Have you ever met a power
couple that's on fire for God?
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Well, stay tuned and you will...
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My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
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Urban Report...
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Hello and welcome
to Urban Report...
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you know... once in a
while... you meet a couple
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that's dynamically on
the battlefield for Christ
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while accomplishing
great things in the world...
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that's a fair statement about
Sibusiso Victor and Gail Masondo
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Victor is a famous
musician in South Africa
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he produced and
arranged the music for the
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2010 World Cup Closing
Ceremony as well as the
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100-year Celebration of the
ANC or African National Congress
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and he's currently
visiting Berklee Music College
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here in the U.S.
working on developing
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a curriculum and a
college for South Africa...
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Gail is an
author of her memoir...
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"Now this feels like Home"
she's former Manager of the
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Group "Take Six" she's
an International Speaker
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and Lecturer, Chaplain,
and Women and Child Advocate...
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Victor and Gail...
welcome to Urban Report...
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Hi... well thank
you... Thank you very much...
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Yeah... Yeah...
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I'm so glad that
you guys are here...
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it is not often that
we get to really meet
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couples of your caliber...
and this is not to gush you up
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but this is just... actually
to really extol the virtues
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of our Great God...
who's done some great things
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through you...
so let me kind of...
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let me ask you a few
questions first Vic and...
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instead of Sibusiso which would
get my tongue all twisted...
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I'm just going to
call you Victor...
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That's good...
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Victor or Vic... because my
tongue will get all twisted up
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now, you had the opportunity
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to produce and arrange the music
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for the 2010 World Cup Ceremony
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and you've done so many
great things musically...
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how do you... how
are you able to maintain
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your Christianity when
you're out in front like this
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on the battlefield...
how are you able to do that?
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First of all... for
me... what was important is
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God really wanted me
from the beginning to be a
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witness for Him in
places where other people
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would not go as such...
so, I'm one of the people whom
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God wanted to bring a witness
first by giving me the gift
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to excel in music so
that I can be the kind of
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person that people
want to work with...
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and with that...
then comes the package of
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while doing all this
work... people cannot help
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but ask the questions...
because of the interaction
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and the lifestyle
that they pick up...
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about "who am I?" really,
and that's always an opportunity
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to bring about the
gospel and tell people
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that I am a believer...
and this is how it works...
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Oh, I love that...
see we're supposed to be
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"in the world"
but not "of the world"
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and so, we have to
interact with people
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that are out in the
world and yet we are mandated
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to let our light
shine... so you're saying that
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when you go and
you're working with
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with these...
with famous musicians
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and all that...
that you are given an
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opportunity to share
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the gospel... because
you are the kind of person
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that they want to work with...
Yes... that's all it is...
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it's all the time that I
found that God has always put me
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in kind of situations...
in work situations...
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that I will not
design for myself
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but right in the middle of
this because there's someone
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or some more
than just one person
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whom God wants to reach
through whatever we do...
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just the interaction
and talking and working...
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it's so... it's always going to
put opportunities that you see
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to minister... That
is great... that is great
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can you give us an example
of a situation where you...
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you've had the
opportunity to share the gospel
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in the workplace?
Yes, sure... I remember
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that it was one of my friends...
and we took a break together
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after having done...
just working on a Set...
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and then we
took a break together
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and then he had to
take a smoke as such...
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so he looks at me and says,
"You don't smoke... do you?"
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I said, "No, I don't smoke. "
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and then he says,
"You don't drink either...
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what's the matter with you...
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that you're still doing
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all these things
with us and we're enjoying
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your company in a
world where people
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do a lot of these things... "
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and that was very
easy for me to say,
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"Listen, first of all
God has really wanted me to
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look after this temple...
so that He can work through it
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when I'm sober...
I can do better work
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than when I'm not sober...
" and then... from there...
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the conversation started...
and he ended up saying...
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"You know what... I
love you... but I always
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hate working with
you... but I always want to...
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because you remind me...
of where... I should be... "
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I said, "Where's that?"
He said, "Well, you know...
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I'm supposed to be in Church and
I'm supposed to be ministering,
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and that's what
you do to me. " I said,
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"Well, then I'm more glad
about it... now that I know...
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I'm going to be
even be more on you... "
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Oh... that's
great... that's great...
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and that's the thing that
is so important to remember
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that wherever we're
planted... we can really be...
