The Storyteller: Recent Episodes
Without Reservation
The Storyteller is a 15-minute weekly radio broadcast and podcast featuring true stories from Native American - First Nations people across North America who are following Jesus Christ without reservation. Don't be fooled, this is not some religious, feel good program. This is real life. It's raw, direct and personal. If you're tired of the way things are, or wonder if there really is hope for something better, you may want to listen to some folks who understand. The Storyteller can be heard by radio broadcast in over 600 communities in Canada and the US, and throughout the world via the Internet.
Boyce got in trouble with the law and it took him to prison. Thankfully, something happened that would change the direction of his life. And even though he would be back in jail again, it was not because of trouble, but to share with others what changed his life.
Our choices have consequences. Deborah knows that full well. We can get ourselves into trouble in a hurry when we're not careful. But there was one good choice she made that would change her life forever.
Have you ever felt rejected because of the color of your skin? Today's storyteller knows exactly how that feels. It's bad enough when that happens, but when it's your own relatives who turn you away, it takes it to another level. Where does one turn for love and acceptance? Thankfully, there was grandfather.
What made Tim decide to put the knife away? What was it that changed his mind from ending the life of his abuser? In this final episode, we'll hear the answer. It's a remarkable story... and proof that no matter how dark the situation, there is real hope when we turn to God.
The abuse had to end. Tim went from thinking about taking his own life - suicide - to taking the life of his abuser. He prepared himself mentally and physically. He planned. He was ready. It was time... and so began the longest night of his life.
Tim grew up in a military home. It was also abusive home. The physical and mental suffering that he with his mother and siblings endured is difficult to imagine. This is part one of a three-part story... of a father and son's remarkable journey from darkness into the light.
Family was important to Florence. But when she decided to follow Jesus she found it cost her some of her most valued relationships. They walked away when she would come to visit. It was very painful. But then she found a new family.
Florence has lived most of her life on the Peguis Reserve in Manitoba. She learned much from her father as she worked the farm with him, and much from her time at the school. She was asked if she would teach the Bible to younger students. In order to do that, she had to read it herself.
Drunk, hungover, and sometimes thrown in jail. It wasn't fun... at least not for Horace. But that's how life was. One day, he found himself with his back against the wall. He had a wife, three kids, and lost his job. It was a crisis that usually would have sent back to drink and get drunk, but this time it was different. He turned to God instead. Life is different now.
I was lost. I just couldn't figure out my life, and I kept going and looking for the answers. Went to college, thinking that the money would give me the answers. Went to bars thinking the bars would give me answers. Had the relationships with different women. Thinking that was going to give me the answers. And it just never did.
Molly's early years were marked with abuse. Alcohol had a hold of her, but she wasn't content. This is her story of how she was set free from the bottle... and so much more.
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to get our attention. Jimmy knew that the alcohol and drugs were affecting his family. He wanted to quit, but it was not happening. One day his wife gave him an ultimatum... and he had to make a choice. He told her he would quit, and he really meant it. But he only broke her trust again. When she realized that she could help him, things began to change. But it was on a highway headed into Oklahoma City that God finally got Jimmy's full attention.
Herman's trip off the rez - which was only supposed to be for two months - has turned into an epic journey of life transformation. God had a plan for Herman's life. It was filled with purpose and adventure.
The adventure continues as Herman explores the land of the cowhide. His travels take him to Montana where something happens to him that will change his life forever. Listen as he tells what happened next
He'd never been off the rez before. There were many things he had never seen or heard. So when the opportunity came, Herman made his way into a brand new world. What made this adventure particularly interesting was that he only spoke Navajo. Be prepared to laugh and wonder as Herman continues to share his story.
Herman was born and raised on the Navajo reservation in Chinli, Arizona. He grew up in a time and place much different than today. In this first of five programs, Herman introduces himself and tells of how, as a baby, he wasn't expected to live very long. Because of his illness, he didn't go to school. His grandparents raised him and he learned the Navajo way.
Byron answers the charge that because he is following Jesus he's following the white man's religion. He also shares why he is confident that, when he dies, Heaven will be his home.
When Byron decided to follow Jesus it didn't go over so well with his relatives. He found out that not everyone was happy for him. When he traveled home on vacation to be with his family they encouraged him to drink... and he regretted it. But despite all these things, he pressed on in his new faith.
Byron ended joining the Navy - serving alongside the Marine Corp as a medic. While stationed in the Pacific he found himself close to the DMZ and those who were hostile to American forces.
