Chinese Mafia Leader Gives His Life to Jesus (Testimony)

my older brother got involved with local Triad  I got into a fight and then I got basically my   brother Colvin tried to come down they came  over to me and they said they were coming   to watch over this altercation about to have  to make sure nothing gets out of hand after   I fought this guy they came up came up to  me and said listen you know your brothers   with our group this is who we are and we  want you to join as I'm leaving the door   from my house my mom's standing there and she's  crying you know because she she knows I'm going   back to do something she said to me she said son  I prayed a prayer and never prayed before in my   life so I pray to God that he would do whatever  it takes to get you to him this guy's so angry and   everyone keeps quiet around him and he pulls  out this machete okay that he had his pants   and he's about to start swinging this machete  and something that came to my mind was what my   mother told me when I was a kid and she said son  if you ever get in a situation that you have a   problem I want you to use the name Jesus and I  remember taking one step back and I said Jesus so Toby we are super excited to have you here  with us at delafe testimonies for the people who   may not know you can you just introduce yourself  really quick yeah my name is Jeremy Seattle but   I go by Toby and Toby could you tell us a little  bit about your life before Jesus kind of starting   with your childhood and how that was like for  you yeah so childhood I guess background is my   my parents you know they they're involved in the  church my dad though he's um Singapore Chinese and   first generation Christian my mom is 100 Polish  but American from Pittsburgh and also she was a   first generation Christian um growing up it was  kind of a rocky household to be honest with you uh   my relationship with my father was was um not the  best um in Chinese culture you know especially my   generation we didn't have a very deep connection  with our father wasn't a very relational nurturing   kind of atmosphere it was more like kind of roles  and um what you're expected to do so I never felt   like I I had that that safe spot for my dad and he  also had a pretty uh yeah anger problem probably   honestly he's probably the most violent person  I knew growing up that kind of took away a sense   of safety in the household and then on top of  that I also had a learning disability I I really   couldn't read I couldn't write couldn't do maths  I was I was dyslexic and on top of that I also   had like a speech impediment so I had a really  hard time communicating and because it wasn't   communication of my father too as an example I  wasn't really taught to ask questions or practice   communication in the house earliest memories I  remember being in school pretty early on they   put me in a special ed class so I was I was in  public school and I was probably maybe seven or   eight and in my class there was there was three  of us in the public school okay there was a girl   who she was she was like she was deaf and there  was a dude that he was blind and though it was me   I mean because they just didn't know do with me  they just knew this guy some learning issues and   they got he got me away from everybody else and  I remember like having my first support card that   I could recall and bringing that record report  card back to the car when my dad's picking me up   and when he pulled this report card out  there was like literally a bunch of like   this bad grades basically and I remember he told  me when he drops him back home and he comes back   home that night to be waiting for him and  I knew what that meant I knew that he was   gonna he was gonna beat me you know and to be  honest it was quite common to get beat for like   for all kind of reasons and he left after dropping  me off at the house and I remember going to my   room and just having such high anxiety and fear  that he was gonna come back and just whoop me   and I remember putting books in my pants because  I was like I know it's gonna come down hard   and when he got back home that night he came in  my room and he knew I put pants he put I put books   in back my pants you know so he made me take  everything off and he just beat me so hard and   I remember that night my mom said okay tomorrow  you're not going to school because I was all black   and blue and in my mind it was very hard for me to  understand because I I had high effort in school   but I just couldn't understand what was going on I  couldn't I didn't know why academics didn't click   you know I remember thinking about education and  it was quite it brought anxiety to me because I   opened up a book and I don't know what it's saying  I can't I don't know what's making out you know   so when I was about 11 12 my family moved to New  Zealand it was a total new environment new culture   new weather you know people's accidents were  different so I'm going through this culture shock   about 11 years old and we moved to a place called  mangere in Auckland and Monday and Auckland was   kind of the hood and so we I go this public school  is my first week there I'm already going through   kind of this culture shock and I remember going to  my class the first day I was a little bit late and   the teacher introduced to me as a new kid you know  and right away I just heard these racial slurs you   know because I was Asian and there wasn't many  Asians at that time in my school and I just felt   so unprotected and vulnerable because I'm going  through all this stuff my family life back home   I feel vulnerable with my dad I already know  that I can't I can't I have a problem learning   and and now I'm just getting like attacked  you know so there's this group there in my   school they started kind of getting they'll give  verbal abuse and then physical abuse to me and my   younger brother so I started to fight because  I said you know what I just can't have this no   more so they're beating my younger brother and  that's how I got involved with my first gang   so Toby during all of this that was going on the  difficulties at home and even in school where was   God did you have any concept of who God was I  know you said you were raised in a Christian   household what was you know the impression of  Jesus um in your life I mean I always believed   that God was real but because of what I was going  through I just I just never knew he