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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where you meet real life people
with real life testimonies
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and real life
working ministries for Jesus.
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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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Welcome to The New Journey.
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We have an exciting
testimony by young woman
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by the name of Claire Madeus.
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Claire, we want to thank
you for being on the program.
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Well, thank you, Aaron.
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Thank you. All right.
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Let's get started.
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Where were you born
and where were you raised?
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I was born in
Haiti, Port-au-Prince,
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was raised in Saint-Marc,
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then moved to America
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and was raised in
Lake Worth, Florida.
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Okay. Okay.
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Describe your
early childhood for me?
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My childhood, it was...
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I consider it
was a bad childhood.
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It was 13 of us in a
family and I'm the youngest,
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so I never really
get much attention
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as a child is supposed to get.
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My dad was working
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and I was home
with my stepmother.
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Okay.
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And pretty much...
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kind of, left
abandoned, somewhat abandoned.
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Okay. Okay.
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I mean I was there
but it was just like
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I didn't get much
attention as I should have got.
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Yeah, and I can imagine
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how hard it could be
with 13 in a household
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and you being the youngest.
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I can understand how
difficult it would be
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to get the needed attention.
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Now talk about the religious
atmosphere of the house?
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Were you guys
Christian? Did you go to church?
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What was that like?
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Yes, we were
Christian family, all of us was.
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My dad did
raised us up in a church
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who was raised as Baptist.
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Majority of my
families are Baptist,
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it's like three of us
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who are the Seventh-day
Adventist Christians now.
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Okay.
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All right, and we're actually
going to get into later on
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in the program,
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how you got
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into the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
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So don't answer that just yet,
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but we will
transition into that.
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Growing up, 13
kids in a household,
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stepmother and father,
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what were some of
your positive influences
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in your life growing up?
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I really didn't have any
positive influences growing up.
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Okay. Okay.
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What were some of the negative
influences that you had?
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Not listening,
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hanging with the
wrong crowd of friends.
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I don't have too
many bad friends,
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but I did find myself
hanging with few friends
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that were heading
to a different path,
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a wrong path in life.
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Okay. Okay.
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Now eventually,
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you got involved in
a homosexual lifestyle.
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Talk about that,
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how long were you involved
in a homosexual lifestyle?
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How did you get
involved in it and eventually
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how did you break
free from that lifestyle?
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Okay.
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I don't remember,
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recall how long I was
in living that lifestyle
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but I started as innocent,
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you know, just
going out to the gay club,
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with me and my friends,
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we would go there just to
have fun, dance, and party.
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We never
actually paid no attention
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then as I started
going there more often
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and I started to get
involved with certain people
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because they would approach
me and I couldn't resist.
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For me that
temptation was strong,
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so I decided to
head down that path.
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Okay.
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And I believe I was
homosexual for while.
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Yes, so I came to a point where
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that's all I wanted to
be with and hang around so.
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But how did I break
free from it is when 2004,
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I moved to Huntsville, Alabama.
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You know, as I sit down
and think about my lifestyles
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and how I was
raised in Christian home,
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it made me realize that the path
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that I was taking
was not the right path.
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And I know God
didn't made Eve and Eve,
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but I just know it was
more of the flesh reacting
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than the spiritual being.
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Okay.
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About how old were
you when you got involved
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in that type of lifestyle?
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I believe I was 23.
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Okay. Okay. So
from 23 to about when?
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About how long that
it last approximately?
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You can say about four or five
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so that would make me how old.
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Now the thing is
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there's a lot of
people that struggle
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with the homosexual tendencies,
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homosexual relationships
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that realize
maybe it's not the best.
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And they want to
break free from it,
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but they don't know how.
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For you, you were
able to break free from it
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when you kind of sat
down and analyzed your life.
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Do you think that that
can work for many individuals
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who deal with the
same type of lifestyle?
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It can and I
can see it can fall.
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Okay, true. You
know, it's within the in.
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I didn't start
off homosexual. Okay.
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It was just something
that I pick along the way
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so it depends on the person,
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I can't really
tell or explain it,
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it depends on
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who you really
are in the inside.
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Okay. Okay.
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Now you eventually got involved
in dancing at nightclubs,
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how did this come about?
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Well, that's a long story.
There you go, take your time.
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I started, I
remember September 11,
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before September 11 that we,
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you know, I'm from Haiti
so I have to carry green card
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because I never
applied for my citizenship.
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So I had my green card
in come to September 11
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around in that area,
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end up losing all my documents,
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I left in a friend
car and it was gone.
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So it was too strict for me
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like I didn't have
no documentation back
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I'm like someone
get my license with.
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So my best options
were to go to the strip club
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because they did not
need no identification
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from me or anything,
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so that's how I
began that lifestyle.
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Okay.
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Now talk about your experiences
in working in a strip club
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as a dancer?
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At the time it felt
right but then as time go by,
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when you know the
place is not for you,
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you start
thinking and it was bad.
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You're on alcohol,
drugs, and the money was good
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but, hey, at the end of day
that's not what I wanted to do.
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Now you said it at the
beginning it felt right.
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What was it that was
making it feel right?
