Stay tuned to meet a
man who shouldn't be alive
00:00:01.56\00:00:04.07
to tell his story.
00:00:04.10\00:00:05.43
My name is Jason Bradley
00:00:05.47\00:00:06.80
and you're
watching Urban Report.
00:00:06.84\00:00:09.34
Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
00:00:32.89\00:00:34.83
Today my guest is Kyle Brodhead
00:00:34.86\00:00:37.50
and he has a very powerful
testimony to share with us.
00:00:37.53\00:00:41.00
Welcome to Urban
Report, Kyle. Hi.
00:00:41.04\00:00:43.20
It's good to have
you here. Thank you.
00:00:43.24\00:00:44.87
So I wanna go into...
00:00:44.91\00:00:47.34
I like to start
with your background.
00:00:47.38\00:00:49.18
You know, I read
an article on you
00:00:49.21\00:00:51.61
and your testimony
is extremely powerful.
00:00:51.65\00:00:55.05
But I want our viewers
to know where, you know,
00:00:55.08\00:00:57.82
where you grew up
and how you were raised,
00:00:57.85\00:01:00.66
those type of things.
00:01:00.69\00:01:02.02
So where did you grow
up? I grew up in New York.
00:01:02.06\00:01:05.43
Kingston, New
York, is my hometown.
00:01:05.46\00:01:08.90
And, you know,
that's where my family
00:01:08.93\00:01:13.70
and pretty much almost
everybody I know lives.
00:01:13.74\00:01:18.11
Okay, okay.
00:01:18.14\00:01:19.47
So you grew up in
Kingston, New York.
00:01:19.51\00:01:20.84
Where you raised in the church?
00:01:20.88\00:01:23.61
I wasn't born into
the church but, you know,
00:01:23.65\00:01:27.22
pretty much since I
was around eight years old,
00:01:27.25\00:01:30.29
I was in a church.
00:01:30.32\00:01:32.45
Okay, now so before
you were eight though,
00:01:32.49\00:01:36.52
there was, there was a situation
00:01:36.56\00:01:39.23
where you were removed
from your home, correct?
00:01:39.26\00:01:41.30
Yes.
00:01:41.33\00:01:42.66
Tell us a little bit about that?
00:01:42.70\00:01:44.40
There was a traumatic experience
00:01:44.43\00:01:46.80
that had
happened and as a result,
00:01:46.84\00:01:50.71
me and my two younger brothers,
00:01:50.74\00:01:54.31
we were actually
taken from our home
00:01:54.34\00:01:56.91
and placed into
foster care situation.
00:01:56.95\00:02:02.05
So that's pretty much
what happened on that part.
00:02:02.08\00:02:06.29
Okay.
00:02:06.32\00:02:07.66
And how did that make you feel?
00:02:07.69\00:02:09.92
Like, how did you feel
about that whole situation?
00:02:09.96\00:02:13.90
That situation left me
with a lot of questions.
00:02:13.93\00:02:17.67
Basically, I
wondered why I was in this.
00:02:17.70\00:02:21.34
You know, we,
me and my brothers,
00:02:21.37\00:02:24.27
why were we not living
with our family, you know,
00:02:24.31\00:02:27.28
like a lot of
the other kids were.
00:02:27.31\00:02:30.15
They had their
families, you know,
00:02:30.18\00:02:32.41
and I will look
around and I would see
00:02:32.45\00:02:36.32
other kids with
their father and mother
00:02:36.35\00:02:39.22
and I would think, "Well,
00:02:39.25\00:02:40.89
why don't I live
with my parents?"
00:02:40.92\00:02:42.86
Yeah.
00:02:42.89\00:02:44.23
So did you feel a
sense of abandonment
00:02:44.26\00:02:46.56
or, I mean, what...
00:02:46.59\00:02:49.76
Would you say that
that's what it felt like?
00:02:49.80\00:02:52.70
Yeah, there was a
sense of abandonment.
00:02:52.73\00:02:55.47
There we're a lot of
conflicting emotions.
00:02:55.50\00:02:57.97
You know, there was some anger,
there was a lot of sadness and.
00:02:58.01\00:03:03.08
You know, there
was also confusion
00:03:03.11\00:03:06.61
mixed in there too, you know.
00:03:06.65\00:03:08.68
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:08.72\00:03:10.35
And did you see, you
know, as a result of that,
00:03:10.39\00:03:13.29
did you see any
of those feelings
00:03:13.32\00:03:18.46
having an effect on
your life or your behavior,
00:03:18.49\00:03:21.26
like did you act out as
a result of those feelings?
00:03:21.30\00:03:25.00
Oh, yes.
00:03:25.03\00:03:27.04
In school there
were a lot of situations
00:03:27.07\00:03:30.11
where I would act out and,
00:03:30.14\00:03:33.24
you know, just
try to get attention.
00:03:33.27\00:03:35.64
Actually, I was pretty
much the class clown in school.
00:03:35.68\00:03:39.75
Okay. Yeah.
00:03:39.78\00:03:41.12
And I would do some
things that interrupt class
00:03:41.15\00:03:43.59
just so I could get a laugh
00:03:43.62\00:03:45.12
from the other
students and stuff.
