Participants: Aaron Chancy (Host), Latoya Holloman
Series Code: TNJ
Program Code: TNJ000043
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:05 may be too candid for younger children. 00:09 Welcome to The New Journey. 00:10 In today's program we'll meet a young woman 00:12 who grew up on the mean streets of Baltimore. 00:15 Join us for The New Journey. 00:48 Welcome back to The New Journey. 00:49 On today's program we have a young woman with us 00:52 named Latoya Holloman. 00:53 Latoya, like to thank you for being on the program. 00:56 Thank you for having me. All right, all right. 00:58 Now for the record, how old are you 01:00 and we know you're already from Baltimore 01:01 but give us a little background of Baltimore 01:04 and how old you are? 01:05 You know, I'm 28 01:07 and I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland 01:09 on Greenmount Avenue, North Avenue. 01:11 Okay. 01:13 Very heavy drug trafficking in that area, 01:17 grew up with a lot of different friends there. 01:20 We all had different backgrounds and... 01:22 Okay. 01:23 Now, tell us a little bit about your family background, 01:25 your mother, your father, your siblings, 01:27 give us a little bit of details about them? 01:29 Well, we all grew up together 01:31 and me and my brother was kind of the bestie. 01:36 Okay. 01:37 We stayed in trouble 01:39 and was in and out of juvenile for many so... 01:44 My sisters then was kind of just focused on school 01:47 and different stuff like that. 01:50 So it was mainly me and my brother 01:51 that was getting in a lot of trouble. 01:53 Okay, what were some of the trouble 01:54 that you and your brother were getting involved in? 01:58 It's almost like we took turns getting kicked out of school. 02:03 We were fighting all the time, getting kicked out of school. 02:09 We went as far as setting house on fire. 02:11 Okay. 02:13 So, yeah. 02:14 Okay, now, I'm sure you've heard 02:16 of the program called "Wire". 02:18 And it's based out of Baltimore, Maryland. 02:20 It is. 02:22 And is the reality that they portray in it, 02:24 is it pretty much factual 02:25 for a person like you growing up in Baltimore? 02:28 Yes. Okay. 02:29 They didn't sugar-coated at all. 02:31 Okay, okay, so it is really a violent place to live, 02:35 probably one of the worst cities in America, right? 02:37 It is. Okay, okay. 02:38 Now you eventually got involved in the gang life, 02:41 how did that come about? 02:43 Well, I met my brother on my father's side 02:47 and he introduced me to do it 02:50 and that's how I became a gang member. 02:53 Okay, now what particular gang were you involved in? 02:57 Bloods. The Bloods. 02:58 Okay, and what are some of the known or unknown gangs 03:01 there are in Baltimore area? 03:03 The Bloods, Crips, 03:05 Gangster Disciple, Tree Top Piru. 03:07 Okay, Okay. 03:09 Now as a female in a gang, how was it for you? 03:15 It was pretty scary at times, dangerous. 03:21 I didn't have to worry about too much 03:23 'cause I was the female so I was always protected 03:25 and that's what I liked about it. 03:27 Okay, now what made you gravitate 03:29 to being involved in, involve in gangs. 03:31 Many people often say that it's that brotherhood 03:34 or that sisterhood that they're looking for, 03:36 that love that they, you know, weren't getting at home, 03:40 was it similar for you or was it something different? 03:44 I would say similar and different. 03:46 Okay. 03:47 Wanting something to be a part of. 03:50 And just fitting in, 03:54 so and to be protected 03:56 so that's what made me join a gang. 03:59 Okay. 04:00 And you were eventually incarcerated. 04:03 At what age were you first incarcerated? 04:06 Well, I was first incarcerated when I was 15. 04:08 Okay. 04:10 As I spoke about earlier, the arson charge that we got. 04:15 Okay, so you were incarcerated for the arson charge. 04:19 How long were you in, I assume that's juvenile, 04:21 you were in juvenile at that time, 04:23 how long were you incarcerated? 04:24 Just overnight. Okay, okay. 04:26 How was that experience? 04:28 It was rough 04:29 and scary that was my first time being locked up 04:32 and so I really didn't know what to think. 