1
00:00:19,850 --> 00:00:22,300
How are you?
- Good

2
00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:27,230
We're talking about how each of
us has a different background,

3
00:00:27,230 --> 00:00:29,210
each of us is from
such a different place

4
00:00:29,210 --> 00:00:32,430
to me it's amazing when I ...
kind of...  look around.

5
00:00:32,430 --> 00:00:34,900
and think about were
people have been

6
00:00:34,900 --> 00:00:36,260
and were they're at now.

7
00:00:36,260 --> 00:00:40,860
[...] even for myself,  being
on the streets and now

8
00:00:40,860 --> 00:00:42,850
having a teen ministry
or youth ministry,

9
00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,500
and then a looked at you, Lenny,
and it cracked me up, because

10
00:00:45,500 --> 00:00:47,590
I know a little bit about
your background

11
00:00:47,590 --> 00:00:51,600
[teenagers laughing]
...nothing, you cracked me up...

12
00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,100
...I know a little about
your background...

13
00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,190
Right now, I know that you are
in a Christian academy,

14
00:00:56,190 --> 00:00:57,190
in the choir...
I was gonna say

15
00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,560
you have a really nice
sports car, but it's wrecked,

16
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so I'll leave that alone, all
that stuff I know about you, but

17
00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,720
I know also that you love God
and I know all that

18
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,020
kind of stuff, but I know that
wasn't always true for you

19
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[...] Carol you don't know about
Lenny's background at all, no?

20
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Can you tell them how we met
and where you came from?

21
00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:28,430
The first time I met Cheri when
I went down to Hope TV

22
00:01:28,430 --> 00:01:36,170
...but...when I met her...
I was in a project patch program

23
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and it was just a treatment
facility where I was sent

24
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because I was doing
really awful in life

25
00:01:41,290 --> 00:01:45,480
I got into a lot of drugs
when I turned 15 because

26
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My parents were divorced;
and my mom was just never home.

27
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She always had a  business
convention here or there

28
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because she works for
the university

29
00:01:53,790 --> 00:01:57,860
so she was never home.
When I was 15 I just decided

30
00:01:57,860 --> 00:02:00,820
I'm gonna live life my own way.
And that was

31
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doing drugs and being
involved with all my friends

32
00:02:03,590 --> 00:02:04,560
and doing what they did.

33
00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,290
So I got into doing drugs...
and stuff...

34
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Before that I've been a
captain of a football team,

35
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and a basketball team in 8th
grade and stuff like that,

36
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so life just was like a
complete turn around.

37
00:02:16,850 --> 00:02:19,250
Can you tell us if this
was a slow thing?

38
00:02:19,250 --> 00:02:23,020
you know, because I think about
that: How does that happen?

39
00:02:23,020 --> 00:02:27,350
...was it just a slow process?
- It was kind of a slow process.

40
00:02:27,350 --> 00:02:30,720
Growing up in a Hispanic family
and stuff like that... You

41
00:02:30,730 --> 00:02:36,000
grow up in neighborhoods like
that, it's an everyday thing. I

42
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:42,680
was really young when I started
noticing what drugs were.

43
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:49,780
It was normal to see kids
down the street doing drugs

44
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and making drug deals.
...it was a normal thing to see.

45
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,600
- Where did you grow up?

46
00:02:55,750 --> 00:02:59,660
In Toppenish, Washington...
...and it was just normal to see

47
00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:04,090
that kind of stuff...and growing
up with such a big family...

48
00:03:04,090 --> 00:03:07,870
I had a lot of respect. People
respected our family

49
00:03:07,870 --> 00:03:11,340
because it  was a big,
well known Hispanic family,

50
00:03:11,740 --> 00:03:13,970
they had also a lot of
businesses.

51
00:03:13,970 --> 00:03:18,870
You are gonna get respect from
Hispanic and other race people.

52
00:03:18,870 --> 00:03:21,990
You know... your family lives
there, so you have respect.

53
00:03:21,990 --> 00:03:24,550
So I was respected by everyone.

54
00:03:24,550 --> 00:03:31,440
I knew were to get drugs and I
knew how to get mass quantity

55
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of drugs. And being 15 years
old, I could be getting drugs

56
00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,460
at a big city person

57
00:03:36,610 --> 00:03:40,250
I could be getting for half
the price and selling it for

58
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my own  price.
So I was a 15 old kid

59
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running around with
$2000 a week,

60
00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,210
a pager, cell phone... I had it
all. I thought I had it all...