Byron is from the Pueblo of Laguna where he spent his early years. His family moved to Michigan for a time before returning home. Byron shares openly about the challenges and despair that he encountered during this formative season in his life.
Allan was thinking about his life. He was a smoker and didn't believe that he could give up cigarettes. He thought that the smoking would have to go if he was going be right with God. His friend addressed the issue and Allan asked God an interesting request.
The more I think about it, nobody forced me to drink. In the end, I took the bottle myself, and even though, young as I was, immature in many ways, not strong enough to make decisions on my own, to this day, when I look back on it, I wish I could have said, No, I'm not doing that, and even if I have to move away from home I'm going to, just to get away from the drinking.
Allen's early days were much different than people's lives today. "We were hunters, harvesters; we survived by living off the land." He never dreamed that this life he knew and loved would be disrupted.
The death of a loved one is always difficult. With one's passing, life's most important questions are often asked. Few ever continue seeking the answers before the sting of death has faded. They somehow seem less important as days pass. But this was not the case in Arlene's family. Listen as she shares how the death of her little sister became the turning point in their family's life.
Struggling with bitterness, Arlene was determined to bring change in her life. She was tired of dealing with the way others treated her because of her mother's illness. She did find change, but it wasn't what she had anticipated.
Arlene grew up in the heart of the Navajo reservation. It was a simpler time, but her life was deeply effected by the stigma that her family was cursed.
After drinking for a while, it begins to take it's toll on a man's body. Jim knows... he drank for forty years. He was a wreck. But something happened one day that brought an end to his drinking, It's something that would change his life forever. He was free.
Jim was on a quest for revenge on the one who abused him in his youth. "You can break up a man and not kill him. And so I went looking for him. Every time I went into one bar, he just left and went out the back way." Something happened along the way though that changed his plans.
"Drugs are a horrible thing. I mean, I've hurt my family members, I've hurt friends... because I was so self-centered; I was very selfish, and that's what sin basically is; it turns us into these selfish, selfish creatures that we only care about our wants, needs, desires, whatever. And drugs multiply that by a hundred.
The next day I was alive. I woke up, and it was just on my conscience heavy; "You prayed to God and you asked God, 'get me through the night, and He did. What are you going to do?'"
Mario thought, "What am I doing with my life? I've got no future. I could not see a future for myself; all I could see was darkness, and the blackness of the darkness I felt that it was surrounding me at that moment, I could not even look into the future and say there was anything promising for me, and it was scary, it was scary for me.
When Mario was growing up, he got into alcohol, drugs and trouble like many he knew on the reserve did. With the deaths of two of brothers, Mario began to think that there must be a better way to live. This is his story of how he found it.
I've encountered other Native Americans who look at Jesus Christ as the Whiteman's Gospel - as something that is harmful and hurtful to them. And so they try to leave you with a sense a guilt... "Well how can you be a Native - embrace something that is not Native, that is not of your culture, your background, and heritage? How can a person do that?
The road to recovery can be long. Everywhere he turned there was alcohol. If you've ever been there, you know what Chug is talking about. So how did he deal with the temptation and ultimately find victory? Thankfully, he tells us.
After spending the night in jail for a DWI, and with his wife in the hospital after giving birth to their son, the shame and pain of life had become to much for Chug. He began looking for a way to end his life. But something happened that changed his course.
"I remember sitting in the evening at the Silver Spur in Pierre. And I remember looking up and watching the crowd and hearing the music. I could see the smoke. I could see people laughing and dancing and everything going on around them. And I remember so distinctly saying, 'God I don't want to live this way anymore... I don't want to live this way anymore'."
After surviving abuse in residential school, growing up without a mother, and dealing with alcohol in her own home, Anne had been through a lot. One day, while listening to a Cree Gospel broadcast, she realized that she had a greater issue that needed to be resolved... her relationship with her Creator.
Anne's mother left home when Anne was just a little girl. Years later, when Anne had a family of her own, her mother came to visit. Anne was shocked. But the big surprise was how she treated her mother after being abandoned by her in her childhood.
Anne's mother left her and her dad when she was just a little girl. She was raised by her father until she was sent to residential school. It was there that she was abused. Later, she ends up marrying a man she didn't know and then found out that he was an alcoholic. This is part one of an amazing story about rising above tragic circumstances and sufferings of this life.
"And all our life was, was drinking and alcohol and smoking, and yet in my heart the Holy Spirit told me that it was wrong, and I knew that it was wrong, and I continued on that way until I began getting in trouble with the law."
