Lantern - Live!

Hello, this is Will Hardy with ManTalk Radio.

We are all about breaking down the walls of race and denomination. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few minutes. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening to the Truth Podcast Network.

This is actually Lantern Rescue live today from the Men's Summit at the First Christian Church in Kernersville. For the first time ever, you will get a chance actually to listen to Mark TC. I'm hoping Alan, the whole team is on their way here. They'll be here momentarily, but what a cool time. You can actually call in today and talk to them, maybe with the questions that you would have.

The number to do that will be 866-348-7884. While we are waiting for their arrival, I have one of my co-hosts from Masculine Journey, Andy Thomas. How cool is it to talk about a man's conference? Here's men that have stepped up really for the kingdom. It's just great to have you here.

Thank you, appreciate it. This was kind of last minute. I think I'm kind of standing in. The whole Masculine Journey message is about fighting for the hearts of men and fighting for righteousness. I think God is waking up men to really get involved today in what he's doing.

The conference is a cool part of it and then Lantern Rescue is obviously part of it. Yeah, this was a surprise for us. I take my hat off to the Truth Network staff that they put together this live remote. We actually had this opportunity as they came in here for a fundraiser.

When you get to hear the story today that's coming at you, let me just tell you, you need to stay tuned because I know what has happened in West Africa. I had a chance to spend some time with Mark earlier this week. When we had the opportunity, I said, well, we could do this show live because these guys would be in here for the fundraiser today. I said, man, how cool would that be that our listeners would actually be able to call, talk to Mark, maybe you've got questions, whatever.

The number will be 866-348-7884. While we're on the subject, if you want to interact, we are live today and you can come join us. This starts at 9 o'clock or just started. It's going to be going until 2.

You get a free lunch. Of course, we're going to be broadcasting until 12. The Christian Car Guy Live is coming up again with a team from Land and Rescue.

Then the good news is we got Kingdom Pursuits. As we speak, up walks Mark. Man, how cool is this?

We're live today. Welcome, Mark. Hey, Robert. Thanks so much, man. I'm so excited to be here. Can you hear me okay? I hear you great. Okay, great.

I don't know if you announced, I'm so excited. The rest of the team is rolling in here. We'll be here shortly. You got TC and Allen? And Ren.

And Ren. We're all in your home state, man. We're going to need another chair. You know why? Maybe we can talk about this before they get there. We came to this area for an event last night that is part of this event.

A banquet that the good people of this area put on. Man, it was amazing what happened last night. Yeah, he put it on. I can see that God put it on. I know from what happened earlier this week, why God's doing this. Because what has happened in Africa is just mind blowing.

It is. And you know, the team's going to come and because I'm going to let them, I want them to share about Africa even more than I have, because I've had an opportunity to be on some shows and talk about it in detail. But what I'll say is like, you know, we were supposed to be in Asia Pacific. We got rerouted, ended up in Africa. And there's a story about that as well. And at the same time, a year and a half ago, we were supposed to have an event at this place here.

Because of COVID, it was delayed. And so all that was pushed off. And now, you know, here we end up in West Africa, and we develop a program there. And then we actually have a budget for it, right? At the same time, I literally come back from Africa. I'm not sure this event's happening, because I've been gone.

I don't know, you know, what's COVID has done and everything. And I call up the man, you know, behind all of it. And he's like, man, you know, it's sold out. We're looking forward to it, you know. And we come in. And, you know, there's a lot of people who want to do banquets and things for us. But usually that is very dependent on our time and resources.

And can we do it or can we not do it? You know, I showed up last night to speak. And this was just an absolutely beautiful laid out, you know, venue. And everybody was there. And unbelievable silent auction. Unbelievable spirit in the place. Great people. You know, General Boykin was speaking as well with us. And man, it was just amazing. And then I don't, did you hear about the result of what happened?

No, I haven't, you know. So, okay. So I mean, so, and here's the team.

