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 where
you'll meet real life people,
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with real life testimonies,
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done real life
ministry for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host Aaron Chancy.
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Come join us on the New Journey.
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We like to welcome you
back to the New Journey.
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On today's broadcast,
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we have Wale of
Frontline Ministries.
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Wale, we like to
thank you for being here.
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Thank you so much for having me.
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All right, just for the
record, how old are you Wale,
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as well as what let
you to start this ministry?
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Okay, I'm
28-years-old, and I'm from,
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I'm originally from Maryland.
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Okay.
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And right now I reside
in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Frontline Ministry
is just a ministry that,
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me and another guy
are the co-founders,
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his name is Robert
Mann, he came together.
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And we were just thinking about
the trails and the tribulations
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that men go through.
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Okay.
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And how we don't have an outlet
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and there's a lot of problems
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there us men needs
to really come together
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and help other men
to strengthen them.
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So we can become
the priests of the homes
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like we're supposed to.
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Okay, definitely, definitely.
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We're gonna go deeper
into Frontline Ministries,
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but let's first talk about
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where you are at now
in terms of theology major
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at Oakwood talk about that
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and how you feel that
God called you to that.
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Okay, wonderful!
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Well, currently I'm studying
theology at Oakwood University,
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right now I'm a junior.
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Okay.
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And I came back to school
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after originally
going to Oakwood in 2004.
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The journey has been long.
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I remember even my
freshmen year in 2004.
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God had called me
through a minister
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that came to Madison mission
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in church down
there in Huntsville.
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Okay.
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And he told me about how I was
supposed to be doing ministry.
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But back then, you
know, I was chasing money,
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I wanted to be an engineer,
that's all that mattered to me.
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So I ignored the call back then,
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and it's been a
seven year journey
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before I finally
answered the call.
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The way that I actually
answered the call, I remember,
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I was selling credit cards
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for a major credit card company.
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Won't say the name, but, um.
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And I remember, I had
a young lady on the phone
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and I just could
tell from her information
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that she was giving me,
as I was collecting at that,
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me helping her get this car
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will probably be detrimental
to her financial well-being
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'cause she didn't really
know anything about credit.
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And I could just tell that
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she really
couldn't afford the car.
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Yeah. Okay.
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And because of that, I felt bad
while I was signing at the car.
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At the end, she
got approved. Okay.
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And she was thanking me.
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You know, so happy that
I helped her get the car.
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And I was just feeling
very bad 'cause I was like,
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"You don't even
know what I just did".
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Okay.
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But the feeling wasn't that bad
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to the point
that I quit the job.
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So I kept working for
about three more months.
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Okay. And
eventually, I got fired!
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Okay.
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What happened
actually that morning,
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I was just really
realizing that I wasn't doing
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what I really wanted to do
with my life, I had no purpose,
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I was just working
a job, paying bills.
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And I prayed that
morning before I went to work.
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I remember, I was in the shower,
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and I said "God,
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I need you to bring the
drive back into my life,
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help increase my drive."
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Yeah.
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As soon as I prayed that prayer,
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got to work and got fired.
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That's one way to
increase the drive.
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Exactly. Lose the job.
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So I kind of just sat around
and I didn't know what to do.
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I was so low
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I guess, I'm
gonna read my Bible.
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So I started
reading my Bible. Wow! Okay.
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And I start going to
church regularly again,
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'cause I had stop
going for a while.
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And I remember
about a month later,
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I had read something previously,
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and a month later I
heard in a morning devotion,
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one of the elders was
talking about the scripture
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where Jesus talking to
Peter and said, "Pray for you,
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the devil is desired you
to sift you" as we, you know,
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but when you are converting
strength in your brethren
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and that just
strength in your brethren
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just stood out to me.
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And I had no
idea why at the time,
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so I got into,
you know, like I said,
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I was searching
for where my niche was.
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Okay.
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I went to helping kids
with a great organization,
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now they're called
Village of Promise.
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They have a lot of things.
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I was doing Bible classes,
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a Bible teacher in the
morning in a public school...
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Okay. Elementary school. Wow!
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And during that time,
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because she liked me from
what I was doing as volunteer,
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she asked me to be
hired on to a program
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that was going on
during the summer.
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It was the
summer reading program.
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And because of that
summer reading program,
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that's how I submit Robert Mann,
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the co-founder of Frontline.
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And we just talked, we
just had a talk session
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'cause this is actually
his girlfriend at the time
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was working
there and helping me,
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and we got connected that way,
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and we just came with the
idea "Let's do something."
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Okay, okay.
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So then you
started at Oakwood as a,
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as a theology major you
answered the call finally,
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and what tract
are you're taking?
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Because there are
different concentrations,
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what tract are you're taking?
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And what do you plan on
doing with it when you finish?
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That is correct.
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Well, I'm actually trying to
go through the chaplaincy track.
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Okay.
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So just to clarify, you know,
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there's you can major
in biblical languages...
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Yes, you have
ministerial theology.
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And I'm doing
the chaplaincy track
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because I really want to
have a base in prison ministry.
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Okay, okay.
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The reason why?
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There's a lot of
different reasons.
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I know I would be in prison
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if it wasn't
for actually a girl.
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I followed a girl down
to Huntsville, Alabama.
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Okay.
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And that's the only thing
that it took me out the setting
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where actually
all my close friends
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have been locked
up in and out of jail.
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And I would be running, I know,
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I would be running with
them had I stayed in Maryland.
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Wow, okay.
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So that gave you a
motivation for wanting to do
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prison ministries
and things, correct?
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Yes sir. Okay, okay.
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So you eventually
you and now mister Mann
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you started
Frontline Ministries,
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how many people are
involved in the ministry?
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As well as what are
some of the key things
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that y'all do in the community?
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Okay, wonderful.
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Actually, right now we
have above 14 active members,
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and we have a lot of volunteers,
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a lot of
support from the church,
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local church and community.
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Okay.
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And basically, some
of the things that we do
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the main thing
that we have right now,
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we have a program
at a community center
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it's in a housing development
called a Norwood Project.
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Okay.