Virginia recalls, "And I can remember from my childhood, that that stuff didn't smell good, and so when I would be sitting outside the bar and was drinking that, I can remember sitting there knowing it was wrong and knowing I didn't like it, but I wanted to be like my friends and so I drank."
The chains of alcohol had bound Norman for nearly his entire life. Finally, there came a point where he decided it needed to end. But where would he find the power to change?
Norman was glad to be in residential school. He enjoyed being away from his community and the opportunities that being in Prince Albert brought. That all changed though when he was violated by someone he really. Eventually, his own struggle with the alcohol took a turn for the worst. Thankfully, this is not how his story ends...
Norman grew up in an alcoholic home. It was not a safe place for anyone. He describes what it was like living through it as a child. For anyone who's ever experienced this, you understand. If this darkness was all to the story we would be left without hope. Thankfully, it's not. There's more to come...
Herman's life has been deeply effected by a terrible car accident in his youth. But instead of being bitter, his life is marked by love and humility. How can this be. In an age where anger and revenge are the norm, Herman's story is so refreshing. Find out why.
Herman and his family were involved in a life-changing car wreck because of alcohol. Yet, he is not bitter. Join us for this two-part story about a story of suffering, forgiveness, and love.
Tribal Chairman, Arlan Melendez is living proof that God can break the chains that bind us and give us power to change. Arlan was once hopeless, wondering if there was more to the empty life he was living. But now he knows there is - and he's not ashamed to say why.
We left off last time with Arlan suggesting he had hit rock bottom. It was there in that place that, instead of going to the bar again like he always did, he decided to go a Bible study that he had been invited to. Sounds crazy. But what happens next is amazing.
Sometimes people need to hit rock bottom before they're ready to look up. That's what happened to Arlan. In part one of his story, Arlan shares how he got to that place. Then, in the next episode, he'll tell you what happened to him when he decided to look up.
Making pottery is part of the O'odham culture. One day while in boarding school, Miss Ira Redbird came to teach Mike's class how to make pottery. Mike explains the process as he was taught and likens it to how God works with His children.
There are significant moments in each of our lives that we will never forget. Some we wish we could forget, but others we cherish because of the positive impact it had on us. Today, we'll hear about one of those moments in Mike Andrews's life as he opens up and shares from his heart a deeply personal experience.
Mike grew up in foster homes and boarding school - all the while longing to be back with his family. When he started high school, he learned to play sports, especially football. When the school he was playing for closed, his only alternative was to play football at a Christian school. It was there that he learned about the love of God.
When Harlan decided to follow Jesus his life drastically changed - including sobering up. His wife was convicted by what she saw. First she made it hard on him which pushed him away. but then she realized how wrong she was and wanted him back. Even Harlan's mother and youngest brother noticed the real change in his life.
Harlan kept telling his wife that he was going to change his life and start going to church. "I was so good at lying, making people believe that what I say I was going to do." His promise about church was just part of his plan to win her back. But something unexpected happened when he finally did go to church.
One day while she was home with her baby and Ivan was out, there was a knock at the door. When Sophia opened it there stood an older man asking for Ivan. She quickly got annoyed with him and wanted shut the door in his face, but instead, for some unexplained reason, she invited him in for tea. That was the night that everything would change for her and for Ivan.
Sophia grew up without her mom. As a child she was back and forth from her dad's place, her kookum (her grandmother), and the group home. Later, Sophia moved to Onion Lake to care for her grandma as she grew older. Then in high school Sophia got involved in an abusive relationship and a lifestyle of drinking and drugs. She felt trapped.
Leo grew up around the Stomp Dance but didn't know much about it. What he did know is that it didn't seem to make a difference in his community. People were stuck in alcohol, drugs, and violence. Feeling hopeless and caught in his own battles, Leo considered suicide. But instead, he reached out for God.
When Andrew's wife decided to follow Jesus, he was very curious. He watched her, and had her tell him what the preacher would say at church. He couldn't get away from the bottle, but he wanted to. He wanted what his wife had found, and one evening, he wanted it bad enough to go looking for it.
Adam felt abandoned by his biological father. But he discovered that as a child of God he had a Heavenly Father. Our dads will let us down. We all have our struggles in this life - like our fathers did. But God is the perfect Father. He won't let His children down. He will never leave nor forsake them.
Adam grew up without a father. He got involved in drugs, alcohol, and the gang life. He reached a point though where he realized that he wasn't happy. An important conversation with his grandmother helped him realize that things could be different.
New Years Eve is a very special time in the Claus family. It was on that night many years ago that the family gathered together around the radio and heard something that would change their lives forever. Listen as Tom reflects on the significance of that day and what it means to him after all these years.