61
00:03:49,210 --> 00:03:54,690
What did your parents say  when
they saw $2000, or a cell phone,

62
00:03:54,690 --> 00:03:55,690
a pager...?

63
00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:59,180
I hid it pretty much, I kept
everything pretty  much hidden.

64
00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:02,730
One time my mom found the
lining of my bed lined with

65
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money. It was like $900.
It was a sum in there...

66
00:04:06,980 --> 00:04:09,100
...she found it...
- I'm filling lemonade, mom!

67
00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:14,010
Yeah, that's it... that's it...
I told her I was working, mom!

68
00:04:14,010 --> 00:04:18,740
I was proud to show my friends
I had so much money.

69
00:04:18,740 --> 00:04:22,380
I also used to show
their sisters, and they all:

70
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- "Lenny, how much money
have you got?"

71
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"I bet, chick, a lot
more than you."

72
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so I just pull out a lot of
money that I had rolled up

73
00:04:28,820 --> 00:04:32,090
and I said: "Look, ca we
go out with you sometime?"

74
00:04:32,090 --> 00:04:35,080
So I would take girls out
and buy'em everything.

75
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,100
I was living a life at
15 years old. I was

76
00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:40,670
going to home school  because I
couldn't go to public school

77
00:04:40,670 --> 00:04:42,020
because they didn't
want me anymore.

78
00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:43,540
They kicked you out?
- Yeah,

79
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I did too much trouble so they
don't want trouble like that.

80
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I had family in that school,
I would give the drugs to them,

81
00:04:50,930 --> 00:04:54,750
they would give them to whoever
needed them in that school.

82
00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,390
But my main focus was adults.

83
00:04:57,390 --> 00:04:59,880
I didn't mess with kids
because it was small.

84
00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,730
I didn't want $20  from a kid
or something like that.

85
00:05:02,730 --> 00:05:05,990
I wanted like $300, or I wanted
a thousand dollars from someone.

86
00:05:05,990 --> 00:05:08,410
I didn't mess around
with the petty things.

87
00:05:08,410 --> 00:05:16,350
You know, as you talk now I know
you as Christian and really cool

88
00:05:16,350 --> 00:05:18,630
I can't imagine...

89
00:05:18,630 --> 00:05:21,440
Were you the same as  far
as the way you talk,

90
00:05:21,830 --> 00:05:26,790
your personality?
Were you harder?

91
00:05:26,790 --> 00:05:32,270
...My main focus was myself.
I was in touch with just myself.

92
00:05:32,270 --> 00:05:35,010
I was really quiet.
Moved around, did this...

93
00:05:35,010 --> 00:05:38,100
but people knew, you know...
I got along with them.

94
00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:42,790
Basically, they respected me,
they looked up to me...

95
00:05:42,790 --> 00:05:45,650
and I just had a role
that I had to play

96
00:05:45,650 --> 00:05:49,360
I was really a bit hard
sometimes,  just to get business

97
00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:54,840
taken care of. Sometimes I would
just be friendly and be nice.

98
00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:57,720
I've always been a
nice people-person.

99
00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:03,130
I was a charmer, you know...
I could to talk to people...

100
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There were always times in my
life that my family would say:

101
00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:08,260
he's gonna be like... 'cause I
didn't have a father in my life

102
00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:11,570
so the men in my family would
say: he's going to be like me,

103
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he's going to make money,
he's a go-getter.

104
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So I got that in my brain.
Yeah, I'm a go-getter.

105
00:06:17,340 --> 00:06:22,440
I'll do this, I'll do that. I'll
do things... this way...

106
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,330
But then te main focus was:
hustler, go-getter

107
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My main focus: I'm gonna make
more money than anyone else

108
00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,010
and be young that's what I loved
about the whole thing...

109
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But I was empty.
That was my daily routine.

110
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That was life. Without it I
don't know what I would do.

111
00:06:42,930 --> 00:06:46,790
I didn't have any drive
to do anything else

112
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but to live the life,
to be the man.

113
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Have money and live it up.
But it just wasn't for me.

114
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So what happened?

