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Speaker 1: Well, have you ever felt like life was spinning out

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Speaker 1: of control? And maybe you've even wondered, does God really

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Speaker 1: see me? Today's guests are living proof that he does,

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Speaker 1: and they're here to show us how God can use

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Speaker 1: every challenge in our life to shape it into a

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Speaker 1: story of hope and restoration. God can do that. Before

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Speaker 1: we get to that, join me around the table is

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Speaker 1: someone that God did it for? Amen to that. I'm so.

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Speaker 2: It's just such an honor and joy to serve God

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Speaker 2: because He picks us up right where we are, turns

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Speaker 2: our life around. Thank God for that, and just you know,

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Speaker 2: just uses us despite what we've gone through. Sure, it's

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Speaker 2: just amazing.

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Speaker 1: Dorothy Newton, how are you doing?

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Speaker 3: I am doing really good.

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Speaker 1: I always ask you about grandchildren.

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Speaker 4: Oh my goodness. I was with them this past weekend

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Speaker 4: all day. We took family pictures. They're just you know what,

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Speaker 4: they're just carefect. Yes, Rachel and.

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Speaker 1: Brown gave me two perfect grandchildren. Let them boys, Welcome

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Speaker 1: to the chape.

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Speaker 5: I'm excited about our guests today.

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Speaker 6: Cindy Murda, Hi always.

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Speaker 1: Cann't have you, bestie?

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Speaker 3: Thank you.

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Speaker 1: I love being back. Today was wonderful with the worship

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Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. Yeah, so refreshing, so good, so good,

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Speaker 1: and we're so happy to have Lorenzo and his lovely

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Speaker 1: wife and Molly Sewell at the table.

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Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you for having us.

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Speaker 1: Werena has been with us, but guess what he brought

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Speaker 1: Molly this time. You're gonna hear her story. It's amazing.

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Speaker 1: You know, life doesn't always go as expected. It's full

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Speaker 1: of ups and downs, highs and lows. But can God

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Speaker 1: really use it all for our good? Lorenzo and Molly

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Speaker 1: Suwell are here to encourage us that when we fully surrender,

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Speaker 1: God can do anything. So Molly talk about being adopted,

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Speaker 1: and there were a lot of things that went along

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Speaker 1: with that. Just you know your identity and who you are,

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Speaker 1: and you look different than everybody else. Talk a little

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Speaker 1: bit about that, and then we'll go to when you

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Speaker 1: met Lorenzo Sewell.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so adopted out of South Korea. So I'm one

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Speaker 3: hundred percent South Korean. I'm fifty percent Irish and fifty

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Speaker 3: percent Jewish. Yeah, So I thought it was interesting to

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Speaker 3: open with that because a lot of people and adoptions,

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Speaker 3: they don't really think about, well, what's the nationality of

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Speaker 3: your adopted child? You normally adopt them into your culture,

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Speaker 3: into your way of life and have them form into

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Speaker 3: that and being able to actually say, you know what,

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Speaker 3: I'm South Korean. I have to be proud of that.

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Speaker 3: I have to be proud of my heritage and the

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Speaker 3: culture that I've come from because it's created me who

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Speaker 3: I actually am. So my adoptive mom, who was Jewish

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Speaker 3: when she adopted us. My dad is of Irish descent.

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Speaker 3: He's also adopted, and his mom is also adopted. And

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Speaker 3: so when my mom decided to take my brother and

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Speaker 3: I because I'm adopted with my blood sibling, he's a

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Speaker 3: year older than I am, and so she decided, you

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Speaker 3: know what, I got to get you guys into church.

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Speaker 3: So here we are. We're in a Lutheran church, and

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Speaker 3: she dedicates my brother and I and she gives her

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Speaker 3: life to Christ during that time. So now she's a

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Speaker 3: Masianic Jew. My dad, he would come for Christmas every

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Speaker 3: Easter every once in a while, but that's really where

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Speaker 3: my family structure kind of set. So we weren't super religious.

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Speaker 3: I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus. I looked

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Speaker 3: at a priest as you're here kind of thing, like

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Speaker 3: all right, Well, what am I giving my dollar?

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Speaker 6: Two?

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Speaker 3: Like, you're telling me I'm a bad person. I don't

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Speaker 3: know what else to do. You're not telling me how

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Speaker 3: to get out of it. And so that was my

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Speaker 3: relationship with Christ moving forward after that. It wasn't that

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Speaker 3: I had a crazy experience within the church itself. It

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Speaker 3: was actually through an online preacher who was giving us

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Speaker 3: afalvation message of this is a golden ticket and this

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Speaker 3: is how you get to heaven. And so through words only,

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Speaker 3: I did it more of a selfish thing of all right, God,

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Speaker 3: if heaven's actually real, if Hell is actually real, I

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Speaker 3: want to go to the better place. Yeah, yeah, let

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Speaker 3: me at least just recite the prayer and just get

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Speaker 3: it done.

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Speaker 1: So you actually prayed with somebody you were watching.

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Speaker 3: That's it.

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Speaker 1: Wow, that's how old were you at that point?

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Speaker 3: Sixteen? You're sixteen, sixteen years old. I'm in the basement

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Speaker 3: of my mom's house. My parents had already divorced at

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Speaker 3: that time, and I'm watching a VHS. So, for all

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Speaker 3: the viewers that know VHS, yes, OK, maybe teating myself,

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Speaker 3: but a VHS and it didn't have any label on it.

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Speaker 3: It was a blank one. So you knew it was

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Speaker 3: either like a good TV movie or series that was reported,

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Speaker 3: so I popped it in not realizing it was a sermon.

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Speaker 3: And that's actually how I gave my heart to Christ, truly,

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Speaker 3: just saying I'm doing this just more out of a

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Speaker 3: I just need to get into heaven. Yeah, not really

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Speaker 3: a relationship.

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Speaker 1: Again, Yeah, but it was a seed that was planted,

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Speaker 1: absolutely and you were sincere. You know, the Bible talks

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Speaker 1: about Lorenzo that if you don't go on and with

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Speaker 1: discipleship and the Word of God and fellowship, right, and

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Speaker 1: that seed's gonna.

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Speaker 6: Absolutely their way, right.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, you have to work out our own salvation with fear,

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Speaker 7: with tribbling. Right when we receive the seed of the world,

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Speaker 7: the enemy comes immediately to try.

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Speaker 6: To steal the word. And that's what happened with me, right.

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Speaker 7: I got hurt in the church, backslid, and the day

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Speaker 7: before I met Molly, I prayed.

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Speaker 1: Even though you're not really serving the Lord.

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Speaker 6: Not really, it had already passed.

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Speaker 7: I pastor my first church when I was twenty one,

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Speaker 7: had already preached and I was hurting the church and

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Speaker 7: hurt my pastor, and I ran from God.

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Speaker 1: You're heard by the church heard by pastor. So you

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Speaker 1: kind of just went back into your oh, back.

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Speaker 6: To the world. And it was interesting.

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Speaker 7: While in the world people would walk up to me

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Speaker 7: like there's something like, oh, no, you don't like.

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Speaker 6: You don't be here type of thing. Right different.

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Speaker 7: And the night that Molly and I met and was

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Speaker 7: with you, he was. He was present with me and

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Speaker 7: he was my wingman.

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Speaker 6: Can you imagine that?

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Speaker 3: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: Okay, so your dad was stare with you and actually

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Speaker 1: said to you, Mollie, He's like, uh, you're kind of cute.

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Speaker 3: My son doesn't do this type of thing.

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Speaker 1: He's really shy.

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Speaker 3: I think you guys, he said, I think you guys

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Speaker 3: would be good for each other. Oh that is so funny.

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Speaker 3: So you got with him, got with him. He was

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Speaker 3: a couple hours, went to a bar, went to a bar,

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Speaker 3: throwing back some shots. Now listen, we were not saved.

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Speaker 3: I was not walking with the Lord at that time.

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Speaker 3: I had given my heart to Christ saying I just

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Speaker 3: need to be in having had no clue what this

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Speaker 3: actual relationship.

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Speaker 1: Really, I wond were you at that point when you

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Speaker 1: met Lorenzo twenty three about twenty three, Yeah, okay, so Lorenzo,

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Speaker 1: what are you doing in a bar doing shots?

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Speaker 8: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: Wow is right?

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Speaker 6: Yes? Yes, I yeah, yeah, I had. I was already.

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Speaker 6: I had a pastor and preached my first hermon.

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Speaker 1: The whole night, you're medicating your heart.

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Speaker 6: There it is that I told you I was medicating

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Speaker 6: my heart.

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Speaker 3: Yes, sad.

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Speaker 7: But the day before I pray and I said, God,

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Speaker 7: the next woman I meet, this was my prayer.

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Speaker 6: Lord, the next woman I meet, I'm going to marry.

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Speaker 3: Oh that is that was not my prayer. I got

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Speaker 3: out of a five year relationship. I was like, I'm free,

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Speaker 3: I'm single, I got my own place, I worked down town.

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Speaker 3: Let's do this. And then I literally jump bumped into you,

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Speaker 3: and from that day we literally have not been separated.

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Speaker 3: A week later after I met him, he was down

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Speaker 3: on one nee asking me to marry him with a

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Speaker 3: little paper ring like would make these beautiful, little like

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Speaker 3: cheesy right, But I kept them all because it's like

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Speaker 3: it's a symbolic like little thing. And I just looked

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Speaker 3: at him. I said, listen, I said, we're having fun.

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Speaker 3: Let's just get to know each other. I said, I

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Speaker 3: don't even know how to pronounce your last name, so

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Speaker 3: absolutely not, We're not doing this thing. Right now.

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Speaker 1: So you were there was a part of you that

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Speaker 1: knew that if you continued in the relationship, you wanted

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Speaker 1: to do it throughout way.

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Speaker 6: So you proposed absolutely.

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Speaker 1: So you waited, like God's great, how many years?

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Speaker 3: So we ended up waiting a year and a half

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Speaker 3: to get So y'all are.

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Speaker 1: Just kind of fornicating and drinking, living a simple light

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Speaker 1: and doing all the things. But Lorenza, what are you

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Speaker 1: thinking about as far as you know what's right and right?

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Speaker 6: Absolutely? And you know that's the.

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Speaker 1: Thing about it, Like people who are doing this, like

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Speaker 1: people right now, even some of you watching, there's a

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Speaker 1: call of God on your life and you're out doing

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Speaker 1: things you know you shouldn't do. And and there's coming

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Speaker 1: a point that God's going to say, Okay, it's time

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Speaker 1: to choose absolutely, And so I mean, He'll let you

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Speaker 1: string out yes for a while, but there will come

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Speaker 1: a day of reckoning where you have to make a

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Speaker 1: decision or you set yourself in a situation where the

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Speaker 1: enemy can destroy you.