Ryan shares some of his childhood memories of Christmas. He shares about the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ and how He was a gift from God for all people - including the First Nations. But a gift must be received for it to become your own.
"... And that's when I repented of my sin, when for the first time I turned my back on sin, and really cast myself on Jesus Christ to be my Savior. And I can really say for the first time a lot of people say, you don't go by emotions and stuff, I back that by a 100%... but for the first time I felt like there was something, knowing Christ as my Savior, there was real peace there for the first time. There was a joy there that I had never felt in my life, which was so much better than ever having been drunk or high."
"I can remember being happy as a child - there came a time when I began to see that the world was a dark place and that things were not as they should be." Soon, Randy would get caught up in his own darkness. He read the Bible, and at the age of seventeen, fear gripped his heart as he considered his standing with God.
"I was going through a lot of hurt and loneliness; I didn't feel like I added up. I had one very close friend, and I was thinking about suicide; we talked about it, like I told her, "Maybe it's the only way out." And then I heard somewhere later, that if you do that, you only cause your, the people you leave behind, your family, your friends, a lot more pain."
Carla is originally from the Garden Valley First Nation in Manitoba. As a baby, she was given up for adoption and brought into a non-Native family. Early on it became apparent that something was different about her. She was soon diagnosed with cerebral palsy. With a gentle honesty, Carla shares about some of the challenges that she has faced, the encouragement she received from her adopted family, and the relationship that she has with her Creator.
Eric looks back over his life and stands in amazement at the direction it has taken since he turned his back on his rebellious sinful behavior and began to truly follow Jesus. He traded hopelessness and despair for a life of peace with God and reason to live.
When God disrupted Eric's plan to end his life, Eric knew it was time to acknowledge God's claim on him. A demonstration of humble service by a follower of Jesus got Eric thinking again. Then the influence of a concerned friend helped him see that he needed to follow Jesus without reservation.
Eric has fond memories of his childhood on the reserve. He heard about Jesus, and felt a desire to accept His gift of salvation, but had no one to walk with on that path. Instead, by the age of 16, he was into partying, and judged his life to be worthless. On a cold, dark night, he decided to end his life. But then something very strange happened on his way to the tower.
Don tells about the 1964 tidal wave that hit his village of Old Harbor, and about the people that gave their lives to save his village. He also shares about another disaster, his problem with anger. Don's family was being torn apart. When his wife finally gave him an ultimatum, he knew that he had to change.
Don grew up in Old Harbor, Alaska on Kodiak Island. He knew what it was like to live off the ocean, to hunt seal and bear. He also knew the darkness that effected the lives of people in his village... including his own family.
Jeannie' teenage son was murdered. She lived with great anger and hurt... and spent years trying to keep the killer behind bars. Despite her efforts, he was paroled. But one day, while ministering together with her husband in prison, God helped her to forgive the man who killed her son.
When her husband walked out, Jeannie was about to reach for the bottle to ease her pain, but instead reached out to Jesus. She was driven to Him by her realization that she wanted her marriage more than a drink. What happened next is amazing.
Jeannie and her husband, Harlan, were being driven apart by alcohol, and she finally divorced him. When nobody else wanted him, he came back, promising to change, and he did, seriously turning to the God of the Bible. Jeannie, however, did not believe him, and did everything she could to make him fall. Finally, she succeeded in driving him from the home into the arms of another woman. But the story doesn't end there.
Jeannie grew up in an alcoholic home, experiencing much abuse. She had a very low opinion of herself. As a young mother of three, she found herself loosed from an abusive marriage and managed, by determination, to complete her education and support her family. She fell back on alcohol but managed to hide it. She married Harlan, and things only got worse.
Florence's husband said to her, "Flo, you know what happened is that I got saved, I got saved."
And you know, and of course he started preaching to me, "You know, you need the Lord too, you need to be, you need to know the Lord, you need to be forgiven."
And I'm like,Yeah right. I'm thinking, you know, "I wonder how long this is going to last," and so I just kind of like laughed in his face.
Florence was raised up north in Manitoba in the small community of Red Sucker Lake. She bounced around between relatives until she was 17 when she met Conrad. He asked her to marry him. What happened next was very interesting.
Gordon's problems with the spirits weren't over just yet. He says, "When I went home, the stuff was still in my home; the odors, the foul voices, literally torment, and I had also a very serious problem with alcohol back in those days, from drinking constantly..."