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I've never
worked in a strip club.
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Now when I was younger
or before I changed my life,
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I used to visit strip clubs.
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But I don't know
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the whole back ground
scene about the dancers,
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different things like that
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but for you as a former
dancer in the strip club,
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what made it feel so right?
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Because, of course,
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you have a whole lot
of people there coming
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in from all
different walks of life.
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Yes.
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Who will say certain things,
who will do certain things
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and, of course, I hear
that the money is good.
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But what makes it feel so right
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and then when you compare
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that to knowing that it's wrong?
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The attention, the money,
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I was a party girl that booze,
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you know, the drugs.
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It felt right at the time,
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you know, getting
the attention that you...
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The attention
that you actually want
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and you're getting it
just from basically anybody.
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Or they come so poor,
you find guys that this,
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you know, worship you basically,
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cares and just worship you.
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Okay.
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Do you think that,
because you said something key,
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you said something of
the effect of the attention,
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and you grew up in a
household, 13 kids in a house?
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Do you think not
getting the attention
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in the home per
se played a big part
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with how you felt
so right with dancing
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because you would
get that attention?
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I can say that but I was...
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I'd admit I was
a hardheaded child,
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very disobedient,
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but it did lead the
lifestyle that I did chose
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kind of had impact of how
I was raised up in a home.
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Okay.
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As the youngest,
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I want to be
daddy's little girl.
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Okay.
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You know, where
you do things together,
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get hugs, say you
love me, I love you daddy.
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I've never got all the attention
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so that has a bad impact on me.
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That's far as so the guys
that I would choose to date
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because my dad was
never really there.
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So I had to really make
a decision of the choices
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that I chose of a man basically.
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Now you said your
father wasn't there.
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I know in the
beginning of the program
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you said, you had your,
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one of your
stepparents were there.
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Do you know your biological,
your biological father,
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your biological mother?
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Do you know them?
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Yeah, he was my
biological father.
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It's a long story.
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My dad was married with 11 kids.
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And then he had an
affair with my mom had me
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and one of my
other sibling, my sister.
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So basically, I knew my mother,
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she just was not
around and she was...
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I loved my mother so much
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and that was a big
impact on my life too,
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because I've
never get to see her
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and I was the
mother's child so...
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Okay. Okay.
00:09:53.29\00:09:54.62
Now you got involved in
the homosexual lifestyle,
00:09:54.66\00:09:57.26
you got involved
in the club scene,
00:09:57.29\00:09:59.03
and we're going to
transition to another thing
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that you got involved with,
00:10:00.83\00:10:02.16
but how did you...
00:10:02.20\00:10:03.53
How long were you involved
00:10:03.57\00:10:04.90
with the club scene
working as a dancer?
00:10:04.93\00:10:07.70
And what brought
you to that point
00:10:07.74\00:10:09.54
where you said, "You know what?
00:10:09.57\00:10:10.91
I need to leave
the club scene alone."
00:10:10.94\00:10:15.01
I could say
about five, six years.
00:10:15.04\00:10:17.45
Okay. Okay.
00:10:17.48\00:10:20.42
And you were how old
when you got involved with it?
00:10:20.45\00:10:23.12
I think I was 19. Okay.
00:10:23.15\00:10:26.25
And what made me
change my mind was just,
00:10:26.29\00:10:28.96
I was no longer happy,
00:10:28.99\00:10:30.33
I was not
motivated to go to work,
00:10:30.36\00:10:33.66
like that whole
lifestyle with the alcohol
00:10:33.70\00:10:36.80
and all that
religious not motivating at all.
00:10:36.83\00:10:39.40
Okay.
00:10:39.43\00:10:40.77
So I had to sit
down and think of how...
00:10:40.80\00:10:45.21
What else can I do
besides going there?
00:10:45.24\00:10:47.91
But at the same time I
didn't I have a choice,
00:10:47.94\00:10:50.35
I was going there.
00:10:50.38\00:10:52.01
And you say you
didn't have a choice
00:10:52.05\00:10:53.38
because of the
whole green card issue
00:10:53.42\00:10:54.75
and thin around
9/11 things like that.
00:10:54.78\00:10:57.32
Yes, it was, for if
you weren't a citizen,
00:10:57.35\00:11:01.06
it was really hard
00:11:01.09\00:11:02.42
and then it
could have been easier
00:11:02.46\00:11:04.19
if I would
communicate with my dad
00:11:04.23\00:11:06.83
because I left home at
18 and never looked back.
00:11:06.86\00:11:09.50
Okay.
00:11:09.53\00:11:10.87
So what caused you
to leave home at 18?
00:11:10.90\00:11:12.93
Just, you know,
he was never there.
00:11:12.97\00:11:16.04
My step mom,
00:11:16.07\00:11:17.41
you know, he was,
she was, she had 13 kids.
00:11:17.44\00:11:20.08
She was doing all
that at home by herself,
00:11:20.11\00:11:22.01
so I kind of
understand her situation now
00:11:22.04\00:11:25.31
that I'm grown up.
