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Ep #234 – Meet Issiah Thurman · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father.
• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We thank you, Lord, for this day, and God, just this time to record this podcast.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Lord, we thank you for our listeners.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Pray that they would be blessed and encouraged today and, Lord, that your will would be done.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Father, we love and praise your name, Amen.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Hello everybody, Thank you for joining us for Our Community, Our Mission.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: A podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission on Wednesday, August the 7th of 2024.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: It's episode number 234.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Here this morning with Marian Crable, Deputy Director here at Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning, how are you?
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: I'm good.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: This is going to be an interesting podcast today.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: You know what?
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: I think we have no idea.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: We have no idea what's coming?
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Exactly, we have a guest here that is full of it, and so Unbelievably so.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: Full of so many things, oh, so many things.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: And so we've just been kind of.
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: I heard he's built different.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Well he is.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: We've been trying to keep our composure of not laughing before we even started this podcast.
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: And I didn't do very good.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: I didn't do very well.
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: He's a great guy, he's a comedian and he actually gets a paycheck here, so that's amazing, but we're going to get to him in a minute.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: So, miriam, one update that we talked about last week that was kicking off was back to school, and so we have some information on how that turned out.
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: So it went really really well.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: So we had a whole bunch of people sign up and we were able to serve already 346.
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: That includes folks that were kids that were at the hope center as well as the community, and we still have probably about 108 more um that we're anticipating We'll be able to come and pick up things.
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: They weren't able to make it on the two days that we were doing here or you're done.
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: Huh, no, never, you know we're always going to try to make it so that that can happen you know that they can get what they need and us just be available and as flexible as we can with that kind of thing.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: And we still have some people calling you know that that didn't get registered, so we may be able to serve them as well.
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: So it's just an amazing kind of thing and I'm just always so thankful that we're able to do this.
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: Well, school's starting soon and trying to help families in the struggling economic time that we're in, which is we talk about all the time.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: It seems like it's just the status quo anymore.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: The people are struggling with keeping the rent payments, keeping the house payments, food costs, transportation costs, and then school supplies did not get cheaper, and so I don't think anything has gotten cheaper has it.
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: No, no, just nothing.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: And so, and so the individuals who donated supplies or cash donations to be able to go out and buy things that we could receive, you know we're so grateful to all of you who participated in that and while you may not get a chance to meet those children, those children are greatly impacted.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: This is these are game changers to be able to go to school that first day and have the stuff you're supposed to have For sure.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: And the other number I didn't get, though, is how many volunteers assisted with this too, because you know, the things and the money are great, but we really need the manpower as well to be able to load all those backpacks with the goodies and then to be able to hand them out and to register people.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: So it just it takes an army to kind of get all this done.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: So if you were a volunteer, thank you as well, because you can't do it with one or two people with when you have that volume of people coming through, kids coming through, parents coming through Right, well, that's good news and that's something that happens at Topeka Rescue Mission every year, and just because of faithful supporters and the needs there.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: So, miriam, before we get into our special guest here, we call him the CCC.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: We'll explain that in a minute.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: This is again August the 7th.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Our research and development department here tries to help really educate the community, and so there are three special things that they extracted that are important about this day, and so it's something we things that they extracted that are important about this day, and so it's something we see a lot in Kansas.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: Right, it's National Lighthouse Day, so we see a lot of those in Kansas.
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it's that because of the ocean the ocean, the ocean that's right here in our backyard.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: I heard that Kansas was an ocean at one time and maybe depending on how things go in California, it may be again.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: So we want to go ahead and keep those lighthouses, you know, polished up and ready to go anyway.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: So thank you, research Department, for bringing this to our attention.
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: Out of Topeka, kansas, that National Lighthouse Day Something that may be a little bit more pertaining to Kansans is its National Purple Heart Day, which I think most of us know about.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: The Purple Heart Sure For that great service, that sacrificial service, that our service individuals have made and paid a price for it and they get honored with that.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: They do, and you know, we know that we even have folks that we're serving who have Purple Hearts.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: You know people that find themselves in difficult situations now, but we're find themselves in difficult situations now, but we're um the same kind of folks that gave sacrificial service um at some point in their life, so it's it's always very interesting for me when I think about all of the people that end up uh needing services from TRM.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: And and uh, we've had some of those individuals who are so grateful that they um, I, I know Amanda was know, amanda received a Purple Heart from an individual who was so touched by her service to him.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: I have a display board where a man gave me many, many years ago all of his medals.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: He was very old and he says I don't have any family.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: He said would you keep these for me?
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: And we've still kept them around all these times and he had a bunch of medals that he got.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: Isn't that just wonderful that people can feel as though we are their family right, yeah, that we're the ones that didn't let them behind.
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: What a great honor, absolutely.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Again, it's an honor extends to each of you who have been part of Topeka Rescue Mission, at whatever level that you've been a part.
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: So the last thing that our research group did that is important about today, august the 7th, is it's particularly preposterous packing day.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Yes, particularly preposterous packing day.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: What, miriam?
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: You know what?
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: I am just so proud of you that you could even say that.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: I am too.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: You did it very deliberately.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: I did Very deliberately.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: That's why I underlined preposterous, because when I first looked at it I had to say what does that mean?
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: That's like a $10 word.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: Right there it is.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: I don't, like you, know big hard words.
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: But they're good except.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: I don't even know if you could do that one in Scrabble.
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: That might be too many letters to be able to try to figure that out.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: Anyway.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: So we all know there's something about packing day, right.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: Yes, and there's something particular about it.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: It's very preposterous.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: So, Miriam, you've experienced this day.
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: Yes, recently.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: And recently, and so unpack particularly Unpack the packaging.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: Okay, well, here's the deal.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: So I ordered something from Amazon because I was frankly too lazy to stop and just pick it up at the store.
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: So you know a little bit of a confession there.
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: I didn't know you go to stores anymore.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: So you can still walk in.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: Oh, I thought the packages on your front doors had us all supposed to go.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: No, no, not anymore, all right, but anyway.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: So my key fob for my car needed a battery.
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: Right Because otherwise you can't get in and it doesn't want to start.
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: Right Because otherwise you can't get in and it doesn't want to start.
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: And so I ordered these two little, very flat, round batteries.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: Very flat, I've seen those before Tiny flat, right, tiny flat.
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: And all of a sudden, on my doorstep is this box like bigger than a shoe box, seven inches tall, and I'm like what did I order?
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and I open it with anticipation.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: Like somebody really put a present in there for you, exactly Like somebody ordered something just for me.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: Amazon loves me, maybe gummies, gummy bears or something like that.
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: No, no, inside it was just stuffed with brown paper, and when I pulled the paper out, there's this tiny little package of two little flat batteries just thrown in.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: Preposterous, preposterous.
