[MUSIC]

Welcome to the 700 Club

Canada. I'm Brian Warren.

And I'm Laura-Lynn Tyler

Thompson. Thanks for joining

us today.

Have you ever felt like

you're stuck in the past?

Maybe you keep repeating

the same mistakes over and

over again or reliving a

decision that you regret.

On today's show, we have

an incredible story of people

who broke free from their

past and found freedom.

How did they do it? Stay

tuned to find out.

And later in the show, a

special interview with Sonia

McLeod from Rise Up My Beloved

Ministries. And she shares

her powerful story.

But first, at a young age

Neal's own father taught him

how to be a professional

thief.

His criminal lifestyle led

to a lifetime of problems

until he hit rock bottom.

But his story doesn't end

there.

Take a look.

[MUSIC]

I was told how much I had.

If you're going to steal, let

me teach you how to steal,

because, kid, I'm either going

to show you diamonds or I'm

going to show you bars.

Neal Rozema remembers the

time he got caught stealing

when he was eight. It was the

same day his dad, a

professional thief, finally

gave him some attention.

Like on the way found an

avenue. This makes him happy.

This hashis has us

connected, and that was the

the first time that I really

ever felt like my father loved

me.

Over the next decade, he

followed his dad's lead

learning the ins and outs of

being a thief. While it gave

him time with his father, it

came at a price.

I always knew from the

beginning that it was wrong,

and I was never happy deep

down inside with the person

that I became. I just wanted

my father to love me. That's

all. That's all I've ever

wanted

my father to love me.

Neal started using pot,

cocaine, and other drugs, but

nothing killed the pain. Then

a friend introduced him to

heroin.

As soon as I got up after

inhaling this drug, I looked

at him and I said, "I don't

know what that was, but I have

a new habit." I immediately

felt peace. I felt calm. I

felt like I didn't care. I

never wanted to quit this.

Never.

For the next seven years,

Neal supported his addiction

by working in bars and stealing

which landed him in jail on

several occasions. During that

time, he suffered a devastating

loss when his father passed

away. But then he started

dating Carrie who was a

Christian.

We spent a lot of time

together and just getting to

know each other, and I fell

in love with him. There's

no question.

The fact that someone this

wonderful would even want

to spend time with a guy like

me, thathat brought me

hope. There's a better way to

live, and there's someone on

this earth that might love me.

As much as Neal cared for

Carrie, he couldn't let go of

his addiction and kept it

hidden from her.

I wanted to change, even if

it was just for her. But I

couldn't overcome it.

Eventually the two got

engaged. But just weeks

later, Neal was arrested for

stealing a wallet from a gym

locker and was put in jail.

I was devastated to know

that when she finds the truth,

she's going to leave. And the

one person that loved me, that

I knew loved me, I was going

to lose, and it was because of

me.

[MUSIC]

With no one to turn to, Neal

called Carrie to post bond.

By now, she had talked to a

friend of Neal's who had told

her everything.

My heart just got ripped out,

didn't want

to see him anymore, and I

ended the relationship.

When I put that phone down,

was in a daze because for

the very first time in my life

I felt absolutely and

completely alone. Even if I

had the money to bond out

that day, I had nowhere to go.

Absolutely nowhere to go.

Neal returned to his cell.

And for the first time in my

life and I've never done this,

I looked up. I said, "God,

I'm all alone. I've hit rock

bottom. I have nothing left.

I have nothing. I can't give

any more. I'm tired of this.

If you'll help me, if you'll

protect me, help me get

through this, I'll follow you

for the rest of my life, no

matter what." I collapsed

and I fell on the floor and I

couldn't move, and I could

feel something hovering over

me, and I could feel the warmth

of something going through me.

And it felt like there were

things inside being moved

around, things being taken out,

things being put back in. And

then all of a sudden it went

completely quiet. And it took

everything I had just to climb

up in my bunk and pass out.

When I woke up the next

morning after that, the desire

for heroin was completely gone.

All the he terrible things

that were inside of me weren't

there anymore. For the first

time in my life without

chemicals, I felt peace. I

felt love.

