Participants:
Series Code: CW
Program Code: CW000041S
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00:04 Welcome everyone. We're excited to share some country
00:07 wisdom with you King Solomon had a thing 00:10 or two to say about the path to wisdom in proverbs 4, 00:13 he wrote let your eyes look directly forward 00:16 and your gaze be straight before you 00:20 keep straight the path of your feet and all your ways 00:23 will be sure join us now for Country wisdom. 00:41 Melissa Jim tells me that this looks like your 00:44 home country Costa Rica. Yes, it does. 00:47 I've not had the privilege of going there. Is he telling 00:50 the truth? She is actually it looks very very similar 00:53 to Costa Rica. You know, the tree in the river is 00:56 very nice. Yeah, it reminds me a lot to 00:59 Costa Rica. You know, what's really missing here though that we don't have 01:02 is the birds. I mean the I can see 01:05 the big two cans flying, you know, and calling out and all 01:09 the parrots, you know, do you miss that a little bit about you? 01:11 I do I miss Costa Rica. What was 01:14 it like growing up for you? What was your childhood? Like well, unfortunately 01:18 my childhood it was really really tough. I 01:21 grew up in a home where my dad 01:23 was embracing my mom. She was an 01:27 alcoholic. She was a young mom. So at 01:30 the age of a very early age, I had to stay responsibility 01:34 of my baby brother who was at that 01:37 time for and how are you I was six 01:39 so 01:42 take care of my brother babysit him and I have an 01:45 older brother who he was eight. And you know, he was helping the 01:48 best way they could but unfortunately, we we 01:51 were just raised in the streets. My mom wasn't 01:54 home. You know, she was either working and when she 01:56 wasn't working she was 01:58 Drinking and you know many times 02:01 she was in trouble. So she was in jail. So pretty much 02:04 we had to learn how to survive and you 02:07 know how to to I guess 02:10 be raised just any streets, you know, three little kids. 02:14 And often did you see your mom? Did you show up at home from 02:17 time to time? I mean she was coming home. 02:20 I guess almost every day when she could but she 02:23 was coming home like two in the morning three in the morning. Sometimes we 02:26 were sleeping and then she was living to work very 02:28 early and 02:31 many times like I said, she didn't come 02:34 home and we were always waiting for her, but she 02:38 She was impressing because of this addiction it really 02:41 it got her really really bad. 02:44 As you got a little older. How did you manage? How did 02:48 Well, you have an education where you going 02:50 to school? Well, unfortunately, I 02:54 wasn't able to like finish my high school. 02:56 So I do remember them as I 03:00 get a little bit older one of my ends. She kind 03:03 of Step In she took me with her and 03:06 my oldest brother he and they're up and they I orphanage 03:10 a place where they were 03:12 gonna raise him or whatever and my baby 03:15 brother, who knows what he was it was such a tough situation. 03:19 so I have a vague memory of me 03:22 going to school, but I think I went to school until fourth grade 03:25 and really I didn't finish and then 03:28 I escaped from my in-house and I went back I guess 03:31 to the streets and live with my mom the 03:33 best way I we could 03:36 And my brother my older brother, he's came from that place 03:38 too. And he didn't go back. I mean despite we were living 03:41 in the streets. We wanted to be all together the best way 03:44 we could in this case for you in Costa Rica, San Jose, 03:47 right? Yes big city. Yeah, what was living on 03:50 the street? So what does that mean? Did you have any place where you just out 03:53 all the time? Well, we were living in a 03:55 small room. 03:57 the floor he was dirt, and it 04:02 Like metal, I don't know how they didn't. 04:05 Yeah, like a 10 that was the only 04:08 thing my munchie was able to afford for us. We were 04:12 sleeping in like cardboard. 