00:11:25.35\00:11:26.92
And he was never there,
00:11:26.95\00:11:29.18
I never got the
attention I feel like
00:11:29.22\00:11:30.55
I would've been
better off out there.
00:11:30.59\00:11:32.49
But at the end of
the day it's like now
00:11:32.52\00:11:35.29
they're very loving
and very supporting like,
00:11:35.32\00:11:38.49
it's nothing compared
00:11:38.53\00:11:40.00
to what I've
pictured in the back.
00:11:40.03\00:11:41.86
So they're actually
making up for the lost times
00:11:41.90\00:11:44.67
and for the lifestyle
that I've actually lived
00:11:44.70\00:11:46.47
because my dad actually felt bad
00:11:46.50\00:11:48.07
that I had to go
through all that.
00:11:48.10\00:11:49.77
But he also praises God
00:11:49.80\00:11:51.14
that I was able to
come out of those lifestyles
00:11:51.17\00:11:53.78
and be better
than what I was then.
00:11:53.81\00:11:56.38
Great. Great.
00:11:56.41\00:11:57.75
Now, you were involved
in a homosexual lifestyle,
00:11:57.78\00:12:00.95
you were involved in
the dancing in the clubs,
00:12:00.98\00:12:04.92
you got involved with
selling and using drugs,
00:12:04.95\00:12:07.76
talk about that?
00:12:07.79\00:12:09.46
Well, I wasn't a
big time drug dealer
00:12:09.49\00:12:11.86
or anything like that,
00:12:11.89\00:12:13.23
it was just the
opportunity presents itself
00:12:13.26\00:12:16.03
and I just took it.
00:12:16.06\00:12:17.40
Okay. But I did
sell it to get by.
00:12:17.43\00:12:22.44
And there wasn't because,
00:12:22.47\00:12:24.21
it wasn't
something that I had to do.
00:12:24.24\00:12:25.87
It's something I
wanted to do. Okay.
00:12:25.91\00:12:27.48
Now, why do you
say it was something
00:12:27.51\00:12:29.08
that you wanted to doversus
something that you had to do?
00:12:29.11\00:12:33.31
I mean, like I
said it is something
00:12:33.35\00:12:35.32
that I wanted to do,
like I felt like, "Okay,
00:12:35.35\00:12:38.15
I'm going to start
selling weed or selling crack."
00:12:38.19\00:12:41.82
It's just the opportunity
00:12:41.86\00:12:43.19
and then when you have
clients themselves coming in,
00:12:43.22\00:12:45.49
it makes it much easier to know,
00:12:45.53\00:12:48.43
"Hey, I can make
some fast money that way."
00:12:48.46\00:12:50.20
Okay. Okay.
00:12:50.23\00:12:51.57
And to really go work out there.
00:12:51.60\00:12:54.64
Now working between a nightclub,
00:12:54.67\00:12:57.94
because I hear that you can make
00:12:57.97\00:12:59.31
good money from it.
00:12:59.34\00:13:00.71
Selling drugs, of course,
00:13:00.74\00:13:02.08
you know, depending on
00:13:02.11\00:13:03.45
what you're
selling things like that,
00:13:03.48\00:13:04.81
you can make good money from it.
00:13:04.85\00:13:06.61
How was the money flow for
you between the two things?
00:13:06.65\00:13:09.72
Because and I'm asking this
00:13:09.75\00:13:11.09
because you said, you really
didn't need to do the drugs,
00:13:11.12\00:13:13.82
selling the drugs and
then you said, eventually,
00:13:13.86\00:13:15.99
you know, you
kind of lost the desire
00:13:16.02\00:13:18.76
or the happiness to
dance in a strip club.
00:13:18.79\00:13:23.30
How was it, how
was it money wise
00:13:23.33\00:13:25.63
working in those
two fields for you?
00:13:25.67\00:13:28.84
Money wise for the strip club,
00:13:28.87\00:13:31.54
like I said I was
making $200, $300 a night.
00:13:31.57\00:13:34.98
Okay. Okay.
00:13:35.01\00:13:36.34
So...
00:13:36.38\00:13:37.71
And I think for a lot of
people that has a great appeal.
00:13:37.75\00:13:41.35
Two to three
hundred dollars in one night
00:13:41.38\00:13:42.95
because you look
at and say, well...
00:13:42.98\00:13:44.85
And even
speaking of my own life,
00:13:44.89\00:13:47.22
I looked at people
who could sell drugs
00:13:47.26\00:13:50.99
and make a $1000 in one day
00:13:51.03\00:13:53.56
like at one point
when I was selling weed,
00:13:53.60\00:13:55.90
transporting it
from state to state,
00:13:55.93\00:13:58.37
it was nothing to
make a $1000 in two hours.
00:13:58.40\00:14:01.50
And when I
parallel that with, "Okay,
00:14:01.54\00:14:04.74
I can sell drugs two hours,
00:14:04.77\00:14:06.11
make a $1000 or I
can work a regular 9 to 5
00:14:06.14\00:14:10.65
and at the end of two weeks
get a paycheck and it's $245."
00:14:10.68\00:14:15.35
You look at the two and you say,
00:14:15.38\00:14:17.82
well, this makes more sense.