While in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, Gordon said, "I was laying in bed and I heard these voices call out to me, 'Gordon, Gordon, Gordon'. I thought somebody was by the window; I got up. I had a heart monitor on - I wasn't connected to any tubing or anything - but I went to the window. Nobody was there, and then I realized the voice was right before me."
"Early on, in Milwaukee, I got into trouble as a young man with a lot of other friends. We weren't a gang as such, but we had a lot of trouble that we got into, to the point where it took me before the judge when I was 16 years old, 17 years old. And the judge gave me an ultimatum of either joining the military (this was back in 1962) or going into the reformatory for the trouble that I got into."
When he arrived home in St Theresa, Ernie was so troubled by the thought of dying that he couldn't rest. He decided to go to Garden Hill and talk with someone who he thought could help him with his problem. It was a man he heard talking about Jesus on the radio.
On a flight from Winnipeg to Garden Hill, Manitoba, Ernie was paralyzed by fear because of a question that he couldn't get out of his mind. "If you were to die at this very moment, where would you go?" He knew about Heaven and Hell, but he didn't think he go to Heaven. It's a serious question that caught his full attention... and he shares how he sought to answer it.
Ernie is from Garden Hill, MB an Island Lake community about 300 miles north of Winnipeg. Because of a sickness when he was a little boy, Ernie was unable to do some of the things that other kids could do. Early on he learned that education was very important, but alcohol was ruining his life. One day, he was confronted with a frightening question he couldn't answer... and he couldn't let it go.
Challenging days continue across Native North America and throughout the world. Many are facing difficult challenges... and with these challenges, difficult questions. So where do we turn? Where do we find hope in times like these? Soapy Dollar, Mescalero Apache and host of The Storyteller points us to where he has found it, and where we can too.
In this second part of Harriet's story, she shares the struggles of her early years. The family moved around to different reservations because of her father's work, but they only spoke English. No matter where she went, it seemed that she couldn't fit in. Eventually, she would leave home for another strange place. Listen as she tells the story of how she ended up in a boarding school... where she experienced the most significant moment in her life.
It's tough growing up when you feel like you don't fit in. For a little girl named Harriet, it was a lonely time. Listen as she reflects back on the early days of her life, and as she shares the most significant moment in her life... at a school away from home.
Abuse almost pushed Carroll over the edge. "I remember this one night, I said, This is enough of this, and so I loaded up the rifle when we went to the bush the next day, and I just hid behind a tree, and I see my dad coming, I cocked the old rifle, and had it on his head, and I was following him through the bush, and I just wanted to pull the trigger so bad. But I know to this day, I know now, that it was God that kept me from doing it. I would have blown him away, no question."
The loss of their son in a car accident was a heavy blow to Gilbert's family. Questions go unanswered and the pain is hard to bear. Is it possible to find hope and comfort in the midst of such tragedy and grief? Listen as Gilbert talks about these things from a tender heart - as only a parent can - when speaking of a child who has died.
Influenced by the love and concern expressed by Christian friends and church members for his family's welfare in a time of crisis, and Gilbert's wife's return to her studies of the Bible, Gilbert became more and more immersed in the truth of Scripture, and found it to be the source of the peace and life he craved.
Gilbert grew up in a dysfunctional, alcoholic home, and despite his intention not to be like his parents that way, found himself very much a drinker from his late teens until several years into his marriage. A bout of appendicitis brought him into a relationship with a family whose friendship and influence demonstrated God's love, and a serious illness of his son further showed him, through a concerned church, a real demonstration of God's love in action.
Tammy prayed to receive Christ as her Savior when she was fourteen, but without spiritual guidance, she just went on living life as she had learned in her surroundings. She got into trouble and was thinking of ending her life as her father had, in suicide. Turning back to the church, and a pastor who 'pursued her' with the Word of God, she finally found the help she needed to live as an overcomer.
Tammy's childhood was shaped by growing up with an alcoholic father... whom she grew to hate. When she was 12, he committed suicide. Even then, she could not bring herself to mourn for him, but felt only relief. His death bring healing though. Listen as Tammy shares openly about her journey from hatred to forgiveness... and how that could even be possible.
Allen was bound in chains and led away by six officers. He was going to see a federal judge. The judge told him, "Allen, I have the authority to send you away forever." And it was true. Allen had a criminal record that was extensive. But the judge did something unthinkable.
The law finally caught up with Allen and was able to keep him locked up in solitary confinement. He tried to use the powers that he had to be set free... but nothing worked. Allen decided to kill himself. Three times he tried to hang himself, but failed. He decided to go on a hunger strike. 13 days into his slow suicide, he heard something that would change his life forever.