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even though you didn't
come across... like saying,
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"Don't smoke that
in front of me... "
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or "Don't do that... "
you just had a quiet witness
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and yet... people see
something different in you...
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Aren't you an Elder also... at
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in Johannesburg... is it?
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Yes... in Sandton...
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in the Sandton
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in Johannesburg...
yes, I'm an Elder there...
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Oh that is so
great... see this is why...
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we really want our
viewers to know that...
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no matter what
position you're in...
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whether you are
getting to do great things
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or just... just
wherever you're planted
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that's what God really wants
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you to do... Yes... yes...
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Tell us some of the other
artists that you worked with
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in South Africa...
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In South Africa... I
worked with also others like
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Ladysmith Black
Mambazo who is... kind of
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better well-known as well
in other parts of the world
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and also the musicians...
I'm talking about there
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like Mama Miriam Makeba as
well Oh yes... Miriam Makeba...
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Sakhile
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and there are
quite a few more of the
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South African Artists
that I've worked with...
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Oh, that's
awesome... that is awesome...
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you're here... in the
States now and you're visiting
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Berklee College of Music...
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Berklee is an
outstanding music school...
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It is... it is...
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Tell us what
you're doing with them...
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Well, I'll tell you what...
we're developing a curriculum
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for a special...
because we want to build
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another college in
South Africa as well...
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but we're trying
to really come up
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with a curriculum that
is going to really help
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in terms of how
music is being taught
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and to really just develop
the educational part of music
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and also come up with
something that will be
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so unique... I do not believe
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it is just only for South Africa
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but also for the
rest of the world...
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in just the evolution of
how music needs to be taught.
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Wow, that would be
incredible if we can incorporate
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some of these principles
and lessons over there...
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that would just be incredible...
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Yeah... Now I'm
going to switch to
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your lovely wife... Gail...
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and Gail just
recently wrote her memoir...
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"Now this feels like Home"
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tell us about your journey Gail
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You know, Yvonne, it's
been an interesting journey
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and it's not until
you really start to write
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that you really
understand just how blessed
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and how everything is ordered...
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everything in your
life is just ordered
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and so I start with
looking at my life as gifts...
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special people,
places and occasions
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that I run into these last...
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I'm not going to
say how many years...
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but these last years...
and just how God just placed me
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in places I
never would have been
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and had me meet people
I never would have thought
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of meeting... it's such a
gift, He places you before the
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kings and
queens of this earth...
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Yes... and also,
the special occasions
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you know that you can forget...
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and you can sometimes
see your glass half empty...
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when you
review... you'll see that
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it's really been
half full and so...
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I've had an amazing
time... just reviewing and
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looking back over my shoulder...
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Give us an
example of one of these
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gifts... in terms
of a person or an event
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or something like
this... give us an example...
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In the chapter...
"The Gift of Welcome"
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I really recognize
that coming to South Africa
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was not something
that I wanted to do...
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in fact when the
invitation came in '94...
00:09:41.19\00:09:43.20
I refused it 3 times...
and then when I accepted it
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it was one of
those, "Okay, I'll go... "
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and... but you
know... it was like...
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it was really a
dreading... to go...
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Why did you not want to go?
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I was going through a
very difficult personal time,
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Okay... and I had still two...
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my daughter was
about to enter College
00:10:05.69\00:10:07.74
and my son was in
Elementary School at the time
00:10:07.78\00:10:10.90
and I was just an
emotional, mental, physical,
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.02
spiritual wreck...
and that's probably an
00:10:14.06\00:10:16.50
understatement... Hmmm...
00:10:16.54\00:10:18.01
You know there are
times when the enemy comes in
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with such a
force... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:10:20.80\00:10:22.29
and you don't really
recognize it as being warfare...
00:10:22.32\00:10:25.27
because sometimes
you're not as spiritually...
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I wasn't as spiritually
mature at the time...
00:10:27.42\00:10:29.96
to be able to really
understand that we are at war...
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and the enemy is
at war with us...
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and so it was a
dark time in my life...
00:10:36.21\00:10:38.96
and so traveling
half way around the world
00:10:38.99\00:10:41.71
just didn't
make sense... Yeah...
00:10:41.75\00:10:43.21
I finished Executive
Producing a project called
00:10:43.24\00:10:45.65
"Handel's Messiah:
A Soulful Celebration"
00:10:45.68\00:10:48.24
and that won a lot of awards...