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Speaker 6: Absolutely, is that right?

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Speaker 8: Yes?

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Speaker 7: And we were at that point. But the Holy Spirit,

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Speaker 7: he's so kind. The Bible talks about the patience and

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Speaker 7: the forbearance of God in the Book of Roll.

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Speaker 1: And he knows a broken and wounded heart absolutely, so

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Speaker 1: he takes that new account the things of you being adopted,

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Speaker 1: some of the things you went through personally, the brokenness

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Speaker 1: in your heart and spirit. So he you know, that's

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Speaker 1: that's why we can't judge people, because we can't judge

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Speaker 1: somebody else's heart exactly. We can't. Okay. So but there

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Speaker 1: came a day really where God was like, Okay, it's

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Speaker 1: time to make a decision.

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Speaker 7: So I'm going to tell you today for me, but

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Speaker 7: I want you to share what happened with you. So

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Speaker 7: for me, the Lord orchestrated it. He used ministry.

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Speaker 6: He really used an opportunity to preach and to minister.

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Speaker 7: And then he used a pastor who I was from Nigeria.

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Speaker 7: He used him to he brought him and that church

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Speaker 7: family in my life to help me remember what it

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Speaker 7: meant to love God and to serve God.

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Speaker 1: But yes, yes, that's like, well, absolutely so important. So

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Speaker 1: tell me your moment when you turned and like, I can't.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, I was.

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Speaker 7: I was kneeling down praying to speak out a conference

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Speaker 7: and the Lord was like, I mean, you're living with

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Speaker 7: somebody to have it's not your wife.

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Speaker 1: You're asking for a sermon, and he's like, seriously.

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Speaker 7: And it was that day that I proposed officially got

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Speaker 7: a ring and we went down to the courthouse and

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Speaker 7: that was the day we decided.

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Speaker 1: But did you see something different, Molly in him that day?

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Speaker 3: You know, there was a lot of things that had

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Speaker 3: to change before I said yes. So for me, it's

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Speaker 3: not like I'm going to have a ring today. I

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Speaker 3: can divorce you and then I'm going to find another

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Speaker 3: man tomorrow. It's a one and done for me. Right,

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Speaker 3: Like I knew enough about scripture to be like, okay,

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Speaker 3: like when I'm meeting my husband, I'm leaving my family

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Speaker 3: to form another family here. So that to me was

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Speaker 3: very important. Although I may not have known like scriptural

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Speaker 3: like where it was, I.

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Speaker 1: Just knew and y'all had children at this point, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you had kids and he had.

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Speaker 3: He was begging me, he said, Molly, before Isabella was born. Please,

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Speaker 3: we need to do this the right way, Please honor me.

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Speaker 3: And I looked at him and I said, I'd rather

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Speaker 3: call you my baby daddy than an X or a divorce. Ye,

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Speaker 3: I'm not going to do that.

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Speaker 5: Well, there's something about the relationship that made you unsure.

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Speaker 3: A lot of things, just the way that we were

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Speaker 3: living our lives.

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Speaker 1: We were because you had the fruit of really the

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Speaker 1: change from that prayer. No, but you begin to see

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Speaker 1: a difference.

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Speaker 3: I did. So after Isabella was born, we decided, Okay,

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Speaker 3: you know what we really need to be in ministry?

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Speaker 3: Like Molly, you've gone to church, so you kind of

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Speaker 3: know what it's about. You don't know what my ministry

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Speaker 3: is about. But I'm going to start introducing you slowly.

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Speaker 9: Wow.

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Speaker 3: And it was something that we just prayed over. We

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Speaker 3: ended up getting invited to a prayer meeting on a

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Speaker 3: Saturday in Westland missions.

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Speaker 1: Are you Are you married at this point?

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Speaker 3: We we were not married at this point.

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Speaker 6: No, it was West Bloomfield were married and West Bloomfield

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Speaker 6: or we were married. Yeah, maybe maybe it had been

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Speaker 6: married six months.

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Speaker 1: It was all yeah.

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Speaker 3: So we find ourselves in this ministry in West Bloomfield.

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Speaker 3: Pastors straight out of Africa, super thick accent. But he's

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Speaker 3: praying the house down like you can just tell the

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Speaker 3: thickness of the spirit is on him. I didn't know

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Speaker 3: it at that time, but really, looking.

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Speaker 1: Back, you just knew the presence of God was there.

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Speaker 3: The presence of God was thick. During that same time,

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Speaker 3: I had lost communication with my father. He did not

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Speaker 3: approve of the relationship that I was in with my husband,

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Speaker 3: the fact that I had moved so far away. He

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Speaker 3: was just like, at this point, I'm basically disowning you

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Speaker 3: from the family. I will never talk to you again.

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Speaker 3: These kids are not my grandchildren type of deal.

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Speaker 6: Wow.

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Speaker 3: So here I am broken heart right, I'm like, you

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Speaker 3: know what, let's go to prayer. Let's just do it.

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Speaker 3: You know what, if God is real, I'm just going

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Speaker 3: to give it all to him. So that day where

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Speaker 3: we find ourselves in this prayer meeting, He's like, anybody

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Speaker 3: who has a special prayer request, just come up, just

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Speaker 3: come up. I'm like, all right, dude, here I go.

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Speaker 3: So I walk up and there's a line of people

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Speaker 3: and now listen, Like, I'm really unchurched in this. The

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Speaker 3: Lutheran Church does not do that, does it. You're quiet,

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Speaker 3: you keep your head down, you're not talking back to

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Speaker 3: a pastor saying amen, preaching brother, Like, you're not doing that. No,

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Speaker 3: So this was completely different for me. So I find

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Speaker 3: myself standing there and he's like, just close your eyes

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Speaker 3: and just petition it to the Lord, ask him what

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Speaker 3: you want. So here I am closing my eyes and

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Speaker 3: I'm specifically praying for a relationship with my dad, lift

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Speaker 3: in my hands, doing the whole thing, anything that this

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Speaker 3: pastor is telling me to do. I'm like, all right, obviously,

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Speaker 3: you know the Lord, let me get a little trickle

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Speaker 3: of it, right, Yeah. So I'm closing my eyes, I'm

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Speaker 3: praying this prayer, and I feel like this egg gets

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Speaker 3: dropped in my head and I feel this heavy, warm

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Speaker 3: sensation just trickle down my body and I feel this

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Speaker 3: immense amount of pressure on my head. I open my

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Speaker 3: eyes thinking that it's the pastor like trying to like

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Speaker 3: shove me down right. No one is around me, not

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Speaker 3: one person. And I was like, all right, God, I've

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Speaker 3: given it to you. I don't know what this is.

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Speaker 3: This is It just freaked me out. I remember I

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Speaker 3: told him. I was like, this is weird, like what happened,

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Speaker 3: like if somebody touched me? And he's like, no, no

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Speaker 3: one's around you. He's like, you're feeling the Holy Spirit.

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Speaker 3: That's what it is.

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Speaker 1: That's when the presence of God, yes, touches something. You

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Speaker 1: know how many people I've interviewed over the last forty years,

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Speaker 1: believing or not, where they actually talk about at the

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Speaker 1: top of their head, they felt this warmth and warm

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Speaker 1: you know, And so that was your surrender moment. Yeah

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Speaker 1: you really meant it.

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Speaker 3: I did. I was surrendering it for my father from

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Speaker 3: my relationship, that broken relationship that.

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Speaker 1: I mean, what happened.

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Speaker 3: So fast forward, we find ourselves saying we are going

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Speaker 3: to be fully committed to ministry, like that prayer meeting

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Speaker 3: just changed something in our relationship exactly. Yeah, we're selling

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Speaker 3: ourselves out to Christ at this point. So we were

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Speaker 3: in real estate, we were doing very well for ourselves.

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Speaker 3: I found myself in another serving position where I was making.

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Speaker 1: Three so not doing well at anything, I believe.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So we find ourselves just saying, you know, Lord,

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Speaker 3: we're going to surrender everything to you. We're not even

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Speaker 3: sure what this looks like. We have a little bit

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Speaker 3: in savings. We have two babies under years old at

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Speaker 3: this point. Okay, what are we doing? So a month

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Speaker 3: goes by, savings start dropping and a fiction notics comes

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Speaker 3: up on our door. Hey guys can't be here anymore.

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Speaker 3: So I'm like, dude, we have kids, like we're doing ministry.

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Speaker 3: I was like, what does that look like? Lorenzo. I

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Speaker 3: was like, you're the leader of our house. Fearisually what's

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Speaker 3: God saying to you? During that time, he had said,

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Speaker 3: i am praying and I'm going too fast, and I'm

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Speaker 3: going to specifically pray for leaders in our city. When

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Speaker 3: God tells me to pack up, that's when you're packing up.

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Speaker 3: Do not touch one thing in this place. And I

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Speaker 3: was like, this place is huge. We have a lot

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Speaker 3: of kids, Like, we have so many things going on.

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Speaker 3: I said, I'm going to need a significant amount of

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Speaker 3: time to pack. He says, don't pack one thing until

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Speaker 3: God releases us to do it. He walks down the stairs.

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Speaker 3: He's like, it's time. I'm tolding you all, like call

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Speaker 3: on all these people now at this place. We have

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Speaker 3: like one hundred dollars to our name, Like there's now

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Speaker 3: like we've completely depleted savings. And I remember us being

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Speaker 3: at a storage unit. It was one of those storage

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Speaker 3: units where it was like a dollar for the first

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Speaker 3: month and then you got to pay for the second whatever.

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Speaker 3: So here we are, we have our things and I'm

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Speaker 3: about to sign a piece of paper and I get

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Speaker 3: a phone call and it's my dad. I haven't talked

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Speaker 3: to in a year and a half.

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Speaker 1: But you do pray.

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Speaker 3: I did pray, and it's all in God's timy, right,

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Speaker 3: So of course I'm like, all right, well, great, thanks

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Speaker 3: Dad for calling me on like the worst day of

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Speaker 3: my life. And he's like, listen, I have a doctor's

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Speaker 3: appointment in must Bloomfield. I want to know if you're

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Speaker 3: still at the same place. I want to come by

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Speaker 3: and see you and the kids. And I said, actually,

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Speaker 3: we're in the middle of moving. I don't really know

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Speaker 3: where we're going. I gotta let you go, so I

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Speaker 3: hang up the phone. So I'm like, this sucks, Like okay,

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Speaker 3: now I'm just basically and I had also prayed a prayer, God,

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Speaker 3: help us serve you all the days of our life,

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Speaker 3: even if that means living out of the trunk of

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Speaker 3: our car. I find myself literally walking in answered prayers.