04:35 So, yeah... 04:36 I remember the first time I got locked up 04:38 I was 15 years old also and I was in a juvenile center, 04:43 I was actually there for a week and it was different 04:46 because I'm not built for a cage, number one, 04:50 I like to be outside out and about doing things 04:52 and to adjust to having to just sit in a room 04:55 for 23 hours out of the day was very, very difficult. 05:00 You know and some people try to glorify 05:02 being incarcerated. 05:03 Do you think that it's something to glorify? 05:06 Absolutely not. 05:08 Okay. 05:09 When I first got, I mean, incarcerated 05:12 it was the worst phase of my life being closed in. 05:16 Anybody that knows me know 05:17 that I like to just get up and go. 05:19 Yeah. Okay. 05:20 I love the fresh air and all that 05:21 and I couldn't do this, 05:23 so I nearly lost my mind in that place. 05:25 It is definitely not the place to be. 05:27 Now aside from that there were other times 05:29 when you were incarcerated, 05:30 talk a little bit about those situations? 05:32 Disorderly conduct. Okay. 05:36 Getting in trouble, and fighting, 05:43 just foolishness 05:45 that I shouldn't have been a part of. 05:47 Okay, okay. 05:48 Now, do you think that you were attracted to the streets like, 05:52 in my instance, the way that I grew up, 05:56 I was more attracted to the streets versus 05:58 growing up in the area, 05:59 I was always the one 06:01 that kind of lived around the corner 06:02 from where all the drama was, 06:04 but I was attracted to it and hopped into that. 06:06 Would you say that you were more of a product 06:08 of your environment 06:09 or you were just attracted to the streets 06:11 and kind of gravitated towards it? 06:13 A little bit of both. 06:14 I grew up in that environment 06:17 and was raised in that environment. 06:20 And on the flip side of it 06:22 I also liked what I was seeing so... 06:25 Okay, now what is it, what is it that you like, 06:27 like what you were seeing, what interested you? 06:30 The money. 06:31 Okay, I guess that's for a lot of us. 06:34 The money and definitely being able to provide for myself. 06:39 That was a great help so... 06:41 So you kind of got that addiction 06:42 to the fast money 06:43 and different things like that, right? 06:45 Right. 06:46 And that's what it is for most of us. 06:47 Most of us that get involved in a street life, 06:50 you know, we see that selling drugs 06:51 or doing something illegal brings that fast money, 06:54 but also it brings consequences. 06:56 I'm sure you have many friends, family members 06:59 that incarcerated right now, right? 07:01 I do. And I have. Okay. 07:04 My father is incarcerated right now 07:07 in and out of jail all the time... 07:09 Okay. 07:10 Drugs, robberies, 07:14 attempted murders, so, yeah. 07:15 Wow! 07:17 Okay, talk about, you had told me 07:19 that at 16 years old I believe it was, 07:21 was when you saw your first murder. 07:23 Talk about that and how it made you feel? 07:26 Man, I was stunned. 07:28 I was staying in Baltimore on Lorraine Avenue 07:32 with my grandmother 07:34 and we heard some gunshots came outside 07:40 and there was two bodies in the front of our home. 07:42 Okay. 07:43 Now seeing something like that 07:45 what, what impact did it have on your life? 07:50 It made me a little scared 'cause I was like, 07:54 you know, "Wow, this is way close to home like." 07:57 Yeah, right on your doorstep. 07:58 It was very close to home 07:59 so, it kind of throw me for little bit, 08:02 made me wanna protect myself just that much more so... 08:04 Okay, okay. 08:06 What about your brother that I believe that you said 08:08 that he had murdered somebody and was incarcerated for it? 08:13 Can you give a little information on that situation, 08:15 how it happened 08:17 or how you were, you know, how you took it? 08:19 Well, he was accused of murder and did some time for it. 08:25 Okay. 08:27 It broke my heart for him 08:28 to have to go through something like that. 08:31 It's always one thing to do time for something 08:35 that you've done 08:37 but it's another do stuff that... 08:39 Incarcerated for something that you didn't do. 08:41 You didn't do. Oh, yeah. 08:42 That is definitely just up and arable, praise God. 08:46 He's going down a different path now. 08:48 Amen. 08:49 So you were incarcerated at one time at 15 08:52 and then you had a couple of more incarcerations. 