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And it's in
Huntsville, Alabama once again
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and we do a Calvary
Hill Community Center Program
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where basically we invite
the high school aged young men
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to come in and we feed them,
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and we give them
real life lessons,
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life courses, but...
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The foundation
of it is spiritual.
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We use the Bible
as the foundation.
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So basically one of the things
that we've done recently is,
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I remember, we
had this one program
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where we're just
teaching them something simple,
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a simple skill like tying a tie.
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Okay.
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The thing about is
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we take for granted
these little simple things
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that we know how to do.
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Not realizing
that a lot of people
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don't actually
know how to tie a tie.
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That's correct. Yeah.
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So they were so excited
just to learn how to tie a tie.
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And it was just to see
the joy and the excitement
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in their faces was
just extra motivation
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to see that even the
little things that we do,
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you know, no
matter how big or small,
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you know, has
an effect on people
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in ways you
couldn't even imagine.
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Definitely, definitely, so
being with 14, or 14 people,
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above 14 people in the ministry,
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did everybody have
something different to do?
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Or what are some of
the responsibilities
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of the various group
members in the group?
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Definitely, actually, yes,
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we all have
different responsibilities.
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For instance, we have a guy
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who takes care of all the media.
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You know, he's
usually, he's there
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but he's not
really in the front,
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you know, the
forefront a lot of times.
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We have guys
who use their skills
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in other areas like PR guys.
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We have guys who
have different trades.
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As a matter of fact,
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one of our guys
owns his own company.
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Okay.
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He actually was incarcerated
for a while and now he got out.
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He started his
own business. Okay.
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And one of the
great things he does,
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he employs some of the
youth that are in our program.
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So, you know, so they have
a way to do other things them,
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you know, the
stress and sell drugs
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and different things like that.
00:08:11.39\00:08:12.72
Definitely, definitely, amen.
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what impact have you seen
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from working
with the young people
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which I think is
great, number one,
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how you stated
about you have a gentleman
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that's been incarcerated
that has his own business now
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and he's able to
go out and help others
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because it gives young people
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the opportunity to
learn how to do something,
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learn how to work to get
those traits within them.
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But what impact have you seen
with the various young people
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that y'all have worked
with upon the young people?
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Okay, that's a great question.
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Actually, the
impact that we see is
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they see that
there's a different route.
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Okay.
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A lot of things that
happens with these young people
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that grow up in
these communities
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is that they don't
know anybody personally,
00:08:49.79\00:08:52.33
or they haven't
really seen another route,
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then what maybe their
brother is doing, or their pops,
00:08:54.10\00:08:56.97
or their role model
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which might be a drug
dealer in a neighborhood.
00:08:58.40\00:09:01.04
So they don't know
anything outside of their world,
00:09:01.07\00:09:03.41
so they're boxed in really
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until it takes us to
really gun down and really talk,
00:09:04.87\00:09:09.14
you know, talk to them.
00:09:09.18\00:09:10.51
And not to talk to
them from elevated level
00:09:10.55\00:09:12.81
but to really just get
to know them personally
00:09:12.85\00:09:14.98
and from doing that,
00:09:15.02\00:09:16.35
you know, they
start to get interested.
00:09:16.38\00:09:17.72
At first you get
backlash, you know,
00:09:17.75\00:09:19.09
at first they weren't really
welcoming at first, you know,
00:09:19.12\00:09:21.36
we weren't, you
know, we're just outsiders,
00:09:21.39\00:09:23.46
another organization coming
in trying to get pictures.
00:09:23.49\00:09:26.09
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:26.13\00:09:27.46
You know, that's what
they thought of this as.
00:09:27.50\00:09:28.96
But as we actually came
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and we not only
came on those days
00:09:30.37\00:09:32.43
but we came to
those neighborhoods
00:09:32.47\00:09:34.44
and we actually saw them...
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Okay.
00:09:35.84\00:09:37.17
And we met them on regular days.
00:09:37.21\00:09:38.67
You know And talked to them
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and just seen
how life was going.
00:09:40.08\00:09:41.41
Yeah.
00:09:41.44\00:09:42.78
They started to open up
00:09:42.81\00:09:44.15
and from that we
built that relationship
00:09:44.18\00:09:45.51
and now we're seeing that
they even though they're still,
00:09:45.55\00:09:47.78
some of them, you know,
00:09:47.82\00:09:49.15
still mixed in it's the process.
00:09:49.18\00:09:50.52
Yeah, definitely.
00:09:50.55\00:09:51.89
But now you see
that they're open,
00:09:51.92\00:09:53.25
their eyes are
opening to different things.
00:09:53.29\00:09:54.62
For instance, like
we say tying a tie,
00:09:54.66\00:09:55.99
or, you know,
business, casual clothes.
00:09:56.02\00:09:57.36
Yeah.
00:09:57.39\00:09:58.73
A lot of people
condemn the young people
00:09:58.76\00:10:00.10
for not dressing
right on interviews.
00:10:00.13\00:10:01.46
Yeah. A lot of them
just don't know about it.
00:10:01.50\00:10:02.83
They don't know.
00:10:02.86\00:10:04.20
You know, so they don't know
00:10:04.23\00:10:05.57
how and then for
different things like,
00:10:05.60\00:10:06.94
even starting a bank
account is a big thing to them.
00:10:06.97\00:10:08.30
Okay.
00:10:08.34\00:10:09.67
So we have to
understand these small things.
00:10:09.70\00:10:11.04
It's not that they
don't want to do it
00:10:11.07\00:10:12.41
they just don't
know how to do it.
00:10:12.44\00:10:13.78
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
00:10:13.81\00:10:15.14
So coming from
Maryland and, you know,
00:10:15.18\00:10:18.28
seeing whatever
you saw in Maryland,
00:10:18.31\00:10:19.88
how was it for you growing up
00:10:19.91\00:10:21.25
in relation toward
number of the young people
00:10:21.28\00:10:22.82
that you deal with?
00:10:22.85\00:10:24.19
Well, for me growing
up I was actually raised
00:10:24.22\00:10:26.86
in a nice Christian
Adventist background.
00:10:26.89\00:10:29.72
Okay.
00:10:29.76\00:10:31.09
So, I had a good a good
home, but the thing about me,
00:10:31.13\00:10:33.80
I was always a sneaky kid.
