Stay tuned to meet a man
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who was staring
down the barrel of a gun
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in his very own home
and lived to talk about it.
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My name is Jason Bradley.
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And you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
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Today my guest is Jyremy Reid.
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And he is the marketing
and communications coordinator
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for the office of
Spiritual Life and Missions
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at Oakwood University.
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Welcome to Urban Report, Jyremy.
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Thank you, Jason.
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It's good to have you.
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And in all fairness we
have to tell the viewers
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that you are indeed my cousin.
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Yup. I am his cousin.
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That's right. Yeah.
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So tell us a little bit
about how you were raised?
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Okay, so I was born and
raised in Atlanta, Georgia.
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My mom has been
the Bible teacher
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for my high school Greater
Atlanta Adventist Academy
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for about 26 years now.
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My dad is also the National
Service Organization leader
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for the South
Atlantic Conference.
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So needless to say I've had
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a strong Adventist
background growing up.
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I've been in an
Adventist school my entire life
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went to GAAA.
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My mom was my homeroom
teacher and Bible teacher.
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So that was pretty interesting.
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And I went to Oakwood for...
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I graduated from GAAA 2011,
went to Oakwood graduated 2015,
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majored in
journalism and commercial arts.
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And then went on to La
Sierra to get my Masters
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in Business Administration
in marketing and management.
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So wow.
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So how many degrees do you have?
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Three. Three degrees.
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Wow. Wow.
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Now how do you feel that
being raised in the church
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has impacted your life?
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It's been a strong impact.
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Most people
growing up would probably,
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you know, with a strong family
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who is strong on these things
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will probably grow to you
be feel a certain way about it.
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But I've grown to actually
want to learn God for myself
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and not to just
say my parents do this,
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or my family does that.
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I want to learn God for
myself and know Him for myself.
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And so working for the
church and things like that,
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that's been a strong
desire of me for a long time.
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And so I have to
credit my grandfather too
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because he was a
really spiritual guy
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and he passed back in 2016.
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But I pray that, you know,
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I can live his
legacy and keep it going
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because of all the
things he taught me
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because he was very
influential in my life.
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So in other words,
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you wanted to study the
Word of God for yourself,
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you didn't want
to follow tradition
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just because your family,
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our family were Adventist.
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But you wanted to discover
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whether or not you wanted
to follow along with that.
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Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.
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And it didn't
just come overnight
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because there are those moments
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where you think
you've got it all together
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and then God does
something in your life
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that makes you
cling to Him even more
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and let you know
that it's not all you,
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it's all Him.
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And that is
definitely what I experienced
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during my time at La Sierra of
my two years there, definitely.
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Before we jump into
that particular time,
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what hardships did
you face growing up?
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I say the main
hardship was back in 2007,
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when my grandfather was
struck with stage four aneurysm.
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This was back on October
4, 2007, I was in 9th grade.
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And, you know,
that was during a time
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that was really
trying for my family
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because two years
before there my grandparents'
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house burned down.
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And they've lived in
that house since the late 60s.
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And so to see it burned down
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but thankfully they
were able to walk out,
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nothing since, you
know, they had their lives
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and two years later the house
was rebuilt better than ever.
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My uncle built
his house next door.
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And it's crazy
how things work out
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even though he was
struck with the aneurism,
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the house was done so.
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And it was better
than the previous house
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so we could actually
do the medical things
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within there.
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So my aunt, you know,
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she's the medical
guru in the family.
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And so it's crazy how she,
the night before he got struck,
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she saw a special on
TV about performing CPR.
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And so she was able to
perform that and bring him back.
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But
unfortunately he was bedridden
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for almost nine
years and passed.
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But during that time we
as a family grew closer.
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And even though he passed,
we still closer than ever.
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And I'm regardless
something for the experience
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and that hope that I'll be
able to see him again in heaven.
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When, at the resurrection. Yeah.
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Yes, when Christ returns.
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So it was it was, Jaida, right?
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Your aunt Jaida, that was nurse
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and Uncle
Redder was by his side.
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They were married for 64 years.
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Now that is a strong love
and that's a great example
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of how marriage and love
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and how that all
conquers everything
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because she didn't
have to stay by him
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all those years but she did.
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And I'm
thankful for that example
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and it's really
has impacted my life.
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And it's by no coincidence
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that Jaida learned CPR
right before she needed.
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I mean God had His hand,
He was still protecting...