00:14:17.85\00:14:19.65
And I think what happens
for a lot of young people
00:14:19.69\00:14:22.56
is that they see that,
00:14:22.59\00:14:23.93
they see the fast money
and they see the appeal to it.
00:14:23.96\00:14:27.96
But even though
there is that appeal to it,
00:14:28.00\00:14:29.86
it gets old as
it got old for you,
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.30
so talk about that?
00:14:32.33\00:14:34.04
Well, before I get into that,
00:14:34.07\00:14:36.74
me selling I was actually
in a relationship with guys
00:14:36.77\00:14:40.88
that was exposed
to that lifestyle
00:14:40.91\00:14:44.51
so thus I was
really exposed it too
00:14:44.55\00:14:46.78
and also the
environment I was in,
00:14:46.82\00:14:49.35
that played a big part
00:14:49.38\00:14:51.95
in my life for the
time that I lived in.
00:14:51.99\00:14:53.42
In Florida?
00:14:53.46\00:14:54.79
No, in actually Huntsville,
00:14:54.82\00:14:56.56
all those thoughts
take place in Huntsville.
00:14:56.59\00:14:58.39
Okay.
00:14:58.43\00:14:59.76
All right, so you moved
from Florida to Huntsville,
00:14:59.79\00:15:03.47
you were selling drugs
and the appeal towards it?
00:15:03.50\00:15:06.10
Why I got tired of?
00:15:09.20\00:15:10.67
Yeah, why you got tired of
it with the making the money
00:15:10.71\00:15:13.44
from the dancing,
from the strip clubs?
00:15:13.48\00:15:15.64
What is that underlying factor?
00:15:15.68\00:15:17.21
Like for me, the
underlying factor was,
00:15:17.25\00:15:20.12
I hit rock bottom, I was fed up.
00:15:20.15\00:15:22.08
Like, "Okay.
00:15:22.12\00:15:23.45
Yeah, you're making this money,
00:15:23.49\00:15:24.82
you go into the
club using these drugs,
00:15:24.85\00:15:26.65
you getting this high."
00:15:26.69\00:15:28.02
All these things, it's fun.
00:15:28.06\00:15:29.82
But eventually,
you get tired of it
00:15:29.86\00:15:33.76
and so for me I
hit that rock bottom,
00:15:33.80\00:15:35.70
it's kind of like the
story of the prodigal son
00:15:35.73\00:15:38.20
in the Bible, Luke 15.
00:15:38.23\00:15:39.57
He goes out there,
00:15:39.60\00:15:40.94
he asked for a portion of
his goods from his father.
00:15:40.97\00:15:43.97
He goes out there, he spends
all of it in riotous living
00:15:44.01\00:15:47.61
and next thing you know,
he's eating with the pigs,
00:15:47.64\00:15:50.31
and he hits the
bottom of the barrel,
00:15:50.35\00:15:52.41
and all he can do is look up.
00:15:52.45\00:15:54.82
And so the thing is we
look at music videos on TV,
00:15:54.85\00:15:59.65
we look at movies,
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.06
we look at how easy
it is to make fast money
00:16:01.09\00:16:04.13
and like where I
used the instance
00:16:04.16\00:16:05.66
of you comparing
00:16:05.69\00:16:07.03
selling drugs with
working a regular 9 to 5.
00:16:07.06\00:16:10.13
You're looking
at all these things
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.50
and there's great appeal
00:16:11.53\00:16:13.30
but to that you
get fed up with it.
00:16:13.34\00:16:15.77
Why for you did
you get fed up with it?
00:16:15.80\00:16:18.67
For me, I know why I got fed up,
00:16:18.71\00:16:20.11
but why do you get fed
up with all of these things?
00:16:20.14\00:16:22.41
Well, I can say I
did not hit rock bottom.
00:16:22.44\00:16:24.61
It did not lead to
going to prison or jail.
00:16:24.65\00:16:28.45
Praise God for that but
the relationship I was in.
00:16:28.48\00:16:33.76
He was constantly
in and out of prison.
00:16:33.79\00:16:37.09
And like I said,
00:16:37.13\00:16:38.46
he was the
supplier at some times
00:16:38.49\00:16:41.40
and I would stay at
home and I do it so.
00:16:41.43\00:16:43.87
It was basically...
00:16:43.90\00:16:45.23
Just wanted to change I
think on the whole like...
00:16:48.60\00:16:53.71
I did not hit the rock bottom
but I just know it was wrong.
00:16:53.74\00:16:56.18
You know, I'll go through
life and want to do this,
00:16:56.21\00:16:58.58
especially at a
younger age and not at home,
00:16:58.61\00:17:02.72
you know, out there
doing what I want to do.
00:17:02.75\00:17:04.79
But I do come to
a sense sometimes
00:17:04.82\00:17:06.39
where I'm like,
"Yo, this is not me."
00:17:06.42\00:17:08.72
And I was not even though
my dad wasn't the greatest
00:17:08.76\00:17:11.33
but I know how
to try to raise us
00:17:11.36\00:17:12.89
and this was not the way out
00:17:12.93\00:17:14.46
and I believe I
had my older kids.