was personal   I always thought he was distant maybe because I  was very distant from my father it's very hard   for me to conceive a love of God does that make  sense so yeah I believe that he was real but I   didn't believe he was personal that he was kind of  doing his thing and I was doing my thing you know   so yeah so Toby tell us about this game like  these Lifestyles that you kind of found yourself   getting into because of the bullying and you  know the racial um things that were going on   yeah so I mean what I saw right away is I mean  I wasn't I wasn't involved getting right away   but when I started to fight I saw that and  it came naturally for me because I saw my   father he he would deal with situations with  his fist not talking so for me because plus   I had a speech impediment growing up I was quite  insecure to talk so like when I when they started   um coming after my brother I thought I'm just  gonna start protecting him and not letting this   happen and when that when I started to be physical  of these people then I saw they started backing   off and they started to keep quiet and there  was there were games that are quite prevalent   in mangere Auckland like all like my like the  kids in my school they talk about their their   dads uncles being black power and Mongrel mob and  all this stuff like that they were local you know   and so actually me and the guys that I started  fighting with we became friends and we started   making our own crew and that was 11 years old so  we call ourselves the ESPYs you know and we're   only there for about a year and a half then we  went from there to Malaysia and in Malaysia it was   quite more familiar because the Asian country it's  very close to Singapore we have the same cultural   groups there we have the malays Indians and the  Chinese and and the and the city I lived in called   Penang was more Chinese dominated like Singapore  is so and I also have roots from Malaysia because   I have aunts and uncles that live there too so  when I moved there my older brother got involved   with local Triad I got into a fight and then I got  basically my brother Culver tried to come down and   they came over to me they said they were coming  to watch over this altercation you're about to   have to make sure nothing gets out of hand after  I fought this guy they came up came up to me and   said listen you know your brothers with our group  this is who we are and we want you to join I told   him though I said listen I need like a week to  think about it and maybe come back like in a week   you know and on Friday the next week literally  from that day I a car pulls up when I'm walking   back home and this guy's in there and asked me you  know you got a way to think about it what do you   want to do and I said okay I'll join that's how I  got involved so can you kind of explain for those   that may not know what a Triad is kind of were  these usual things like people coming up to you   like impact cars to recruit people like was this  part of the culture can you kind of explain just   a little bit more about what that was like yeah at  first I didn't I didn't know it was a try I don't   even know what a try it was all I knew was gangs  right and and triad is like the Chinese Mafia it's   they're very intricate and they're quite strong  especially in Malaysia where I'm from I speak for   my own experience you know they're involved with  prostitution the drug dealing white collar crime   you know extortion things of that level they start  recruitment also quite early so 13 years old to be   recruited when I was recruited was quite normal  there and there's many Triad groups in the city I   was from these trial groups they start recruiting  at that age because they want to build up their   membership so they can get in when they're young  they're trainable and they they can they can learn   what's going on you know until the until they're  older so yeah recruitment is pretty prevalent at   1314. yeah so Toby could you tell us now you know  you've committed yourself I guess to being in this   um gang what was that like what did you start to  get introduced to yeah like tell us a little bit   about that so in in my mind when I when I when  I when I first got when I first got involved   um there was many people in my rank that was  recruited in my Triad so I knew everybody in my   rank that was part of our subdivision okay so it's  very it's broke down subdivisions or branches so   I knew that school wasn't I didn't have a future  in school so at 13 years old I actually got   expelled at middle school so I never went to high  school day in my life I missed all my high school   and I realized that if I can be around my leader  who we call Dilo in Chinese Chinese trial our boss   called thylo or big brother and the people under  you called Gina you know so I was beginning of my   thylo and I I knew that if I was around my boss  and I was around my leaders my elders I can watch   them I can keep quiet and and and hopefully I  can I can gain their favor because if I gain   their favor then I have opportunity inside the  Triad and because I was kicked out of school my   boss my dialogue said hey Shelby you know what you  kicked out of school right now why don't you come   start hanging around us and that's exactly what I  wanted because I growing up translated protection   is love because I felt so unprotected in my life  whether home or school I just felt so unprotected   so when when my thylo offered protection let's  say you know you join you join our trials like   the recruit you joined our Triad you know this is  what we're involved in this is the future you have   you know you go to jail we're gonna bail you out  and they've got connections and all that so it's   very enticing to know you're covered like that  under this Mafia group because I was kicked out   of school and my boss said you know what you're  out a lot of the members your rank are still in   school I'm gonna train you up and I mean my boss  getting very very close you know we had a very   good relationship and so he really groomed me  in the Chinese Triad show me who was who what   to do what not to do you know how to and then and  then after some time he said she'll be because you   know you're out of school right now and we're  in charge of a few different Local Schools   um which are recruiting grounds and like I said  training grounds too he said I'm going to make   you my right hand man so everybody