04:15 you know because we didn't have a mattress, so it was just really 04:18 really poor really tough and we 04:22 had to I guess 04:23 still 04:26 To be able to feel ourselves. So we were like still in brailed 04:29 or we were going to different farms and 04:32 places where they have like mango and oranges and 04:35 I guess whatever fruit they have 04:38 and just I guess jump the gate and just get all 04:41 the fruit and be able to fit ourselves because we just 04:45 didn't have any food and we will start being in my 04:47 mind just wasn't presenting and 04:50 she just couldn't be pressing. It was just too much for her when you 04:53 quit school after fourth grade. What kind 04:56 of jobs could you find? Well, I started 04:59 working at the age of 12 years old because I 05:03 I had the responsibility to take care of my brothers because 05:07 obviously my mom she wasn't emotionally a 05:10 stable to do it. So at the age of 12, I started working cleaning 05:15 So I was cleaning houses. I was working like in 05:18 a small restaurants, but mainly just cleaning 05:21 houses and just trying to make a living to help 05:25 Did you end up getting in the drug scene and drinking scene? Well, when 05:28 I turn 15 years old, I remember 05:31 then I was introduced to alcohol and that 05:35 was my mom. She gave me 05:37 a beer and she opened it. He said 05:40 your mother was an alcoholic. She was an alcoholic. Yeah, she's 05:43 strong with that for many years for over 30 years. So she 05:46 gave me my first beer and I started drinking at the age 05:50 and then that leads to start smoking 05:53 and that lead to start, you know 05:55 smoking with a 05:59 that's just got worse and worse. Yeah. 06:02 Yeah, I just really start getting really worse and 06:04 then I became an alcoholic myself. 06:08 At what age did you well you're 06:11 here in the United States. Now, what age did you finally decide or 06:14 to come here? Well, I wasn't a previous 06:17 relationships. So at the age of 25, I 06:21 the opportunity to move to the US came because of this relationship 06:24 and I will let you know what I'm going to bury my 06:27 past and the street life and I'm 06:30 gonna move to another country and I guess start fresh to 06:33 see if I was able to get rid of 06:36 did that work not good start whole new 06:39 life. Anyway, right? I know we all probably want 06:42 to sit down. There's a great chair. What are we all go down here? Tell the 06:45 rest of the story? Yes, absolutely. 06:48 Welcome. I'm Steve Hicks director of podcast Ministries 06:51 for talking donkey International a media 06:54 company. I'm inviting you to watch and share our 06:57 new daily podcast called something's happening 07:00 here Monday through Friday at 3 pm Pacific 07:03 Standard Time. 07:05 On this podcast, we will examine the big headlines of 07:08 the day and try to understand them the way that God does 07:11 we'll talk current events spiritual principles 07:14 biblical prophecy and practical takeaways. 07:19 We want to equip our audience with the knowledge that we need 07:22 to navigate the mess of today and get to 07:24 the hope of tomorrow. 07:27 And we'll do it in 15 minute chunks. 07:30 So come check it out friends on Facebook YouTube and 07:33 talking donkey international.org. Join 07:37 us on some things 07:39 happening here because there is truly Something Happening 07:43 Subscribe today and I will see you then. 07:47 Jim you just recently finished a new book the 07:50 plan of love. I just read it and I 07:53 actually loved it. I read it all in one sitting over 07:57 the course of the same day. Anyway, where can 08:01 They can actually go to Talking Donkey international.org. And 08:03 actually if you give a gift to the ministry of $12 08:06 or more, we'll send you the book completely free talking donkey 08:10 international.org. See if you give a gift 08:12 to the ministry of 12 dollars or more. We'll send you the book completely free 08:15 and I'll autograph it for you all so 08:28 Wow, feels good to come over here and set down glad we 08:31 thought of this right you were leaning against the bridge though. 08:34 What do you complaining about? I can still complain now when 08:38 we were over on the bridge you had just 08:40 said you were 25. Yes and came 08:43 to the states and did life 08:47 get a whole lot better at that point. Well actually 08:51 It did and it didn't because the 08:55 alcoholic issues I have they got 08:57 really really worse smoking are 09:00 really worse. And now I had the money 09:03 to afford it to feed the Habit exactly so 09:06 it got ten times worse. You say 09:09 yeah, I mean you're already an alcoholic and it got worse. How do 09:12 you get worse than being an alcoholic? Well, because I 09:15 don't know in my case. I was in Costa Rica. 09:18 I was limited to dream because I didn't have the money to afford it. But now 09:21 in the US I'm working on making money and I'm drinking every single 09:26 Yeah, can I be nosy enough how much? 09:28 How much yeah, well, I used to drink a 09:31 lot of beer. So I was drinking. I don't know 09:33 sometimes I was drinking 12. 