Neal began praying, reading

his Bible, and repenting for

his actions. And a week later,

he was called to the visitor

room. There waiting for him

was Carrie.

I just told him everything

that was on my heart. I felt

like God had said that, you

know, that He wanted me to

stay with him and to pray with

nd to fight for him.

And if he was willing to do the

right thing that I would do

that with him.

God didn't have to do that.

And the fact that He went

above and beyond and brought

the person that I loved the

most in this whole entire world

back to me, that sealed it for

me.

Neal was sentenced to four

and a half years. He and

Carrie used that time to grow

in their relationship with each

other and with God. And

immediately after his release

in 2007, they married. Today,

Neal is an operations manager

for one of the largest

landscaping companies in

Illinois. But he says his most

important roles are as a

husband and father to their

four children.

Jesus never gives up on us.

I don't care what you've done.

I don't care what your

addiction is. I don't care

what you're struggling with.

Give it up. Don't wait. He

loves you unconditionally.

[MUSIC]

You know, if you heard

nothing else but those final

words that he was speaking,

that God loves us no matter

what we've done, no matter

what the addiction, no matter

what pain we've been through

in the past, God loves you

unconditionally. And maybe

you really need to know that

in your heart. We have

something we'd love to get

into your hands. It's called

A New Day. It's time to

start a brand-new fresh

season in your life. Give us

a call at 1-855-759-0700.

This won't cost you anything.

We will send it out to you.

It'll give you some resources

and some tools to help you

to begin your new journey.

Because God does love you.

He does see you. He does

know you, and He completely

forgives you. You are

accepted today. Well, coming

up, losing a father would be

bad enough for any young

girl. But imagine witnessing

his murder.

[MUSIC]

We receive letters and emails

from viewers who say their day

just isn't the same if they

don't watch the 700 Club

Canada. That's why I'm so

excited to tell you that you'll

never have to miss another

show. Just log onto our user-

friendly web page at

700Club.ca. There you'll find

links to the show and many

other resources for spiritual

growth. The 700 Club Canada

is here for you five days a

week with stories of hope and

encouragement along with

practical information to make

your life better.

[MUSIC]

To passersby, this is just an

abandoned truck stop in Waco,

Texas. But for Samantha

Sanchez, it's a reminder of one

of the lowest points of her

life. When she was homeless

and looking for her next high,

this is where she could take an

occasional shower and connect

with her drug dealer.

Back then I had nothing. No

work. No self-respect. No

dignity. I had no value. I

had nothing. I hated life. I

hated it.

Samantha remembers the

day she first began to feel

that way. She was only six

years old when she witnessed

her mother's boyfriend shoot

and kill her father.

It was horrific. I just

remember going through the

kitchen window and all the

cops being there and my

father being covered in a

white sheet, the color of

the blood. I think the family

died when he died. I think

our childhood died with him.

My mother died with him

because she then turned to

alcohol and drugs herself, and

her life spiraled out of

control.

Eventually, child protective

services stepped in and

Samantha bounced from one

foster home to another.

When you go into a foster

home, they have their own

family going on. And I found

myself constantly trying to fit

in and be that child that they

already had. And you just

can't. I struggled with

identity and self-esteem. I

didn't feel like I belonged to

nyone.

Once out on her own,

Samantha continued to

struggle. At age twenty-four,

she became addicted to pain

killers while being treated for

a kidney infection. When the

prescriptions ran out, she

turned to the streets for her

next fix and was introduced to

heroin.

The heroin would make me

feel like superwoman, supermom,

and I could function and do

everything that I needed to do

without feeling. So I would

shoot, smoke, snort, swallow

anything I could get my hands

on just to medicate all my

feelings so I didn't have to

deal with reality.

Samantha's life became

consumed by her addiction.

She sometimes lived on the

streets and gave birth to

three children. To support

her habit and her children,

she resorted to forging checks.

After nine years of drug abuse,

she had lost the will to live.

