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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 ...
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All this time these people are witnessing to me, telling me Jesus loves me, then I start finally understanding what they meant. They told me that Jesus came here and died for sinners. He died on the cross because of the human race rebellion and sin - that we needed a Savior, we needed to be born again spiritually. That's when the Lord opened up my …
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I started running around as older adults do when I was a teenager, and we got caught one night, and we had an open container; I was only fourteen years old and I got judged as an adult, and I had to sit in jail. They wouldn't let me out of jail for seven days. It hurt me, and that's where, I believe... that was the turning point where I wanted to g…
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James grew up in Moose Factory, Ontario, a Cree community on the south end of James Bay. His parents brought him up in religion, but his life was empty as a young man. There was a man though, who had come to the community who was different... and he helped James move from religion to a real relationship with his Creator.…
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Carrie was born in 1929 on Nunavik island, the second largest island on the Bering Sea. There were no stores, no running water... nothing that resembles the conveniences of today. Life was challenging. Listen as Carrie recounts her experiences and the rich culture of growing up on the island. And listen as she shares her spiritual heritage... somet…
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Albert's heart was hard - by his own admission. He had a hateful feeling towards anyone who would try to speak to him about Jesus. He was mean to his wife who was a Christian. He even burned her Bible. But through it all, she stuck with him and prayed for Albert. Albert had a problem with alcohol. His sons began to follow his lead to the bottle. Th…
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I tell people that I had a drug problem when I was young. Our church was Sunday afternoon on the reservation. I got drug to church on Sunday afternoon, and I got drug to church on Sunday evening, and I got drug to church on prayer meeting night. So that was my drug problem.
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Ed was raised by his grandma until she died when he was fourteen years old. His uncle was as close to a dad as he ever had. He didn't know who his real dad was. His grandma sent him to boarding school because she couldn't afford to keep him.
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Frank speaks candidly about the quest for love. He shares how he would do things he knew weren't right in order to gain the acceptance of others. He would come to realize though that all he needed was found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Frank grew up in the Cree community of Loon Lake, Alberta. He remembers good times with family in the bush, hunting and trapping. He reflects on the blessing of having a dad and a mom. And he speaks about his spiritual journey, how he came to understand that he had a problem he couldn't fix.
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Emerson joined the army. It was a rebellious time in his life and he was getting into trouble. One day, someone stole some money from another person's locker. The commanding officer told Emerson he knew that he had taken the money. When he asked why the CO thought that, the officer said, "because you're nothing but a worthless human being." Emerson…
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Emerson was raised in an urban setting away from the reservation. But home was where the relatives were and they would go back often. His dad raised the family Christian after being coming out of the traditional way. Emerson followed, but later began to question what he believed.
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Though originally from Washington State, she was raised by her grandparents in rural Oklahoma. When she was three, her father was shot and killed. Thankfully, she had her grandparents who provided a stable, loving environment... and made a lasting impact on her life.
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"I wanted to go do these drugs cause I hadn't done them for quite some time and it was time for me to do them again. I used to go on three-day binges. I would disappear and my wife and kids didn't know where I was. They didn't know if I was dead or alive or nothing." Listen as Paul shares his battle with addiction and how it finally came to an end.…
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Working on the Alaska pipeline, Paul got into drugs and alcohol. It changed his life. His addictions had full control over him, until one night, when he had a dream so terrifying, that it caught his full attention.
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He was in a fist fight at least twice a week, every week for most of his schooling... because of the way he looked. He didn't fit in with the white kids... he didn't fit in with the Native kids. Listen as Paul shares about the early days of his journey and how that would influence his outlook in the days to come.…
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Where was the peace that others seemed to have? As she looked around, she couldn't help but notice. How come she couldn't find it? It seems she'd been fighting for something all her life... perhaps just fighting to survive. She'd learned that in her youth. But she wanted what these folks had. Listen as she shares how she finally found what she was …
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Adrienne recalls as a young girl how she was sick at school one day. As the teacher took her home, all she could think about was what they were going to find when they got there. She wanted to jump out of the car and run into the house so no one would see what she was afraid of.
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Vince was kicked out of his home at the age of 11 because he stood in the way of his father abusing his mother. He quickly learned how to live on the streets of Chicago. Trouble was something he was very familiar with. His life was careening out of control and he was headed for disaster when God came into his life and changed everything.…
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Ryan grew up with sports, but he was especially good at hockey... so good in fact that he was eventually drafted by a professional hockey team. He wasn't content though - something was missing.
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Ray shares how his grandfather told him stories that were handed down from his people... stories that were very scary and brought fear to him as a child. He shares one of these along with the impact that it had on him then, and the perspective that he has about it now.
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Ray recalls a sobering moment: "When I woke up, I was sick. Not only from what I had drank that previous night, but the burden of sin was heavy upon me. And not only that but, I was so sick I knew if I died at that moment, I wasn't prepared to meet God."
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Ray grew up in northern Alberta. He loved ball games, dances, and the pleasures of life in his youth. But he had no peace. One of his friends though seemed to have what he was looking for. Ray noticed and was curious. Inner peace can be allusive, and finding it can be a journey. This was the journey Ray found himself on.…
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God tells us in His Word that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. That's exactly what happened to Venus. When she put her trust in Jesus God took her broken life and changed it. He made something beautiful out of the ashes of deep pain and grief. Life was still hard, but things were different now. God gave her purpose, hope, and a very br…
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In deep distress Venus cried, "I can't do this anymore. I can not do this anymore." Her heart was so broken that she didn't believe it could be repaired. What would cause Venus to feel this way? And is there anything that could fix it? Join us for part 2 of Venus Cote's amazing story. And make sure that you don't miss part three... because the best…
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Venus' life got off to a tragic start. As a little girl she saw her dad kill her mom. And this was only the beginning our her heartache and pain. Listen as she opens her heart and shares about the early years of her life in part one of her remarkable journey.