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Yeah, He was. During that time.
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He was.
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So what were
some of your feelings
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during that time like
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how did your faith play a part
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in going through that trial?
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I will say that
there were moments
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where I was angry with God
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because I was thinking,
you know, he's a great guy,
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why would he get this
illness, what would he do?
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And I would also
think things like,
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if only I had the gift
of prophecy or something
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and I wish I could have
known this to help prevent it.
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I wish, you know,
he had told us his head
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was hurting or something,
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we could have got
him to the hospital,
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and got it fixed it right away.
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And we're still
searching for answers
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to this day from that situation,
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we haven't gotten
everything figured out.
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And I'm sure there are
things we won't ever know
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until we get to talk to
Jesus Himself in heaven,
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and ask Him all these questions.
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But those are my feelings,
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you know, I try
not to make a scene
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or I stay really cool and
calm under pressure and things.
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And so it's just that situation
in itself had, you know,
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it taught me to trust in
God more even though things
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were not going the
way it's planned then.
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Even with my mom,
she is a cancer survivor,
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and that in itself,
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that happened my
senior year at Oakwood.
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And that was tough in itself,
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but I'm thankful to
God that it was stage one,
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we could get it out in time.
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And she is
cancer free to this day,
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seems to clear last year so.
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Praise the Lord.
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And that's one thing is
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there's a strong
family support system there,
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you know, when Uncle
Sam, your grandpa was sick,
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everybody rallied
around, and was right there.
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Jaida was by his side,
Uncle Redder was by his side,
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your mom was by his side.
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I mean and then
when your mom got cancer
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and the family was right there.
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So there was that
close knit support group.
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And, you know, that
comes from serving the Lord,
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that love that the
Lord imparts upon us
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to share with
others in the family
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and everybody else.
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Now you
encountered a hardship at...
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Was it last year? Yeah.
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Walk us through that day?
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So it was Wednesday
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and I have class
that night on Wednesdays
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during that time 6 pm to 10 pm,
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so rough struggle
but you have to do it.
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And so that night my professor
decided to let class out early
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which we were
really thankful for
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because it was near
the end of the school year,
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so everybody's
kind of, you know,
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trying to figure out things
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to keep mentally
calm and things like that,
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prepare for finals.
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And so we got out, and so
my friend Jonathan and I...
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Jonathan is one of my
closest friends at La Sierra.
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And we went to his
place, his apartment,
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he's two doors down from me.
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And so we were
sitting in his living room,
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and he decided to let
the door open to air out
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because he didn't want to
turn on the air conditioning,
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he's really a nature type guys
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so he likes to deal
with the natural stuff...
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Fresh air and
all that stuff. Yeah.
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I mean I don't blame you.
California has good air so.
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Unless you're in L.A. True.
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But that's a different story.
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So we're talking
about life and, you know,
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our goals for this
MBA program and such.
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And this man walks in.
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And he's out of breath,
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I thought this was
Jonathan's roommate
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'cause I'd never
seen his roommate before.
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So this guy walks in
out of breath and things
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and he said he
just got back from Syria
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and we're thinking,
"Okay, that's cool."
00:10:06.97\00:10:10.11
That's when I know that
Jonathan's didn't know him.
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I was like all right.
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So he asked us if we were Muslim
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and we were like "No,"
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we are Adventists,
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:10:17.81\00:10:19.71
And so he said, "Oh well,
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you Christians are
always persecuting people
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in God's name and in
the east and everything."
00:10:25.19\00:10:28.56
And he said it's
just bashing Christians
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and things like that.
00:10:31.46\00:10:32.79
And so while he's talking I
see his hands in his pocket,
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and he pulls
out something shiny.
00:10:36.77\00:10:38.83
Now in my mind I'm
thinking it's a iPhone,
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or something, or a
Samsung it's just a phone.
00:10:41.07\00:10:43.97
But when my eyes
really focused on it
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I saw that it
was actually a gun,
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small gun like 45 or something.
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.95
And so he pulls it out
and is waving it around,
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he's drunk so he
really has no focus on
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who he was
trying to point it at.
00:10:56.89\00:10:58.59
And so he said...
00:10:58.62\00:11:00.36
So he was under the influence,
00:11:00.39\00:11:03.22
it's a stranger
that's in the apartment.
00:11:03.26\00:11:05.73
And now he pulled a
gun out. Yeah, definitely.
