Stay tuned to meet a pair
of twins that dared to dream
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of a better
life... and found it.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello! And
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guests today are
Wayne and Dwayne Caines:
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authors,
speakers, and entrepreneurs.
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Wayne is presently the
CEO of Digicel Bermuda,
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the largest telecommunications
company on the island.
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And Dwyane is the
public relations manager
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for the Bermuda Police Service.
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Welcome to Urban
Report Wayne and Dwayne.
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Welcome and
thanks for having us.
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Thank you for the opportunity.
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It is so great to have you here.
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You guys have such
an interesting story.
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And it's
interesting because I met Wayne
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at Oakwood University,
and Wayne had his book -
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you guys' book - Double Vision.
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This book is so good.
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I recommend it to
everybody to read.
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It's funny, it's
insightful, it's inspiring.
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You guys have had
quite an interesting journey.
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So I'd like to
talk to both of you
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about your journey together
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as well as your different
personalities and just how you
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grew up. So let's talk a little
bit first about how you grew up,
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where you grew up, and some
of the experiences that you had.
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Let's start with Wayne.
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We live and were raised on
the beautiful island of Bermuda
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that is nestled in the
middle of the Atlantic Ocean
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right on the balmy shores in a
very peaceful and loving island.
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Dwayne and I were raised
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in a Seventh-day
Adventist household.
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Our mother is from Jamaica,
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and growing up in
Bermuda she instilled the values
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of our faith and discipline.
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As you can imagine, we
were young men - young twins -
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in an island. We
were mischievous.
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We had a lot of fun.
We enjoyed a lot of mayhem
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and causing trouble
in our local church.
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We had a very firm
Christian foundation.
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And the reason why
this is important -
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and I'd like to just
spend a minute here -
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is because oftentimes we
have a very unique faith.
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As Seventh-day Adventist
Christians, we were raised to
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understand the
importance of our faith.
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We were taught to
respect the Sabbath.
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We were taught the importance
of loving those in your
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immediate circle. We
had a complete understanding
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of the discipline of our faith.
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On the things that we
could do and what we couldn't do
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and how our character
and reflecting the character
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of Christ was very important for
us... not only in our household
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but in our community. Excuse
me a second. So your home, then,
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set the tone for
your behavior in a sense?
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Because your parents... you
had a two-parent household...
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you came from a
strong Christian background.
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Did your home then set
the tone for your perspective
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on your faith and education?
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Here is what's interesting.
My father wasn't an Adventist
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until I was 13, so
growing up my father
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who grew up in North America
- who grew up in New York -
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he was growing up in New
York City during the time of
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Malcolm X. He was a man that was
deeply connected to his culture,
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the black culture. And so
when he came back to Bermuda
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after university in the
United States of America
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he was raised an
Anglican but he was not a SDA.
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My mother was a
Seventh-day Adventist.
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Our grandparents lived with us.
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And she ensured that we were
raised as Seventh-day Adventist
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young men.
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The thing that is very important
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is that our parents
- including my father -
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had a very strong
structure around us.
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They ensured that we
under- stood what it was to be
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Christian young men
but more importantly to
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respect those around us.
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Dwayne? Wayne
speaks of what actually
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took place in our lives.
We had an active Christian
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and a healthy
Adventist environment.
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But one of the things that
makes our testimony unique:
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with all of that around us
we still found it important
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to find trouble. And so
anywhere there was trouble
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unfortunately you
found Wayne and I.
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And within that
very sacred cocoon
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we often found ourselves at
the epicenter of things that
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were not necessarily
in our best interest.
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So our testimony sometimes...
You remember the story of the
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Prodigal Son. And everybody
focused on the son who left
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but there was a son that
was in the home and still was
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struggling. And he almost was...
Everybody forgot about him
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because he actually did
the proverbial right thing.
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And Wayne and my
testimony a lot of the times
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are for Seventh-day Adventist
young people who are in our
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midst and they are still
struggling with the critical
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issues that affect
youth all over the world.
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They still are in our midst,
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and if we don't focus on
the critical issues that they're
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facing, we think that they're OK
just because they're around us,
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just because they attend
worship and they do everything
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that we want to hear. So
we had the morning watch.
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We were members of Pathfinders.
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Dwayne and I went from being
pre-Pathfinders - Adventurers -
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right up... Rangers. We
did Youth Sabbath School.