00:03:45.15\00:03:46.72
And, you know,
00:03:46.76\00:03:48.09
the teacher
wouldn't put up with it,
00:03:48.12\00:03:49.72
so she would kick me out
and then I would still be out,
00:03:49.76\00:03:54.73
look through the
little window and the door
00:03:54.76\00:03:57.37
and I would still
try to get the kids
00:03:57.40\00:03:59.07
to like look out and see me,
00:03:59.10\00:04:01.27
make faces in the window,
00:04:01.30\00:04:03.17
and eventually she
would just get fed up
00:04:03.20\00:04:05.34
and send me to the
principal's office.
00:04:05.37\00:04:08.11
Okay, okay.
00:04:08.14\00:04:09.68
And I wanna go into
00:04:09.71\00:04:12.68
a little bit about
your foster family,
00:04:12.71\00:04:15.12
because there were some things
that, that they did that was,
00:04:15.15\00:04:20.86
I would say,
instrumental in your life.
00:04:20.89\00:04:23.73
So, how were you
brought into the church?
00:04:23.76\00:04:26.06
Because you
weren't raised, you know,
00:04:26.09\00:04:28.16
you weren't born into
the church so to speak,
00:04:28.20\00:04:30.80
but how were you
brought into the church?
00:04:30.83\00:04:33.54
Well, how I was brought
into the church is interesting.
00:04:33.57\00:04:37.41
I remember the first day of me
00:04:37.44\00:04:39.44
walking into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:04:39.47\00:04:44.01
My earliest memory is
walking in and, you know,
00:04:44.05\00:04:47.68
I was just thinking like,
00:04:47.72\00:04:49.05
"Wow, what is,
what's going on here?"
00:04:49.08\00:04:51.22
You know, I, I thought everyone
goes to the church on Sunday,
00:04:51.25\00:04:56.56
you know, it's Saturday
and I'm going to church.
00:04:56.59\00:04:59.19
So the lady who,
we were living with,
00:04:59.23\00:05:03.53
who I call my gran,
she brought us to church
00:05:03.57\00:05:08.24
and I just remember
that it was different.
00:05:08.27\00:05:11.84
It was different from,
you know, what I was used to,
00:05:11.87\00:05:14.81
because like I said, from
that, up until that point,
00:05:14.84\00:05:18.61
I thought everyone
goes to church on Sunday.
00:05:18.65\00:05:22.72
So she brought us
in and even at home
00:05:22.75\00:05:26.99
she would teach us a
lot about like Bible stories
00:05:27.02\00:05:30.46
and stuff, you know.
00:05:30.49\00:05:32.06
My biological parents
00:05:32.09\00:05:34.46
didn't really
teach us about the Bible.
00:05:34.50\00:05:37.20
So I would say
this was initially
00:05:37.23\00:05:40.30
where I started hearing about,
00:05:40.34\00:05:42.00
like the "stories" and stuff,
00:05:42.04\00:05:44.54
like Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark
00:05:44.57\00:05:46.68
and all of that stuff.
00:05:46.71\00:05:48.04
Wow!
00:05:48.08\00:05:49.41
See that's a huge
blessing that, you know,
00:05:49.44\00:05:51.91
even though
that you were removed
00:05:51.95\00:05:53.95
from your biological family,
00:05:53.98\00:05:57.02
you ended up
with a foster family
00:05:57.05\00:05:59.49
that brought you into the church
00:05:59.52\00:06:01.79
and instill principles in you.
00:06:01.82\00:06:06.13
And so how did you take to that,
00:06:06.16\00:06:09.03
like with them
teaching you about the Bible
00:06:09.06\00:06:12.27
and, you know, telling
you about Bible stories?
00:06:12.30\00:06:15.60
Well, I liked it,
I really loved it,
00:06:15.64\00:06:18.57
because when I
heard these stories,
00:06:18.61\00:06:21.78
you know, they were interesting.
00:06:21.81\00:06:23.41
They were really...
00:06:23.45\00:06:24.81
I used to hear the
stories about Moses
00:06:24.85\00:06:27.55
and, you know, and Elijah
00:06:27.58\00:06:29.62
and I would
think like, wow, like,
00:06:29.65\00:06:31.42
what if something like
this happened with me, you know.
00:06:31.45\00:06:34.62
What if like, God was
able to use me in this way?
00:06:34.66\00:06:38.23
You know, even at a
young age I wanted to like
00:06:38.26\00:06:41.80
be a part of like God's
work and stuff, you know.
00:06:41.83\00:06:45.73
And there was a Bible worker
that would come to our home
00:06:45.77\00:06:50.44
every Friday night
00:06:50.47\00:06:52.64
and she would
teach us like about,
00:06:52.67\00:06:55.54
you know, a deeper study.
00:06:55.58\00:06:57.68
Now I look back at it,
00:06:57.71\00:06:59.05
I was gaining like
a deeper knowledge,
00:06:59.08\00:07:01.22
and she would always make sure
00:07:01.25\00:07:03.59
we were
memorizing our Bible verses
00:07:03.62\00:07:06.35
and, you know,
certain passages like
00:07:06.39\00:07:08.79
the Ten
Commandments we would study.
