From an addict, ex-convict,
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and drug dealer to a man of God.
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Stay tuned to
meet a man whose life
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was turned around
by the power of God.
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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 guest today
is James Van Etten,
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a man whose journey has
been full of ups and downs.
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But God has shown
Himself to be present
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and powerful in his life.
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Welcome to Urban Report, James.
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Glad to be here.
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Well, when I first
heard your testimony,
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I was just so
riveted because God has just
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brought you through everything.
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From this place to
this place to this place
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and I thought
whenever I hear good testimony,
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I want our Urban
Report viewers to hear it too.
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So thank you for being
here to share it with us.
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Glad to be here.
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So let's get started
because your journey is just,
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is just really interesting.
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Where are you
from, first of all?
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Vicksburg, Mississippi.
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And you were born
there? Born there.
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What kind of
family did you have?
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I had a good family life, uh,
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up till I was about 11years old.
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My mother and father
started having problems.
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But up, poor they are. I
was also a baseball player.
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You know,
first-string football player
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and in high score in
basketball, you know,
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who won a long
while in track, you know,
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I was pretty active in sports.
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And my father
always bragged on me,
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every time he is
seeing my name in a paper
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for some home run and
then hear it some, you know,
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and it was amazing, you know.
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But then all of a
sudden, all this stopped.
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My daddy and mamma
started having problems.
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I started acting
out before you know it.
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You know, I jumped on
my daddy and got kicked out
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of the house and...
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How old were you when
you jumped on your dad?
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13.
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So you got into an...
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a physical
altercation with your dad.
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Yeah, I worked him pretty bad.
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At 13? Yeah.
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Where you a big guy at a
13 'cause you're a tall guy?
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I was 6' 1". I was 6'1".
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I was same height that I am now.
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I just want this, "what?"
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So, you were about 6' 1" at 13,
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and you
physically fought your dad?
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Right out and went to Taekwondo,
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I had been to boxing
training, and stuff like that.
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Done some Koni's
wrestling, you know,
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I was pretty active.
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And people in the neighborhood,
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they didn't mess with
me, so you know what I mean.
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When I started
acting out, it was because,
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stress, you
know, doing that acid.
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I actually not
marijuana, not anything else,
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just one, the plain acid.
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How did you get
caught up in the acid?
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Just the kids in the
neighborhood, you know,
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just somebody said "try
these" and I tried these
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and I liked it and
we started taking trips
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never leaving the farm.
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Yeah, I hear you, I hear you.
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So you were 13,
you fought your dad
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and you were
put out of the home.
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Right. Where did you go?
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I went to New Orleans.
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Alone like...
where was your mom?
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Yeah, Hitchhike... my mom was...
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well, at that time
they were separated,
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and daddy had remarried.
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And, and, and my
step momma resident.
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You know, at that
point, I didn't realize,
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how much she was
trying to help me, I mean,
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I was singing
in the quiet church
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and all ledged up.
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But yet, you know,
the rules were changed.
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Everything was
against what I was brought up
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to believe.
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I could do the stuff and
I jumped on my stepbrother,
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then on my daddy and I
was out of house, you know.
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My momma was
living with another man
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and I didn't see
that right, you know, so,
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I wouldn't go
stay there, you know.
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So, I went on my
own, I tried to stay
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with different
relatives, but I had a problem
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of authority, you know.
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With that problem of authority,
I couldn't stay anywhere.
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I didn't want to go by
anybody rules but my own.
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And that pretty much
put me on my own, you know.
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So at 13, you
left your dad's home
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and you went by
yourself, to where?
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Hitchhiked in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
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Hitchhike? Which
is super dangerous.
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I slept on a park
bench at the Jackson Square.
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And at the Jackson Square,
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New Orleans are
lot different then,
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than it is now.
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They made a big
improvement done there now.
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They got backed
in that park benches
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down the river.
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And a river walk like deal.
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And they had the
Square itself for the bands
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and stuff played.
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Well, you know, we
panhandled around the square.
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So we could go to
busters to get a pair of ribbons
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and rives for 35
cents, which you know,
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that will tell you
how long the load was.
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But, while we were sleeping,
we just go down on park bench,
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down about the
river and sleep, you know,
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we would fight
mosquitoes all night
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and get up and go panhandling.
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Well, I learned...
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I met a black guy, he
taught me how to sale dope.
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And at that point,
that was, you know,
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to me I didn't trust anybody.
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You know, but at that point,
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when I started
learning to make money,
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I got wow...
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full along, I had an apartment
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and I had everything I
wanted, you know, and then...
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By the time I got 16
years old, I had done,
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altered my birth certificate
so it showed me to be 18.
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You know, and I went
and joined the draft,
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sat and registered at the draft
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when I was 16 saying I was 18,
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I joined the army
and then, you know...
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And they didn't know
that you had doctored the...
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They didn't know, I was in army.
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I got discharged from the
army on August 23rd of '73.
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I was actually 17 at the
time when I got discharged.
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Wow, did you have
an honorable discharge?
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No, it was undesirable.
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So what
happened? Why did you get--
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I got busted...
well, methamphetamine.
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So what's happening
now is, you leave home,
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you go and you live
on the streets basically.
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You learned about drug dealing.