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, now, I think most of us have experienced that or something that's so squeezed into a package that when you undo it, you have to get the ironing board out and undo the wrinkles.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, yeah, it's ridiculous.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: So those are kind of preposterous, particularly packing things Absolutely.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: So next time a research department that we have National Save the Trees Day, you might want to draw our attention to that one Absolutely, Because that's certainly killing some trees yes, it is, but anyway, on that note, we have a young man.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: He's very young.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: He is and he's one of the newest additions.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: He's a pup.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: New addition to the Topeka rescue mission, fairly new.
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: You've actually heard him, uh, if you've listened to our community, our mission, um, do the prayers.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Uh, today Josh did the prayer.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: Josh Turley, uh, josh, you've been doing this for many years now, yep.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: And so you got a, an, uh, an assistant now, um, and he is did, and his title is the CCC, or the Creative Communications Coordinator.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: Well, that's another long I know.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: We're really testing your abilities today.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: So, isaiah Thurman, you are the CCC and you've been actually kind of conducting these podcasts, but today we're going to interview you and unpack your preposterous story.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: Okay, that's all right, you're just falling in love with these alliterations.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: Well, I figured out how to say it, so I don't want to forget it.
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: And at our age we have to repeat it over and over.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: We do, and then we'll probably just be that's all we say now.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: It's preposterous.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: This is preposterous.
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: It'll be our new favorite word.
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: Can I be the title of this episode?
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: A preposterous conversation with Isaiah Thurman.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: That may very well be a good title when we're done here.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: So, isaiah, welcome to our community.
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: Our mission You're very familiar with it, isaiah.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: How long have you been at TRM now, and what without tears?
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: How important we all are to you.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: Talk about how long have you been familiar with Speaker Rescue Mission.
• 9:44
  Speaker 4: Well, that's a story as old as I am, so 21 years old.
• 9:48
  Speaker 4: The mission has been.
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: I'll back.
• 9:53
  Speaker 4: I'll back and start with how long I've been here, which isn't very long.
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: Four months is how long I've been here.
• 9:59
  Speaker 4: I think this is month.
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: This is the start of month five, so I'm almost at half a year.
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: I'll be at half a year.
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: I'll end celebrating my half a year right after night of praise, which will be great, but no, the mission has been an integral part of my life all the way since the beginning.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: So there's a picture somewhere I don't know who has it, I think my uncle has it, or somebody has it of me and my dad in front of the Hope Center Breezeway, which is just like the big, long walkway that separates the building from the entrance A lovely security hallway.
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: I just always thought it was cool, but now I think about what its actual purpose is.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: Separates somebody from getting into the building.
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: Um, but uh, yeah, so it's a picture of me as a baby.
• 10:50
  Speaker 4: Um, we live there while deborah sabb was still director of the hope center.
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: Um, um, and that wouldn't be the last time.
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: Uh, unfortunately, but um, there are a couple times I, I think in 2014, 2013.
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: And then my last time was when I was in eighth grade, back in 2016.
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: And then now I'm back, but not living there.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: So you've had two or three experiences, maybe more being a guest of the rescue mission.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: Starting clear back before you probably can remember, and then going forward.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: I want you to tell us what it means to you to be here on staff today.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: But before you do that, what do you remember as a child about your experience?
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: You talked about the cool breezeway.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: That was actually security, which is really kind of cool when we keep people safe.
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: But what do you remember as a child?
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: Just kind of unpack it for us, because not everybody gets that experience um, I think, I think like the deepest thing that I remember that, uh, that like um never I never forgot about, was 7 30 um, which was quiet time, or seven o'clock, one of the other um I remember that announcement very vividly um, when it was time for chapel and everything, and it was like there might have been a of times that I was playing on my DS during that time, my Nintendo DS.
• 12:11
  Speaker 4: Oh, thank you for getting us up to date.
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: Once you brought up Nintendo, otherwise I'm like the upgrade, the upgrade to the game boy.
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: Yeah, there were a couple of times where I had to slip it under my pillow real quick, cause you know there's not.
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah, there were a couple times where I'd slip it under my pillow real quick.
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: So how old would you have been about this?
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: Probably like 12, 10, 10 or 12.
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: Of course, I remember Deb super well.
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: I think everybody does.
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: She was really good at what she did and now, knowing what the director's role is, I find it insane that she was able to do that for so long.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah for 20 some years.
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: Recently, miriam brought a phrase to me and Josh once during a meeting that I think really accurately describes how I describe it.
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: So, like a lot of people, like the common name for the rescue mission is like a shelter.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: We have shelters, blah, blah, blah, but I think it's something that they discovered on their trip and brought back.
• 13:12
  Speaker 4: That I really like is more the phrase emergency housing, because I really think for me, I guess as a kid, this is kind of what it felt like.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: It just felt like home.
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: The rules I didn't really care about you know all the whatever.
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: Um, I spent a lot of time volunteering in the kitchen so I was super active um with several of the kitchen staff that were here that I'm now friends with um and and just kind of like was always around people, just whatever.
• 13:43
  Speaker 4: It was kind of awkward when I like got older and people would be like I helped you as a baby and I'm like who are?
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: you.
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: Okay, cool, great Thanks, all right, um, but I think I think that's kind of like what I remember the most, um, especially just the fact that, um, I mean the classic walking from the Kansas Ab Bridge seeing the neon sign in the winter nights, like it's not tech night, like it's 5 o'clock but it's dark at night.
• 14:10
  Speaker 4: Sign's lit up.
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: You're walking down.
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: You come just right across the top about the halfway point at the bridge Boom, there it is.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: And there's a safe sign.
• 14:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the sign on top of the main shelter and, um, I didn't tell most people uh, recognize the mission, just because it's bright and it's obvious and it's the top of a hill, so it's like almost symbolic in this way where you can't see it.
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: But then, right once you get to the like the halfway point of the top, it's there and you're like oh, I'm almost there, um, but even when we didn't live there, um, still having that resource of you know, um, back before covid and we still do it now, but just to a lesser degree the community dinner was something that was super active back then inside the dining hall.
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: Now we do it out of the back of a shingle Stutzman.
• 14:54
  Speaker 4: But so, having community dinner and and it was always interesting Cause, you know, sometimes I wouldn't go with my dad cause I wouldn't want to walk across the town like at night or whatever you would actually when you weren't staying here.
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: come back for a meal, yeah um, and yeah, so, like me and my dad are super familiar with, like let's help, catholic charities, like all the, the just about everybody that's around um, we'd come back.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: It'd be funny because sometimes dad would go to lunch or dinner and he'd come back home and he'd go.
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: People were asking about you at the vision or whatever, and I was like, okay, cool, great, like, okay, he's right.
• 15:30
  Speaker 4: And people, um, I think that's what I remember pretty vividly.
