23 Americans Stranded in Africa During a Coup | Michael Thaler | 046

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Two other guys said we've
already talked to these people,

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you're being without the same
guy that we have.

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I said I don't know, maybe
someones new or something or one

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new person or change a heart or
something.

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I don't know.
God wants our very best.

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It's 100%.
So 49 out of 50 is, you know,

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98%.
So we're 100%.

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So I'm always going to give God
my absolute best.

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Welcome to When you look, where
ordinary people share their

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extraordinary experiences and
you get to decide was it

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coincidence or God?
Michael, thank you so much for

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joining us on when you look.
We're delighted to have you

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here.
It's.

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Great to be here.
I'm looking forward to our time

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together.
Yeah, awesome.

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Well, before we get into the
story that you have to tell

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because all of our guests share
their stories here on When You

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Look, tell us a little bit about
yourself all.

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Right.
Well, as you know, I'm Michael

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and I'm married to Sharon and we
have four children.

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We have a 26 year old daughter,
Elisa, and she is from Latvia.

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And then we have a biological
son named Brennan and he's 25

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years old.
And then we have Sakina, who's

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22 years old and she's from
Niger, Africa.

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And then we have Zelika, who is
19 and she's also from Niger

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Africa.
They're from the same orphanage

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and, and so their birthdays are
coming up.

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And so they'll be, and by the
time this airs, they'll be 23

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and 20.
So we have no more teenagers in

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the house, which will be cool.
And I will be 60 years old in

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April in a couple months and a
month and and I will be a

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grandfather.
Brennan and my daughter-in-law

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introduced her Katrina.
So Brennan's married to Katrina

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and they are having a baby and
I'll be a grandfather in July,

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so.
Very exciting.

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Very, very exciting.
I spent 31 years in the wealth

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management business and just
sold that practice a couple

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years ago.
I, I opened a ministry, started

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a ministry 21 years ago called
Effective Ministries where our

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focus is on Niger Africa.
Hence to my daughters from there

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and have been doing that for 21
years and will continue to do

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that.
So my focus moving forward will

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be Niger, Africa as a as it has
been.

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And then my purpose plan, help
people understand the purpose

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and empower them to live it out.
And looking forward to lots of

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people living out their purpose,
understanding who, why they were

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made, who, who were they, who
they were made, were made to be

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and living that life.
So it's pretty cool and

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exciting.
So that's a little bit about me.

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Well, thanks for sharing.
We're glad to have you here.

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You were talking about Niger
Africa, the ministry there,

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effective ministries and your
story ends up taking place in

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Niger.
So give us a little back story

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and then walk us through the
whole thing.

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Sounds good.
So this is 2023, July of 2023,

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we have a summer team going to
Niger and we have 23 people on

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that team.
So it's a pretty large team and

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we're there for 10 days.
That includes travel for 10 days

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and having a great mission.
Everything on the schedule,

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doing everything we planned on
doing.

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And usually the last day we have
a debrief and do things.

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We have a guest house there
where we all stay.

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So the last day is pretty
simple.

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So great mission, did everything
we went to do, woke up that last

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morning and there was a coup the
night before, a coup that needed

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to happen for the good of Niger
and but not so much for the good

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of the team 'cause we couldn't
leave that day.

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Literally we're supposed to fly
out that night.

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So it was a peaceful coup and
the town, everything was

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peaceful.
Niger, you know, Naomi, Niger,

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we were staying in the capital
was peaceful, but we also needed

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to stay at the guest house.
So here we are not leaving that

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evening.
And what's next?

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So, and you have 23 people, a
pretty young team too, by the

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way.
I mean, we had teenagers, you

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know, there, you know, without
their parents.

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And it's the end of July, three
of them getting ready to go to

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college and, you know, three
weeks.

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So there's all kinds of like,
how long are we here for?

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ANYWAYS?
Nobody knew that answer.

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And so we just went one day at a
time and pretty cool.

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We woke up every morning and did
this exercise.

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We just wrote all these things
down to God.