08:55 Go into a little more detail of those incarcerations, 08:58 how much time you did and the results of them? 09:02 Well, I had a fight at the courthouse 09:05 and I had to go to jail for not a long a period of time 09:09 about 15 days for disorderly conduct 09:13 and that was an experience for me 09:17 being closed in like that for 15 days 09:20 was not good at all. 09:21 Oh, yeah, like a caged animal. Right. 09:23 You got these different girls yelling 09:25 and you got these girls over here crying 09:29 and just you're surrounded by so many different things, 09:32 so many different ways of thinking 09:34 and just it changes you, it definitely changes you. 09:37 Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, I understand. 09:39 Now you said that you used to get into a lot of fights, 09:42 what was going on internally 09:44 that would cause you to get into a lot of fights? 09:46 Just very angry, 09:48 I felt like that I had something to prove 09:50 because a lot of people would mess with me, 09:53 I thought, because I was short. 09:54 Okay. 09:56 And everybody got little short jokes 09:57 and all that kind of stuff, right. 09:58 Yeah, so I thought that, that was the main reason 10:00 that they will pick on me is because I was short 10:03 and they just want to see if I can protect myself. 10:05 Okay, so people trying to test you 10:06 and things like that. 10:08 Now what was that built up anger about, 10:10 was it just things that were going on in your life 10:12 or what was it? 10:14 I believe it was just a lot of stuff 10:16 that had built up over the years 10:19 and just to the point 10:21 where I just eventually exploded. 10:23 Okay, okay. 10:24 Now eventually you got involved in selling drugs 10:27 and using drugs, 10:28 the first portion of it is what drugs were you using? 10:34 I was using weed, marijuana. Okay. 10:37 And what drugs were you involved with selling? 10:40 Crack, cocaine. 10:41 Okay, so I'm sure from that you saw a lot of cash flow 10:44 and different things like that 10:45 which kind of kept you addicted to that life. 10:47 Right. 10:48 How did you eventually break away 10:50 from selling drugs and things? 10:54 Well, I just didn't wanted no more. 10:56 I had lot of positive people strolled into my life 11:00 and it just started making a great impact on my life 11:03 and it slowly started changing the way I think. 11:06 Okay, now most of the people that you, 11:08 that were in your circle 11:10 were they trying to keep you in that circle, 11:11 you know, it's kind of like a crab in a bucket theory. 11:14 You want to make a change but your friends always try to, 11:16 you know, pull you back into this little circle of life. 11:19 Did you experience that at all? 11:21 I did, I did. 11:22 Okay, talk about that a little bit? 11:23 Well, a lot of my friends 11:25 I don't associate with them anymore 11:27 because of the new turn that I have took in. 11:30 And, you know, you always get them from instance, 11:33 ah, you're punking, you know, just fooling yourself. 11:36 Yeah. 11:37 So you kind of gotta step away from them? 11:39 Yeah. Just love them from a distance. 11:42 Oh, yeah, I understand, I understand. 11:44 You know, it's interesting growing up in Baltimore 11:47 in that rough area 11:50 that you were able to make a change eventually. 11:53 But you still have friends that are out there that are, 11:56 you know, that are still on the streets 11:58 and different things like that, right? 11:59 Mm-hmm. Okay. 12:01 And you try to do, ever try to reach out to them, 12:03 you know, look, it's a better life over here, 12:05 change your life, anything like that? 12:06 I do, I do. Okay. 12:08 What results have you seen from that thus far? 12:11 Well, lot of my friends come to me and say, 12:14 "Well pray for me, Latoya, 12:15 you know, they'll give me a hug, call me. 12:17 Well, that's good, at least they say, pray for me. 12:19 And get it with certain issue 12:21 so it's definitely making an impact. 