00:10:33.83\00:10:35.93
Yeah.
00:10:35.96\00:10:37.30
So I could, you know, I play...
00:10:37.33\00:10:39.27
I was two-face, I played
one role, you know, at home.
00:10:39.30\00:10:42.77
I played another
role outside. Okay.
00:10:42.80\00:10:45.31
It came to the point
00:10:45.34\00:10:46.68
where I was actually
just doing all sorts of things
00:10:46.71\00:10:50.05
smoking, drinking,
partying, you know,
00:10:50.08\00:10:52.11
fornicating, doing
all those the things like.
00:10:52.15\00:10:54.05
Okay.
00:10:54.08\00:10:55.42
And I was just, you know,
00:10:55.45\00:10:56.79
hanging around
with different guys.
00:10:56.82\00:10:58.25
One of my best friends
actually been in my house.
00:10:58.29\00:11:00.66
I know my
parents if they see this,
00:11:00.69\00:11:02.22
they won't be surprised,
00:11:02.26\00:11:03.59
I'm not gonna name his name
00:11:03.63\00:11:04.96
but he was actually a
big drug deal around our way.
00:11:04.99\00:11:07.20
Okay.
00:11:07.23\00:11:08.56
And so, you know, I
hung with him all the time.
00:11:08.60\00:11:10.53
You know, I sold
not really for money
00:11:10.57\00:11:13.17
but just to help
him out kind of thing.
00:11:13.20\00:11:14.84
And, you know, get free weed,
smoke every once in a while.
00:11:14.87\00:11:17.44
So, you know, things like
that, you know, so I was really,
00:11:17.47\00:11:20.61
I really wasn't, I was
turned off by Adventist.
00:11:20.64\00:11:23.31
Okay, okay.
00:11:23.35\00:11:24.68
I was turned off and
I just really thought
00:11:24.71\00:11:26.88
that people in the
world were more real.
00:11:26.92\00:11:29.42
Okay. That was the
mindset that I was in.
00:11:29.45\00:11:31.32
Okay, now define
then what you mean by
00:11:31.35\00:11:33.49
"You thought people in the world
00:11:33.52\00:11:34.86
more real than Adventist".
00:11:34.89\00:11:36.22
I thought my, my
faulty thinking logic back man
00:11:36.26\00:11:39.53
was that, you know, there
were no Adventists like me.
00:11:39.56\00:11:42.33
Okay.
00:11:42.36\00:11:43.70
You know, the
people that I encountered,
00:11:43.73\00:11:46.33
I felt a lot of them.
00:11:46.37\00:11:47.70
And I was, I'm looking at it
00:11:47.74\00:11:49.07
just from I was just
making generalization
00:11:49.10\00:11:50.97
of a certain select people.
00:11:51.01\00:11:52.41
I thought, some people
thought they were better,
00:11:52.44\00:11:54.91
I went to church, you know,
00:11:54.94\00:11:56.28
sometimes I actually
didn't want to go to church
00:11:56.31\00:11:57.65
when I was a teenager.
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.01
Yeah. And I went to church.
00:11:59.05\00:12:00.38
I get dirty looks
because of the way I dressed
00:12:00.42\00:12:01.75
and different things like that.
00:12:01.78\00:12:03.12
So I'm like,
"Why would I go here
00:12:03.15\00:12:04.52
to a supposed house of God
00:12:04.55\00:12:06.35
when I get love out
here in the streets?"
00:12:06.39\00:12:08.82
So because of that
I was more drawn in
00:12:08.86\00:12:12.16
and catered toward the street,
00:12:12.19\00:12:13.80
I also actually
because of my grades dropping
00:12:13.83\00:12:17.27
and my parents
seeing the change in me,
00:12:17.30\00:12:18.63
they sent me to
an Adventist school
00:12:18.67\00:12:20.00
halfway through high school.
00:12:20.04\00:12:21.37
Okay.
00:12:21.40\00:12:22.74
And it's there that,
00:12:22.77\00:12:24.11
I actually experienced racism...
00:12:24.14\00:12:26.01
Okay. For the first time ever.
00:12:26.04\00:12:27.54
So the whole time
that I'm in public school,
00:12:27.58\00:12:30.71
you know, I have all
the support and all the love
00:12:30.75\00:12:32.88
but when soon I go
to a Christian academy,
00:12:32.91\00:12:35.78
I get teachers that judge me
based on the way that I look.
00:12:35.82\00:12:39.02
So because of that,
00:12:39.05\00:12:40.46
I was really done with Adventism
00:12:40.49\00:12:42.29
when I was in high school.
00:12:42.32\00:12:43.66
Okay.
00:12:43.69\00:12:45.03
Now you
mentioned, you got involved
00:12:45.06\00:12:46.39
in using a little bit of
drugs, drinking, and alcohol.
00:12:46.43\00:12:48.26
What do you think
00:12:48.30\00:12:49.63
was the underlying
cause of that being
00:12:49.66\00:12:51.20
that you came from
a pretty good home?
00:12:51.23\00:12:52.93
Because generally we
sometimes think, okay,
00:12:52.97\00:12:56.07
they come from a good
home, father, mother in the home
00:12:56.10\00:12:58.57
as well as you know
good Christian morals
00:12:58.61\00:13:01.48
going to church
different things like that.
00:13:01.51\00:13:03.48
But then still the child
ends up drinking, smoking,
00:13:03.51\00:13:07.18
and, you know, some
people look back and like,
00:13:07.22\00:13:09.45
"I didn't raise
this child this way".
00:13:09.48\00:13:10.89
You know, I didn't
raise them to be around
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.25
these type of people.
00:13:12.29\00:13:13.62
What do you think
was the underlying factor
00:13:13.66\00:13:14.99
that led you to there?
00:13:15.02\00:13:16.36
The underlying factor
was definitely anger. Okay.
00:13:16.39\00:13:19.79
See, the thing is
I never really had
00:13:19.83\00:13:22.83
a good way of expressing anger.
