Participants: Aaron Chancy (Host), Woodrow Vaughn
Series Code: TNJ
Program Code: TNJ000072A
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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 where you meet real life people with real life testimonies 00:13 and real life working ministries 00:14 for Jesus Christ. 00:16 I'm your host, Aaron Chancy. 00:17 Come join us on The New Journey. 00:49 Welcome to The New Journey. 00:50 We have exciting program for you today, 00:53 an interview of a guy named Mr. Vaughn 00:55 who has a very powerful testimony. 00:57 Mr. Vaughn, we want to thank you 00:58 for being on the program. 01:00 Thanks for having me, Chancy. All right. Yes, sir. 01:01 For the record, where're you from? 01:04 Actually I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 01:06 Fairfield, but little city right outside of Birmingham. 01:10 Can you explain for us 01:12 what your early childhood life was like? 01:16 Wasn't turbulent, you know, 01:17 I don't have a whole lot to brag about 01:20 when it comes to serious testimony 01:23 but my family life was, 01:26 both parents there, working family. 01:28 Okay. 01:29 We went to a Catholic school. 01:31 My sisters and I, I had three sisters. 01:35 Pretty disciplined, you know, orderly house. 01:39 My dad and mother both were working class people. 01:42 My dad worked in factories, my mother as a cashier. 01:46 Okay. 01:47 And just a regular, you know, family in the South. 01:50 You know, during the '60s, '70s is when I grew up. 01:56 Now you mentioned as you went to a Catholic school. 01:59 What was the religious atmosphere in the household? 02:03 Well, we were Baptist. Okay. 02:06 And my sister and I were baptized 02:11 and up about 12, 13 years old, 02:16 you know, we were baptized in the Baptist Church. 02:19 Okay. 02:20 Even though we went to a Catholic school, 02:24 my parents were both, 02:26 you know, raised Baptist and they made sure 02:28 that we held true to those Baptists roots. 02:31 All right, all right. Yes. 02:33 Now you got heavy in the basketball. 02:36 Talk about your experience with basketball 02:38 and what goals you had in playing basketball? 02:42 I thought I was pretty good. Okay. 02:43 Now you thought you were pretty good 02:44 or were you pretty good? 02:46 I thought I was. 02:48 I played with some guys that were all American, 02:51 I played with some guys 02:53 that went on to division one basketball. 02:56 I wasn't as good as they were, but I held my own on the court. 03:00 And I thought I had a good opportunity 03:02 to go to probably college to play 03:06 so that would help me 03:08 through to pay for an education. 03:11 But it didn't work out that way. 03:13 Now did you have a desire, you said college, 03:15 did you have a desire to play in the NBA 03:17 or you just wanted to make it to college if possible? 03:20 I thought I had a good shot to go to college. 03:23 And NBA, it was a long shot 'cause I just wasn't tall, 03:27 I was a short guy, you know. 03:29 But when I saw guys like Spud Webb, Muggsy Bogues, 03:32 those guys, I said, maybe, you know, 03:34 I could have done this had I stuck with it. 03:37 But like I said it didn't work out that way. 03:40 Now you eventually walked away from basketball, 03:42 and you got into some different things, 03:45 what made you decide to walk away from basketball? 03:47 And I ask that 03:48 because for myself I love basketball growing up. 03:52 I always saw myself as either playing in NBA 03:55 or playing in FA. 03:57 I was going to one of those two things. 03:58 But because I ended up staying in so much trouble, 04:01 being kicked out of school, different things like that. 04:04 I weren't able to pursue that career. 04:06 But for you what made you come to the point 04:09 and say you know what, 04:10 I'm gonna walk away from basketball 04:12 and get into some other things? 04:14 In one word, resentment. Okay. 04:16 But let me unpack that. Okay, yeah, unpack that. 04:18 Let me unpack that. Okay. 04:22 My father made a, had a big impact on me. 04:25 And he encouraged me to work. 04:30 He encouraged me 04:32 that basketball was going to play out. 04:33 Okay. 04:35 These are some of the messages that he sent. 04:37 And you know he pretty much made it pretty tough on me 04:42 to go to school, play ball and work. 04:47 You know, so I was trying to juggle all of those things. 