under me is  going to come under you now and so now you got   to be in charge of the recruitment process the  well-being of all the Gina which is all the kids   and and making sure taking care of basically  Internal Affairs and also external Affairs that if   we have other tribe groups so very quickly at 15  16 I already had responsibility you know I people   that I had to manage you know and at that time  my relationship with my father was also pretty   out of hand and I remember one time that you know  Vance was just pretty much my my activity because   this is what you do you know I'm a Triad but also  at home it was also still violent and I remember   one day I got back home and it was actually my  younger brother's birthday and me and my father   had an altercation and I remember that he just  started blowing up you know he started just just   punching me right in the face back of the head  got me in the ground put his knee on my temple   and I remember getting up and I was I just started  to explode I took it I took a chair I started to   beat my dad with it I started throwing out a  Windows trying to smash the house up I remember   when I got when we got done with that altercation  my father came and he started to apologize to me   and it's the first time I ever heard him really  apologize because it's just even a call even   culturally the Chinese culture Christian or not  they just they don't just do that you know it's   really sad to say and he started saying you  know I'm sorry that I have an anger problem   but I just thought that it's gonna go on like  normal Nothing's Gonna Change but but actually   from that point onwards something happened to  my father and he actually started to calm down   and I I thought dude this is so weird seeing  him all my life blow up and all of a sudden   like something's changed in him and in my mind my  father who's the most terrifying person in my life   for to see him calm down and not react to certain  things that he used to it really did something to   my mind and I thought maybe it's only only God  could have done something like this you know   and what happening was was my parents knew I was  involved in the Triad I would tell them listen I'm   a try member for life that's the way I'm gonna  live this is how it's going to be but my father   he actually started to kind of reach out to me  and that that on its own was really weird but he   actually started winning my trust and we actually  started to develop a relationship and then it kind   of got even to a point that I trusted my father I  also during this time in my teenage years I also   started to have really really um bad um sleep  paralysis but it was it was to a point that   I would actually slip out of my body so it's  almost like the sleep paralysis would take   go to another level that's almost like my  my soul is coming out of my body and I'm   actually looking around at my sleeping body and  seeing Furniture but I also see the spirit world   and that part right there really started opening  my eyes because it would happen quite a bit to a   point that I just realized that there's actually  a supernatural a different a spirit world that's   that's um beyond the physical so my eyes started  opening up I I really felt that evil was so strong   and even in a way that evil needs to be respected  because the gang I was with and a lot of Triads   they also have a certain deity they worship and  they also have a a lot of them have temples that   are dedicated to the Triad meaning they have they  have like even mumps that are involved with the   Triad they're the tribe members and the guys I was  with my my leader and a lot of tribe members they   will actually welcome different spirits and they  actually practice witchcraft you know they will   they would wear they would get certain tattoos  that the monks would come and they'd do a hand   tattoo and they would actually blow spells  into them and they're going to trances but   they're welcoming like a monkey god of they're  fighting Gods they're fighting Spirits really   and they would actually go for fights with  machetes and they wouldn't even get cut even   to that extent so they they welcome all this kind  so in my mind even seeing all that it gave me kind   of a respect but at the same time I didn't want  to I never even my boss wanted me to get the the   the the the the spiritual tattoos I never got  them because I knew what I was seeing at night   and I didn't want to like kind of provoke does  that make sense I didn't want to provoke because   when I was going through these these almost like  an out-of-body experience when I was sleep it was   very terrifying it was very very scary you know  and so I I just didn't want to mess with that   um yeah so Toby I know that you had a lot of  powerful encounters that led you to um Jesus   and into salvation can you walk us through kind  of how you came from being a gang member in these   mafias to now serving the lord yeah so the word  my my the word of the Lord came to my mom and the   Lord told my mother that I was gonna get killed if  they stayed in Malaysia so one day my mom come and   she says we're packing up we're leaving I had no  idea though that God spoke to my mom and if she   told me I probably thought she would be crazy to  be honest because I I didn't think God could like   speak to you like that and I thought to myself  you know what I'm gonna try to come to the stage   because in Chinese we call America the mountain  of gold okay so we think this place might be an   opportunity or something so we end up leaving but  before I leave actually at the airport a lot of   the guys from Detroit came to send me off and  as I'm saying go bye to a bunch of these guys   there's quite a few of them maybe maybe 25 30 of  them there was one guy who I actually kind of grew   up with that he wasn't involved in the gangs but  when I was saying goodbye to him he said she'll   be I have something for you and he in his hand he  had his little New Testament Bible and and he did   that for everybody but he had the boldness to hand  me this New Testament Bible and I took it because   I you know me and him were cool so I took it with  me I brought it back to the States as I'm back in   the States right I'm thinking to myself I'm gonna  end up going back to Asia I'll take I'll stay here   I'll fly back and forth I had my right hand man  running running you know my getting on my my my   kids my group all that as I