00:13:22.86\00:13:24.63
I never really had
the way that, you know,
00:13:24.67\00:13:27.64
a good way of showing or
expressing the way I felt
00:13:27.67\00:13:30.67
so a lot of times they
would just come out, you know,
00:13:30.71\00:13:32.81
with backlash and I
would just be very angry
00:13:32.84\00:13:34.88
and very adamant,
00:13:34.91\00:13:36.24
so because of that
what those things did,
00:13:36.28\00:13:38.38
they not even
necessarily the alcohol
00:13:38.41\00:13:40.75
but like I smoked black
00:13:40.78\00:13:42.12
and mild's a lot
and I smoke weed.
00:13:42.15\00:13:43.49
But it kind of
calmed me down. Okay.
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.12
It kind of made me not as
belligerent as I usually was
00:13:45.15\00:13:49.22
'cause I have it in me to
really be very reactionary.
00:13:49.26\00:13:52.39
Okay.
00:13:52.43\00:13:53.76
And because of that, you know,
00:13:53.80\00:13:55.13
I just started
taking these things
00:13:55.16\00:13:56.50
in order to
calm, calm ease those,
00:13:56.53\00:13:58.40
those troubles
that I was having.
00:13:58.43\00:14:00.34
Okay, definitely.
00:14:00.37\00:14:01.70
Now, between yourself
00:14:01.74\00:14:03.91
as well as working
with the young people
00:14:03.94\00:14:06.07
in Huntsville,
00:14:06.11\00:14:07.44
what have you noticed
some of the deficiencies
00:14:07.48\00:14:09.41
that a lot of young
people are facing today
00:14:09.44\00:14:11.21
a lot of the problems that
they're facing in the home,
00:14:11.25\00:14:13.72
in the streets with
friends, things like that?
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.52
That's a great question.
00:14:15.55\00:14:16.89
The deficiencies that
a lot of these young guys
00:14:16.92\00:14:18.85
are facing is
lack of motivation,
00:14:18.89\00:14:21.86
lack of vision, lack of purpose.
00:14:21.89\00:14:23.99
Okay.
00:14:24.03\00:14:25.36
These things come because a lot
of our households don't have,
00:14:25.39\00:14:30.20
you know, especially,
in lower income families,
00:14:30.23\00:14:33.17
you know, there's
usually just one parent,
00:14:33.20\00:14:35.40
or, you know,
if it's just a mom,
00:14:35.44\00:14:37.61
she's working all the
time to provide for her kids.
00:14:37.64\00:14:39.21
Okay.
00:14:39.24\00:14:40.58
So there is nobody
there in order to, you know,
00:14:40.61\00:14:44.31
as far as a father figure
in order to lay structure,
00:14:44.35\00:14:46.78
a lot of these moms, you know,
00:14:46.82\00:14:48.48
sometimes it is hard
raising a young man as a woman.
00:14:48.52\00:14:51.92
So, you know,
they're kids, you know,
00:14:51.95\00:14:53.76
kind of run around and
do what they have to do.
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.09
And the thing about it is,
00:14:56.12\00:14:58.36
even I've talked to a kid
the other time in church...
00:14:58.39\00:15:00.93
Okay.
00:15:00.96\00:15:02.30
The other day, and he
was just telling me how...
00:15:02.33\00:15:04.07
I was just talking
to him 'cause I saw him.
00:15:04.10\00:15:05.63
I was actually
sitting downstairs in church.
00:15:05.67\00:15:07.00
Okay.
00:15:07.04\00:15:08.37
And suddenly the Holy
Spirit just told me look up.
00:15:08.40\00:15:09.74
So I looked up, I see
this kid that I've talked to,
00:15:09.77\00:15:11.87
we've had
conversations before. Okay.
00:15:11.91\00:15:13.64
I go all the way
up to where he is
00:15:13.68\00:15:15.04
'cause he's in the balcony,
00:15:15.08\00:15:16.41
I just sit down and talk to him.
00:15:16.44\00:15:17.78
And I'm just trying to see
how you doing in the school
00:15:17.81\00:15:19.81
and all of the stuff and
he just has this, you know,
00:15:19.85\00:15:21.18
really "I don't
really care" attitude.
00:15:21.22\00:15:22.55
Yeah.
00:15:22.58\00:15:23.92
So, you know, so we
started going back and forth
00:15:23.95\00:15:25.29
into questions
and he was like...
00:15:25.32\00:15:26.65
I was asking him,
00:15:26.69\00:15:28.02
"Do you even care
if you live or die?"
00:15:28.06\00:15:29.39
He's like, "No".
00:15:29.42\00:15:30.76
Wow!
00:15:30.79\00:15:32.13
I was like, "so why,
you know, why you just felt,
00:15:32.16\00:15:33.56
why don't you care?"
00:15:33.60\00:15:34.93
He's like because, I
mean, it really doesn't matter
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.36
if I'm here today, I'm here.
00:15:36.40\00:15:37.73
If I'm not, I'm not.
00:15:37.77\00:15:39.13
So the fact of
the matter is that
00:15:39.17\00:15:40.94
we have to understand
it's not even just the kids,
00:15:40.97\00:15:43.00
a lot of times we
look outside of the church
00:15:43.04\00:15:45.14
and say, "Oh, we
need to help these kids".
00:15:45.17\00:15:46.74
They're kids inside that church
00:15:46.78\00:15:48.48
that right now
that are dying inside
00:15:48.51\00:15:50.18
because they lack
vision, they lack purpose,
00:15:50.21\00:15:52.08
and it's our job
as the church family,
00:15:52.11\00:15:54.68
especially as church men,
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.12
to reach out and to make sure
00:15:56.15\00:15:57.99
that we help
guide these young guys.
00:15:58.02\00:15:59.35
Yeah.
00:15:59.39\00:16:00.72
'Cause the only other choice,
00:16:00.76\00:16:02.09
if you don't have
a reason for live,
00:16:02.12\00:16:03.46
then you're
capable of doing anything.
00:16:03.49\00:16:04.83
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
00:16:04.86\00:16:06.19
So Frontline Ministry tends
to work with a lot of young men
00:16:06.23\00:16:09.06
to lead them
00:16:09.10\00:16:10.70
in the right direction, correct?
00:16:10.73\00:16:12.07
That is correct.