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Dwayne and I were
very active in our faith
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but we were still
estranged from our faith.
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We were very good in sports.
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The majority...
Yeah, finish your sentence.
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The majority of the sports
that we wanted to participate in
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were held on Friday nights.
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Our mother would
not even consider it.
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We were very good at
what you would call soccer...
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what we would call
football here in Bermuda.
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We couldn't be. We
had our mother make sure
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that we went to football
training but guess what?
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When it was for the match
that was on a Sabbath morning
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Dwayne and I could never play.
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So here we were: two young men
that were living in a community
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a part of a faith, but we were
being estranged from everything
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and everyone because we were not
able to be full participants.
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And that has got to be
a very frustrating thing
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for young men who are
active and successful in sports.
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You know, if you're good
at something and you can't
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practice it, that's
got to be very frustrating.
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So I can imagine that now
there's this dissonance here
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between your faith and
your ability in sports.
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And I want to explore
that, but I want to go back
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for a second because
you guys have given me
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quite a bit of
meat here to chew on.
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First of all, you
said that your dad
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was a very strong man
steeped in black culture
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as a result of
having been in New York
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and Malcolm X and
all of that. Sure.
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Let's talk a little
bit about the importance
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of the father in the home.
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What does that strong father
give to his sons in the home?
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When you look at some of the
challenges that the African male
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is having throughout the
diaspora... not only in North
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America but through the
Caribbean and through Africa,
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one thing that is clear is
that the odds for a successful
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and a thriving man are
far greater if there is
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a male in the home. If there is
an emotionally-connected present
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male in the home. We are...
And we believe that a Christian
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home - a two-parent
home - is God's ideal.
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We believe that having a
Seventh-day Adventist father
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in the home is a
part of God's ideal plan.
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So many times in the
culture in the black community
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we have men that are not active
and present in our families.
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And so oftentimes
when a man wants to model
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manhood, when we wants
to see conflict resolved,
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when we wants to be
taught responsibility,
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there are women that are
teaching him those elements
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of his past, of his
future, and of his present.
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And oftentimes when we see
young men that are developing
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spiritually they're looking
for a model that is given to us
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from a Biblical perspective.
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If they cannot see the evi-
dence in their immediate home,
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they can see a chasm
or a bit of a disconnect
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in their lives. Oftentimes
what was our saving grace:
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in our faith in
Bermuda we had a lot of elders,
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we had a lot of deacons,
we had a lot of Pathfinder
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leaders, we had a lot
of men including our father
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that played a strong
surrogate role. Now we realize
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that was a good event.
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As an Adventist,
our system inadvertently
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gave us our saving grace.
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What does that mean? It allowed
us to have men in our lives
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that were Christian
strong, grounded men
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that were playing an
active role in our lives.
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And see... that is
such a critical piece
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because that is what's
missing in our community today.
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So many of our households
are single-parent, female-run
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households. And there
are various reasons for that.
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But it is so
important for our men to know
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that even if you
don't have any children
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our communities - our
kids - need for active, engaged
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men to step up to the plate
and say: "Hey, I'm going to
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mentor someone in
church. " You just said you had
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Pathfinder leaders
and elders and deacons
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that were there to
help... to mentor you.
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That's what we
need in our churches.
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Dwayne, how do you feel
that that impacted your life?
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Having a strong male figure
in the home: how do you feel
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that impacted you? Well
I think one of the saving
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graces to Wayne and my story
is that we were undergirded by
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men in our community
who actually aided us
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in our development. One
of the things we talk about
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in our faith a lot
are men being present.
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But there's one thing to be
present and there is another
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thing to be an
active agent of change.
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And in the
generation that preceded us
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yes there have been
men that were present
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but have you been actively
open to watch your children
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develop. Have you
been emotionally vested?
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Have you been a Christ-like
representative of His love
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in your home? So
it's just not enough
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to be present. We want you
to be actively engaged in the
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development of your children.
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There was a generation of men
who believed all they had to do
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is be present and
financially provide.
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And we're now
saying: "Gentlemen: right now
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we need you to do more than
just provide and more than just
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tell our young people
what they're doing wrong. "
00:11:01.00\00:11:03.27
We grew up in a
generation of Adventist men
00:11:03.57\00:11:06.12
who... old-school
Adventist: here are the rules.
00:11:06.32\00:11:08.88
Here's what you do and don't do.