Allen is on the run from the law. He was so violent that even his own people wanted him locked up. But it seemed that whenever the police would catch up with him, he would be able to find a way to escape. There came a day though when he couldn't run anymore... and so decided to end his life.
Allen was born and raised on the San Carlos Apache reservation in Arizona. In this first of four parts, Allen shares some history regarding his people, how he got his last name, and how he turned to violence in his youth.
While her husband was serving overseas in the military, Karen was invited to church one Sunday. She declined saying that she had her own religion. The invitations kept coming, and eventually she went. What she experienced there was not what she had expected. She found genuine faith, love and concern... and so much more.
Karen shares openly about the deep issues of life including her struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide. These are issues that many can relate to. Her story offers genuine hope to anyone who is willing to hear. Listen as she shares her journey from darkness to light.
Truman spent time in the military serving his country during WWII. Now he is serving his Creator. What happens when God gets a hold of man? Listen as Truman talks about the hope, purpose, and future that he found in Jesus Christ.
Truman saw much death and destruction as combat a medic during the war. It was his job to treat the wounded and help them get to safety. He recalls one Christmas when a lieutenant crawled up to his foxhole and told him about special services that were being held that day. Truman went at his own risk to celebrate with other soldiers the birth of Jesus. Years later, the Christ whom he remembered that day under fire would rescue Truman.
Truman's story... the seasoned voice of a Kiowa elder sharing wisdom through his story - wisdom gained by a journey marked by much hardship and difficulty. From his early years at boarding school to the battlefields of World War II, his life has not been easy. Yet, he is an overcomer. Join us for part one of Truman Anquoe's story.
Linda spent the early days of her life away from her family because of a medical condition. As she grew older, she discovered another condition in her life that needed attention. Living life her way only led to fear, abuse, and pain. But when she recognized her need for the Savior, she became a new person.
When his wife became ill, they called a preacher to come and pray for her healing. While he was with them, he turned to Kim and asked him to pray for Linda. It was a challenging moment for Kim. He was unable to talk with his Creator because he didn't have the relationship that he so desperately needed.
Just after a weekend of partying and I was looking to go to work, possibly on the next Monday morning, I was sitting there in the yard of my cousin's house. I was sitting there and I thought to myself, "There's got to be something better because I'm going to end up killing myself or something is going to happen or I'm going to lose my job or something like that."
With her kids taken away, her mom gone, and with no place to turn, Josephine found herself, lost, hopeless, and alone. She was standing at the junction looking to catch a ride but she didn't know which way to go. It was there in that desperate moment on the side of the road that she cried out to God. She said, "take this desire away to drink... and put a new desire in my heart"... and He did.
Josephine grew up in a home where her mother was careful about who her kids were around. But eventually Josephine found a way to be with her friends. She ended getting into trouble with alcohol in a way that would change her life forever. It's a path that many are familiar with. Listen to part one of her amazing story about how God saved her and set her free.
Robert was caught up in the gang life, so he was used to violence. But at some point he realized that there had to be to life than what he was living. One night he had a dream that would get his attention. He then began a quest that would change everything.
Robert was born on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin but - because of the Indian Relocation Act - spent his growing-up years in Chicago. It was there that he learned to drink and fight. He would discover though that it was an empty life. Join us for part one of Robert's story.
Victoria put her trust in Jesus at the age of eight and was raised in a loving Christian home. When she got to high school, though, she began to party with family and friends. She continued this life while in university until she finally saw how useless it all was and turned back to God. That's when she found that Jesus offers the greatest high one could ever experience: joy today and Heaven forever.
Chester found out that, just because Jesus saves us from our past and gives us hope for the future, life can still be hard. Difficult challenges and choices are part of the journey. For Chester, this included something he was never able to do before... forgive his father for years of abuse and neglect.
The hate that Chester had harbored for his father since childhood was driving him to drink, despair, and death. Through the intervention of an understanding judge and a Bible-quoting friend, Chester would have another opportunity to face his self-destructive behavior and pursue a new life.
Chester grew up in Eel Ground First Nation. His troubled childhood left him with deep hurt and a miserable existence. He tried to end his life. Thankfully, he wasn't successful. Listen to part one of his story which helps set the background for his inspiring journey of overcoming alcoholism and hate.
New Years Eve is a very special time in the Claus family. It was on that night many years ago that the family gathered together around the radio and heard something that would change their lives forever. Listen as Tom reflects on the significance of that day and what it means to him after all these years.