00:07:08.82\00:07:10.99
And, you know,
00:07:11.03\00:07:12.36
I started to
learn more and more.
00:07:12.39\00:07:14.20
And as I grew and learned more,
the more exciting that became
00:07:14.23\00:07:19.87
and more
personal it became to me.
00:07:19.90\00:07:24.51
So you spent more time
in the word pretty much?
00:07:24.54\00:07:28.28
Yes. Okay, wonderful.
00:07:28.31\00:07:30.35
And what other
issues did you face
00:07:30.38\00:07:34.08
or struggles did you face
as a young man growing up?
00:07:34.12\00:07:37.52
Some other
struggles that I faced was,
00:07:37.55\00:07:40.86
I was kind of
living a double life.
00:07:40.89\00:07:44.79
And what I mean by that is that,
00:07:44.83\00:07:47.80
when I would go to school
I wouldn't really act like
00:07:47.83\00:07:52.53
how I was acting at church.
00:07:52.57\00:07:54.47
You know, at church
I was pretty much like,
00:07:54.50\00:07:56.81
everyone knew me as a good kid
00:07:56.84\00:07:59.27
and when I would
walk into the church
00:07:59.31\00:08:02.41
and down the aisle,
people would always say,
00:08:02.44\00:08:04.38
"Oh, here comes Kyle."
00:08:04.41\00:08:05.75
"He's gonna be a preacher
man," and all the stuff.
00:08:05.78\00:08:08.55
And back then I
didn't want to be a preacher.
00:08:08.58\00:08:12.05
I would tell them, "No,
don't say that about me.
00:08:12.09\00:08:14.72
I don't wanna be a
preacher or anything."
00:08:14.76\00:08:17.13
And when I would go to school,
00:08:17.16\00:08:18.99
you know, I was the class
clown and I was, you know,
00:08:19.03\00:08:21.90
getting into a little
bit of trouble and stuff
00:08:21.93\00:08:25.07
and, you know, they
would call home to my parents,
00:08:25.10\00:08:28.24
you know, my gran who
was taking care of me.
00:08:28.27\00:08:31.71
And, you know, so I had like,
to deal with that issue of...
00:08:31.74\00:08:37.85
Pretty much I didn't
really want my friends to know
00:08:37.88\00:08:40.62
that I was going
to church really,
00:08:40.65\00:08:43.39
I was into this God stuff.
00:08:43.42\00:08:45.55
So you're basically afraid
00:08:45.59\00:08:46.96
of what they
might think about you.
00:08:46.99\00:08:49.39
You didn't feel that
it was "cool" so to speak.
00:08:49.42\00:08:51.99
Yes. Definitely.
00:08:52.03\00:08:54.80
So you were living a double life
00:08:54.83\00:08:58.70
and what did that consist of?
00:08:58.73\00:09:02.70
Well, as I got older,
00:09:02.74\00:09:05.51
my double life changed
00:09:05.54\00:09:06.94
because I would,
I would go to school
00:09:06.98\00:09:12.91
and I started to hang
out with different people.
00:09:12.95\00:09:16.55
You know, at first I would
just hang out with the people
00:09:16.58\00:09:18.95
who were in the
sports and as I got older,
00:09:18.99\00:09:23.12
I started hanging
out with people who...
00:09:23.16\00:09:25.73
They were considered
like the druggie crowd.
00:09:25.76\00:09:29.03
Older around, what age?
00:09:29.06\00:09:32.00
This was in high school,
so probably about 15, 16.
00:09:32.03\00:09:37.37
And when I started to hangout
with this different crowd
00:09:37.41\00:09:42.71
and I started to, you
know, do different things, like,
00:09:42.74\00:09:45.65
we would go off campus.
00:09:45.68\00:09:48.18
And there are certain periods
and we would engage in like
00:09:48.22\00:09:54.02
smoking and sometimes drinking,
00:09:54.06\00:09:58.76
but then we would
come back in the school
00:09:58.79\00:10:01.06
in the middle of
the day and, you know,
00:10:01.10\00:10:03.60
we would just pretty much
act like nothing happened,
00:10:03.63\00:10:06.77
and, you know, but
sometimes the teacher,
00:10:06.80\00:10:10.27
he could see through it
and he would call us out on it
00:10:10.31\00:10:12.94
and he was just, you know,
00:10:12.97\00:10:14.88
we would get in
trouble and, you know,
00:10:14.91\00:10:18.05
as a result my parents
found out about this stuff
00:10:18.08\00:10:21.68
because they would
call home, you know,
00:10:21.72\00:10:24.09
and pretty much let
them know what I was doing.
00:10:24.12\00:10:27.66
And what did your
parents do when they found out?
00:10:27.69\00:10:30.26
My parents
wasn't having it at all,
00:10:30.29\00:10:32.79
they were not,
00:10:32.83\00:10:34.46
they were not proud
of what I was doing,
00:10:34.50\00:10:37.60
they didn't want me
to continue doing it
00:10:37.63\00:10:40.57
and you know, they
had a lot of talks.