00:11:05.76\00:11:09.03
So he pulled it out,
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and basically it
was open threat to us.
00:11:11.67\00:11:15.50
It's nothing really
point towards either individual
00:11:15.54\00:11:18.51
but at that point
time slowed down for me.
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.28
And as it would anyone
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because I'd never had a
gun pointed at me before.
00:11:23.61\00:11:26.55
But seeing this
thing in the room
00:11:26.58\00:11:29.18
and the situation at hand,
00:11:29.22\00:11:30.72
you know, he's drunk,
he's not thinking straight.
00:11:30.75\00:11:32.95
And so many things are going
through my mind immediately
00:11:32.99\00:11:35.69
and I'm talking to God.
00:11:35.72\00:11:37.99
And so I'm like "Lord,
what we're going to do here,
00:11:38.03\00:11:40.73
you know, I'm just you know..."
00:11:40.76\00:11:42.86
I was 23 at the time.
00:11:42.90\00:11:45.03
Just trying to finish
school things like that.
00:11:45.07\00:11:48.17
Jonathan he's looking tense,
we're both, you know, quietly
00:11:48.20\00:11:51.81
and without any
sudden movements,
00:11:51.84\00:11:54.08
slowly inching to the
edge of the couch in the event
00:11:54.11\00:11:57.85
that he does pull the
trigger or attacks so.
00:11:57.88\00:12:01.88
And I think we were
both thinking the same thing.
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.12
So at that time was his eyes,
00:12:04.15\00:12:06.49
was he staring
directly at you guys?
00:12:06.52\00:12:08.56
Did he see you inching?
00:12:08.59\00:12:09.92
What I mean...
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.29
He didn't really see
it 'cause he, you know,
00:12:11.33\00:12:12.69
he's discombobulated.
00:12:12.73\00:12:14.90
So he's looking around the
room I guess it was spinning
00:12:14.93\00:12:18.73
and things like that.
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.10
And so he's just trying
to get his stance going on.
00:12:20.14\00:12:23.64
He's a kind of a big guy.
00:12:23.67\00:12:25.47
And so I'm thinking,
I'm pretty sure Jonathan
00:12:25.51\00:12:30.45
and I we had to
leper thee that day
00:12:30.48\00:12:32.35
because we were both
looking at each other
00:12:32.38\00:12:34.88
but I knew we were
thinking the same thing,
00:12:34.92\00:12:36.79
you know,
strategy what can we do?
00:12:36.82\00:12:39.22
And I've seen,
you know, what to do
00:12:39.25\00:12:41.02
when a guy with a gun is
in a close vicinity with you.
00:12:41.06\00:12:44.03
So if you have to
have a distraction.
00:12:44.06\00:12:46.13
And then you have to
have a guy to try to get
00:12:46.16\00:12:48.16
the gun out of
his hand, anything.
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.57
I was also
thinking of routes to run
00:12:50.60\00:12:53.20
if that doesn't work
out, you know, if anything,
00:12:53.23\00:12:57.47
it's better to
run and have your life
00:12:57.51\00:12:59.17
than try to be the hero.
00:12:59.21\00:13:00.81
And so with that
thought in mind, I'm thinking
00:13:00.84\00:13:04.11
"Hey, I might have to
jump out of this window,
00:13:04.15\00:13:05.95
it's the second story
00:13:05.98\00:13:07.32
but I can, I'm
pretty athletic guy.
00:13:07.35\00:13:08.85
So I think I could
make it in the case
00:13:08.88\00:13:11.12
that I do have to escape.
00:13:11.15\00:13:13.56
Man, that's a lot to
think about in that moment,
00:13:13.59\00:13:15.72
you know, during
that fight or flight.
00:13:15.76\00:13:18.43
I think the great thing
that you did think about
00:13:18.46\00:13:21.63
was to call upon
Jesus and to reach out
00:13:21.66\00:13:25.00
and ask for God's
help during that situation.
00:13:25.03\00:13:28.37
And so he pulled
it out a couple times,
00:13:28.40\00:13:30.11
he put it back in
inside, he pull it out again.
00:13:30.14\00:13:33.58
And I feel like my
heart rate went down
00:13:33.61\00:13:36.38
every time he put
it back in his pocket,
00:13:36.41\00:13:39.25
and then he pulled it out,
my heart rate would go back up.
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.52
So I'm thinking "Lord,
just please make him leave,"
00:13:41.55\00:13:43.55
you know, I really I don't want
to deal with this right now.