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So, you start dealing
drugs, you making money,
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you not going to school, right?
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No. So, you
dropped out of the school?
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Didn't have your
high school diploma
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or anything like that.
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Dropped out of the
school, selling drugs,
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then you decided to
go into the service.
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Right.
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What made you decide to do that
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since you were
making money in the street?
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Well, I was trying to--
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Jobs that I tried to get
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required a high
school education.
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Well, I didn't do any.
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And I knew that
I could get my GED
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through the military.
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So I joined the service.
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Well, I was in
trouble with the authorities,
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they gave me an option.
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To join the
military or go to jail.
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So I went to military.
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Then they don't do
that option no more,
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back then they would.
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So I went to Mere
church, trying to go to Vietnam
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all the way.
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Well, of course by
the time I get in there...
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You were trying
to go to Vietnam?
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Right. I wanted to go to fight.
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Wow. So you have lot
of anger? I was stupid.
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Well, you know,
unfortunately before Christ...
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that's how we are, I mean...
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thank God, you're a
new creature in Christ.
00:07:16.90\00:07:19.33
But you had a lot of
anger, it sounds like?
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Mom and daddy
brought me up in church.
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I went to Sunday school
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like vacation type of a
school, stuff like that.
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I mean, that was
given, when I was five, six,
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seven, eight year
old, even up to nine
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I think I stayed in
it, right up till I got to
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with my trainer,
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when I got kicked
out of karate school
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because of my anger.
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They you know,
I have just got...
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kind of getting away
with everything, you know,
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we got away from
everybody and I started
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doing it on my own way.
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And in my own way was
worst way in the world.
00:07:53.10\00:07:57.81
I ended up in the
training school at 18,
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where I should...
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What kind of training school?
00:08:01.28\00:08:02.61
Oakley Training School for boys.
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Is that a reform school?
00:08:04.91\00:08:06.25
Yeah, I went to reform school.
00:08:06.28\00:08:08.08
Okay.
00:08:08.12\00:08:09.52
But I was 18 years
old and just got...
00:08:09.55\00:08:11.39
It was in a military.
00:08:11.42\00:08:13.12
At that time, well, I just
got discharged from military.
00:08:13.15\00:08:17.49
And...
00:08:17.53\00:08:20.33
when I take it
back, I wasn't 18,
00:08:20.36\00:08:21.96
I was 17 and I was
on a Wolfram military
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whenever they
want the assignment
00:08:25.77\00:08:27.10
to the training school.
00:08:27.14\00:08:28.80
Did they know that
you were in the military,
00:08:28.84\00:08:31.51
when they sent you
to the training school?
00:08:31.54\00:08:32.87
Yeah, when the judge Garry said,
00:08:32.91\00:08:34.24
he gave me an opportunity
to go back to military,
00:08:34.28\00:08:36.14
but they wouldn't take
me as long as the charges
00:08:36.18\00:08:37.58
were pending.
00:08:37.61\00:08:38.95
I see.
00:08:38.98\00:08:40.32
And if he dropped the charges,
00:08:40.35\00:08:41.68
they would let me comeback.
00:08:41.72\00:08:43.05
But if they
didn't, he wouldn't hold
00:08:43.08\00:08:44.42
and drop the
charges and let me go back.
00:08:44.45\00:08:45.79
So I ended up
going to training school.
00:08:45.82\00:08:47.16
Well, I escaped
seven days later.
00:08:47.19\00:08:49.69
You escaped?
00:08:49.72\00:08:51.06
Yes. Wow.
00:08:51.09\00:08:52.43
By yourself or...
00:08:52.46\00:08:53.80
Right.
00:08:53.83\00:08:55.16
Oh, yeah, I was real good...
00:08:55.20\00:09:00.44
I'd guess you call
a good criminal mind.
00:09:00.47\00:09:02.30
Rebellious ah? Right.
00:09:03.71\00:09:05.27
So you escaped
from reformed school,
00:09:05.31\00:09:07.78
training school,
where did you go from there?
00:09:07.81\00:09:10.18
Well, I went back to New Orleans
00:09:10.21\00:09:12.18
and then we went to Las Vegas,
00:09:12.21\00:09:13.88
and I worked at
there for a man named,
00:09:13.92\00:09:15.38
Darren Pollard.
00:09:15.42\00:09:18.05
We painted houses.
00:09:18.09\00:09:19.42
Probably, I
stayed there for a while
00:09:20.42\00:09:21.79
and then I got picked up
and sent back to the military
00:09:21.82\00:09:26.56
and they put me in a
stockade and I got undesirable
00:09:26.59\00:09:29.53
discharge for being AWOL.
00:09:29.56\00:09:31.83
Then I tried to go
back home, and when I did,
00:09:31.87\00:09:34.67
they left me back in
the training school again.
00:09:34.70\00:09:37.71
And I escaped from
the training school
00:09:37.74\00:09:39.17
the next day from that
00:09:39.21\00:09:42.41
and five and half
months later I went,
00:09:42.44\00:09:46.38
found the judge, and he
gave me a discharge from there.
00:09:46.41\00:09:48.62
Told me, "Next time,
it would be penitentiary."
00:09:48.65\00:09:50.62
I told "There
won't be next time."