12:23 Okay, okay. 12:26 In those times that you were incarcerated, 12:29 you know, sometimes we try to glorify it. 12:31 I remember a song back in maybe seven, eight years ago, 12:35 there was a song by a rapper called Styles P. 12:37 and it was "I'm locked up" that was the title of the song. 12:40 And sometimes in hip-hop videos and on TV it's glorified, 12:46 but I know from my own experiences 12:47 of being incarcerated, 12:49 isn't anything glorified about it. 12:50 In your experiences, 12:52 did your see anything to glory about in it? 12:54 Not at all. Why not? 12:58 It was just us in a different form of slavery I think. 13:03 Yeah, okay. Just mentally. 13:05 And we just got to change our way of thinking as people. 13:09 Okay. You know. 13:11 So do you think, do you think all the experiences 13:14 that you went through in your life, 13:16 do you think that they've made you a better person now? 13:19 I do. Okay, why is that? 13:21 I do. I have a testimony now. Amen. 13:26 And being able to adjust, adapt 13:29 and overcome is a beautiful thing. 13:31 Oh, yeah, oh, yeah. 13:32 You know it's always great to hear 13:35 powerful stories of people 13:37 who have been out there on the streets, 13:39 changed their life and now serving God. 13:42 Talk a little bit about what you're involved in now? 13:46 Well, I'm involved in stopping the violence. 13:48 Okay. I've got it together. 13:52 Well, how it came about is 13:54 I was taking a walk to the store one night 13:57 and while I was in the store, 13:59 I'm hearing all these sirens and gunshots and stuff. 14:03 And on the way walking back to the house, 14:06 I see this young lady by the name of Keito 14:09 being carried out of her home, she was shot in head. 14:12 Wow. 14:13 And I'm watching them pump her trying to revive her, 14:16 bring her back to life. 14:18 And it didn't happen. 14:19 So instead of being one of the ones 14:21 who are just talking, 14:25 I said, okay, what can I do to help change this, so. 14:27 Yeah, to make a change. Okay. 14:30 And what have you been able to do 14:32 or what has God placed upon your heart to do? 14:36 Well, I've started doing events. 14:38 I started doing stop the violence events. 14:40 Okay. 14:41 And they have turned out awesome, great, 14:44 it's made a big impact on my neighborhood. 14:46 Okay. 14:47 People still ask me to this day, 14:49 when is the next one, when is the next one. 14:51 I still get phone calls, 14:53 they put it in the paper for me. 14:55 Okay. 14:56 So it's definitely making a mark. 14:58 Okay. 14:59 Now in looking back on your life, 15:02 what are some things that or would you, 15:04 would you change some of the things 15:06 that you went through in life 15:07 or would you keep everything the same? 15:09 I will keep everything the same. 15:10 Okay, now why is that? 15:12 Because what you go through helps make you a better person. 15:15 That is true. That is true. 15:17 I guess in my instance, 15:18 you know, I'm one of those type of people that I say to myself, 15:22 you know, I wish I would have listened when I was younger 15:24 because so many things could have been avoided, 15:26 if I would have just listened 15:28 and stayed on the straight and narrow path. 15:30 And looking back there are many things 15:32 that I would probably change, 15:34 just so I wouldn't had to go through all of that drama 15:36 and, you know, Lord willing, 15:38 he would have taught me in a different way. 15:39 But I do, I do praise the Lord for that testimony. 15:43 What can you encourage people though, 15:45 young people that are gravitating 15:48 to that lifestyle, 15:49 gravitating to the streets, gravitating to gangs, 15:51 what can you encourage them with? 15:54 Just to stay strong, 15:56 stay buckled down in God's word. 15:58 Okay. 16:00 Be encouraged, fight to the end. 16:03 Oh, yeah. 16:04 Never feel like you have something to prove. 16:07 Uh-oh. 16:08 'Cause it always end up 16:10 in the way that you don't want it to end up in. 16:12 So always be who you are 16:14 and not who would somebody else want you to be. 16:16 Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, that's a very good advice. 