04:53 Authority figures continue to, 04:55 you know, give me advice about what I should do, 04:58 what type of careers that I should pursue. 05:01 And I didn't hear any, I didn't have a sounding board 05:06 to voice what my goals were. 05:08 Okay. What I wanted to do. 05:10 And it seemed as though I wasn't being heard. 05:13 Okay. 05:14 Now why do you think that you were not being heard? 05:16 Because no one was listening. Okay. 05:18 You know, it was you need to do in that day... 05:21 Would have just lined up for you 05:22 just like the stuff what you need to do. 05:24 You need to do what we tell you to do. 05:25 And if you don't, you're gonna have a, 05:29 you're gonna, it's going to be difficult for you. 05:31 So but I do believe my father gave me what he had. 05:35 He had to work, you know, his whole life. 05:38 So that's what he gave me. 05:41 And I don't think he saw the skills that I had. 05:47 I don't think he saw the potential that was there 05:50 and how far I could use this medium or this mold, 05:55 this game to take me. 05:57 He couldn't afford to take me, send me to school. 06:00 But I didn't get the support 06:03 in order to pursue those goals to that end 06:07 even though I saw my sister do that. 06:09 Yeah. Wow. 06:10 She got a scholarship to college, 06:13 full ride scholarship and pretty athletic family. 06:17 So I say, hey, if she can do it, I can do it. 06:20 Yeah, you can do it. Okay. 06:22 Now you developed a resentment towards authority. 06:26 What was the basis of that resentment towards authority? 06:30 Again it goes back to resenting, 06:32 you know my father being an authority figure. 06:35 It affected my relationship with all other authority. 06:39 And I took it upon myself to say if I have to work, 06:44 if I have to take care of myself, 06:46 if I need to do everything for me 06:48 outside of food and shelter then I'm gonna do exactly 06:53 what I want to do in the process. 06:56 So you can tell me, you can ask me 06:59 but the final decision lies with me, 07:02 and I want to do what I want to do. 07:03 Okay, okay. 07:05 So you walked away from, walked away from basketball, 07:07 your father wanted you to work, 07:09 you developed the resentment towards authority, 07:11 you eventually got involved with selling and using drugs. 07:15 How old were you when you started using drugs 07:18 and then selling drugs 07:19 and what prompted you to that type of lifestyle? 07:23 Well, I was about 16 years old when I started, 07:29 when I made my first buy of marijuana. 07:33 And I was on... 07:37 It was at a state playoff game in Alabama. 07:42 And I thought I would be the starting guard. 07:45 This is one of the things that my coach told me. 07:49 Yeah, you're going to be starting 07:51 when we get to state. 07:52 So I said, okay, this is my time to shine. 07:54 Yeah, yeah. 07:56 And I sat on the bench the whole first game. 08:00 And a large part of my play that year wasn't that good. 08:07 But towards the playoffs I was the real main reason 08:12 why we, I think we got there. 08:13 Okay. 08:15 So he has given me the green light, 08:17 pulled the plug on me. 08:19 We won that first game 08:21 and I was able to play a next game 08:22 but I was so amped up that I made a lot of mistakes. 08:25 And towards the end of that game as we were losing, 08:30 I told myself, I made a pact with Satan. 08:33 Wow. Now you've said a pact with Satan. 08:34 What do you mean by a pact with Satan? 08:37 I made a decision to do exactly what I needed to do. 08:41 Okay. 08:42 And I asked Satan to help me do it. 08:45 Okay, got it. 08:46 And he had me, you know, you know I'm leaving Jesus, 08:50 I made that conscious decision then. 08:53 Really didn't know what I was doing, 08:56 but I remember making that decision, 08:59 it was a pivotal moment in my life. 09:01 Now was it like a verbal communication like, 09:05 the pact with Satan 09:07 or was it like something conscious like, 09:08 I'm going to do whatever Satan wants me to do? 09:10 It was mental. Mental, okay. 09:11 It was in my mind. Okay. 09:12 And Satan wants your mind, you know. 09:15 And also the Lord wants your mind. 09:18 He says, "Let this mind be in you 09:19 that is also in Christ Jesus." 