00:10:40.60\00:10:43.24
We had talks about...
00:10:43.27\00:10:45.87
whether or not I was gonna be
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.11
able to continue
doing sports, you know,
00:10:51.15\00:10:55.62
because that was a privilege.
00:10:55.65\00:10:57.65
And a lot of
times I would tell them,
00:10:57.69\00:11:00.36
"Hey, you know,
this is gonna stop,"
00:11:00.39\00:11:02.56
but in reality I didn't
stop any of those things.
00:11:02.59\00:11:06.23
I just tried to hide it more.
00:11:06.26\00:11:10.20
And so what things
ended up being implemented
00:11:10.23\00:11:15.27
to move you more towards stuff
and besides just the sports.
00:11:15.30\00:11:20.94
Did they take,
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.38
did they take some of
your other privileges away
00:11:22.41\00:11:24.65
or, or what happened?
00:11:24.68\00:11:26.01
Yeah.
00:11:26.05\00:11:27.38
They took a lot of
stuff away, you know.
00:11:27.42\00:11:29.28
This was around the
time where video games like
00:11:29.32\00:11:33.22
the newer ones like
Xbox and Playstation
00:11:33.25\00:11:35.89
started coming out.
00:11:35.92\00:11:37.26
So they would take my Xbox,
00:11:37.29\00:11:39.33
they would take
TV privileges away,
00:11:39.36\00:11:42.26
you know, I couldn't watch TV.
00:11:42.30\00:11:44.50
I had a little Game Boy
2 that I would try to hide
00:11:44.53\00:11:48.70
under my pillow
00:11:48.74\00:11:50.27
and they found
that and, you know,
00:11:50.31\00:11:52.87
I used to get grounded a lot.
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.24
So, you know, those
things started to be taken away
00:11:55.28\00:12:00.32
as well as like, I couldn't
go over to friends' houses
00:12:00.35\00:12:03.25
and stuff and all of that.
00:12:03.28\00:12:05.32
Which was probably
for the best at that time
00:12:05.35\00:12:07.59
considering the type of friends
that you're hanging out with,
00:12:07.62\00:12:11.73
you know, during that time.
00:12:11.76\00:12:14.53
So, you know, that article
as I was going through it,
00:12:14.56\00:12:18.67
I saw some similarities
in my own personal life.
00:12:18.70\00:12:22.77
Oh, yeah? Yeah.
00:12:22.80\00:12:26.01
But I wanna, I
wanna go to the part
00:12:26.04\00:12:28.31
where you were entering into
00:12:28.34\00:12:31.55
such a dangerous lifestyle.
00:12:31.58\00:12:35.48
And elaborate...
00:12:35.52\00:12:37.55
Tell us, tell us
about that. Okay.
00:12:37.59\00:12:40.62
So, as I told you already,
00:12:40.66\00:12:43.99
I started to get
into a lot of trouble
00:12:44.03\00:12:46.09
in school and at home.
00:12:46.13\00:12:49.60
Eventually, there
came a point where
00:12:49.63\00:12:54.24
there was a
decision for me to make.
00:12:54.27\00:12:57.21
My home, my
parents, they really...
00:12:57.24\00:13:01.04
This is after I got adopted.
00:13:01.08\00:13:02.64
So I was living
with new parents.
00:13:02.68\00:13:06.95
They wouldn't put up
with what I was doing.
00:13:06.98\00:13:09.98
So there was a lot of
confrontations with me of...
00:13:10.02\00:13:15.36
"If you're gonna continue
to do this in our house,
00:13:15.39\00:13:18.89
then we're not
gonna put up with it.
00:13:18.93\00:13:20.83
You should probably
think about, you know,
00:13:20.86\00:13:23.06
leaving or move into
a different situation."
00:13:23.10\00:13:27.24
And then in school, you
know, even though I would pass
00:13:27.27\00:13:32.77
and get decent grades
00:13:32.81\00:13:35.04
and, you know,
kind of just get by,
00:13:35.08\00:13:37.95
stuff really wasn't
working there either
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.58
because I wasn't really
planning for the future.
00:13:40.62\00:13:44.15
So I started to get a
little more rebellious.
00:13:44.19\00:13:48.39
Okay.
00:13:48.42\00:13:49.76
You know, as a
result of the friends
00:13:49.79\00:13:51.66
I was hanging out
with and, you know,
00:13:51.69\00:13:53.86
the activities
I was engaging in.
00:13:53.90\00:13:56.43
So I remember I used
to go to parties at night.
00:13:56.46\00:14:00.60
I used to sneak out of the house
00:14:00.64\00:14:02.20
and I would go to parties
00:14:02.24\00:14:04.11
and I would come
back early in the morning
00:14:04.14\00:14:06.64
and sneak into the house.
00:14:06.68\00:14:08.38
So one day, I
went out to the party
00:14:08.41\00:14:11.88
and this
particular night I had fun
00:14:11.91\00:14:14.98
and, you know, I went back home
00:14:15.02\00:14:17.05
and I planned
on just sneaking in
00:14:17.09\00:14:18.95
how I normally do.