00:13:43.59\00:13:46.65
Who would?
00:13:46.69\00:13:49.19
And so, after his
rants he finally said,
00:13:49.22\00:13:55.43
"You know, but since
I see Jesus in you guys
00:13:55.46\00:13:59.20
and I'm not going to
kill anybody tonight.
00:13:59.23\00:14:02.50
I'm not going to kill you guys."
00:14:02.54\00:14:03.87
And so after that he
said something in Arabic
00:14:03.91\00:14:07.74
and I don't know what he said
but I was just glad he left.
00:14:07.78\00:14:11.91
And so as soon as he left,
tiptoed right up to that door,
00:14:11.95\00:14:15.75
waited till he got
to the farthest step,
00:14:15.78\00:14:18.05
closed it, locked it.
00:14:18.09\00:14:19.45
We called the cops,
00:14:19.49\00:14:20.86
they came really quickly
within about five minutes,
00:14:20.89\00:14:25.06
really fast I was
thankful for that.
00:14:25.09\00:14:26.46
So they came to the
door, we're talking to them,
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.16
given the description.
00:14:29.20\00:14:30.80
And while we're talking to them
00:14:30.83\00:14:32.17
the craziest
thing he's still around,
00:14:32.20\00:14:33.54
we saw that he's still
down in the court yard area.
00:14:33.57\00:14:36.34
And so we tell them...
00:14:36.37\00:14:38.64
What was he doing
in the courtyard area?
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.31
Was he pacing
back and forth? Was he?
00:14:40.34\00:14:42.84
We saw him pacing, I don't,
00:14:42.88\00:14:46.61
I feel like he was
trying to figure things out
00:14:46.65\00:14:49.88
or maybe he knew
someone in the area.
00:14:49.92\00:14:52.89
And so we told them,
we whispered, "That's him.
00:14:52.92\00:14:55.32
That's him" And so they
quickly went down there,
00:14:55.36\00:14:59.79
they ambushed him,
got him handcuffed him.
00:14:59.83\00:15:02.23
We again lock the
door 'cause you don't know
00:15:02.26\00:15:04.40
what's going to go down.
00:15:04.43\00:15:06.03
I don't know if he has
any other friends around
00:15:06.07\00:15:07.77
trying to create a distraction.
00:15:07.80\00:15:09.54
And so but we
were thankful to God
00:15:09.57\00:15:11.77
that the ordeal had gone over.
00:15:11.81\00:15:14.38
And the crazy thing is
the cops never found the gun,
00:15:14.41\00:15:18.11
that's the other mystery so.
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.58
Wow. They said
they didn't see it.
00:15:20.62\00:15:23.75
So I don't know where
he placed it or hid it.
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.65
But that is the
story I'm glad it began
00:15:26.69\00:15:30.53
and ended that
night with no one in harm.
00:15:30.56\00:15:33.13
Yeah, well, I'm glad
you're able to sit here
00:15:33.16\00:15:35.86
and have this conversation.
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.57
Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:37.60\00:15:38.93
So at what point did you
inform your mom about this
00:15:38.97\00:15:43.00
'cause I had to find
out through your mom,
00:15:43.04\00:15:45.37
I didn't even find out from you.
00:15:45.41\00:15:47.04
Yeah, I informed
her around that night,
00:15:47.08\00:15:51.45
told everybody
that was close to me
00:15:51.48\00:15:54.28
'cause my roommate
was in our apartment.
00:15:54.32\00:15:57.12
And I had to call
him, tell him, you know,
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.05
"Scott, stay in your room
00:15:59.09\00:16:00.59
because there's this
crazy guy out here with a gun."
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.96
And so I called everyone
00:16:03.99\00:16:05.56
who I knew in the apartment area
00:16:05.59\00:16:08.20
to just stay in their
places because there's this guy
00:16:08.23\00:16:11.27
who is running
around here with a gun,
00:16:11.30\00:16:13.27
I don't want any of my
friends getting hurt so.
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.70
So what did your mom
say when you did call her?
00:16:15.74\00:16:19.17
She was a little
frazzled you know,
00:16:19.21\00:16:23.24
'cause anyone would be
00:16:23.28\00:16:25.28
if their child was
in danger like that.
00:16:25.31\00:16:28.05
And so we were
praising God though
00:16:28.08\00:16:32.32
that nothing happened.
