Finding Freedom in Prison

Rosenbach recall is the driveway I saw a glimpse of what they were doing.

They were celebrating that the court of big drug Lord we were taking pictures for my wife was obviously distraught and they took the father of my kids and also my husband and family like today where we might help to pursue the relationships that matter most and Dave Wilson and you can find us in family life to the.com or on her family life and family life today, so today on family life today would guess or a special program going.

We have a special treat because Ken Anthony is in the studio with us today and Kim has a podcast called unfavorable odds and your whole life is overcoming so Kim working families today think you're great to be here with you both. You do a lot of our listeners. No one alive don't know your podcast is about what it's about people who have overcome unfavorable odds and have seen Jesus redeem all that they've been through and I will say this, if you haven't listened.

You need to start listening because you know when you go to church in its baptism day and people share their story writers and go to church and it's bad no right to day and you and every one of these podcast you'll be uplifted and reminded how good and help me God is absolute delight today so you were order play an episode that you had a very interesting interview with a man who's now a pastor, it's Almon Mendoza and he was a young married man 21 years old. He was struggling to make ends meet for him and his wife and he decided to go work for his brothers who happened to be drug dealers, and he rationalized it because he he was only counting money, so he was counting like $1 million a day for his family members and then eventually he got sucked and then he started selling drugs and became one of the biggest drug lords in New York City at the time, but he got arrested, so he went to jail for his crime. But when he got out he decided to set his life straight, which he did, but sometimes all demons will come back to haunt you in one you'll actually got a job doing legal activity. I was a salesperson as sorbet selling sorbet ice cream and I was really good.

Yeah, I was making money just for my family, home, apartment. I was no good, but get 9-to-5 right and just when I went over to hug his drink and I run into this guy. I get trapped in the sin again in a get caught right back into the same behaviors as I was working on 9-to-5 job as a sort sorbet sales representative and so I'm back in the enterprise. The business again selling hundreds of kilos of cocaine. My second oldest brother gets arrested in Miami and they extradite him to New York because the case was out of New York when the New York we bill them all on a half-million dollars.

So please build out this is what you up to and explain a set of working again with the cartel. He said okay I have a friend of mine that owns a trucking company used to do a lot of my distribution in the old he owned those 16 wheeler tractor-trailers had to seek a compartmented word you know we house the drugs there to conceal it from the policeman is that we can we can work with this guy as he trust to get to me up to working with them for many years so we saw working with him and we give him 11 kg before 09 of the 2 kg was a total about the 14 kg towards the end of the last key physical care that we have. We gave him so, workers he owes money and kept on slowing us all bring inextricable electric so we finally bought a portion of that money was still short about about $80,000 a lot of money. Yeah, that figure something doesn't sound right hip. We thought we was just shut up no scholars for another week. You know the case.

Maybe this is the person you first refer to in your book. As John yes yes this is now a new we find out one day that money was in sequence shown above all numbered in a way that seem obvious to us that this money came from the drug enforcement agency and my brother and I got a problem. Turns out that he was working with the DEA drug enforcement agency and from that day on I was having people driving around. I was just drinking alcohol try to just figure things out to find a way out to make some more money millions of dollars in free the country often happened that way when they were driving and we get arrested and by the DEA agents. I try conceal a little black book that had all my contacts and sequences try conceal the black book that all my contact they arrested us to equipment took him to NBC broken and I was there for about three weeks and got buildup on the half minute dollars was that just money that you had floating around from what you made action with the feds. It doesn't work that way they they have to investigate where the money came from. So I put up a house that I that I own, but it was under. It was under my name and then I put up another house that was owned by my oldest brother and I was released. The referencing reduce drink and party and I was, I want to forget, but also if I was anywhere and I was drinking heavily every every morning and I remember one day going to my attorney to have a discussion with him about my case until Melissa is to listen Mr. Mendoza you're facing 25 years because this is your second case you were convicted already on 32 kg of cocaine and he says are you not in Outlook is not looking good and elastic escapement.

Yeah, and I was like man so I decided to jump bail by exposing the court the following week and letting go.

So I jump bail so I was now on on the run and I had around six months on the run. Where did you go I was staying at different girlfriends homes friends that that have properties that have apartments around the city.

Sometimes I will go to casinos electric city and stay there and just gamble in district just drink all day turn numb the pain and try to figure things out.