Like all of us, the Christmas story has a background and it begins with our Creator. Join us as Jason French starts at the beginning and helps us understand the significance of this day that was first celebrated by angels in the night sky near Bethlehem and now is celebrated by people from tribes and nations all around the world.
Sophronia's life from early childhood was marked by anger at being shipped off to boarding school. Then alcohol took over after her mother died. When she 'found Jesus', she told everyone how SHE had won over the battle over alcohol, but until she gave Jesus full credit, she discovered that she really wasn't free.
Paul is a full-blooded Aleut, born in Egegik in 1935. In part 2 of his story, he shares about one of his life's most difficult moments. He lost his precious daughter Jewell to cancer while she was a college student. We understand though that words cannot describe the pain of losing a child that you have loved and cared for. How does one cope with such a loss? Paul was able to because of the hope and peace he had found before she passed away.
Paul is a full-blooded Aleut, born in Egegik in 1935. Growing up, he lived in the village of Kanatik during the winter. But in the Springtime his family would walk over the mountain and cross the lake called Becharof to go back to Egegik in order to make ends meet. Like this journey, his early life was filled with difficult challenges... but he was an ambitious young man.
Janet continues her story... sharing about how she was strong-willed but came to realize that she couldn't do everything on her own. She took some formal training and got a job but didn't like the work. So, she ended up joining the Marines. Years later she found herself in a relationship and pregnant. Against her boyfriends' wishes she decided to keep her baby. That choice would ultimately change her life forever.
Janet grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. In her youth, she was an ambitious and self-reliant young girl who was not afraid to make tough choices. That may be because of growing up in a home with alcohol where she came face to face with fear, neglect, and abuse.
It was a News Years Eve Thomas would never forget. He tried to get drunk but he couldn't. He tried to get high but he couldn't. He became a spectator though to those who had. And he was ashamed about what happened in the clubhouse that night. It was there that he decided to turn to God.
Thomas grew up angry and bitter because of what life was like for him as a child. He ended up spending time in the Manitoba Youth Centre where he got into a lot of fights. Because he was a good fighter, they encouraged him to get into boxing... which gave his anger an outlet. Thomas eventually ended up joining a gang as an enforcer.
Our stories are important. They are an integral part of family and our culture. Eddie tells the story that his mom told him about a turtle and the lesson embedded in it. Then he shares another story... the most important story anyone will ever hear. Join us for this special Storyteller program.
Eddie grew up with a dad who drank. He always knew that his daddy loved him though he never heard the words. One day something happened in his daddy's life that would effect everyone in the family. Daddy was different... he was changed. He didn't drink anymore. Find out what made the difference in his life and how it impacted Eddie.
As a young person, Eddie was afraid of dying. He didn't know much about it. One day he went to Sunday School where his aunt was teaching and she talked to him about death and what happens after that. Have you ever wondered about death? You'll be interested to know what she told him.
Have you ever wondered if anyone really loved you? Have you ever felt abandoned? These were issues that Milt wrestled with in his youth because his father walked out on him. That left him with a wounded heart and a fertile place for anger to take root. Eventually, Milt's anger almost cost him his own family. But then a miracle happened that would change his life forever.
Sherry grew up in Alberta raised by Christian parents. She put her trust in Jesus as a teenager at her last week of camp. Soon after, she went to Bible school. But she made some bad choices that would ultimately lead her down a difficult path. It took a personal tragedy to get her attention and make her realize that she needed to come back to her Lord.
Larry recalls hard times... fearful times that would leave bitter memories of his youth. But he tells about how he was able to forgive - not in his own strength - but in the strength he found in God. Forgiveness is a powerful thing... something that God offers to each of us, no matter what we've done.
Larry grew up in the Eel Ground Reserve on the banks of the Miramichi River in New Brunswick. He became a Native Constable on the reserve and saw a lot of pain and heartache. But it wasn't something he observed from a distance... it became a part of his life also.
Mitch thought that he and God were on good terms. After all, Mitch was doing all the right things. But when he was confronted with the truth that all his good works were not going to help him on the day he stood before God, Mitch had a decision to make.
Mitch had a drug problem when he was young. He was drug to church by his parents. He was good at doing what he thought was expected when everyone was looking. But not all things are as they appear. In his heart Mitch became troubled over if he truly was right with God.
Larry shares about his bout with depression and suicidal thoughts. It was then that he realized that he needed to get serious about the relationship that he had with Jesus Christ. He knew that he had to stay close to Him in order to be able to walk in victory in this life. Listen as he shares his journey with us.