00:09:50.65\00:09:52.52
I got my girlfriend
pregnant and we got married
00:09:52.55\00:09:56.56
because I wanted
to do right thing.
00:09:56.59\00:09:58.79
Moved to Brookhaven,
Mississippi and we were
00:09:58.83\00:10:01.70
having our Christmas
party taking pictures and stuff.
00:10:01.73\00:10:05.50
She bought a TV and
a camera from somebody
00:10:05.53\00:10:09.74
that came back
with cases of grocery
00:10:09.77\00:10:12.24
and she paid $50 for
it, got a receipt for it
00:10:12.27\00:10:16.04
and all that, come home.
00:10:16.08\00:10:17.51
She was all proud
by what she done now.
00:10:17.55\00:10:21.12
Pregnant she
was, we took pictures,
00:10:21.15\00:10:22.98
now I try to tell her,
I said "baby this camera
00:10:23.02\00:10:26.72
and this TV gotta
be hot, it's too cheap,
00:10:26.76\00:10:29.59
it's color TV, it's a
photographer's camera,
00:10:29.62\00:10:33.13
you know, I said, it's gotta--
00:10:33.16\00:10:34.50
Well, I got a receipt.
00:10:34.53\00:10:35.86
Well, I said, "I
don't care what you got,
00:10:35.90\00:10:37.97
the police is trying to
put me in jail for long time.
00:10:38.00\00:10:41.50
We can't keep this,
00:10:41.54\00:10:42.90
I don't know we got to keep it."
00:10:42.94\00:10:44.27
Well, I, instead
of arguing with her
00:10:44.31\00:10:46.68
and making her take a rid of it,
00:10:46.71\00:10:48.04
I just showed my
hands up and walked away.
00:10:48.08\00:10:51.25
Well, we've been
smoking marijuana
00:10:51.28\00:10:54.78
and the next door neighbor
complained about the smell.
00:10:54.82\00:10:58.05
Police after came
up the next morning.
00:10:58.09\00:11:00.96
The camera was
sitting on the counter,
00:11:00.99\00:11:03.12
TV was sitting in
the corner and they just
00:11:03.16\00:11:06.23
walked into my house.
00:11:06.26\00:11:07.60
And walked
straight back at to it,
00:11:07.63\00:11:08.96
no search warrants, no nothing.
00:11:09.00\00:11:10.43
One day they asked me
about where did I get this?
00:11:11.33\00:11:13.34
I told them "We bought it."
00:11:13.37\00:11:16.54
"Let me see your receipt."
00:11:16.57\00:11:17.91
I showed them the receipt.
00:11:17.94\00:11:20.78
They put handcuffs on me
00:11:20.81\00:11:23.04
and they told me
to get my wife up,
00:11:23.08\00:11:24.51
put handcuffs on her, of course.
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.08
I tried to-- I was gonna resist
00:11:27.18\00:11:29.15
whenever they started telling
about putting us in jail,
00:11:29.18\00:11:31.22
but when Burton
pulled pistol on me
00:11:31.25\00:11:35.19
and stuck it at
the side of my head
00:11:35.22\00:11:36.56
and put my handcuffs,
00:11:36.59\00:11:37.99
hands back and he
put handcuffs on me.
00:11:38.03\00:11:40.00
I made him stand up there while
00:11:40.03\00:11:41.43
my wife got up and got dressed
and they put handcuffs on her
00:11:41.46\00:11:45.37
and they took us to jail.
00:11:45.40\00:11:47.30
Well, I couldn't let
my baby be born in jail,
00:11:47.34\00:11:50.74
you know, and
they kept on saying
00:11:50.77\00:11:53.27
"We know you're done here."
00:11:53.31\00:11:54.64
I said, "Man,
you see her receipt,
00:11:54.68\00:11:56.48
my wife ain't
done anything wrong.
00:11:56.51\00:11:58.15
Why you got her here?"
00:11:58.18\00:11:59.51
You know, anyway it
was such a bad experience
00:11:59.55\00:12:04.42
that I want to plead guilty
00:12:04.45\00:12:05.79
to charge to
get her out of jail.
00:12:05.82\00:12:07.69
Ended up doing a
four year sentence
00:12:07.72\00:12:09.32
in penitentiary for
something I didn't do.
00:12:09.36\00:12:11.29
So they made a
deal with you to...
00:12:11.33\00:12:14.63
if you would say you'd
done it, then she could go.
00:12:14.66\00:12:18.83
Right. Even though... Right.
00:12:18.87\00:12:21.47
They knew you didn't do it
or you said you didn't do it.
00:12:21.50\00:12:23.84
And I tried to go back on a deal
00:12:23.87\00:12:25.27
when I stood in
front of the judge,
00:12:25.31\00:12:26.64
I told the judge that,
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.51
we had bought
that, but in order for me
00:12:28.54\00:12:30.81
to get her out of
jail, I had to say this.
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.72
And he said "Are you
pleading guilty or not?"
00:12:33.75\00:12:36.25
I said "Well, yeah, I have to."
00:12:36.28\00:12:40.82
"So, you being
forced to do this?"
00:12:40.86\00:12:43.79
I said "No".
00:12:43.83\00:12:45.19
I mean I am
being coerced into it.