00:11:09.08\00:11:10.50
This is a different generation
00:11:10.60\00:11:12.55
and while we do not want
to sacrifice the beauty of our
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faith and what we consider
to be the foundation and the
00:11:15.91\00:11:18.64
bedrock of our faith... which
are the guidelines that God has
00:11:18.74\00:11:21.64
given us. We believe
relationship development
00:11:21.74\00:11:25.04
a. a relationship with God;
00:11:25.24\00:11:27.27
b. a
relationship with your spouse
00:11:27.57\00:11:29.71
or the person... the significant
representative of your love
00:11:29.91\00:11:33.13
in your family. And to
pour into your children so they
00:11:33.33\00:11:36.13
actually like you and love you.
00:11:36.23\00:11:38.84
It is important to be firm;
it is important to be fair.
00:11:39.15\00:11:42.33
But sometimes you just have
to be a nice and pleasant person
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to be around. That is so so good
00:11:46.72\00:11:50.85
and so true. You know,
in listening to you guys...
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First of all, like I
said, I love this book.
00:11:54.78\00:11:57.62
And you give
experiences and then at the end
00:11:57.92\00:12:02.70
of the chapter you kind
of tie it in to a lesson
00:12:02.90\00:12:05.42
so that it's not just
experience for experience' sake,
00:12:05.72\00:12:09.23
there is a lesson
here for the reader.
00:12:09.46\00:12:12.63
There's a lesson
here for the young person
00:12:12.83\00:12:14.84
to help to motive them
on their journey to success.
00:12:15.04\00:12:18.44
So I really appreciate
that about you. You guys express
00:12:18.74\00:12:21.93
yourselves so well. But
in your book you talk about
00:12:22.03\00:12:25.68
how at first in your early years
00:12:25.88\00:12:29.18
you were not academically...
00:12:29.38\00:12:32.00
you weren't
academically motivated
00:12:33.75\00:12:36.00
and so you guys were
focusing on other things.
00:12:36.20\00:12:39.08
Tell us a little bit
about those early years
00:12:39.28\00:12:41.52
and how you
functioned academically.
00:12:41.62\00:12:43.90
The challenge that Dwayne
and I had in school is that
00:12:44.90\00:12:48.80
we were full of energy.
00:12:48.90\00:12:51.05
We were undisciplined. We were
much more focused on having fun
00:12:51.35\00:12:55.86
and enjoying ourselves
than on our academic pursuits.
00:12:56.06\00:12:58.75
A lot of times when you look at
the structure of the curriculum
00:12:59.05\00:13:01.79
and understanding
where we were at that time
00:13:01.99\00:13:04.15
the teachers did not understand.
00:13:04.35\00:13:05.77
The classroom had about 20-25
young people in the classroom,
00:13:05.97\00:13:09.63
and so there were so many
different factors that Dwayne
00:13:09.83\00:13:11.95
and I just found ourselves
in a position that we were not
00:13:12.05\00:13:15.47
in an environment that was
meeting our academic needs.
00:13:15.68\00:13:18.56
As a result of that, we started
to struggle academically.
00:13:18.86\00:13:21.66
We looked at school as a place
where we were not doing well
00:13:21.86\00:13:26.50
academically, so it was a
place where we could show out,
00:13:26.60\00:13:28.99
have fun, and teachers found
us very difficult to manage.
00:13:29.19\00:13:32.44
When we were in what is
called middle school now
00:13:32.84\00:13:35.27
we were asked at the end of
our first year in middle school
00:13:35.37\00:13:38.27
not to return to
school. Can you imagine:
00:13:38.47\00:13:41.39
at 12 years old being formally
asked not to return to school
00:13:41.59\00:13:45.44
in the fall? Our mother
was besotted with grief.
00:13:45.54\00:13:48.70
She was at a turning point.
00:13:48.90\00:13:50.13
I would like to
stop here for a second.
00:13:50.33\00:13:51.78
You have mothers that are
doing their all, sacrificing,
00:13:52.29\00:13:55.64
working from can-see
morning to can-see night
00:13:55.84\00:13:58.51
to make sure that the
children get everything
00:13:58.71\00:14:00.75
and something like this happens.