• 15:34
  Speaker 4: Christmas, of course, um, there are a couple staff members that I think I remember pretty well, like Mr Shinkle, yeah, yeah, santa, I think I remember pretty well like Mr Schinkel.
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Santa Claus, Mike Schinkel, yes, food service director.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: It took a while before I got through that guise of Santa.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Was that a big shock, disappointment or just kind of a validation?
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: No, it was just kind of like who's this guy?
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: I think I was just under the impression that it was just like a random guy.
• 16:02
  Speaker 4: And then when it was Schinkel, I was like, oh, you're around.
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: That's crazy, that's really who it is he lives in Topeka, Kansas.
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: That's awesome.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: Back in the TRM thrift shop days where me and my dad would spend our volunteer points at the thrift shop.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: So you're kind of helping us understand a little bit about your interaction with TRM from early on, knowing what you know today, at a whole ripe 21 years old.
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: And what did you feel as a kid?
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Did you realize that you guys were in need of emergency services and housing.
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: Was that just cool this way it was, or was it hard?
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: You know, I think it had its ups and downs.
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: I think mainly the reason it had its ups and downs I think mainly the reason it had its ups and downs is when there were those couple times that we would either get back into housing or get back on our feet a little bit and then end up where we'd have to come back.
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: Then it's kind of like where you're like okay, that's what this place is in that kind of aspect.
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: So ADHD, repeat the question.
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I blinked.
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: I blinked.
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: No, no, that's fine.
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: I mean, you know we're kind of getting into a little bit of the weeds here.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: How, as a kid, were you looking at a need to go to a let's Help, to a rescue mission to eat Occasionally?
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: Obviously, you probably just didn't come in here because it was a place to stay, because it was cool.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: You lost your housing for a period of time.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: Do you recall as a child how you were feeling about that?
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: Some kids, you know, it's just like we don't know any different and it's just the way it is, and other times it's a great impact or somewhere in between.
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: What do you remember about how that felt?
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: I think.
• 17:43
  Speaker 4: I think it would just depend on the time.
• 17:46
  Speaker 4: Um, I remember there was a particular instance that um, I remember very vividly but I'll get to that cause that's tied to a different stories, that's kind of overarches, but um, I don't know.
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: Like, I think as a kid it's like super tiring because you need those resources and so, like you're always thinking about where that's going to come from.
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: You're thinking about where's the closest place, like if we live central and we are going to TRM for dinner, then that's like I don't know like a 40 minute walk from like Kansas Ave, where, like the Azure building close cause um down down to the mission, um, and so, yeah, like there were those times where I was just like eh, nah, I think I'll just not, cause you know you're like tired as a kid and you like don't want to walk across town and you don't want to um do that, or like the one place isn't open or whatever.
• 18:44
  Speaker 4: You don't want to walk across town.
• 18:45
  Speaker 4: Then stand and wait for a second, like you know, with all the community members, but you're also leaving early to like get there earlier and there's like there's a ton of like logistical things because you like have to, like you almost have to like double plan for just about everything.
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: When the weather's bad, it gets more difficult.
• 19:00
  Speaker 4: Right like you're traveling in the snow.
• 19:01
  Speaker 4: You're traveling in.
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: And that's because you didn't necessarily have any other resources at the time and and this was the place to come.
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: Yeah, pretty much.
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: I mean, the mission was probably the one that was just like because of, I think, just it's 24 hour service and being able to like provide community lunch and dinner at the community lunch was a thing too, wasn't it?
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: Breakfast lunch and dinner All of it was there, and so I think that, I think, is kind of what I think drove us particularly to the mission, because places like let's Help was, I don't remember, like every other week or yeah, just lunch and that wasn't even.
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: That wasn't like every day, I think that was like once a week.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: I'm trying to remember, but I don't quite remember daily for a while then you had to back off of that, but it was lunchtime, right, um, and so there's lunch, but also let's help us closer, so let's help would fill up a lot of.
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: Their building isn't as big, there's not a big long hallway, it's like a tiny little wraparound and then they have their actual offices, so the actual space where people would wait is a bit shorter.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: So kind of the extra trip you know whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, I guess made the mission, quote unquote like favorable in that aspect.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: Did you ever have a period of time when you're going, man, I hate to have to go to the rescue mission, I hate to have to go there to eat, I hate to have to go there to stay?
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: Um, did that really?
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: Did you ever experience that's?
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: That's a bad thing, Um, or was it?
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: Um?
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: As a kid?
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: Sometimes we don't see it that same way.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: We just say, well, this is where we're going next.
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: I almost don't want to say that it was that I hated that the mission is where I wanted to stay.
• 20:44
  Speaker 4: I think it was because through life I was so like in between I was like, I was never like on, I was, we were always on like the brink, basically Like we were basically always in, like the poverty, the poverty like line, and so, like it was, it was almost more than I hated that I like didn't want, I didn't want people in my house.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: Like, I didn't want people in my house, I don't want, like the friends to come over to my house, I'd rather be at their house, like, do whatever to be at their house.
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: Um, and so, and it's kind of funny, cause I still see that now Like people are like hey, let's come over to the apartment, I'm like'm like, no, no, we're not.
• 21:23
  Speaker 4: No, no, I'm like my apartment's fine, I'm like, but no.
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: So I think that I think that's kind of like lingered from, like, like, of course you walk into everyone's house and you're like, and they're like, oh, excuse the mess, you know, and they like their baby's toys or their dogs chewed up something, um, and of course I'm just like, hey, this is what it is.
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: If you if you had to live in what?
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: Half of what I've lived in?
• 21:45
  Speaker 4: Yeah, this is nothing.
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: This is great.
• 21:47
  Speaker 4: This is great in comparison um to what.
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: So I think I think there's a mix, cause, you know, um, I don't really think in middle school people really knew, I don't know, I don't.
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: I don't think I rode the bus very much.
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: I'm also probably like trauma blocked it.
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Sure, to be honest, do you remember making some friends here at Topeka Rescue Mission as a kid?
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: No, no, I gotta remember I the I think there were a couple.
• 22:20
  Speaker 4: I think I mainly just like Stayed to myself.
• 22:24
  Speaker 4: They're like a couple, but I don't think they were like you had your Nintendo.
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: We think yeah, yeah, I had my DS.
• 22:31
  Speaker 4: The DS pretty heavy.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: I was getting good at Mario Kart, you know doing all that I really care about making friends yeah.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you kind of unpacking a little bit for us about you know, when you say you stayed at the rescue mission, hading a little bit for us about you know, when you say you stayed at the rescue mission, you had to come here to eat a lot.
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: You know, a lot of people can't relate to that.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: Um, they don't understand.
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: I mean, they want to go to a restaurant.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: They get in their car and go.