was here I really just  remember thinking that my girlfriend back in Malay   was cheating on me something just told me she was  cheating on me so I called my my boss up and I   said to him I said listen I got this feeling that  this girl's cheating on me can you check it out   so the next day I get a phone call and my title of  my boss called me he said Toby we we looked around   and this is who she's cheating on you and this is  who it is and I just lost it because that guy who   she went with he was also involved with the try  groups and part of our we call the laws right part   of our laws is you cannot doesn't matter what  tribe you're from you can never take a a girl   from a tribe member that's break that's breaking  or a lot we call our laws you know so I thought   and this guy I actually fought him before and I  thought to myself I don't always doing because   he's spiteful or what I remember calling at that  time now with my ex-girlfriend and I said listen   I'm gonna fly back to Penang and I want you to  tell him I got a present for him and I had a   plan to go to go get this guy so I bought a plane  ticket I remember thinking this this point in my   life like my life was almost crumbling you know  because I I was already a branch leader with   people under me and that was my dream as a kid  I always dreamed that if I want to be someone   of leadership within the Triad I didn't want I  want to be an asset you know I wanted all this   all that the name and I'm thinking to myself like  it what's it for what's the purpose of it you know   so I started questioning life you know and the  day I'm leaving to the airport I actually gr I   actually grabbed that New Testament Bible that my  friend gave to me from Penang and as I'm leaving   the door from my house my mom's standing there  and she's she's crying you know because she she   knows I'm going back to do something she said to  me she's a son she said look at me and I looked at   my mom and she said I want to tell you something I  prayed a prayer and never prayed before in my life   so I pray to God that he would do whatever it  takes whatever it takes to get you to him to   bring you to Christ you know in her mind  she thought she would never see me again   but I didn't know that God already told her  that I'm that I'm like I'm gonna probably   get killed over that so they move the whole  family together with the mafia stuff but when   she told me that I felt like something was gonna  happen on my trip and so I get to the airplane   and I pull out the New Testament Bible because  my life the only comfort I had in my life was   control controlling people you know using Vines  to control people whatever I felt like that was   in my safety because I was so insecure you know I  feel like life was so insecure and in the plane I   just feel like the plane's gonna crash you know  I always think like I can't control not flying   the planes I'm like I'm freaking out you know so  I opened the New Testament Bible and I'm still   full of this rage you know and here I can't read  I've never read a book in my life and I'm flipping   through these pages right and I see these words  pop out and I said in three days I will heal you   and I just can't believe what I'm seeing  because I know that I've never been able   to read before and I'm thinking honestly this  is like a miracle or something so I closed   this and I say God if this is you speaking to  me right now in three days if you take away   my anger from this guy whom flying Halfway  Around the World to go find I'ma let him go   and I thought about that prayer I thought  about what I saw in three days I'll heal you   I get to Penang and my guys are waiting and  I told him listen I need I need a few days   three days go by and all I knew was rage and  anger I just didn't have I didn't know how to   control this thing you know I wake up in the  morning on the third day and I just felt this   piece in in in this room I woke up at I said man  I was I came all the way here to find this guy   and I filled with peace and peace was such a  foreign thing to me I didn't even understand   what peace was so I let that guy go but that month  I spent the whole month in that silly and Penang   and I went to a club and we we got we got we got  a table we got bottle service and it was only me   and me and two other guys who were who were same  rank as me and in my Triad and after a few hours   go by my my friend comes as ho or Rivals are here  and I'm like you know what we just spent all this   money on bottles let's just have fun and then  let's just call it peaceful you know let's just go   home whatever so the Club closes and then we go to  eat food you know like kind of like out outside by   the street the car this car pulls up where we're  eating and the arrivals the different Triad is in   that car and they come up next to us sitting down  and it was automatic when they sat down we started   fighting right away you know we started fighting  and um one of the guys got hurt pretty bad went   back home the next day get a phone call and at  that time um our territory was called Gurney Plaza   it was it was we have many different areas of  territory but this was a territory that literally   me and a few other guys our assignment was take  that territory over and we did that so these guys   now who we beat up the night before are there and  my right-hand man who was at the Territory called   me to show me these guys who you had a fight with  they're here looking for you and I know they're   coming to retaliate so I'm on the way and I call  my my boss to come my boss gets there before I do   and he's like on the seventh or eighth floor as a  physical like a pool center up there and he tells   me Kobe when you come you come come upstairs and  you tell me what happened last night because now   I gotta report the boss once he's called now he is  in charge of situation because the tribes are very   political and they different groups work with  each other he was he was gonna go go confront   that leader that that came to that area so he's  upstairs waiting for me and my two friends so I   got together the same guys I was with the night  before and I'm on the first floor okay and it was   almost like this day-to-day Triad stuff I pushed  the elevator button and I see the elevator come   down I'm walking my elevator like five four three  two one and before that happens though like I see   there's guys behind me in the first floor too  