00:16:32.35\00:16:35.36
I went to, you know, the school
made me go to some therapy
00:16:35.39\00:16:39.66
because, you know, that
was a traumatic experience.
00:16:39.69\00:16:42.40
In fact after is over Jonathan
stayed at my place that night
00:16:42.43\00:16:46.94
because he didn't
want to stay back at his
00:16:46.97\00:16:48.77
'cause of that situation so.
00:16:48.80\00:16:51.31
The scripture that
was so helpful to me
00:16:51.34\00:16:53.21
was in Psalm 91.
00:16:53.24\00:16:55.24
Let me read it to you.
00:16:55.28\00:16:56.88
It's Psalm 91:1-5.
00:16:56.91\00:17:01.02
And it says, "He who
dwells in the secret place
00:17:01.05\00:17:04.19
of the Most High still abide
00:17:04.22\00:17:05.72
under the
shadow of the Almighty.
00:17:05.75\00:17:08.09
I will say of the Lord,
00:17:08.12\00:17:09.46
He is my refuge and my fortress:
00:17:09.49\00:17:11.39
my God, in Him I will trust.
00:17:11.43\00:17:13.80
Surely he shall deliver you
from the snare of the fowler,
00:17:13.83\00:17:16.97
and from the
perilous pestilence.
00:17:17.00\00:17:19.87
He shall cover
you with his wings,
00:17:19.90\00:17:21.77
and under his wings
you still take refuge.
00:17:21.80\00:17:24.51
His truth shall be
your shield and buckler.
00:17:24.54\00:17:27.01
You shall not be
afraid of the terror by night,
00:17:27.04\00:17:29.88
nor of the arrow
that flies by day."
00:17:29.91\00:17:33.85
So what about that verse
specifically stands out to you,
00:17:33.88\00:17:38.62
those verses
rather stands out to you
00:17:38.65\00:17:40.69
that brings you so much comfort?
00:17:40.72\00:17:43.43
The fact that God is so great
00:17:43.46\00:17:46.43
that everyone can fit
under His shadow of protection.
00:17:46.46\00:17:50.73
That is the
first verse, you know,
00:17:50.77\00:17:53.34
He's always there
for you when you need Him
00:17:53.37\00:17:56.30
and even if you feel
alone He's still there.
00:17:56.34\00:18:00.11
Sometimes it may seem
bleak but in times of darkness
00:18:00.14\00:18:05.48
and like this is
best to cling to that,
00:18:05.51\00:18:07.62
to cling to Him and to...
00:18:07.65\00:18:09.88
Which for me like
when I'm looking at you
00:18:09.92\00:18:12.82
and I'm
listening to your testimony
00:18:12.85\00:18:15.12
as we were discussing this.
00:18:15.16\00:18:17.53
I think about your upbringing,
you know, Proverbs 22:6 says,
00:18:17.56\00:18:22.26
"Train up a child
the way he should go:
00:18:22.30\00:18:24.50
and when he grows old,
he won't depart from it."
00:18:24.53\00:18:27.04
You know you were brought up
in the church and in Adventism,
00:18:27.07\00:18:32.34
but not only were you
brought up in Adventism,
00:18:32.37\00:18:35.94
but you studied for yourself,
00:18:35.98\00:18:37.58
and you developed a relationship
00:18:37.61\00:18:39.95
with God yourself.
00:18:39.98\00:18:42.65
You know the Bible also says,
00:18:42.68\00:18:44.02
"Oh, taste and see
that the Lord is good."
00:18:44.05\00:18:46.05
Well, the only way
to do that is to develop
00:18:46.09\00:18:48.72
that relationship
with Him for yourself.
00:18:48.76\00:18:52.69
And you've done
that. Praise the Lord.
00:18:52.73\00:18:55.56
And so I see how that
has had a tremendous impact
00:18:55.60\00:19:02.24
on your life from
the outside looking in,
00:19:02.27\00:19:06.24
even in the midst of trials.
00:19:06.27\00:19:07.78
And one of the
things that's important
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.11
for people to
realize too is the fact
00:19:10.15\00:19:12.55
that being a
Christian doesn't mean
00:19:12.58\00:19:15.95
that you're not
going to face trials.
00:19:15.98\00:19:17.59
You know, you're still
going to go through things.
00:19:17.62\00:19:20.92
The difference
is who you rely on
00:19:20.96\00:19:23.43
in the midst of those trials.