00:16:12.10\00:16:13.44
So Frontline Ministry it
works with a lot of young men
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.50
but not just that,
00:16:15.54\00:16:16.87
we actually also have done work
with a sober living community,
00:16:16.91\00:16:21.11
in fact there's
a sober livering,
00:16:21.14\00:16:23.11
sober living, excuse me,
company called Restoring every,
00:16:23.14\00:16:28.45
sorry, Restoring Every at
Risk Clients Hope or Reach.
00:16:28.48\00:16:32.22
It's actually ran
by Miss Chilanta Shrodd
00:16:32.25\00:16:36.46
and the great thing about that
00:16:36.49\00:16:37.99
is it's a avenue for after
00:16:38.03\00:16:41.13
someone has gone
through incarceration,
00:16:41.16\00:16:43.67
for them to come into a
sober living environment
00:16:43.70\00:16:46.13
because a lot of things
that that help deter recidivism
00:16:46.17\00:16:50.51
is having a sober environment
where they have structure.
00:16:50.54\00:16:53.51
Definitely.
00:16:53.54\00:16:54.88
We go in there sometimes
we have talks with those guys.
00:16:54.91\00:16:57.65
Okay. We do
different things like that.
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.91
So we help out with that
00:16:59.95\00:17:01.82
in order to really
try to get these guys
00:17:01.85\00:17:04.12
back up on their feet.
00:17:04.15\00:17:05.49
'Cause I would
think about is, you know,
00:17:05.52\00:17:07.39
I call them not just them
00:17:07.42\00:17:09.26
but a lot of
people on the margins
00:17:09.29\00:17:10.73
The Invisible
00:17:10.76\00:17:12.29
because we walk
by them every day.
00:17:12.33\00:17:14.30
Yeah. We act like
they're not there.
00:17:14.33\00:17:16.83
You know, no matter
whether it's a homeless person,
00:17:16.87\00:17:19.43
orphanages, foster
homes, people incarcerated
00:17:19.47\00:17:23.81
because they're not ready,
00:17:23.84\00:17:25.31
they're out of sight
out of mind type of thing.
00:17:25.34\00:17:26.68
Yeah, basically. Yeah! Wow!
00:17:26.71\00:17:28.04
So because of that
we have to make sure
00:17:28.08\00:17:29.71
that we are not forgetting them
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.15
because as far
as Matthew 25 goes
00:17:32.18\00:17:36.12
where it talks about we
are supposed to visit and yield
00:17:36.15\00:17:39.95
the sick in the shutting.
00:17:39.99\00:17:41.32
We're supposed to go,
00:17:41.36\00:17:42.69
and we're supposed
to go to the prisons
00:17:42.72\00:17:44.06
and different things like that.
00:17:44.09\00:17:45.43
It's just a passion of
mine because, you know,
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.10
we usually go and
we focus on one area...
00:17:47.13\00:17:50.10
Okay. As a church I see.
00:17:50.13\00:17:51.63
I mean, there's
different ministries
00:17:51.67\00:17:53.00
but a lot of the
focus is the same thing.
00:17:53.03\00:17:55.20
We have to start branching out
and going out to other places
00:17:55.24\00:17:59.37
in our community where people
are being passed over freely.
00:17:59.41\00:18:01.71
Definitely, definitely.
00:18:01.74\00:18:03.08
Now you mentioned
something a little bit ago
00:18:03.11\00:18:04.61
about our young men
seem to lack motivation.
00:18:04.65\00:18:08.72
How do we, how do
we help young people
00:18:08.75\00:18:11.85
to get that motivation?
00:18:11.89\00:18:13.22
What can we do?
00:18:13.25\00:18:14.59
Because there's a lot
of mothers and fathers
00:18:14.62\00:18:15.99
that see their children
00:18:16.02\00:18:17.36
and they don't
want to do anything
00:18:17.39\00:18:19.09
not interested in working,
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.46
all they're interested
in is fast money, drugs,
00:18:20.50\00:18:22.26
different things like that.
00:18:22.30\00:18:23.63
But how do we get
them motivated even,
00:18:23.67\00:18:26.03
even when young
people go to church?
00:18:26.07\00:18:27.94
It's almost like they
don't wanna do anything.
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.84
Like you said, what
a young man looked mad,
00:18:30.87\00:18:32.47
he was sitting in church,
00:18:32.51\00:18:33.84
and a lot of times the
young people just look mad,
00:18:33.88\00:18:36.24
don't wanna be here,
00:18:36.28\00:18:38.01
and they have like this don't,
00:18:38.05\00:18:39.38
"Don't talk to me"
look on their face.
00:18:39.41\00:18:41.62
How do you go
about motivating them
00:18:41.65\00:18:44.05
in the right direction?
00:18:44.09\00:18:45.79
That's basically
kind of a simple answer,
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.02
but it's more complex.
00:18:48.06\00:18:49.39
Okay.
00:18:49.42\00:18:50.76
You really just have
to pouring time into them.
00:18:50.79\00:18:52.29
Yeah.
00:18:52.33\00:18:53.66
Yet the pouring time
energy a lot of times,
00:18:53.70\00:18:55.40
it's easier to pouring money.
00:18:55.43\00:18:57.07
And money is needed
00:18:57.10\00:18:58.43
but at the same
time we have to make sure
00:18:58.47\00:19:00.24
that we are pouring
in all of our energy,
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.50
all of our time into these kids.
00:19:02.54\00:19:04.21
The Bible goes, and I
always say this, it from,
00:19:04.24\00:19:06.98
Genesis to Revelation,
00:19:07.01\00:19:08.44
one of the repeated things
is that we're supposed to,
00:19:08.48\00:19:10.65
as a church, take
care of the fatherless
00:19:10.68\00:19:12.01
and the widow.
00:19:12.05\00:19:13.38
Yeah.
00:19:13.42\00:19:14.75
So that taking care
is not just, you know,
00:19:14.78\00:19:16.12
every once a while
stopping and dropping money.
00:19:16.15\00:19:17.62
It's really being
actively involved with Jesus,
00:19:17.65\00:19:19.75
did he built
relationships with the people,
00:19:19.79\00:19:21.72
he sat down and
he talked with them,
00:19:21.76\00:19:23.19
he ate with them.
