1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Sixteen years later, you've done one thousand, three hundred and 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: fifty two projects and forty five states, Fifteen hundred and 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: forty one widows have been served, fifteen hundred seventy one 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: kids are no longer orphans, and you've raised to date 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: almost twenty million dollars. We got new stats. 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 2: We had five products this past week, fourteen hundred and 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: fifty two projects in forty five states. Okay, one thousand, 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: six hundred and thirty two widows have been served in 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 2: one thousand, six hundred and forty eight kids, and we 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: just passed twenty one minute, twenty one minute. 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: All giddy. 12 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 3: It just makes me giddy. 13 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 14 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, a father, an entrepreneur, 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: and I've been a football coach in Inner City Memphis. 16 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: And the last part it unintentionally led to an oscar 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: for the film about our team. It's called Undefeated. I 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: believe our country's problems will never be solved by a 19 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: bunch of fancy people and nice suits talking big words 20 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: that nobody understands on CNN and Fox, but rather by 21 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: an army of normal folks us just you and me deciding, Hey, 22 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: maybe I can help. That's what jt Olsen, the voice 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: you just heard, has done. JT is the founder of 24 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: Both Hands, which raises money for adoptions by doing service 25 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: projects for widows. And you're going to have to keep 26 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,279 Speaker 1: listening to understand how any of that makes any sense. 27 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: But I'll tell you this, James one seven, that chapter 28 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: and verse has something to do with it. I can't 29 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: wait for you to meet JT. Right after these brief 30 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: messages from our general sponsors. Jt Olsen, Welcome to Memphis. 31 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: Nice to be here. Did you drive down? I did drive? Yes, 32 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: you live in Franklin. I live in frank Well. Brentwood, Yeah, Brightwood. Yeah, 33 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,119 Speaker 1: I live in live in about a three hour ride 34 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: down the road. Good weather or weather was fine. That's good. Thanksgiving. Oh, 35 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: I'm not supposed to timestamp these things, but the holidays 36 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 1: are coming up. In a nice little fall ride down 37 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: the road. No, I can't wait to drive home the 38 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: day see all the leaves, everybody. JT is the founder 39 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: of Both Hands and the author of the orphan The 40 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: Widow and Me came out around twenty sixteen, seventeen, and 41 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: a really interesting dude with an interesting idea that has 42 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: now become a thing that we're going to get into. 43 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: Tell me what both hands is in an elevator pitch, 44 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: and then we'll unpack it all. 45 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, both hands. What we do is we help 46 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: families raise money for adoptions, and we do it by 47 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 2: serving a widow, which is crazy. 48 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: I know. That's when you say, that's it. You help 49 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: you help families raise money for adoptions, and you do 50 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: it by serving widows. Now again, we're going to really 51 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: get into unpacking it all. But why do you need 52 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: to help families with adoption? Is it that expensive? Oh? 53 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: My word, yes, I. 54 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 2: Mean it's much more expensive now than it was ten, twenty, 55 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: thirty years ago. I mean, when someone's adopting thirty or 56 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: forty years ago, they'd pay a lawyer a little bit 57 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 2: of money. Some would contact them an orphanage. There were 58 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: orphanages then, you know, I mean it was just a 59 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 2: different situation. But oh yeah, nowadays adoptions will run anywhere 60 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: from thirty to sixty or seventy thousand dollars. 61 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: That's a lot of money to do something good, I know. 62 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: And a lot of it is just I mean, there 63 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 2: are several costs, legitimate costs. I mean these are adoptions. 64 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,119 Speaker 2: You know, there are adoption agencies. They have people that work. 65 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 2: You have to pay them. I mean they're not gonna 66 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: you know, they'd love to donate their time, but they 67 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: have to earn a living. There's lawyers just to make 68 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 2: sure things are legal. There's courses you have to take 69 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 2: to make the I mean state governments want to make 70 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: sure you are equipped to adopt and should you adopt. 71 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: I mean there's all kinds of things they have to do, 72 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 2: and there's an home study that's usually three to five thousand. 73 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: Now my understanding is both hands. You started about seventeen 74 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: years ago. Yeah, yeah, first probably was two thousand and seven. 75 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: That's incredible. We're gonna we're just skipping. We're going to 76 00:04:55,880 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: unpack it. But I got to ask you why why? Yeah, 77 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: why start it in the first place. 78 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 2: I you know, some guy gave me an idea. I mean, 79 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 2: I was doing a golf tournament for Bethany Christian Services. 80 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 2: I was on the board of Bethany and one year 81 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 2: they told me I was in charge of the golf 82 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 2: tournament and I said a fundraiser. When I said, can 83 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: I do a golf tournament. They said, yeah, do whatever 84 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: you want. I said, So I got a golf room 85 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: together where it was a kid where you recruit a 86 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 2: bunch of people, like twenty thirty guys, and everyone sends 87 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 2: letters out to their friends saying, would you sponsor me 88 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 2: while I golf? Just like you know, sponsor me while 89 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 2: I run a five K or do a hula hoop dance. 90 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 2: K I've actually played it. Yeah, So I send my 91 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 2: letters out and I had a buddy who was in 92 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 2: a Bible study with He sends my letter back to me. 93 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 2: Does not include a check. He just took a magic 94 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: marker and he scribbled across my letter. He said, JT. 95 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 2: If you told me you were working on a widow's house, 96 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 2: I might sponsor you, but you're just golfing. Nice cause, 97 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 2: but not mine. 98 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: Wow. I mean, I hurt my feels a little bit. 99 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: But at the same time I'm thinking. 100 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 3: Well, that's a good idea. 101 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: And I called him a couple of days later. 102 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: We talked about it and laughed, and he still didn't 103 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 2: get HM any money. But the idea just never left me. 104 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 2: Whenever I saw a five K or a golf turn. 105 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: After that, I kept thinking if all those people were 106 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: working on a widow's house. 107 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: Would it be better? 108 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: I just didn't have the orphan part figure out, honestly 109 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 2: until a couple years later. I'm in church running a 110 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: good friend of mine hadn't seen him in a couple months. 111 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: I said, hey, Don, what's up? 112 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: And he looked at me and he says, we're adopting 113 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: four kids from Moldova. From Moldovadov all places. 