The teacher said to my mother
00:14:00.95\00:14:04.15
that not only did Dwayne and
I not have the academic pedigree
00:14:04.35\00:14:07.71
to continue, that they ascribed
the highest height that we would
00:14:07.81\00:14:11.04
achieve... She said that one
of your sons would definitely
00:14:11.14\00:14:13.76
end up in prison and the
highest that the other could go
00:14:13.86\00:14:16.57
he will be on the
back of a trash truck.
00:14:16.77\00:14:18.93
Those were the... that
was what my mother was told:
00:14:19.13\00:14:21.47
that's the most she
should expect from Dwayne and I.
00:14:21.57\00:14:23.98
My... now can you? Oh...
00:14:24.28\00:14:26.53
Hearing those words had to
pierce the heart of your mom,
00:14:27.13\00:14:32.38
number one, and also
I'm sure it didn't do...
00:14:32.58\00:14:35.52
If you guys heard this,
it didn't do much for your
00:14:35.72\00:14:38.31
self-esteem either.
What we recognize now is that
00:14:38.41\00:14:41.75
life and death is in the power
of our tongue and our actions.
00:14:41.95\00:14:45.58
Yes. And it's actually a
responsibility of our teachers.
00:14:45.68\00:14:49.40
Teachers are called of God.
00:14:49.60\00:14:51.55
And just like we
hear of ministers
00:14:51.75\00:14:53.53
not everyone can be a teacher.
Teachers are there to inspire.
00:14:53.73\00:14:57.70
The beautiful thing
about what transpired
00:14:57.90\00:14:59.95
in Wayne and my life
was my mother took us out of
00:15:00.05\00:15:03.09
public school. And
let's be very clear:
00:15:03.19\00:15:05.14
there are phenomenal
teachers in the public schools.
00:15:05.24\00:15:07.74
The school that we were at
was just not a good fit for us.
00:15:07.94\00:15:11.21
And what we recognize
is my mother recognized
00:15:11.51\00:15:14.34
she had to get us in
a smaller environment.
00:15:14.54\00:15:16.81
And she put us in the Christian
school. It's called Bermuda
00:15:17.01\00:15:20.34
Institute. We affectionally call
it BI... which is a SDA school.
00:15:20.44\00:15:24.90
Now what happened when
we went to BI, it was a much
00:15:25.11\00:15:28.30
relaxed environment. We
had teachers that we could
00:15:28.40\00:15:31.18
model our lives
after. They had worship,
00:15:31.29\00:15:33.62
and we were able to
relax and be ourselves.
00:15:33.83\00:15:36.46
And what took place
over the next four years was
00:15:36.77\00:15:39.64
a slow
transformation of confidence.
00:15:39.84\00:15:42.92
Now the confidence came,
ironically, because we had
00:15:43.22\00:15:46.43
teachers in the
school that believed in us.
00:15:46.64\00:15:48.82
One gentlemen - he's
actually passed on now -
00:15:49.02\00:15:50.63
his name was Mandell Hill.
00:15:50.73\00:15:52.99
Mandell Hill was at
the time 22 years old
00:15:53.19\00:15:55.97
and he had just
graduated from Oakwood College.
00:15:56.07\00:15:59.27
And he came back
as a history teacher.
00:15:59.57\00:16:02.25
And he was somebody that
Wayne and I could relate to.
00:16:02.56\00:16:05.97
And in seeing him, we recognized
that his success was something
00:16:06.17\00:16:11.13
that we could model.
And watching his life,
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.95
watching his leadership,
watching his spirituality
00:16:15.16\00:16:17.33
became a very key step
in our development forward.
00:16:17.53\00:16:21.19
You know, excuse me one second
Wayne. I'm going to bring you
00:16:21.39\00:16:23.90
back in, but what you
said Dwayne. It's so important
00:16:24.00\00:16:27.95
for parents to know that
the school that their children
00:16:28.16\00:16:31.85
or their child is in
might be a great school
00:16:31.95\00:16:35.24
but it's not necessarily
a good fit for that student,
00:16:35.44\00:16:40.35
for that child. And
that's a really great point
00:16:40.59\00:16:43.20
because parents often...
You know, you want your kid
00:16:43.31\00:16:45.89
to get a really good
education so you put that child
00:16:45.99\00:16:48.87
into a certain environment.
But it might not be the right
00:16:48.98\00:16:52.91
environment for that child.
00:16:53.01\00:16:55.15
And so you guys were
taken from that Warwick School
00:16:55.45\00:16:59.26
if I recall
correctly, Warwick School
00:16:59.46\00:17:01.42
and put into BI, and
everything kind of changed
00:17:01.63\00:17:05.31
because it was a
good fit for you.