09:37 13 beers in the day. I was drinking like vodka 09:40 tequila. 09:42 Shots of all on 09:45 the same day. Yeah, it just depends on the occasions. Sometimes you go 09:48 to the club and you just start drinking beer and shots and I mean 09:51 just really really sad, you know situation and 09:54 smoking a lot. 09:56 Then you met someone and am 09:59 I correct you met him in a bar? I do. Yeah. 10:03 Yeah, that's when I feel came into the picture. I went 10:06 to a party and he was there. 10:09 And then pretty much that's how I met him. He's 10:12 an alcoholic. He smokes like really heavy 10:15 and I do too and it's almost like okay. I may I 10:17 made my match. 10:18 at that time 10:21 terrible. Yeah, but this seemed 10:23 like the guy for you. 10:25 Well at the mommy. 10:26 it kind of 10:33 is brought up with our father. So I'm not 10:36 trusting guys at all. And I'm very very cautious when 10:39 it comes to a guy at that momming. You know, there is 10:43 a really handsome six foot seven guy. Yeah, 10:45 definitely and that was super attracted to him. Yeah. Yeah, 10:48 nothing I didn't he is a cutie. 10:51 Thank you. Where did it go from there? Well when 10:54 I met feel he was our own Bale. 10:57 And he told me that he had a case 10:59 pending. 11:01 really didn't know what was 11:04 didn't tell you what it was about he kind of 11:07 tell me about but I just didn't know how bad it was 11:10 the situation. I have to tell you as a mother of a 11:13 daughter who you know is she's single 11:16 she's one of 11:19 these days. I hope she'll meet someone. 11:21 The thought of her meeting someone in a 11:23 bar who's on Bale? 11:30 This is horrifying. 11:32 Yeah, it was it was really crazy. But for the 11:35 environment and I was brought up to me that was normal, you 11:38 know, I was normal to meet somebody with tons of 11:41 addictions and dimension lie because I was damaged myself. 11:44 So I guess you had no concept of 11:47 anything else. Not at all. I never I never knew 11:51 So for me this this was normal, I 11:54 guess so he's out on bail and you told him. 11:57 Okay, I'll wait for you. He's our own bail. 12:00 And then we start getting attached. We start hanging out. We are 12:03 friends and then when I realized, you 12:06 know, he has to go to court and they sentence 12:09 him and they take him out away from me. How long 12:12 did this time period of dating go on 12:14 before the court, I will say 12:18 Probably like eight months. 12:21 And then a court date and then a court date tell 12:24 us about being in court. I assume you were in court. Yeah, I wonder they 12:27 took Court. I wanted to figure out what was going 12:30 on and I wanted to support him and you know, 12:33 they show all the proof they show the you know, the prosecutor 12:36 the Josh everything and stop 12:39 you just was a proof of what of you 12:42 know the bullets he shot on the air the drugs 12:46 and they found in the car the guns without 12:49 the permit for one with permit and the other 12:51 one too without permit. So they show all these proof and 12:54 he was sentenced and they ran away in 12:59 Hank up ham and they took him away from me. 13:03 Pretty traumatic moment, but you stuck with him. 13:07 Did you tell him you'd wait for him? 13:09 I didn't actually I just wanted to like run 13:14 I already have a lot of issues and in my life and I 13:18 I just didn't want to have more issues than he wasn't I 13:21 already have you know, I already had a messed 13:24 up life and I'm putting myself and something 10 times 13:27 worse. So I'm just trying to escape and I'm 13:30 trying to be on the Nile then 13:33 I wanted to support him. But at the end I I did I 13:36 support him. I just my conscious didn't allow me to to 13:39 leave him in that place. 13:41 but you 13:45 never seen anybody hauled away in shackles, especially 13:46 now your boyfriend. 13:53 Indigo and Costa Rica and all the things 13:55 I saw. 13:57 I guess I was I never saw 14:00 such a crazy a theme in my life 14:04 But I saw criminals all the time, but never I was 14:06 never in a court. 14:09 So for me that was really traumatic and it was someone 14:12 that you'd grow an attached to exactly exactly. So 14:15 Monday, then you love and someone you want to be with. So 14:18 what happened after he went to prison? 