114 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'm a Soviet block country and DoD. 115 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: Already has to be kids. And so I looked at 116 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 2: him and said, what happened? Maybe the same question I 117 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 2: asked you why? Yes, well, yeah, because what happened is 118 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: he went on a mission with sweet sleep in beds 119 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 2: to orphanages in Moldova, very cool, fell in love this 120 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 2: little boy, George, got home, started the adoption process, and 121 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: found out in the process George has three siblings. And 122 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 2: Don looked at me and he said, we're not going 123 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: to break up the siblings. And that took me back 124 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: to when I was twelve living on a farm in 125 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: northeastern Io where there was five of us kids, five five. 126 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: What were the ages when you were twelve. 127 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: Three, five, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, Wow, and you were on 128 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 2: a farm, not a farm in northeast Nile, a beautiful 129 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: part of the country. Got it right, just two miles 130 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 2: for the Mississippi, right right up the river. 131 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: I get it. 132 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: But one weekend, my mom and dad left to celebrate 133 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: their sixteenth wedding anniversary, and us kids were kind of 134 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 2: farmed out to different places. And I remember Saturday night 135 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 2: being brought home by one of the neighbors because my mom 136 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: and dad were coming home, and you know, I was 137 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 2: in I'd played in the barn all day, so I 138 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 2: had to go in the basement that you My brother 139 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: went in the front door. But I remember sitting on 140 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 2: this chair in our basement, bending over, unlacing my boots, 141 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 2: and my brother came down the stairs and I just 142 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 2: kind of looked up on him. I said, our mom 143 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: and dad home. And he looked at me and he said, 144 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: mom and dad are dead. 145 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: And I said what He said, Mom and dad are dead. 146 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: They were killed in a car accident hour ago, And 147 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 2: he turned around and walked upstairs. 148 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: How old was he? Fifteen? 149 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 2: He was in ninth grade. I was in seventh. Shocked, 150 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 2: he was in shock. I mean, he was just coming 151 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: down to tell me. But I remember that moment. I remember, 152 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 2: and I remember hitting that cold cement floor of our 153 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 2: basement all by myself, wailing like any seventh grader would whale. 154 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 2: I mean, I know what it's like to be an orphan. 155 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 2: I know it's like to wonder what's going to happen 156 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: to us. I know it's like to try and wrestle 157 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 2: with the fact that I'm never going to get to 158 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: see my mom and dad again this side of heaven. 159 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 2: And oh how I wish my last conversation with my 160 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 2: father was different. And I don't wonder who's gonna take 161 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 2: care of us. But I also know what it's like 162 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 2: to be rescued because my mom and dad, my aunt 163 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: and uncle, three months before this accident, they changed their 164 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 2: wills that if anything would happen to one of them, 165 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 2: the other family would take them. 166 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: You're kidding. Three months, Yeah, you talk about timing preminiscent. 167 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Well so my aunt and uncle, I mean, 168 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: get this. 169 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: They were thirty three years old. 170 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: They lived in a really nice suburb of Milwaukee called Brookfield, 171 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 2: and they had three children, and they had just started 172 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: business a. 173 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: Year earlier, and it became eight overnight. 174 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 2: They had a two year old, a third grader, and 175 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 2: a fifth grader. And they took in a three year old, 176 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 2: a five year old, a seventh grader, eighth. 177 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: Grader, and a ninth grader. A ninth grader with a 178 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: thirty three year old parent. Oh yeah, oh my good. 179 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: What amazing people they are. 180 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 2: I know, they're heroes, they're they're they're people who said 181 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 2: yes amidst a bunch of people friends, you know, in 182 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 2: their best interest saying I don't know better, that's not 183 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: a good idea. 184 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: That's going to be hard. You may never have an 185 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: extra twenty dollars as long as you live again with 186 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: eight kids. 187 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: But I know, but I know what it's like to 188 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 2: have someone come in and say we got you. It's 189 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 2: it may not always be pretty, but we got you. 190 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: Do you remember, I mean, you were twelve, and so 191 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: the reality in a twelve year old's brain is going 192 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 1: to be much different than reality and you know, a 193 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: young adult's brain. But beyond the pain and the and 194 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: the sadness and the and the just the the dread 195 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: of having lost your parents, which I can't even fathom 196 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: that at that age, do you also remember the sense 197 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: of what's going to happen to us. 198 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 2: Now, Yeah, yeah, I loved living on the farm. I 199 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 2: loved our life, and I didn't know what was going 200 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,439 Speaker 2: to happen. You know, my my father had a brother, 201 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 2: uncle Clive, who lived with us. You know, he was 202 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: they were partners in the farming. But I you know, 203 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 2: I didn't know. 204 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 1: So in addition to losing your parents, you're losing your friends, 205 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: your school, everything, because you've got to go. 206 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 2: At some point it becomes evident, Yes, something's gonna change, 207 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 2: you know, at some point my aunt and uncle. You know, 208 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 2: it didn't happen right away, but I mean, first of all, 209 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 2: you got to deal with the grief and deal with 210 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 2: all the whole lot of details you gotta deal with. 211 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 2: But yeah, eventually was like, yeah, we're moving to Milwaukee. 212 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: So do you remember feeling I'm just curious, do you 213 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 1: remember feeling thankful that that at that time? Do you 214 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,719 Speaker 1: remember feeling thankful that that was your reality rather than 215 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: you and your siblings being split up and going off 216 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,239 Speaker 1: to orphanages or being farmed out. I mean, you remember 217 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: at least that that was some solace in the middle 218 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: of all this chaos and trauma. Yes, yes, what was 219 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 1: that you feel like. 220 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 2: That felt like we're going to the main thing was 221 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 2: the five of us kids are going to stay together. 222 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 2: And you have to Rember, my aunt and uncle, my 223 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 2: mom and my aunt sisters were best friends. 