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That might have been frustrating
because we weren't home.

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We were all having a phenomenal
time, but everybody wanted to be

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home.
And then we'd RIP that up and

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did some really cool stuff
together and went to the store.

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A couple guys went to the store
and bought M and Ms. and popcorn

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and we watched movies and had
Olympics.

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We got these gangs and had a
Taekwondo teacher come and we

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had a great, great seven days.
I mean, just a great time.

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So part of those in those seven
days where they're having a

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great time.
I am partially.

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I'm also out with our leaders on
the ground finding our, you

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know, way to leave because the
airport was closed, all the

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borders closed.
So how do you leave?

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And so that's a big is it right?
So anyways, each day we're

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looking for different possible
options and just, you know, a

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closed door and a closed door
and a closed door.

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You know, you get to day five,
you're thinking, OK, got some

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closed doors.
And, you know, every morning

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people wake up and we're having
a great time together.

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But after five days, yeah,
you're a little more ready to

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get home.
And, and so Day 7 comes and I'm

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with our leaders, Adem and
Eduard over there.

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And I said, let's just let's,
let's let's you know, go and,

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and to the embassy and the US
embassy there and try to see

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what's happening, see if they're
going to do a flight.

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The Italians had just done a
flight and the Swedens just did

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a flight.
So maybe the United States and,

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and the leaders have said, well,
we went to the airport earlier

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this morning because the French
are going to do a flight today,

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multiple flights by four
flights.

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And I said, well, why can't we
get on one of their flights?

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Because the United States, we're
definitely in slow mode.

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And which is fine because they
did, you know, there wasn't

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problems.
There wasn't.

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I mean, we felt there's no risk
for us.

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It wasn't like anything.
It was peaceful.

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And so, so we went to the
embassy and they're like, yeah,

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we don't know.
You know, we don't know anything

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right now.
Thinking I don't know is not a

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good answer to take back to 23
people after seven days.

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So I didn't like that it.
Was 10 + 7 wasn't it?

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Yeah, it was seven.
Yeah, yeah, we're day 17.

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Oh yeah, yeah, we're day 17 with
the expectation of Ted.

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So we are coming back from the
embassy and, and I said, why

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don't we go to the, to the, to
the airport and, and, you know,

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see if we can get on these
French flights.

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And, and Adam and Eduard, the
two leaders said we were already

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there just recently before we
came and picked you up to take

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you to the embassy.
We already went there and we

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spoke to everybody there and
it's, there's no openings.

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They're, they're booked up with
the French leaving.

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So we were driving and I said,
hey, stop the car.

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And they're like for what?
I said, just stop the car.

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I mean, you know, we're 5
minutes away from getting back

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to the, to the Linc outreach
Center, our guest house where

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we're staying.
And I, I don't want to walk in

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there.
Tell them, hey, day 7 and I have

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moved me here.
See what day 8 brings.

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I don't want to go do that.
They're doing some of the

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Taekwondo again.
And they're, I just, we're not

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going back.
We're to, I'm not going there.

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Let's, let's go back to the
airport.

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I said, no, we, no, we were just
at the airport.

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I said, let's go back to the
airport.

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Maybe different shifts,
different people.

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I don't know, Let's go back to
the airport.

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I want to go anywhere but go to
the guest house.

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So they said OK, so I went to
the airport and oh, there must

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have been, I don't know, 50 plus
French army people there.

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And, and that's how the flights
are being administered because

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the airport was closed and they
would, you know, check people

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in.
And I mean, they were, you know,

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armed.
I mean, it just it was for the

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French.
And so, you know, went and

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asked, you know, you know, hey,
can I talk to you?

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Can I help?
No, no, no, no, no.

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And we get to the last three.
So we're person number of

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roughly 4849 and 50.
I mean, it's like no, no, no,

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can't talk to you, can't help
you.

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No, no, no, no.
And got to the end and just just

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said, hey, can can you listen to
us?

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We're here, we're stuck.
We have 23 people and this one

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guy, you know, really dusty
there.