14:22 But we had to when he went to prison we stopped talking 14:25 for a while. He was not able to talk and I was 14:28 like I said trying to run away from this situation and then 14:31 all of the Southern he reached out to me and 14:34 he's another man in. 14:38 I didn't even know what was happening to him. He's another man. 14:41 Pretty much. Yeah, it was this in a phone call or a 14:44 letter or what he called me and he said that 14:47 he was praying for me. 14:49 And he was he a man 14:52 of prayer before he went to prison never he 14:56 didn't even read the Bible. He didn't even talk 14:58 about God. He told me many times and if he 15:01 died one day, he probably you know would go 15:05 I guess you know to hell because he he 15:09 knew that he wasn't safe and he know that he was not really living right 15:11 so reach back to that moment you get this 15:13 phone call. It's Phil and 15:17 he tells you this what on Earth is going through your 15:20 Well in my case. 15:22 I'm just I'm not I'm just shock 15:25 because I'm drinking I'm drinking more than I ever dreamed 15:28 before because I'm depressed about him being increasing and 15:31 all these craziness happening in my life and all 15:34 of these out and he's telling me he's praying for me and he's 15:37 he's our memorizing verses. So the 15:40 Bible is our telling me all these guys promises and 15:43 I just could not believe it. 15:46 I was like, what is home look at the phone. 15:49 Yeah, I was like what is happening over here? And I see how God 15:52 is transforming his life. And yeah, what 15:55 made you curious seeing those changes in him going? Why is 15:58 he different? What is it? He's learning that has 16:01 made him this I would assume a new improved 16:04 version of your boyfriend. Well, definitely I 16:07 started seeing Improvement in you know, 16:10 when he get out there. He was a 16:13 different person and he wanted to get married. He doesn't 16:16 want it to leave this life anymore. 16:20 And I just couldn't believe it. I don't even I mean 16:23 I guess so excited because he was a new person. He 16:26 was not the person that went to that prison and when 16:29 he get out there he was a new individual so part 16:32 of you liked what you were hearing, but the 16:35 other part kind of scared definitely definitely I rejected 16:38 because he was telling me many things and 16:41 I never heard before and he was witnessing to 16:44 me and I was just care because I 16:47 didn't have a father in my life and to 16:50 me the idea then God one. Wanted to be 16:52 my dad. 16:54 He's just shocked me think he wanted to save me 16:57 then. He's saying his own Jesus Christ to save me. 17:02 I just couldn't believe it. 17:04 You know, I have so much seeing in 17:09 my life. Then I just couldn't believe then. 17:11 Somebody died for me and then somebody wants to give 17:13 me a new life. 17:14 and I 17:18 I couldn't believe it and it took me a while to even process this 17:21 thought then God wanted to give me 17:24 a better life and then he wanted to give me a new life and 17:28 he wanted to remove all this horrible 17:30 habits and things that I had in my 17:34 And did you find was it difficult to give those things up 17:37 or did you find the power like right away? 17:40 It was it was a first it was difficult because I was 17:42 undeniable day. 17:46 Then God will do these things for me and I 17:49 didn't want to surrender my heart to him. I you could 17:52 see the changes and fill, but you weren't sure 17:54 that it would work for you. 17:58 Something like that or not sure that that's what you wanted. Even I 18:01 guess in that Mommy. I was so attached to 18:04 sing that I didn't want to 18:07 let it go because that's how it's a way 18:10 to put it. Sometimes we love seeing more than 18:13 God. We don't see the light. We just want to 18:16 keep holding on these not realize something God wants 18:19 to give you something better, but you just don't want to let it 18:23 Didn't like your life, but you didn't it was a safe place to be 18:26 still. Yeah, exactly. Exactly So eventually, 18:29 I mean I see all the changes on field. I 18:32 see him witness and to me we start going to church 18:34 people on the church. How long 18:38 was he in jail though. She gets out of jail. Now. How long was he there? 