224 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: And I'm not exaggerating, they were best friends. Not only 225 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: was she taken in five kids, she lost her best friend. Yeah, yeah, 226 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: so she was dealing with grief, yes, and stepped up. Yes. 227 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 2: And Uncle Ralph and my dad were good friends. I mean, 228 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 2: and we loved Uncle Ralph. You know, I'll go you 229 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 2: know what I mean. He played with us, you know, 230 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: played football with us. 231 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: You know. 232 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 2: My dad was a lot older than my mom. There, 233 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 2: you know, that's another whole story. He was forty two 234 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 2: when they got married. She was twenty one. He was 235 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 2: a Norwegian bachelor farmer that we hear someone talk about 236 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 2: once in a while. 237 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: So what you might call a gentleman farmer. Said yeah, 238 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: so you remember arriving in Minneapolis, having lost your parents 239 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: and your friends in your school and Milwaukee, I mean Milwaukee, 240 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: I apologize Milwaukee. But the first thing that just came 241 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: out of your mouth to me was you do remember 242 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 1: at least some solace saying, Hey, my siblings and I 243 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: are going to stay together. Yeah, so when you heard 244 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: the story of the Moldovian family, you had to have 245 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: had some cinema of the same feel for those children. 246 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 2: And that's exactly what happened. When I think about what 247 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 2: happened with us, you know, my aunt and uncle taken 248 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 2: all five of us in and then I just looked 249 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 2: at don The thought that went through my mind was, 250 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 2: here's a man who's trusting God in a way. 251 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: That I am. 252 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 2: I mean, I want to have that kind of faith. 253 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 2: And I by then we had adopted. Our fifth child's adopted, 254 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 2: so we knew it was going to be expensive. I 255 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 2: looked at Donn. I said, how much is going to cost? 256 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 2: And he said wehell, they're telling us seventy or eighty thousand. 257 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: And I said, yifs any idea, how are you going 258 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 2: to do it? And he said no, and I said 259 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 2: and that's when it hit me. Initially started out you 260 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 2: asking why it hit me. I thought, I got an 261 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: idea do and so Don and I put together a 262 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 2: team about fourteen fifteen people. We found a widow in 263 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: Nashville who needed help. We got everything donated supply wise 264 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 2: that we need. I mean, we didn't pull a permit. 265 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 2: You know, we're just doing fix up stuff, you know. 266 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: And we all sent letters up to people saying would 267 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: you sponsor me while I work on this widow's house. 268 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 2: All the money I raised is going to go towards 269 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 2: getting these four kids home from Moldova. And I mean, 270 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 2: the beautiful, beautiful day March two thousand and seven, I'll 271 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: never forget it, thirty thirty five people showed up. It 272 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 2: was glorious, and the widow was blessed, she was blown away, 273 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 2: and we ended up raising a little over seventy thousand 274 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 2: when it was all over said and. 275 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: Done, and that kind of freaked me out. And now 276 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: a few messages from our gener sponsors. But first, I 277 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: hope you'll consider signing up to join the army at 278 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: normal folks dot us. By signing up, you'll receive a 279 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: weekly email with short episode summaries in case you happen 280 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: to miss an episode, or if you prefer reading about 281 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: our incredible guests, we'll be right back. So you're raised 282 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: in Milwaukee by your aunt and uncle. Become mom and dad. 283 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: I assume, well. 284 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: They became mom and dad to my three year old 285 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 2: and five year old sister. Yeah, us three boys it 286 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:06,479 Speaker 2: was always. 287 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: And uncle Rol, but you're thankful for him and it 288 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: is now your family. 289 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 2: Oh yes, yes, and he has to remember we visited 290 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 2: Milwaukee a lot, and my cousins would come to the 291 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 2: farm and stay for the summer for two Yeah. I 292 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 2: knew the neighbors, you know, we had been there before. 293 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, so it wasn't like, oh, this is all strange. 294 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 2: I mean it was different going to a suburbian a 295 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 2: very nice suburbian school versus. 296 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: The farm farm. That was different. I'm sure it was different. 297 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: So you do that, you move on and you meet 298 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: somebody in Marrier on my work. Okay, you just took 299 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: a few leaps there. But yeah, yeah, so I think 300 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: she's germane to the story is uh, as I think 301 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: about it all and I just you know, tell me about. 302 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 2: Her, about my bride. Yeah, uh, my bride is wonderful. 303 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: It's Sarah. 304 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 2: And I met her when she walked into one of 305 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 2: my interviews. I was running when I when I recruited 306 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 2: students to sell books in the summertime. 307 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: Tell us about it. I sold books, tell us about 308 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: that job. I told all of that because I want 309 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: I want people to understand kind of the background That 310 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: led up to you supporting your friend in Moldovia. That 311 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: led to now what you're doing? Give me that, give 312 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: me that background. 313 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,920 Speaker 2: Wow, I sold books as a college student. I mean, 314 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 2: you know when I was in high school and that 315 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 2: first year of college, I refer to the junior, senior, 316 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 2: and freshman year in college is the last years because 317 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 2: I was so into a lot of things I probably 318 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 2: should have been into, you know. And and you know, 319 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 2: I went to University of Wisconsin, Madison to go to 320 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 2: college because I wanted to major in party and that 321 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 2: was all. 322 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: My friends were going. And I thought, That's what I'm 323 00:17:58,119 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: going to do. And I did a good job my 324 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 1: freshman year. I have a pretty good school of that. 325 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 2: That a pretty good school of that, yes, and everyone's 326 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 2: proud of it, you know, I and I took part 327 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 2: of it. But you know, there was something happened in 328 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 2: April that year. I remember I was going to go 329 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,959 Speaker 2: back to Wisconsin, to Milwaukee from Madison for the summer 330 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 2: to work at this Cole's had a bunch of food 331 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 2: stores in sixty stores, I worked in the bakery. Was 332 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 2: going to work in the bakery like I'd done in 333 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 2: my park time job for. 334 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: Junior and senior year. 335 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 2: But my roommate came back and said, hey, I got 336 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 2: a great job. 337 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: I got this job. 338 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 2: I'm going to be selling books this summer. 