00:17:05.51\00:17:08.19
Not just the religious aspects
of it, which are critical,
00:17:08.49\00:17:12.83
but also academically.
It sounds as though
00:17:13.03\00:17:15.76
it was... You said it was
a more relaxed atmosphere.
00:17:15.96\00:17:19.15
It was... They had worship.
00:17:19.35\00:17:21.40
It just was a better fit.
00:17:21.60\00:17:23.58
And I think that's
a very important point
00:17:23.78\00:17:25.88
for parents to hear. It's
not that this is an indictment
00:17:26.08\00:17:30.03
on public school so much
as it is this Adventist school
00:17:30.23\00:17:33.97
was a better fit for you.
00:17:34.17\00:17:35.91
Here's what we learned
even about children today:
00:17:36.11\00:17:38.62
you have to be
so in tune with God
00:17:39.12\00:17:43.08
that you become in
tune with your child.
00:17:43.28\00:17:46.36
And we're advocating: be so
in love with God and your child
00:17:46.56\00:17:51.16
that you understand
the needs of your children.
00:17:51.36\00:17:55.05
Oftentimes we put our
children in environments
00:17:55.25\00:17:58.20
that we think are the best
for them, but we don't take
00:17:58.40\00:18:01.45
into consideration the specific
needs, the learning styles,
00:18:01.55\00:18:06.37
the cultural
nuances of an environment.
00:18:06.57\00:18:10.07
What we're saying is be
so in tune with your child:
00:18:10.17\00:18:12.99
their learning
style, their playing style,
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.84
everything around them, and then
ask God to give you the wisdom
00:18:16.05\00:18:19.21
and the power and the
discernment to create spaces...
00:18:19.31\00:18:23.69
safe spaces. That
safe space is at church.
00:18:23.89\00:18:26.34
That safe space
in the community.
00:18:26.54\00:18:28.51
The pen of inspiration -
Ellen Gould Harmon White -
00:18:28.82\00:18:32.03
she says education is
"the harmonious development
00:18:32.23\00:18:35.89
of the mental, the
physical, and the spiritual. "
00:18:36.03\00:18:38.53
So that means that an
institution is a school.
00:18:38.57\00:18:42.80
But when you envelop
your child in a healthy
00:18:42.93\00:18:45.90
environment where
they can be themselves
00:18:46.00\00:18:48.13
culturally,
physically, spiritually,
00:18:48.33\00:18:50.33
then they have
education. So we are advocates
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.29
of finding the best environment
for your child to succeed,
00:18:54.49\00:18:59.46
to be a representation
of Christ's love, mercy.
00:18:59.66\00:19:02.41
For them to be
helpful in their community.
00:19:02.52\00:19:05.16
For them to be
helpful in their environment.
00:19:05.36\00:19:07.40
And why this is real to us
is that my brother Dwayne's
00:19:07.60\00:19:11.53
daughters go to
Bermuda Institute
00:19:11.63\00:19:13.31
which is a Seventh-day Adventist
school here in Bermuda.
00:19:13.51\00:19:16.19
My daughter goes to boarding
school at Kingsway College
00:19:16.39\00:19:19.91
which is a SDA boarding
school right outside of Toronto.
00:19:20.11\00:19:24.34
Now I realized that Bermuda
Institute was not a perfect fit
00:19:24.54\00:19:29.58
for my daughter. I
wanted her to be at this age -
00:19:29.68\00:19:32.41
17 years old - I wanted her to
be in a Christian environment.
00:19:32.51\00:19:35.92
I want her to
continue to develop.
00:19:36.12\00:19:37.58
My wife and I had to go outside
of what we thought was our
00:19:37.98\00:19:40.54
comfort zone and find a school.
00:19:40.64\00:19:42.60
We looked in North America;
we looked in the Caribbean.
00:19:42.70\00:19:44.89
We found a school.
Kingsway College is an Adventist
00:19:45.09\00:19:48.51
high school in Toronto that
was an excellent fit for her
00:19:48.71\00:19:52.40
so she can understand how...
Something that I did share
00:19:52.60\00:19:57.57
and I want to just
reiterate it now with your leave
00:19:57.67\00:19:59.59
is that I found out late
in life that I had dyslexia.