So I'll say it real quick. So I got up and I shared and I gave the amount of what it would be to cover what you guys are going to hear about in West Africa here in a second from TC and those. And to cover that program was right at 50 grand.

You know, for us to support our Intel team and everything there, it's about 50,000. At the end of the event last night, guess what happened, Robbie? They presented us a check for $60,000.

So I know we're working backwards, but I didn't want to talk about Africa and TC's here now and there's TC. I'm just, I just want to tell them we're at this event, this live event, which part of it last night was that, you know, they presented us a check for $60,000, which is literally exactly what we needed, you know, and so exciting. So it's so exciting. So I'm all shut up.

This is live today. So you've never had a chance to actually call in and talk to Mark or TC or that we just got Ren here. How cool is this to have?

I mean, it is really good. I haven't seen you guys in, you know, 10 months or whatever, and I I've heard about what you're doing, but TC share with our listeners. What, what, what's happened? Well, I'm a little nervous that you can't cover up my mistakes. So I'm going to, I'm going to talk slow.

No, it's been awesome. As Mark was saying, you know, to come yesterday and have, as the one man said here, have God connect the dots, repeatedly connect the dots. So from my perspective, the Western Africa trip was, as usual, God working and doing things that we could never do ourselves that we could never facilitate ourselves. Our, our, you know, lantern is kind of a light outfit.

Like we're able to pivot and change directions and kind of light on our feet. And so this whole trip got started with, we were going to go to another country and within three days, we're actually visa'd up and ready to go to West Africa, which is really cool. And then to meet, to meet the, you know, our contact in that country and to see what he's doing and to hear his story, which I'm, you know, Ren's going to be able to take away with, but it was, it was really a great trip to see what's going on there and to how we could, you know, come alongside those folks. I'm, you know, so excited to see you guys. You can feel God come in with you.

It was like, how cool. And so, you know, since this is going on right now and these guys are going to be here today. So if you want to come meet them, Hey, you can come to first Christian church, or you can call them on the phone.

You know, we're live today, 866-348-7884. But this contact in Africa, Ren, wow. I mean like, wow. Can, can you get into that story for us? Yeah.

So that was pretty, pretty crazy. So the contact in West Africa, Frank, when we first started hearing about what he was doing and get in, he was sending us these videos of him trying to him just by himself on the border, rescuing these kids that were being trafficked across the border. And at first we were just kind of like, is this guy for real? Like, who is this guy in West Africa? Just kind of doing his own thing, not funded by anyone, just out there on the border. And he was this amazing person that had been personally impacted by trafficking in his own family. His sister had three of her children trafficked and they never have recovered those children. And the sister, his sister out of the stress from all of it, she died of a stroke.

And part of the story I think Ren is, is that he was his wife. I mean, his sister was targeted because she's Christian. That's right.

Yeah. So in West Africa, there's a large Muslim population and Boko Haram controls a lot of that area over there. And yes, she was trafficked because of her religious views and that didn't deter Frank at all. He's still a very strong Christian. And so after that happened, he knew he needed to do something. So he's out on the border and he's just trying to rescue these children on his own. And he keeps getting arrested by the local police because he's out there just doing this vigilante style and just trying to help kids. And so he kept getting arrested and brought back into town and arrested and brought back into town. And after months and months of this happening, he finally gets a call from the inspector general and he's brought into his office. And the inspector general asked him, why are you doing this? And Frank explains his story and what happened. And so the inspector general then puts him in charge of the border stations and has him out there teaching them how to rescue victims and builds up his own team out there.

And now the people that were arresting him are now working under him. So it's a really incredible story. So he gets all this power and then he messages us and he's like, oh, I need you to come train me because I have this power now and I have this drive, but I don't really know what I'm doing. So we get to West Africa and we land and this just amazing man meets us after all the checks that we had to go through. It's well past midnight and we're exhausted. And he meets us in the parking lot and he's just so joyful.