00:12:46.76\00:12:48.56
He said "Will you
won't plead guilty
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.40
or not" I said
"Yes, I plead guilty."
00:12:51.43\00:12:53.03
And he sentenced me for
four years to penitentiary,
00:12:53.07\00:12:55.40
you know, I
have been arrested...
00:12:55.44\00:12:56.77
I don't know, probably...
00:12:56.81\00:12:58.14
just to be on a safe side
00:12:58.17\00:12:59.51
I would say 150
times in my life.
00:12:59.54\00:13:03.08
You know, I was in penitentiary
six different times.
00:13:03.11\00:13:06.55
Now were you...
00:13:06.58\00:13:08.18
in all fairness...
were you at those times,
00:13:08.22\00:13:10.82
did you deserve to go to jail?
00:13:10.85\00:13:12.19
Every other time I was
deserved to go to jail.
00:13:12.22\00:13:14.62
No, one other
time I went to jail
00:13:14.66\00:13:17.33
for burglary of
an SSW warehouse,
00:13:17.36\00:13:20.23
that I copped out in charge
00:13:20.26\00:13:22.30
because a friend of
mine, who had done it,
00:13:22.33\00:13:24.70
wife was pregnant,
for him to have a kid,
00:13:24.73\00:13:26.84
and I would...
00:13:26.87\00:13:28.20
didn't want him to go to jail.
00:13:28.24\00:13:30.17
I didn't want his kid to be born
00:13:30.21\00:13:31.54
without his daddy.
00:13:31.57\00:13:32.91
And I knew I can
make it, he couldn't.
00:13:32.94\00:13:35.38
You know, that's
twice though that I...
00:13:35.41\00:13:38.31
and I have my cousin
one time, went back for him,
00:13:38.35\00:13:42.65
but as a violation,
that's pro violation.
00:13:42.68\00:13:45.72
So what do you
think... why do you think
00:13:45.75\00:13:49.72
that you were so caught up
00:13:49.76\00:13:53.06
into that life Vs a life
00:13:53.09\00:13:56.77
that where you
weren't doing that?
00:13:56.80\00:13:58.83
What do you think was
besides the obvious satin?
00:13:58.87\00:14:02.17
But what do you
think was the obvious,
00:14:02.20\00:14:04.64
were the obvious reasons
00:14:04.67\00:14:06.01
why you got
caught up into that...
00:14:06.04\00:14:08.31
'cause you ended up
00:14:08.34\00:14:09.68
going to jail a
lot of different times
00:14:09.71\00:14:11.21
for the things
you have admitted,
00:14:11.25\00:14:12.58
Right. you've done?
00:14:12.61\00:14:13.95
Why do you think you are
caught up into that life?
00:14:13.98\00:14:17.09
I was a drug addict.
00:14:17.12\00:14:18.45
Okay.
00:14:18.49\00:14:19.82
You know, I was strung
out on speeding, cocaine,
00:14:19.85\00:14:22.36
stuff like that, you know.
00:14:22.39\00:14:24.26
I like to stay awake.
00:14:24.29\00:14:25.63
I didn't want to
miss on that thing.
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.40
When I was out on the street,
00:14:27.43\00:14:28.76
I said, "Well, I'm
gonna do as much as I can,
00:14:28.80\00:14:30.60
party as long as I
can till I go back."
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.87
Because I knew I was going back,
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.24
because I wouldn't know
conformed to this system.
00:14:34.27\00:14:37.51
You know, I had been so--
00:14:37.54\00:14:40.24
I mean, I'm a machinist,
00:14:40.28\00:14:41.91
I grew up in a
machine shop, you know.
00:14:41.94\00:14:44.31
I can weld, I'm
an ace carpenter,
00:14:44.35\00:14:47.92
a journeyman painter, I mean,
00:14:47.95\00:14:50.69
I've made hot
dollars everywhere I work.
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.55
I was mostly supervisor
00:14:52.59\00:14:54.32
on just about
every job I ever went on.
00:14:54.36\00:14:56.06
So it wasn't like
you were trying to work,
00:14:56.09\00:14:58.23
it wasn't like you
weren't trying to...
00:14:58.26\00:15:00.70
you had traits, you
had different traits,
00:15:00.73\00:15:03.67
but you were an addict.
00:15:03.70\00:15:05.03
I was an addict.
00:15:05.07\00:15:06.40
So how did God get you,
how did he change your life?
00:15:06.43\00:15:11.47
Well, from 1993 to 1998,
00:15:11.51\00:15:16.28
I had three wrecks,
00:15:16.31\00:15:18.61
all three of them,
sure have killed me.
00:15:18.65\00:15:21.35
It didn't stop me.
00:15:21.38\00:15:22.88
It didn't make me
change, but it shook me.
00:15:22.92\00:15:27.76
'Cause the first
one, I had my ear cut off
00:15:27.79\00:15:31.23
and glass pulled
out lot of my throat,
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.63
my head and all.
00:15:33.66\00:15:35.03
And I was walking around
when all of a sudden my truck
00:15:35.06\00:15:37.60
looked like a horse shoe
around the front of the car
00:15:37.63\00:15:40.27
while I was in tent.