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: You know, um, if they can't afford it, they put on the credit card.
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: You know, I mean it's uh, um, but when you maybe don't have anything in the fridge, you have no credit card, you don't have a car to get there.
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: You got to walk, you got to get there a certain way.
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: And then you add on top of that and you didn't really unpack a lot and we're not going to ask you to, but there were times when maybe the house you were living in wasn't all that great.
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: Oh, I know it was terrible there were, I'll unpack, I don't care.
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: There's, you know, there's no food in the fridge.
• 23:21
  Speaker 4: Well, what if the fridge just doesn't work?
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: Right, right, there you go.
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: Well, if you don't?
• 23:25
  Speaker 4: have one.
• 23:25
  Speaker 4: There's no electricity.
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: There's no electricity in the house, there's no water, there's no food.
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: I remember one time and somebody's going to be like whatever that we like borrowed electricity for like TV, to watch movies from like our neighbor.
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: It's crazy.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: it's not that uncommon or water or other things yeah, so that was one.
• 23:55
  Speaker 4: and yeah, there were times where, like I would, I'd be that kid that just like was using the internet at McDonald's like all day, you know, just kind of waiting for homie to bring me, like you know, a little big bag, you know a little big bag, you know, but yeah, that's, that's kind of how it went.
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so you knew about to pick a rescue mission as you are moving on in life, becoming closer to that adult age, which hasn't been that long now.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: Thanks for reminding me.
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: You're welcome.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: Well, you remind us about our age a lot.
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: Exactly Turn about.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: That's right, right, miriam Absolutely.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: That's why I say he's full of it.
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: But anyway, some people would have this experience staying in emergency housing, uh being in those situations, and when they break free of that and uh actually are able to have their own place and so forth they don't ever want to think about it, but you kind of stayed involved in listening to Topeka rescue mission.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: You listen to these podcasts.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: Did you ever dream that one day you'd be running them?
• 24:59
  Speaker 4: Well, funny enough.
• 25:01
  Speaker 4: Honestly, I don't really think I listen to the podcast till I found out I was getting hired.
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: Oh, it pretty much was, was it?
• 25:16
  Speaker 3: Or maybe I researched?
• 25:17
  Speaker 4: it okay.
• 25:17
  Speaker 4: So when I maybe was when I applied?
• 25:18
  Speaker 4: No, it was not.
• 25:18
  Speaker 4: Oh, it pretty much was, Was it?
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: Or maybe I researched it.
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: Okay, so maybe it was when I applied.
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: I applied.
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: Are you getting nervous?
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: And then I decided no, no, of course not, Because you haven't hit six months yet.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: I'd never be nervous For those who are listening and wondering what just happened here.
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: Miriam is our HR person here.
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: No, she's not.
• 25:33
  Speaker 4: Yes, I am so anyway, yeah, so anyway, we proceed.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: Honesty, even though it's going to get you fired, but someday it'll come back at you.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: No, anyway, so okay, so you didn't listen to the podcast.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: Did you ever pay attention to what was going on at Topeka Rescue Mission?
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: Did you ever think that one day you might be there?
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: Regardless of how you were thinking about it, yeah.
• 25:55
  Speaker 4: I think I think in like small bits, like maybe when, like a news article would come up, it'd go on my radar Post high school life, college and figuring that out and like college is like living in your own bubble.
• 26:13
  Speaker 4: You live in like a different world and like you ignore.
• 26:15
  Speaker 4: Like even though Washburn's in the city, like I'd rarely leave, really leave campus, and so like, um, when I did leave campus I was like, oh my gosh, the city I once knew, but so that.
• 26:31
  Speaker 4: And then when I decided to work in the car business, that so not really okay, so, um, so you just kind of busted our bubble.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: We were just thinking, okay, you just loved us so much that you're just so grateful, but anyway, okay, that's fine.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: So after high school you went to Washburn, I did, and so talk a little bit about that.
• 26:55
  Speaker 4: So I went to Washburn for a year and a half.
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: I failed every single class I had and I was a music education major.
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: So I went into Washburn really thinking that, well, I wasn't even going to go to Washburn.
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: I applied at like four colleges.
• 27:06
  Speaker 4: There were so many times where I'd be like I'm going to Mid-America, nazarene Psych, I'm going to Wichita State Just kidding, I'm going to Emporia.
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: And then, finally, somebody that I played in the drum line with at Topeka High his mom is like a dean or a teacher at Washburn and she was like just take the tour, blah, blah, blah.
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: And so I took the tour at Washburn because I didn't really have a car.
• 27:31
  Speaker 4: So getting to Emporia, getting to Mid-America, getting to all these places wasn't super in my purview, and so when I took the tour, I was like, dang, this is kind of nice, it's kind of nice.
• 27:39
  Speaker 4: So I was like, okay, well now what's my major going to be?
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: I settled on music ed.
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: Why?
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: Because it was what I was best at Um.
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: I decided that since I played music since middle school all the way up through high school and learned how to play tuba and then learned how to play drums, that I would decide to do that and be a music ed major.
• 28:03
  Speaker 4: I shouldn't have done that.
• 28:05
  Speaker 4: I love music.
• 28:06
  Speaker 4: Music is like integrated into everything I do.
• 28:08
  Speaker 4: Sometimes I walk into Josh's office just making random noises so I have to close my door when I'm like if I'm listening to drum corps stuff, because not everybody gets it, You're a musical without an instrument.
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, right now yeah, but yeah, so Washburn was kind of a cool place for you.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: It was a little bit of a bubble it was kind of moving to that next level of life and probably meeting some different people you'd never met before.
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: But you like music, but not necessarily that way.
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: No, I just wasn't a big fan of.
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: So at that point I got involved with Christian challenge, which is where I met my girlfriend, um, and I wanted to spend, cause, that entire senior summer.
• 28:46
  Speaker 4: I spent so much time looking for community, um, and didn't find it in like youth groups, that in at churches or whatever, um, that when I got the challenge and found college kids that like want to like live Christ in and out, college kids that like want to like live Christ in and out of challenge, like not only in the like youth group building or whatever the space that we do it, but outside, I was like this is it, this is what I was waiting for, um, and so I wanted to like spend as much time as possible with challenge.
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: Being a music ed major is not easy.
• 29:18
  Speaker 4: It's like one of the harder majors, even just for a bachelor's degree, um, and so I soon became conflicted with being a music ed major or and I'm an extrovert, so like being alone in a practice room over being at a challenge event.
• 29:33
  Speaker 4: I'm gonna take me to the challenge event 10 times out of 10.
• 29:37
  Speaker 4: So that's kind of how the start of the imbalance happened, and then whatever, and then, yeah, that kind of lewd into some other stuff because I'm not super great at grades, not super great at school, led to like some depression, I guess that I really only recognized recently, after I um some people around here, something that I realized happened during college and I was like, oh, that's what, that was crazy.