18:41 Feel yeah, I will say probably like eight months eight months 18:44 then he gets out. So now you're face to 18:48 face when it's changed person. Tell me just a little about about that. 18:50 What was that like to well, he spending 18:54 the majority of his time reading the 18:57 And I was coming home from work and he was reading the Bible. 19:00 I was living in the morning to work and he was praying and 19:03 delivering room and doing the washing my time in reading 19:06 the Bible and I just thinking what is it about the 19:09 Bible and God and what is it about these men 19:12 doing all these things? I just didn't understand 19:15 what was happening. Did you get a 19:18 little bit jealous about the time he was standing in the Bible and with 19:21 God. No, I did not I did not actually I 19:24 was happy for him because I realized and he 19:27 found something that I didn't have in that moment. 19:30 And he was happy and he was at peace and I 19:33 was very happy for him. 19:36 You got married and you have an adorable little girl. 19:41 Life has to be very different now than you might 19:44 have ever envisioned your life. Yes. 19:45 Yeah, I just 19:48 I just never thought thing. God will 19:52 even give me the privilege to have a family 19:53 and to have a normal life. 19:56 Because now I'm realizing that the life 19:59 that I had it wasn't a normal life. 20:01 and God wanted to give me 20:04 a normal life with my daughter with my husband. 20:09 he just wanted to deliver me from all the 20:12 things that I just hold up from my past. 20:17 Welcome. I'm Steve Hicks director of podcast Ministries for 20:20 talking donkey International a media company. I'm 20:24 inviting you to watch and share our new 20:26 daily podcast called something's happening 20:29 here Monday through Friday at 3pm Pacific 20:32 Standard Time. 20:34 On this podcast, we will examine the big headlines of the 20:37 day and try to understand them the way that God does we'll 20:41 talk current events spiritual principles 20:43 biblical prophecy and practical takeaways. 20:48 We want to equip our audience with the knowledge that we need to 20:51 navigate the mess of today and get to the hope 20:53 of tomorrow. 20:56 And we'll do it in 15 minute chunks. So come 21:00 check it out friends on Facebook YouTube and 21:02 talking donkey international.org. Join 21:06 us on some things happening here 21:08 because there is truly Something Happening Here. 21:12 Subscribe today and I will see you then. 21:16 My kids once came across a bundle of 21:19 old Love Letters from their dad to me. They thought 21:22 they were hysterical. 21:24 But those letters still mean something to me. 21:27 Their concrete reminders of just how 21:29 much I was and still am loved. 21:34 The Bible is full of love letters to us 21:36 from God. 21:39 This little tract has dozens of them. 21:42 If you need some concrete reminders of 21:45 just how much God loves you get your free 21:48 copy of a love letter from Jesus. 21:51 Go to Talking Donkey international.org and 21:54 request offer number 122 a 21:57 love letter from Jesus. 22:02 I think 22:06 one of the things you said early on is so important 22:09 to many of the viewers out there. 22:12 They've never had a real father figure. 22:15 They've never had a real father you did. How 22:19 do you relate now to God as being 22:20 your loving father? 22:23 God has been the best thing ever happened 22:26 and I never 22:29 thought they're not gonna have a father then love 22:32 me the way he does the supply all of my 22:35 needs that he knows the way I feel that he 22:38 knows everything about me. 22:42 And I still loves you exactly I find myself 22:45 because I know all of my faults even though I I hide 22:48 most of them and look pretty good in public. 22:51 You know what your 22:55 mind is really like, you know, the thoughts that are there and 22:57 how far you are sometimes from where 23:00 you know, God wants you and the fact that he has 23:03 never given up on me never. Yeah. 23:06 Exactly. It's incredible. Yeah, it's just amazing because 23:10 like I say the way that he loved me. 23:14 Is just overwhelming I mailed when 23:17 I think about him he just melt my 23:20 heart and I realizing yeah, 23:23 it's true. I didn't have a father figure growing up. 23:26 But I have the best father I can ever ever have in 23:29 life and he preserved me all these 23:32 years despite where I was 23:34 despite how I grew up. 23:37 Many people from my neighborhood didn't made it many people 23:40 they ended up being prostitutes drug dealers 23:43 in drugs. So many terrible things, 23:47 you know, and I always thinking God 23:49 why me? Why did you choose me? 23:55 And I always think about all these things 23:58 and think about his love and his mercy and the father 24:01 he gave me a normal life It's ability 24:04 something that I always always look for 24:07 all my life because a lot 24:10 of people don't have a normal life describe. Now what 24:13 you're calling normal if you would 24:15 A normal life to me is a life in 24:18 Christ. It's a life where? 