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.07
So it was not
really healthy environment
00:17:17.10\00:17:19.43
for them neither.
00:17:19.47\00:17:20.97
So that's what really happened
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.00
but I didn't go to
jail or anything like that,
00:17:23.04\00:17:24.64
so praise God for that.
00:17:24.67\00:17:26.01
Okay, praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:17:26.04\00:17:27.91
Now from all of this,
00:17:27.94\00:17:29.38
from going to
Florida to Huntsville,
00:17:29.41\00:17:31.78
you sold drugs, you made money
from working in nightclubs.
00:17:31.81\00:17:37.32
How did you learn about
00:17:37.35\00:17:38.75
the Seventh-day
Adventist church?
00:17:38.79\00:17:40.46
What brought you
00:17:40.49\00:17:41.86
into the
Seventh-day Adventist church?
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.39
Okay, after all that
transaction took places,
00:17:43.43\00:17:47.40
I met a loving, caring
man, his name is Mike Tucker.
00:17:47.43\00:17:53.94
And I know he used to come over.
00:17:53.97\00:17:55.97
How he came about I can't recall
00:17:56.00\00:17:58.34
but I know one time he
came over with Amazing Facts
00:17:58.37\00:18:02.48
and I used to take that read it.
00:18:02.51\00:18:04.38
And he'll do it to
take the test, the quizzes,
00:18:04.41\00:18:08.05
and he'll come back
and pick it up and test me
00:18:08.08\00:18:11.09
and I would pretty much
score 100 on everything.
00:18:11.12\00:18:14.76
And as I began to read,
00:18:14.79\00:18:17.39
you know, and I
was just inspired.
00:18:17.43\00:18:20.53
So, you know, by reading
changing my lifestyle, so.
00:18:20.56\00:18:24.77
I know one main
thing that really...
00:18:24.80\00:18:28.24
I don't recall the name of it
00:18:28.27\00:18:30.27
but it was a pour away
was shown by the cigarette,
00:18:30.31\00:18:32.81
and the alcohol,
00:18:32.84\00:18:34.18
and one part was talking
about the cleaning, the meats,
00:18:34.21\00:18:38.15
the clean meats
which is in Leviticus.
00:18:38.18\00:18:40.62
Yeah, so after reading
00:18:40.65\00:18:42.35
that I used to
eat pork and all that.
00:18:42.38\00:18:44.39
After reading that
I just kind of like,
00:18:44.42\00:18:47.96
don't want so anymore so.
00:18:47.99\00:18:49.72
And then he
introduced me to a church
00:18:49.76\00:18:51.83
that was not so far
00:18:51.86\00:18:53.19
from where I lived in
Mason Court was my Calvary
00:18:53.23\00:18:55.90
and that's where I
started going to church
00:18:55.93\00:18:58.67
and that was
actually my first home.
00:18:58.70\00:19:00.80
Okay, okay. First
Day Adventist church.
00:19:00.84\00:19:03.27
So, you learned about
00:19:03.30\00:19:04.84
the Seventh-day Adventist church
00:19:04.87\00:19:06.21
through a guy named Mike Tucker.
00:19:06.24\00:19:07.58
You're studying
these Amazing Facts
00:19:07.61\00:19:09.51
Bible study lessons.
00:19:09.54\00:19:11.18
Now, was it hard to
make that transition
00:19:11.21\00:19:14.15
into the Seventh-day
Adventist church being that...
00:19:14.18\00:19:17.19
Of course, you
grew up as a Christian,
00:19:17.22\00:19:18.92
but you have been
away from that for so long.
00:19:18.95\00:19:21.09
Was it hard to
get back into that?
00:19:21.12\00:19:24.26
And I say this
because for myself,
00:19:24.29\00:19:27.13
I grew up Seventh-day Adventist,
00:19:27.16\00:19:28.50
I didn't have to come
from a different faith
00:19:28.53\00:19:29.96
but I got involved
in a lot of things.
00:19:30.00\00:19:32.53
And it's very hard sometimes
to make that transition
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.30
because for so many years,
00:19:35.34\00:19:36.67
I was used to smoking every day.
00:19:36.71\00:19:38.07
I was used to
snorting cocaine every day.
00:19:38.11\00:19:40.54
I was used to popping pills.
I was used to drinking alcohol.
00:19:40.58\00:19:43.41
I was used to
all of these things
00:19:43.45\00:19:45.28
as an every single day habit.
00:19:45.31\00:19:47.32
I wasn't like what you
call a weekend drinker,
00:19:47.35\00:19:49.68
a social drinker.
00:19:49.72\00:19:51.05
This is like I
wake up in the morning,
00:19:51.09\00:19:52.42
this is what I do,
00:19:52.45\00:19:53.79
you know, this
is part of my life.
00:19:53.82\00:19:55.16
But then to make
that transition to, now,
00:19:55.19\00:19:57.33
I don't do any of
that, I go to church,
00:19:57.36\00:19:58.69
I read the Bible,
00:19:58.73\00:20:01.43
that's a bit of a
change, a bit of a transition.
00:20:01.46\00:20:04.83
How is that for you?