09:21 When you don't allow yourself to allow Jesus in your mind 09:26 and in your heart, what else is left? 09:29 You left with your own devices and pride had rose up in me. 09:33 Okay. 09:34 Bible says humble yourself, you know, before the Lord 09:37 and He will raise you up. 09:39 But I felt a depression 09:42 because I could not gain confidence 09:46 in those authority figures that was around me 09:49 to support me in reaching my goals. 09:54 So I say, "Let me go and do it my way." 09:56 Yeah, okay. 09:58 So 16 years old, you make a pact with Satan 10:00 that you'll do what he wants you to do. 10:03 And so that led to drugs, a different type of lifestyle, 10:07 what all did you get involved with? 10:09 Mainly at that time in my life it was selling drugs, you know. 10:14 Okay. What particular were you selling? 10:16 I was selling marijuana. Okay. 10:17 Yeah, and sold pills. Okay. 10:21 Speckled birds, black beauty, those types of things. 10:24 Now, what's speckled birds, you got to break that down. 10:26 It's amphetamines. Okay. 10:27 You know, amphetamines. You know, and sold those. 10:33 This was like a two edged sword. 10:38 A lot of people didn't know and only a few people 10:42 knew that I was doing it as strong as I was. 10:46 I actually ended up 10:47 being the president of my senior class. 10:50 While I'm living this double life. 10:52 Yeah. 10:54 Friends that knew me knew that I had changed, 10:58 I got real serious. 11:01 Got AH on me because you have to have a little swagger 11:04 when you're in the streets. 11:06 So, but I bought a quarter pound of marijuana. 11:11 Okay. For hundred dollars. 11:12 Wow. You can't get that today. 11:15 I'll say, well, how can I know drug prices in as well. 11:17 You know, and it led to you know me 11:21 having shoe boxes of marijuana that I could distribute to, 11:26 you know, people that I had selling for me. 11:29 Okay, okay. 11:30 So you have people selling for you, 11:32 you were selling drugs yourself, 11:34 you were using marijuana, selling pills. 11:36 How long did this last? 11:39 Lasted up until I went into the military. 11:41 Okay, okay. 11:42 We're gonna talk about the military in a second. 11:44 So how was the, how was, 11:46 how lucrative was the business of selling marijuana for you? 11:49 Well, I would say I could walk around with $250, 11:55 you know, $300 in my pocket at a time, you know. 11:59 So I wasn't killing it as far as, you know, 12:02 thousands of dollars. 12:03 But I really did it for the applause, 12:07 I did it for the, you know, I could purchase things 12:11 that I wanted, clothes and those types of things. 12:14 And I also was working as a cover, you know, for this. 12:17 Okay. Now let me ask you. 12:19 Do you think if sports really would have worked out for you, 12:23 if you had the backing as you wanted from your father, 12:27 you played in the championship games 12:28 like you wanted to? 12:30 If sports would have worked out for you, 12:32 do you think you would have went down that path of drugs? 12:34 And the reason I ask that 12:36 'cause that's similar to my story. 12:38 Basketball, football was the main thing 12:39 that I wanted to do 12:41 and aside from that I had no other goal. 12:43 My only other goal was just to get a car ride around 12:45 and get high, that's it. 12:46 And so when that fell through, 12:48 everything fell through for me. 12:50 But for you in your instance, 12:51 do you think if you would have made it somewhere 12:55 with the basketball or had that backing, 12:57 would you have gotten into those things? 13:00 I don't think so. Okay. 13:01 You know, when I saw people using drugs, 13:04 the first thing I thought was, 13:06 man, I can make some money off of this. 13:09 You know, I wouldn't go and do it. 13:11 Yeah, just sit around using it. 13:12 You know, I drank, you know, and but when it came to drugs, 13:18 I really didn't have a longing to do it. 13:22 I had friends that did it and they just acted strange 13:25 and they didn't seem to have it together. 13:29 Okay. 13:30 And it cost money, you know, 13:33 something that I didn't you know want to, 13:35 you know, spend on something 13:37 that was going to blow up in smoke, 13:39 but I'll sell it to you. 13:40 Yeah, all day long. All day long. 13:42 Yeah. Okay, okay. 13:43 Now you eventually got into the military to the Air Force, 13:46 talk about that experience, how long were you in 13:49 and why did you end up back in the streets? 