339 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: I said, you are crazy. He said, no, no, no, 340 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: it's a good thing. Look at this bro. 341 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:36,360 Speaker 2: No, no, no, you're crazy. Anyway, he said, come meet 342 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 2: this guy. So I met him, and the guy laid 343 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: it out for me. And initially I did, like I mean, 344 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 2: primarily I loved the product. I thought, Okay, this is 345 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 2: a good product. I could see selling this. And then 346 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 2: the guy explained to me, said we only got to 347 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 2: sell one or two a day. I said, and I 348 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 2: didn't picture myself as a sales guy. And I said okay, 349 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 2: And I went back and told my uncle. Now, my 350 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 2: uncle and I probably weren't. Of all the eight kids, 351 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: I was the one he probably got along with the least. Okay, 352 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 2: I was the I mean, I think my sisters, you know, 353 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 2: and they hear, they're gonna say, yeah, he was the 354 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 2: black sheet, you know. I was the one that had 355 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 2: the party that seventy kids came to and my aunt 356 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 2: and uncle left on vacation. And I mean I was, 357 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 2: I was not. I didn't do a good job and 358 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 2: a lot of things I wish I hadn't done. But 359 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 2: but my uncle he said wait, and he was running 360 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 2: a business, so he was a sales guy and an 361 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 2: engineering sales guy, and he said, well, man, you only 362 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: sell one or two a day, or even three a day. 363 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 2: You're you're going to do real well. He said you 364 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 2: should do that. And I think my uncle was trying 365 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 2: to think, how can I make sure he's not home 366 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 2: for this summer. He's going to be trapper out selling 367 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 2: books anyway, But he said, yeah, you should do it, 368 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 2: and I think he also knew that I needed something 369 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 2: like that. But I went and sold books that summer, 370 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: and I remember I knocked on doors. They it's a 371 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 2: group where they it's a Southwestern company. It's it's like 372 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 2: one hundred and eighty one hundred ninety year old company, 373 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 2: I mean out of Nashville. It's one of the original 374 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 2: companies that's still in Nashville. But it was a great 375 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,919 Speaker 2: company and just a lot of great godly men and 376 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 2: women who lead that place. And it's just I learned 377 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 2: a lot and I grew a lot. When you knock 378 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 2: on doors for three months, you knock on three thousand 379 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 2: doors and you have to meet and deal with people 380 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 2: you know and make it good for some pression ten fifteen, 381 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 2: twenty seconds. You learn a lot and I ended up 382 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:22,719 Speaker 2: doing it for six summers. 383 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: And when doors get slammed in your face, you also learned, 384 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: well that was that door. 385 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 2: Let me go this next, and just let's move it 386 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 2: fast as we pops. We can't and most people don't 387 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 2: slam doors in face by way. That's kind of a stereotype, 388 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: you know. And we're not told to put our foot 389 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 2: in the door. That's a stereotype. It was totally different 390 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 2: and it was a great experience for me. 391 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: I sold waterless cookware two summers when I was in college, 392 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: door to door waterlessokwear, waterless cookware, zig kind of thing, 393 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 1: exactly the exact same stuff, okay for Royal Prestige, which 394 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: is exactly who he worked for. And during my first 395 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 1: year doing it, I became as zig Zigglar disciple because 396 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: he was the waterless cookwear guy, and actually got to 397 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: meet him once as a result of that, sure did 398 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: and got to listen to him talk for about twenty minutes. 399 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 1: But the whole point was, I know what that is, 400 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: and it's all summer long and sometimes you go to 401 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: one or two different cities and you were with a 402 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 1: bunch of other college kids and you're selling books and 403 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: or waterscoocore or whatever, and you're making money. And it 404 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 1: is one heck of a learning experience. 405 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's like you get a master's in sales. 406 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 2: I mean, people who live in Nashville, they know Southwestern 407 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 2: because a lot of the business leaders who built the 408 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 2: big buildings and ran the banks and did all that, they. 409 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: All started selling books and they living in Nashville. So 410 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: you evolved working for them right full time? Is that right? 411 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean I sold for first four summers and 412 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 2: I graded from college. I sold the summer after that 413 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 2: because I didn't have a career lined up, you know, 414 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: and it was a good deal. I could have made 415 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 2: more money in three months than I would have taken 416 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 2: a salary job, you know, back in nineteen sixty seven nine. 417 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 2: But then after that summer, they said you want to 418 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 2: come in and do this full time? I said, I 419 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 2: wasn't sure. But I had a good friend of mine 420 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 2: he said he was a salesman. He said, Jat, you know, 421 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 2: this has changed your life. If you do this, If 422 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 2: you don't do this, you're going to always look back 423 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,160 Speaker 2: and regret I didn't at least give it a shot 424 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 2: because my picture of being a district sales manager with 425 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 2: the Southwestern Company. It's the hardest job in the world. 426 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 2: You work real hard. I mean, the rewards were great. 427 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 2: I heard you got good pay, you know, but I 428 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 2: didn't know, and I said, Okay, I'll give it a shot. 429 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 2: And honestly, part of it was, I tell you it 430 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 2: was after my first summer. Here's what really when I 431 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 2: look back on my life and some of the major 432 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 2: fence posts that first summer. I remember, after the whole summer, 433 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 2: my student manager, the guy who recruited me, Dick Justman, 434 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 2: he was driving me back to my headquarters after a 435 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 2: Sunday meeting because we always have Sunday meetings. You'd work 436 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 2: six days, and you know, we all stayed in the 437 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 2: same area. I was in Los Angeles, al Hamburg. That's 438 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: where I was knocking on doors. That's correatt. I cut 439 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 2: my teeth in LA. But I remember he was driving 440 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 2: me home and I wasn't going to see him again 441 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 2: till he got back to school because I was leaving. 442 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 2: He was staying on another week and I looked around 443 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 2: at the freeway going by me, all the buildings. I'm 444 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 2: in Los Angeles, first time i'd seen the Pacific Ocean, 445 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 2: first time I'd done so many things that a farm 446 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 2: kid or a kid from the Midwest hadn't seen, and 447 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 2: I learned a lot. And I looked at Dick and 448 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 2: I said, Dick, I just want to say thank you 449 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 2: for getting me into this thing and for being here 450 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 2: and for helping me. 451 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 1: Go through this. 452 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 2: You were really it's you've really made a difference. And 453 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 2: he just kind of like, ah, JT you could have 454 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 2: done it yourself. You didn't mean that much. I said, no, 455 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 2: you really, you really helped me. 456 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 1: I'm grateful. 