00:19:23.22\00:19:24.56
So it's gonna take a
lot of time for us as adults
00:19:24.59\00:19:27.03
and especially as men.
00:19:27.06\00:19:29.13
One thing that I did do that
I remember every time when I,
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.83
when I before I
even started Frontline,
00:19:31.87\00:19:34.47
I went around
and people were just,
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.34
I volunteered here and there
00:19:36.37\00:19:37.71
when I was looking for my niche.
00:19:37.74\00:19:39.07
Okay.
00:19:39.11\00:19:40.44
And one of the repeated things
00:19:40.48\00:19:41.81
was we need more black men
to help out in our communities.
00:19:41.84\00:19:45.38
We need more people like you.
00:19:45.41\00:19:46.75
You know, where
are they, you know,
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.12
so it's like we're missing.
00:19:48.15\00:19:49.48
Yeah.
00:19:49.52\00:19:50.85
We're missing in our communities
00:19:50.89\00:19:52.22
we're missing in
action and were so am I.
00:19:52.25\00:19:55.12
And the thing about
is we need to make sure
00:19:55.16\00:19:56.89
that we are
spending most of our time
00:19:56.93\00:19:59.03
making sacrifice.
00:19:59.06\00:20:00.40
That's what ministry is.
00:20:00.43\00:20:01.76
If you're only doing
ministry, when it's convenient,
00:20:01.80\00:20:03.23
that is not ministry.
00:20:03.26\00:20:04.60
Yeah, definitely.
00:20:04.63\00:20:05.97
Because you definitely
have to make sacrifices in order
00:20:06.00\00:20:07.40
for these kids to
see that you're serious.
00:20:07.44\00:20:09.80
'Cause too many people
come in to their neighborhoods
00:20:09.84\00:20:12.17
and just, like I said,
throw an event and leave
00:20:12.21\00:20:14.01
and never see them again...
00:20:14.04\00:20:15.38
Yeah, you know, you
said something important
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.21
where you said time.
00:20:17.25\00:20:18.58
Time is very important
00:20:18.61\00:20:19.95
because I know
with my own children.
00:20:19.98\00:20:21.52
Yeah, getting money is
nice, getting things is nice.
00:20:21.55\00:20:24.45
But nothing is more
important than that time.
00:20:24.49\00:20:26.92
The kids seem to
always remember this person
00:20:26.96\00:20:29.72
took time out of their day.
00:20:29.76\00:20:31.46
And what I've seen,
though, is a lot of older folks,
00:20:31.49\00:20:35.26
it's just, a lot
just don't have the time.
00:20:35.30\00:20:37.60
And, you know,
you give the money
00:20:37.63\00:20:38.97
and different things like that,
00:20:39.00\00:20:40.34
but that's not
what the kids need.
00:20:40.37\00:20:41.70
Because I recognize in respect
00:20:41.74\00:20:43.30
what you said in terms
of children needing time.
00:20:43.34\00:20:46.01
And when they see
that you're coming here,
00:20:46.04\00:20:47.88
not just for a one time event,
00:20:47.91\00:20:49.44
but you're coming repeatedly
00:20:49.48\00:20:50.88
and you're actually
getting to know these people,
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.65
and not just pouring
money on them and leaving.
00:20:52.68\00:20:54.75
They respect that.
00:20:54.78\00:20:56.12
And I think that's a good thing,
00:20:56.15\00:20:57.49
so that's an
encouragement for people to...
00:20:57.52\00:20:59.29
When you get
involved in ministry,
00:20:59.32\00:21:00.66
you have to
spend time with folks.
00:21:00.69\00:21:02.19
And that's what Jesus did.
00:21:02.22\00:21:03.56
That's exactly what Jesus
did and He want people to them.
00:21:03.59\00:21:06.63
Let me ask you
another question in terms of,
00:21:06.66\00:21:08.06
you mentioned
Matthew chapter 25.
00:21:08.10\00:21:09.83
How do you think
your ministry is working
00:21:09.86\00:21:12.33
to fulfill that
of Matthew chapter 25
00:21:12.37\00:21:14.60
where Jesus separates
the sheep from the goats
00:21:14.64\00:21:17.11
as well as the Great Commission?
00:21:17.14\00:21:18.81
How do you think
your ministry Frontline
00:21:18.84\00:21:20.54
is fulfilling that?
00:21:20.58\00:21:21.91
I think we're fulfilling
that by simply just making sure
00:21:21.94\00:21:24.91
that we're seeing in
a community of the Mary,
00:21:24.95\00:21:27.92
Mary is why we chose
Frontline is because, you know,
00:21:27.95\00:21:30.62
a lot of times
there's organizations
00:21:30.65\00:21:32.75
that do thing in the background.
00:21:32.79\00:21:34.12
We want to be out
there, we want to be, you know,
00:21:34.16\00:21:36.42
seen talking to
the drug dealers,
00:21:36.46\00:21:38.06
seen talking to the molesters,
seen talking to the abusers,
00:21:38.09\00:21:41.00
seen talking to these people
00:21:41.03\00:21:42.53
because we have to
build these relationships
00:21:42.56\00:21:44.67
with these people.
00:21:44.70\00:21:46.03
And you cannot do that
from, you know, from a pew.
00:21:46.07\00:21:47.87
Yeah.
00:21:47.90\00:21:49.24
So we, we have to...
00:21:49.27\00:21:50.61
It just came to me
and as a matter of fact
00:21:50.64\00:21:52.84
a lot of things.
00:21:52.87\00:21:54.21
God always
sends ideas in my mind
00:21:54.24\00:21:55.88
and different things to do.
00:21:55.91\00:21:57.25
And I'm just, I
remember for a longest time
00:21:57.28\00:21:58.98
I was thinking, I was
like somebody should do that.
00:21:59.01\00:22:00.35
Okay.
00:22:00.38\00:22:01.72
Somebody should do
that, somebody should do that.
00:22:01.75\00:22:03.99
And then one day I was
saying that and God was like,
00:22:04.02\00:22:07.96
"You're old to know,
why don't you do it?"