13:53 I think the choice going to the military was 13:57 my way of getting out of Birmingham, Alabama. 14:01 I didn't have a whole lot of choices. 14:04 I wasn't going to work in a steel mill or plant 14:06 like my dad. 14:08 And, you know, there wasn't anybody knocking on my door 14:12 to do much of anything else and I wasn't going to school. 14:15 Okay. 14:17 So I said, "Well, let's... What are my options?" 14:21 The house that I grew up in, my parents were, 14:23 when you're 18 you're on your own. 14:26 Yeah. Okay. 14:28 So I had to develop a plan, 14:32 you know, what are you going to do. 14:33 Are you going to sell drugs and live 14:37 or are you gonna pimp or... 14:38 What are you going to do? Yeah. 14:41 I didn't want to stay in the game, 14:44 you know, like that because of people 14:46 that I was around were some scary people, you know. 14:51 I didn't like carrying weapons. 14:52 I didn't like being around people that did. 14:55 But that's all part of the lifestyle. 14:57 Yeah, definitely. 14:58 So you adapt to it and you get caught up in it. 15:01 I ended up joining the military 15:05 and that was a wonderful experience 15:07 because I did have some discipline. 15:09 I wasn't afraid of physical activity. 15:14 I sort of thrive when it came to, 15:16 you know, being in a group 15:18 and doing things as a group and leading. 15:24 I always had leadership positions growing up. 15:27 So the military seemed a good option for me, 15:31 it was gonna pay me 15:32 and it was gonna help me go to school... 15:34 Which was one of the goals that I had for myself. 15:37 Yeah, definitely. 15:39 And gain some type of skills for employment. 15:43 Now how long did you stay in the military? 15:44 Stayed in almost eight years actually. 15:47 Now you stayed in eight years, 15:49 after the eight years you end up 15:50 back in the streets hustling again. 15:52 How did that happen? 15:53 Because in military, of course, they paid you, 15:55 you want to pay for education. 15:56 You have all of these things, you've toured the world. 16:00 How do you end up from that after eight years 16:02 back into the streets? 16:05 I think I need to go back to when I first went in. 16:10 Okay. 16:13 I developed a habit of 16:19 dismissing authority 16:21 and looking at authority as an order, 16:24 as a means of, how can I say it? 16:31 Dismissing what you're asked to do 16:35 and doing what you want to do. 16:36 So I overruled and thought the military was 16:39 like the boy scouts, something that I could use. 16:43 You know, and I had a child out of wedlock 16:50 who was born with down syndrome. 16:53 You know that was a depressing point in my life. 16:58 But once I got to... 17:01 We actually were, her mother and I, 17:04 my first marriage we got married 17:06 and ended in divorce that led to, 17:08 you know, some depression, 17:10 I can see look back now and see that depression. 17:12 Okay. 17:14 But I had opportunities to work in the National Guard, 17:20 and probably do a promising career 17:23 because the chief there was getting ready to retire 17:25 and he was gonna turn the reigns over to me. 17:28 Okay. But desert storm came up. 17:30 We had messages about desert storm 17:34 and looking for volunteers. 17:35 And I know being in the military 17:38 once you get these messages across about volunteering, 17:42 when it's time to go, you go. 17:44 Yeah, okay. 17:45 So I decided to get out of the military 17:48 based on those circumstances. 17:52 And I had to do something. 17:55 Okay. Yeah. I knew how to sell drugs. 17:57 So you go back to selling drugs, 17:59 you end up incarcerated, end up homeless, 18:01 talk about that situation? 18:03 Incarceration, been incarcerated three times 18:06 but let me clarify, I never been to a prison. 18:08 Okay, got you. Never been to prison. 18:11 Had the handcuffs on, you know, 18:13 stayed in jail a few days, matter of fact, 18:15 probably week in the whole time of those three times 18:19 that I've been incarcerated. 18:21 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 18:23 Too bad that wasn't my instance. 18:25 Absolutely, absolutely. 18:26 God did not choose to allow me to go there 18:30 because I didn't need that experience. 