16:19 Now let's go back to the... 16:20 Let's go back to the drugs 16:21 that you were involved with selling 16:23 and different things like that. 16:24 What are some of the main drugs 16:26 that you see flowing through out Baltimore? 16:28 Crack cocaine and heroin. Okay. 16:30 And I know it's pretty much devastated the city, right? 16:33 Yes. 16:34 Okay, so there is a lot of ministry work 16:36 that can be done in that area. 16:38 Oh, absolutely. Okay, okay. 16:41 Now in those drugs, 16:43 have you seen it affect your own home 16:44 in terms of your mother, 16:46 you said your father was on drugs, 16:48 your brothers, sisters, cousins anything like that, 16:50 any family members? 16:52 My father and my mother, 16:57 they are victims of crack cocaine. 17:00 Okay. 17:01 And it definitely, 17:03 crack cocaine have hit my family very strong. 17:06 Okay, okay. 17:07 Now that you've changed your life, 17:10 is anybody else in your family, 17:11 have they become Seventh-day Adventist 17:13 or is anybody else in your family going to church 17:16 or is everybody pretty much 17:18 just still out there on the streets? 17:19 Well, my grandmother, 17:20 she was a Seventh-day Adventist. 17:22 Okay, she was a Seventh-day Adventist. 17:23 Did she introduce you to Seventh-day Adventism? 17:25 No. 17:27 Actually I became a Seventh-day Adventist 17:29 because of this young lady named Janice Wolman. 17:32 Okay. 17:33 She changed my life a whole lot. 17:35 I was having Bible studies and stuff like that 17:38 and she came to the neighborhood 17:42 and we were talking and she said, 17:45 "Why don't you come to church with me?" 17:47 And I came to church with her and I've been going ever since. 17:51 Okay. Okay. 17:52 Now what have you seen from studying the Bible, 17:55 going to church, 17:57 have you seen it change your life, 17:59 your mentality, your actions 18:01 what have you seen from that? 18:02 Well, I think before I act now. Okay. 18:06 So that means before you were just acting. 18:07 Just acting. 18:09 Okay, that's most of us. I think before I act now. 18:11 I have a lot much love in my heart now 18:14 'cause at first I just didn't care. 18:17 I felt like the world was against me. 18:19 I always felt like I had to fight 18:21 so praise God for that peace. 18:23 Okay, Now, where do you think 18:25 that don't care attitude comes from? 18:27 Just how I grew up. Okay. 18:30 Just how I grew up, just really just not caring, 18:34 just thinking about only myself. 18:35 Okay, so, you know, yeah we do kind of, 18:37 you know, on the streets 18:39 we kind of get into our own little bubble, 18:40 it's all about me, you know, my money, 18:42 my this, my that, 18:44 you know, and it's a blessing that, 18:46 that you could walk away from it 18:47 and make that change. 18:49 Now you eventually left Baltimore 18:51 and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. 18:53 Talk a little bit about that? 18:55 Well, I have always been back and forth, 18:58 but this last time I actually came to Chattanooga 19:01 and I end up staying for good. 19:03 Okay. 19:05 So... 19:07 Okay, was your grandmother, was family... 19:10 Yes, my grandmother, my mother, 19:13 sisters and brothers, 19:14 half of my family on my mother's side. 19:16 So you have family between Baltimore and Chattanooga. 19:18 Right, right. 19:19 Okay, so in Chattanooga is when you started to learn 19:24 about the Seventh-day Adventist Church 19:25 about that's when you started Bible studies 19:28 and things like that, right? 19:29 Right, right. 19:31 Okay, and what church you attend in Chattanooga? 19:33 Orchard Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. 19:34 Okay, okay. 19:36 So you, you have seen this change come in your life, 19:40 you find joy in this change that has come in your life? 19:42 I do. 19:44 Speak about the difference between that empty feeling 19:47 that you had when you were "in the world" 19:51 versus that inner peace that you have now? 19:55 I was always sad before. Okay. 19:57 Always sad, never happy, always struggling 20:01 like I'm just carrying the weight of the world 20:03 on my shoulders. 