00:19:59.79\00:20:04.07
And something that we
have to understand is that
00:20:05.19\00:20:07.92
Dwayne and I later in
life had to take responsibility
00:20:08.22\00:20:11.31
for our playing around...
for us not being serious.
00:20:11.51\00:20:13.72
We couldn't blame the school.
00:20:14.02\00:20:15.28
We couldn't blame our parents.
00:20:15.48\00:20:16.69
There became a point in
our personal and academic lives
00:20:16.89\00:20:20.63
where we were just shocking and
jiving and playing the monkey.
00:20:20.66\00:20:24.37
We had to settle down and
realize that if we were to
00:20:24.57\00:20:28.00
make a difference in the
world that we had to get focused
00:20:28.10\00:20:31.55
academically. No
father, no son, no school,
00:20:31.65\00:20:36.18
no element... No
one could do that.
00:20:36.38\00:20:38.40
We had to do that, come to
that realization on our own.
00:20:38.50\00:20:41.66
Wayne: this is so, so,
so important because you
00:20:41.97\00:20:45.93
cannot live a life of
blaming everybody else
00:20:46.13\00:20:50.59
for whatever... our issues.
00:20:50.79\00:20:55.18
Nobody denies
that there are issues:
00:20:55.38\00:20:57.52
systemic racism... you know...
disproportionate incarceration.
00:20:57.62\00:21:01.62
All of that stuff. We know that.
00:21:01.92\00:21:03.77
But what about
our responsibility?
00:21:03.97\00:21:06.73
What about our
personal responsibility?
00:21:07.03\00:21:09.06
This is so good because
people need to understand
00:21:09.16\00:21:13.28
that it's not just about
what somebody did to me. No!
00:21:13.48\00:21:17.70
What am I doing to
make my life better?
00:21:18.00\00:21:20.96
How am I assuming
responsibility for my life?
00:21:21.16\00:21:24.31
So that is so critical.
At what point did you guys
00:21:24.62\00:21:27.32
decide that you had to do that?
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.04
It's a very important point.
00:21:30.44\00:21:32.57
We were at Oakwood University.
Oakwood University is a small
00:21:32.77\00:21:36.00
Adventist university nestled
in the awesome confines of
00:21:36.20\00:21:39.59
Huntsville, Alabama.
00:21:39.70\00:21:40.73
Dwayne and I left Bermuda
undisciplined, but our parents
00:21:40.87\00:21:44.47
wanted us to go to university
and we landed at Oakwood.
00:21:44.57\00:21:47.19
Once we landed at Oakwood
it was a perfect environment
00:21:47.39\00:21:49.81
for us: small
classrooms, dedicated teachers,
00:21:49.91\00:21:52.46
strong academic environment.
00:21:52.66\00:21:54.33
When we got to Oakwood
something socially happened.
00:21:54.63\00:21:56.77
The guys around us
and the girls around us
00:21:57.27\00:21:59.67
they loved to have
fun just as much as us
00:21:59.87\00:22:02.21
but they were focused in school.
00:22:02.41\00:22:03.64
And so we wanted to take part
of leadership and be in the...
00:22:03.84\00:22:07.00
I joined the Aeolians,
and you couldn't be a part of
00:22:07.10\00:22:09.45
the Aeolians if you
didn't have a certain GPA.
00:22:09.55\00:22:11.54
The girls that were gorgeous...
they just didn't want to be
00:22:11.74\00:22:13.65
around a guy that was
on academic probation.
00:22:13.75\00:22:15.67
And so... It always
comes down to the woman.
00:22:15.97\00:22:19.19
I noticed that in the book...
that women played a large role
00:22:21.79\00:22:25.44
when... with the
way you guys were going.
00:22:25.54\00:22:28.12
The French say
cherchez la femme.
00:22:28.42\00:22:31.29
Find a woman, yes?
If you oftentimes...
00:22:31.49\00:22:34.20
Dwayne and I are no strangers
so we don't want to tell
00:22:34.40\00:22:37.05
a disingenuous story.
Dwayne and I were not angels.
00:22:37.15\00:22:40.38
We were not academically
focused. But let me share
00:22:40.58\00:22:42.54
something with you. Two
things that a person must
00:22:42.64\00:22:44.82
have if they're going to
go and change the trajectory
00:22:44.92\00:22:47.59
of their life. Number 1:
they have to have passion
00:22:47.69\00:22:50.22
about something and
they have to find a purpose.