00:14:18.99\00:14:20.66
This time when I went
in and I opened the door,
00:14:20.69\00:14:23.86
all the lights just popped on
00:14:23.89\00:14:26.13
as soon as I
stepped foot into the house.
00:14:26.16\00:14:29.33
Oh, they were
waiting for you? Yeah.
00:14:29.36\00:14:32.63
So I'm just
shocked and I'm surprised
00:14:32.67\00:14:35.60
but, you know, it was my parents
00:14:35.64\00:14:37.61
and they're just sitting
there and they were thinking,
00:14:37.64\00:14:40.44
you know, just,
they were sad, you know.
00:14:40.48\00:14:45.45
The expression on
their face just...
00:14:45.48\00:14:48.42
I just knew like, I was...
00:14:48.45\00:14:50.89
First of all I was
caught and second of all,
00:14:50.92\00:14:54.16
I knew I was in trouble.
00:14:54.19\00:14:55.52
Yeah.
00:14:55.56\00:14:56.89
And, you know, my father,
00:14:56.93\00:14:58.76
he just, he told
me to just flat out,
00:14:58.79\00:15:01.46
the next time that
you decide to do this,
00:15:01.50\00:15:04.70
then don't come back.
00:15:04.73\00:15:06.53
Wow. So...
00:15:06.57\00:15:08.24
So what did you do?
00:15:08.27\00:15:10.21
What I did is,
you know, I didn't...
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.54
Really, I was
rebellious, so for some reason
00:15:13.58\00:15:17.95
I was actually waiting to
hear those words from him.
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.95
You know, I
wanted to leave my home,
00:15:20.98\00:15:23.39
I didn't want to be there
00:15:23.42\00:15:24.75
because there was
too much rules, you know.
00:15:24.79\00:15:26.92
You wanted to do
what you wanted to do,
00:15:26.96\00:15:28.62
when you wanted to do it.
00:15:28.66\00:15:29.99
Yes.
00:15:30.03\00:15:31.36
So the next time
that I had snuck out,
00:15:31.39\00:15:35.03
instead of going back
home and getting caught,
00:15:35.06\00:15:37.90
I decided to not go back home
00:15:37.93\00:15:40.74
and that's when I pretty much
00:15:40.77\00:15:43.37
started to engage in
a different lifestyle.
00:15:43.41\00:15:47.61
Going to that
lifestyle a little bit
00:15:47.64\00:15:50.78
because this is where, I mean,
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.92
the drugs and the
party and the alcohol
00:15:53.95\00:15:55.98
and all that stuff,
that is a dangerous part.
00:15:56.02\00:16:00.06
But there's an
even more dangerous part
00:16:00.09\00:16:02.59
that you got involved in
as you kept making those...
00:16:02.62\00:16:08.03
Like your habits
got worse and worse,
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.10
so going to that dangerous
part of your testimony.
00:16:10.13\00:16:14.34
So when I had
left home, you know,
00:16:14.37\00:16:18.74
I had a little plan,
00:16:18.77\00:16:20.68
I thought it was gonna work.
00:16:20.71\00:16:23.14
And I said, well,
since I have a job
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.21
and, you know, I'm in school...
00:16:25.25\00:16:28.15
I can make it.
00:16:28.18\00:16:29.62
You know, I'll
just save up some money
00:16:29.65\00:16:31.75
and, you know, in a
few months I will be set.
00:16:31.79\00:16:35.09
I have my own
place and everything
00:16:35.12\00:16:37.19
but I didn't have
a place of my own,
00:16:37.23\00:16:39.29
so I started
living off of people.
00:16:39.33\00:16:41.66
You know, I would stay
at different friend's house,
00:16:41.70\00:16:44.33
sleep on their couch
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.27
and I continued to
do what I wanted to do.
00:16:46.30\00:16:51.74
Anything that I felt
00:16:51.77\00:16:54.04
that was gonna
make me feel good,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.15
that's what I did.
00:16:57.18\00:16:58.51
I started doing more
drugs, more hardcore drugs,
00:16:58.55\00:17:04.85
I started drinking a
lot more, and you know,
00:17:04.89\00:17:08.56
engaging in
different activities,
00:17:08.59\00:17:11.53
sexual activities and, you know,
00:17:11.56\00:17:14.73
just the party just
never stopped for me.
00:17:14.76\00:17:16.67
Yeah.
00:17:16.70\00:17:18.03
And I said, "Well,
as long as I'm able to
00:17:18.07\00:17:24.91
just make my own
choices for myself,
00:17:24.94\00:17:27.08
this is, this is what I want."
00:17:27.11\00:17:29.04
You know, I was
stubborn, I was rebellious
00:17:29.08\00:17:32.65
and I was naive.
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.38
Now, see, you said something
very interesting there.
00:17:35.42\00:17:37.92
As long as you were...
00:17:37.95\00:17:40.02
As long as you made
choices for yourself...
00:17:40.06\00:17:42.42
Yeah.
00:17:42.46\00:17:43.79
See when we make
choices for ourselves
00:17:43.83\00:17:46.39
without, without God,
00:17:46.43\00:17:49.30
our choices are,
00:17:49.33\00:17:51.63
they're not good as
we've come to realize.