00:19:23.46\00:19:25.03
You see non Christians,
00:19:25.06\00:19:26.39
people that don't
believe in God or anything,
00:19:26.43\00:19:28.96
they're relying on themselves
00:19:29.00\00:19:31.37
to get
themselves through something
00:19:31.40\00:19:32.77
that they can't
necessarily control.
00:19:32.80\00:19:35.70
But thank God
that we serve a God
00:19:35.74\00:19:40.78
that knows the
beginning from the end.
00:19:40.81\00:19:42.48
Definitely.
00:19:42.51\00:19:44.35
It's good to never forget that
00:19:44.38\00:19:47.35
and like I said earlier
sometimes when you do stray,
00:19:47.38\00:19:53.05
God will do things to
get your attention, you know.
00:19:53.09\00:19:56.29
I'm not going to say I was
one of those people in school
00:19:56.32\00:19:59.49
had it easy and
things like that.
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.93
I feel like God
gave me challenges
00:20:01.96\00:20:04.43
because when I
did get my master's,
00:20:04.47\00:20:06.90
He reminded me
that it was all Him.
00:20:06.94\00:20:09.84
He did that from
the very beginning.
00:20:09.87\00:20:11.21
And how did that take place?
00:20:11.24\00:20:13.21
What was that
humbling experience for you
00:20:13.24\00:20:15.31
that brought
you to that reality?
00:20:15.34\00:20:16.68
And so my first
quarter I failed a class.
00:20:16.71\00:20:20.75
And it was really a
humbling experience,
00:20:20.78\00:20:26.12
a detrimental one
00:20:26.15\00:20:27.56
because I had never
failed a class before.
00:20:27.59\00:20:30.56
So to come
straight out of undergrad,
00:20:30.59\00:20:33.36
starting this, you know,
I really studied for this,
00:20:33.40\00:20:36.46
and I thought I was trying to,
00:20:36.50\00:20:37.83
you know, I was
working to get it,
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.20
I was in tutoring every week.
00:20:39.23\00:20:40.57
And to see the final grade
00:20:40.60\00:20:42.77
it was definitely a
disheartening experience.
00:20:42.80\00:20:47.04
But at the end of
day I am thankful for,
00:20:47.08\00:20:49.74
you know, it was enough.
00:20:49.78\00:20:51.11
And I'm thankful for that "F".
00:20:51.15\00:20:52.48
Because "F" is for finish.
00:20:52.51\00:20:53.88
And so even though I
didn't get the grade I wanted,
00:20:53.92\00:20:57.82
it was God telling me that
when you do get this degree
00:20:57.85\00:21:00.99
remember that it was
Me who gave it to you.
00:21:01.02\00:21:03.99
And it kept me
humble the entire time
00:21:04.03\00:21:05.96
because there's nothing to
brag about there, you know.
00:21:05.99\00:21:08.40
Who is going to brag about that?
00:21:08.43\00:21:10.67
I'd like to see
that conversation
00:21:10.70\00:21:12.20
you had your momma...
00:21:12.23\00:21:14.37
She was just as shocked as me
but I mean, I retook the class,
00:21:14.40\00:21:19.81
I got "A".
00:21:19.84\00:21:21.18
And it was and that time around,
00:21:21.21\00:21:24.28
you know, I stayed humble.
00:21:24.31\00:21:25.65
What did you do
differently to get that "A"?
00:21:25.68\00:21:27.98
Well, I
definitely clung to the Lord
00:21:28.02\00:21:30.29
a lot more after that.
00:21:30.32\00:21:33.42
And the thought of,
you know, failing again
00:21:33.46\00:21:36.42
but it really wasn't a failure,
it was a learning lesson.
00:21:36.46\00:21:40.80
I don't like to think of all,
you know, failures as failure,
00:21:40.83\00:21:44.27
it's a lesson.
00:21:44.30\00:21:45.63
And so when you
make a mistake or fail,
00:21:45.67\00:21:48.37
it's a lesson that
you can apply to yourself
00:21:48.40\00:21:51.14
to do better later.
00:21:51.17\00:21:52.51
And so I saw
the next time around
00:21:52.54\00:21:55.21
as an opportunity
to fix my weaknesses,
00:21:55.24\00:21:58.18
and think on my strengths,
00:21:58.21\00:21:59.61
and then apply
them to the class.