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: No, not crazy.
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: It's just part of who we are.
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: As we grow through life and our experiences the past and the current and, uh, the unknown future is that, uh, sometimes it can build up and we can kind of cave in on ourselves sometimes.
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: You mentioned Christian Challenge and that was really kind of the coolest part about school and it was.
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: you weren't finding this in any other particular groups, and so you said something about.
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: You know you want to be around Christ, and so where did Christ come into your life and how did he become important to you enough to where that was kind of the glue for you at Christian Challenge?
• 30:44
  Speaker 4: I think COVID did that to me After COVID, so I went to Topeka Bible Church, which Connor Krause is now the pastor of, if you remember, 20 episodes ago.
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: You guys are kind of chummy too.
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I mean I love my dog, connor Krause, went to TBC for four years while he was the youth pastor.
• 31:09
  Speaker 4: I went during what I call the Connor Krause era, so his entire four years there, which was great because when I was a senior, it was his last year in youth group and I didn't have to worry about him not being my youth pastor anymore.
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: I just got to leave with him.
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: It was great.
• 31:21
  Speaker 4: Providential.
• 31:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's preposterous to everybody.
• 31:24
  Speaker 4: So I did that with my buddy, zach, and after COVID, when we finally got back into youth group, it just felt awkward.
• 31:34
  Speaker 4: I didn't know how to socialize with everybody super well, and so I kind of drifted away from TBC a little bit and tried some other churches and, um, it was just like wanting what I like, felt that I had before COVID, after COVID, but I just kept running into like, and it's not like, it's not like everybody's not like this, like I'm, I am like this in several ways.
• 31:55
  Speaker 4: Um, it was just like.
• 31:57
  Speaker 4: You know, we come to church.
• 32:03
  Speaker 4: Sunday we do the youth group thing, we have fun in youth group and then afterwards we don't talk to each other for the whole week.
• 32:06
  Speaker 4: Or I see your Snapchat story and you're like going a little crazy and I'm like, uh, okay, all right, okay, guys, great talk.
• 32:10
  Speaker 4: We had Sunday.
• 32:11
  Speaker 4: What if we tried doing it during the week?
• 32:14
  Speaker 4: What if we tried that?
• 32:15
  Speaker 4: Um, and so I got to challenge.
• 32:18
  Speaker 4: Um, it's kind of funny because I I basically got to challenge to be their drummer and have been since.
• 32:24
  Speaker 4: So I've never actually gone to like challenge as like a challenge member, which I love for me, I I like being involved anyway.
• 32:33
  Speaker 4: So, being involved from the jump super easy for me.
• 32:36
  Speaker 4: There's no hard conversations like hey, can I like get involved.
• 32:39
  Speaker 4: It's like, nope, you're involved.
• 32:40
  Speaker 4: Here we are.
• 32:42
  Speaker 4: And so so you don't have to be a student at Washburn to be a part of the challenge.
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: There's like there's, so you're an alumni.
• 32:53
  Speaker 4: So like it's yes and no, it's like college age students, um.
• 33:04
  Speaker 4: I am fortunate that because drummers are few and far between that, I'm lucky enough to just continue to be the drummer, um and be 21.
• 33:16
  Speaker 4: So like it's not like I'm like 30 and a challenge group or whatever Um, but also just having that place in the band um as someone um helps for me, Um but usually place for you to belong.
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: Now and people yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a great place for you and you don't necessarily have to be a member of something I'm hearing.
• 33:38
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean it's definitely.
• 33:39
  Speaker 4: It's definitely a lot easier when you are a student, because the whole idea is students relation with students, becoming God, all that God has designed you to be.
• 33:48
  Speaker 4: And so, like when I left um Washburn to go to the car business, um, there's a big divide, cause I spent so much time in the car business but was still drumming for challenge that I wasn't connecting with students because I'm not on campus.
• 34:02
  Speaker 4: It's insane how much you don't connect with somebody when you can't be on campus, and so, in that way, challenge is definitely for students.
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: Every now and then there's like the rogue homeschooler no careful, now I'm a homeschooler, no Careful.
• 34:22
  Speaker 4: Now there's the guy that's, you know, college age maybe, is thinking about going to Washburn or is about to go to Washburn and is looking for community.
• 34:29
  Speaker 4: So I think that's what I think it is as far as that goes.
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: But at the current moment I'm just really the drummer.
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: So one of the things that in the short amount of time that you've been at TRM, I think all of us have recognized is you are very gifted in the area of technology, communications I have not heard you play the drums but also your love for the Lord, and so again I want to kind of during COVID, this really kind of when you really connected more with Christ and that's important to you now.
• 35:02
  Speaker 4: I think that's when I really I'd come to the realization that there's no in between before college.
• 35:12
  Speaker 4: I think just COVID is just was this big reminder that nothing will last forever or can last forever.
• 35:22
  Speaker 4: Um and so, like, the comfortableness that you live in the whatever it is um, can always be rattled by something.
• 35:32
  Speaker 4: Your routine can be rattled by something.
• 35:34
  Speaker 4: Your whatever it is Um and always will have like some type of endpoint.
• 35:39
  Speaker 4: Or there will always be a shift.
• 35:41
  Speaker 4: And COVID made everything shift and so, um, similar to how some people, when they're like aware that they might be getting closer to passing away you know that have followed Christ for a long time really get that emphasis on telling it to everybody, um, I think COVID was sort of the same thing, um, in the sense that, um, you know, college is like almost like the restart.
• 36:05
  Speaker 4: You know, people might split up a little bit from middle school to high school, but from high school to college, everyone just kind of they just like disappear, um, and so I think challenge also helped me hone and focus more quick and effective ways of explaining the gospel, because at that point you are dealing with adults, you're dealing with college students, and so the way you communicate that to them can be a lot deeper, because college kids think they can deep think on the biggest level possible.
• 36:41
  Speaker 4: A lot deeper, because college kids think they can deep think on the biggest level possible.
• 36:44
  Speaker 4: And so, like you know, I'd always, I'd gotten the the blah, blah, blah.
• 36:49
  Speaker 4: Here's this, here's this.
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: You know there's one side or the other, not not or not.
• 36:53
  Speaker 4: But challenge introduced me to like the one verse method, using Roman 623, which helps.
• 36:58
  Speaker 4: I think it's really great because it's basically this big visual aid.
• 37:03
  Speaker 4: Are you familiar with it at all?
• 37:05
  Speaker 4: the one verse with it in particular or the verse itself, whatever, so the verse, like you, would basically draw like two chasms and then you're on this side, god's on this side.
• 37:17
  Speaker 4: On this side is wages, sin and death, because that's what's part of the verse right Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
• 37:25
  Speaker 4: I think it might be Christ Jesus, our Lord, don't quote me.