00:17:51.67\00:17:56.17
So, you know, your
spiral a downward spiral,
00:17:56.20\00:18:01.18
and you're getting
into more hardcore drugs,
00:18:01.21\00:18:05.01
you're outside of your
parents' home at this point,
00:18:05.05\00:18:08.95
sleeping on
couches in various places.
00:18:08.98\00:18:13.15
But what, what took place
with some of these drug dealers?
00:18:13.19\00:18:18.93
When I would do certain drugs,
I became more dependent on them
00:18:18.96\00:18:24.90
because the more you do drugs,
00:18:24.93\00:18:27.00
the more your
body gets used to it.
00:18:27.04\00:18:29.44
So I would to...
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.91
I would try different drugs.
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.84
And you know, I pretty
much like I would try anything
00:18:33.88\00:18:36.88
at least once to see how,
you know, what would happen.
00:18:36.91\00:18:40.95
And there were
times where I would,
00:18:40.98\00:18:45.75
I would sell
drugs to other people
00:18:45.79\00:18:48.32
or buy drugs from people.
00:18:48.36\00:18:50.06
And a lot of times there
was, there were situations that,
00:18:50.09\00:18:53.76
you know, we would call a
sticky situation where people
00:18:53.80\00:18:58.83
would try to, like,
steal from you, rob you,
00:18:58.87\00:19:01.64
beat you up, and
all those things.
00:19:01.67\00:19:03.84
There were times where
00:19:03.87\00:19:05.91
I would do those
things to other people.
00:19:05.94\00:19:08.74
I will, you
know, steal from them.
00:19:08.78\00:19:11.95
And a lot of times, as a result,
00:19:11.98\00:19:16.58
friends that I
thought were my friends,
00:19:16.62\00:19:19.05
I would quickly find out
that, that wasn't the case.
00:19:19.09\00:19:22.09
Yeah.
00:19:22.12\00:19:23.69
And, and that is why I said
00:19:23.73\00:19:25.99
in the
beginning of this program,
00:19:26.03\00:19:27.86
you know, that it's,
00:19:27.90\00:19:29.23
it's amazing that
you're still here.
00:19:29.26\00:19:31.03
God has spared you for a
reason and for a purpose.
00:19:31.07\00:19:33.90
And I wanna go and move into
00:19:33.94\00:19:37.14
the deliverance
portion of your testimony.
00:19:37.17\00:19:40.11
You know, how did
you... How did you...
00:19:40.14\00:19:43.95
You know, because we want to,
00:19:43.98\00:19:45.31
we want people to
know where you came from
00:19:45.35\00:19:46.82
and your past.
00:19:46.85\00:19:48.18
We also...
00:19:48.22\00:19:49.55
The main part, the
meat is the deliverance.
00:19:49.58\00:19:53.82
So how were you
delivered out of this lifestyle?
00:19:53.86\00:19:58.29
Well, this is my favorite part.
00:19:58.33\00:20:02.16
I told you that I
was doing a lot of drugs.
00:20:02.20\00:20:05.00
And there was one particular day
00:20:05.03\00:20:07.70
where I was
contemplating on suicide
00:20:07.74\00:20:11.21
and taken a bunch of pills
00:20:11.24\00:20:12.97
and, you know,
just ending everything.
00:20:13.01\00:20:16.08
You know, I was, at this point
00:20:16.11\00:20:17.48
I had gotten
expelled from school.
00:20:17.51\00:20:20.85
I lost my job.
00:20:20.88\00:20:22.98
A lot of friends
had left my life,
00:20:23.02\00:20:25.52
you know, and I
was just really lonely.
00:20:25.55\00:20:28.02
And, you know, I
was sitting in my room
00:20:28.06\00:20:31.29
and I had a bunch
of pills on a table
00:20:31.33\00:20:35.10
and, you know, as
I was sitting there
00:20:35.13\00:20:38.90
and contemplating that,
00:20:38.93\00:20:41.10
I heard a voice that told
me to get rid of the pills.
00:20:41.14\00:20:46.24
And I was thinking
like, you know, "What?
00:20:46.27\00:20:50.21
I was thinking like,
what, I can't do that.
00:20:50.25\00:20:52.98
You know, I need these pills.
00:20:53.01\00:20:54.35
I need...
00:20:54.38\00:20:55.72
I can't live
without these things."
00:20:55.75\00:20:58.95
But it said again, you
know, just throw them away,
00:20:58.99\00:21:02.32
flush them down the
toilet, do something.
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.19
You know, and for
some reason I did that
00:21:05.23\00:21:08.00
and I just
flushed all the pills.
00:21:08.03\00:21:10.53
And then I got
to thinking like...
00:21:10.57\00:21:14.10
I used to pray, I
used to read the Bible,
00:21:14.14\00:21:16.47
I used to go to church,
00:21:16.50\00:21:18.74
and why don't I do any
of those things anymore?