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So you can't really see his face
because he has, you know, one of

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those like COVID tight mask and
he has A and and he just started

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to show interest.
He pulls masks down and said, do

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you have kids with you?
I said, Oh yeah, we have half

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the team's kids.
He said, so you have kids here

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that are stuck here.
I said, yeah, and and the other

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two were like, see you later.
Like one right out of the 50.

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And I mean he just really, I
mean, really, really we just hot

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as heart, right, or maybe better
saying God got his heart for us.

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So he asked all these questions.
I told him and I did, you know,

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I did tell the folks when I
left.

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I said, just just know if I can
find anything any day, right?

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They knew this that I may call
you and you know, be ready and

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so.
And that was that was your team,

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your mission.
Team, but they knew you know,

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after seven days now they're
like OK, you'll probably if

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something out maybe it's an
airline ticket for tomorrow or

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something and anyway, so this
guy was like how many people I

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said 23 and you could see in his
eyes well 23 and he said please

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get him here.
I've got to get you guys on this

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flight.
So I need you guys to to get

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like go get them right now.
So I'm like whoa, I think you

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better yet he said I'm going to
try to get you on this flight.

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He did say try.
So we get back in the van, we're

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20 minutes away from getting
back to the guest house, and I

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said, guys, in 20 minutes, pack
your bags and be on the front

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porch 20 minutes.
And that was a phone call you

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made, it sounds.
Like it Yep.

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So they we get there, get on the
get in the vehicle.

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We have a, you know, bus, you
know, a couple of vehicles and

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and they get in there, we get to
the airport and he just, I mean,

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there are all these other people
waiting that are non French

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people.
The line, as long as you can be.

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And he says, get, get in here.
I was like, what's the people?

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They're waiting in line.
He said, no, I want you in the

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queue at the front.
So he puts 23 people.

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It's one thing if two or three
people get in there with 23

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people in the front of the
queue, everybody on the line is

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like, what's happening?
I'm like, what's happening?

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Yeah, So I'm like, there's
something crazy.

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So we're in the front of the
queue.

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He says, listen, I don't know if
we're going to read on this

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flight, but I've got you as
close as I can get you.

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So then they feed us, which is
even crazier.

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They gave us food because they
knew we'd just rush to get there

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and they feed us and, you know,
people need to go to the

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bathroom, take them, you know, a
couple at a time to go to the

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airport and we're waiting out
there for a couple hours.

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And then they he says, come on
through and we show our

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passports and we got on this
flight and the reason we could

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get on there was a cargo plane.
So the back half of it had seats

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and the front half of it was
just open.

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And they had these belts, these
ropes they tied from one side to

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the other.
And then some of us sat in the

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back, but all the adults sat in
the front.

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And we literally our seat was
sitting on the floor with our

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legs underneath a rope and we're
flying the Chad.

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00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:07,240
So we fly to Chad and stay over
there at their military base,

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the French military base in
Chad.

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And we stay there overnight.
And then we go to France the

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next day and to get our next,
our flight from France back

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home.
Well, when we were in, in Niger,

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00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,080
the, the US was contemplating
day 7 when we saw them.

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00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,280
They're contemplating a, a
flight, but they didn't know

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00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,000
when.
I mean, and they said it could

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00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,000
be a while.
They don't know even or, or if.

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00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,400
But we need you to fill out some
promissory notes.

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00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,480
So you'll be first in line.
You'll have these done.

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00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:43,040
So we fill out 23 promissory
notes for $2017.00 apiece.

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00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:48,280
And I'm thinking, man, come on.
Yeah, You know, you should just

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00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,680
take us out.
And I learned from a friend of

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00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:54,320
mine that the that the US was
the only country that did this.

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00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:01,760
So I'm thinking this is $46,000
that we don't have like we

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00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,280
don't, we don't have that,
right.

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00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,240
We've already, we've already
stayed seven extra days and we

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00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,600
have to feed the team and all
that.