00:22:50.42\00:22:52.68
What is passion?
What do we talk about when
00:22:52.88\00:22:54.26
we're talking about passion?
We're talking about something...
00:22:54.36\00:22:56.56
we're talking about something
that is God-seed in your life.
00:22:56.59\00:22:59.99
The French also call
it the raison d'être:
00:23:00.30\00:23:02.40
the reason for being.
00:23:02.60\00:23:03.98
There has to be something
that gets you and motivates you.
00:23:04.08\00:23:06.36
After you've found
what you're passionate about
00:23:06.56\00:23:08.42
you have to ask God
to show you a purpose.
00:23:08.62\00:23:10.94
What was I put
on the planet to do?
00:23:11.24\00:23:14.51
Why am I on this earth?
00:23:14.71\00:23:16.12
So many times you find
people that are passionless.
00:23:16.32\00:23:19.20
They do not have a purpose.
00:23:19.40\00:23:20.55
And so they go flailing
and purposeless, aimlessly
00:23:20.76\00:23:24.16
walking through life. God has
given us a spiritual purpose.
00:23:24.36\00:23:27.39
We know what is our
ultimate responsibility
00:23:27.59\00:23:30.02
and that is to tell
somebody else about Him.
00:23:30.22\00:23:32.36
How was Dwayne and I?
How would we take our gifts?
00:23:32.56\00:23:37.54
Dwayne was very good with
people, so he always could talk
00:23:37.78\00:23:40.43
and "Oh, you are
a great speaker. "
00:23:40.53\00:23:41.88
I wanted to be a lawyer.
00:23:41.98\00:23:43.01
You ask: "How
could I be a lawyer
00:23:43.18\00:23:44.82
if I didn't get good grades? "
00:23:45.02\00:23:46.68
I was very
passionate about the community.
00:23:46.88\00:23:48.81
Rodney King... I
think it was 1991
00:23:49.01\00:23:51.42
Rodney King had some
difficulty in California
00:23:51.62\00:23:55.14
and they had a big
unrest on our campus.
00:23:55.34\00:23:57.23
And I was one of the student
leaders that brought the campus
00:23:57.53\00:24:00.18
together and we had a
march. It was at that point
00:24:00.29\00:24:02.94
where He nitched me
like the burning bush.
00:24:03.14\00:24:05.30
God showed me what He
can do through Dwayne and I
00:24:05.50\00:24:08.52
if we got focused. If
I, with laser-like focus,
00:24:08.62\00:24:11.98
started to dedicate myself
not only to kingdom building -
00:24:12.08\00:24:16.46
i.e. getting myself and
others ready for the kingdom -
00:24:16.67\00:24:18.87
but I had to be very serious
about my academic studies.
00:24:19.07\00:24:21.82
I had to occupy
the space that I was in
00:24:22.02\00:24:24.13
and give glory to
God through my academics.
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.34
I had to be able to -
after getting diagnosed with
00:24:26.54\00:24:29.04
dyslexia - stop
feeling sorry for yourself.
00:24:29.14\00:24:31.24
So you have dyslexia... so what?
00:24:31.44\00:24:33.45
I had to find a
passion of academics and a plan
00:24:33.65\00:24:37.19
and something that worked
well for me and get over myself.
00:24:37.39\00:24:40.16
And get out of my way
and stop making excuses
00:24:40.26\00:24:42.62
for myself so I could ultimately
see my purpose fulfilled
00:24:42.72\00:24:46.12
through God's destiny.
So... Oh, this is so good.
00:24:46.22\00:24:49.33
So: passion, and
purpose, and a plan.
00:24:49.53\00:24:53.79
Yes. Three P's:
passion, purpose, and a plan.
00:24:53.99\00:24:57.40
You had to have all
of those to move forward.
00:24:57.60\00:25:00.53
Because it makes no
sense to just have passion
00:25:00.73\00:25:04.07
when you don't know
what you're passionate for.
00:25:04.28\00:25:06.38
What are you going to do with
it? Where is it going to go?
00:25:06.58\00:25:08.93
But God will let
you know. I call it...
00:25:09.07\00:25:11.22
Here on Dare to Dream we call it
walking in your divine destiny.
00:25:11.62\00:25:14.80
I've seen it. When you
know what you're supposed to do
00:25:15.00\00:25:17.87
and you're doing that, there's
nothing better than that.