00:21:18.77\00:21:22.74
And I had a, I had a
Bible with me in my room
00:21:22.78\00:21:26.78
that I don't even remember
00:21:26.82\00:21:28.85
the last time that I opened it
00:21:28.88\00:21:30.39
and, you know, for some reason
I just opened up the Bible
00:21:30.42\00:21:33.96
and started reading.
00:21:33.99\00:21:35.49
And then as I was reading,
00:21:35.52\00:21:38.06
you know, how there's
promises in the Bible,
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.96
I was going through
a particular promise,
00:21:41.00\00:21:44.43
and I don't
remember the exact one.
00:21:44.47\00:21:47.54
But as I was reading
it, my life was like so dark
00:21:47.57\00:21:50.77
and in despair
that when I read it,
00:21:50.81\00:21:53.71
it didn't like come true,
it didn't feel like it was true
00:21:53.74\00:21:58.61
and I heard of another voice
that said "This isn't for you.
00:21:58.65\00:22:03.62
The passage that
you're reading isn't for you
00:22:03.65\00:22:06.19
because look at
all the stuff you did.
00:22:06.22\00:22:08.86
You left the church,
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.33
you're out here doing
all this chaos and nonsense.
00:22:10.36\00:22:14.66
This promise
isn't meant for you."
00:22:14.70\00:22:17.47
And only thing I could do was
just drop to my knees and pray.
00:22:17.50\00:22:20.77
Yeah.
00:22:20.80\00:22:22.14
Because I was like
paralyzed with fear.
00:22:22.17\00:22:23.61
Yeah.
00:22:23.64\00:22:24.97
And as soon as I prayed,
whatever that presence was,
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.78
it just left.
00:22:27.81\00:22:29.64
So I got back up
00:22:29.68\00:22:31.01
and I started reading the Bible
00:22:31.05\00:22:32.95
and I started to, you
know, ring true for me.
00:22:32.98\00:22:36.69
Yes.
00:22:36.72\00:22:38.05
And then I think,
maybe that same week
00:22:38.09\00:22:40.56
and I decided to
walk back into the church.
00:22:40.59\00:22:44.09
And as I walked
back into the church,
00:22:44.13\00:22:47.00
like I thought the
whole church was gonna like,
00:22:47.03\00:22:50.50
just like
condemn me or something.
00:22:50.53\00:22:53.13
But when I walked in,
it was the exact opposite.
00:22:53.17\00:22:56.57
People were just
like welcoming me, loving,
00:22:56.60\00:22:59.41
and they are
just asking me like,
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.14
"Kyle, where've you been?"
00:23:01.18\00:23:02.64
Like, "We haven't
seen you in so long."
00:23:02.68\00:23:05.18
And, you know,
00:23:05.21\00:23:06.55
the deliverance process started.
00:23:06.58\00:23:08.48
And another part of
that was, I got into recovery
00:23:08.52\00:23:13.29
from drugs and alcohol
00:23:13.32\00:23:15.09
because that was
one of the hardest...
00:23:15.12\00:23:17.19
Like NA meetings, AA
meetings, that type of thing.
00:23:17.23\00:23:19.53
Yes, I attended AA, NA.
00:23:19.56\00:23:22.60
I had to go to drug counseling,
you know, from the court.
00:23:22.63\00:23:26.77
I had to go to a lot of
places like that, you know,
00:23:26.80\00:23:32.01
and I was also on probation
00:23:32.04\00:23:35.21
and I had to go through a
lot of stuff with the court
00:23:35.24\00:23:39.25
because I had gotten in trouble,
00:23:39.28\00:23:41.92
you know, from
doing drugs and stuff
00:23:41.95\00:23:45.35
and in trouble with
the law, going to jail.
00:23:45.39\00:23:48.69
So a lot of times
when I would be in court,
00:23:48.72\00:23:55.30
I would just think to
myself like, "Why am I here?
00:23:55.33\00:23:58.73
I'm not... I'm not
supposed to be here."
00:23:58.77\00:24:01.37
You know, I was in the church.
00:24:01.40\00:24:04.31
You know, what if everybody
knew I was here right now,
00:24:04.34\00:24:07.58
what would they think?
00:24:07.61\00:24:09.11
So a lot of times I would
just, there would be times
00:24:09.14\00:24:12.71
where I felt like God was
like, He was reaching out to me
00:24:12.75\00:24:15.92
and He was trying
to just wake me up
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.22
from what I was doing.
00:24:18.25\00:24:19.95
The Holy Spirit was
working on your heart.
00:24:19.99\00:24:22.22
You know, I love that
verse in the Bible that says,
00:24:22.26\00:24:25.56
"Train up a child
the way he should go,
00:24:25.59\00:24:27.93
and when he grows old,
he won't depart from it".
00:24:27.96\00:24:30.57
Yeah. Because it's so true.
00:24:30.60\00:24:33.13
You know, it doesn't mean that,
00:24:33.17\00:24:34.70
you won't veer
off the path perse
00:24:34.74\00:24:39.17
but you will remember
what was instilled in you,
00:24:39.21\00:24:43.41
the principles that
your parents instilled in you
00:24:43.45\00:24:46.85
since you were young.
00:24:46.88\00:24:49.22
So I'm thankful for the
fact that you were brought back.