115
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All of the sudden: "This is too
much money,  I don't want

116
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to do it anymore"
[laughing]

117
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[...] I've got what's called
the "front" from my guy

118
00:07:06,650 --> 00:07:10,340
and it was a big "front", like
a couple thousand of dollars

119
00:07:10,340 --> 00:07:13,960
and I had to get that...
[...]

120
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,320
I was on the streets for 10
years so I know what a front is.

121
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There are a lot of people who
don't know what a front is.

122
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- I don't know what it is.
- A front is: you go to a person

123
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without any money

124
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You say you have no money. You
give this to me and  I'll pay you

125
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when I sell it.

126
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So I got a front for a couple
thousand dollars

127
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Everything was fine. I needed
the guy, he respected me,

128
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I respected him. OK, we will
split whatever you make.

129
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What I did I sold some
of it but after that

130
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I had lots of money, lots of
drugs and then I went party.

131
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So I went and partyd
with everything.

132
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- Hmmm. They don't like that.
- Yeah, they don't like that...

133
00:07:58,270 --> 00:08:02,440
I wasn't thinking. I was totally
into the partying things so

134
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I came up with money but not enough
for him,  just enough for me

135
00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:13,450
He called me one day and said:
"Get my money."  I told him no.

136
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He answered: "When we see you
next time, we gonna kill you".

137
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I was like: Yeah, all right.
- Did you believe him?

138
00:08:18,650 --> 00:08:22,900
Yeah, I believed him. In stuff
like that, you know someone

139
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will do that. I was hard and said
I don't care if they kill me.

140
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But then I got serious
because they called my mom

141
00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,190
and told her: "When we see your
son again, we will kill him"

142
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So I ran away, but actually
it wasn't like running away.

143
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I just left, because
no one could control me

144
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but just myself.

145
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You couldn't tell what to do.

146
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And they were afraid of what I
could start or what I could do.

147
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But I wasn't proud of that.
I knew inside that there is

148
00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:02,140
something lacking in me...

149
00:09:02,180 --> 00:09:07,830
So this whole time...this was
Monday... all this stuff fell.

150
00:09:07,830 --> 00:09:11,240
The whole time my mom was getting
something together for me

151
00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,490
to go to Project P.A.T.C.H,
but I told her I will never go.

152
00:09:14,490 --> 00:09:20,300
Joe got into an accident and
he was recovering from that

153
00:09:20,300 --> 00:09:25,930
and his parents needed
to move. Joe's dad came down

154
00:09:25,940 --> 00:09:29,110
and said: "We need you, son, we
need your help, because Joe

155
00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:32,490
can't lift no more than ten
pounds. I said I will come back,

156
00:09:32,490 --> 00:09:36,860
the steam all died down, I think
I'll come back, get situated,

157
00:09:36,860 --> 00:09:37,860
get my groove on and
get everybody paid off...

158
00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:45,660
So I got there to Joe's (place),
I didn't have any drugs.

159
00:09:45,660 --> 00:09:53,800
So that Friday night, we packed
everything and mom pulls up

160
00:09:53,970 --> 00:09:56,850
in the car. I asked her what
was she doing there.

161
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"We have something to tell you.
You're going to P.A.T.C.H.

162
00:09:59,940 --> 00:10:02,840
I said you tricked me, to get
into Idaho, so I can't get back

163
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to where I needed to be. [...]
That day, she got 3 calls:

164
00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:17,160
from the probation officer, one
from Joe's mom and one from my

165
00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:22,640
uncle who knew these people
first hand. He said: get Lenny

166
00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,080
out of town, because they were
coming for him on that Friday.

167
00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:36,100
So my mom got me out of there
and I guess they came but we

168
00:10:36,110 --> 00:10:39,440
were gone. I'm pretty thankful
to still be alive...

169
00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:44,270
- As a mom, I would do the same
thing: you can't kill my son...

170
00:10:44,270 --> 00:10:49,140
I can imagine your mom
being so freaked out...

171
00:10:49,180 --> 00:10:53,010
...what do I do, how I handle
this, how I take care of him now

172
00:10:53,010 --> 00:10:54,890
he doesn't even want me to
take care of him but

173
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I love him!
-She came and I was like: Mom.

174
00:10:57,870 --> 00:11:00,350
I'm not going to PATCH, I have
too many things to do.

175
00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:06,080
She looked in my eyes and she
said: You're going. A mom

176
00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,590
just gives you this look: you're
going and I, like a dog, put my

177
00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:11,390
tail between my legs.