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When Larry's wife became a Christian he noticed a real change in her life. He saw how peaceful she was, even when they were encountering spiritual darkness. He wanted what she had. Larry speaks about the reality of death, the emptiness he saw in ritual, and the hope that he has found in Jesus Christ.…
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Larry shares about the reality of spiritual darkness, traditions, and his quest for truth. He wasn't satisfied with the answers he was getting. He was looking for something he could confidently believe in.
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Nida's sister rejected her because of Nida's choice to follow Jesus. But years later tragedy would bring the sisters back together - closer than they had ever been. Then again, tragedy struck. But this time it would result in death. Listen as Nida shares what happened and the confidence she has that she'll see her sister again.…
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Nida finally found what she'd been searching for. You can hear the joy in her voice as she recalls the moment that she did. She was at peace with God. But life was still filled with challenges. Find out what happens next as she comes home from church to a husband whose been drinking.
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Nida said, "There were things I was doing that I didn't want to do. I was hurting my family. I wanted change in my life and I couldn't do it." That's not an uncommon place to be. But she didn't stay there.
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Alcohol had Sam. But Sam had friends who really cared for him. In fact, they cared enough not to be silent. He didn't like it when he saw Arthur coming because he knew what he was going to hear. Then his old drinking buddy started showing up - Buck was different now - in a good way, and he wanted that for Sam.…
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Have you ever felt wicked because of what someone else did to you? Winnie knows what it's like. How about losing someone close to your heart? She's been there too. Her life was filled with pain and shame. But things are different now... because of Jesus.
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Shawn was close to his grandfather, who had a profound impact on his life. But there was someone else who would have an even greater impact on Shawn... someone who would change his life forever.
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Ever heard voices? Jess did. It shook him up. "So I went to Charles, but I didn't tell him what was going on in my thoughts. I asked him to give me a straight shot of whiskey, and I always had the pills to make me high or low, so I went into the bathroom and took those two elements, and what I was trying to do, I was trying to forget that voice."…
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Growing up with alcohol can make a significant impact on a life... and hateful words from those who are close can cut like a knife. Today's Storyteller has experienced both. But, he has not been defeated. He is an overcomer.
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Alcohol really took a toll on his family, but for Ralph, it never took hold of him. What is it that made him different? Was it fate? Was it the choices that he made? You may be surprised by what he says. Listen in as Ralph shares the rest of his story.
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Ralph grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He talks about his roots and talks about his grandmother who had a significant influence on his life. As you listen to him share his story, you'll understand why.
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The Storyteller New Years Special with Tom Claus (Mohawk) New Years Eve is a very special time in the Claus family. It was on that night many years ago on the Six Nations reserve that the family gathered together around the radio and heard a message that would change their lives forever. Listen as Tom reflects on the significance of that day. This …
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Tom Claus reflects on what Christmas was like growing up on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario many years ago. After all the gifts were opened, the family would sit down together and read the Christmas story from the Bible. Tom goes on to read the story for us. Then he shares about the greatest gift ever given - the gift God gave to al…
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One day Richard's brother told him that he was ready to meet the Lord. Richard wondered how this could be. He wanted to be sure that he was ready too. But his brother didn't tell him how he could be. Listen as Richard tells of his quest to be ready to meet his Creator.
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We all have failures and regrets in life. What do we do with them? There is a remedy. Bill shares the confidence that he has now regarding these things. He talks about how he found forgiveness, and how we can to.
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Bill is a Cree from northern Alberta. He was born and raised in the Whitefish Lake Cree Nation. He was sent away to residential school early in his childhood. He didn't make it easy on the people there. Actually, he wasn't allowed to go back.
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And I thought about my Indian people, you know, when they would go into Kingman, my mom's tribe, the Haulapai's, only two or three of them could go into the store at one time. They wouldn't let a whole bunch of Indians in because we were Indians and they didn't trust us.
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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.
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And I said, 'Do you happen to remember, back in 1949, your mother coming into possession of a little Apache Indian baby?' And she sucked in her breath - I heard it on the phone. And she said, 'Why, why yes. Why do you ask?' I said, 'Well I'm that baby.'
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I remember, early on, wondering a whole lot about my place in the world and if there was any significance to my life, or was I just kind of drifting along here like a twig sitting on the waves of the ocean, no significance, no background, no future.
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"Danny was the big man on campus. He was the meanest, toughest, most foul-mouthed boy on the ranch, and we all wanted to grow up and be just as tough and mean as he was. But he would kick us around, hit us, yell at us, force us to do his chores and things, just a very mean fellow, but one day Danny just changed, totally without any explanation, wit…
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You've heard alcohol referred to as "spirits". Have you ever wondered why? Ted's story may help shed some light on this. What he experienced was frightening beyond imagination. But it didn't matter because he was determined to be set free.
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When alcohol is your master, it effects every part of your life. For some, it comes on slow. But eventually you begin to realize the grip is not you on the bottle, but the bottle on you. Ted speaks candidly of his journey to find freedom, and the demons he faced along the way.
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Growing up without a dad was not easy. But it was in the loss of his father that Jimmy came to know God as Father. Listen as he reflects on how that happened.
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