457 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 2: And then I remember we both were kind of quiet 458 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 2: looking at the freeway going by. But the thought that 459 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 2: went through my head was he must feel awesome right now, 460 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 2: because if he doesn't, it's because I didn't communicate well 461 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 2: enough to him the impact he made in my life. 462 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 2: And then the next thought hit me, wouldn't it be 463 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 2: cool if someone could feel that way about jt Olsen's 464 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 2: And that's what made me think this is leadership thing 465 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 2: is kind of neat, and if you can impact people's 466 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 2: lives and so every summer. Every year I recruited teams 467 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 2: to go out and sell books and had an impact 468 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 2: on kids in the years. Every year I learn more 469 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 2: about management, about leadership. Made a lot of mistakes, screwed 470 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 2: up a lot, but you know, did some things right too. 471 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:22,479 Speaker 2: And when they said I could be a sales bander, 472 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 2: I said, Okay, let's try it. And that leads me 473 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 2: to you know, my second or third year as a 474 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 2: sales bander. You recruiting kids, recruiting college students. I'm at 475 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 2: at the Howard Johnson's and Madison, Wisconsin, you know, and 476 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 2: running an interview or one of my actual approgiate, one 477 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 2: of my young students is running an interview and ten 478 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 2: people are in that room, and there's one very sharp 479 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 2: looking young lady. I mean outrageously beautiful, stark, raving, gorgeous 480 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 2: is what I would say. That's how it smoking hot. 481 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 2: That's my life still today after forty years. She's amazing. 482 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 2: But and my student manager ran that meeting and he was, 483 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 2: you know, he was doing the best he could. But anyway, 484 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 2: when it was all over, she was one of them 485 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 2: that said, yeah, I want to do this. So I 486 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 2: got to know her a little bit She went out 487 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 2: and sow books that summer, came back for a second 488 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,239 Speaker 2: summer to be a student manager, and I just you know, 489 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 2: she was just one of the students. And that's that 490 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 2: was kind of the the rule you use. They're students, 491 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 2: and you don't do you know, you keep your distance. 492 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 2: But she came back and she had decided that she 493 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 2: loved She really wanted to make a difference. She ended 494 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 2: up being the top of the eighteen twenty years. I 495 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: was a sales pager. 496 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,399 Speaker 1: I've never had a student recruit as many as she did. 497 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 2: I think she recruited a twenty four person team to 498 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 2: come to Nashville. That's hard. Most kids recruit two. If 499 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 2: you really get a good one, they recruit ten. Yeah, okay, 500 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 2: she recruited twenty four. 501 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: It doesn't hurt to be good looking when you do that, 502 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: I know. And there were some sharp guys recruited. 503 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 3: Sheets are really sharp guys, you know. 504 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 2: And I talked to her, but you see when someone's 505 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 2: doing that, coach, it's just like when you got to 506 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 2: team someone on your player who's really in charge of things, 507 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,400 Speaker 2: you spend more time with them. And plus she had 508 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 2: a quart of work. Was like, okay, now she's got 509 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 2: twelve people. Okay, how are you going to manage your time, 510 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 2: your school, everything else? How are you gonna do this? 511 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 2: And we just spent because of what the job she 512 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 2: was doing. We spent a lot of time together and 513 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 2: there was a mutual respected development. 514 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: Seems like it, you know, so sore, we got married, 515 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: we eloped. Actually did you really love at school? We'll 516 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: be right back, all right, So there's the love affair there. 517 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: You are, You're on your way, You have your life, 518 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: and then you ran in to depth. 519 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 2: That's that's a story. It'll change your life. 520 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 521 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 2: Because every year, every year at Southwestern, this company would 522 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 2: have a huge meeting. It was called the Great Recruiters Seminar, 523 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 2: and it was in January because get all the kids 524 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 2: fired up to recruit a team for the spring semester, 525 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 2: sweat and go out and sell in the summertime. But 526 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 2: like seven eight hundred kids would come to Nashville from 527 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 2: all schools all over the country, in Europe and things 528 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 2: like that. That particularly, I think it was one or 529 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: ninety two. I had about fifty managers coming in. So 530 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 2: I had a big week ahead of me because I 531 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 2: had had a pretty good sized organization. 532 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: Sarah. Yes, and Sarah's involved. Yeah. In fact, she was 533 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: so good. 534 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,959 Speaker 2: I mean she would teach a class at the women's 535 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 2: in Sales school every year. So a lot of the women, 536 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 2: even if they weren't working with me, they knew Sarah. 537 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 2: But the ones who worked with me personally, they knew 538 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,159 Speaker 2: Sarah because she would come at the sun the meetings. 539 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,239 Speaker 2: She'd you know, I mean, we had kids were she 540 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 2: was involved, and and she sold books for four summers, 541 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 2: so she knew the value of it, and so she 542 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 2: was very encouraging. But the first thing one of my 543 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 2: other older managers, King told me, when we got there, 544 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 2: and when the students are getting geary, he says, hey, 545 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 2: I just thought i'd tell you Deb is. Deb is pregnant, 546 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 2: and but she's scheduled for an abortion next week in 547 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 2: Iowa on Wednesday. Deb was a student at the University 548 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 2: of Wisconsin at Madison. And it's just my heart sank 549 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 2: and she and Tim said, well, don't tell me what 550 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 2: I told you, but she would she don't want me 551 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,159 Speaker 2: to tell you what I thought you'd better know. And 552 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 2: I went back and told my wife, Miraclis. Somehow we 553 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 2: got childcare for the next two days. We had a 554 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 2: three year old in an infant at that time. Somebody 555 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 2: watched our kids for two days, where my wife spent 556 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 2: the next two days with Deb doing just loving on her, saying, 557 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 2: you know, there's another option. There's another option for this. 558 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 2: You know, there's you know, we can do this. Let's 