178
00:11:11,490 --> 00:11:18,520
I was in the car, no questions
asked and we got there...

179
00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,150
So what is PATCH exactly?

180
00:11:20,150 --> 00:11:25,460
It stands for Planned Assistence
for Troubled Children.

181
00:11:25,460 --> 00:11:30,750
Tom Stanford is the one
that runs PATCH

182
00:11:30,750 --> 00:11:33,530
He had talked with my mom

183
00:11:33,530 --> 00:11:36,650
and told her he
can get me in there.

184
00:11:36,650 --> 00:11:39,250
Is it like a hospital?

185
00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:42,060
NO. It's like a home,
a home away from home.

186
00:11:42,060 --> 00:11:45,850
When I arrived there, I told
myself I've already seen this

187
00:11:45,850 --> 00:11:48,350
place before, but I didn't
recognize it because of all the

188
00:11:47,350 --> 00:11:51,520
drugs in my body, I've seen
this place on a pamphlet...

189
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:56,140
There is a river running through
it. Wow! What a place!

190
00:11:56,140 --> 00:11:59,190
But at that time I was clouded
about the whole thing

191
00:11:59,230 --> 00:12:03,610
It was pretty harsh to be there.
First I didn't want to be there.

192
00:12:03,610 --> 00:12:10,720
In a fight, I had my face split
open by a kid that threw a stick

193
00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,160
at me because I just pushed them
and it stuck in my face.

194
00:12:14,260 --> 00:12:18,070
They did reconstructive
surgery on my face.

195
00:12:18,070 --> 00:12:22,460
I was like: this place isn't
for me, my mom doesn't know what

196
00:12:22,460 --> 00:12:32,900
she's doing. That night they
sent the maintenance director to

197
00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:37,580
wake me up to tell me
we are leaving.

198
00:12:37,580 --> 00:12:40,420
I refused, so he picked
me up in a blanket

199
00:12:40,420 --> 00:12:42,820
and threw me in a van.

200
00:12:42,820 --> 00:12:45,050
That was at 3 o’clock
in  the morning.

201
00:12:45,050 --> 00:12:50,300
He told me to keep the blanket,
to keep myself covered.

202
00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:54,480
It was pretty strange.

203
00:12:54,490 --> 00:12:57,160
What did they do?
What was that about?

204
00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,200
They put someone else in there
and we woke up at

205
00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:03,100
Sawtooth National Park,

206
00:13:03,110 --> 00:13:07,130
in the Sawtooth
National Mountains.

207
00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,020
He said: Guys, get up, put your
cloths on, we are going hiking

208
00:13:11,020 --> 00:13:21,080
I guess we're going back-packing
to get out from there.

209
00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,950
He said that the hardest
thing to hit there was a tree.

210
00:13:23,950 --> 00:13:27,070
You hit that tree
and it won't mind,

211
00:13:27,070 --> 00:13:32,730
'cause we just totally destroyed
the dorm where we were living

212
00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,750
So we went up in mountain.
I was hating it.

213
00:13:35,750 --> 00:13:37,970
I was a city kid. I told him
I'm getting out of here,

214
00:13:37,970 --> 00:13:39,570
I'll will run away...
and he's all:

215
00:13:39,610 --> 00:13:44,100
What direction do you think
PATCH is? What direction is

216
00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,000
home? I pointed a direction
and he started laughing.

217
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:51,590
So you were stuck.

218
00:13:51,590 --> 00:13:54,060
I said:"I'll go that direction!"
and he answered: "Have fun!"

219
00:13:54,060 --> 00:13:59,420
You know, it was a
real experience, because

220
00:13:59,420 --> 00:14:01,500
I thought we're gonna be
there for a week but we were

221
00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:03,920
there for 31 days.

222
00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,000
Then we started the
12 step program [...]

223
00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:14,530
...and to this very day I think
the old Lenny is still looking

224
00:14:14,530 --> 00:14:17,740
to find PATCH in that
one direction.

225
00:14:17,740 --> 00:14:20,450
I just stepped aside
and got better,

226
00:14:20,450 --> 00:14:25,710
I renounced to drugs and
got them out of my system.

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00:14:25,710 --> 00:14:29,660
And I really started focusing
on what I wanted from my life.