And by this time, did you have three children yet but it's my three children okay yes and two of them went with your wife yes and who was the other one with Dylan nosing around the world due to increased overhead mistress and she became pregnant and we had the child which was a blessing to have a child was not a blessing for me to commit a culture but happened to happen this way so had three kids and then you're looking at the possibility of 25 years in jail you would miss out on their childhood executor exactly remember one night of partying and drinking a drinking binge and I decide to go home to see my kids. I was in a club VIP.

It was drinking, drinking crystal don't look again numb the pain. So I took my driver to take me to my home and live in a gated community, and he drove me this is sure you want to go to your house or suggest was my kids as I enter into my property and I went home I laid down early in the morning. My wife receives a phone call to the cops to look we have your house surrounded your husband to open the door if he has any counsel tossed out the window. The very first reaction was, I'm going to escape side open the back window and I tried to jump out cops is right there single freezing of the get go back in the house and the lifeless and open the door. My life is so and she opens the door and I remember was horrific scene because my sister-in-law was there staying over my house. My kids were asleep Scum guns drawn and a wife just develops his anger towards the cops is the strength of this writing would become offices to put the guns down to give himself and we have no guns in the house and and so I said I'm here to raise my hands in the handcuff me. It was searching the house for for any guns, and so is the home into adjacent quality of the marshals was the marshals DEA agents state police and local police rose in back of the car, handcuff as a driveway and what has been later, but I saw a glimpse of what they were doing. They were celebrating that the court, a big drug Lord we were taking pictures. My wife was obviously distraught scene they took the father of my kids and also my husband now rightly so, but at the time you know she wanted. Think about that she wanted to help her husband but so were listening to a clip of unfavorable of a man whose life just seems to be headed nowhere while this sounds hopeless, like others and I went back after this fine yeah and it was hopeless she had children, it was possible that he would never see those children outside of those bars again and being his wife to wanting your husband yanking away and watching them celebrate the fact that they have caught him. Yeah me and again, you know, if you don't know the rest of story or thicken the door just close it's done. It's over. Second offense is not given out again. He has shipwrecked his life.

What could possibly turn anything good out of the situation and and just like God. He provides opportunity in the least likely of places. Take me back to when you were driving in the back of that car after they had arrested you in your home, so I'm back of the car and lived again in the wooded area so was looking towards my left and towards my right and is just pine trees sober a lonely road leading out to the meet the major highway and I told the marshals I want to open the back door someone in my life so my life is not worth anything right now and he said look you never know what could happen. Give me a glimpse of hope, which aside your situation.

Yeah yeah because I knew what I was confronting, but it was just so we are, so I tried to gain my composure again as I knew it was going to prison and I want to look weak but I was you obviously hurt when I say hurt me. I was in the place of no escape. I knew that my pending situation was so back a doomsday for me and I would never see my wife again and my kids and never get to see daylight.

Once again the sense that it was never going to be freed on society and top my later years that we need the reality set in. So they took me to up our local jail and I remember that my kids came over to see me and my wife and my son and daughter wanted to embrace me and touch me in and there was a separation was a glass partition between us with the handset with the phone's investment was communicating with her. And so my son Michael was that time to let you free to be a good person negatively back and he cites One Touch as well play with you.

Can you come around that the loan let them know that my coming back to prison ever, and rightly so. Maybe some of the back to New York on the way to think of a 72 this unit. Call five S. Little did I know that my brother was in five N. now my brother given his life to the Lord, and this was his prayer father send my brother to the same facility same dormitory so I can share the gospel with him because if not, they are going to kill him on society not want to give your viewers an idea of the federal system they never allow two brothers to be in the same case to be housed in the same unit that just doesn't happen what God would have been no other way will be no other recourse.

I suggested to five self someone heard at my lasting Mendoza guy wakes me up in me says you're very quietly because in the in the prison culture.

You'll wake up a prisoner from his sleep because that's his way of escape out of reality so you can attach me lightly and says Mendoza Mendoza and I get up.

He says several want to see you next door and is your brother on the product so I walked up to five self to the recreational because they like to go to the recreational area and and my brother sees me and extends his hands up in the end, he says, praise the Lord. Praise God, and I look at him and I say praise the Lord. Praise gossip man willing jail. What you talking about and he saw certainty was one the guns that ceased sharing the gospel.