I didn't want to wake up. I

was tired of my kids taking

care of me every single day.

They were coming home and

cooking the meals, washing

the laundry, and all I could do

was lay in bed and cry, I was

so depressed. If I wasn't high

I was crying.

Samantha left a rope in her

garage and sent her kids away

overnight. The next morning

after writing a suicide note,

she went out to the garage

but the rope was gone.

I was disappointed cause I

had plans. I had plans to--to

die that day. I wasn't going

to exist no more. I just fell

on my knees and I cried out to

God. Then I told Him if He

really loved me or He really

existed, He would have to save

me.

Five days later, police

arrested Samantha for forgery.

Expecting to experience

withdrawals from the drugs,

she curled up in a corner of

her cell. While she waited,

she asked the guard for a

book.

And the guard ends up

bringing me a Bible. And

when I got the Bible, I was

really disappointed because

I thought really? A Bible?

Thumbing through the pages,

I read that Jesus Christ would

strengthen me, and I knew that

I needed strength. Right then

and there, I wanted to know

this Jesus so I kept reading.

I remember laying down on my

mat, putting the Bible down

next to me and I fell asleep.

Woke up probably about two

or three in the morning, and I

literally pinched myself

thinking why am I not sick?

I never experienced a

withdrawal during this time.

I literally experienced a

miracle.

Instantly set free of her

drug addiction, Samantha

continued to read her Bible

and came to know the one

who had delivered her.

I asked Jesus to forgive me

for all my sins, and I needed

Him. I needed someone

greater than myself. So now

I'm in prison and I have met

I have met Jesus Christ. I

can't see Him but I know He's

there. I was more free than

I had ever been in my entire

life.

After giving her life to

Christ, Samantha completed

her two-year sentence, reunited

with her children, and met and

married her husband, Gilbert.

Today Gilbert joins Samantha

back on the streets of Waco,

but this time sharing the

message of hope through the

discipleship program they

founded, You Matter Ministries.

From the lives of those that

are Samanthas, that are out

there bound to addictions, we

are offering them hope. We

are introducing them to Jesus,

to a Savior and a deliverer

that is alive today.

Samantha says she no

longer feels alone.

It's His love that gives us

identity. It's His love that

calls us His children.

In Christ, she found

everything she had been

missing and more.

All my life I would see

daughters and Moms and Dads

with each other, and then I

would literally make up stories

about my pretend family. But

I don't have to do that no

more because I do have a

Daddy and it's God. God is my

Daddy. There's no limitations.

I'm proof. There's no

limitations when it comes to

God and total surrender.

[MUSIC]

You know, when you listen

to Samantha and you realize

that the search that each and

every one of us have is the

search to find out who we are

and to find out whose we are.

Her search for her father

really led her down a lot of

different paths and drugs,

addiction, abuse. But the

beautiful good news is this.

The same road that you go

on to avoid God is the same

road that He has His arms

open wide to receive you.

You just have to make the

choice. Today I wonder even

watching that testimony you're

making that choice as well.

Because Isaiah gives a great

promise. And it says this in

Isaiah 44:3. "For I will pour

water on him that is thirsty

and floods on the dry ground.

And I will pour my Spirit on

your descendants." Thirsty

people get filled. Desperate

people get healed. If today

you are saying, "God, I want

you more than anything else,

guaranteed you're going to

find Him. That's how the

miracle of mercy takes place.

You have to desire it. You

know, there are prayer

partners standing by and

they want to help you. Why

don't you call the number on

the screen. 1-855-759-0700

if Samantha's story and

testimony impacts you. And

would you help us continue

to spread this message across

Canada and become a 700 Club

Canada partner for just twenty

dollars a month? And as our

thank you, we'd love to get

this into your hands. It's

called Miracles. This DVD

includes real-life miracle

stories of healing from cancer,

depression, and near-fatal

accidents, and it's yours if

you call now and become a

monthly partner.

1-855-759-0700. Prayer

partners are standing by.