228
00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:33,900
And being in the mountains,
away from everything was

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00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:38,400
the best place to be. There was
no distraction: no phones,

230
00:14:38,500 --> 00:14:42,710
no temptations to do something.
I was in the mountains

231
00:14:42,710 --> 00:14:44,630
and there was
nowhere else I was going

232
00:14:44,630 --> 00:14:47,630
only going into a glacial lake
or something, you know...

233
00:14:48,430 --> 00:14:54,020
I have a thousand questions.Does
anybody have a question about...

234
00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:59,080
I'm thinking of stuff like...

235
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:04,290
How did you find God and
come back to God?

236
00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:12,840
Can you ever go back? People
are still looking for you?

237
00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:17,240
I believe they still are.
They don't recognize me but

238
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,600
someday someone will
figure it out...

239
00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:25,180
If I did go back, I'd be
living at the cemetery.

240
00:15:25,180 --> 00:15:27,850
You know, there is no other way.
I could never go back...

241
00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:31,300
They don't have a clue
where I am right now

242
00:15:31,300 --> 00:15:34,640
It's really hard to say...
I'm still in hiding

243
00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,600
But it's true. There is no
way around it.

244
00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:42,960
You're talking about all the
money and having a good time

245
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,780
at being 15.
Coming from ...

246
00:15:46,780 --> 00:15:51,860
I've grown up in a Christian
family, so I've always thought

247
00:15:51,860 --> 00:15:54,790
about being in that kind of
situation would be fun...

248
00:15:54,790 --> 00:15:56,430
- Exciting...
- Yeah...

249
00:15:56,530 --> 00:15:59,360
- Uhm... It is, at the time
you think it is.

250
00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,690
Having $2000 in your pocket
is a big thing, you know...

251
00:16:02,690 --> 00:16:07,370
To have the choices...
Many of times I've wished

252
00:16:07,370 --> 00:16:11,870
my parents weren't around and
where I could do whatever I want

253
00:16:11,870 --> 00:16:16,840
but just from hearing what you
say is turning me around

254
00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:18,100
in a different way.

255
00:16:18,190 --> 00:16:23,530
Yeah, it's hard to tell people,
yeah, I did have that much money

256
00:16:23,530 --> 00:16:29,400
but the money didn't mean
anything. Life didn't mean

257
00:16:29,470 --> 00:16:33,990
anything then, until I went to
PATCH and I made a turn around.

258
00:16:33,990 --> 00:16:36,270
I was truthful to myself
about the whole thing.

259
00:16:36,270 --> 00:16:40,450
because a program can change
you from the outside,

260
00:16:40,450 --> 00:16:42,520
you know, you can say:
I'm changing,

261
00:16:42,620 --> 00:16:46,200
but only with God's help you
can change inside and get better

262
00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:48,510
and that's what really
turns people's heads

263
00:16:48,510 --> 00:16:51,910
you know, you don't know what
you're talking about, but that's

264
00:16:51,910 --> 00:16:53,240
not the life for me.

265
00:16:53,270 --> 00:16:56,120
I've lived that life and
I know what it's like.

266
00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,480
I know what it's like to
not have a place to call home.

267
00:17:00,580 --> 00:17:05,400
It's hard to say when you have
family at home that loves you...

268
00:17:05,530 --> 00:17:09,460
Even the dog! I miss my dog! I
went home one time just to check

269
00:17:09,470 --> 00:17:12,780
on my dog 'cause I had a
nightmare that he got killed...

270
00:17:12,780 --> 00:17:17,100
It was something that I lack.
I wanted the family.

271
00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:21,820
I wanted everybody else's family
because they didn't want mine

272
00:17:21,820 --> 00:17:23,660
because they were never home.
But that wasn't their fault.

273
00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:26,450
They  were making a living so
I could stay alive, have cloths

274
00:17:26,550 --> 00:17:30,340
on my back, food on the table.
But I didn't understand that.

275
00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,540
I'm glad now that I can turn
around and say: That was my life

276
00:17:34,540 --> 00:17:38,270
then and it is not my life
anymore."

277
00:17:38,300 --> 00:17:41,850
I'm doing youth ministries
and stuff like that

278
00:17:41,850 --> 00:17:46,480
and I'm happy I went through
what I went through,

279
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,870
because it was a stepping stone
for me to say: I don't want to

280
00:17:48,870 --> 00:17:50,300
be that way, I can be

281
00:17:50,330 --> 00:17:53,700
a successful person and
not have to sell drugs.