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00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,000
I mean, they're not going to
pick.

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00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,040
I'm not going to ask them for
that.

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00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:14,040
So we're already $23,000 an
extra cost.

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00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:15,240
I don't know where that's going
to come from.

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00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,960
They put another 46 on top of
that would be crazy. 23 is

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00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,120
crazy.
So anyways, when we, you know,

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when I'm finding out with the
French, I'm like, so how do we

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00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:26,600
pay for like, how does this
work?

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00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:31,640
And they were like, no, I mean,
you don't pay for this.

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00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,880
Wow, we just take you out.
I'm thinking that's crazy.

253
00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,920
So anyways, when we get to
France, they have three people,

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00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,720
the 23 on a different flight.
I want that will not work.

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00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,880
I mean, well, not actually.
We had two different flights.

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00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,080
We had three people on a whole
nother flight.

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00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,000
Like the next day I was like,
no, no, no, I'm not walking into

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00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,480
23 families or the families
represented there and say your

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00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:54,720
kid come back tomorrow.
No, no.

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00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,600
What did they say?
Well, you know, we'll sell you

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00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,640
three tickets on this flight for
$3000 apiece.

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00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,640
I said that's robbery from
France along for $3000 one way.

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00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,680
I'll pay you another 10,000
worth $33,000.

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00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:07,440
I'm thinking this is nuts.
This is nut.

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00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,800
Anyways, so when we get back
home, we talked to the travel

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00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,640
agent.
She says, you know, because

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00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:19,840
because France took you that
first leg that that you have 23

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00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:24,320
tickets that were unused to get
from Niger to France and our

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00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:32,720
refund with basically $33,000.
Oh, that's so good.

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00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,120
God covered, God covered went
away, went away from the cover,

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00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,720
though the cost of all even to
get us out.

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00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,560
And you know, when we were
sitting on the side of the road,

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00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,680
I just, I, I told the two guys,
let's go back and they said,

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00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,040
well, we've already been there
for I said, God's got it.

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00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,800
We just got to do our best and
our best is to go back again.

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00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,720
So let's just go back again.
We got to give him that chance

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00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,720
and he'll take care of it.
He's got it.

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00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,280
So pretty cool.
That's the story.

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00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,560
Wow.
Oh, Michael, so much there.

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00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:16,080
Thank you for sharing that.
Just take us back to to the

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00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,840
you're, you're running down this
row of people.

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00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,960
You're thinking there's 50 or so
military people there.

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00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:30,520
Everybody keeps saying no.
How come after we'll say 3

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00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:35,480
strikes you didn't give up?
How come after 23 strikes you

285
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:40,200
didn't give up as you get to
4849 and 50 and one of those

286
00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,400
three says yes?
It's even worse than that in

287
00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,280
some ways cause the two other
guys said we've already talked

288
00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,480
to these people.
You're being without the same

289
00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:52,040
cop that we have.
I said I don't know, maybe

290
00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,400
someone's new or something, you
know, one new person or change

291
00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,000
of heart or something.
I don't know.

292
00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,840
Yeah, I, I, you know, I said
earlier, God wants our very

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00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:02,560
best.
That's 100%.

294
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:07,520
So 49 out of 50 is, you know,
98%.

295
00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,880
So we're 100%.
So I'm always going to give God

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00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:15,600
my absolute best.
And I'm never going to doubt

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00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,560
what he can do.
Never going to doubt because

298
00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,720
with his perspective, it would
be like, why would you stop

299
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,520
after three or five or 10?
There's 50 here and I've given

300
00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,560
you 50 to talk to.
So I just try to take his

301
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,440
perspective and, and, and I'll,
I'll just not want to give up.

302
00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,440
I just, I know, I know if you
stay in the game long enough,

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00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:43,040
you see things that most people
never get the chance to see.

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00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,480
And I remember this one person
tell me this orphanage, he said

305
00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,080
we prayed for 12.
I prayed for 12 years for my

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00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,920
kids to, to be able to go to a
Christian private school.