00:22:07.99\00:22:09.32
Yeah.
00:22:09.36\00:22:10.69
And I was like,
"I am old enough now.
00:22:10.73\00:22:12.66
You know, I could do something".
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.03
So, you know, it's
something that is not hard
00:22:14.06\00:22:16.53
to start you just, I
mean, you just have to start.
00:22:16.56\00:22:18.63
And the thing about
it is once you start,
00:22:18.67\00:22:20.24
once you get up out of that pew,
00:22:20.27\00:22:21.60
once you go and talk to people,
one thing that you understand
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.87
is that these
people are real people
00:22:24.91\00:22:26.88
and they each
have their own story.
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.88
And once you start
to learn their story,
00:22:28.91\00:22:30.35
you start to see their struggle,
00:22:30.38\00:22:31.71
you start to see their pain,
00:22:31.75\00:22:33.08
you start to see these
different things their lives
00:22:33.11\00:22:35.58
from talking to them.
00:22:35.62\00:22:37.02
You have much more
of a greater passion
00:22:37.05\00:22:39.62
to being of assistance.
00:22:39.65\00:22:40.99
And that's why, you
know, we're so passionate now
00:22:41.02\00:22:43.06
is because, you know,
there's nothing like serving
00:22:43.09\00:22:45.69
and that's why I know Jesus took
00:22:45.73\00:22:47.10
all his disciples out to serve
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.43
because that's how faith
grows by actually serving
00:22:49.46\00:22:51.83
and being a
part of the community
00:22:51.87\00:22:53.74
in order to assist,
00:22:53.77\00:22:55.10
hence the Great Commission.
00:22:55.14\00:22:56.47
Definitely, definitely.
00:22:56.50\00:22:57.84
What are some
of the future plans
00:22:57.87\00:22:59.21
and future goals
for Frontline Ministry?
00:22:59.24\00:23:00.58
Okay.
00:23:00.61\00:23:01.94
Well, one of the future goals
for Frontline Ministry is that
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.18
we are trying to vamp
up our after incarceration
00:23:04.21\00:23:10.49
so when they get
out, we want to make sure
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.39
that we have not
only ways to get them out
00:23:12.42\00:23:16.62
and get them a
stable place to stay.
00:23:16.66\00:23:18.33
But we want them to get
reacclimatize into society.
00:23:18.36\00:23:20.73
We want to start
having especially,
00:23:20.76\00:23:23.00
especially the
older guys at church
00:23:23.03\00:23:24.43
and different people
from around the community
00:23:24.47\00:23:27.07
who have
trades, who have skills,
00:23:27.10\00:23:30.21
we want to make sure
that we start these programs
00:23:30.24\00:23:32.51
in order for these
guys 'cause, you know,
00:23:32.54\00:23:34.74
especially a lot of people
have a hard time finding a job.
00:23:34.78\00:23:36.24
Yeah, definitely.
00:23:36.28\00:23:37.61
So we want them to
become their own job makers.
00:23:37.65\00:23:39.81
We want them not so necessarily,
00:23:39.85\00:23:41.35
well, if possible to get a job,
00:23:41.38\00:23:43.49
we want them to
get in the mindset
00:23:43.52\00:23:44.85
of let me create my own income.
00:23:44.89\00:23:46.25
You can have your own trade,
you can have your own business,
00:23:46.29\00:23:47.62
different things.
00:23:47.66\00:23:48.99
That is correct.
00:23:49.02\00:23:50.36
So let me create my
own trade, my own income
00:23:50.39\00:23:51.73
so that I can
support myself and my family.
00:23:51.76\00:23:53.83
And then also I we
wanted to be discipleship
00:23:53.86\00:23:56.26
so we want to make sure
00:23:56.30\00:23:57.87
that they are able to
help other people as well.
00:23:57.90\00:24:01.84
So it's not just we help you,
and then you know that's it.
00:24:01.87\00:24:04.27
No, no, we want to make sure
that they are able to go ahead
00:24:04.31\00:24:08.41
and return the
favor to the next person
00:24:08.44\00:24:10.11
that's coming after them.
00:24:10.15\00:24:11.48
Okay.
00:24:11.51\00:24:12.85
Now, how do you,
how do you go about
00:24:12.88\00:24:15.18
or how can the laity
go about the church laity
00:24:15.22\00:24:18.02
to go about getting
involved in something.
00:24:18.05\00:24:20.19
Because you've
mentioned several times
00:24:20.22\00:24:21.92
about people
sitting on the church pew
00:24:21.96\00:24:23.96
and, you know, looking around
different things like that.
00:24:23.99\00:24:25.99
But how do you get the church,
00:24:26.03\00:24:27.36
the church at
large to get motivated
00:24:27.40\00:24:29.90
to do some work with the Lord?
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.97
That's a great question.
00:24:32.00\00:24:33.57
Actually we're still
figuring that out now.
00:24:33.60\00:24:36.67
But, you know, some
things that do work is
00:24:36.71\00:24:39.91
what I realized is
really showing them
00:24:39.94\00:24:43.65
that it's not
anything can be in ministry,
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.85
for instance, I
go to a great church,
00:24:45.88\00:24:48.52
you know, a brief shout out
to first church in Huntsville.
00:24:48.55\00:24:53.76
But one of the
pastors there is Pastor Hill,
00:24:53.79\00:24:57.16
Pastor Alfred Hill
and one of the things
00:24:57.19\00:24:58.83
he does is so simple
he makes homemade popcorn.
00:24:58.86\00:25:01.66
Okay.
00:25:01.70\00:25:03.03
And he just
pops homemade popcorn
00:25:03.06\00:25:04.73
and he passes out
to people as they go.
00:25:04.77\00:25:06.10
Yeah.
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.47
And through that
popcorn, you don't even though
00:25:07.50\00:25:09.47
how many
relationships he builds.
00:25:09.50\00:25:11.24
It's because every time
he use the same trick...
00:25:11.27\00:25:12.61
Sounds that simple.
00:25:12.64\00:25:13.98
..he puts a bag of
popcorn in your hand.
00:25:14.01\00:25:15.34
Yeah.