282
00:17:53,700 --> 00:17:59,350
I can help someone else by
telling what I've been through

283
00:17:59,350 --> 00:18:01,680
in life so I may inspire someone
else to turn around

284
00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,540
and I just think I have hope.

285
00:18:05,540 --> 00:18:08,630
You know, what was really
interesting, not long ago I saw

286
00:18:08,670 --> 00:18:13,670
you talking at a Jam's state camp
meeting, you were talking to a

287
00:18:13,670 --> 00:18:15,050
group of juniors,

288
00:18:15,090 --> 00:18:20,030
and I was watching you,
you were reading your favorite

289
00:18:20,030 --> 00:18:24,650
scripture. And I thought - what
a difference from project PATCH

290
00:18:24,650 --> 00:18:28,030
to sit in there with a
group of 10-11 years olds

291
00:18:28,030 --> 00:18:29,650
talking about God...
and...

292
00:18:29,650 --> 00:18:32,010
What scripture did you read?

293
00:18:32,010 --> 00:18:34,260
Jer. 29:11-13

294
00:18:34,270 --> 00:18:35,760
Do you remember it?

295
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,950
Yes, God's saying to His people
that "I have plans for you,

296
00:18:40,950 --> 00:18:46,230
I made you, I have plans
for you to prosper.

297
00:18:46,230 --> 00:18:55,480
Not to be down. He has plans for
me to prosper. And I'll be there

298
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,740
when you call upon me
with your whole heart.

299
00:18:57,740 --> 00:19:00,270
He doesn't want the half of
it, but He wants everything.

300
00:19:00,270 --> 00:19:03,980
I had problems with that because
I wanted to give increments.

301
00:19:03,980 --> 00:19:09,250
I was trying to do
a deal with God.

302
00:19:09,250 --> 00:19:11,000
But God doesn't work that way

303
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,290
He is the only God and you
don't say: I'll give you a share

304
00:19:15,290 --> 00:19:19,600
here and I keep the rest, He
wants it all and He will give

305
00:19:19,630 --> 00:19:22,440
you those benefits back
and multiples that your

306
00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,700
mind can't even imagine.

307
00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:32,780
Can you talk more about it? We
think that He may give it back,

308
00:19:32,780 --> 00:19:36,950
or this is our duty to give
to God. But the fact that He

309
00:19:36,990 --> 00:19:41,150
makes our lives so incredible.
I know yours  is also incredible

310
00:19:41,150 --> 00:19:46,160
- Yeah! At that time I didn't
think  life could be that way.

311
00:19:46,170 --> 00:19:52,060
There was some struggle to give
all to God, your securities,

312
00:19:52,070 --> 00:19:58,340
So you feel insecure about a lot
of things like trusting people,

313
00:19:58,340 --> 00:20:01,880
because you're hollow, you're
building everything back up again

314
00:20:01,890 --> 00:20:07,970
God slowly started to give me
all those things and opening

315
00:20:07,970 --> 00:20:12,460
up new doors, He said:
"Lenny, I have plans for you.

316
00:20:12,460 --> 00:20:15,240
You do not know what
these plans are yet

317
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:19,250
but your eyes will open on these
plans and if not a doctor, Lenny

318
00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:25,060
it's going to be something that
people will know you...

319
00:20:25,060 --> 00:20:26,710
You wanted to be a doctor,
right?

320
00:20:26,710 --> 00:20:31,010
Yes, but if that's not what God
is telling me do to, that's OK.

321
00:20:31,010 --> 00:20:36,000
I understand. I just want to be
somewhere where I'm happy and

322
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,820
I'm making other people happy.
That's all I'm worried about...

323
00:20:39,860 --> 00:20:47,670
Wow! It reminds me a little bit
of Carol who's doing ministry

324
00:20:47,670 --> 00:20:53,530
work too. You have the sense
of giving back to God.

325
00:20:53,530 --> 00:21:01,610
She almost...nourished or healed
by reaching out and giving back.

326
00:21:01,610 --> 00:21:05,110
My mom always told me ever since
I was little boy: - I'm your

327
00:21:05,660 --> 00:21:10,790
mother here and stuff like that.
But God gave you to me...