18:34 The last time I went to, I was locked up in Maryland 18:39 where I had bought some drugs from an undercover cop. 18:44 And the only reason why I didn't go down 18:48 and face that case and get charged or, 18:55 well, convicted is because he used a placebo. 18:58 He used, didn't use a real drug. 19:01 And that was the technicality that got me off of that case. 19:04 Okay. All right. So you ended up homeless. 19:07 How did you end up homeless? Homeless. 19:12 A monkey can't sell banana, let me say that. 19:16 Yeah. 19:19 The Lord taught me a lesson. Okay. 19:21 When I'm looking at people who I call my friends 19:24 and they're using drugs. 19:26 And I see this as an opportunity 19:31 to make money on them, 19:32 on their distress, 19:34 on their weaknesses. 19:40 I ended up smoking. 19:42 And by the time I got out of the military, 19:46 marijuana wasn't really the drug of choice, boy, 19:49 it was crack, cocaine and freebase. 19:52 So you know I figured if I could sell marijuana, 19:57 I can sell this. 20:00 Same methods apply. 20:02 Yeah. 20:03 And little did I know once you started to deal 20:07 with these types of things, 20:11 you ultimately start to use 20:13 and when you use, 20:17 it uses you. 20:19 Yeah, definitely. 20:20 And I ended up in a homeless state, 20:24 homeless position. 20:25 Now how long did you end up in a homeless, 20:27 in a homeless position? 20:28 About a year. 20:30 So I was actually homeless. Okay. 20:33 Yeah. All right. 20:34 So now you've gone from playing basketball 20:36 while growing up in a Baptist household, 20:37 going to a Catholic school, playing basketball 20:40 that didn't work out for you, 20:42 ended up selling drugs, using drugs, 20:45 going to the military, getting out, 20:47 going to jail, being homeless. 20:51 In 1993 you find out about a Seventh-day Adventist church. 20:55 How did you find out 20:56 about the Seventh-day Adventist church? 20:58 And what brought you to the point, 20:59 the realization in your life 21:01 to say that I need to make a change? 21:05 One word, pain. 21:07 Okay. Now let me unpack that. 21:13 Depressed about you know how my daughter was, you know, 21:17 and not really being eternal part of her life. 21:24 Concerns there. 21:28 Being in the whole drug life, I had to support that habit 21:32 'cause I wasn't actually selling, 21:35 I might flip up eight ball here and there. 21:38 But, you know, 21:41 I really was smoking more than I was selling. 21:44 And when it runs out, you do what you have to do, 21:48 you burglarize. 21:50 Whatever you got to do... 21:52 Whatever you got to do to get it. 21:53 But at one point when I was homeless, 21:57 I went to an abandoned house that I knew, 22:00 you know in town and I fell asleep. 22:02 Okay. 22:04 When I woke up it was animal, a dead animal 22:08 that had came in the house 22:09 and was on the other side of the room. 22:11 Okay. 22:12 I had seen the dog, knew the dog. 22:16 And the Lord spoke to me, He said, "If you don't stop, 22:20 you're gonna die like this dog." 22:22 Like animal. Wow. 22:23 I didn't stop. Yeah. 22:25 Wow. 22:26 But I did start to read my Bible, 22:30 actually started to read the Book of Revelation. 22:31 Okay. 22:33 I didn't understand anything, I was reading, you know, 22:36 we're Baptists growing up, you know. 22:39 None of it making sense. None of it making sense. 22:41 And plus I had weed, cocaine in my system, 22:47 drinking whiskey and wine. 22:48 Yeah. 22:49 Can't make sense of this stuff. 22:51 But I came to a point 22:55 where I saw Revelation 21:7, it said, 23:00 "He that overcometh 23:02 shall have all things or inherit all things, 23:05 I will be his God and he shall be My son." 23:09 And then I looked down at me. 23:13 You know, I was so skinny, 23:14 they were calling me one pocket. 23:17 You know, it went from, 23:18 dashing 230, 240 pounds to that. 23:23 Okay. 23:24 And one pocket. One pocket. 23:28 I said, "Lord, look at me." 23:30 The devil don't need any more of me. 23:31 I can't even slaying, you know, dope no more. 23:36 He only want to use me. 23:38 I was like a used piece of tissue paper. 23:40 And I said, "Lord, if you want me then, 23:43 this is all I got." 23:44 Yeah. Wow. 23:46 And that's how the devil does, exactly how the devil does, 23:48 use you up and throw you away. 23:49 Exactly. Use you and throw you away. 23:51 Yeah. Okay. 23:52 So you learned about the Seventh-day Adventist church, 23:54 how did that come about? 