Well, the power of God is not

stopping in this nation. It's

actually increasing, and I

believe God has something

very special that He wants to

do in your life today. Why

don't you just take the moment

and just say, "God, whatever

you're doing," pray this with

me, "in this season, don't do

it without me." In Jesus'

name. Amen. Well, author,

Sonia McLeod shares her

amazing story of recovery after

the break. You don't want to

miss it.

[MUSIC]

Jesus said it. "I came to

give you life, life to the

fullest, life in your family,

life in your finances, life

in your body, mind, and

spirit, life in your everyday."

[MUSIC]

We're here to help you

discover life.

[MUSIC]

Well, what a treat we have

for you today. Her name is

Sonia McLeod, and she is an

ordained minister actually.

And you say that you love to

speak and you love to share

your story, and you love mostly

to tell people about the

incredible work that God has

redeemed your life from the

t's really

truly amazing what God does,

isn't it, Sonia?

Yes, for sure.

Yeah.

Yes, and He's been good.

He has been good. And

you're about to celebrate

a seven-year anniversary to

your wonderful husband,

00:18:27;28

Yes.

Derek McLeod. And life

looks amazing at this point,

doesn't it?

Yes.

Are-are you celebrating the

victories that you've been

going through?

You know, this morning I got

up and thinking about this

day and everything He's done

said, "Lord,

you did this. You've done so

much." And there was just

a joy that sprung into my

e's done

so much. And you did this,

Lord. You did this. And

And when you say those

words, those are not just

cheap insignificant words.

Those are powerful words

because your story was written

in Rise Up My Beloved, your

book. And you authored this

book telling the deepest most

profound brokenness that

you've been through. So when

you say, "You did this, Lord,"

you're coming from a place

where it wasn't always looking

so pretty. Tell me a bit about

your journey and what God

has done.

Well, when I was in my

childhood was a lot of abuse,

a lot of alcohol, sexual abuse

and so I seen quite a bit. I

was back and forth between

my mom and my grandmother.

Right.

I didn't-my father wasn't

around so I was between the

both of them. And so as I was,

you know, growing up, I grew

up to be pretty hard.

In your heart.

Heart, yeah, in my heart. I

was hurt. I was

wounded.

Were you tough-tough on

the outside?

Oh, yes. In high school

it's, you know, I liked to

fight. Bherehere was

deep hurt

in my heart and, you know, the

understanding where I was at

that time, when I think, you

know, when I think back, I was

was just in a small

I couldn't think very far, you

know, what I was going to do

with my life. I hated myself,

you know, because of all the

abuse that I went through as

a child through the hands of

those, you know, that I loved.

And then, you know, so growing

up, I thought this was what

men wanthe. I had the

wrong idea what love was.

Right.

And that's what you were

really looking for. I mean if

you look back, weren't you?

You were looking for

acceptance and love and

somebody who would see who

you really were and cherish and

take care of that person.

Yes, yes, yeah. That's

s I grew up,

as I started to grow up and

under having that understanding

that this was what men wanted

it led me to being very

promiscuous. But I have to

there was a time when I was

twelve years old and I

mentioned this in my book

where my mom sent me to a

Christian camp. In this

camp they did this skit of how

they crucified Jesus Christ

and I remember going to the

altar and receiving Jesus as my

Savior, and the presence of God

fell and I remember just

receiving the Holy Spirit at

that time. But after that

time, everything just fell

apart. My mother's marriage

fell apart and she started

drinking. And we were in

Ontario at this time.

Because you had been in

Saskatchewan, right?

Yes.

Yes.

I was back in Alberta and

Saskatchewan.

Right.

And my mother got married

and moved us to Ontario when

I was about nine years old,

and so I lived in London. And

at that time her marriage fell

apart.

So that sent you just sort

of reeling.

Yes.

Even though you had

our

earthly life was very messed

up.

Yes. My mom didn't-she-she

wasn't a hundred, you know,

fully following the Lord. Her

marriage had fallen apart and

and just everything just went.

At that time she started

partying all the time and it

was me and my brother at

fter she

gave up, essentially gave up,

t

my sixteenth birthday I tried

to commit suicide.

