(soft piano music)

- As a kid, if your father tellin' you

he's goin' to come spend time with you,

that's like the mostexciting thing to you.

So I remember just waiting outside,

my Mother telling me,"Come on in to eat, son."

I said, "Nah Momma, Dadsaid said he goin' to come,

"and pick me up."

He never came.

He lied to me, so like, youknow, as a kid, that kinda hurt.

- [Interviewer] For Tony Askew,

the pain of thatrejection grew into anger.

- I couldn't deal withnobody saying nothin' to me.

I would get conduct notices almost

every day for fighting in school,

even at the lunchroom table.

Kid say somethin' to me, Ijumped over the table to fight.

That how I dealt withmy, you know, my emotion.

- [Interviewer] Tony'shard-working mom tried to steer him

the right way by makingsure he was in church.

But he couldn't graspthe idea of a loving God.

- I didn't know nothin' about God,

I just thought that thepeople in church was fakin'

and runnin' around with their hands up.

I didn't know that He loved me

and cared for me no matter what, you know,

wanted me to come closer to Him,

wanted me to be a part of His life.

- [Interviewer] Despite his mom's efforts,

Tony would enter a life of crime.

At 10, was stealingcandy to sell at school.

Later he stole from stores and homes.

- I had no conscience as far as stealing.

I did it like it was justa natural thing to do.

I always thought I wouldbe able to outsmart,

you know, the authorities.

- [Interviewer] Then, aftergraduating from high school,

Tony started selling drugs.

Soon he was living the party lifestyle

of a successful drug dealer.

- It made me feel powerful.

Went to Cancun, you know,at 19 with your own,

we had our own apartment at 19.

Own cars, partying, girls.

I just, I felt powerful.

- [Interviewer] Dealingdrugs was a dangerous world,

but over the next decade,Tony would make millions.

He enjoyed a lavish life filled with

nice homes, cars, and world travel.

He gave little thoughtto anyone but himself.

- I felt important. I felt like Superman.

I felt on top of the world.

I felt that, you know, anythingI could do, I could do.

Nobody could tell me I can't do nothin'.

I was cocky and arrogant.

And I remember this femaleasked me how did I feel?

And I said, "Perfect." I said, "Perfect."

I really felt that way,you know, at that time.

- [Interviewer] But as more years passed,

Tony grew paranoid about getting caught

and decided he wanted out.

About the same time his girlfriend,

Natassia, became pregnant.

Tony wanted to be there for his child,

since his own dad wasn't there for him.

- He was really, into familyI picked up on that a lot.

And he often even talked about, you know,

like what it would be likewhenever he had a child.

I really really loved that about him.

- [Interviewer] The problem was,

he felt trapped by thehigh cost of his lifestyle.

- I didn't want to be sellin'drugs, to be honest with you.

Like I sold drugs just for the money.

I knew it wasn't right,

but I had to do, I had to keep doing it.

- [Interviewer] Tony didn'thave to wait long for an out.

Another dealer squealedon him to federal agents,

and Tony was arrested in2005 for drug trafficking.

Now desperate, he wonderedif God could help him.

- God had to be tugging at my heart.

In my spirit, somethingwas happenin' in me like,

"Grab that Bible, open that Bible up."

That's the only person that'sgoin' to help you right now.

You can't get yourself out of this.

You need a greater powerto get you out of this.

- [Interviewer] Tony askedto go to the Christian block

of the jail, where he read God's word

and came to a life-changing decision.

- The presence of God was onme so strong. It changed me.

I had that peace thatsurpassed all understanding,

came over me and I lookedat life differently.

I said, "Lord, you real."

I gave my life to Christ

and I know that Jesus died for my sin.

I wouldn't think that Godwould forgive a person like me,

you know? But he did.

He loved me that much.

That's when I started thinkingabout the people that I,

you know, that I hurt, you know?

Even from the people whobought drugs from me.

A whole new gate had opened upfor me of caring about people

and caring about people's feelings.

I have a conscience now.

- [Interviewer] Tony was convicted

and would spend the nextnine years in prison.

During that time he grew in his faith

and started to heal from the hurt of his

dad's rejection all those years earlier.

- I forgave him for not being there for me

when I was little kid.

God repaired that hurt from my youth.

You know, He transformedmy mind, renewed my mind.

- [Interviewer] Through all those years,

Natassia and their son,Princeton, waited for Tony.

After working through many issues,

the couple married in 2018.

- When he came home there was

no partying or anything like that.

He's always home, wantin' tobe involved with the family.

He definitely became more humble.

He was able to talk about,you know, not just how things

benefit him, but how theybenefit other people.

- [Interviewer] Tony startedhis own trucking company

and works hard to provide for his family.

His main goal is clearer than ever.

- I want to make God proud.

When I go before him I want Him to say,

"Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Also, showing love.

That's a real man, showing love.

Showing compassion,showing empathy for others,

something that I never had before.

Lettin' people know thatit's Christ that changed me

and that's why I am who I am today.