitted the gospel to him,
00:26:26.05\00:26:27.55
he eventually got baptized
00:26:27.58\00:26:28.92
and then those
four friends altogether,
00:26:28.95\00:26:30.89
they end up coming to
Oakwood the next year.
00:26:30.92\00:26:32.42
And so you were at
Oakwood studying what?
00:26:32.45\00:26:35.39
Theology.
00:26:35.42\00:26:37.13
This was when...
00:26:37.16\00:26:38.49
That you were at
Oakwood studying what?
00:26:38.53\00:26:39.86
Theology.
00:26:39.89\00:26:41.23
They were at
Oakwood studying what?
00:26:41.26\00:26:42.60
Theology.
00:26:42.63\00:26:43.97
So all of your friends
that you were witnessing to all
00:26:44.00\00:26:45.33
went to Oakwood and
started studying what?
00:26:45.37\00:26:46.70
Wait, wait.
00:26:46.74\00:26:48.07
Three of them studied Theology
00:26:48.10\00:26:49.44
and one of them went
to Business Administration
00:26:49.47\00:26:50.81
I believe.
00:26:50.84\00:26:52.17
So you have you and
three of your friends
00:26:52.21\00:26:53.54
at Oakwood studying Theology
00:26:53.58\00:26:54.91
and another friend at Oakwood
00:26:54.94\00:26:56.28
studying
Business Administration.
00:26:56.31\00:26:57.65
Yes.
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.01
I know right? Yeah.
00:26:59.05\00:27:00.38
And so all of this from a person
00:27:00.42\00:27:02.75
who had seen that no one wanted,
00:27:02.78\00:27:05.55
it would seem as
though God always wanted you.
00:27:05.59\00:27:09.79
Come on, now.
00:27:09.82\00:27:11.16
And has continually used
you to minister to others.
00:27:11.19\00:27:15.46
So now, you
graduate Oakwood? Yes.
00:27:15.50\00:27:18.10
And where are you now?
00:27:18.13\00:27:19.47
I'm at Andrews University
00:27:19.50\00:27:20.84
working on my
Masters in Divinity.
00:27:20.87\00:27:22.20
Now the thing about Ross is...
00:27:29.84\00:27:33.95
there was a crusade
00:27:38.19\00:27:39.52
I was supposed
to go and working.
00:27:39.55\00:27:41.36
And I was unable
to go, so I sent Ross.
00:27:41.39\00:27:46.06
In that crusade
that Ross worked in,
00:27:46.09\00:27:48.60
over a 100 people were baptized.
00:27:48.63\00:27:50.87
Amen.
00:27:50.90\00:27:54.50
And since then, he has become
00:27:54.54\00:27:58.11
a very coveted Bible worker
00:27:58.14\00:28:01.78
because I believe
that God has given him
00:28:01.81\00:28:06.85
the desire to show other people
00:28:06.88\00:28:10.12
what he was
unable to see growing up.
00:28:10.15\00:28:13.42
Ross, I just want to thank
you for being here with us today
00:28:17.96\00:28:20.50
and sharing your story.
00:28:20.53\00:28:21.86
Happy to be here.
00:28:21.90\00:28:23.23
Because I know that
it's not easy to share.
00:28:23.26\00:28:24.80
So I want to just thank you.
00:28:24.83\00:28:26.17
Oh, no problem.
00:28:26.20\00:28:27.54
Brothers and Sisters, as
evidence by our story today,
00:28:34.64\00:28:39.31
God loves the fatherless
00:28:39.35\00:28:43.69
because it gives
Him an opportunity
00:28:43.72\00:28:46.39
to be their Father,
00:28:46.42\00:28:47.92
and to guide
them on a new journey.
00:28:47.96\00:28:50.99
God bless you.
00:28:51.03\00:28:52.36