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: I think that's ESV.
• 37:32
  Speaker 4: I think that's ESV maybe somebody find me out in the comments but you would basically find an emphasis of wages, sin and death.
• 37:43
  Speaker 4: So, like what you earn is sin, you earn you sin before you earn death.
• 37:48
  Speaker 4: There we go and then there's this big bridge between you and god and we try to get to that bridge from like helping old people, like barry and, and helping him.
• 37:59
  Speaker 4: I wondered how long it would take, and helping him cross the road and giving him a couple of spare change, cause you know retirement's hard, whatever it is.
• 38:07
  Speaker 4: We try to do all these things, but it's not good enough to get to the other side.
• 38:11
  Speaker 4: And so it works for me.
• 38:12
  Speaker 4: And so you draw, you know, a cross to symbolize Jesus.
• 38:18
  Speaker 4: Jesus is the only path to the side.
• 38:20
  Speaker 4: And you know, you know a cross to symbolize Jesus.
• 38:21
  Speaker 4: Jesus is the only path to the side.
• 38:22
  Speaker 4: And you know, you illustrate, you know I would say I'm on this side, what side?
• 38:25
  Speaker 4: What side do you think you're on?
• 38:26
  Speaker 4: And then you know they'd write.
• 38:27
  Speaker 4: And then you know you hit with a deeper question what side do you want to be on?
• 38:34
  Speaker 4: And I always love that verse because there's a super emphasis in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
• 38:37
  Speaker 4: There's this big emphasis that Jesus is everybody's Lord, he's for everyone, and I think that's something that I pointed out when I did the one verse method with people.
• 38:46
  Speaker 4: But it also helped me recognize that that's how it is.
• 38:50
  Speaker 4: It's complicated, but it's also very simple.
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: So you decide you want to be over on the side where the Lord provides you to come into his kingdom right.
• 38:58
  Speaker 2: Versus where you've been.
• 38:59
  Speaker 2: You know sometimes, isaiah, the individuals who really had a harder time in life, whether they were a child or whether it's later on in life or all through their life they say there can't be a God or he'd do a better job.
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: Did you ever question that?
• 39:19
  Speaker 4: I think there were definitely times.
• 39:19
  Speaker 4: I remember very vividly one time when me and my father we lost a house, we got evicted and we'd come back here to the mission.
• 39:29
  Speaker 4: We're standing in the men's side front desk and of course you know we're here Cause like this is the last option, this is about it.
• 39:39
  Speaker 4: And we're talking with him and we're trying to get registered and at this point my dad's older, his Parkinson's, is a bit more apparent, like I'm like front-runner on communication, to get it just like clear of like what we're doing, blah, blah, blah, blah, and make it as smooth as possible and basically we get like a no right, like no, you can't.
• 40:03
  Speaker 4: But also, I think, because we've been there before, I was like okay, is Deborah here?
• 40:09
  Speaker 4: Like so, so we get the no.
• 40:12
  Speaker 4: And at this point all my mind is thinking about is okay, if the answer is no, why?
• 40:17
  Speaker 4: For?
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: what, in other words, the no was you can't stay here tonight.
• 40:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what you.
• 40:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah and I think I felt that way because of the, I guess, the history I have with the mission, I felt I felt that I could get that.
• 40:36
  Speaker 4: Why?
• 40:37
  Speaker 4: Because you know, I know this is, I know the director get her on the phone.
• 40:42
  Speaker 4: I need the director right now.
• 40:45
  Speaker 4: But I didn't get that and so I like have this like breakdown in the bedside, front desk because at that point for me, as like a 17-year-old about to go into high school, like a 17 year old, um, uh, about to go into high school, the uh, the one place that I thought, um, I guess was was always there, wasn't there in that moment.
• 41:10
  Speaker 4: Um, looking back on it and knowing way more than I did then about how all this functions and how all it has to work.
• 41:17
  Speaker 4: But at the time you did not know I get it, yeah, yeah, and at the time I I didn't get it, yeah, yeah, and at the time I didn't understand it and you know, things all went great.
• 41:25
  Speaker 4: But I think it's times like those and where I am now, that I have those questions, but more often times than not, I often self-reflect and gain peace out of it and I go God, you are working.
• 41:45
  Speaker 4: You funny guy.
• 41:45
  Speaker 4: Why did you just show this to me like when it was happening?
• 41:48
  Speaker 4: Why did you have to make me wait for a few years?
• 41:50
  Speaker 4: But that's usually what always happens.
• 41:56
  Speaker 4: It was always super funny In my interview with Miriam and Josh Miriam goes, so why TRM and I go?
• 42:04
  Speaker 4: That's a very funny, funny story.
• 42:04
  Speaker 4: I feel like this is full circle.
• 42:05
  Speaker 4: Um, so for reference, I know someone pretty cool that works here now too, over in the hope center.
• 42:12
  Speaker 4: Um, as our assistant director.
• 42:13
  Speaker 4: Um, she's like really cool.
• 42:16
  Speaker 2: um like really, really cool like super, super cool.
• 42:20
  Speaker 4: Um, and so that that was like my my end back into the mission.
• 42:25
  Speaker 4: Um was was her.
• 42:26
  Speaker 4: Um, she's my girlfriend, by the way.
• 42:28
  Speaker 4: Um, her name's Isabel.
• 42:32
  Speaker 3: Oh shocking.
• 42:33
  Speaker 4: I said to drop that really quick.
• 42:34
  Speaker 4: Um, um, and so that was kind of my end.
• 42:37
  Speaker 4: And she was like telling me about you know stuff and stuff and you know being the assistant director and you know you know every now and then, um going to the emotions of of you know, unfortunately, like if the place is full, you know we're at capacity, you know during the winter months and, and you know dealing with that.
• 42:54
  Speaker 4: And I was like, yep, you just got to do your job.
• 42:57
  Speaker 4: Because, like I don't understand, I'm just like trying to sell cars, I'm like I know it sucks.
• 43:00
  Speaker 4: Uh, the lord provides, basically, um and um.
• 43:06
  Speaker 4: I was just telling marion that like it's just like full circle, like I started here and now here I am, um, so it was kind of funny.
• 43:13
  Speaker 4: When you know, josh sent me this email, I was like I think we're gonna move forward in the interview process, make a graphic.
• 43:20
  Speaker 4: I made three different drafts, barry, for this thing.
• 43:23
  Speaker 4: I downloaded, I downloaded the trm logo from his email signature to make these graphics.
• 43:29
  Speaker 4: And, and you have the capability of doing that.
• 43:32
  Speaker 4: I did, I did and uh, so I downloaded the.
• 43:35
  Speaker 4: I downloaded the trm logo from his email signature, created uh.