24:22 I don't know how to explain. It's just a life. 24:25 When you feel peace when you feel like you are 24:28 doing the right thing when you feel like you are doing 24:30 God's will. 24:33 That's that's to me and normal life a lighting. God 24:36 one all of us to have do you still you know, 24:40 you're married. Do you still have fights? You still have any problems 24:42 and issues? 24:44 You mean to see becoming a Christian solve all 24:47 issues? Yeah, exactly. Oh so far as you always gonna have 24:50 issues life is not going to be perfect. 24:53 But what I can tell you is this when you 24:56 have got as a center of your marriage 24:59 as a center of your life, all these things can 25:01 be worked out. 25:03 So that's the beauty 25:06 of having God in your life. Then, you know, 25:09 he will forgive you. He will cleanse you he will pick you 25:12 up and he will get you going and that's 25:15 what he does for us. 25:19 It's I mean, you can't say better. You know, where do 25:22 you envision the two of you and your beautiful child? 25:25 What's the direction of life now in the future? Well, what 25:29 is it you're doing at the moment because when you 25:32 have something a gift that is wonderful as 25:35 when you discover what what God he died for 25:38 you. He wants you to have this better life. You really 25:41 can't help not wanting to share it exactly. Well 25:44 ever since you know, 25:46 God Christ shoes us. We just 25:50 want to serve him we want to be a Ministry 25:53 and we want many people to know then 25:57 God will get their mouth from these dark 25:59 hole where they are. Then God 26:02 will make something out of nothing because 26:05 he did it with me and then there is salvation and 26:09 And that's what we want people to know and that's what we want to 26:12 work for him all the rest of our lives. 26:14 It's almost from almost killing yourself drugs and 26:17 alcohol and everything else to your 26:20 husband almost shooting someone and in prison 26:23 to nail your administrate. 26:26 So many grace of God. Yes, incredible. Yes. My husband 26:31 Is in the school, he's in a pastoral program and 26:34 we just want to get equipped and be prepared to 26:37 work for the Lord. 26:39 What would you tell others that there may be watching the program 26:42 today? What would you tell them why they should try what 26:47 I will say today, you know, even if you 26:50 had daddy issues mommy issues, you can 26:54 be an orphanage whatever you're going through right now. Just trusting God 26:56 pray to him seek him 27:00 in a humble heart. There is something about a 27:02 humble Harding. God will never never reject it 27:05 just pray to him and ask him 27:08 for direction at us him Lord. I want to get to 27:11 know you show me who you are and he will 27:14 show it to you. He will guide you 27:17 Just Surrender Your Life to him. Don't stop holding 27:20 on all these addictions as I holding all 27:23 this resentments from the past. And the only thing they are 27:26 doing is eating you alive. You are a slave 27:29 of this habits. You are a slave of 27:32 all these groceries and you holding for your deaf and 27:35 your mom for new siblings just surrender all to Christ and 27:38 he will bring you your heart and 27:40 your mind. Yeah folks. I want to 27:44 tell you that's the key surrender. 27:47 Try we serve an amazing God. He's a 27:50 tremendous God. She knows what she's talking about. And 27:53 this actually really a two-part series her husband is on 27:56 another episode Phil of watch for him. 27:58 It's an incredible testimony also put the two 28:01 of them together and you find about a couple that God dug 28:04 out of the sewer. Can I say that? Oh, yes, it is and 28:07 except the bulb on a pinnacle. Give it a try. It's wonderful. 28:11 Thank you for watching join us again for 28:14 another exciting country wisdom. See you next time. |
Revised 2023-04-13