Well, I can say it's not easy.
00:20:04.87\00:20:07.60
Something were
easy to grasp like,
00:20:07.64\00:20:09.84
you know, as far as
the meat, the drinking,
00:20:09.87\00:20:13.74
and the smoking was
not the easiest thing
00:20:13.78\00:20:16.78
at all for me.
00:20:16.81\00:20:18.15
What was the
most challenging thing
00:20:18.18\00:20:19.78
for you to stop?
00:20:19.81\00:20:21.68
Because for me, I know...
00:20:21.72\00:20:23.05
The cigarette.
00:20:23.08\00:20:24.42
Yeah, you said the cigarettes
00:20:24.45\00:20:25.79
and that's what
it was me as well.
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.16
The cigarettes,
first it was with,
00:20:27.19\00:20:28.52
alcohol was not
'cause I was never a drunk
00:20:28.56\00:20:30.56
but I used to drink
just to drink and have fun.
00:20:30.59\00:20:33.93
But the weed was at one time,
but then when I used to smoke,
00:20:33.96\00:20:37.83
I've always pictured
myself being a nonsmoker
00:20:37.87\00:20:40.24
or doing other
things besides smoking.
00:20:40.27\00:20:43.87
But that was one
of the challenges
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.37
but the biggest
was the cigarettes.
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.34
I will quit, and
I'll go back to it,
00:20:48.38\00:20:51.05
and I'll smoke one
and feel guilty about it,
00:20:51.08\00:20:55.12
where I'm like, why did I do it,
00:20:55.15\00:20:56.58
but at the same time,
00:20:56.62\00:20:58.49
what really made
me overcome these,
00:20:58.52\00:21:01.69
I really had, I was
really passionate about
00:21:01.72\00:21:03.99
changing that lifestyle.
00:21:04.03\00:21:05.76
So I really got on
my knees and I cried,
00:21:05.79\00:21:08.66
I prayed and cried and prayed,
00:21:08.70\00:21:10.10
that's what really delivered me.
00:21:10.13\00:21:11.47
And I just thank God
nowadays it's been what,
00:21:11.50\00:21:13.94
two years I stopped
smoking and everything else
00:21:13.97\00:21:17.01
and no cravings, not want to.
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.87
Praise the Lord.
00:21:19.91\00:21:21.24
Want to go to church
every day, read the Bible,
00:21:21.28\00:21:23.41
so I praise God for that,
00:21:23.45\00:21:25.51
but I had a desire to
change that within me.
00:21:25.55\00:21:27.52
Praise the Lord.
00:21:27.55\00:21:28.88
You know, and it's interesting
that you said cigarettes.
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.49
I got excited when you
said that because for me
00:21:30.52\00:21:32.59
that was the same thing.
00:21:32.62\00:21:33.96
Out of all the
drugs that I had used,
00:21:33.99\00:21:35.46
there's about
00:21:35.49\00:21:36.83
five different types
of narcotics I was on.
00:21:36.86\00:21:38.56
Cigarettes was by
far the hardest one
00:21:38.59\00:21:40.63
for me to get off.
00:21:40.66\00:21:42.00
And I went
through the same thing
00:21:42.03\00:21:43.37
of where I would
buy a pack of cigarettes
00:21:43.40\00:21:45.40
smoke one out the pack,
00:21:45.43\00:21:46.77
throw the rest of the pack away,
00:21:46.80\00:21:48.34
then I go try to find
that pack in the trash,
00:21:48.37\00:21:50.64
smoke another one.
00:21:50.67\00:21:52.81
And then what I would do is
I would break the cigarettes,
00:21:52.84\00:21:55.14
I would try to crumble them,
00:21:55.18\00:21:56.78
and flush them down
the toilet or something.
00:21:56.81\00:21:58.35
Then I would go to the store
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.05
and buy a single
cigarette or something.
00:22:00.08\00:22:02.18
And so I went
through that same process,
00:22:02.22\00:22:04.09
and it wasn't until I
came to the point where I said,
00:22:04.12\00:22:06.09
"You know what?
00:22:06.12\00:22:07.46
I'm going to challenge myself."
And I said, you know, what?
00:22:07.49\00:22:09.69
When people climb a mountain,
I use this little terminology,
00:22:09.72\00:22:12.63
"When people climb a
mountain like Mount Everest,
00:22:12.66\00:22:14.63
you don't climb
that thing in one day.
00:22:14.66\00:22:16.50
It's basically
one step at a time."
00:22:16.53\00:22:18.87
And so what I said to myself is,
00:22:18.90\00:22:20.67
I'm going to do
one day at a time
00:22:20.70\00:22:23.00
with this thing so I said,
00:22:23.04\00:22:24.54
"Okay, I'll see if I can
go one day without smoking."
00:22:24.57\00:22:27.24
One day, I didn't
even challenge myself
00:22:27.28\00:22:28.94
to a whole week, just one day.
00:22:28.98\00:22:30.68
So the one day went by
and it was kind of like,
00:22:30.71\00:22:33.01
"Okay, man, I made one
day and in 10 years of smoking
00:22:33.05\00:22:35.78
I've never made one day.