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Speaker 3: But Kirsen God, at the same time, like, seriously, out

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Speaker 3: of all the prayers that you could have listened to

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Speaker 3: and moved, these are the ones like, ok, we got

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Speaker 3: a great sense of humor, Laura's saying to you. So we're

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Speaker 3: standing there. My phone rings again.

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Speaker 6: It's my dad.

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Speaker 3: And he says listen. He says, you know Betsy, So

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Speaker 3: that was his girlfriend at the time. He says, Betsy

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Speaker 3: and I we just bought a new home. We've been

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Speaker 3: trying to get renters for her house. We don't like

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Speaker 3: anybody that we've been interviewing. The house is fully renovated,

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Speaker 3: it's clean. Move here. We'll figure out the details later. Wow,

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Speaker 3: same day. My dad at the time does not know

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Speaker 3: the Lord. He's not in ministry. He hates my husband.

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Speaker 3: That's the reason why we ended up not talking. There

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Speaker 3: were so many things. But the way that God orchestra

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Speaker 3: that so through that prayer, through complete surrender, right and

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Speaker 3: asking God restore this relationship. I desperately need this reallyationship,

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Speaker 3: not realizing God's like, actually the relationship that you need

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Speaker 3: to restore us with me and I will do.

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Speaker 1: Tell us about some of the conversations you had where

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Speaker 1: you saw the turn take place, because I know when

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Speaker 1: you began to talk to you and see your heart,

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Speaker 1: so your spirit had to make a difference.

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Speaker 7: Well, yeah, he was born in a context where people

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Speaker 7: that look like me, he didn't necessarily believe the best

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Speaker 7: about them, and then he saw what God was doing

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Speaker 7: in our lives. Grandchildren, we saw that it was so

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Speaker 7: yeah having grand babies that helped. And then I believe

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Speaker 7: also him understanding that I never anticipated our lives to

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Speaker 7: be this way. I remember our youngest Naomi, who's fourteen now,

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Speaker 7: when she was born.

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Speaker 6: I called him and I apologized.

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Speaker 7: And the reason why I apologized I never wanted him

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Speaker 7: to feel like I was putting more of a burden

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Speaker 7: on him.

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Speaker 6: And I believe these moments and then the moment when

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Speaker 6: he gave his heart to Christ. You want to tell

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Speaker 6: the story about when he gave his heart to Christ.

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Speaker 3: So I think it's the power of inviting somebody to church.

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Speaker 3: You know, when you think about family members that you

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Speaker 3: truly love, that you truly have a deep relationship with,

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Speaker 3: but you don't offer Christ and Salvation to them, it's

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Speaker 3: a disservice. You can't really truly love anybody. And so

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Speaker 3: I remember this was when we had Naomi. Naomi was

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Speaker 3: about six months. This is our youngest daughter who's now fourteen.

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Speaker 3: We are serving at a church and Sterling Heights at

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Speaker 3: that time, and what I loved about the church was

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Speaker 3: that they had this beautiful atrium where they had a

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Speaker 3: large screen you could do coffee and donuts essentially and

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Speaker 3: still be a part of service, but not in the sanctuary.

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Speaker 3: And so every Sunday they're like, all right, dad, you

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Speaker 3: know the jail, I'm going to be here. This is

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Speaker 3: the address. This is a service time. Come just if anything,

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Speaker 3: hang out with me and the kids. Like we're out

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Speaker 3: in the atrium right, So for the unteenth time, I

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Speaker 3: invited him, thinking.

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Speaker 1: Give up on these people. Come on church, don't give up.

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Speaker 6: Don't give up.

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Speaker 3: Right, So here I am I invite him sitting in

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Speaker 3: the atrium and it happens to be Communion Sunday. Okay,

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Speaker 3: So we're sitting there, Communion is being passed out and

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Speaker 3: Pastor Randy is talking about what the wafer symbolizes, what

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Speaker 3: the Jews symbolizes, right, like how important this is. And

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Speaker 3: I hear behind me, this is all they give to

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Speaker 3: you for lunch around here. I'm like, I can't even

435
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Speaker 3: claim him right now, Like I don't know if that

436
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Speaker 3: guy is Is that him? So I bring my dad

437
00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,800
Speaker 3: around and my dad's like, well, this is really weird,

438
00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,080
Speaker 3: Like what is this? Like he's never seen a communion

439
00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,080
Speaker 3: cup before, you know, so like you think about us, like, okay,

440
00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,840
Speaker 3: this is a normal thing like this is okay for

441
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:50,919
Speaker 3: granted exactly exactly, it's a privilege. So Pastor Randy's up

442
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,439
Speaker 3: there and he's talking about it, and I said, Dad, really,

443
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,720
Speaker 3: just give me the communion cup. I'm thankful that you're

444
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:58,679
Speaker 3: here at church, but really, you're going to do a

445
00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,679
Speaker 3: lot more damage to yourself. I take something that you

446
00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,960
Speaker 3: have absolutely no idea what you're doing. I said, please,

447
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,880
Speaker 3: don't do that to yourself. He said, well, I want

448
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,119
Speaker 3: to take it. He's like, well, what do I have

449
00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,359
Speaker 3: to do? And I'm like, are you serious? So my

450
00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,879
Speaker 3: dad's a very dry, sarcastic type of guy, and I said, okay, Well,

451
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:13,720
Speaker 3: first of all, you gotta believe in Jesus. I said,

452
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,000
Speaker 3: do you even believe in Jesus? He's like yeah, I said,

453
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:17,960
Speaker 3: so you actually believe that he actually walked this earth

454
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,120
Speaker 3: at one point, that he's a part of history, right,

455
00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,399
Speaker 3: And he said yeah. I said, so you believe that

456
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,840
Speaker 3: he was actually the son of God. And he's like

457
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,359
Speaker 3: I can get behind that. I said, okay. So then

458
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,840
Speaker 3: like I'm like grabbing the Bible and I'm like okay.

459
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,680
Speaker 3: So I'm like trying to flip to romans real quick

460
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,159
Speaker 3: and I'm like, so, did you believe that he actually

461
00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,199
Speaker 3: like died like on a cross and just trying to

462
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,879
Speaker 3: like really bring it down just very He's like, yeah,

463
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,560
Speaker 3: he's like I believe all these things. Man. I like, like,

464
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,080
Speaker 3: I'm here in church, like yeah, but he wrote, he

465
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,320
Speaker 3: said the third day it goes through the whole thing.

466
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,800
Speaker 3: And I said, all right, well repeat this prayer after me. Wow,

467
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:55,000
Speaker 3: he praise the pair.

468
00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:57,160
Speaker 6: We take it.

469
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,560
Speaker 3: Now there's worships, so like we're and I'm just sobbing

470
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,040
Speaker 3: and he's looking at me. He's like, it was that

471
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,520
Speaker 3: bad moment. I'm like, this is such a solid, big moment.

472
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,639
Speaker 3: Just be quiet, just be quiet and just listen to

473
00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,399
Speaker 3: the worship. And it was just in that moment, right,

474
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,760
Speaker 3: So any time that you think, Okay, this person's just

475
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,840
Speaker 3: not listening to me anymore, they've completely they're disregarding me.

476
00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,840
Speaker 3: If they don't even read my text messages anymore. Don't

477
00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,960
Speaker 3: give up, Yes, yes, do not give up.

478
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,760
Speaker 1: And was there a change it took place when he

479
00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:28,879
Speaker 1: prayed that prayer.

480
00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,920
Speaker 3: So you know, my dad is a type of person

481
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:33,880
Speaker 3: where he's not going to be in Bible studies. He's

482
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:35,560
Speaker 3: not going to do all these things but he was

483
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,160
Speaker 3: very inquisitive about all the ministry things that we were doing.

484
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,639
Speaker 3: He's like, so, what do you guys do exactly, So

485
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,000
Speaker 3: it was more of before, hey, I'm really glad that

486
00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,080
Speaker 3: you guys are out there, and he wanted to be

487
00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:47,840
Speaker 3: a part of it. And then he was like, you

488
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:49,840
Speaker 3: know what, this is interesting, this is interesting, worth it

489
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,040
Speaker 3: you guys are doing. So he would come and visit

490
00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,480
Speaker 3: our churches as we were planting churches. He would come through.

491
00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,240
Speaker 3: He'd be the only white guy, but he would come

492
00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,640
Speaker 3: through and he'd be like, he just stands. He didn't

493
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,120
Speaker 3: know the words, but he was like everybody's so friendly.

494
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:05,720
Speaker 3: He's like, I really like your church and.

495
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,359
Speaker 1: The sanctification process for some it takes time. It takes time,

496
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,320
Speaker 1: but over time you could probably see the fruit, right and.

497
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,119
Speaker 7: Her dad absolutely, I mean even some of the comments

498
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,359
Speaker 7: he would make about race, you could see his heart

499
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,000
Speaker 7: was changed.

500
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,199
Speaker 5: I'm curious though, because we heard how he came to

501
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,080
Speaker 5: be in relationship with you, But how did you overcome

502
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,680
Speaker 5: like the years of her I'm feeling rejected, and I.

503
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,880
Speaker 7: Think a lot of it is when you're in love,

504
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:32,359
Speaker 7: you don't care what you have to do.

505
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,960
Speaker 6: So because I wanted to be with her.

506
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,399
Speaker 7: I didn't really even look at what he was doing.

507
00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,080
Speaker 7: I just knew that whatever I had to do to

508
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 7: win him over, I'd be willing to do. And once

509
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,480
Speaker 7: he confessed crisis, his savior was like, Wow, now the

510
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,320
Speaker 7: relationship becomes you're not just my father in law, you're

511
00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:52,760
Speaker 7: my brother.

512
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,600
Speaker 1: Wow. And he really honored and respected what you were doing. Absolutely,

513
00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,159
Speaker 1: but you did at some point had to forgive and

514
00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:00,639
Speaker 1: let that go.

515
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:00,919
Speaker 3: Oh.

516
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:01,600
Speaker 6: Absolutely.

517
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,560
Speaker 7: Where I mean when we first met, I mean they

518
00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:05,639
Speaker 7: had a crazy dog.

519
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:08,840
Speaker 3: We do still have a crazy dog, and that.

520
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:10,040
Speaker 6: And that and that dog.

521
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,400
Speaker 7: When that dog came after me, I say, okay, here's

522
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:13,000
Speaker 7: my decision.

523
00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:15,680
Speaker 6: I love this woman.