00:25:15.38\00:25:16.71
And it's really about
the whole point of Ministry
00:25:16.75\00:25:18.08
is to, to really not
just first spread the gospel
00:25:18.11\00:25:21.65
is to build that relationship
'cause people have to trust you
00:25:21.68\00:25:23.89
before they can trust Jesus.
00:25:23.92\00:25:25.25
Wow!
00:25:25.29\00:25:26.62
So if they don't trust you,
00:25:26.65\00:25:27.99
then all the Jesus you
bring to them means nothing.
00:25:28.02\00:25:29.36
Yeah.
00:25:29.39\00:25:30.73
So we have to make sure that
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.09
we just really
do get our feet wet.
00:25:32.13\00:25:33.46
So whatever it is
skill that you have,
00:25:33.50\00:25:34.83
one first and foremost let
me say this, pray about it.
00:25:34.86\00:25:36.60
Yeah.
00:25:36.63\00:25:37.97
What we don't do, we don't
pray about how we can, you know,
00:25:38.00\00:25:41.40
start ministries, or how
what ministry we should get it.
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.71
We just kind of
jump in and jump around.
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.91
And when we pray for an
opportunity to minister,
00:25:45.94\00:25:48.81
God will open the door
and you'll start seeing ways
00:25:48.84\00:25:51.35
that you never saw before.
00:25:51.38\00:25:52.71
You start seeing needs
that you never saw before
00:25:52.75\00:25:54.65
that you never realized
and the invisible starts
00:25:54.68\00:25:56.72
to become the visible to you.
00:25:56.75\00:25:58.09
So it's as simple as
just really going in there,
00:25:58.12\00:26:01.32
maybe even going to your church,
00:26:01.36\00:26:02.69
or going to looking
around the organization's
00:26:02.72\00:26:04.46
different places,
00:26:04.49\00:26:05.83
see how you can help
out and just starting there
00:26:05.86\00:26:07.70
and seeing what the
need is in your community
00:26:07.73\00:26:09.90
and how you can help
to assist with that need.
00:26:09.93\00:26:11.50
Wow, well.
00:26:11.53\00:26:12.87
Real brief, I
want you to talk about
00:26:12.90\00:26:14.74
how you getting
involved in ministry
00:26:14.77\00:26:17.77
has helped your
spirituality for yourself.
00:26:17.81\00:26:19.34
Oh, that's wonderful!
00:26:19.37\00:26:20.71
Oh, me getting
involved in ministry
00:26:20.74\00:26:23.01
actually just
elevated my spirituality
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.81
to another level.
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.18
Okay.
00:26:27.22\00:26:28.55
The thing about it is, you know,
00:26:28.58\00:26:29.92
even reading the Bible is nice.
00:26:29.95\00:26:31.59
Yeah. It's good. And it's words.
00:26:31.62\00:26:33.19
But then when you
actually go out there
00:26:33.22\00:26:34.56
and you see the things
in the Bible in real life,
00:26:34.59\00:26:37.09
it just builds that
much more meat to it.
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.10
So when I'm going out and
I see and I read the Bible,
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.70
I see how Jesus
looked upon the multitude
00:26:42.73\00:26:44.73
he was moved with compassion.
00:26:44.77\00:26:46.10
Okay.
00:26:46.13\00:26:47.47
I didn't know
what compassion was
00:26:47.50\00:26:48.84
until I was out in
the community serving.
00:26:48.87\00:26:50.21
When I see the
suffering, the tears, the cry,
00:26:50.24\00:26:53.04
I mean, I got kids
now calling me dad.
00:26:53.07\00:26:55.31
Why? You know, like,
I wish you were my dad.
00:26:55.34\00:26:56.95
you want to be my dad.
00:26:56.98\00:26:58.31
You know, and to hear little
kids say things like that,
00:26:58.35\00:27:01.32
it's really heartbreaking
00:27:01.35\00:27:02.68
because it just shows
that this is something
00:27:02.72\00:27:04.09
that they have
been searching for,
00:27:04.12\00:27:05.45
this is something
they have been longing for
00:27:05.49\00:27:06.82
and this is what
we're supposed to be doing.
00:27:06.86\00:27:08.19
So we must be taking
care of the fatherless
00:27:08.22\00:27:09.56
and the widow once again.
00:27:09.59\00:27:10.93
So it really just makes me
even that much more motivated
00:27:10.96\00:27:13.90
to do God's work.
00:27:13.93\00:27:15.26
And it's really
dig deep into his word
00:27:15.30\00:27:16.63
because I don't wanna mislead
anybody using my own personal,
00:27:16.67\00:27:20.70
my own personal self.
00:27:20.74\00:27:22.07
I wanna make sure that I
keep everything, you know,
00:27:22.10\00:27:23.84
in Christ.
00:27:23.87\00:27:25.21
So because of that that makes me
00:27:25.24\00:27:26.57
even want to study more,
00:27:26.61\00:27:27.94
make sure that I'm giving
all the correct information.
00:27:27.98\00:27:29.31
Yeah.
00:27:29.34\00:27:30.68
You know, I make sure
that I'm giving the love
00:27:30.71\00:27:32.05
that Christ is
giving nothing love
00:27:32.08\00:27:33.42
that Wale wants to give.
00:27:33.45\00:27:34.78
Wow, I want you to take
a couple of seconds, Wale,
00:27:34.82\00:27:37.49
and speak into the camera
and talk to that young man
00:27:37.52\00:27:39.55
that's struggling with things.
00:27:39.59\00:27:41.42
I just wanted to tell
00:27:41.46\00:27:42.79
whatever young man is out
there struggling with things,
00:27:42.82\00:27:44.73
just hold on,
hold on the Christ,
00:27:44.76\00:27:46.86
stick in it, and just remember
00:27:46.90\00:27:48.33
that somebody cares about
you and they're on their way.
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.57
Amen, amen.
00:27:50.60\00:27:52.07
Wale, I wanna thank you
for being on the program
00:27:52.10\00:27:55.10
and Frontline Ministry.
00:27:55.14\00:27:56.47
We like to thank
you for tuning in.
00:27:56.50\00:27:57.84
Join us next time
on the New Journey.
00:27:57.87\00:27:59.67