00:21:59.65\00:22:01.22
And so I put in that hard work,
00:22:01.25\00:22:03.02
and I was able to get the
grade I most definitely desired.
00:22:03.05\00:22:07.79
And that's just one ordeal that
00:22:07.82\00:22:12.39
where God was speaking to
me and made His presence known.
00:22:12.43\00:22:17.37
Now I want to
rewind a little bit
00:22:17.40\00:22:20.24
back to the trial that you face
00:22:20.27\00:22:22.97
where that guy came into
the apartment with the gun.
00:22:23.00\00:22:26.51
What effect did that
have on your faith after that?
00:22:29.54\00:22:35.98
It definitely had its impact.
00:22:36.02\00:22:37.75
I think about it every day.
00:22:37.79\00:22:40.22
Literally, when I wake
up or throughout the day
00:22:40.26\00:22:43.89
when I'm just
randomly in deep thought.
00:22:43.93\00:22:46.13
I think of how, you know,
00:22:46.16\00:22:48.53
my perspective of
seeing a gun pointed at me.
00:22:48.56\00:22:51.77
And how God was there
even though He wasn't,
00:22:51.80\00:22:56.81
you know, visible
but apparently He was.
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.24
If the guy said
that He saw Jesus in us.
00:22:59.27\00:23:02.38
And that was a
really profound statement
00:23:02.41\00:23:07.08
from that experience.
00:23:07.12\00:23:08.45
As he saw Jesus in us
00:23:08.48\00:23:09.82
so that is why he
wasn't going to take our lives
00:23:09.85\00:23:12.45
or anybody else's lives
within the apartment complex.
00:23:12.49\00:23:16.52
And I always think
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.96
of how it could
have been different,
00:23:18.99\00:23:21.20
you know, I probably wouldn't
have died if he did shoot.
00:23:21.23\00:23:25.90
But I could have been injured,
but nothing, nothing, no.
00:23:25.93\00:23:30.54
I mean, that's a tough
one 'cause if he had shot you,
00:23:30.57\00:23:33.84
there's the strong
possibility that...
00:23:33.88\00:23:36.14
Yeah.
00:23:36.18\00:23:37.51
Or even paralyzed
or something, you know.
00:23:37.55\00:23:40.22
I could have been running,
00:23:40.25\00:23:41.58
he could have accidentally shot,
00:23:41.62\00:23:43.08
who knows what
could have gone down.
00:23:43.12\00:23:44.85
I'm thankful that
we were both smart
00:23:44.89\00:23:47.56
in this situation enough
to stay calm and collected.
00:23:47.59\00:23:52.23
And that's usually
how Jonathan and I are.
00:23:52.26\00:23:54.60
We in situations
that are high pressure,
00:23:54.63\00:23:57.70
we like to remain,
you know, cool and control
00:23:57.73\00:24:01.57
because that's
the best way to think.
00:24:01.60\00:24:04.54
And because we stay like that
00:24:04.57\00:24:06.37
we were able to
strategize within our minds
00:24:06.41\00:24:08.28
of what we could have done,
00:24:08.31\00:24:09.64
but also to call upon
God in the process as well.
00:24:09.68\00:24:13.11
That to me that is the biggest,
biggest thing right there.
00:24:13.15\00:24:17.19
The fact that in the midst
of something as scary as that,
00:24:17.22\00:24:21.62
you know, somebody having a gun,
00:24:21.66\00:24:23.53
and they came in there
with intent to kill you.
00:24:23.56\00:24:28.56
But in the midst of all that,
00:24:28.60\00:24:31.80
the first thing you call on God.
00:24:31.83\00:24:34.54
You know, and
that is so important
00:24:34.57\00:24:37.01
because He's the
one who can fix things.
00:24:37.04\00:24:40.04
It's really good to
learn to focus on Jesus
00:24:40.08\00:24:44.48
when you're in danger
whether you're on the road,
00:24:44.51\00:24:47.45
or while you're walking
in through your neighborhood,
00:24:47.48\00:24:50.05
any time danger
can strike at any time.
00:24:50.09\00:24:52.99
But it's also...
00:24:53.02\00:24:54.36
Yeah, he also promised. Exactly.
00:24:54.39\00:24:55.72
So it's really good
to keep your mind on Him.
00:24:55.76\00:25:00.76
That's what it says.
00:25:00.80\00:25:02.33
You have to stay on
good things and He's good.
00:25:02.36\00:25:05.80
Now we have a short
amount of time left.