and I don't know who they are and um when the   elevator opens I see a bunch of dudes in there and  I'm like I know this is the this is the gang and   they start coming out a lot of them don't know  who I am and I don't know a lot of who they are   but in my mind I suspected the rivals and one of  the last guys that come out and as they're exiting   out we kind of walk in the elevator I see a guy  of his face and he's really messed up and I knew   he was a guy from the night before so he turns  around and now we're in the elevator and they're   talking to other guys on the first floor and now  they start assembling around this elevator and   they're rolling in numbers here and they're very  upset and I'm thinking we might just have to fight   right here and I know I know we're completely  outnumbered but all of a sudden I just can feel   that there was a spirit of death that was there it  was so strong that for some reason I felt like I'm   I'm gonna I'm going to die today and this that I'm  gonna be taken I just and I could not get out of   my mind and I'm facing this Triad and I'm trying  to ignore what I'm feeling because this is like a   really weird thing that's going on in my head like  I'm feeling this Spirit of death it's only like I   put it and the leader starts talking in front  of me and he is shout and this guy is so angry   and everyone keeps quiet around him and he pulls  out this machete okay that he had in his pants   and it's the middle of his Mall okay he pulls  out the machete and he's and he's saying to us   you know why did you attack our guys we're coming  here to settle problems right now and he's trying   to he's actually trying to get us to kidnap  us first but we're not trying to go anywhere   and he's about to start swinging this machete and  something that came to my mind was what my mother   told me when I was a kid and she said son if you  ever get in a situation that you have a problem   I want you to use the name Jesus I've always said  to my mom you know I'm you know this is you know   our try it's powerful this is our name this and  that it's all about like us you know but that   what she told me came to my mind and I remember  taking one step back and I said Jesus save me   and in that moment with this guy about a swing  this machete I see a hand come in the crowd okay   because they're they're they're assembled you know  and held this guy back and I look and as one of my   Triad members that was actually looking for us  he came just like that and he actually knew the   guy of the machete and he said hey you know um  he was his name and all that these are my guys   whatever and we broke up I thought to myself  it was just the nick of time and I thought and   it was the name Jesus and then the next day I'm  thinking about what's going on but I go to another   club and they're passing out pills so I'm taking  these pills and I'm just overdosing my friends are   bringing me outside because I can't really feel my  body I'm really dying honestly and I I'm looking   into the sky I remember the day before and I said  Jesus Save Me Lord and I sobered up I completely   got back on my feet I was completely sober and my  guys are looking at me like Shelby are you okay   and I said I I think she just saved me and  they're thinking man kill me lost it but I   something happened in my heart and then the third  day my right hand man came to pick me up in his   car and as he pulls up I I heard this voice and  it said put your seatbelt on and I never wore my   seatbelt over there it's not like America where he  really like super strict laws like you do what you   want over there you know I never put my seatbelt  on but I got in the car because I heard that voice   I put my seatbelt on and I looked to my friend and  my friends actually he's actually making fun of me   he's like Kobe you know I never you never put  your belt on wipe you don't trust my driving I   said no you put yours on too and he put his on  and in Asia they drive it up this side on the   right side America's left but he was driving  over the side so we're going down the street   and he's flying with this car and there was a  car that break all of a sudden in front of him   and I'm just hearing the wheels like hit the  hit you know the Brit the hearing the wheels   squeak and I thought no matter what we hit right  now I know it's gonna be it we're going way too   fast and my life literally flashed before  mines I don't know why that happens but I   don't know because you're just like it's part of  like just seeing all you went through what all   your decisions you made but I remember thinking  11 years old up to now the person I was and I   thought there's nothing good in my life and  I said I I thought I know I'm going to hell   I just closed my eyes and I felt this massive bump  and I just knew that this is gonna be it you know   I felt this huge crash and I felt like it's like  suspended an area now your stomach kind of goes   up you feel like your stomach like dropping or  something I felt this and I remember opening   my eyes and like there was this leaves all in this  windshield and my head was tilted sideways because   there's this huge pull that went through the  windshield and my head was like this and and the   pole actually went all the way back to the back  windshield and I'm turning over to my friend here   and he's going through the seizure and his eyes  are rolled back and I never my first time I saw   a seizure his eyes were rolled back and he just  had blood streaming down his head going all over   his shirt my body was so in shock I could almost  I could almost not even feel my body because of   the impact you know so I didn't even know if like  if I was alive or dead I wasn't sure but I popped   my seatbelt off and I fall on this fall on the  floor and I get off the ground to see what we hit   Because by the time I was in a daze I didn't know  what we hit when I look at the car what happened   was when the car was going down the street and  it fishtailed it actually jumped off the sidewalk   and the car went so high in the air it landed  in this tree and this tree was like a y and it   was sitting like that perfectly it was completely  suspended in this tree of two branches you know   and the front of the car hit this like this kind  of Village like like like like roof thing and that   pole was part of that structure you know and these  people came out they got they got my friend down   and he's in my