23:55 I went to a program called narcotics synonymous. 24:01 Okay. 24:03 And the Lord has some soldiers there. 24:05 He had some soldiers 24:06 in the Seventh-day Adventist church there, 24:07 one man in particular by the name of Anthony Shaw. 24:10 Okay. 24:11 Didn't know he was a Seventh-day Adventist 24:13 but I heard his story. 24:15 And he was one brother who I could identify with. 24:20 And I asked him to if I could, you know, 24:23 hang out with him, be my sponsor. 24:25 Yeah. 24:27 He interviewed me, 24:30 told me what he would expect. 24:32 And we developed a relationship, 24:35 you know, during that relationship, 24:36 I told him, I was going back to church. 24:40 I invited him to my church. 24:43 He said, "Well, you go to my church first." 24:46 I said, "How are we going to do that." 24:48 He said, "I go to day before, you go..." 24:51 And then I go to your church. Okay. 24:53 We never made it to my church. 24:55 Yeah. Wow. Wow. 24:57 So from that point on you accepted the Sabbath, 25:00 became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 25:03 Talk about what you're involved in now, 25:05 working as a dean at Oakwood? 25:09 Actually right now 25:10 I'm the residential life coordinator 25:11 at Edwards Hall at Oakwood University. 25:15 Okay. 25:17 It's probably one of the most fascinating jobs 25:20 I think anybody can have. 25:21 You know, you're working with young minds, young men. 25:25 You know, in the prime of their life. 25:30 Okay. 25:31 You know with all this potential. 25:32 And it's like a pot of kid getting ready to explode 25:35 and you can just channel that energy and motivating, 25:39 encouraging in the right direction, 25:40 you can affect the world. 25:42 Yeah, yeah. 25:43 That world changed right from where my seniors and I just, 25:47 you know, just love the opportunities 25:50 that God has given me to come back 25:52 and make an impact on young men. 25:54 Definitely. 25:56 In about a minute or so talk about 25:57 how much of a blessing it is 25:59 to be able to pour into young people, 26:02 who are just like you, 26:03 who see themselves being able to play sports 26:06 or wanting to play sports, 26:07 whatever they want to do in life. 26:09 But just talk about the impact that you're able to have 26:12 on these young people. 26:14 Well, Aaron, I tell you, the impact is tremendous. 26:19 When you look at the young men that are coming to school, 26:25 most of them are going to jail especially in our community. 26:29 Yeah, definitely. 26:30 One of the things that I wanted to do 26:32 was be a prison chaplain. 26:33 Okay. 26:35 And the Lord told me, He said, "No, I'm gonna sent you here, 26:38 so you can keep them from the penitentiary." 26:41 Yeah. Wow. 26:43 And I've seen young men 26:45 who were cursing their parents, their mother. 26:52 And I was able to intervene, 26:55 these same young men would come back and thank me. 26:59 Yeah. 27:01 I've been able to intervene with young men 27:03 who were blazed out on drugs. 27:05 I know they were on drugs. 27:07 And I'm having conversations with them. 27:10 And they'll come back and say, "Thank you, Dean." 27:13 I've had guys who stood over my desk 27:17 with their fist ball up, wanted to hit me. 27:20 And we've had a conversation about that 27:23 and later on that year 27:28 we would be holding each other praying and crying 27:31 and thanking each other for that relationship. 27:33 You know, you can't get those types of relationships 27:37 by not touching, you know, the lives of people. 27:39 What I want you to do, take about 10 to 15 seconds, 27:42 look into the camera 27:43 and talk to that young person 27:45 that's struggling with different things 27:46 he's involved in. 27:50 I would say believe the Bible literally, you know, 27:54 when the Bible says 27:56 that God would keep you in perfect peace, 27:59 if His mind stayed upon thee, 28:00 you need that peace of God. 28:03 All right, all right. 28:04 Well, thank you, Mr. Woodrow, 28:05 for coming on and sharing your testimony. 28:07 Viewers, thank you for tuning in. 28:09 Be sure to tune in next time for The New Journey. 28:12 God bless. |
Revised 2017-09-26