20:04 And now it's just I'm at peace 20:08 like it takes a lot for me to get 20:11 to that point of sadness now. 20:14 Okay, so God pretty much gave you that inner peace, 20:17 that inner joy that you didn't have before, right? 20:19 Right. 20:21 You know, that is very beautiful 20:22 and I can attest to that from my own lifestyle 20:26 when I was out there in the streets 20:28 I wasn't happy, you know, sure the highs are good, 20:31 you know at the time, 20:32 but when it wears off you're back to reality. 20:35 You know, the marijuana wears off, 20:36 the coke wears off, the x wears off, 20:38 all those things wears off and you're back to reality 20:42 and it's like you're chasing it all over again. 20:45 Did you kind of have that experience where, 20:46 you know, you smoke the weed, 20:48 we have about three hours and then 20:49 you're back to chasing it all over again? 20:52 Yes, not only with marijuana, with alcohol as well. 20:55 Okay. I battled with both of them. 20:59 When I get upset there I go to the store. 21:03 Getting something to drink or getting a blunt 21:05 or that was my stress reliever so. 21:07 Okay, so when you began to make that transition in your life, 21:11 how difficult was it to, to let go off the marijuana 21:15 or let go of the alcohol? 21:17 Well, it was very easy to let go off the marijuana. 21:20 Okay. 21:21 It became difficult letting go off the alcohol. 21:24 Okay. Now, why is that? 21:27 I found that's where I found my comfort. 21:29 Okay, okay. 21:30 So you found comfort in the alcohol, 21:33 but the marijuana was easy to let go. 21:35 Yeah, it was very easy to let go 21:37 because it was just a... 21:38 just I want to keep my mind at easing. 21:41 Just kind of something to do. 21:43 Okay, okay. That's understandable. 21:45 Now, throughout all this time period 21:47 while you were in the streets and things like that, 21:49 did you ever or did you ever have a legal job 21:51 or was it just pretty much all streets? 21:53 No, I had a couple of legal jobs. 21:56 Okay, what were some of the various places 21:58 that you used to work at? 22:01 Cradle to Crayon which is a day care. 22:03 Okay. McDonalds, Wendy's. 22:06 Okay. Popeyes. 22:09 Okay, but now it's interesting, 22:12 okay, you're involved in ministry now 22:14 Stop the Violence, 22:15 and we'll talk more about that in part two. 22:21 Being in Stop the Violence 22:22 that's what you really want to do, 22:24 that's where your heart is, being involved in ministry. 22:26 At what point in your life did God instilled that in you, 22:30 do you feel that he was calling you to some form of ministry. 22:34 I knew it was always in me. Okay. 22:36 I just was ignorant, didn't, wasn't ready for it. 22:40 And when I sit there awhile did I spoke about earlier 22:44 is when everything just started to manifesting. 22:46 Okay. 22:48 And I took heed to it and I stopped and I said, 22:51 okay, Latoya, it's not about you, 22:53 it's time to help make a difference in your community 22:55 and that's what I did. 22:56 Okay, at what age did you start to make that transition 22:59 from the street life to the life 23:02 that you're living now? 23:03 About three years ago. 23:05 About three years so you're about 25 years old. 23:07 I got baptized at Orchard Park. 23:10 Okay, okay, that's interesting. 23:11 You know, for me it was 25 years old too 23:14 when I decided to make the change 23:15 and it wasn't easy, you know, 23:17 wasn't easy when I decided I was still involved 23:20 with the snorting coke, 23:23 the heroin, ecstasy, the various things 23:25 I've been doing things for years and that, 23:29 a particular night 23:30 when I decided to make that change 23:32 I was determined, I was determined 23:35 that I had enough of this lifestyle, 23:37 you know, and I'm gonna start reading the Bible 23:39 though later on that day, you know, 23:41 get high whatever it may be. 23:44 I was determined to do what was right, 23:47 and it's very hard, right. 23:48 It's very, very hard trying to make that transition 23:51 from sin to a life of Christ 23:54 because naturally we're prone towards evil. 23:57 So did you find it like, did you find like a tug, 24:00 like a tug of war between that lifestyle 24:03 and the lifestyle that you're living now? 24:04 I did, I did, I fought with it a lot, 24:07 and I fought with it in both ways, 24:09 something did I knew I had to do for me 24:13 and just breaking that change from my family background. 