00:24:49.25\00:24:53.25
And, you know,
when you are a kid,
00:24:53.29\00:24:55.22
you didn't want
people to call you pastor
00:24:55.26\00:24:58.56
and think that you are
gonna be a pastor and say,
00:24:58.59\00:25:03.00
you're gonna be a
pastor and all that.
00:25:03.03\00:25:04.73
But what are you doing now?
What are you in school for now?
00:25:04.77\00:25:09.00
I'm actually in school
now at Atlantic Union College
00:25:09.04\00:25:12.31
and I'm studying Theology,
00:25:12.34\00:25:14.74
which means pretty much
I'm gonna become a pastor
00:25:14.78\00:25:18.55
in two years, you know.
00:25:18.58\00:25:19.91
I'm now in my
second year. Look at that.
00:25:19.95\00:25:22.68
Yeah, I
realized I had a calling.
00:25:22.72\00:25:25.35
And when I came
back into the church,
00:25:25.39\00:25:29.49
this time it was for me.
00:25:29.52\00:25:31.73
And I...
00:25:31.76\00:25:33.09
There was times where I
just, I had to get to church.
00:25:33.13\00:25:36.77
There was, there was nothing...
00:25:36.80\00:25:38.37
There was nothing
that was gonna stop me.
00:25:38.40\00:25:40.97
And when I would go, I
would hear the pastor preach,
00:25:41.00\00:25:44.04
and the message was
for me, it was essentially,
00:25:44.07\00:25:48.41
it was speaking,
God was speaking to me
00:25:48.44\00:25:50.68
through the, through
the voice of the preacher.
00:25:50.71\00:25:53.31
And someone in the church
asked me what I wanted to do
00:25:53.35\00:25:57.42
and I told him, you know,
I think I wanna be a pastor.
00:25:57.45\00:26:00.79
I think I wanna, you know,
00:26:00.82\00:26:02.99
go into ministry
and he said well...
00:26:03.02\00:26:05.33
He asked me what
am I doing about it?
00:26:05.36\00:26:08.00
And I told him, I don't
think, I'm not doing anything,
00:26:08.03\00:26:10.73
you know, I'm
just kind of just here.
00:26:10.77\00:26:12.57
So he said, "We as
the people of the church,
00:26:12.60\00:26:15.90
we're gonna be behind you.
00:26:15.94\00:26:17.67
If you're gonna do that,
00:26:17.71\00:26:19.04
we're gonna help
you move forward."
00:26:19.07\00:26:20.68
And I decided to choose to
go to Atlantic Union College
00:26:20.71\00:26:24.95
to pursue that course of action.
00:26:24.98\00:26:28.25
Wow.
00:26:28.28\00:26:29.62
So that's such a blessing
and it goes to show that,
00:26:29.65\00:26:32.79
you know, God wants to save us,
00:26:32.82\00:26:37.39
He wants us to be saved. Yes.
00:26:37.43\00:26:39.53
And, you know, He can...
Yes, we might go through.
00:26:39.56\00:26:43.03
You know, even as
Christians we go through trials
00:26:43.06\00:26:45.37
and tribulations
and stuff like that,
00:26:45.40\00:26:47.47
but He has that
big picture in mind
00:26:47.50\00:26:52.64
for us to come back to Him.
00:26:52.67\00:26:55.54
He wants, He
wants to take us home,
00:26:55.58\00:26:57.45
He want's to save us.
00:26:57.48\00:26:58.81
Amen.
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.18
And now you're in school to
become a preacher, a pastor.
00:27:00.22\00:27:05.15
Yes. That is a huge blessing.
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.76
So what advice, in
the short amount of time
00:27:08.79\00:27:14.26
that we have left, what advice,
00:27:14.30\00:27:17.47
I want you to look
into this camera here,
00:27:17.50\00:27:19.57
in 15 seconds,
and tell our viewers
00:27:19.60\00:27:24.17
if they're
struggling with anything
00:27:24.21\00:27:26.57
where can they go?
00:27:26.61\00:27:29.01
If they're
struggling with anything,
00:27:29.04\00:27:31.25
just first of all
just pray and talk to God
00:27:31.28\00:27:34.25
and, you know,
00:27:34.28\00:27:35.62
ask Him to give you
direction in your life to
00:27:35.65\00:27:39.02
where you should go next.
00:27:39.05\00:27:41.52
And when you do that,
00:27:41.56\00:27:43.43
the Lord is
gonna surely answer you
00:27:43.46\00:27:45.59
because He answered me.
00:27:45.63\00:27:47.46
And when I asked Him
what I should do next,
00:27:47.50\00:27:50.00
He told me and
continued to lead me
00:27:50.03\00:27:53.90
to that path that
He wants me to be on.
00:27:53.94\00:27:56.00
Amen.
00:27:56.04\00:27:57.37
Thank you so much for
being here with us today.
00:27:57.41\00:27:58.97
Welcome.
00:27:59.01\00:28:00.34
And thank you for
being here with us.
00:28:00.38\00:28:02.38
Join us next time, and remember
00:28:02.41\00:28:04.01
it just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:28:04.05\00:28:06.68