559 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 2: go get a picture of the baby. No, no, no, 560 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: and Deb was just like arms folded, no, no, no way. 561 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 2: My parents are going to be so disappointed in me. 562 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,719 Speaker 2: I'm she was kind of the Golden Chado. I mean 563 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 2: she was you know, and she was you know, she 564 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 2: was really effective. She was a great salesperson, a sharp 565 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 2: young lady. And uh we just said, well, tell you 566 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 2: what you know. Jajon and I my wife would said, 567 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 2: Jayon and I want to have kids again. You should 568 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 2: stay with us. We've got to extra over the house, 569 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 2: live with us. We'll adopt this baby. You can go 570 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 2: back to Madison when it's over, and things that life 571 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 2: can just go on. 572 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: And dead was no, no way. 573 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 2: And when she left on Saturday afternoon, my heart just 574 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 2: was it was sad. We were praying, just it was. 575 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 2: It was sad. Somewhere between Nashville and Madison on Interstate 576 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 2: sixty five, she heard a song that was popular that 577 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 2: year by Eric Clapton, and there was a phrase in 578 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 2: that song I said, would you know my name if 579 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 2: you saw me in heaven? And something snapped, I mean 580 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 2: dev just she changed her mind. She went back, she 581 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 2: told her mom and dad. Her mom and dad loved her, 582 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 2: just like she said they we said, they want, you know. 583 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 2: And then a week later she shows up on our 584 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 2: front porch and said, is that deal still good? 585 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 3: We said, sure, come on, and we got I mean, 586 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 3: we just did. 587 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: What anyone else would would do. It's I don't know 588 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: if you've done what anybody else would do, but good enough. 589 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 2: She took she took me up on the deal, and 590 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 2: and uh, you know uh and she lived with us, 591 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 2: and at one point during one of the doctor's office 592 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 2: it's a pretty funny story's in the book, but my 593 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 2: wife found out she was pregnant, and and and the 594 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 2: and the just the sovereignty of God. 595 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: I look at this thing. 596 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 2: I just I can just sit back and say, I 597 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 2: don't know how all this happens, but. 598 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: That was had changed her mind. Living in a house 599 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: with the wife that's pregnant, with deb that's pregnant and 600 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: two small children and selling books. Well yeah, well I 601 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: was managing. Yeah, but you know what I mean, yeah, exactly, Yeah, 602 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: it was at all I can say is yikes. We 603 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: just like take one day at a time, you know. 604 00:30:58,400 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 2: Uh. 605 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: That's It's so that when Dev had. 606 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 2: A child, Ah, it was amazing and it was beautiful. 607 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 2: And Ashton was born. 608 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: And the. 609 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 2: Father, who was also one of my students. In fact, 610 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 2: i'd worked them for five years and I'd mendored him 611 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 2: for five years. We were good friends. He was mad. 612 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 2: He was mad, and he was thinking like most I mean, 613 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 2: not to his way, but like everybody, let me just 614 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 2: take care of this issue. 615 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: And we'll do it that way. But Ashton was born. 616 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 2: And it's interesting about a week later, somewhere in there, 617 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 2: a month later, we got a card from Deb's mom 618 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 2: and it was just just a regular card. I think 619 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 2: the title on the front it says, I know how 620 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 2: it is to I know it is to know God. 621 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 2: It's people like you who make him real. But you 622 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 2: open it up. And there were two sentences in there, Coach, 623 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 2: that rocked my world. One of them, the first sense 624 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 2: was thank you for being there when my Debbie needed somebody, 625 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 2: and she said, I'll never be able to thank you 626 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 2: for saving my granddaughter's life. Wow, he read something like that. 627 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: And we didn't do anything. 628 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 2: We did was say come on in, you know, I 629 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 2: mean that's what we did and and and love Donner. 630 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 2: And it was amazing the way people came around her 631 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 2: and our community group from church, I mean, and we 632 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 2: had another girl's stay with us. At one point, the 633 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 2: whole community group watched her child. You know, why she 634 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 2: went to college. I mean, I've seen the church come 635 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: around situations like this and just take care of it. 636 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 2: So it's it's it's pretty amazing. But the cool thing 637 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 2: about well, she's in Dallas, she's married. Her last name 638 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 2: is is right, she married mister Wright. 639 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: Hious and uh, but it was funny because well did 640 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: deb race her? 641 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 2: Yes, Well, what happened is another sailor of Southwestern eventually 642 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 2: married deb byby became friends. They got married Tim and 643 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 2: she became Tim and Debbie Knight and Ashton. They raised 644 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 2: her in Franklin, you know, right next to where we live. Uh, 645 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 2: And we saw her once in a while, you know, 646 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 2: and things like that. 647 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: I and at her. 648 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 2: High school got invited to her high school graduation party 649 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 2: and I remember my wife and I walking in there, 650 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 2: and there across the room, I saw Todd, the father, 651 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 2: and he started walking towards me, and I honestly didn't 652 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 2: know if I was gonna get hugged or slugged, but. 653 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 3: He was there, so obviously something was going on. 654 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 2: But he walked up to me and shook my hands 655 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 2: like hi, jt Hi Sarah, and then he kind of 656 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 2: stepped back and just kind of set his steps, you know, 657 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 2: and said, I just want to say I'm sorry for 658 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 2: being such a jerk. When when all this happened, he said, 659 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 2: I can't tell you what a joy Ashton has been 660 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 2: in my life. And he tried to finish, and he 661 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 2: couldn't finish. He just started sobbing, and he grabbed me 662 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 2: and hugged me, and it's like one of those hugs 663 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 2: where you feel a man's ribs just moving, like he's 664 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 2: sobbing as a man who's just saying I'm sorry. I 665 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: didn't realize when he was six, or when she was 666 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,839 Speaker 2: six or seven years old, Todd had married somebody, his girl. 667 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 2: His wife said, you mean, you've got a daughter somewhere 668 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 2: and you haven't had any contact with her, and she 669 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 2: just she encouraged Todd in a very godly way to 670 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 2: be involved, and I mean they did. They Todd got 671 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 2: to know his daughter, and when Ashton got married five 672 