He's like, this is the best day of my life. Well, let's just put this in perspective, right Alan? Cause I mean, here's this guy, he's been showing up at the border to try to find his, his, his relatives for months. And you know, God has opened in this door and that door.

And then here comes the A team, right? I don't know if I'd refer to us as that, but yeah, the, the situations we come across more often than not are usually after the fact that the children is either in the sex trade and has been abused or going through that process. The unique thing about this is it allows us to almost be a preventative step in that we break that chain getting to the children prior to their abuse, because as they're coming through the border, they're, they're in the process of being trafficked, but they haven't reached that point where they've been abused.

Yes, they've been abandoned or orphaned by their family, but their family doesn't realize what is going on. They're just thinking their child's going to a job, which is how it's usually presented to them. These traffickers are going to the villages and say, Hey, you know, we have opportunities for your child to be a waitress or an apprentice at a various trade. And they're like, Oh, it's a better life for my child. So they're willing to give up the child. And these traffickers are then bringing them to the border.

And this is where I'm not sure if we're using his name or not. Frank, Frank, in this case, is a stop them at that point. It's, it's the break point where they can rescue the child prior to them being in those areas of evil and dismay that they find the traffickers are leading them to not the actual jobs that they were promised. So, um, to me, it's, it's a blessing to be at that point.

Uh, cause usually we're working in the darker area. We're working in the side that they're already there and we're bringing them out of it. So this is like, uh, very, uh, rewarding, uh, to us to know that we were able to help them stop them from getting into it at a point before the actual abuse occurs. So, so how cool is it that God has now provided $60,000 last night at this, you know, as part of this event, right. To increase, you know, what God has done through a man who just stood for what he knew was right all alone and, and God has surrounded. I mean, if this doesn't increase your faith, it's definitely a God thing.

I mean, how many people would be going to an area that they're not wanted, they get arrested and then they're released and they go right back to it. I mean, that's not normal, you know, that's not the normal mindset. So that is definitely a God driven thing. And, you know, my heart goes out to them and I wish I had that courage, uh, that I know he's endured all those problems. I wish, you know, I had that courage to do that, what he's done. So it's an amazing thing.

God empowers us to do things we never know that we can do. And so the first day you guys are from what I, from what I've understood, one of the first days you guys were actually able to get through, you, you rescued several, um, the very first day, right? Yeah. So hang on, we're going to get Mark back on here. So we got wires all over the place. This is live. And so welcome to live radio. Uh, so yeah, one of the, I mean, remarkable things is that when we, as soon as we got in country, uh, Frank had pro had had every initial meeting that we needed with the proper government officials and, and it would have taken us a year and a tremendous amount of money to build those relationships in that network.

But because of this guy's persistence and then his good reputation after they realized what he was doing and why he was doing it and the authority that they gave him, uh, you know, we show up and he's, he's got every meeting ready for us. You know, we do everything in like a 48 hour period. And it was very hard on us because you know why we couldn't eat. We just got off a plane and you couldn't eat. We're joking. We're joking. But we had just flown 30 joking. I didn't eat very much.

We have, we have flown 30 some hours and then we had 48 hours of meeting. And I remember at one moment I look over and I mean, he's chewing the foil paper from his chewing gum at this point, you know, and even ran and starting to become hangry and, and she's like, you know, everybody, they're becoming volatile and I'm like, I got to get these people fed. And so chicken and rice, baby, that's what we get in this country.

So chicken and rice, but you're right. It was in that whole quick period, you know, we initiate a training episodes and all that, you know, for, for law enforcement and things. And, uh, yeah, I mean, we were busy.

I mean, I don't know what day in, but it wasn't long. And there we are in the middle of the night, running the Bush in Africa, you know, uh, and teaching them how to run comms and work a border op, you know, and, uh, uh, that's just phenomenal, you know, that's just God's favor. And so, so tell us what happened or let TC tell us what happened. There you go. So we'll get TC on here and we're back. Yeah. So you finally get a chance about 48 hours. You know, you, you know, we got Allen some food and, and so you got a chance to actually begin the operation and the grapefruit came immediately, right?