524
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,680
Speaker 7: And I think a part of that was also understanding

525
00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,680
Speaker 7: I was going to accept him and love him regardless

526
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,439
Speaker 7: of whatever whatever. And he was very supportive. You know,

527
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,879
Speaker 7: he's gone home to be with the Lord. Actually, a

528
00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,960
Speaker 7: couple of weeks before President Trump came to our church.

529
00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,000
Speaker 1: Wow, you got to see so much fruit in your

530
00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,159
Speaker 1: life and in your ministry, April. Is that not incredible?

531
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:36,880
Speaker 1: It's amazing.

532
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,879
Speaker 2: And I go way back to how you outlasted the

533
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,840
Speaker 2: enemy because you were hurt by a pastor. He thought

534
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,000
Speaker 2: he took you out. Yeah, you became a pastor. Look

535
00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,880
Speaker 2: at the impact that you're making. And you know, God,

536
00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,800
Speaker 2: God can use anybody, but we can't let the enemy win.

537
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:52,199
Speaker 6: You know.

538
00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:53,680
Speaker 1: I love a great testimony.

539
00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:55,440
Speaker 3: This is a great.

540
00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,080
Speaker 1: Yes, it really is. And Rachel, you know, for pe

541
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,639
Speaker 1: watching and they think there are people watching that you

542
00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,360
Speaker 1: want serve the Lord, and you can understand because you're

543
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,000
Speaker 1: not really and God is just calling you back. I

544
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,520
Speaker 1: mean he's saying, you know, come home, come to this

545
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:18,919
Speaker 1: place of knowing that there's no better place in the

546
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,160
Speaker 1: universe than being in the will of God.

547
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,200
Speaker 5: I love that the Lord doesn't give up on any

548
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,880
Speaker 5: of us. It doesn't matter what we've done, where we've been, who.

549
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:27,320
Speaker 3: We've been with.

550
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,359
Speaker 5: He's always calling us home and all we have to

551
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,919
Speaker 5: do is accept that invitation and come back in relationship

552
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:33,600
Speaker 5: with him. And he can use this greatly. And y'all

553
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:35,240
Speaker 5: story is a testament to that.

554
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,119
Speaker 1: Ask you so good, so good? Did you would you

555
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,920
Speaker 1: just pray a simple prayer with people watching right now? Absolutely,

556
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,640
Speaker 1: and just we'll pray after you and give them an opportunity,

557
00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:45,960
Speaker 1: just like she did with her dad.

558
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,640
Speaker 7: Yeah, if you're watching right now, and you would say, pastor,

559
00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:53,080
Speaker 7: the story resonates, right, you listen to Miley's story. No,

560
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,479
Speaker 7: that's for God's glory. Why don't you repeat after me?

561
00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,600
Speaker 6: Say, Jesus, Jesus, come into my life. Just save me.

562
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:08,400
Speaker 7: Lord, forgive me everything that I've done, for everything, I believe.

563
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:12,840
Speaker 6: You're married to the backslider. I'm coming home, Jesus. I'm

564
00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:13,679
Speaker 6: coming home today.

565
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:14,720
Speaker 3: I'm coming home today.

566
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,199
Speaker 7: I believe that you died for me and that you

567
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:24,560
Speaker 7: rose again. Be my Lord, be my savior in Jesus name, Jesus.

568
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:25,040
Speaker 6: Amen.

569
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,680
Speaker 1: Amen, man, that'll be a gay man. So amen. Steps

570
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,480
Speaker 1: of a righteous are ordered by God. And your lives

571
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,520
Speaker 1: brought your dad to know the Lord Jesus Christ. So

572
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,679
Speaker 1: what and so the church in Detroit everybody where it is?

573
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,600
Speaker 6: Yeah, one eighty Church, Sidney, Troy, Michigan. It's in the hood. Hoods.

574
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,120
Speaker 1: If you get lost, just say I need to find.

575
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:47,560
Speaker 3: The hood.

576
00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:51,760
Speaker 6: Our church. Literally. That's awesome.

577
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 1: That's awesome. We love you guys, and thank you for

578
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,439
Speaker 1: being here, and thank you for sharing mom such a

579
00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,840
Speaker 1: great story. We're out of time. I don't want you

580
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:02,439
Speaker 1: to remember. No matter how hopeless life may feel, God

581
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,320
Speaker 1: hasn't Forginden you. He can redeem your past, he can

582
00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,760
Speaker 1: restore your family, and he can turn your greatest struggles

583
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,119
Speaker 1: into a powerful testimony of his faithfulness. If you're watching

584
00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:15,159
Speaker 1: today and you need prayer, call the number on your screen.

585
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,159
Speaker 1: We have the most amazing prayer partners. You're standing by

586
00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,640
Speaker 1: ready to pray with you. If you prayed that prayer

587
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,280
Speaker 1: with Pastor Lorenzo, call us. We'd love to send you

588
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:26,720
Speaker 1: the Book of John. It's a great place to start

589
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 1: in the Word of God. That's just our gift to you,

590
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,880
Speaker 1: absolutely free, because we love you. I'm so excited that

591
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,520
Speaker 1: you prayed that prayer some of you. I'm so excited

592
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,119
Speaker 1: that you came back home. We've been waiting for you.

593
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,639
Speaker 1: He's been waiting for you, and God's going to do

594
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,159
Speaker 1: some great things in the days, say hed why. I

595
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,240
Speaker 1: do want to thank Lorenzo and Molly for joining us.

596
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,959
Speaker 1: To know more about their ministry, visit Oneady Church dot

597
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,480
Speaker 1: c c. As always make sure to follow us on

598
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,200
Speaker 1: all social media. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel

599
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,280
Speaker 1: for full episodes and exclusive content. Let us know how

600
00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:59,840
Speaker 1: table talk is touching your life. We love hearing from

601
00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:01,840
Speaker 1: all of you. Of course, you can also listen to

602
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 1: the Joni Table Talk podcast, available now on all the

603
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,600
Speaker 1: major platforms. But thank you so much for watching. We

604
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,040
Speaker 1: love you. You know, it's never too late. It's just like

605
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:13,040
Speaker 1: Rachel said, doesn't matter what you've done, doesn't matter where

606
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,879
Speaker 1: you've been, doesn't matter how many mistakes. Jesus is always

607
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,919
Speaker 1: there saying, coming to me. All ye that labor and

608
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:22,119
Speaker 1: heavy lady, and I will give you rest and peace.

609
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,280
Speaker 1: Receive Jesus today. We'll see you next time.

610
00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:50,520
Speaker 9: Bye bye for today.

611
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,959
Speaker 1: Well, from the grip of addiction and crime to a

612
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,240
Speaker 1: life sentence in one of America's most notorious our guest

613
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,480
Speaker 1: today has walked through it all, but instead of defeat,

614
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,160
Speaker 1: God gave him freedom and an unexpected calling. And he's

615
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,800
Speaker 1: here to share this incredible story from his book, From

616
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,360
Speaker 1: Crack to the Cross, breaking the chains of addiction and

617
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,280
Speaker 1: finding freedom behind bars. But before you get to that,

618
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:18,959
Speaker 1: join me around the table. It is Cindy Johnson. How

619
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:19,760
Speaker 1: are you hey.

620
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,640
Speaker 10: I'm doing great, doing great, Happy to be here today

621
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:24,200
Speaker 10: with all.

622
00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,040
Speaker 1: Of you beautiful ladies. And we always love testimonies.

623
00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,760
Speaker 10: Right, yes, well, God came, He came to set the

624
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,600
Speaker 10: captives free. Yes, and this is going to be a

625
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,280
Speaker 10: beautiful story of God's redeeming love and what he can do.

626
00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,360
Speaker 1: It the lowest of lows of our time. That's right,

627
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:41,720
Speaker 1: Anni Kendall, how are you doing?

628
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:42,600
Speaker 3: I am great?

629
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:47,080
Speaker 11: And you know this story reminds me of the who

630
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,600
Speaker 11: was that Paul Harvey that used to say for the

631
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,880
Speaker 11: rest of the story, because if you would looked at

632
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 11: this life half way, you would think it's hopeless. Look

633
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,200
Speaker 11: at what God has done. The rest of the story

634
00:29:59,280 --> 00:29:59,520
Speaker 11: is view.

635
00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:02,000
Speaker 1: We're going to hear the whole story. Yes, rachel Ian Brown,

636
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:02,480
Speaker 1: You're ready.

637
00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,160
Speaker 5: I'm ready. And our God is the god in the impossible.

638
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:09,080
Speaker 5: Your situation might look like it is beyond yes, anything

639
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:09,640
Speaker 5: that you can do.

640
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:14,160
Speaker 1: But with Jesus, how are you doing today?

641
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 3: Doing good? Excited?

642
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,880
Speaker 4: You know there's so many great testimonies in the Bible,

643
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,040
Speaker 4: but to hear and witness testimonies today.

644
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,320
Speaker 1: You have so much hope, really does. We're so glad

645
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:31,880
Speaker 1: to have Reginald Watts at the table. Welcome. How are

646
00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:41,200
Speaker 1: you feeling safe with all these No, You're gonna do

647
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,520
Speaker 1: fine with these women, I promise you well. He went

648
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,600
Speaker 1: from crackhouses to prison hills to preaching the gospel in

649
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,520
Speaker 1: the very place he was once locked away, and Reginald's

650
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,160
Speaker 1: story shows that no one is ever too far from God.

651
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,280
Speaker 1: And today we're going to hear how he's bringing hope

652
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,760
Speaker 1: to some of the toughest hearts behind bars. Your book

653
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,600
Speaker 1: from Crack to the Cross. Let's just start the beginning.

654
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,600
Speaker 1: Growing up. Tell me about your family.

655
00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,600
Speaker 8: Oh, I was a baby boy. You know what that means, right, Yeah,

656
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,160
Speaker 8: I kind of had Yes.

657
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:12,160
Speaker 1: I was yeah, IMA's favorite, all that.

658
00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:16,520
Speaker 8: Right, But you know, inside it was different than outside.

659
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,200
Speaker 8: My brothers were tough on me, not in a jealous manner,

660
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,640
Speaker 8: but they wanted me to be. They just wanted me

661
00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:25,480
Speaker 8: to be the best I could be in the house

662
00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:30,680
Speaker 8: and everything and outside they didn't want anybody messing with me.

663
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,320
Speaker 8: And so I started things knowing that I had plenty backup.

664
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,880
Speaker 8: I had three older brothers, so I had I say this.

665
00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:39,600
Speaker 8: I had to leave it to be the type of

666
00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:45,560
Speaker 8: life coming up. I was just going doing touching, moving.