00:15:40.30\00:15:41.84
My bed was knocked
50 foot to other side,
00:15:41.87\00:15:44.97
above where we sat,
they skidded 50 foot
00:15:45.01\00:15:47.31
before they hit me.
00:15:47.34\00:15:49.54
But I was
walking at ambush driver
00:15:49.58\00:15:51.31
and said "Sir,
would you stand still,
00:15:51.35\00:15:52.81
so we could put
you in stretcher."
00:15:52.85\00:15:55.88
That didn't wake
me up, the next moment
00:15:55.92\00:15:58.89
was when I was driving on road,
I hit backend of an 18 wheeler,
00:15:58.92\00:16:01.62
pitch black at night,
00:16:01.66\00:16:03.16
he didn't have no tail
lights and I ploughed into him,
00:16:03.19\00:16:05.66
and then split my sternum.
00:16:05.69\00:16:08.13
Motor's sitting in
the front seat with me.
00:16:08.16\00:16:10.17
I kicked the door open,
00:16:10.20\00:16:11.53
got out and was walking around
00:16:11.57\00:16:12.90
when I almost got there.
00:16:12.93\00:16:14.57
The next one, I was
on the side of the road
00:16:14.60\00:16:16.30
changing the
chain of my motorcycle,
00:16:16.34\00:16:18.77
a drunk guy run off
the road and hit me.
00:16:18.81\00:16:22.01
It lacerated my
son's liver and spleen.
00:16:22.04\00:16:25.98
It cut my nephew's leg off,
00:16:26.01\00:16:28.82
my wife was running
around trying to help us all...
00:16:28.85\00:16:32.69
and it crushed this
leg, you can see that.
00:16:32.72\00:16:39.29
Oh, yeah...
00:16:39.33\00:16:42.16
But I'm still walking.
00:16:42.20\00:16:44.10
My leg was laid inside,
00:16:44.13\00:16:45.47
my bone's
sticking out of the pants
00:16:45.50\00:16:47.04
and I want to,
when I almost got there,
00:16:47.07\00:16:48.60
I'm seeing is at
my leg, you know.
00:16:48.64\00:16:51.47
That didn't wake me up.
00:16:51.51\00:16:53.81
What woke me up...
00:16:53.84\00:16:55.18
as I was sitting in
the jail and Brookhaven,
00:16:55.21\00:16:58.15
Mississippi, I had charges
00:16:58.18\00:17:01.28
pending for
possession of methamphetamine,
00:17:01.32\00:17:05.22
possession of precursor
with the intensive manufacture,
00:17:05.25\00:17:08.76
possession of over three
grams of methamphetamine,
00:17:08.79\00:17:12.53
possession of marijuana
with intent to distribute,
00:17:12.56\00:17:15.96
and I had the same
charges in Vicksburg.
00:17:16.00\00:17:19.30
I had grand arsony
charges in Jackson.
00:17:19.33\00:17:22.00
I had suspended
license charges and car thefts
00:17:22.04\00:17:24.21
and I was out on three bonds.
00:17:24.24\00:17:26.14
When I finally come to a halt
and I'm sitting in the jail.
00:17:26.17\00:17:30.48
My son has been arrested,
my nephew has been arrested,
00:17:30.51\00:17:33.31
my wife has been
arrested, all behind me.
00:17:33.35\00:17:37.32
And I'm sitting there
on the side of my bed.
00:17:37.35\00:17:40.06
My head hung down and
I'm thinking "Oh, my God,
00:17:40.09\00:17:43.32
what have I done," you know,
00:17:43.36\00:17:46.06
my bond is $250,000.
00:17:46.09\00:17:49.30
They booked me in as a John Doe,
00:17:49.33\00:17:50.90
because I had so
many different IDs
00:17:50.93\00:17:53.23
and I heard a little voice said,
00:17:53.27\00:17:54.97
"God answers
prayer," it was so audible.
00:17:55.00\00:17:58.31
So I looked around
to see who said it,
00:17:58.34\00:18:00.68
and there wasn't nobody there.
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.88
Then I thought,
what have I got to lose.
00:18:02.91\00:18:06.05
So I got on my
knees, I said, "Lord,
00:18:06.08\00:18:08.12
I come to you in
the name of Jesus.
00:18:08.15\00:18:09.78
And I'm not
coming to you for me,
00:18:09.82\00:18:11.15
because I know I'm not worthy.
00:18:11.19\00:18:13.19
I'm coming to you for Marsha.
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.32
I'm asking you,
Lord, let me settle,
00:18:15.36\00:18:17.73
it's gonna be all right.
00:18:17.76\00:18:19.66
Let me better
know when we take this.
00:18:19.69\00:18:24.03
I feel her tears, Lord.
00:18:24.07\00:18:26.63
I don't know what to do.
00:18:26.67\00:18:30.17
Just let me tell
her Mary Christmas
00:18:30.21\00:18:32.11
and I love her."
00:18:32.14\00:18:34.44
Jesus named my prayer, Amen.
00:18:34.48\00:18:36.85
And I stood up,
well, this jail hated me.
00:18:36.88\00:18:40.55
I went back to this
jail start giving a cigarette
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.68
breaks twice a day.