328
00:21:10,790 --> 00:21:13,910
You're special.There's something
about you, you're a prince.

329
00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:19,250
"You need to find that, Lenny.
You're something special to God.

330
00:21:19,250 --> 00:21:23,000
You are going to help Him
help other people here"

331
00:21:23,030 --> 00:21:27,490
He can't be there to help
everybody verbally and come in

332
00:21:27,530 --> 00:21:30,910
through everybody, but He can
come and shine through you.

333
00:21:30,910 --> 00:21:33,080
Let Him reach out other
people through you.

334
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:34,770
He can act through you
as long as this is your will,

335
00:21:34,770 --> 00:21:37,250
and you leave your heart
and your mind open to Him

336
00:21:37,250 --> 00:21:38,990
Do you really believe that?

337
00:21:38,990 --> 00:21:40,700
I do. And I'm doing it now.

338
00:21:40,700 --> 00:21:44,210
The reason why I asked is 'cause
I believe it also with all

339
00:21:44,210 --> 00:21:48,290
my heart. But I think the most
powerful feeling is to see God

340
00:21:48,290 --> 00:21:54,260
use you and somebody is
touched or changed,

341
00:21:54,260 --> 00:21:57,470
and you think: Wow,
He can use me!

342
00:21:57,470 --> 00:22:04,150
You know, that sense of being
used by God is a powerful thing!

343
00:22:04,270 --> 00:22:12,150
I'm enjoying working
with youth. Now I'll be working

344
00:22:12,150 --> 00:22:13,150
at a Christian radio station
here really soon.

345
00:22:14,170 --> 00:22:16,540
- Doing what?

346
00:22:16,550 --> 00:22:18,420
- Being a DJ.

347
00:22:18,420 --> 00:22:22,620
- So, is it the same place
you were working at?

348
00:22:22,620 --> 00:22:24,390
- Yes, we will be
working together.

349
00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,210
- Yes, it will be really nice.

350
00:22:27,220 --> 00:22:33,270
I listen to your broadcast,
K.T.S.Y. and every time I hear

351
00:22:33,270 --> 00:22:36,820
I have the radio on and I hear
your voice I say:Ah, I know him!

352
00:22:37,130 --> 00:22:40,820
It is a very cool thing.
- It is, things are going great!

353
00:22:40,850 --> 00:22:42,380
So, I will know everybody there.

354
00:22:42,380 --> 00:22:44,130
Yes, you will know the
whole crew.

355
00:22:44,130 --> 00:22:49,420
Yes, life's been really good.
And it's looking up from here...

356
00:22:49,420 --> 00:22:52,850
You are in a choir. Can you talk
about that? You just got back

357
00:22:52,850 --> 00:22:56,690
from Palm Springs.
- We have an award winning choir

358
00:22:56,690 --> 00:22:58,060
Jamsai Academy.

359
00:22:58,060 --> 00:23:02,560
We entered the contest against
93 different academies

360
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:09,470
in all North America. We got a
letter back saying that

361
00:23:09,470 --> 00:23:13,260
we were placed in 5th place
and we were in the finals.

362
00:23:13,260 --> 00:23:16,730
That was the last our school
heard from it for about a month.

363
00:23:16,730 --> 00:23:23,520
Then our principle John Gatch
got a call a month after that

364
00:23:24,580 --> 00:23:32,600
and we found out that we won
$20.000 grant to go to Palm Springs

365
00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:41,340
Who is in the choir? Four of you
Joe, Lenny, Math and Winter.

366
00:23:41,340 --> 00:23:44,970
$20.000 grant, wow!
Were you guys excited?

367
00:23:44,970 --> 00:23:47,150
Yes! It was a fun trip!

368
00:23:47,150 --> 00:23:51,510
It is the highlight of my senior
year. It was so worthy!

369
00:23:51,510 --> 00:23:56,320
Where were you exactly? You went
to Palm Springs and did a show?

370
00:23:56,420 --> 00:24:07,050
We had different trips: a tour
in Southern California [...]

371
00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:12,260
When we won the grant,
they wanted us to have fun...

372
00:24:12,260 --> 00:24:18,500
We went to Knott's Berry Farm.
We ate out. They gave us

373
00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,110
money every day and sponsored
us to just go have fun for

374
00:24:21,110 --> 00:24:26,310
winning and then we had
a performance at a resort.