00:10:48.27\00:10:52.04
Oh, that is still one of
my absolute favorite projects
00:10:52.08\00:10:59.37
The Messiah... because...
Soulful Celebration...
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I mean... that was
just a huge success...
00:11:02.42\00:11:05.43
and it just... it
changed... when you have the
00:11:05.47\00:11:10.04
the classical way
to hear the Messiah
00:11:10.07\00:11:12.53
and then you have
the Soulful Celebration
00:11:12.56\00:11:14.95
and it is just amazing...
and I was looking for it
00:11:14.98\00:11:18.15
actually recently
because it's timeless...
00:11:18.18\00:11:20.99
I mean... it's just timeless...
Thank you... thank you...
00:11:21.02\00:11:23.39
so anyway... I
just had to say that...
00:11:23.42\00:11:24.58
Yeah... I got a chance to
work with some wonderful people
00:11:24.62\00:11:27.18
I would like to
take all the credit
00:11:27.22\00:11:28.64
but you know... a great
team of folk that came on board
00:11:28.68\00:11:34.80
to make this possible
and from Mervyn Warren
00:11:34.84\00:11:38.82
Yes... to Quincy Jones to...
00:11:38.85\00:11:41.69
Yes... you know
we had an ensemble
00:11:41.73\00:11:43.44
of over a hundred
artists both secular
00:11:43.47\00:11:45.15
as well as Christian Yes...
00:11:45.19\00:11:46.82
because of the awards
that that project received...
00:11:46.85\00:11:49.98
it's 20-years-old this April...
00:11:50.02\00:11:52.38
April 2nd is when we went
in the Studio and recorded
00:11:52.41\00:11:55.28
the Hallelujah
Chorus... which is a cornerstone
00:11:55.31\00:11:58.14
of Messiah
Project... Yes... for sure...
00:11:58.18\00:12:01.01
and when we got our
Grammy for that project
00:12:01.04\00:12:03.69
I remember Placido
Domingo coming behind stage
00:12:03.73\00:12:06.34
and saying to us...
Mervyn and myself...
00:12:06.38\00:12:08.43
"If Handel were
alive... this is how
00:12:08.47\00:12:10.27
he would have
wanted this sung... "
00:12:10.30\00:12:12.03
so we were really pleased
but on the heels of that Project
00:12:12.06\00:12:16.85
I was invited to
come to South Africa...
00:12:16.89\00:12:18.93
and again... because of
what was going on in my life
00:12:18.96\00:12:22.65
that was the last place...
you know... democracy...
00:12:22.68\00:12:26.33
was still very
new to the Country...
00:12:26.36\00:12:29.17
and we believe what we
see in media, don't we...
00:12:29.21\00:12:34.07
whether it's true or exaggerated
whatever we see... we believe...
00:12:34.11\00:12:38.08
The only thing that I
recall seeing about South Africa
00:12:38.11\00:12:41.96
was just what was
happening in the Townships...
00:12:41.99\00:12:44.55
in Soweto... and
Alexandria and other places
00:12:44.59\00:12:47.11
so you know... I say,
"I'm a product of the '60s...
00:12:47.14\00:12:49.83
why would I want to throw myself
00:12:49.86\00:12:51.23
back into the
Civil Rights Movement
00:12:51.27\00:12:54.02
of another Country?" and so...
00:12:54.06\00:12:56.67
that was another thing
00:12:56.70\00:12:57.75
I had on my mind...
You're right... you're right...
00:12:57.79\00:12:59.83
I arrived in South
Africa... and in fact...
00:12:59.87\00:13:05.05
I hired my husband
because of his resume...
00:13:05.08\00:13:10.22
and he had just been slated...
he was working actually
00:13:10.26\00:13:14.36
he was touring
with Dizzy Gillespie
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.27
and Mariam Makeba on
their European World Tour
00:13:16.31\00:13:20.21
but he had come back and
he was highly recommended
00:13:20.25\00:13:24.08
before I even engaged and
said, "I want to do the Project"
00:13:24.12\00:13:26.75
he was highly recommended as,
"If you should be interested"
00:13:26.78\00:13:31.28
Hmmm... hmmm... "this is the man
00:13:31.31\00:13:33.04
that should do the
Project... " I love it...
00:13:33.08\00:13:35.41
and so I met the
"Cream of the Crop"
00:13:35.45\00:13:36.95
of the South African
musicianship at that first...
00:13:36.98\00:13:40.00
my first
visit... but I began to...