00:18:42.72\00:18:44.39
I then made them,
take us to the yard
00:18:44.42\00:18:47.12
for an hour every day.
00:18:47.16\00:18:49.12
I made them take me across
the street three times a week
00:18:49.16\00:18:51.53
to the law library
00:18:51.56\00:18:52.89
so that I could
do my legal work.
00:18:52.93\00:18:54.26
I was a...
00:18:55.70\00:18:57.03
jailhouse lawyer
and the jail hated me.
00:18:57.07\00:19:00.60
They would had
standing orders in the tower,
00:19:00.64\00:19:03.00
under no circumstances
was anybody allowed
00:19:03.04\00:19:06.84
to pass notes for me and Marsha.
00:19:06.88\00:19:09.04
If any inmate was
caught passing the note,
00:19:09.08\00:19:11.11
they would be locked
up and sent to prison.
00:19:11.15\00:19:13.01
If any officer was caught
allowing us to communicate,
00:19:13.05\00:19:15.72
they would be fired on the spot.
00:19:15.75\00:19:18.35
So I knew, I didn't
have any help coming,
00:19:18.39\00:19:19.85
nowhere.
00:19:19.89\00:19:21.36
And then I, I
made a little prayer,
00:19:21.39\00:19:24.19
it's day before Christmas.
00:19:24.23\00:19:26.49
Christmas morning, by
8' o clock at morning,
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.66
the officer coming at
door says "Smoke right"
00:19:31.77\00:19:34.37
and take us all downstairs,
00:19:34.40\00:19:35.74
now says "Smoke."
00:19:35.77\00:19:38.21
I get up to get my
two cigarettes, I said,
00:19:38.24\00:19:40.71
"Aren't you going to
get women next", he said,
00:19:40.74\00:19:43.65
"Yeah."
00:19:43.68\00:19:45.55
I said "well, let me
go around with you man
00:19:45.58\00:19:48.62
and tell my wife
Merry Christmas."
00:19:48.65\00:19:51.12
He said "Can't do that
man, I'll lose my job."
00:19:51.15\00:19:54.06
I said "Well, I won't
let you lose your job,
00:19:54.09\00:19:55.72
I don't want to lose your job."
00:19:55.76\00:19:57.53
So I got my cigarette,
went over the line to get
00:19:57.56\00:19:58.96
swollen smoking.
00:19:58.99\00:20:00.33
After everybody got up and
we had to go back upstairs,
00:20:02.50\00:20:05.47
some tells me stand back.
00:20:05.50\00:20:08.07
So, I stand back.
00:20:08.10\00:20:11.87
Officer gets to everybody
in and I walk up to him
00:20:11.91\00:20:13.78
and said "Aren't
you get to women now?"
00:20:13.81\00:20:15.74
He said, "Yeah."
00:20:15.78\00:20:17.55
I said, "Let me
stand over by the door
00:20:17.58\00:20:19.25
when she comes too,
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.62
I'm gonna tell
her Merry Christmas
00:20:20.65\00:20:21.98
and love her."
00:20:22.02\00:20:23.35
He said, "You can't do that man,
00:20:23.39\00:20:24.72
I'll lose my job."
00:20:24.75\00:20:26.09
I said, "Well, Sir, I
don't want you to loose
00:20:26.12\00:20:27.46
your job."
00:20:27.49\00:20:28.82
I said, "Well, I
get behind the door
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.16
and if anybody
asks me, I'll tell them,
00:20:31.19\00:20:32.53
I hid from you."
00:20:32.56\00:20:34.46
And I don't know how to
explain the way he acted.
00:20:34.50\00:20:37.10
I don't know how to
explain what happened,
00:20:37.13\00:20:39.63
but all I know is,
his whole body anguished
00:20:39.67\00:20:41.57
everything all at
once, he just looked at me
00:20:41.60\00:20:43.91
and he smiled.
00:20:43.94\00:20:45.27
He said, "All right, man."
00:20:45.31\00:20:46.64
And I knew right then,
God did answer that prayer.
00:20:46.68\00:20:49.14
Yes... yes... yes...
00:20:49.18\00:20:51.08
I knew it right at that point,
00:20:51.11\00:20:52.85
that was an answered prayer.
00:20:52.88\00:20:55.55
Is this the first
time that you ever really
00:20:55.58\00:20:57.29
reached out to God?
00:20:57.32\00:20:58.65
Yeah. Wow...
00:20:58.69\00:21:00.56
And many times
somebody would come to jail,
00:21:00.59\00:21:02.32
try to talk to me about Jesus,
00:21:02.36\00:21:04.46
I quote them John 3:16, 17.
00:21:04.49\00:21:07.53
And I'd tell them "I
don't know what the Bible says.
00:21:07.56\00:21:09.66
But I can't take
Jesus from going."
00:21:09.70\00:21:11.70
You know.
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.07
But when she
walked through that door,
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.27
she was looking
in a glass to see
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.14
if you've to waive
it, like she always did.
00:21:18.17\00:21:21.08
And... I would never
share my voice from behind...
00:21:21.11\00:21:25.58
I said, "Merry
Christmas, baby, I love you."
00:21:25.61\00:21:28.22
She saw me, she smiled
around and she dove into my arms
00:21:28.25\00:21:32.65
and she was just trembling
and shaking and crying.