375
00:24:26,310 --> 00:24:28,580
they were getting together all
Seventh Day Adventist people.

376
00:24:28,580 --> 00:24:32,010
We basically had fun
the whole time.

377
00:24:32,010 --> 00:24:33,680
They showed for us around.

378
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:41,160
God, is so fun! Let me ask
you a question. Try to imagine

379
00:24:41,170 --> 00:24:47,640
anybody that knew you in your
other life, if they saw you in

380
00:24:47,730 --> 00:24:50,410
a choir in Palm Springs,
what would they think?

381
00:24:50,410 --> 00:24:58,800
Crazy...I think I've earned
their respect for them because

382
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,040
I was willing to get up
and get out

383
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,370
A lot of people are still
afraid to get up and get out.

384
00:25:05,470 --> 00:25:14,460
They are asking themselves what
is after stepping out,

385
00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:18,860
I was like: I'm not gonna be
happy if I do anything else.

386
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,880
I used to think that people
who are sober are stupid.

387
00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,610
You don't think beyond that, but

388
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,500
I'd just like to tell people,
there is hope after that.

389
00:25:28,500 --> 00:25:30,640
- So are you happy?
- Yes, I'm happy...

390
00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:36,250
There will always be struggles
in life and I understand that,

391
00:25:36,250 --> 00:25:42,150
I just have to keep my eyes up
and make sure God is in control

392
00:25:42,150 --> 00:25:44,230
and not Satan.

393
00:25:44,270 --> 00:25:48,970
You have to know that God leads
you to places for reason and not

394
00:25:48,970 --> 00:25:52,670
to shut Him out.
- And to know that He is bigger

395
00:25:52,670 --> 00:25:54,750
than all your issues,
bigger than all your needs.

396
00:25:54,790 --> 00:25:57,930
He can take them from you. He's
willing to take the pack

397
00:25:57,930 --> 00:26:00,270
full of rocks.
He is ready.

398
00:26:00,310 --> 00:26:05,910
He says:"Your sin is as far away
from Me as is the East is to the

399
00:26:05,910 --> 00:26:08,020
West. " I can't see it anymore.
It is not anything.

400
00:26:08,020 --> 00:26:12,870
I think of Mary Magdalene,
the demoniac and different

401
00:26:12,870 --> 00:26:16,270
stories in the Bible when
somebody was totally changed...

402
00:26:16,270 --> 00:26:21,510
I only know you on this side of
that story and I can't imagine

403
00:26:21,510 --> 00:26:27,970
you being anything but this
incredible talented, handsome

404
00:26:27,970 --> 00:26:31,890
young man that is making
an influence on people's lives.

405
00:26:31,890 --> 00:26:38,630
I'm amazed that God is able to,
above anything we could think

406
00:26:38,630 --> 00:26:44,110
about, or plan. Even above what
our parents can hope for.

407
00:26:44,110 --> 00:26:46,490
About what your mom
can hope for.

408
00:26:46,490 --> 00:26:51,580
God is able to go above that
and not be afraid of your

409
00:26:51,580 --> 00:26:52,980
gang involvement

410
00:26:52,990 --> 00:26:59,730
or your drug involvement or any
of the damages that happened,

411
00:26:59,730 --> 00:27:02,650
any of the things that you
learned while you were out on

412
00:27:02,650 --> 00:27:06,760
the streets or on drugs. I talk
to people all the time that

413
00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:08,850
don't believe that God is big
enough to deal with their

414
00:27:08,850 --> 00:27:13,340
problems or that He loves me after I've been so messed up.

415
00:27:13,390 --> 00:27:16,560
I love to hear stories like
Lenny's because it says that

416
00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,710
God loves us no matter what.
No matter what we have done,

417
00:27:19,710 --> 00:27:22,650
we are not too far away
for God to come and say:

418
00:27:22,660 --> 00:27:26,380
"Please come back. I love you!
We can fix this, we can heal

419
00:27:26,380 --> 00:27:31,740
this" Thank you for joining us
on Teen Pathways and remember

420
00:27:31,740 --> 00:27:36,720
Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans
to prosper us, and give us hope

421
00:27:36,730 --> 00:27:39,880
and give us a future. What an
incredible story!

422
00:27:39,980 --> 00:27:44,190
Thank you again for joining us!

423
00:28:25,020 --> 00:28:28,090
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