00:13:40.04\00:13:43.84
that first
visit... I was also meeting
00:13:43.87\00:13:47.60
other South African Luminaries,
and I got a chance to meet
00:13:47.64\00:13:50.90
the former
President... Nelson Mandela...
00:13:50.93\00:13:54.16
and I remember... when
I was sitting on stage...
00:13:54.19\00:13:57.07
he came up to me... well
he motioned me... excuse me
00:13:57.11\00:13:59.96
to come to him... and
the first word he said to me
00:14:00.00\00:14:03.89
was... "Welcome, welcome...
" and it wasn't the usual
00:14:03.92\00:14:07.78
you know... kind of
casual... it was almost like
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.21
there was something
else under that "Welcome"
00:14:10.24\00:14:12.58
and every South African I
would meet after that was like,
00:14:12.61\00:14:16.79
"Welcome home... "
and "welcome back... "
00:14:16.82\00:14:18.83
as if I had left and
now was coming back...
00:14:18.87\00:14:22.66
and the most gracious welcome
I received in South Africa
00:14:22.70\00:14:26.25
was my... after
my husband made me
00:14:26.29\00:14:28.82
an offer I couldn't
refuse... after two years
00:14:28.86\00:14:31.58
of working on a
project we did together
00:14:31.61\00:14:34.30
I received a welcome from
00:14:34.34\00:14:37.35
his uncle which
would become my uncle...
00:14:37.39\00:14:40.47
and the words were... "Welcome"
00:14:40.50\00:14:42.44
I began to realize that...
isn't that what God does to us
00:14:42.48\00:14:45.71
when we finally
wake up and come back
00:14:45.74\00:14:47.31
to where we need to
be... Come on... come on...
00:14:47.35\00:14:49.43
He says, "Welcome...
" He says, "Welcome... "
00:14:49.46\00:14:51.50
Yes... and so that has stayed
00:14:51.54\00:14:53.98
in my heart...
the gift of "Welcome"
00:14:54.02\00:14:56.28
Oh... how beautiful...
00:14:56.32\00:14:57.84
and that... you know...
00:14:57.88\00:14:59.33
then I kind of didn't understand
00:14:59.36\00:15:00.95
for so many, many years
that when we embrace people
00:15:00.99\00:15:04.29
when they come into our presence
we're actually welcoming them
00:15:04.32\00:15:07.38
making them feel at home...
00:15:07.42\00:15:08.97
and I was given that gift...
00:15:09.01\00:15:10.50
Oh, that's
beautiful... that's beautiful...
00:15:10.53\00:15:12.52
Okay, so... you know I got
to go off a little bit on this
00:15:12.56\00:15:16.03
"how you guys met" deal...
okay... so Vic... when you first
00:15:16.07\00:15:20.94
when you first met Gail...
what was your impression of her?
00:15:20.98\00:15:25.82
First impression was...
a hard worker and creative
00:15:25.86\00:15:32.45
Hmmm... hmmm... and
also a great visionary...
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.06
which was very,
very... you know, for me,
00:15:35.09\00:15:37.26
those were things
that were so like...
00:15:37.30\00:15:39.40
"It's going to be very easy
to work with someone like that"
00:15:39.43\00:15:42.62
Yes... yes... someone
who knows what they're
00:15:42.65\00:15:46.02
looking for as opposed
to just trying to work out
00:15:46.05\00:15:48.73
how things should
go... and... yeah...
00:15:48.77\00:15:52.35
So, did you guys have like
an instant feeling of teamwork
00:15:52.38\00:15:58.80
when you
started working together
00:15:58.83\00:16:00.44
was it... did you
communicate readily
00:16:00.48\00:16:02.74
or was there... like a conflict?
00:16:02.77\00:16:05.00
We had great communication
00:16:05.03\00:16:08.03
we spoke a lot and we
don't remember conflict at all
00:16:08.06\00:16:14.51
as much as I remember
that we sat, we spoke,
00:16:14.54\00:16:17.51
we listened to
music, we discussed,
00:16:17.54\00:16:19.58
and it was more like
we know on a mutual basis
00:16:19.61\00:16:22.84
that we're looking for
something spectacular...
00:16:22.88\00:16:26.07
Ah... and so, conversations were
00:16:26.11\00:16:29.43
very much on
that... and, of course,
00:16:29.46\00:16:32.44
the roles were
very clearly defined
00:16:32.48\00:16:35.47
so... there's no room for any...