• 43:39
  Speaker 4: I looked up what uh, the website was so I could create like a trm online dot org, slash, whatever the it was for, like a run club that doesn't exist.
• 43:47
  Speaker 4: Um, and and I made this graphic and I went through three iterations and I texted all three of them.
• 43:52
  Speaker 4: Isabelle.
• 43:52
  Speaker 4: I was like which one do I send, josh?
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: what was funny is when I sent you that email, I actually just asked for wording and I wanted to see.
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: I said it was wording for a post and I it was actually kind of a trick, so I wanted to see if you do graphics with it and you did so well done.
• 44:07
  Speaker 4: So so so I did, I did like a graphic and I did like a story post, and then I did wording and I was like, and then I, uh, I had this really funny moment where I wrote the wording like halfway real, halfway in chat, gpt, and then I like ran it through an AI checker because I didn't know if Josh, or you just want to be around the girl.
• 44:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, no, it's definitely a job.
• 44:26
  Speaker 4: I'm not even around the girl that much, which is crazy.
• 44:28
  Speaker 4: People ask me that all the time.
• 44:29
  Speaker 4: They're like, oh, so you get more time with Isabel?
• 44:31
  Speaker 4: I'm like, no, we're in different buildings.
• 44:34
  Speaker 4: Her building's busier than mine is.
• 44:37
  Speaker 4: I'm just, I'm just doing things.
• 44:40
  Speaker 2: So you really what brought you back was a relationship.
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: Somebody worked here.
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: And then there was this opportunity Talk, just very briefly.
• 44:54
  Speaker 2: How did you learn so much about graphics and video production?
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: And you talked about being a musician, but where did that come in?
• 44:58
  Speaker 2: And obviously, Josh, this was his area and he and Mary I'm working together, uh, in these regards and others, but, uh, you've taken a lot here.
• 45:08
  Speaker 2: How would you prepare for that before you came in?
• 45:11
  Speaker 4: Um, I think a lot of it.
• 45:13
  Speaker 4: The main thing was when I looked at the, when I looked at the the one sheet that you know gives you the job description, um, and I saw in the really tiny print other duties as assigned.
• 45:20
  Speaker 4: I'm kidding.
• 45:21
  Speaker 4: Job description, um, and I saw in the really tiny print other duties as assigned.
• 45:22
  Speaker 4: I'm kidding.
• 45:23
  Speaker 4: Uh, when I, when I was reading the description and it said, you know, degree preferred but not required, that's when I was like, okay, great, I got, I got, I got this on lock, I don't need a degree, I'm in there.
• 45:34
  Speaker 4: But really, so, like in 2015, I started a YouTube channel, um, and it was really just like gaming content.
• 45:42
  Speaker 4: It was like it was terrible.
• 45:43
  Speaker 4: All those videos are terrible.
• 45:45
  Speaker 4: In high school, I went through a class called video production with my buddy, Zach, and we were always into film and me and my dad would always watch films together.
• 45:51
  Speaker 4: That's how we bonded, watching movies and stuff.
• 45:54
  Speaker 4: So film and storytelling was always something I loved just being creative in general, making fun videos, seeing what's new, pushing myself to do something.
• 46:06
  Speaker 4: With music it's harder because to get better, you really just like you have to practice and that's like it, like you can look at people's tone, but you can't really directly replicate it without the time.
• 46:19
  Speaker 4: Like, if I listen to, if I see a guy that's been playing tuba for 15 years longer than I have and he's so much better than I am it's still going to take me forever to even get to like half of his level In filmmaking.
• 46:31
  Speaker 4: It's not that it takes less time, it's quicker to instantly replicate, and then you just practice it over and over and it refines, because it's just easier to like find it in an edit or do something or get inspired to do that that same trick, Um, and so I think that's where I did that was always.
• 46:49
  Speaker 4: I told this to Josh the other day, um, the other day being probably like a month ago, um, when I was talking about something and I was like Josh, I want to do the like the hard thing until it becomes easy.
• 46:59
  Speaker 4: And Josh was like what?
• 47:00
  Speaker 4: I want to do the hard thing until it becomes easy.
• 47:02
  Speaker 4: And Josh was like what?
• 47:04
  Speaker 4: I just want to do it easy.
• 47:05
  Speaker 4: And I was like nah, but so film class and doing that and running the YouTube channel and trying to run the YouTube channel succeeded, failed, succeeded, failed, all that stuff.
• 47:17
  Speaker 4: Luckily I have ADHD.
• 47:19
  Speaker 4: So once I learned about something, I just like I research it like forever, tons and tons of YouTube videos.
• 47:26
  Speaker 4: Yeah, like me and Josh just got, uh, a couple of things, um, for our desk, for our productivity, and I spent the 30 minutes that we had from our lovely halt this morning um, figuring out how to use it pretty much like video, video, testing it out, doing whatever, seeing how it does it, seeing how it doesn't do it, um, and finding the solution to like get it done.
• 47:48
  Speaker 4: Pretty much, and if I can't get it done with what I have, what do I have that I can do to get it done?
• 47:52
  Speaker 4: Like, what can I do to simulate that or or whatever?
• 47:55
  Speaker 4: Um, but I really just love telling stories.
• 47:57
  Speaker 4: Um, and through that I really was like, I mean, I, I at this point I hated the car business and, um, but every single time our marketing team would come to film videos, I would like I'd get energized, I'd love being in the building, I'd love doing the videos, um, and so the opportunity to to come here as someone who lived here and get, even if it was once a year, the opportunity to hunker down and think real hard and craft something that will tell the stories of how it really is and not how people like think it is, is all I really need, and that's that's why I'm like super excited for um, what we have going on for, uh, night of praise, um, because that's like the one opportunity where tons of people come and there's nothing but open space and opportunity to really show them what goes on here.
• 48:54
  Speaker 4: Because even even as somebody who lived here, um, I didn't know about half of the things that we did Um, and there are a lot of initiatives that came out of COVID that are even more astounding.
• 49:08
  Speaker 4: A lot of things through pushing through the limitations of COVID, how resilient we were and are after that when it comes to still providing for not only the guests but our community, um, that people just don't always see Um, and I think that, um, the fun, the fun thing that I get to do and I mentioned this, I think, in another podcast I was in was that, you know, no one's creating and thinking about like shaping a story and something special from, like, a little volunteer group that like shows up for a couple hours in the day, um and like sort some clothes or fill some backpacks for back to school or um helps out in the kitchen.
• 49:54
  Speaker 4: Um, but I do cause I think I think I think that's that's worth it, because what they end up giving, what they give to us in their time and their effort, is fully worth a 30 second, whatever.
• 50:09
  Speaker 4: Um like well thought out, well produced, um, well crafted, um video showcasing what they do, um.