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.22
And I was
trying to let her know,
00:21:36.26\00:21:38.06
it's gonna be all right.
00:21:38.09\00:21:39.43
And officer finally
tapped on my shoulder
00:21:39.46\00:21:41.03
and said, "You got to go."
00:21:41.06\00:21:42.76
I said, "Yes, sir.
00:21:42.80\00:21:44.33
Don't worry, Mr. Woods,
I know what you've done,
00:21:44.37\00:21:45.97
if anybody
asks, I hid from you."
00:21:46.00\00:21:48.70
And I literally
had to pry her arms
00:21:48.74\00:21:50.91
loose from me.
00:21:50.94\00:21:52.47
And I said, "Baby, don't worry,
00:21:52.51\00:21:53.84
you'll be home next year."
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.88
And she went on downstairs,
I walked back into the cell,
00:21:56.91\00:21:59.18
and I was so
antsy, I didn't know...
00:21:59.21\00:22:02.28
I didn't really know what to do,
00:22:02.32\00:22:03.72
I was just sitting
there and I finally look up
00:22:03.75\00:22:05.52
and I said...
00:22:05.55\00:22:06.89
I look over around my bed and
there is a Bible laying there,
00:22:06.92\00:22:09.29
because I always know, I
would like to read Bible,
00:22:09.32\00:22:11.13
I just never did
do anything to see it.
00:22:11.16\00:22:13.86
And I looked the Bible
and I looked up, I said,
00:22:13.90\00:22:16.70
"Lord, show me new world,
what I got to do to follow you.
00:22:16.73\00:22:20.10
And I'll do my best,
00:22:20.14\00:22:21.47
and with your help I can do it."
00:22:21.50\00:22:24.67
And I opened my
Bible to Romans Chapter 8,
00:22:24.71\00:22:27.64
where He is speaking
about walking in a spirit.
00:22:27.68\00:22:30.61
And it was like
God was talking to me.
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.45
Yes... yes...
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.52
At that point I said,
"Wow, so from there on,
00:22:34.55\00:22:40.12
and that day forward, I
have done everything I could.
00:22:40.16\00:22:43.73
I prayed, I didn't ask God
to take drugs away from me.
00:22:43.76\00:22:47.73
I didn't ask him to
take them away at all.
00:22:47.76\00:22:50.07
I asked God, "Take the
desire for drugs away from me."
00:22:50.10\00:22:54.24
And He did it? And He did it.
00:22:54.27\00:22:56.54
How did He lead you
into the Adventist church?
00:22:56.57\00:22:59.57
Well, that was a...
00:22:59.61\00:23:03.18
see, when I
walked into court room,
00:23:03.21\00:23:05.21
I walked into court
room on January 23rd,
00:23:05.25\00:23:07.98
supposed to get
sentence for seven years.
00:23:08.02\00:23:10.65
And the judge
sentenced me to 60 years
00:23:10.69\00:23:13.25
and $750,000 fine, and
it still took me back...
00:23:13.29\00:23:17.06
60, not 16 but 60?
00:23:17.09\00:23:18.69
No, 60, six zero.
00:23:18.73\00:23:21.76
Wow... And I laughed at him.
00:23:21.80\00:23:24.97
And he said, "What so funny?"
00:23:25.00\00:23:27.24
I said, "The Lord has
been asking me 43 years,
00:23:27.27\00:23:30.44
now He's got me, He
won't let me to die in prison."
00:23:30.47\00:23:33.61
And I still had
my faith right then
00:23:33.64\00:23:36.41
and instead of
taking me back to the jail,
00:23:36.44\00:23:39.18
they took me back
downstairs at the jail,
00:23:39.21\00:23:41.68
loaded my stuff up in a
car and took me straight to...
00:23:41.72\00:23:46.15
Rankin county
correctional facility,
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.22
locked me in maximum security
and locked me down for 89 days.
00:23:48.26\00:23:51.86
It was like they were
trying to get me back,
00:23:51.89\00:23:53.86
he knew how to change
and he's trying to give me
00:23:53.90\00:23:56.56
back for I ever got in.
00:23:56.60\00:23:57.93
You really need knowledge
about it doing to avoid me.
00:23:57.97\00:23:59.70
Yes...
00:23:59.73\00:24:01.07
But I didn't
slack up, even in hoe,
00:24:01.10\00:24:04.04
I didn't have
Bible and then first time
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.01
a preacher come by, I
went banging on the door
00:24:06.04\00:24:07.71
and said, "Bring me
Bible, bring me Bible."
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.48
So, I finally got my Bible.
00:24:10.51\00:24:13.01
89 days later I got
put into population in.
00:24:13.05\00:24:15.88
I was sitting back and
reading my Bible every day.
00:24:15.92\00:24:17.55
Me and couple of guys...
00:24:17.59\00:24:18.92
I got this guys,
I am teaching them
00:24:18.95\00:24:20.29
do legal works
right because you know,
00:24:20.32\00:24:22.66
my hands just got to the
point, I boxed, you know,
00:24:22.69\00:24:25.46
all that stuff of
my life and that point,
00:24:25.49\00:24:27.50
my hand just started
getting little arthritis.