00:16:35.51\00:16:38.44
it was... "You walk in this lane
and I'll walk in this lane... "
00:16:38.47\00:16:42.29
So, at what point did you
decide to walk in the same lane?
00:16:42.32\00:16:47.16
It's when my
telephone bill killing me...
00:16:47.20\00:16:51.80
We wish we had
e-mail or Twitter or...
00:16:51.83\00:16:56.36
we only had Ma Bell
and he had MOM South Africa
00:16:56.40\00:16:59.76
I remember when the conversation
changed for me on the phone...
00:16:59.79\00:17:04.94
it took us two years...
it was two years to complete
00:17:04.98\00:17:08.59
the Project... and Victor
was always very professional
00:17:08.63\00:17:12.21
and very easy to
work with, but I remember
00:17:12.24\00:17:15.15
we were talking about
something and he asked me...
00:17:15.18\00:17:17.25
"So, how did
that make you feel?"
00:17:17.28\00:17:19.43
Hmmm... and I
almost dropped the phone
00:17:19.46\00:17:21.32
because... it was rarely
that I would hear a man ask
00:17:21.36\00:17:24.64
and then he waited for me
00:17:24.68\00:17:27.48
he didn't edit my
answer, he just waited for me
00:17:27.51\00:17:31.07
to give a complete
answer, and then we started
00:17:31.10\00:17:34.62
talking about his
family, my family...
00:17:34.65\00:17:39.98
we started comparing notes,
00:17:40.01\00:17:41.45
his father passed away in '83...
00:17:41.48\00:17:43.74
my mother passed away in '83...
00:17:43.77\00:17:46.36
we both share a birthday in June
00:17:46.39\00:17:48.90
so those kinds of
things started creating
00:17:48.94\00:17:53.78
an interest...
yes... Okay... great...
00:17:53.82\00:17:59.40
so, after this two-year
period and this first Project
00:17:59.43\00:18:03.53
was completed...
00:18:03.56\00:18:05.36
did you guys get
together as a couple
00:18:05.39\00:18:10.18
after the Project was completed
00:18:10.22\00:18:12.06
or in the midst of
it... how did that work?
00:18:12.10\00:18:16.25
We completed the
project... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:18:16.29\00:18:21.03
but of course towards the...
00:18:21.06\00:18:22.99
when the Project
was coming to an end
00:18:23.03\00:18:25.37
you know... you can
tell... when you got a
00:18:25.41\00:18:27.99
positive and negative magnet
it just... kind of like...
00:18:28.02\00:18:33.99
gravitated
towards one another...
00:18:34.02\00:18:36.78
so, you try to
keep it professional
00:18:36.81\00:18:39.50
but you know exactly
00:18:39.53\00:18:40.71
that there's something
else developing here...
00:18:40.75\00:18:43.57
Yes... yes... yes... you
know... one thing that is
00:18:43.61\00:18:46.40
so great about
you guys is that...
00:18:46.44\00:18:49.04
you travel all around the
world, Japan and... I mean...
00:18:49.07\00:18:52.43
you've just have been to
the UK... Gail was saying...
00:18:52.46\00:18:55.79
"I have to go to the
UK to do something... "
00:18:55.82\00:18:57.49
I mean... you just
travel around the world...
00:18:57.53\00:18:58.83
how do you
maintain... your relationship
00:18:58.87\00:19:03.01
when you're... many times
going in different directions
00:19:03.04\00:19:06.94
how do you maintain that
connection that you have?
00:19:06.98\00:19:11.38
You know what... communication
00:19:11.42\00:19:14.23
is a good thing and also,
00:19:14.27\00:19:16.46
it's almost like...
whenever we're working on
00:19:16.50\00:19:20.64
different projects...
the time that you spend apart
00:19:20.67\00:19:25.57
doesn't really
mean... really apart...
00:19:25.60\00:19:27.60
and as much as we're catching up
00:19:27.64\00:19:29.83
with what's going on
and technology has made it
00:19:29.87\00:19:32.07
even easier these days Right...
00:19:32.10\00:19:33.96
it just will be a whole lot of
communication and knowing that
00:19:33.99\00:19:37.44
when she takes
off to do something...
00:19:37.47\00:19:39.50
I can be able to say... you
know, to be a support system
00:19:39.54\00:19:42.87
and be able to say,
"Wow, well done... "
00:19:42.90\00:19:44.66
and then let that continue
and so it really is an...