24:17 Okay, okay. 24:18 Now when you say breaking the chain 24:20 of your family background, 24:21 what do you mean do you mean just... 24:23 The fight and the drugs use, the selling drugs, 24:26 the weapons and just the deceit... 24:31 Okay. 24:33 Pretty much doing something 24:34 breaking the chains of doing something different than, 24:36 than what your family where you were used to, 24:39 used to being involved with, right? 24:41 Okay. 24:42 Now, what encouragement 24:44 or what words could you give young people that, 24:47 you know, they want to gravitate to this life, 24:49 you know, they're young they're 15, 14, 13 years old 24:54 and they want the fast money, 24:55 you know, they want the fast cars, 24:57 they want these things, 24:58 what words of encouragement would you give them 25:01 to keep them from their lifestyle 25:02 or to try to keep them from their lifestyle? 25:05 I would say just a bowl for Jesus. 25:08 Walking in right direction and know that you can do it. 25:11 Okay, okay, and because of, 25:15 because of that change that you made, 25:19 you are, mentally you're different, 25:22 physically you're different, spiritually you're different, 25:24 everything about you is different now, correct? 25:26 Correct. Okay. 25:27 So the things that you do now 25:30 the way that you handle situations now like, 25:33 okay, somebody makes you mad, 25:34 somebody makes you mad, what do you do now? 25:37 I walk away now. Okay. 25:39 And before what would you do? 25:40 We're fighting. You're fighting. 25:43 We're fighting. Okay. 25:45 Do you find it hard to walk away? 25:47 Not, no more, I used to. Okay. 25:50 In the beginning stages it was very hard for me to walk away. 25:53 Now, why do you think in the beginning stages it was, 25:55 it was difficult to walk versus now? 25:58 I was say 'cause I was just starting. 26:00 I was just, you know, getting my feet warm in Christianity 26:04 and still had a quick temper, 26:08 just battling with the streets and trying to transform to... 26:12 Okay. 26:16 The lifestyle that you lives now, 26:17 this is very, very important stuff, 26:19 the lifestyle that you live now, 26:24 the old lifestyle pales in comparison 26:26 to the lifestyle you live now, correct? 26:30 The attractions, the addictions, those things, 26:33 do they still haunt you a little bit to say, 26:36 well, look, you know, 26:38 maybe I should try to go back and do it this way 26:40 or maybe I should try to go back 26:41 and do it that way, 26:43 or do you have that 26:44 just complete inner peace from that stuff? 26:46 I have inner peace. Okay. 26:48 I have inner peace, and the reason 26:50 that I have inner peace is that I stayed prayed up. 26:53 Amen, amen. 26:54 Do you think that God kind of brought you 26:56 to the bottom of the barrel where, you know, 27:00 you really had no option but to look up? 27:01 Right. 27:03 Okay, and it was similar for me in my situation, 27:05 I felt the same exact way and, you know, 27:08 I couldn't do anything but look to Jesus, you know, 27:11 the friends weren't doing it, the drugs weren't doing it, 27:13 nothing was satisfying anymore, 27:15 and I'm sure you can attest to that, right? 27:17 Right. Okay, okay. 27:19 So now, I want you to look at the camera, 27:21 look at your camera, 27:22 and I want you to really talk to that young female 27:25 that is in your situation or has been in your situation 27:29 and doesn't know where to go in life. 27:31 Talk to them for the next ten seconds? 27:33 I would say just take your time, 27:35 pray, give, just let it go, let go unto God. 27:38 Okay, okay. Let go and let God. 27:40 Okay, truly, truly your testimony 27:43 coming from the mean streets of Baltimore, 27:45 the gang life, the drug life, 27:47 and now serving God in ministry form. 27:51 Praise the Lord for that. 27:52 We'd like to thank you 27:54 for tuning into The New Journey. 27:55 Please be sure to tune into part two 27:57 of this amazing testimony. 27:59 God bless. |
Revised 2017-05-11