667
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,560
Speaker 8: But there was no crime in our family. There was

668
00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,040
Speaker 8: no and so I guess I could be the black

669
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:56,120
Speaker 8: sheep of the family. But my dad had trash trucks,

670
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,240
Speaker 8: so we grew up working. We grew up with five

671
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:00,720
Speaker 8: dollars in our pocket ten thousand hour pock. I know

672
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,840
Speaker 8: today that don't sound like much, but well I'm sixty

673
00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 8: years old, so what we're talking about. That was a

674
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:06,880
Speaker 8: nice bit of money. And my mom would always say that,

675
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:08,640
Speaker 8: she said, what you're gonna do with it, that's all

676
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:09,960
Speaker 8: I want to know. I neither know what you're going

677
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,880
Speaker 8: to do with it. It's different from today. Parents don't

678
00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,920
Speaker 8: know what their kids have or what they're doing. And

679
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,800
Speaker 8: so we had accountability in the family. We had curfews.

680
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,520
Speaker 8: We got allowance, but we had a curfew. We had

681
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,480
Speaker 8: to beat the street lights home. Yes, but I wasn't

682
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,280
Speaker 8: I wasn't receiving anything because I went because I was

683
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,400
Speaker 8: told to go. And so it was a different type

684
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,560
Speaker 8: of church, if you will. I know church's people, but

685
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,240
Speaker 8: that place where I went, I went because I was

686
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:43,240
Speaker 8: ordered by family to go, rather than rather than being

687
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,520
Speaker 8: going to church and worshiping and feeling the movement of

688
00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,760
Speaker 8: God and going in to receive from God. I looked

689
00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:56,000
Speaker 8: at my little Superman watch, probably more than hearing the

690
00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:57,080
Speaker 8: person that was speaking.

691
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,800
Speaker 5: Do you think it is that led you to go

692
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:01,720
Speaker 5: to on the wrong path, especially since you grew up

693
00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,400
Speaker 5: in such a solid family, Because normally.

694
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,880
Speaker 8: You see, you said it, getting away from that solid family.

695
00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:10,400
Speaker 1: Well, you graduated high school, you did well, and then

696
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,880
Speaker 1: you went on to college. Yes, and you're actually in

697
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:15,800
Speaker 1: a fraternity.

698
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,760
Speaker 8: I was in my I was in. I didn't make it.

699
00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:21,200
Speaker 8: I didn't. I was in my junior year and I

700
00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:26,480
Speaker 8: was asked by several fraternities players. My brother was drum major.

701
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,520
Speaker 8: He was there and he was getting ready to graduate

702
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,960
Speaker 8: when I first got there. So I even got in

703
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,360
Speaker 8: the band for the college work study money be light

704
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:39,320
Speaker 8: on my family. When you make a left, when you

705
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,000
Speaker 8: know right and right now i'm talking about physical direct

706
00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,960
Speaker 8: geographically speaking, if you make a left, even with the

707
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,120
Speaker 8: GPS system and the GPS says go right, you're going

708
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,959
Speaker 8: to have to recalibrate. You're going to have to do

709
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,880
Speaker 8: something different because if you continue to go left, you're

710
00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:57,520
Speaker 8: gonna get us fall away from your destiny than ever.

711
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,280
Speaker 8: You're going to continue to get further and further and further. Wait,

712
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,840
Speaker 8: and so I was supposed to be going right, and

713
00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:05,080
Speaker 8: I knew I was supposed.

714
00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,360
Speaker 1: To be going well, that's the key right there. It's

715
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:10,840
Speaker 1: like you're gonna make some decisions and although like you

716
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,680
Speaker 1: don't have a relationship with the Lord at that point,

717
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:17,080
Speaker 1: and you still morally know what is right and wrong correct,

718
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,239
Speaker 1: and your mom and daddy taught you that's right. So

719
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,560
Speaker 1: but instead of going right, tell us what you did

720
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:23,160
Speaker 1: in school.

721
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:25,120
Speaker 8: The thing about it, I was in my junior year,

722
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,640
Speaker 8: and I told you, as a kid, I was always

723
00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,439
Speaker 8: reaching and touching it and turning things the other way

724
00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:32,480
Speaker 8: to see how it would be not to hurt anybody

725
00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:35,919
Speaker 8: or not to you know, turn over the apple cart,

726
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,040
Speaker 8: just the way I was. And being a baby boy,

727
00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:40,839
Speaker 8: I got away with a lot of things like that.

728
00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:46,560
Speaker 8: And I went to this frat party invited. You know,

729
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,480
Speaker 8: I was always well groomed, and I went in the

730
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,800
Speaker 8: back room invited. When I went in the back room,

731
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,759
Speaker 8: what they called crack today was freebasing then, And so

732
00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:02,120
Speaker 8: I tried it just because. And to answer your question,

733
00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:06,480
Speaker 8: is that I got away from what my mother taught us.

734
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:08,640
Speaker 8: And I say my mother my dad taught us well.

735
00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,840
Speaker 8: But my mom, as with most women, they were the vocal.

736
00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,160
Speaker 8: Yes there was the one with that apron on cooking,

737
00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:16,239
Speaker 8: but there was also the one that would hit you

738
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:21,600
Speaker 8: with that cooking spoons. So and so I knew better.

739
00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,200
Speaker 8: Some people don't. Some people are ignorant. Some people are

740
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,360
Speaker 8: raised in a household. That's all they see, and so

741
00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,000
Speaker 8: for them, that is their truth. That was not my truth.

742
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,880
Speaker 1: So that happened the first time? Yeah, and did you

743
00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:34,480
Speaker 1: and did you think like, I'm not gonna do that?

744
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,239
Speaker 8: Yeah? Right when I walked when I walked out, and

745
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:38,320
Speaker 8: I was like, that's a waste of time. That's a

746
00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,279
Speaker 8: waste of time. I had a live in four real

747
00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:43,040
Speaker 8: lived good feel. But that was it. I went back

748
00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,600
Speaker 8: and I smoked the marijuana, you know, and went on school.

749
00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,160
Speaker 8: Everything good. Well, I don't know, maybe a month or so.

750
00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,080
Speaker 8: Let I don't know exactly how long I tried it again.

751
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,080
Speaker 8: This time it was a little different. I did experience

752
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:58,800
Speaker 8: what what what cocaine does?

753
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,080
Speaker 1: So you went for the second time? How soon after

754
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:03,880
Speaker 1: the second time did you go again?

755
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,359
Speaker 8: I want to say the very next weekend, the very

756
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,680
Speaker 8: next week, but it stayed weekend for a while. I

757
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,359
Speaker 8: wouldn't do anything through through the week.

758
00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:13,959
Speaker 1: Were you thinking about it? Yes week?

759
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:18,759
Speaker 8: Yes? Yes, that next semester I had to Yeah, I

760
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:23,400
Speaker 8: had to drop out of school. And and now now

761
00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:25,840
Speaker 8: my mom's heart is going to be broken. So my

762
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,920
Speaker 8: brother said, let's not tell her let's not tell her

763
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,799
Speaker 8: about this semester. You get right back in And uh, yeah,

764
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,200
Speaker 8: I had the college work study going.

765
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,480
Speaker 5: So so your brother was trying to help you.

766
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:42,480
Speaker 8: Yeah, most definitely. And and what happened was I got

767
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:48,400
Speaker 8: hold to some drugs for a Columbian guy. And what

768
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,200
Speaker 8: I would do is he would give me the drugs.

769
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,560
Speaker 8: He wanted me to go school marijuana with the drugs

770
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:55,359
Speaker 8: because they want to keep their money. They don't want

771
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:57,279
Speaker 8: to spend their money because that's what they and so

772
00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 8: I would do that for him, and then he would

773
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:04,080
Speaker 8: break me off. Well, one time he gave me a

774
00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,360
Speaker 8: nice bit and so I went the same route that

775
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,759
Speaker 8: I go and I when I turned the corner, I

776
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:14,040
Speaker 8: jumped the fence. I come up the next street running

777
00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,880
Speaker 8: and I took off. So I left him sitting in

778
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:22,319
Speaker 8: the vehicle. How long he stayed there, Well, they tore

779
00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,160
Speaker 8: up my apartment because they knew where I lived. That

780
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:30,840
Speaker 8: was yeah, And they tore up the apartment. So some

781
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,000
Speaker 8: days later I went to my brother. I still didn't

782
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,279
Speaker 8: go to the apartment I got. When I went to

783
00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,439
Speaker 8: my brother's house, he told me, he said, man, what's

784
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,760
Speaker 8: going on? He said, you haven't been home? Your apartment

785
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:46,200
Speaker 8: is torn to pieces. So I told him what was happening.

786
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,799
Speaker 8: He said, you're going home. You're going to New Orleans.

787
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:50,719
Speaker 8: I don't care what you tell Mom, I don't care

788
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,560
Speaker 8: what you you out of here. I'll go get some

789
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:55,319
Speaker 8: clothes out of a little bit that you have left.

790
00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:57,840
Speaker 8: But you leaving. And so that's how I wound up

791
00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,319
Speaker 8: leaving Houston, New Orleans. I had it for a while,

792
00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,000
Speaker 8: told mom I was burnt out with school, and they

793
00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 8: told I would go back, but I might just go

794
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:06,440
Speaker 8: to college.

795
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:08,320
Speaker 1: But you're still doing cocaine.

796
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:09,799
Speaker 6: Not yet, okay, not.

797
00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,719
Speaker 8: Yet, but long a couple of weeks that was it.

798
00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:14,360
Speaker 1: Where are you getting the money?

799
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,080
Speaker 8: Now? My dad has a look at the business. All

800
00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:19,600
Speaker 8: I have to do is get in one of the trucks.

801
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,560
Speaker 8: I'm gonna be And he also worked at Lakeside Shoppington,

802
00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,440
Speaker 8: which at that time was the biggest mall in New Orleans.

803
00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:27,399
Speaker 3: He picked up.

804
00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,560
Speaker 8: Trash for half the stores out there, so they remember me.

805
00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,239
Speaker 8: So I go in the stores. I'm mister Watson, right,

806
00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:36,120
Speaker 8: And so when I go in to get the back

807
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:37,840
Speaker 8: door open, they would just leave us. They close the

808
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,239
Speaker 8: door like they always did since I was a little boy,

809
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:45,919
Speaker 8: they trusted, they trusted me. Oh my god, I would

810
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,719
Speaker 8: leave out with I'm still repenting from some of that stuff. Man,

811
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:52,600
Speaker 8: I'm telling you as I remember it.

812
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,600
Speaker 1: You know, this is how you would be able to continue.