00:19:44.69\00:19:49.26
also just maintaining
that whole life of...
00:19:49.29\00:19:52.26
even when we don't see
one another at that time...
00:19:52.30\00:19:54.89
to pray for one
another... Yeah...
00:19:54.92\00:19:56.81
Hmmm... and...
because that's one thing
00:19:56.85\00:19:58.79
that's quite important...
00:19:58.82\00:20:00.05
And to pray a lot when
we are with each other...
00:20:00.09\00:20:02.61
I think that that's
the scene... you know I...
00:20:02.65\00:20:07.21
Victor comes from a
very powerful family...
00:20:07.25\00:20:11.77
in South Africa... his
father... he's a PK actually
00:20:11.80\00:20:15.25
he's a Pastor's
Kid... Oh... okay...
00:20:15.28\00:20:17.36
but he grew up with
the... what's the word...
00:20:17.40\00:20:20.91
the really understanding
of the power of prayer...
00:20:20.94\00:20:23.13
I remember the first time
as a couple after marriage...
00:20:23.16\00:20:26.60
and praying and
he's a prayer warrior...
00:20:26.64\00:20:29.62
and I was a New... you
know... I'm a New Yorker...
00:20:29.66\00:20:34.97
we do everything quick and fast,
00:20:35.00\00:20:37.43
and so... we were
on our knees praying
00:20:37.47\00:20:41.51
and I was kind of looking...
at least 20 minutes had passed
00:20:41.55\00:20:46.14
and then it came
to... like a half hour...
00:20:46.18\00:20:48.71
and this was our
morning devotion,
00:20:48.74\00:20:50.31
and then I looked up and it
was like almost 45 minutes...
00:20:50.35\00:20:53.25
and so I'm
thinking we prayed for...
00:20:53.28\00:20:54.99
we prayed for everybody...
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.07
we rebuked the devil
and I'm in Africa now...
00:20:57.10\00:21:01.51
so I have to pray for the
little children in Africa...
00:21:01.54\00:21:04.28
and then I looked up
and then he said "Amen"
00:21:04.32\00:21:07.99
and I started to rise
up... and he pulled me back down
00:21:08.02\00:21:12.19
and I'm thinking...
we're going to start over
00:21:12.23\00:21:14.54
and he said, "No,
now we need to wait"
00:21:14.58\00:21:17.34
one of the things
in my relationship...
00:21:17.38\00:21:20.08
Victor tends to be... he
works hard... he plays hard,
00:21:20.11\00:21:23.89
he prays hard... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:21:23.93\00:21:26.06
and one of the
things that I have gained...
00:21:26.10\00:21:28.12
in my life with
him... is the ability
00:21:28.16\00:21:32.14
to really
understand just how loving
00:21:32.18\00:21:36.13
God really, really, really is...
00:21:36.16\00:21:38.28
Oh, come on... come
on... I like that...
00:21:38.31\00:21:40.60
that's a reflection...
a man who loves God...
00:21:40.64\00:21:43.26
that reflection kind
of... it can't help but
00:21:43.29\00:21:45.84
Baby... look at me...
it can't help but gravitate
00:21:45.88\00:21:49.87
it can't help but
gravitate and roll off...
00:21:49.90\00:21:53.81
you know it's an influence
and so my life with him
00:21:53.84\00:21:56.71
when we are apart by miles
00:21:56.75\00:21:59.79
I'll always know
I'm still in his heart
00:21:59.82\00:22:02.24
and he knows he's in mine...
00:22:02.28\00:22:03.48
and yes there has been
the blessing of technology
00:22:03.51\00:22:06.75
where you can
text... where you can Skype
00:22:06.79\00:22:08.42
where you can e-mail...
I'm not as technically...
00:22:08.46\00:22:11.41
I'm a little
technically illiterate
00:22:11.45\00:22:14.48
compared to what's going on
00:22:14.52\00:22:16.74
but I think... once
you have established
00:22:16.78\00:22:19.93
a relationship
with God individually...
00:22:19.96\00:22:23.48
then the
relationship collectively...
00:22:23.52\00:22:26.97
it's smoother sailing...
it's not all smooth...
00:22:27.00\00:22:31.86
but it's smoother sailing
because I don't have to explain
00:22:31.89\00:22:35.97
to him when I say,
"Baby, I need you to pray... "
00:22:36.00\00:22:37.84
he doesn't have to
have all the details
00:22:37.87\00:22:39.52
of what that means...