Yep. We ran right up to the border, which was, uh, I don't know, 40, 45 minutes away. Um, we got to the border and I was personally impressed with, um, what the border consisted of border quotes. Um, um, Frank's area of operation was humble, but they absolutely made the most of it. They thought nothing of working in that environment. The border was, um, I don't know, a steel railing with a few cords across it.

And, but so Frank's team was, I was very impressed. Um, they would a lot of motorcycle traffic and they were, they missed nothing. Um, people coming through there, they would look at the children who they were with. They knew, they knew, I would say they knew a hundred percent of the cab drivers coming through there. And if a child did not belong with that cab driver, if they weren't local, they knew all the local kids and they would pull them off and start questioning.

And, uh, I'm right out the gate. We had, I don't know. I don't know how many interviews they did in the time where they, I would say at least 10. And, um, we had, was it four, four kids, one little boy, like within hours, you know, all this was happening. So, um, there were things that we taught them, but there were also things that that team taught us.

They were super sharp, super sharp. So that's just, it's phenomenal. And then from what I understand, they already have something set up to help get these kids some help. Right. So can you go into that a little bit or yeah, Randy, you want to talk about that? Um, you know, the process of, you know, here are these kids now, where did they go? Yeah.

So can you hear me? Yeah. So, uh, in this country they have, you know, most countries we go into, we have to do this whole process from beginning to end and, and set up the aftercare with them. And in this country, they already have the aftercare and the, the social services that are really incredible. After the children are identified as victims and they're removed from that situation, they're able to be processed into social services and, and get help that way and get put into these homes that are able to rehabilitate them and help them move forward in their lives, which is just really incredible in these countries that there are people out there, you know, this, this border, these border agents don't even have weapons right now. And they were telling us, they're like, yeah, Boko Haram, we see them sometimes.

And Boko Haram is an enormous terrorist group in Africa. Uh, and these people are just in, in, in light of all that still pushing forward to, to rescue these children. And then there's people that are willing to take them into their homes and, and do this aftercare process with them when they know what's at stake. And it's just really incredible to see that motivation for people that are given nothing in return.

They just do this out of, you know, the goodness of their hearts. So you guys raised $60,000 last night. You know, obviously Frank has gone from no equipment, right? No anything but other, you know, just showing up at this, you know, can you give our listeners some idea TC of, of, or, or rent or even, um, Mark, what's that going to get Frank in his, I'll say, I'll say a few things and I'll, I'll pass the mic. We talked about this extensively and a lot of times for, for Americans who are great hearted and to come up with that kind of money, you think if you can just pass that money over, it turns into good things. And we've talked about this quite a bit, you know, the training that we'll have to go with it, the prep, how that money, you know, what it goes towards, um, will be an important decision making process that needs thought through. And so, um, it is awesome and what it can do is amazing, but it will still require planning and forethought and things like that. Yeah. So Ren, your thoughts on that. So this border station is so under equipped.

We'll try to, if you follow us on social media, we'll try to get a picture up of, uh, their office. It is literally a shack of steel, uh, sheets of steel put up on a couple of steps that lead up to it. And they don't even have a vehicle. They, the vehicles that we were in may or may not have started when we were overseas. And, uh, they don't, like we said, they don't have weapons. They don't have body armor.

They don't really have anything. And this, you know, and they're still doing this with just a t-shirt on their backs and they're walking to work or they're, you know, catching a ride on the back of someone's motorcycle. So it's really incredible. And this money will truly change lives, hundreds of lives, you know, in the last two years, this team without our help was rescuing kids. And now they're with our training. And then with the, the funding that we're able to provide now from last night's fundraiser, it's gonna just magnify that by so much.

And it's, it's just really incredible to see what this can do. Yeah. Literally when they, when they, when we made the contact, why we came and Frank said, this is the greatest day of my life is because the operation was, was shutting down. His, his vehicle had ended. His lifespan was over. Uh, his volunteer guy was just not there when he was needed.