813
00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,719
Speaker 8: And it's every day. And I remember one time I

814
00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:00,680
Speaker 8: left my dad and another help out there work because

815
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,640
Speaker 8: I had so much stuff. I got a cab and

816
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:05,759
Speaker 8: a cab driver said, what is all that stuff? I said, man,

817
00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:07,920
Speaker 8: this is the stuff we shipping from one store to another.

818
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,480
Speaker 8: And so I filled up his trunk. I filled up

819
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:12,320
Speaker 8: the back seat. But what I did I showed it.

820
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,880
Speaker 8: I had some money. I showed him the money up front.

821
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:16,520
Speaker 8: I said, how much you think this is going to

822
00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,440
Speaker 8: be to go to? You know? I gave him the address.

823
00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,400
Speaker 8: He said probably about ten dollars. Well, you know, I

824
00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,520
Speaker 8: gave him more. And he zoomed on away from there.

825
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:30,400
Speaker 8: And I'm sober at this time, not sobriety, sober, just

826
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,000
Speaker 8: waiting to get to the next fix. And so when

827
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,120
Speaker 8: he dropped me off at I took the stuff. He said,

828
00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:38,319
Speaker 8: he's just gonna leave it here. I said, yeah, the

829
00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,120
Speaker 8: truck is gonna come get it. And so I paid

830
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,719
Speaker 8: him and he went on and I called a couple

831
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:49,000
Speaker 8: of bobs. Anytime you're doing drugs, you have connections, right,

832
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,680
Speaker 8: just like with you with this, you have connections. You

833
00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:53,920
Speaker 8: have people that you connected with in the other states.

834
00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:55,840
Speaker 8: And so we got guys come out. They see it

835
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,000
Speaker 8: because they know now with all of this, he's gonna

836
00:39:58,000 --> 00:39:59,799
Speaker 8: break me off something too. And so here I am

837
00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,799
Speaker 8: were probably four or five hundred dollars merchandise. Then I'm

838
00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,239
Speaker 8: going to get only one third. Four You're supposed to

839
00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:08,520
Speaker 8: give your half, but they know that you're desperate, and

840
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,080
Speaker 8: so they're going to give you one third. And so

841
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,560
Speaker 8: the last couple of days on here I am back

842
00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,960
Speaker 8: late for work again. That has the fire. I got

843
00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,040
Speaker 8: fired three or four times from the family job.

844
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:17,479
Speaker 3: Wow.

845
00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,280
Speaker 1: Wow, Okay, So let's fast forward to you just becoming

846
00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:27,120
Speaker 1: an addict every day and robbery and continuing the shoplift,

847
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:30,719
Speaker 1: and you get called and you get prison. I mean,

848
00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:32,000
Speaker 1: you get jailed shoplifting.

849
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,319
Speaker 8: Shoplifting ran out because they knew my face. So that's

850
00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:38,719
Speaker 8: what started me to robbing people because I couldn't go

851
00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:42,280
Speaker 8: into the I couldn't go into the business places anymore.

852
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:44,160
Speaker 1: Did you have a gun with you and you did that?

853
00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:44,439
Speaker 8: Never?

854
00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:46,680
Speaker 1: Never, okay, not even one time.

855
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,520
Speaker 8: Okay, the people I had people run me out of places.

856
00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:52,960
Speaker 8: You don't even look the part.

857
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:56,400
Speaker 1: Okay. So let's get to the sentence.

858
00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,160
Speaker 8: They sent me to one year. I got out. I

859
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:02,439
Speaker 8: went straight and got but I didn't go back right away.

860
00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:09,279
Speaker 8: But it wasn't long. So in ninety three I was

861
00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:12,040
Speaker 8: picked up for two couns arm robber, one comes attempt

862
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,080
Speaker 8: on robber. I was given six years. When I went

863
00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:17,160
Speaker 8: to court, they wouldn't give me a six years. They

864
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,000
Speaker 8: wanted to give me six on East charge and run

865
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,560
Speaker 8: a consecutive, not concurrent, which means I would have I

866
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:26,879
Speaker 8: would have six twelve eighteen, but I had to pay lawyer.

867
00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:29,439
Speaker 8: When she come out the back, she said six years.

868
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,279
Speaker 8: I say, yes, ma'am, I no, I'm gonna take it.

869
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,080
Speaker 8: She said, no, not six on East charge. You're gonna

870
00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:38,239
Speaker 8: get six years and do three. And I just just

871
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:39,920
Speaker 8: was the lazy. I'm like, man, I'm gonna be out

872
00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:41,120
Speaker 8: in the men because I had been down a little

873
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:45,600
Speaker 8: while already, I had been locked up. Well, I got out,

874
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,839
Speaker 8: I did three years. I got out. I was two

875
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:49,600
Speaker 8: hundred and twenty three.

876
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:53,080
Speaker 1: Trying to help you try.

877
00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 8: Nobody has more chances than I had not one person

878
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,120
Speaker 8: on this earth. I was two hundred and twenty three pounds.

879
00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:02,879
Speaker 8: I wasn't fat anywhere. I'm like two o five now.

880
00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:07,439
Speaker 8: So I was two twenty three and forty eight days

881
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,840
Speaker 8: later I returned on robberies. I was one hundred and

882
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:15,000
Speaker 8: fifty nine pounds. Wow, I was one fifty nine when

883
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:16,680
Speaker 8: they when they did the monk shot.

884
00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:18,960
Speaker 1: And so what happened? What did they give you that time?

885
00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:19,800
Speaker 8: They gave me life?

886
00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:20,839
Speaker 1: And what did that mean?

887
00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,920
Speaker 8: It was my third conviction in Louisiana. That meant that

888
00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,680
Speaker 8: I would die in prison because life has no outs,

889
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,400
Speaker 8: no parole, no probation, no suspension of sentences.

890
00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,719
Speaker 1: And you were in Angola one of those that's a

891
00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:35,480
Speaker 1: rough that was a rough prison back then.

892
00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:39,640
Speaker 8: Yes, I went with my hands balled up all the way.

893
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:41,839
Speaker 8: I believe. The only reason why I remember is because

894
00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:44,440
Speaker 8: when I tried to open them, I couldn't. And I

895
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,600
Speaker 8: looked at my hands and I had nail prints in

896
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:47,080
Speaker 8: my hand.

897
00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:48,200
Speaker 3: Wow.

898
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,560
Speaker 8: The but the man with the nails card hands.

899
00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,560
Speaker 1: He's coming, He's coming.

900
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:54,200
Speaker 3: Okay.

901
00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:58,080
Speaker 1: So you you were in angolat.

902
00:42:57,360 --> 00:42:59,680
Speaker 8: I'm in the belly of the beasts, And so how.

903
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:03,360
Speaker 1: Long for you had a moment like, we want to

904
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,839
Speaker 1: hear about that because this is depressing right now. We

905
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,279
Speaker 1: need to get to Jesus. We need to get to Jesus.

906
00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:14,160
Speaker 8: I had the moment of the Gideon Bible moment.

907
00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,160
Speaker 1: So what happened that day? You're in the cell and

908
00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:21,880
Speaker 1: you're making it to where you're doing something, so that

909
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,040
Speaker 1: doesn't close.

910
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,520
Speaker 8: All yeah, right, Well, what happens is there's a change

911
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:29,200
Speaker 8: that brings it back when he turns it. So once

912
00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:33,800
Speaker 8: he turns it, the lights are connected the connection, so

913
00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:36,840
Speaker 8: light goes off, it comes on whenever it moves away.

914
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,319
Speaker 8: So he'll know what sales open. Say I one, two, three, four, five,

915
00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:42,200
Speaker 8: they all the way fourteen. I'm in sell five because

916
00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:43,840
Speaker 8: I'm the tear rep. I'm running a tier. I'm the

917
00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:46,239
Speaker 8: tear rep. So I'm in the one man sell. And

918
00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:48,080
Speaker 8: so when he leaves to go to the other side

919
00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:51,400
Speaker 8: to do security business, our time him every night, and

920
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,200
Speaker 8: I would close them closeoom clooom, and I rack it

921
00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,279
Speaker 8: back and then I push it back, just close up

922
00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:58,439
Speaker 8: the touch but not lock. Then I would go around

923
00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:00,520
Speaker 8: and give lights and I would get cookies, chips and

924
00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:08,840
Speaker 8: stuff for a light. I was terrible. I was terrible.

925
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,160
Speaker 1: Then they catch you.

926
00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,320
Speaker 8: Yeah, that night they caught me. What happened was he

927
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:15,719
Speaker 8: left something in there and he had to get to

928
00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,239
Speaker 8: go back, and he came back, and I'm out, and

929
00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:20,000
Speaker 8: I'm so far away with my sale, I can't even

930
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:23,279
Speaker 8: dive on the floor and try to He saw me

931
00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:25,920
Speaker 8: as I saw him, I believed, and he was afraid

932
00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:28,759
Speaker 8: because he wasn't a veteran officer. He was afraid, and

933
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,440
Speaker 8: he was like and he hit every button in there,

934
00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:33,359
Speaker 8: and everything went on and they came running. And oh,

935
00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:35,759
Speaker 8: they talked to me so bad that night. But I

936
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,040
Speaker 8: threw my hands up because I know that any type

937
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,400
Speaker 8: of resistance, I'm gonna get some broke ribs and stuff.

938
00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:43,120
Speaker 8: So I went on in the sale. They brung a

939
00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:46,960
Speaker 8: chain and they chained the cell. And so they took

940
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:50,360
Speaker 8: everything out, all the zuzu's and w wams, that's canteen,

941
00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:52,920
Speaker 8: all your snacks, and they took all the books out

942
00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:58,000
Speaker 8: of the stuff for the Blue Gideon Bibles. That's what

943
00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:01,640
Speaker 8: she cooks in your chips, and and so they left

944
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:04,239
Speaker 8: the Blue getting. I love to read. I love to read.

945
00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:05,880
Speaker 8: You give me a good book, you give me an

946
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:08,520
Speaker 8: assignment to read. You don't have to worry about it.

947
00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,239
Speaker 8: I take care of well. That was the only thing

948
00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:13,120
Speaker 8: that I grab and I laid back on my bed.

949
00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:14,319
Speaker 8: I know this is gonna be a long haul.

950
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:14,879
Speaker 3: I'm gonna be.

951
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:18,600
Speaker 8: Or something about they could not take the Bible.

952
00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:20,240
Speaker 6: He didn't take the constitutionally.

953
00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:23,560
Speaker 8: Constitutionally, they could not take that Bible.

954
00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:25,680
Speaker 1: Thank God's for the Gideon, Thank.

955
00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:27,279
Speaker 8: God for the Gidding. They make me tell that story

956
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,120
Speaker 8: every time they come to and go, every time they

957
00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:31,680
Speaker 8: come to push me, they make me tell when they was.