00:22:39.56\00:22:40.70
Hmmm... hmmm... or if
he writes me or texts me
00:22:40.73\00:22:44.29
"Pray" I know... and
the times that we are apart
00:22:44.33\00:22:47.86
the times that we are
together is even sweeter...
00:22:47.89\00:22:51.12
so, that's what makes it rich...
00:22:51.16\00:22:53.02
Oh, I love that... I love that,
now, Gail, you have been doing
00:22:53.06\00:22:58.30
some Chaplaincy work as
well... besides the speaking
00:22:58.33\00:23:01.76
and writing... you've
been doing some Chaplaincy work
00:23:01.80\00:23:05.19
is there any
particular situation
00:23:05.22\00:23:08.38
that kind of stands out
in your mind that you...
00:23:08.42\00:23:10.82
any experience
that you've had recently
00:23:10.85\00:23:13.08
that you'd like to share?
00:23:13.12\00:23:14.21
In the gift of "Goodby"
in my book... I talk about
00:23:14.24\00:23:17.86
my first patient
at Sandton Clinic
00:23:17.90\00:23:21.06
Sandton Clinic...
just to back up a second
00:23:21.09\00:23:24.29
I didn't mention that I also
got very ill in South Africa
00:23:24.33\00:23:27.79
on my first trip... and
had 8 inches of my intestines
00:23:27.82\00:23:31.90
removed because of
the disease Sarcoidosis...
00:23:31.93\00:23:35.39
and so... that was a battle
00:23:35.42\00:23:38.14
for about 4 to 5 years...
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.82
in that hospital...
00:23:40.86\00:23:43.85
Sandton Clinic is the Hospital
00:23:43.89\00:23:45.53
that I was taken to...
and then I was asked to serve
00:23:45.56\00:23:47.94
as a Chaplain at
the very same hospital
00:23:47.98\00:23:50.59
years later... and
so I walk into the ICU
00:23:50.62\00:23:53.16
and I'm going to meet a
patient named Juanita...
00:23:53.19\00:23:56.40
and Juanita had on
her bedside table...
00:23:56.44\00:23:58.71
every book of
religion you could think of...
00:23:58.75\00:24:02.57
everything... and she
was actively searching
00:24:02.60\00:24:06.35
this woman had battled
cancer for more than 10 years
00:24:06.39\00:24:11.21
she was a TV
Producer in South Africa
00:24:11.24\00:24:13.14
that climbed Kilimanjaro...
but you could sense the fear
00:24:13.18\00:24:18.68
in her eyes...
because her body was ravaged
00:24:18.71\00:24:21.26
with cancer...
they showed us a diagram
00:24:21.29\00:24:23.99
and there was no
spot on the diagram
00:24:24.02\00:24:26.31
where cancer had not appeared...
00:24:26.34\00:24:28.66
and was
appearing at that time...
00:24:28.70\00:24:30.95
and she had tubes in her
mouth so she couldn't speak
00:24:30.98\00:24:33.98
and so I came in the bedroom
I mean... next to her bed...
00:24:34.01\00:24:37.13
and I said, "I understand
your name is Juanita...
00:24:37.16\00:24:40.73
I'm a Chaplain here and
your doctor actually asked me
00:24:40.77\00:24:44.07
to come and visit... is
there something I could read
00:24:44.10\00:24:47.84
on this list of books...
and she pointed to her Bible
00:24:47.88\00:24:51.58
and it was underneath
all the other books...
00:24:51.62\00:24:54.51
and I pulled it out
and I read Psalm 23...
00:24:54.54\00:24:57.80
that started a
five-month relationship
00:24:57.84\00:25:00.99
she stayed in ICU... and
I remember that so vividly
00:25:01.03\00:25:05.52
because Juanita didn't
necessarily trust anymore...
00:25:05.55\00:25:09.98
her trust in people...
her trust in all the other
00:25:10.01\00:25:13.90
little g-o-d-s and her trust
in the Creator God was shaken...
00:25:13.94\00:25:17.79
Hmmm... and God just allowed me
00:25:17.83\00:25:20.43
to just speak as girls...
once those tubes were out
00:25:20.46\00:25:24.91
we developed a
friendship... Yes...