00:22:35.82\00:22:37.29
Okay, now let me try two
days, tried two, I tried three."
00:22:37.32\00:22:40.09
After the third day,
00:22:40.12\00:22:41.46
I said to
myself, "You know what?
00:22:41.49\00:22:42.82
Let me try a week.
00:22:42.86\00:22:44.29
After that week had
passed, I had come back,
00:22:44.33\00:22:47.36
I had got a cigarette,
and I tried to smoke it.
00:22:47.40\00:22:50.17
I took maybe one or two
puffs and I couldn't handle it,
00:22:50.20\00:22:52.83
and I ended up throwing away
and I knew from that point on,
00:22:52.87\00:22:55.94
it was it.
00:22:55.97\00:22:57.31
No desire, the Lord
had delivered me from it
00:22:57.34\00:22:59.81
and everything like that.
00:22:59.84\00:23:01.18
But it's amazing
how out of all the drugs
00:23:01.21\00:23:03.28
that you have
done that I have done
00:23:03.31\00:23:05.85
that the hardest one to
get off of is cigarettes.
00:23:05.88\00:23:09.82
It's the one that's legal too.
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.19
Yeah, and it's
the one that is legal.
00:23:11.22\00:23:12.59
Alcohol and cigarettes
are the ones they're legal
00:23:12.62\00:23:14.82
and the most
challenging ones to get out.
00:23:14.86\00:23:16.86
Now you're currently a member
at Oakwood University Church
00:23:16.89\00:23:20.46
under the
direction of Dr. Colton Byrd.
00:23:20.50\00:23:22.53
How did you end up at
Oakwood University Church?
00:23:22.56\00:23:25.60
Well, I
remember I came to a time
00:23:25.63\00:23:28.30
my car broke down
00:23:28.34\00:23:29.67
and I was attending First Church
00:23:29.70\00:23:31.61
and I stayed home,
00:23:31.64\00:23:33.68
it's off and on thing.
00:23:33.71\00:23:35.28
So I stayed home
'cause my car was broke down
00:23:35.31\00:23:39.41
and I was not
motivated to go to church
00:23:39.45\00:23:41.15
because when I go
to church I get the,
00:23:41.18\00:23:44.45
you know, the message,
00:23:44.49\00:23:46.65
I fell it but then when
you're not communicating
00:23:46.69\00:23:49.06
with church
members or the pastor,
00:23:49.09\00:23:51.23
don't know much
you kind of feel empty
00:23:51.26\00:23:52.69
when you go back home.
00:23:52.73\00:23:54.06
So I stayed home for a
while for about five months
00:23:54.10\00:23:56.97
and we end up
moving from the apartment
00:23:57.00\00:24:00.57
which is on Baker
Road to Oakwood Avenue.
00:24:00.60\00:24:03.47
And one of my daughter
came from Monrovia had to go
00:24:03.51\00:24:06.04
to Mount View, and praise God,
00:24:06.07\00:24:08.34
she ended up and a teacher
00:24:08.38\00:24:10.11
who was
Seventh-day Adventist Christian
00:24:10.15\00:24:12.08
which is Donna Walker.
00:24:12.11\00:24:16.02
We didn't communicate much
00:24:16.05\00:24:20.69
but I believe one of
my child add some kin,
00:24:20.72\00:24:23.76
she picked them
up to go to church.
00:24:23.79\00:24:25.33
Okay, okay.
00:24:25.36\00:24:26.70
So they were attending
Oakwood University Church first
00:24:26.73\00:24:30.50
and I was staying at home.
00:24:30.53\00:24:31.93
And as they started going,
00:24:31.97\00:24:33.77
he start, and I was like,
"Okay, maybe I should go."
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.54
And I just
started going to Oakwood,
00:24:36.57\00:24:38.21
you know, just scoping it out,
00:24:38.24\00:24:40.48
not want to change
my membership or any,
00:24:40.51\00:24:42.71
transfer my
membership or anything.
00:24:42.74\00:24:44.51
Just getting to the
habit of going to church again.
00:24:44.55\00:24:46.92
Okay. Praise the Lord.
00:24:46.95\00:24:48.28
And since then,
you know, three months,
00:24:48.32\00:24:50.19
four months come by
and I started to feel
00:24:50.22\00:24:52.25
more
comfortable, more welcoming.
00:24:52.29\00:24:55.29
My kids were really
enjoying their self,
00:24:55.32\00:24:58.09
they had more activities
for my kids to get in...
00:24:58.13\00:25:01.36
Praise the Lord.
00:25:01.40\00:25:02.73
So I just kind of
stuck there. Okay.
00:25:02.76\00:25:05.30
Now you have five
children? Yes, I do.
00:25:05.33\00:25:07.74
I mean four of
them are in school
00:25:07.77\00:25:09.60
and they are all currently
at Oakwood Adventist Academy.
00:25:09.64\00:25:12.77
Talk about the blessing
that you've been able to have
00:25:12.81\00:25:15.28
to get all of them,
00:25:15.31\00:25:16.64
the school age
children in church school?