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 2: years later, Sarah and I were invited to the wedding 673 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 2: and I got to see Ashton walk down the aisle 674 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 2: by her biological father and her dad or the who 675 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,480 Speaker 2: married her mom. Crazy they walked that out about as 676 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 2: well as anyone could. So that's had a huge effect 677 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 2: on us. And in the in the nineties, we had 678 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 2: like four different girls stay with you know who were 679 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 2: in a situation where they said and they were going 680 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 2: to have an a boars and they changed their mind. 681 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: So the reason that story to me is so important 682 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,919 Speaker 1: is when you think about what happened to you when 683 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: you're twelve, and the gift and blessing of your aunt 684 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: and and your recognition even at twelve years old that hey, 685 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 1: me and my siblings are going to stay together, and 686 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: then leading up to before you ever thought about doing 687 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 1: the widow thing to raise money for your buddy with 688 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:42,919 Speaker 1: the four kids from Aldovia. Along the course of your life, 689 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: children and unwed mothers and kids that have the prospect 690 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: of no home and all of those things just kept 691 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: being put in your life. It almost feels like you 692 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: were being groomed. 693 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 3: I know, you know what it's like. 694 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 2: It's like when you look at the tapestry from the backside, 695 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 2: none of that it makes sense. 696 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 3: I mean you can tell a little bit of an outline. 697 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 2: It's when you turn it over you were like, oh, 698 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 2: there's where. 699 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: It all is. 700 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 2: I mean, the accident happened when I was twelve. I 701 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,880 Speaker 2: started both hands when I was fifty two. There's a 702 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 2: forty year difference there. I had a radio when the 703 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 2: book came out. I was interviewed a few times. 704 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: You know. One of the radio. 705 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,319 Speaker 2: Guys said, you know, there's some biblical significance to the 706 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 2: number forty. 707 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: No kidding, And I said, yeah, and you know what, 708 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 1: it just what. 709 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 3: It turns out. 710 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 2: The more I look back, the more I see it, 711 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: the more I study, it's like, that's forty years. That 712 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:47,360 Speaker 2: was preparation time. That was preparational. Like God would say, JT. 713 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,800 Speaker 2: Everything up between now and here, everything else has been preparation. Now, 714 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:53,839 Speaker 2: this is what you've been preparing for, This is what 715 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 2: you were meant to do. Just tee it up and 716 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 2: swing because this is going to be fun. 717 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: So in ninety seven and you leave Southwestern you had 718 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: four kids at the time, and you've been on the 719 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: road a bunch and you mentioned it earlier, but you 720 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: start working for Bethany Christian Services on well, on the board, 721 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: working with not for Bethany Christian Services, which, of course, surprise, surprise, 722 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 1: is an adoption agency. What a shock. I mean, one 723 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: more step in the grooming process, and some things happened. Yeah, 724 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 1: that even illuminated your path a little bit more, I guess, 725 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: is the way i'd say it. 726 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the culmination. What are the culminations the 727 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 2: highlights of that path? 728 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: In there was. 729 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 2: Christmas Eve two thousand and one. I'm headed to the 730 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 2: attict to get the stockings to hang by the chimney 731 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:58,959 Speaker 2: with care, because that's my job. 732 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: Right hold on, I got a question, quick intermission. Do 733 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: you have a fake Christmas tree or to use real 734 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 1: Christmas tree? Fake? Sorry? Do you feel like a communist? 735 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 1: I hate it, Lisa doesn't. I grew up in apartments, 736 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: all right, Okay? Mom was Dad left when I was 737 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: home when I was young, and I never had a 738 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: I never had a house with a front lawn to 739 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: cut until I bought my own when I was in 740 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:34,799 Speaker 1: my thirst. Okay, I never had the organic family Christmas. Now. 741 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: We always went to my grandparents and that was a 742 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: family Christmas. But I'm talking to mom and Dad, a fireplace, 743 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: Christmas tree, all that, and so I am Griswaldian at Christmas. 744 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,279 Speaker 1: I want to load I want to load my four 745 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:51,040 Speaker 1: kids up in the family roadster. I want to drive 746 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 1: out some mud somewhere. I want to cut down a tree. 747 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: I want to bring it home. I want to spend 748 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: the afternoon trimming it. I want some eggnog. I want 749 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,080 Speaker 1: to fire in the fireplace. I want to put the 750 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: stand on the tree. I want to drag it in. 751 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: I want all that. That's what I want, And I 752 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: got that for about the first twelve years of my 753 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:13,920 Speaker 1: marriage with my children. And then one Christmas when we 754 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,440 Speaker 1: left the tree up a little long and the needles 755 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: fell off and Lisa burn up the motor on her 756 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: electrologue vacuum in the trees up and that was under 757 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,360 Speaker 1: real trees for me, and we went Communists and started 758 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,240 Speaker 1: fake Christmas trees that I get out of the attic 759 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:29,880 Speaker 1: now and it it kills me. 760 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 2: I love not having to clean up all the needles after. 761 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: You are Christmas Communists, so anyway. 762 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I do love the good smell, So anyway, 763 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 2: that's that's a small diversion from your story. But I 764 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 2: just thought I might want to tell you, since the 765 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 2: holidays are coming up, that those of you with fake 766 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 2: Christmas trees are. 767 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 1: Doing it wrong. I'm among you, but it is under 768 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,080 Speaker 1: protest and at the behest of my beautiful wife Lisa, 769 00:39:57,120 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 1: because of her electrologues. Okay, go ahead. You're in the. 770 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 2: Attic and I look around the attic and I see 771 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 2: a high chair, I see a stroller, and I see 772 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:09,440 Speaker 2: a crib, and the thought hits me, We've got everything 773 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 2: we need to raise another child. 774 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 1: This is Christmas of two thousand and one. Yes, okay, 775 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve. And you're working for Bethany, not working on 776 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 1: working with you're on the board of Bethany. 777 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 2: Christian Services, which is an adoption agency, and they ministered 778 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,719 Speaker 2: to women in crisis pregnancies. Got right, That's a big 779 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 2: part of what they were doing. 780 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:34,880 Speaker 1: And so it's Christmas Eve, now is it? Because you 781 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:37,600 Speaker 1: were filled with the holiday cheer and the feelings of 782 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 1: joy at Christmas, at this thing hits you. I mean, really, 783 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:45,720 Speaker 1: what's did you have too much eggnog. What are you thinking? 