958
00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:35,080
Speaker 8: So I started reading. I got to I just opened

959
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:39,520
Speaker 8: it up because I'm really reading the frustration and just

960
00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:42,720
Speaker 8: something to do right now other than stare at the ceiling.

961
00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:45,040
Speaker 8: As a convict, you never want to stare at the ceiling.

962
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,600
Speaker 8: And so I started reading and it took me to

963
00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:51,640
Speaker 8: Romas chapter seven, verses fourteen through twenty five. They say,

964
00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:54,000
Speaker 8: we want to do what it's right, but how to

965
00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:57,360
Speaker 8: perform that was right? We know not how. And it

966
00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:00,120
Speaker 8: goes on to say that which I don't want to

967
00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:02,799
Speaker 8: do is what I do, But that thing that I

968
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,160
Speaker 8: want to do I don't know how, and say I'm

969
00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:09,200
Speaker 8: in a poor, wrench torn state, and I was because

970
00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:11,319
Speaker 8: I always wanted to my mom and dad taught me

971
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,000
Speaker 8: well even my siblings, and I wanted to do what

972
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:15,959
Speaker 8: was right. But how to perform that was I didn't

973
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:18,040
Speaker 8: know how. Even when I was out there working on crack,

974
00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:19,880
Speaker 8: when I had a job I was, I would I

975
00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:21,480
Speaker 8: would say, before I get my check, I said, this

976
00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:22,560
Speaker 8: is what I'm gonna do. I'm going to pay my

977
00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:24,160
Speaker 8: bills and drop this off and then I'm gonna get

978
00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:26,120
Speaker 8: a high. I never made it to that. I was.

979
00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:30,640
Speaker 1: When you first read that, it kind of made you mad.

980
00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:31,600
Speaker 1: You closed the Bible back?

981
00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,120
Speaker 8: Yeah, because God was telling me that I was weak.

982
00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:37,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'm laying there. What happened? Did you pick

983
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:38,439
Speaker 1: it up again?

984
00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:40,719
Speaker 8: Well, I threw the Bible down. I think I went

985
00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:44,480
Speaker 8: to sleep and I got up and uh, and something

986
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:46,400
Speaker 8: was tugging at me. We called it something then, but

987
00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:48,640
Speaker 8: I know what it was. It was the Holy Spirits.

988
00:46:48,719 --> 00:46:49,960
Speaker 8: I picked it up, and I don't know where to

989
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:51,880
Speaker 8: find it because I don't know where I read that.

990
00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:53,719
Speaker 8: But when I opened it up, I was laying on

991
00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:57,000
Speaker 8: the back and I started reading dead point right on

992
00:46:57,160 --> 00:46:59,480
Speaker 8: that scripture. And I read it and read it and

993
00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,439
Speaker 8: read it wrong. With seven and I talked to God.

994
00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:05,279
Speaker 8: I told God, I said, I can stop doing drugs

995
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:08,320
Speaker 8: any time I get ready. God, I said, yeah, I

996
00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:10,319
Speaker 8: hear you. You showed those Is.

997
00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:12,200
Speaker 1: That working out for you?

998
00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:13,279
Speaker 6: How is that working for you?

999
00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:13,640
Speaker 8: Right?

1000
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:14,000
Speaker 1: Right?

1001
00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:21,200
Speaker 8: Right? And and so the court came, the sentence came

1002
00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:25,479
Speaker 8: life sentence. Well it hit me twenty five years because

1003
00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:27,600
Speaker 8: they have to give you a number because I'm not

1004
00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:29,120
Speaker 8: on the murder anything. So I have to give you

1005
00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:32,160
Speaker 8: a five. Your vacate to twenty five. Take that back

1006
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:34,120
Speaker 8: and give your life. That's legal, that's the way that

1007
00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:34,560
Speaker 8: is done.

1008
00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:37,200
Speaker 1: So when did you surrender? Like I know you read that.

1009
00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:37,839
Speaker 3: It wasn't.

1010
00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:38,719
Speaker 8: It wasn't right away.

1011
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:40,320
Speaker 1: So when did that moment?

1012
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:44,919
Speaker 8: When did I smoked? I smoked some weed. Im yeah,

1013
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:47,400
Speaker 8: oh you can get anything you want. You get anything

1014
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:54,000
Speaker 8: you want anything, and so including uh security officers. Yeah.

1015
00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:58,080
Speaker 8: And so I was smoking. I got a little high,

1016
00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:02,800
Speaker 8: and I was just tired and I looked at around everything.

1017
00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:06,240
Speaker 8: I said, man, this is ridiculous some of the things

1018
00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:10,600
Speaker 8: took place. And I said, I said, I'm tired. I

1019
00:48:10,640 --> 00:48:14,200
Speaker 8: said God, I said God, I'm I'm walk I said,

1020
00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:16,000
Speaker 8: I don't think I'm high right now. I think that

1021
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:20,560
Speaker 8: that I need you like never before. I know, I said,

1022
00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:23,240
Speaker 8: I know, I talked to you before I even prayed.

1023
00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:25,120
Speaker 8: While I was high in society. I said, if something

1024
00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:27,640
Speaker 8: got to change, because this is not working for me.

1025
00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:30,720
Speaker 8: This is just not working. And you know what happens

1026
00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:32,919
Speaker 8: to you when when you stand up straight, you start

1027
00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,239
Speaker 8: to hear the things that good people told you. But

1028
00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,280
Speaker 8: is your mom and your daddy, the pastor a truck driver,

1029
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:40,560
Speaker 8: a next door neighbor.

1030
00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:43,319
Speaker 1: But that was your surrender moment. It was I mean, God,

1031
00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:46,520
Speaker 1: do that. You were saying, I give up, yes, and

1032
00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:48,279
Speaker 1: you kind of made a deal with him, like if

1033
00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:49,279
Speaker 1: you can do anything with this.

1034
00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:54,280
Speaker 8: My mom died. Wow, while you were in prison, Yes,

1035
00:48:54,680 --> 00:48:56,680
Speaker 8: I was in my twenty second month, and they called

1036
00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:00,279
Speaker 8: me the next two and a half three days. I

1037
00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,360
Speaker 8: tried to fight. I told guys, don't come around me,

1038
00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:06,200
Speaker 8: don't tell me anything, don't talk to me. I told

1039
00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:08,120
Speaker 8: God to kill me. I'm too much of a coward

1040
00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:10,120
Speaker 8: to kill myself. I said, if you don't kill me,

1041
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:14,319
Speaker 8: i'mna start killing guys in this in this dormitory. That

1042
00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:16,840
Speaker 8: was that far gone the other way. But remember now

1043
00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:19,839
Speaker 8: I'm saved. There was I was teaching Bible study. There

1044
00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:22,120
Speaker 8: was a guy came his name is His name is

1045
00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:28,040
Speaker 8: is Diamond, and Diamond came up to me a little

1046
00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,680
Speaker 8: distance from me and he said, you need to live

1047
00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:33,359
Speaker 8: that what you teaching. I said, old man, get away

1048
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,399
Speaker 8: from me. I said, if you don't, I'm gonna slide

1049
00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:37,759
Speaker 8: you under that bed. Get away from me. And he

1050
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,560
Speaker 8: was swinging his arms with his fistball. He said, I'm

1051
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:42,839
Speaker 8: not scared of you. He's an old guy. I can't

1052
00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:45,000
Speaker 8: hit this dude, and I'm telling her. I said, man,

1053
00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:47,400
Speaker 8: go ahead. And now he said, you need to. You

1054
00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:49,840
Speaker 8: need to live what you've been teaching and teaching Bible study.

1055
00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:52,080
Speaker 8: You need to and he just kept talking and I

1056
00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:54,640
Speaker 8: was just getting further and further frustrated. I just wanted

1057
00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:58,040
Speaker 8: to sit on my bed and cry. And he walked away.

1058
00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:00,400
Speaker 8: I don't know if it's the next second it was.

1059
00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:03,440
Speaker 8: I just told God, I said, if you give me

1060
00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:06,920
Speaker 8: the strength to want to live, I live for you

1061
00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:09,120
Speaker 8: the rest of my life, because right now I don't

1062
00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:11,680
Speaker 8: want to live. And I don't know if it was instantaneous.

1063
00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:14,160
Speaker 8: I don't know if it was ten minutes or three

1064
00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,600
Speaker 8: hours later, I don't know, but something came over me,

1065
00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:19,560
Speaker 8: and I know it was the shadowing of the Holy Ghost,

1066
00:50:20,239 --> 00:50:22,560
Speaker 8: and it was a confirmation that God's I heard you.

1067
00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:23,480
Speaker 8: I've been waiting on you.

1068
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:23,880
Speaker 9: It was the.

1069
00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:27,279
Speaker 1: Enemy's last chance to try to throw you off track

1070
00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:31,920
Speaker 1: with Mama's Dad. The God came yes, and the Holy

1071
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:34,960
Speaker 1: Spirit rested you. And at that from that point on,

1072
00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:38,239
Speaker 1: you were pretty solid from from there on out. And

1073
00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:42,400
Speaker 1: you actually were out of time. But you actually the

1074
00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,280
Speaker 1: prisoners voted you to be the pastor.

1075
00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:46,360
Speaker 8: Yes, and I didn't want to be the pastor.

1076
00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:46,840
Speaker 6: You want to.

1077
00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:52,120
Speaker 1: Butt it. You got to tell the one story about

1078
00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:52,640
Speaker 1: the paper.

1079
00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:55,400
Speaker 8: Yes, your rap she tells, your rap sheet is what

1080
00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:57,239
Speaker 8: you get from the from the court. Once you get

1081
00:50:57,280 --> 00:50:59,279
Speaker 8: the president a month or so, lady, your rap sheet comes.

1082
00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:01,200
Speaker 8: It tells you if you have parole, as tell you

1083
00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:03,319
Speaker 8: what your sentences. They tell you what you did. They

1084
00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:06,399
Speaker 8: tell you all that you ever did wrong in your life.

1085
00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:09,560
Speaker 8: There's nothing right on that paper. But it's the paper

1086
00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:12,479
Speaker 8: that the court has on you. It's what the judge sees,

1087
00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,399
Speaker 8: what the dacs is, what the wardens, if they want

1088
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:17,040
Speaker 8: to they see. If you go back to court, that's

1089
00:51:17,120 --> 00:51:20,360
Speaker 8: what they're going to see first and foremost. It's said,

1090
00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,719
Speaker 8: not applicable, parole line through it. Zero.

1091
00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:25,560
Speaker 6: You're a miracle.