Larry was born in Winslow, Arizona and eventually made his way to Tuba City. He is half Hopi and half Navajo. He was raised mainly on the Navajo side with the Navajo traditions. But family was important on both sides. Listen as Larry shares how he was saved at an Indian camp in Prescott and the hope that he has found in Jesus.
There are things that money can't buy. Money can't buy love, peace, or real friends. But money was what Rick pursued. He worked hard and put his relationship with his Creator aside. It affected his family too. It all came apart though when Rick was injured. He slipped into depression. But it was at bottom that perspective came.
Rick grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. It was a good life for him. In his youth, he realized that there was something more to this life. He believed that there was a superior being and recognized the need to be right with God. And so in 1968 he made the most important decision of his life. That's were his relationship began with his Creator.
Velma shares the rest of her story... how she ended up in Bible school, adjusted to a new culture, and about what it was like to live with someone who drank. She offers hope to those who are struggling.
Velma is from Goodfish Lake, Alberta. It was a hard life, but it was good. She grew up in a log house and lived off the land. They had wild meat, a garden, cows, and chickens. "We all had to work to survive." Her mother kept things going at home and had a significant impact on Velma's life.
Growing up in the village can be difficult. There are many influences that can bring a person down. Many lives have been destroyed through alcohol, drugs, and painful experiences. That could have been George's story... but it isn't. Listen as he shares how he was able to rise above the darkness and become a messenger of the Light.
No one feels the pain more when a child dies than a loving parent. Wes knows this first hand. He never would have guessed that when his son walked out the door that day he would never come home again. That night he found out that his son had died in a fiery crash. How does one make it through something like this? Wes will tell you how he made it.
Wes had gotten sick. No one could figure out what was wrong... and it went on and on. Relatives began to wonder if Indian medicine was involved. More than his physical illness though, Wes had a spiritual sickness... and it's consequences were far greater than his poor health.
"I went up to the car and snatched the car door open and told him get out. Well when he got out, he came out with a 357 magnum. And when he pulled the gun the buddies I had left me and I'm standing there by myself. And he placed the gun on my forehead, and he cocked it, and he said I will blow your brains out. Me - I didn't care... I didn't care."
Don was born on the Tuscarora reservation in New York. His parents split up when he was young and for a time ended up living off the reservation when his mother remarried. As you'll hear, those were interesting days. But the most significant event of his life took place at camp.
A miracle happened the day that Gary met the Lord. Everything changed. Some might say that he chose the whiteman's religion. Gary says no. Jesus came for all people. The change that came into his life, and the life of his family - is pretty challenging evidence to ignore.
What the listener should know... Gary recorded this testimony shortly after he was told he only had weeks to live. Regardless of whether the doctor was right or not, Gary's faith in Jesus is unwavering. And when you hear how he came to that faith, you will understand why.
"Ten horse is not fast enough for going, 22 foot long wooden boat", Sam said as he recalled the moments after his side had been laid open by a shotgun blast. When your injury is life-threatening, things like that seem to matter more.
I born Cup'ik, real Eskimo. I didn't born in the spring but I born at grass. No, no spring brat. Sod house, and my blanket is all those grasses put together, and those are my mattress.
Have you ever been so close to death that only the hand of someone else could save you? That's what happened to Fred. In a drunken state, he stumbled off a boat and fell into the water. Had his friend not tried to grab hold of him one last time Fred's story would have ended there. It didn't - and because of God's mercy, things would never be the same.
Life at home was not what Charlotte wanted. The alcohol made it difficult for her to be there. So she ran away looking for something better. She hoped that in doing so the authorities would place her in a foster home. They didn't. So she eventually moved out. Did she find what she was looking for?
"He said to me, 'You're running away from something. I sense that you are married and you're running around with these ladies.' I didn't have the ability to tell him to quit talking to me because he was a good friend of mine. He handed me over a Bible and told me that Jesus could help me."
The medicine man told Lawrence that someone had witched him. They wanted him to leave his wife and family, and eventually kill himself. But even after dealing with this curse, things got worse for Lawrence. He needed something that the medicine man could not offer.
Lawrence was raised on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. He has seen a lot of changes over the years, from dirt roads to paved roads... from horse-drawn wagons to the automobile. He married a Christian gal and his boy believed too. God used his young son to speak into Lawrence's life... but he wouldn't listen.
When Richard finally decided not to worry about what others thought, he publicly went forward to accept Jesus as his Savior. His life changed. Drugs and alcohol were left behind and God restored his marriage. Richard is a musician who sings about his Faith in Jesus. You can hear his music on this program and visit his website: www.richardpaul.ca