arms and he's just like bleeding  everywhere he's calling me Kobe I can't I can't   feel for my weights down and he's kind of going  in out of Consciousness I remember thinking man   there's just death all around me you know in my  life you know and he was saying to me tell my tell   my parents I love he he's basically gave me his  last words you know and at that time all I could   do was just call on God and I'd start praying for  him ambulance came and we went to the hospital to   get x-rayed and all this at that time when I was  thinking about the Bible what I read in three days   and I I and the Machine and God saved me from the  machete thing the overdose of his car accident as   I'm laying in bed and I'm thinking about the name  Jesus and how I called on him even though I was   so far from God and even though at that point  I was the most evil person that I've I knew   I knew my dark my heart was so dark but I saw how  a situation that was beyond human control now God   intervened in a way that completely shattered  everything I believed about him and the biggest   person in my life was my thylo my boss I remember  laying in bed and just saying God I want you to be   my thylo now because I knew that that it was a it  was his intervention that saved me completely and   in the hospital when I when I said that that  was like my my prayer to God you know I felt   something come alive inside of me and I actually  it's almost like um almost like having breath for   the first time and really know your breathing  but it was inside my my like my being you know   and I was in the hospital maybe like two nights  came out to kill scratches and I remember thinking   to myself I'm gonna surrender my life to the Lord  because of what he did you know so I go back to   the States and I just know that God saved me in a  way that I would have been done for if he didn't   and I know that that I can't read but his word  is like what he wants for my life so I'm gonna go   into my room and just saying to God God I know you  have power I've seen what you did I I need you to   help me to read because I know your plan for me is  in here and if I'm gonna follow you I need to know   what it's saying and I open that New Testament  Bible and as I'm going through the lines the words   start making sense to me and and here I was you  know I'm I'm never went to high school a day in my   life I mean I said I had special head teachers  you know like one-on-one stuff they couldn't   and here I am like I start to read the Bible I  started to see that what his his word his truth   like I started realizing my life the way I was  living was wrong because now I'm seeing what he   wants from me that lying's wrong you know sleeping  with girl all these stuff I was so hungry for the   word that I read the New Testament seven times  in six months and in that time as I was spend   time with the Lord he spoke to me one day I  heard I heard him say I want you to go back   and I want you to quit the mafia I want you to  talk to your boss and I want to talk to all of   your guys and that was such a struggle for me  first I was like that can't be God you know   I'm like questioning this thing but every time I  pray I felt very strongly he was saying go back   and yeah so I bought it I bought a plane ticket  and that was my plan so Toby during these six or   seven months that you're reading this Bible you're  learning God's will for your life you're finding   yourself in this like repented lifestyle what  were your family saying you know they had sent   you off thinking that you were gonna die and  now you come back renewed what was your mom's   reaction your dad like what were people around  you thinking at first they didn't believe me   at very first because I was such a crazy person  they thought oh he's just talking but when they   saw me I wouldn't come out of my I wouldn't come  out of my house and I had friends in the states   too when they knew I was back they're cutting  my door and I would just not even go out when   they saw that and they saw me start writing down  scripture and I started posting it on my door so   when I wake up I would just look right on my wall  scripture you know they start seeing all this   they thought wow this guy Kobe he can't really  did something and they were so ecstatic and they   can see that things that I was embracing I started  saying you know what I don't want that for my life   anymore I started giving stuff up you know what  I mean and that right there I think they started   seeing okay like I you know joby's really you know  he really meant the Lord and um it was it was uh   definitely different for them but of course their  prayers are being answered and my mom's prayer   specifically was being answered because she knew I  had a you know a crazy encounter you know with the   Lord and all that and what were their reactions  to you wanting to go back to Asia and you know   renounce kind of this group that you were a part  of yeah they didn't want me to do it can you tell   us a little bit more about like how you made the  decision to go even when you were wrestling with   God you were hearing the disapproval you know  of your parents yeah what made you continue   because I knew that a lot of guys were tribe  members because I recruited them I was responsible   for a lot of these guys here I felt that  responsibility I knew that just by spending time   ago he wanted me to go back so I decided to go  back I knew if I go back and I told my guys that I   quit that I I needed to face my boss and I needed  to do it like the traditional style is going to   come out not just like say hey man I'm laying low  whatever it's like I gotta go fix my boss and do   this like officially so when I went back to Penang  I had dinner with my with my thylo you know and   he was with a bunch of other elders and I didn't  know he was coming with them but he brought me out   to eat and you're so happy to see me like I said  we actually had a good relationship and after we   got done eating he was gonna drop me off at this  apartment I was gonna stay at in my friend's place   and I told him I said there's something I have  to give to you and I said can you can you can you   please come outside of the car with me you know  in Chinese culture we have to get on our knees   and we have to get a give a red envelope of  Chinese and that's like your and you got to   give two hands on your on the kind of like  bowing down you know that's like