00:25:16.68\00:25:18.75
It was not successful at first.
00:25:18.78\00:25:21.78
I was able to just
get one there at one time
00:25:21.82\00:25:24.99
and I can say it is a
blessing, did some prayers.
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.26
Donna Walker she
prayed and I prayed
00:25:28.29\00:25:30.49
knowing this school
that I want my kids in,
00:25:30.53\00:25:33.46
and one day God
answered our prayer.
00:25:33.50\00:25:36.23
They all end going
there and it is a blessing.
00:25:36.26\00:25:38.03
Amen.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.40
It's such a good
environment for them to be in,
00:25:39.43\00:25:42.57
and I just thank God,
00:25:42.60\00:25:44.21
they have that opportunity
to be attending a Christian
00:25:44.24\00:25:47.54
Seventh-day Adventist school.
00:25:47.58\00:25:48.91
Praise the Lord.
00:25:48.94\00:25:50.28
Real briefly, I want you
to talk about the difference,
00:25:50.31\00:25:53.28
take about 30
seconds to do this.
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.68
And, you know, some
people look at one lifestyle
00:25:55.72\00:25:58.22
of what you were in drugs,
00:25:58.25\00:25:59.59
dancing as a good
lifestyle to get involved in,
00:25:59.62\00:26:03.12
while the
Christian life being boring.
00:26:03.16\00:26:05.03
Talk about the peace of mind
00:26:05.06\00:26:07.86
that you have in
living a Christian lifestyle
00:26:07.90\00:26:10.57
now versus the
lifestyle that you used to live?
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.34
Well, I learned to
put my trust in God,
00:26:20.11\00:26:25.65
so therefore,
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.02
that kind of
gives me a peace of mind
00:26:27.05\00:26:28.38
'cause that's
what he wants us to do.
00:26:28.42\00:26:29.75
Yeah, definitely.
00:26:29.78\00:26:31.12
You know, so by him
and I'm like, "Okay, Lord,
00:26:31.15\00:26:33.36
I really got tired
of bumping my head."
00:26:33.39\00:26:35.46
So I had to turn to him.
00:26:35.49\00:26:37.49
Okay, you want me to
head a certain way, here I am.
00:26:37.53\00:26:40.16
You have my undivided attention.
00:26:40.20\00:26:41.53
So it gave me a peace
00:26:41.56\00:26:42.90
that I didn't really
had to worry about anything.
00:26:42.93\00:26:44.40
The bills gonna been due,
00:26:44.43\00:26:46.27
hey, I weren't worrying about it
00:26:46.30\00:26:47.74
because I know he
guides me, and he loves me,
00:26:47.77\00:26:50.94
and wants the best for me so.
00:26:50.97\00:26:53.07
Definitely. Definitely.
00:26:53.11\00:26:54.44
And now there are
young females out there
00:26:54.48\00:26:57.68
who are aspiring
to that lifestyle,
00:26:57.71\00:27:01.98
who want the fast money,
00:27:02.02\00:27:03.35
who want a boyfriend
00:27:03.39\00:27:05.05
that is out there selling drugs,
00:27:05.09\00:27:06.99
who wants to be in a strip club,
00:27:07.02\00:27:08.59
and be in there
making thousands of dollars
00:27:08.62\00:27:10.89
in a week's time.
00:27:10.93\00:27:12.26
But I want you to look
into the camera right now
00:27:12.29\00:27:13.63
and I want you to talk
to that young individual
00:27:13.66\00:27:16.26
that has a desire for that life
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.37
or is in that
lifestyle right now.
00:27:18.40\00:27:20.54
And I want you to speak to them
00:27:20.57\00:27:22.20
and give them some
words of encouragement
00:27:22.24\00:27:23.84
of why they should
make a change in their life?
00:27:23.87\00:27:26.37
Okay.
00:27:26.41\00:27:28.68
Well, I'm gonna say,
00:27:28.71\00:27:30.45
it's not gonna be
easy for you young men,
00:27:30.48\00:27:34.05
young people out there
to make the right choices.
00:27:34.08\00:27:37.19
The wrong choices
is always gonna be feel
00:27:37.22\00:27:40.22
more right than
the right choices,
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.59
but one thing I can say
is that to trust in the Lord.
00:27:41.62\00:27:46.49
No matter what it is,
there's nothing too big,
00:27:46.53\00:27:48.60
too small that He cannot handle,
00:27:48.63\00:27:50.67
that you need to
just trust in Him.
00:27:50.70\00:27:52.17
Even if you
just take a few days,
00:27:52.20\00:27:54.20
pray here and pray there,
00:27:54.24\00:27:55.57
just rely on the Lord
and He will direct your path.
00:27:55.60\00:27:58.74
Amen. Amen.
00:27:58.77\00:28:00.81
Well, Claire, our time is up.
00:28:00.84\00:28:02.18
I want to thank you
for being on the program,
00:28:02.21\00:28:04.25
amazing testimony.
00:28:04.28\00:28:05.95
Viewers, we thank
you for tuning in.
00:28:05.98\00:28:07.78
Tune in next time
for The New Journey.
00:28:07.82\00:28:09.98