• 50:19
  Speaker 2: Merriman, josh, you guys have been working the social media piece of this um for a long time now.
• 50:24
  Speaker 2: What, what are you seeing?
• 50:25
  Speaker 2: That is taken to another level with Isaiah in here.
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: I think, um, just for me, you know, having been here a while, it was nice just having fresh eyes come in, and one with his background and his experience, like he loves this place, he loves the people here and it's uh, it's contagious, like you know, and so his, his passion for what he does, his creativity for what he does, is just it's killer and it's taking it to a different level, and so and, frankly, his age right.
• 50:53
  Speaker 3: Not that josh is super old like you, me, barry although he regularly makes me feel that way, did you?
• 50:58
  Speaker 4: know that josh has worked here half of my life.
• 51:00
  Speaker 4: Josh are you darkening your beard?
• 51:02
  Speaker 2: now I am.
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: I've got to get that rogaine.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: He'll let me find out.
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: I've got a lot more gray since he started.
• 51:12
  Speaker 3: Understandably.
• 51:13
  Speaker 3: So I think you know just having not just, like Josh mentioned, fresh eyes, but young, fresh eyes, right, because it's a whole different kind of approach.
• 51:26
  Speaker 3: Um, and so it's wonderful to have his perspective on how things could be or what could happen, and, um, isaiah is somebody that is full of ideas, which is wonderful, and I think the challenge I know he did, I know, so I'm kind of clarifying and I think the challenge that Josh and I will have is reassuring him that while we can't do everything, that doesn't mean we don't still value all of his ideas, you know, and we want them to keep coming because eventually some will stick, and if not now, eventually, kind of thing.
• 51:59
  Speaker 3: So I think having Isaiah on our team has really challenged us to do better.
• 52:08
  Speaker 2: And I think it is better.
• 52:09
  Speaker 2: I think that you've taken help to take it to the next level.
• 52:11
  Speaker 2: When you look at Facebook posts now, the videos that are out there I know don't let your head blow off here, no, it really is good, and part of that's because of capacity.
• 52:21
  Speaker 2: I mean, we have Josh working on it, miriam and some others that are working this, but you add another person to the team who can really focus.
• 52:29
  Speaker 2: I know you and I were talking last night we were both last ones out of the building and you say I thought you didn't work here anymore and I go, I don't.
• 52:36
  Speaker 2: I'm just, you know, still got a key, but you're here late working on stuff and you're putting stuff together to be able to.
• 52:44
  Speaker 2: Is that an HR problem?
• 52:46
  Speaker 3: So I'm like okay, there are things I should not hear.
• 52:49
  Speaker 4: Barry says I'm here late.
• 52:50
  Speaker 4: I'm really just in the building.
• 52:51
  Speaker 4: He's just in the building, yeah.
• 52:53
  Speaker 2: Anyway, I could tell he was laser focused on what he was doing to create that next thing for communication and in the day and age we're in, as you well said, even living here.
• 53:03
  Speaker 2: As a child, on different experiences that you had being around being a part of TECA Rescue Mission, you didn't really understand the magnitude of everything that goes on.
• 53:11
  Speaker 2: Well, if you didn't, how can people in the community not understand that unless they are shown and that's what you guys are doing All of you are helping people to get inside and see the value even of a little small group of volunteers that did something on that particular day, or a company that's doing something, or a school Right, not like we haven't ever highlighted those, but they're being highlighted in a unique, different way, in a competitive way, so to speak.
• 53:36
  Speaker 2: There's a lot of competition for attention today.
• 53:39
  Speaker 2: So if you have something that can grab people's attention quick and it's got good quality of value in it and it touches their heart in an authentic way and it's all authentic, then people are going to feel more of a part and feel good about what's going on.
• 53:55
  Speaker 3: So I volunteer for another organization on their board.
• 53:58
  Speaker 3: And one of those board members said you know, we really need to be doing our Facebook stuff like TRM does.
• 54:04
  Speaker 3: And I was like, well, looky there, looky there.
• 54:09
  Speaker 2: I don't.
• 54:10
  Speaker 3: I know I was so proud of all of you.
• 54:12
  Speaker 3: I was just like, yeah, that's my team, but so it is being noticed, not just by us and what we see, but people on the outside are noticing hey, TRM is doing something that really highlights the work that they do.
• 54:24
  Speaker 3: That's right.
• 54:25
  Speaker 2: Well, and communications is what it's all about.
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: Today.
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: It's communication, communication.
• 54:29
  Speaker 2: It either can be poor communication or good communication.
• 54:32
  Speaker 2: It can either be authentic communication, especially in the day and age we're in, with people who are experiencing homelessness, um who are struggling more and more and more.
• 54:47
  Speaker 2: How do we, as a community, not look at them, but look at us?
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: and what we do together.
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: I think something that just makes it unique too is just it's a lot of it's positivity right Like a lot of it's just positive stories, and I think that's something that's nice to put out in a time where there's just so much negativity.
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: And so I think, that's another positive thing, and in the midst of it.
• 55:10
  Speaker 2: It's not positive for people who are struggling, but we can find people that can positively help them, so that we can be together to help them.
• 55:16
  Speaker 2: Well, Isaiah, it's glad that you joined us today on our community, our mission.
• 55:22
  Speaker 4: I'll see you next week.
• 55:22
  Speaker 2: Perry.
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: You will.
• 55:23
  Speaker 2: You'll be on the other side, where Josh is on the mic.
• 55:26
  Speaker 2: Poor Josh had to try to figure out how to work the board again.
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: I did.
• 55:28
  Speaker 2: It took me a little bit, but as long as this gets recorded and we get it put out there, good job, josh.
• 55:33
  Speaker 2: But, isaiah, thank you for unpacking your story here today.
• 55:37
  Speaker 2: I think there's going to be a lot of folks who are going to look at this in a very unique way, and we're just so glad that God directed you to the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 55:46
  Speaker 2: It's only been four months and you're still a pup.
• 55:48
  Speaker 2: I think that, by virtue of the giftings that God has given you, the experiences he's given you, we can't say anything other than thank God for you and so thank you Well, thank you all for listening to our community, our mission.
• 56:02
  Speaker 2: You've heard from Isaiah Thurman, who is our CCC.
• 56:05
  Speaker 2: The Creative Communications Coordinator, spent most of his life involved with Topeka Rescue Mission, all the way from a baby and several different occasions, and now here he is part of the team that is helping you and all of us understand what God is doing at Topeka Rescue Mission, the value of you who are helping this great work to do what it does, to bring hope and help to those who are in need.
• 56:26
  Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to our community, our mission.
• 56:28
  Speaker 2: If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to the website at trmonlineorg.
• 56:34
  Speaker 2: That's trmonlineorg.
• 56:36
  Speaker 2: Have a blessed day.