the first   step and whatever the boss decides to do with  you it's up to him when he came out of the car   I tell you I was I was so freaked out I was I  was I was very freaked out and I remember just   telling God that Lord when I get on my knees I  want you to know that I'm bowing down before you   coming out of this and when I got on my knees I  I I handed him the envelope and I felt I really   felt at that time my knees dropped just God's  peace just come and overwhelm me and I just   felt his presence you know my leader picked me up  and he asked me you know what's going on here and   I told him I said listen this is what God did in  my life you know and he knew I wasn't educated he   knew all that he knew what my education was on  the street you know and he said to me you know   why don't you just retire and that's a title that  we have retirements like you you've done your work   you're still respected you're still a member but  you don't gotta do nothing anymore you're done   I said I said I can't I said I God told me to come  back here and I told God he's my he is my Dilo now   and I gotta tell the other guys I'm out so he  took the envelope he took the money out because   we gotta put a certain a certain number inside  that envelope it was represented our Triad he   said you take the money chobe this envelope you're  out and then and then he called the office because   we all when you join the Triad your name is  registered in the we have an office you know   he said he called the office he said your file's  done you're officially out and I remember just   feeling the weight completely lifted from that  day completely lifted and the next day I went   to my territory to our territory and I called my  right hand man up I said listen call the whole   group out I wanna have a meeting right now no one  can everyone must be here no exception you know   so he got everyone to come out and they're all  they're all around you know and I started telling   them I said Jesus came into my life and I met  with the big boss yesterday I'm out I'm telling   all you guys you know I apologize for getting you  involved I apologize for who I've been to you but   now I'm gonna follow the lord I quit in front of  you know I I told him everything that I'm done   Could you actually tell me just a little bit how  did your members kind of take that were they angry   with you were they sad like or what was their  response they had different responses you know   somewhere somewhere in shock because you know  in the Triad your title is everything to you   you do everything they say you know and  and honestly if you know with these guys   here they they followed me some of them were  actually in disbelief you know like Kobe like   of all people it's coming out yeah some were  a little confused because they thought when   I come for the for the the meeting like  we're gonna get everything back in order   and we're gonna party and all this stuff but  they said man this guy just became a Christian   you know so take us through you know now the Lord  has pulled you out he's kind of healed you he's   even shown you Mercy with your gang leader to  allow you to just leave so easily and then you   get back to the States what does the Lord begin  to do for you then where does he begin to take you   and what does your life begin to look like I knew  that I had a lack of foundation in the Lord and I   knew that there was a lot of things that God had  sort out in my life I did I first decided to do a   DTS which is a discipleship training school with  wyom it's a six months training program I thought   I really got to get foundation in the Lord you  know I feel like it's a great opportunity to do   it I joined ywam for six months I ended up going  on a staff for a couple years and then during   that time the Lord spoke to me about going back  and getting re-educated because here I was still   kicked out of middle school I had no education  I you know here in the US do a GED which is a   basically a high school equivalent I remember  like opening up my books my GED books to study   everything I missed in high school and I remember  even facing that it was almost facing a place of   of trauma in a way because education resembled a  place of hurt for me and a place to kind of Shame   but it was also a time of a healing process  because I felt like the like God was was   helping me through it and 10 months I got  the GED and I went to college you know and   actually what happened was even in college  and writing I remember my writing class okay   my professor would come up a couple times and  he would say do you mind if I if I would read   your your essays and all this to the class and I  would say yeah go for I remember sitting in class   and he would be reading my papers and he would be  so impressed and I just thought to myself if he   knew what I went through missing all of you know  it's being special ed dyslexic and God you know   I wasn't a Dean's List you know God he's really  helped me even education and then from there was   business I went you know three different stores  and then from there that was seven years and went   on to doing more missions and then now involve  other stuff within the business world you know but   um I just seen God redeem every part of my life  and even my name chobi you know that name when   I first came to know the Lord I asked God God do  you want me to be called you know something else   like Jeremy or something else because my name  Toby was was you know a reputation for itself   I fasted and I pray I didn't tell anybody about  this and I prayed for two weeks and one day I step   in my church and my pastor walks up to me in the  middle of service and he said Joe I got someone   to tell you I said I said what so God woke me up  last night and he doesn't know about me praying   okay he said God woke me up last night and told me  what your name meant and he hands me this piece of   paper and I'm looking at his piece of paper in  church and it says c h o b y Christ heals over   bad years and Amber just tears is coming down  knowing that he God redeems even the name you   know and I have seen God redeem every part of my  life so many miracles with PTSD violence that I   could not control I'm talking like it was just I  thought how could I ever live without being like   fanatical because you you live it's a lifestyle  you know and God breaking that God help me sleep   at night you know with sleep paralysis