That's right. The Christian car guy, we needed him there. The, uh, the volunteers who were working and gathering the intelligence and then cooperating with the police were, were struggling, you know, to make ends meet and everything. So it was, it was, it was a time it was going to end. And that's why for Frank, his faith is, is grown immensely because God answered a prayer that we would show up. I mean, he literally looked at us and was like, I didn't know if you were real, you know, and we're like, we didn't know if you were real, you know, so here we are all real. And West Africa, this guy, we don't even know, picks us up in a vehicle like Ren said that limped its way to a house safe house for us, a place for us to stay and then limped around. And during the week, we're like, we got to get this guy a vehicle, you know, we're like, is this your vehicle? He's like, no, I borrow. The next day he shows up with another one. We're like, is this your vehicle? No, I borrow, you know, we're like, okay. He has no vehicle, you know, and he is like piling it with his Intel people, you know, every day he's running them to water, then trying to run us around.

And we're like, we're trying to, we're, we're slowly figuring out this guy that he is just trying to make everything happen using borrowed vehicles that don't work, you know, and, and how's he getting, cause obviously he hasn't worked. Right. So he said, you know, his livelihood is he sells kerosene in the lamps for those people who don't have electricity over there. Oh really?

Right. You know, his wife goes to market and this is, this guy's amazing. And so, uh, at that point, we're a team, we're like, we got to get him a vehicle. Now I don't, we don't have the money. We're like, how are we going to get him a vehicle and everything? But I want to tell you this is that the Monday after we returned from Africa, we wired him enough money to buy a vehicle and some motorcycles for intelligence, a van and everything. And that was all covered. God covered all that.

And he's got all that. That was step one, you know, then step two was what's the budgetary needs of this Intel team. And I, I want to circle back if I could to Alan to talk about who we trained, you know, how far into training we got, what further we have to do with this operation. But, you know, here we are now we were able to fund them for a month to do this full time, provide them gas, got their vehicles, and we're giving them oversight, you know, and, uh, accountability as TC said, there's a lot that goes into that. A lot of, you know, our presence has to be there.

Yeah. Uh, the only thing I would add to, to what, uh, Mark was saying there is, you know, we, we have our thoughts on what is best for people. And sometimes those thoughts are, were then changed because, you know, we don't know everything, but in the situation with the vehicle, you know, we're, we're driving down these roads and, uh, the potholes are more like, uh, uh, craters. Um, so we thought that they would need a four wheel drive truck and that would be the best means of transportation for them to haul the kids, you know, and all that. And in reality, it costs too much for them to even maintain a truck over there.

So the van was the opportune vehicle for them. So, uh, we, we just look, let lessons learned from the places you're at. So I know you're, you're sitting there going, Oh my goodness, it's almost nine 30 and the show's going to be over, but good news is we got so much more coming today. If the Christian car guy show, we're going to have land and rescue back at 10. And then we got kingdom pursuits. It's all happening at this men's summit today, kingdom men activated. And in this case, a kingdom woman, cause we got, we got ran here and so this is going to be live as your opportunity. You could come meet these guys if you want to work, come and join what's going on here with kingdom men activated. Obviously these men were activated last night as they got together, you know, this group, Roy Jones and his ministry, you know, $60,000. Okay.

But you know what? I know from talking to Mark many times, TC Allen Ren, what Frank needs is prayer, right? He needs protection. He's in a difficult place and he needs all our prayers, our resources, whatever lantern rescue, right?

Dot O R G is where you can find these things. It's truly an honor to, to lock arms with these guys and, and lock arms with what God is doing, not just in West Africa, but you know, all over the world in this unbelievable time that, that we find ourselves in of good versus evil. And, and, and we stand up as men and women and put on the full armor, take God's hand and pray. Thank you for listening to Land and Rescue. We'll be back in half an hour with a Christian Car Guy show followed by Kingdom Pursuits. You don't want to miss this stuff.

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