00:25:24.94\00:25:27.38
and then she wanted to
know "Why did I believe
00:25:27.42\00:25:31.27
in the Creator
God?" you know those doors
00:25:31.31\00:25:33.19
that Victor was talking about...
it just... God opens up for us
00:25:33.22\00:25:36.25
Yes... yes... and I
was just able to share
00:25:36.28\00:25:38.62
about having been in
Sandton four floors down...
00:25:38.65\00:25:41.37
and angry at God
at that time in '95...
00:25:41.40\00:25:46.00
very angry...
00:25:46.04\00:25:47.15
and I'm from a foreign
country, didn't know anybody...
00:25:47.18\00:25:50.30
and God, through the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:25:50.33\00:25:54.47
spoke to me... the only thing
He said audibly in my voice was
00:25:54.51\00:25:58.42
"Gail I love you... and you will
have to trust me on this... "
00:25:58.45\00:26:02.29
every time I would
meet Juanita after that...
00:26:02.32\00:26:05.29
that would be the question...
"Does God love me too?"
00:26:05.33\00:26:08.28
"Does God love me too?" Hmmm...
00:26:08.31\00:26:10.29
and through that
particular time in my life
00:26:10.33\00:26:14.32
I was able to affirm
and re-affirm to Juanita
00:26:14.35\00:26:18.31
"God does love you... "
00:26:18.34\00:26:19.38
and she soon passed...
and I was asked to officiate
00:26:19.41\00:26:24.37
as her Chaplain... they said,
00:26:24.41\00:26:25.75
"Now, you're her Chaplain"
to come and officiate at her
00:26:25.78\00:26:29.13
Memorial Service...
and one of the things
00:26:29.16\00:26:31.91
that I was able to
say... because she did have
00:26:31.95\00:26:34.16
Christian-believing
friends in her life...
00:26:34.20\00:26:36.35
I was able to re-affirm to
her family and to her friends
00:26:36.38\00:26:40.64
that I believed
with all my heart
00:26:40.67\00:26:42.25
that Juanita
accepted the Lord Jesus Christ
00:26:42.29\00:26:44.59
as her personal Savior...
00:26:44.62\00:26:45.78
Amen... before
she fell asleep in
00:26:45.81\00:26:47.97
eternal rest and
so... that stands out...
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.97
Amen... yes...
yes... You know what...
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.80
I could talk to
you guys all day...
00:26:53.84\00:26:56.04
I mean we
could... I wish we could...
00:26:56.08\00:26:58.21
I know... I wish I
could too plus I miss you...
00:26:58.25\00:27:00.65
but I'm going to
have to say, "Thank you"
00:27:00.69\00:27:04.09
thank you so much for
sharing what you did... today...
00:27:04.12\00:27:06.94
you guys are such a
blessing and I pray that
00:27:06.98\00:27:10.03
our viewers really
got blessed like I did...
00:27:10.06\00:27:13.08
because you have
so much to share...
00:27:13.11\00:27:15.15
May God bless you as
you continue to serve Him...
00:27:15.19\00:27:18.03
Thank you Yvonne... Thank you...
00:27:18.06\00:27:21.51
One of my favorite Scriptures
and I apply it to marriages
00:27:21.55\00:27:25.28
Ecclesiastes 4:12 where it says,
00:27:25.32\00:27:27.79
"A cord of three
strands is not quickly broken"
00:27:27.83\00:27:30.59
today you've witnessed a
couple that's doing great things
00:27:30.63\00:27:34.25
in the world and
on fire for God...
00:27:34.28\00:27:36.09
how are you... and
your significant other
00:27:36.13\00:27:38.65
working for the Lord?
00:27:38.69\00:27:39.98
If you don't have a
significant other...
00:27:40.01\00:27:42.38
what are you doing
for the cause of Christ?
00:27:42.42\00:27:44.72
We may not be international
like the Masondos...
00:27:44.75\00:27:48.12
but we can do
great things for God...
00:27:48.16\00:27:50.43
wherever we're planted...
00:27:50.46\00:27:51.86
Thanks for joining
me on Urban Report...
00:27:51.90\00:27:54.47
It's a blessing to have you...
00:27:54.50\00:27:56.65
and we hope that
you'll be blessed
00:27:56.69\00:27:58.65
by the Programs that we offer...
00:27:58.68\00:28:00.57
You know this Program
wouldn't be the same...
00:28:00.61\00:28:03.42
without you... God bless...
00:28:03.45\00:28:05.36