part  going away you know and encountering him in   that way and so like I seen him redeem all these  things throughout the years so Toby I know that   now you're kind of involved in going on missions  and going overseas to even spread the gospel can   you tell us just a little bit about how the Lord  began to even touch her heart to take you from   a place where you know you were overseas involved  in all these other activities but now he's taking   you back overseas but for him now yeah I I know  where I was at and I I I know that without him I   felt like there was just no there was there life  was pointless and it was meaningless you know and   I just felt like you know Jesus Jesus he is the  reason why we are here and so I I had I have this   convict I've always had convictions since I gave  my life for the Lord about sharing with others   about who he is what he can do how personal he is  because of that I I feel the strong impression in   my heart to continue to share about who he is  the gospel his grace his love his forgiveness   and his Redemption and healing Toby do you have  any words of encouragement for people who may be   struggling with some sort of learning disability  and it may be causing insecurity or shame and   even people who may be in Christ dealing with  these things do you have any words uh for them   God is a god of healing and there's nothing  impossible for him there's nothing too big that   he can he cannot heal my encouragement is is that  God he's able to renew and restore every part of   life even if it's a you know a mental struggle or  a learning disability that God has a plan and that   he has value and that shame is not his plan for  you and he has really new life all the way around   including in if you're struggling with mental  disability or learning disability that God is   able to do all things we know that the internet  is very large and this video May Reach people   who are involved right now in organized crime do  you have any words of advice or encouragement for   those people watching I'll say the same thing I  know it's not easy to get out especially when it   becomes a lifestyle and identity but I will I will  say this I will say to if you get in a situation   with that life you're always in situations but you  call on that name Jesus it is the most powerful   name it is the most he is he's able to take a  situation and take control beyond what you can do   and so so my encouragement is to reach out to the  Lord in your situation in your in your encounters   that you have that you may you feel like you  cannot get out of or you need you need God to   intervene you call on Jesus and he he is real and  he is able to show up beyond what you can imagine   or what your capability of doing and Toby do you  have any advice for somebody who may want to share   the gospel but they don't feel like they have the  freedom to do so because of you know not being   smart enough not being educated enough on it or  you know just feeling like they're not worthy to   share the gospel do you have any advice for people  going through that yes it's only by Grace so it's   all by Grace you know when he calls us all of us  who are who are in him we're all saved by grace   we all fall short of the glory of God you know  but it is it is him who do the work it may just   be a it may be something very very simple sharing  the gospel about you know maybe it's laying seeds   here and there yeah God if God can use me God  can use anybody really you know so and and know   and know that what you carry transforms people  what you carry transforms communities and can   transform Nations to the power of the Gospel is  is really like Paul said for about for salvation   um it's the power of Salvation so never feel like  incapable or maybe you might say I don't have a   story like Shelby but but you know I don't have  all that kind of rough background but the truth   is Jesus too he was innocent right but he changed  he changed the world so you don't need this story   or that story you know you may just be you might  feel it man I'm just sheltered that's okay you can   you you can still Rock the Nations you know and  you know because we have the we have we have the   same holy spirit that can do all things so yeah be  encouraged Toby who is Jesus to you to me he's not   only the one that heals he is he is healing he's  not only the one that shows love he is love and   he is he he really came in the flesh and became  in is our best friend is my best friend and he's   the one that gave me a whole new life so he is  definitely my God my savior and he's everything   my breath do you have any last words for the  people that are watching yeah just go go to the   Lord and ask him you know you might this might be  completely new to you it might sound so wild that   you're like this you know this guy's just talking  about something that he imagined but you know what   you if God is real then call on him so he can  reveal himself and if your heart is open to that   you're gonna see God come in and he can prove  himself and my encouragement to you to reach   out to the Lord Toby could you just pray for  anyone who may be watching your testimony right   now or even dealing with some of the things  that you may have dealt with in the past yeah   absolutely Laura let's pray right  now Lord God whoever is watching   I pray father God that if they have questions  or struggles that you just really intervene   Lord you do what only you can do you heal Lord  God things that even doctors say is impossible   or you are able to turn situations  Lord of death into complete life   so I pray father God for everyone who's tuned into  this Lord that that they will leave this or with   a different understanding of you Lord that your  intervention would take place Lord God and bring   transformation Lord anyone who's struggling in  gangs Lord that they feel like there's no way out   show them Father God your Authority show them  what you can do give them the boldness father   God that's beyond their own or those who need  mental healing father God Lord you are able   to touch every every nerve-ending father  God every part of the brain Lord and open   it up Lord God we thank you Father God  for all you've done in Jesus name amen

Channel: Delafé Testimonies

Views: 721,861

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Id: wU7LvrO2FXc

Length: 49min 22sec (2962 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 24 2023