784 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: You already had how many kids? 785 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 2: Stark raving, gorgeous wife, that's what it was. 786 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: Okay, how many kids, but you already had four kids? Four? Yeah, 787 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: you have four kids and you're howled at this time. 788 00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 3: I am forty two forty three. 789 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I'm like that you start getting the kids 790 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,759 Speaker 1: moved on. Yes, I have your second bite of life. Yes, 791 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 1: that's right. And you had too much egg Now you 792 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: have to sharespan communists and do you see this stuff 793 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 1: and you say, hey, we got everything we need for 794 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,080 Speaker 1: another kid. When did you decide to mention it to Sarah? 795 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:17,799 Speaker 2: Well, because previous to that, because I'm on the board 796 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,360 Speaker 2: of Bethany, I'm going to these meetings every month. I 797 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 2: come back from a meeting and my wife would say, well, 798 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 2: how was the meeting. 799 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 3: I said, Oh, it was this. 800 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:26,840 Speaker 1: We did that, We got that going, we got this 801 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: much money. 802 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 2: This has came in. Oh, when there's two kids down 803 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:31,799 Speaker 2: at Baptist, just just warn the nick you And she. 804 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 3: Said, oh, let's go see you. I said, why. 805 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: Sarah's crazy too. She said, well, maybe we could adopt him. 806 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 2: I said, honey, we just started a business. We were 807 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 2: starting a recruiting business. You know, we've been in it 808 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:46,239 Speaker 2: for a couple of years. I said, we're not really 809 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 2: bringing home that much money. Most of somebody's going out. 810 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:50,480 Speaker 2: We still got four kids living in Brentwood. This is 811 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 2: I mean, do you it would take all our life savings? 812 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 2: Do you want to use our life savings? And that 813 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 2: would quieter down, and then another month to go by, 814 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 2: and I would innotantly come back stupidly forgetting what the 815 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 2: conversation was the mother for and how was the meeting? 816 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 2: Oh we did this, we did that, we did that 817 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 2: about a little little and there's a child that Southern 818 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:14,760 Speaker 2: Hills right now, let's go. And I said, no, we can't. 819 00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 2: And at one point, and there were times I talked 820 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:19,640 Speaker 2: to her about it because we're on this board of Bethany, 821 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:21,799 Speaker 2: We're going to these fundraisers, we're meeting all these people 822 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 2: in the adoption world. I didn't find out until later 823 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,520 Speaker 2: that there's several people praying for us to adopt. You know, 824 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 2: the question was what are j T and Sarah doing 825 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 2: us adoption? They haven't adopted, but they're in this adoption world. 826 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:34,000 Speaker 2: And we went to a church that had an adoption culture, 827 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 2: I mean, like twenty percent of the kids in the 828 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:41,399 Speaker 2: in the in the child's ministry, we're adopted. I mean, 829 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,799 Speaker 2: that's a culture of adoption. So we're all around it. 830 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 2: And finally, one at one point, my wife says to me, listen, 831 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 2: I could be happy with these four kids the rest 832 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 2: of my life. I could be just as happy with 833 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,799 Speaker 2: one more. You got four other kids. They'd love to 834 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 2: have a big brother or a little baby brother or 835 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 2: little sister. 836 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:03,879 Speaker 1: I said, you. 837 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 2: Got five of us in this family. On one side, 838 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 2: there's only one person in this family who's kind of 839 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:11,919 Speaker 2: standing in the way. And you know, you can talk 840 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:14,120 Speaker 2: to your friends about adoption, and you talk to me. 841 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: Sometimes you're up for it. Sometimes you're not. 842 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 2: Talk to your friends, but stop talking to me until 843 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 2: you're ready. So she kind of gave me the what 844 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,719 Speaker 2: four I'm at? And then mednight meantime, I'm putting my 845 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 2: kids to bed, and every night these kids are right, 846 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 2: and dear God, please let Dad let us adopt. 847 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 3: So you're asking me, were there anything, Was there anything 848 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:40,080 Speaker 3: that happened? 849 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, there was a few things. 850 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 3: So that's the background. 851 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 2: So now it's Christmas Eve, two thousand and one, and 852 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:51,680 Speaker 2: I'm headed to the attic to get the stockings to 853 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:53,879 Speaker 2: hang by the chimney with here, because that's my job. 854 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:57,520 Speaker 2: And I look around and there's a high chair and 855 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 2: a crib and a stroller. And then the thought hits me, 856 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 2: we've got everything we need to raise another child. And 857 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:07,800 Speaker 2: then the next thought hits me, what's wrong with using 858 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:14,200 Speaker 2: life savings to save a life? And it just it 859 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 2: was like God dealt with my greed, my my my fear, 860 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 2: my lack of faith, and my lack of courage. 861 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:24,520 Speaker 1: And right there's. 862 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,919 Speaker 2: Like some some people God takes them, their father takes 863 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:28,920 Speaker 2: them out to the woodshed. 864 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: God took me to the attic. 865 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:36,320 Speaker 3: And and it just it just hit me, what's what's. 866 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:36,640 Speaker 1: All this for? 867 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:39,920 Speaker 2: And I walked down the stairs and my wife was 868 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 2: headed up astairs and I said, honey, we gotta we gotta. 869 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:44,400 Speaker 2: We got cribs, we got a hight chair, we got 870 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:44,840 Speaker 2: a stroller. 871 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 1: And she thought I was gonna say. 872 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:51,560 Speaker 2: It's time for a yard, right well, and uh, I said, 873 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,880 Speaker 2: we've got everything we need to raise another child. And 874 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:56,879 Speaker 2: I said what's And I looked and I said, what's 875 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:58,880 Speaker 2: wrong with using a life savings to save a life? 876 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: And she said, are you serious. Yeah, Merry Christmas. Yeah, yeah, 877 00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: she said. Can I tell the kids? 878 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:13,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the no turning back when that's that's when 879 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,879 Speaker 2: the ships are burned, right there, that's the that's Cortes man, 880 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:21,359 Speaker 2: tell the kids the ship is burned. And the next 881 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:23,280 Speaker 2: morning the kids all got a note and they're stocking 882 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,000 Speaker 2: talking about they're going to have a new baby brother 883 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,000 Speaker 2: or sister. It was amazing Christmas. 884 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 1: And that concludes Part one of my conversation with jt Olsen, 885 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:40,439 Speaker 1: and I promise you you don't want to miss part two. 886 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:44,680 Speaker 1: It's now available to listen to. Together. Guys, we can 887 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:49,359 Speaker 1: change this country, but it starts with you. I'll see 888 00:45:49,440 --> 00:46:00,160 Speaker 1: in part two