Wow. How-how do you get

ike what

did you feel like on the inside

for it to be that bad that you

literally wanted to take your

life?

I didn't-there was no hope

t, you know,

what I had seen and where I had

been, everyone had given up

on me. I didn't have a Dad.

My mother, you know, she was

partying all the time. I

didn't have family around me.

I had nobody. Nobody. It

t seemed at the time

better but I just

That you just die.

Just wasn't here no more.

Did you contemplate

Yes.

on-on how to do this?

I ended up taking as many

n my

sixteenth birthday.

Wow. Right on your birthday.

Yeah.

Had you planned it to be

the birthday?

No. No. No. My mom

actually, you know, usually

when I'd go to the room, she'd

leave me and I know it was

only by the hand of God that

rompt her to go

check on me. She ended up

getting a clown for me, singing

to me, you know, she tried but

had

given up.

Right.

I didn't want to live and

that was it.

So a lot of girls at sixteen

are celebrating that sweet

sixteen

Yeah.

And for you that day was

this is hopeless. I don't know

how to keep going. I don't

know what's left and I'd

rather die.

Yes.

Wow. So what happened?

After that, I basically left

home, would just go partying.

I just decided she was going

to party. I'm going to party.

So I ended up I'd hitchhike.

I'd hitchhike everywhere.

ended up being in

Toronto, meeting some girls

out of the Eaton Center, and

these girls were my age. They

were shopping. They ended up

coming to talk to me, and

before Iheyew it, I was

had brought me back to their

room, to a hotel and I met a

guy that turned out to be

their heir pimp. And it

wasn't long that the following

night they took me out and

I was on the streets of

Toronto.

Wow. So suddenly groomed

id you

kind of feel accepted by these

girls, like maybe this is the

group that will

I-yes, I did. I did for

t that point,

didn't even care what

happened to me. Didn't care

died, it didn't

matter. There was a moment

there. I remember my mom,

you know, who wasn't really

following the Lord at this

had went to

ne night I was in

this drug house, and I had a

lot of cash on me, and this

I was going to leave. I wanted

to leave. I had to go back and

this guy came and he pulled

a knife. He put a knife to my

throat. I didn't know until

told the guy actually

when he put the knife to my

ou

didn't care." He said,

"Give me your money," and I

said, "No." At that point I

said, you can, you know, it

didn't matter what he did.

Wow.

But he ended up taking the

knife away. I didn't find out

till later cause I went to

ent to a public pay

phone. I called my mom and

she had told me to just flag

a cop down. I ended up going

back to London. But I didn't

find out till later that it was

od

called her out of bed to pray

for me, to just cry out for me.

Wow.

And He spared my life from

that. So it's a

What was the-what was the

turning point for you in your

life where you decided to turn

your back on all of this?

It was when I started-I had

got into a relationship. I had

my children. It was on my

second daughter, and I started

to cry out to the Lord. I had

nobody. Now, I didn't want my

children to live the life that

I lived. I started to just cry

e did. He heard

me.

He heard you.

He heard me and He-He

ike in St.

Thomas from London, and I

e met me in the living

room. I started to cry out to

Him, and I got hungry for Him

and He just started to

y heart and

and my mind.

Wow.

And He changed me

dramatically.

Dramatically.

I wanted to live for Him. He

gave me hope, and He became

my everything. From that

point until now, He has been

my everything, and He has

totally transformed me in how

n what I do

now. So this is why now I

choose now to minister and to

tell people it does not matter

where you are, that God is

able to take you out of

whatever place that you're in

and transform you.

He sure is. And, you know

what, Sonia? I'm just

thinking about that person

at home that is feeling that

hopelessness and perhaps

even today feeling like I could

just end it all. I just don't

care anymore. And I pray

that Sonia's story has given

you hope and life, and that you

know that if you like Sonia

will cry out to God, He will

rescue you as well. God

bless you. Thank you for

joining us today.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for giving us hope

and inspiring us. We'll see

you next time.

[MUSIC]

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