00:24:27.53\00:24:31.43
So, I was teaching this
guy how to do this stuff,
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.07
he hit me with it and
he watched me every day,
00:24:33.10\00:24:36.07
we're getting up my
Bible study and everything
00:24:36.10\00:24:38.34
every morning and every evening,
00:24:38.37\00:24:40.71
and lunch time stop
and I always stopping
00:24:40.74\00:24:43.61
to read my bible.
00:24:43.65\00:24:45.25
Finally walked up to
me and said, "James!"
00:24:45.28\00:24:49.22
he said, "I see you
reading Bible everyday"
00:24:49.25\00:24:52.32
he said, "You're
gonna take it with you
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.69
when you leave or
you're gonna leave it,
00:24:53.72\00:24:55.06
just to get you
like dress them do?"
00:24:55.09\00:24:58.63
I kind of
laughed, I said, "No man,
00:24:58.66\00:25:01.03
I wouldn't leave it, brother,
00:25:01.06\00:25:02.76
God showed me real,
00:25:02.80\00:25:04.13
I can't turn my
back on him now."
00:25:04.17\00:25:05.90
It's kind of ironic
because, headman a week before,
00:25:05.93\00:25:09.00
I've made three
gangsters catch out,
00:25:09.04\00:25:11.77
because they
stole cigarette lighters
00:25:11.81\00:25:13.14
on from me.
00:25:13.17\00:25:14.51
I can't
remember what was it for,
00:25:14.54\00:25:15.88
but I ran out of
my zone, you know.
00:25:15.91\00:25:18.68
And every time somebody
says to me, I tell them,
00:25:18.71\00:25:20.22
"Well, I'm kind of like
Paul, I'm learning to get there,
00:25:20.25\00:25:23.32
I haven't got there
yet, so if you slap me,
00:25:23.35\00:25:25.29
I'm gonna slap
you back." You know.
00:25:25.32\00:25:26.86
Oh, my goodness.
So you were in row.
00:25:26.89\00:25:29.69
We don't have much time left,
I can't believe our time is up.
00:25:29.72\00:25:33.93
So there was an
inmate there though.
00:25:33.96\00:25:36.10
Did he tell you
about the Sabbath or--?
00:25:36.13\00:25:37.57
Right.
00:25:37.60\00:25:38.93
So he asked me, he said,
"Let me ask you this one.
00:25:38.97\00:25:41.67
What denomination are you?"
00:25:41.70\00:25:43.97
I said, "Well, I'm grew
up baptism Presbyterian,
00:25:44.01\00:25:47.18
being cast to
all lead of churches,
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.11
kind of got confused."
00:25:49.14\00:25:50.48
Reached out to my Bible
00:25:50.51\00:25:51.85
and said "This
is what I believe."
00:25:51.88\00:25:53.21
He said, "Is Bible
00:25:53.25\00:25:54.58
your sole
source of information?"
00:25:54.62\00:25:55.95
I said, "Yes, sir."
00:25:55.98\00:25:58.25
He smiles and
says, "Why don't you
00:25:58.29\00:25:59.62
go to church on Sunday?"
00:25:59.65\00:26:01.62
That felt like he slapped me.
00:26:01.66\00:26:03.16
You know, I had always
been at church on Sunday,
00:26:03.19\00:26:04.53
I never heard of
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:26:04.56\00:26:06.39
you know, and he said...
00:26:06.43\00:26:10.60
I said okay, you know.
00:26:10.63\00:26:13.40
So I said,
"Anyway," I told him, I said,
00:26:13.44\00:26:15.60
"Well, I always
have, Bible teaches that."
00:26:15.64\00:26:19.57
He said, "No, it
don't, let just show me".
00:26:19.61\00:26:21.18
I said, "Okay."
00:26:21.21\00:26:22.54
So instead of me
showing him wrong,
00:26:22.58\00:26:25.68
I showed him to be right
and I wanted to know why,
00:26:25.71\00:26:28.55
and he wouldn't tell me.
00:26:28.58\00:26:30.19
So he made me do my own studies,
00:26:30.22\00:26:31.69
so I studied the
history of church,
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.09
had a little lady in
there called Miss Pat.
00:26:33.12\00:26:35.22
She was a Seventh-day Adventist,
00:26:35.26\00:26:36.59
she gave me The
Great Controversy ended.
00:26:36.62\00:26:38.53
And I was all up to
praying. Praise the Lord.
00:26:38.56\00:26:42.13
Brother James,
thank you so much.
00:26:42.16\00:26:44.67
Thank you so much
for sharing your story.
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.34
It's... God is
just, he's got obviously
00:26:47.37\00:26:51.37
has had a plan
for you, all along.
00:26:51.41\00:26:54.58
And God has a plan for you.
00:26:54.61\00:26:57.21
Keep praying, reading the word
00:26:57.25\00:26:58.81
and seeking God's
will for your life,
00:26:58.85\00:27:01.22
and he will never
leave you, nor forsake you.
00:27:01.25\00:27:03.65
Well, I can't
believe our time is up,
00:27:03.69\00:27:05.95
thanks for joining us.
00:27:05.99\00:27:07.32
Join us next time,
because we wouldn't be
00:27:07.36\00:27:08.69
the same without you.
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.06