00:25:05.83\00:25:09.94
Roughly two
minutes and some change.
00:25:09.97\00:25:14.58
What happened? You
lost a close friend?
00:25:14.61\00:25:18.25
Right, so it was
April of this year,
00:25:18.28\00:25:21.98
one of my roommates Christian,
00:25:22.02\00:25:23.99
he was born with
a heart condition.
00:25:24.02\00:25:26.86
And so this was near
the end of my MBA program.
00:25:26.89\00:25:30.63
And I feel as
though it was another way
00:25:30.66\00:25:33.96
for another distraction
try to get me off the mark
00:25:34.00\00:25:38.03
because he was such a great guy.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.73
And he passed away
from cardiac arrest
00:25:39.77\00:25:42.80
and a seizure.
00:25:42.84\00:25:44.17
And the thing that I was
angry during that time of course
00:25:44.21\00:25:48.61
because he was so young, he
was 22, and he was a senior.
00:25:48.64\00:25:54.32
And so I was thinking of
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.59
how I was going to
try to get him back on,
00:25:57.62\00:26:00.26
you know, track we know
if he got out the hospital
00:26:00.29\00:26:02.96
I was praying for that.
00:26:02.99\00:26:04.33
But they had to pull the
cord because he was failing.
00:26:04.36\00:26:07.03
And even though
that was rough in itself,
00:26:07.06\00:26:10.40
I still, I was mad at
God, I'm not going to lie.
00:26:10.43\00:26:13.17
But I still
because that's an emotion.
00:26:13.20\00:26:15.87
You're angry, you're
upset, you're confused.
00:26:15.90\00:26:17.67
But I still decided
to remain trusting in Him
00:26:17.71\00:26:21.74
and to focus on just
finishing the course,
00:26:21.78\00:26:27.45
keeping a mental toughness.
00:26:27.48\00:26:28.82
And I wish he were still alive.
00:26:28.85\00:26:31.85
But, you know, he had
lived his life though,
00:26:31.89\00:26:35.56
he made a impact on mine.
00:26:35.59\00:26:37.16
He was one of the first
people I've met at La Sierra.
00:26:37.19\00:26:39.46
And he will always
keep an impact on my life
00:26:39.49\00:26:44.67
just because of
the person he was.
00:26:44.70\00:26:46.90
That's tough.
00:26:46.94\00:26:49.40
What are you doing now?
00:26:49.44\00:26:51.51
Currently I am the marketing
communications coordinator
00:26:51.54\00:26:54.74
at Oakwood University for
the Office Spiritual Life.
00:26:54.78\00:26:58.58
And I handle the
business in the office basically
00:26:58.61\00:27:03.62
in the communications
the spiritual life plan,
00:27:03.65\00:27:07.86
and the newsletter that
we have and things like that.
00:27:07.89\00:27:12.26
And so it's a great opportunity
00:27:12.29\00:27:14.56
to be at my alma
mater working as a...
00:27:14.60\00:27:17.50
Yes.
00:27:17.53\00:27:18.87
And working for the
Lord, that's always a blessing,
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.80
it's a purpose filled position.
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.11
It's been my desire to
do that for a long time
00:27:24.14\00:27:26.61
to just serve God, you know.
00:27:26.64\00:27:28.54
Amen. Amen.
00:27:28.58\00:27:31.01
One of the things I love is
that you brought up Psalm 91
00:27:31.05\00:27:34.78
because we can
often rely on scripture
00:27:34.82\00:27:38.05
when we're going through trials.
00:27:38.09\00:27:39.65
That's where we should
rely on the Word of God.
00:27:39.69\00:27:42.92
And these trials
should bring us closer to God
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.93
and refine our character.
00:27:45.96\00:27:47.36
Thank you so
much for being with us
00:27:47.40\00:27:49.03
and sharing your
testimony with us.
00:27:49.06\00:27:51.00
And thank you for being with us.
00:27:51.03\00:27:53.27
Make sure that you study
the Word of God for yourself.
00:27:53.30\00:27:56.97
You can call on the
Lord in your time of need.
00:27:57.01\00:28:00.44
Well, we've reached
the end of another program.
00:28:00.48\00:28:02.44
Join us next time.
00:28:02.48\00:28:03.81
And remember it
just wouldn't be the same
00:28:03.85\00:28:05.51
without you.
00:28:05.55\00:28:06.88