307
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:57,840
And and then we started this,
this thing in Niger, Africa

308
00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:02,320
called Lyft 10/24 where we help
partner ministries become more

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00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,000
successful.
And that was our second partner

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00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,480
ministry.
And we said, what do you need?

311
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,000
He said, you need my kids to go
to school.

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00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,440
And I remember on my phone, 22
of the kids that could go to

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00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,760
school, I got 22 stamped paid
that we scholarship.

314
00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,680
And my point to that is he paid
from 1999 to 2011.

315
00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,040
He paid for 12 years.
He stayed in the game and he saw

316
00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:23,359
something most people would
miss.

317
00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,079
So it's the same thing here.
I'm going to stay in the game

318
00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:28,840
until I talk to all 50.
Quite frankly, as there was a

319
00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,200
son that didn't say no strong
enough, I'd go back to them.

320
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,880
But I'm going to stay in the
game until the very, very end

321
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:36,920
because then you'll see things
that most people miss because

322
00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:38,480
they don't stay in the game.
They leave too early.

323
00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,640
Yeah, praise God, what a great
story.

324
00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:49,440
Well, we ask all guests the same
questions at the end, so let's

325
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,960
let's land this one, if you
will, with those two questions.

326
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,240
So was this coincidence or God,
Michael?

327
00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:00,960
Completely God?
Nope.

328
00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,880
Yeah, it's one or the other, and
it's always God.

329
00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,520
There are no coincidences.
It's all God's plan.

330
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,520
He created this world, He
created us.

331
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,240
It's his plan.
So there isn't a coincidence.

332
00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,120
Ever.
Very nice.

333
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,280
And then tell us about the
impact that this has had on you

334
00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,520
or how is this perhaps changed
life for you in any way?

335
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,280
Yeah.
Just always expect God to do

336
00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,760
crazy things and impossible
things.

337
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,880
And so He yet did again.
He does over and over and over.

338
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,120
So I think for me it just took
me deeper into the impossible,

339
00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:45,440
deeper into the unknown.
I used to always say I was

340
00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:50,560
comfortable in the unknown and
then I loved being the unknown.

341
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,880
I think because of all these
stories, this one being one of

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00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:59,840
them, I thrive in the unknown.
And so that's what's happened in

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00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,600
my life because of this and many
other stories, is that the

344
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,560
unknown is just a really, you
have no idea what's going to

345
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,280
happen.
I mean, this couldn't be more

346
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:15,240
unknown and, and I just know
he's going to take care of it.

347
00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:20,480
He's got to do my best, right?
So, so for me, it's just helped

348
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,720
me to go from loving being the
unknown to thrive in being that

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00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,640
unknown.
Just know he wants us there.

350
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:33,800
And so that's how it's
continually impacted and changed

351
00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:41,280
my life that I get to hang out
with a really crazy God for the

352
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:45,080
good If you give him a chance to
be crazy, but that takes you to

353
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,720
be crazy because he works and
and through people's yeses.

354
00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,760
So I mean, I got to do my part
being yeah, so.

355
00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,080
Thanks for sharing that whole
story.

356
00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,440
I think it'll be a blessing to
many that hear it.

357
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,520
Pleasure having you on.
Thanks a bunch.

358
00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,320
Look forward to catching up at
another time soon for one of the

359
00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:09,320
many stories that you've.
Referenced as well, so thanks

360
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:10,520
again for coming on when you
look.

361
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:12,600
Glad to have you.
Great being here.

362
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:13,560
Thanks.
Thanks for having me.

363
00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,920
Was it coincidence or God?
You decide for yourself, but I

364
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,720
believe you just heard a story
for His glory.

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00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,760
When You Look is powered by
stories just like this, and

366
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,240
yours could be next.
Go to whenyoulook.com/be a guest

367
00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,720
or use the link in the
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368
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,560
Drop us a comment and share this
episode with somebody that needs

369
00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,520
it.
Until next time, thanks a bunch

370
00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,320
for listening and watching, and
God bless.