1092
00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:30,200
Speaker 8: I'm gonna walk in miracle. I took that paper in

1093
00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:33,120
Speaker 8: your boxes. These you have locker boxes, metal boxes about

1094
00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:35,839
Speaker 8: this high. You get two of them. One you use

1095
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:40,000
Speaker 8: for paperwork and clothes. I don't use for your canteen

1096
00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:44,319
Speaker 8: and whatever else. Well, the box that had the most,

1097
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:46,080
Speaker 8: and I took everything out of it. I took the

1098
00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:48,920
Speaker 8: the newspaper, lining out of it because you have to

1099
00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:50,799
Speaker 8: line it because they rust at the bottom. And I

1100
00:51:50,840 --> 00:51:52,880
Speaker 8: took that rap sheet. I looked at it one more time,

1101
00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:56,160
Speaker 8: and I told them audios. And I took that rap

1102
00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:58,000
Speaker 8: sheet I put in the bottom of that locker. I

1103
00:51:58,040 --> 00:51:59,680
Speaker 8: took the newspaper and put on top of it. I took

1104
00:51:59,680 --> 00:52:01,480
Speaker 8: my clothes, was and everything. I filled the lock up.

1105
00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:03,560
Speaker 8: And that was my last time looking at that until

1106
00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:06,239
Speaker 8: my until my sentence changed and I didn't look at it.

1107
00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:07,960
Speaker 1: What did you say to that paper?

1108
00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:11,640
Speaker 8: I said that that particular paper, I started telling that

1109
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,440
Speaker 8: paper in that box, we'll never even look at it.

1110
00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:17,040
Speaker 8: I started telling that paper about my God instead of

1111
00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:19,640
Speaker 8: telling God about my paper. God already knew I had

1112
00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:23,040
Speaker 8: a life sentence, that life, that life sentence. Didn't know

1113
00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:23,879
Speaker 8: about my God.

1114
00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:27,319
Speaker 1: He said, you know, people pray, pray God. I got

1115
00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:28,200
Speaker 1: this life sentence.

1116
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:29,800
Speaker 6: You got to know me. But he didn't.

1117
00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:30,680
Speaker 1: He didn't say that.

1118
00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:32,920
Speaker 8: I did for a while, and I stopped that because

1119
00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,040
Speaker 8: that wasn't working. God told me one day, he said,

1120
00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:37,160
Speaker 8: I know you got. I was. I was at court.

1121
00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:38,400
Speaker 6: I was there with you.

1122
00:52:38,640 --> 00:52:40,399
Speaker 8: I know what you got. I knew before you got

1123
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:42,520
Speaker 8: it what you were going to get. Why you keep

1124
00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:48,359
Speaker 8: telling me that you Yeah. I say, okay, God, I'm

1125
00:52:48,400 --> 00:52:50,640
Speaker 8: gonna get this in. We're gonna get this in. I'm

1126
00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:53,200
Speaker 8: not gonna tell you no more about that life sentence.

1127
00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:58,680
Speaker 8: But I tell you, mister life sentence, I tell you.

1128
00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:01,719
Speaker 1: Short stories again. We could go another whole show.

1129
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:02,759
Speaker 3: But you got.

1130
00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:07,440
Speaker 1: You served seventeen years, eighteen eighteen eight so seventeen were

1131
00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:10,920
Speaker 1: you were born again? Yes, just man, Yes, ma'am. And

1132
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:16,239
Speaker 1: then you submit a possible throw. They denied. I got

1133
00:53:16,239 --> 00:53:17,719
Speaker 1: a wait five years, and then you got to wait

1134
00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:18,440
Speaker 1: five years.

1135
00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:20,040
Speaker 8: Put in another winning.

1136
00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:21,480
Speaker 1: Still didn't give up on God.

1137
00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:23,719
Speaker 8: Though, Oh no, no, I had thoughts.

1138
00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:25,160
Speaker 1: You thought that God.

1139
00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:27,480
Speaker 8: I said, God, you lied to me. And God already

1140
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:28,960
Speaker 8: told me, said I did not tell you I was

1141
00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:31,680
Speaker 8: going to get you out. I told you that if

1142
00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:33,640
Speaker 8: you served me that I was going to raise you up.

1143
00:53:35,280 --> 00:53:38,520
Speaker 1: And so when the twenty two year mark came, I filed.

1144
00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:39,480
Speaker 3: I fouled that.

1145
00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:43,320
Speaker 8: Monday made the five year but that Friday I needed

1146
00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:46,520
Speaker 8: to go out. So I went to the classicate that

1147
00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:48,560
Speaker 8: sends it out and certifies it. She said, well, your

1148
00:53:48,600 --> 00:53:51,359
Speaker 8: data is up to Monday. I said, ma'am, and then

1149
00:53:51,520 --> 00:53:53,640
Speaker 8: by the time the court get it, it's going to

1150
00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:56,440
Speaker 8: be Tuesday. My day is going to be. I was

1151
00:53:56,480 --> 00:53:59,480
Speaker 8: so tuned in on this is it until I went

1152
00:53:59,480 --> 00:54:01,520
Speaker 8: ahead of and she said, you know what, you're right,

1153
00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:02,920
Speaker 8: and she mailed it out for me.

1154
00:54:03,040 --> 00:54:07,160
Speaker 1: Now she mailed it, but something supernatural. You know, the

1155
00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:09,200
Speaker 1: whole process could take years.

1156
00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:10,240
Speaker 6: And years, and you know what happened.

1157
00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:13,920
Speaker 8: They take decades, every part of it from from me

1158
00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:16,799
Speaker 8: getting the letter back saying that they accept and then

1159
00:54:17,719 --> 00:54:20,200
Speaker 8: getting a date to go before the five panel board,

1160
00:54:20,719 --> 00:54:23,879
Speaker 8: and then the five panel board making the decision, putting

1161
00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:26,480
Speaker 8: on the governor's desk, and then the governors.

1162
00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:28,799
Speaker 6: Signed it, all in record time.

1163
00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:36,880
Speaker 1: He serves as the chaplain and program director, creating the

1164
00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:40,279
Speaker 1: prison and prayer with staff and inmates can go in

1165
00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:43,560
Speaker 1: beginning to shake and can we just thank God for

1166
00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:47,240
Speaker 1: this wonderful test? Sorry, you want to get to talk?

1167
00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:49,719
Speaker 3: Was that so?

1168
00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,160
Speaker 1: I know for some of you watching that you you're

1169
00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:55,120
Speaker 1: not like in a physical prison, but you're in a

1170
00:54:55,520 --> 00:55:01,239
Speaker 1: prison like you're not, you know, behind bars like Reggie was,

1171
00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:05,840
Speaker 1: but you are in a prison of darkness, anxiety, fear.

1172
00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:08,080
Speaker 1: I just want you to know that the same God

1173
00:55:08,120 --> 00:55:12,080
Speaker 1: that met Reginald will meet you today. We are out

1174
00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:14,840
Speaker 1: of time, but I want you to remember no mistake,

1175
00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:17,600
Speaker 1: no prison, no storm in your life is too big

1176
00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:20,640
Speaker 1: for God to work, and even in the very darkest moment,

1177
00:55:21,120 --> 00:55:22,960
Speaker 1: God can turn it all around. If you're going through

1178
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,080
Speaker 1: a hard place right now, don't walk through it, don't alone,

1179
00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:28,520
Speaker 1: reach out and trust that God can be you right

1180
00:55:28,560 --> 00:55:31,600
Speaker 1: you are. You'll always talk about my grandfather. I tell

1181
00:55:31,640 --> 00:55:35,880
Speaker 1: the stories so often because his decision changed the trajectory

1182
00:55:35,920 --> 00:55:38,799
Speaker 1: of our family. And when at nineteen he called out

1183
00:55:38,840 --> 00:55:41,879
Speaker 1: to the Lord there at a tool and die meal

1184
00:55:41,920 --> 00:55:44,479
Speaker 1: in Greenville, South Carolina, on a Monday morning. He didn't

1185
00:55:44,480 --> 00:55:48,399
Speaker 1: know anything about God, church, anything, and he just said, God,

1186
00:55:48,400 --> 00:55:51,400
Speaker 1: if you're there, I need you. That's kind of Reginald

1187
00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:52,560
Speaker 1: thinks the best place to be.

1188
00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:54,399
Speaker 6: And so if you.

1189
00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:55,960
Speaker 1: Don't know the Lord, all you have to do is

1190
00:55:56,000 --> 00:55:59,880
Speaker 1: just say Jesus forgive me come into my heart right now.

1191
00:56:00,400 --> 00:56:04,160
Speaker 1: It be Lord of my life. I need you and

1192
00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:06,960
Speaker 1: He'll meet you right write where you are, and of

1193
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:09,040
Speaker 1: course we have prayer partners that are standing by, always

1194
00:56:09,040 --> 00:56:11,200
Speaker 1: ready to pray with you. Comment number on the screen.

1195
00:56:11,239 --> 00:56:13,400
Speaker 1: I'd love to send you the Gospel of John It's

1196
00:56:13,440 --> 00:56:15,719
Speaker 1: a free gift. Just want to bless you with this.

1197
00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:17,399
Speaker 1: A great place to start in the world of God.

1198
00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:19,600
Speaker 1: But I want to thank Reginald for joining us. You

1199
00:56:19,640 --> 00:56:22,239
Speaker 1: can get a copy of his book From Crack to

1200
00:56:22,320 --> 00:56:24,880
Speaker 1: the Cross, really really good. As always, make sure to

1201
00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:27,280
Speaker 1: follow us on all social media. Subscribe to our YouTube

1202
00:56:27,360 --> 00:56:31,000
Speaker 1: channel for full episodes exclusive content. Let us know how

1203
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:33,360
Speaker 1: table Talk is touching your life. We love hearing from you,

1204
00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:35,320
Speaker 1: and of course you can also listen to the Johnny

1205
00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:38,279
Speaker 1: table Talk podcasts available now on all the major platforms.

1206
00:56:38,560 --> 00:56:40,319
Speaker 1: I want to thank you so much for watching. Those

1207
00:56:40,360 --> 00:56:42,719
Speaker 1: of you that prayed that prayer. It's a new day

1208
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:45,560
Speaker 1: for those of you that are searching for something. You

1209
00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:47,600
Speaker 1: don't know what it is. There's a hole in your

1210
00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:50,160
Speaker 1: heart that only God can feel, and he wants to

1211
00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:53,040
Speaker 1: do that for you today, so just ask him. He'll

1212
00:56:53,040 --> 00:56:54,759
Speaker 1: meet you right where you are. We'll see you next time.

1213
00:56:54,840 --> 00:56:55,760
Speaker 3: Bye bye for today.