00:25:17.97\00:25:21.32
Do you agree, Dwayne?
00:25:21.35\00:25:22.79
I certainly
second what he is saying.
00:25:23.00\00:25:25.45
I think right now we have a
lot of young men, particularly
00:25:25.65\00:25:28.45
young black men around the
world, who are just not walking
00:25:28.65\00:25:30.89
with a purpose and they
feel sorry for themselves
00:25:30.99\00:25:33.91
and they are surrounded by
individuals who are caught up
00:25:34.11\00:25:37.25
in that same position. And
it breeds a level of despondency
00:25:37.45\00:25:41.24
which actually can be infectious
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.72
just like things
that are positive are.
00:25:43.82\00:25:45.57
What we're saying is that
you don't have to be a product
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.23
of your circumstances
and that if you dare to dream
00:25:48.33\00:25:51.26
find a Christ-driven purpose.
00:25:51.46\00:25:53.92
Because some people
have a purpose, but it's not
00:25:54.02\00:25:56.08
Christ-centered. Remember,
if your motives are pure...
00:25:56.18\00:25:59.66
I was told to take
advantage of opportunity
00:25:59.76\00:26:03.00
but never to take
advantage of people.
00:26:03.20\00:26:05.22
Keep your motive pure;
keep your divine purpose in step
00:26:05.42\00:26:09.45
with God's plan. The
great Wintley Phipps said
00:26:09.55\00:26:13.48
"You don't have to
compromise to be recognized. "
00:26:13.68\00:26:16.24
Stay within God's purpose.
He can bless you if you stay
00:26:16.44\00:26:19.67
faithful to Him.
Oftentimes we see what
00:26:19.78\00:26:23.50
the quick-fix brings.
But God said if you stay
00:26:23.71\00:26:26.47
faithful to Me, He is faithful
and just to do just what He says
00:26:26.67\00:26:30.04
and that is to provide you with
the blessings of your heart.
00:26:30.24\00:26:34.34
But you must be faithful.
Absolutely... absolutely.
00:26:34.44\00:26:37.69
I want to put up
your website because
00:26:37.80\00:26:40.18
you guys are
such an inspiration.
00:26:40.28\00:26:43.24
I know that there
are different churches
00:26:43.54\00:26:46.49
around the country and
actually around the world
00:26:46.69\00:26:49.47
that people will be watching
and they're going to want to
00:26:49.67\00:26:52.73
invite you to come to
their churches. Do you have?
00:26:52.83\00:26:55.83
In 30 seconds, do you both have
00:26:55.93\00:26:58.69
a thought for a young man
that's struggling right now?
00:26:58.89\00:27:02.64
If you are a young man or
a young woman and you find
00:27:02.94\00:27:06.41
yourself in a
position where you feel as if
00:27:06.51\00:27:09.23
you don't matter, if
you feel as if everything
00:27:09.53\00:27:12.76
is going against you,
if you feel that you can't
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.91
talk to your parents and that
being a SDA is actually a joke,
00:27:15.01\00:27:18.47
how can this church
that was started in 1844
00:27:18.67\00:27:21.52
actually make a
difference in my life?
00:27:21.72\00:27:23.80
Dwayne and I have been
exactly where you have been.
00:27:24.00\00:27:26.45
We stopped depending on
the church to change our lives.
00:27:26.75\00:27:31.69
We stopped blaming
our elders and our deacons
00:27:31.90\00:27:34.56
and we realized that
we had a responsibility
00:27:34.76\00:27:37.26
in developing
ourselves and pushing ourselves
00:27:37.47\00:27:40.01
through God to make a
difference in our life.
00:27:40.21\00:27:41.93
That's great.
Dwayne, what do you think?
00:27:42.33\00:27:44.53
God wants men... He
wants bold, strong men
00:27:44.83\00:27:48.17
who are ready for this
time who are willing to stand.
00:27:48.27\00:27:51.66
He needs us to be a
representative of His truth,
00:27:51.86\00:27:54.96
mercy, and love.
00:27:55.16\00:27:56.52
Praise the Lord! Thank
you so much for being with us.
00:27:56.82\00:27:59.66
And thank you for joining us.
00:27:59.86\00:28:01.60
Join us next time... it
just wouldn't be the same
00:28:01.80\00:28:03.93
without you.
00:28:04.03\00:28:05.68