Little by little, and he invited me to this church service, which I found interesting and I sent her back and I heard a preacher and he was a says you know who you are, God is calling to have a relationship with you. He loves you. He wants to give you that peace that surpasses all understanding I knew was for me. I approach the altar makeshift altar. They had and I I just I fell to the ground about down on my knees and cried out to God is that this is me. I'm the sinner you talk about in the very next thing that I felt in my heart was a strong conviction of the things that have done in the past and I wanted to make amends and make it right and I thought about my wife argosy I thought about my kids. I thought about my mom and dad. I thought about the people that I hurt by spewing drugs without seeing them because again I was in a different level to basic. I was distributing the cooking and giving it over to other organizations where they then themselves will distribute it all into different tree corners or stash houses so I wasn't physically seeing what was happening but God was showing me the lives I was destroying right and later on in my studies. It is so that the story of Joseph that God takes Joseph instrumental in my case I was guilty I was. God takes what the enemy meant for evil God to rough good and I was understanding. I want to know more about God.

So I grabbed the handset of uniform, cutting my mother's and mom.

Forgive me for things that have done to us. I'm born again. I'm a Christian as a shield to stand his new conversion and all she was letting skeptical and she was like yeah Christian but she was I'm happy for you and then I want Scott or my wife and I can get through to her. So then I was pray for my wife and fasting one day for three days for salvation with another inmate fellow inmate. She came over to the visiting area and I close my attorney and no and I see her sitting across the room and I sat next to her and she said look I got bad news to tell you is to hold I got good news to share with give me a few minutes and I start to share my heart with her. I confess my sins and we really start to speak to one of in the Holy Spirit was tugging on her heart and she said look I want what you have. I want that Jesus is that you're professing in your speaking about your more free in prison and myself that I'm out of society and she said I want Jesus. She said to me the reason why I came here was to let you know that I wanted to force want to end this relationship now that you hearing your story and Jesus into my heart. No knowing that is a better life in Christ. I could be fulfilled through the word of God.

This is what I will. We're listening to Kim Anthony's podcast called unfavorable senator was here this drama dear, I never dreamed it would turn like that. I tell you it's the power of prayer, think about how his brother. Pray for his salvation. And then he prayed for his wife salvation and lives were changed and he's making an incredible impact today.

Yeah, I mean even his wife's line. You are more free and reason that I am as a free woman is the truth of the gospel. Nine not of Jesus saying I have come to set the prisoner free. Yes, literally and figuratively.

And isn't that what we all want. We want freedom and I left that his wife said that you are more free than I am and I'm not in prison. Dad in a minute or so may lines in your interview, but even the police officer saying you never know what might happen is almost like God's, and I'm here. I've got a plan. It looks like you failed it and I can never use you, and yet God is up to some am thinking of a marriage right now that's at the end and there listening thinking were done. There's no hope. You never know what God may do and Jesus can turn around anything you said that's a great story and you can hear more of the story. If you want to hear the whole person had anything while you can get the link@familylifetoa.com. We heard an edited version and there's more that we miss so I would say click on the link God wants use the story in your life and I think he wants you to share it with other hands.

This is a story that changes lives and can answer what you're doing podcast is amazing stories and interviews that you have really pushed us to remember that God is faithful is thinking and you been listening to Damien Wilson with Kim Anthony on family life to listening to clips from episode 31 of unfavorable odds. You can hear the full episode with Herman Mendoza when you search for unfavorable odds wherever you get your podcasts or you can get to Lincoln today show notes@familylifetoa.com. We've also got copies of Herman Mendoza's book shifting shadows in the website is family life to a.com or you can call to get a copy of his book at 800-358-6329. That's 800 F is in family L as in life, and then the word today. If you have a teenager. We know we know this season is hard your teen is trying to discover their independence and you don't know what to expect. As you begin to cut the apron strings well take a weekend away with your teen and help prepare them for adulthood.

In fact, we can help you talk about how to make their faith, their own uncover their calling and take responsibility. You can start talking with family life's passport to identity and use the code passport to get 25% off for a limited time@familylifetoa.com and family life. We believe God does some of his most amazing work in homes just like yours whether that's through small group Bible study or laughing on the floor with your kids were sharing a meal with neighbors. The home can be the launching pad for God's work in this world and for me that gives me a lot of hope. God is at work and is not dependent on some political figure, or the biggest influence or he's using families just like yours to make a difference one home at a time and that's why we do radio broadcasts and podcasts and weekend to remember marriage getaways and small group Bible studies to help strengthen families to make an impact in their corner of the world and you can help make an impact for even more families by financially partnering with family life.

You can give right now in family life to date.com or when you call with your donation at 800-358-6329. That's 800 F is in family L as in life, and then the word today, not tomorrow. Damien Wilson will be talking with Jan Oshman about the natural struggles we experience as we live in a culture that is very much the era of self. That's tomorrow on behalf of Damien Wilson. I'm Shelby Abbott's you back next time for another edition of family life, family life of family life accrued ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most