The Storyteller

Growing up in the village can be difficult. There are many influences that can bring a person down. That could have been George's story... but it wasn't. Listen as he shares how he was able to rise above the darkness.

No one feels the pain more than a loving parent when their child dies. Wes didn’t know that when his son walked out the door that day that he would never come home. That evening he found out that his son had died in a fiery crash. Wes shares how they made it through this tragedy.

Wes had gotten sick. No one could figure out what was wrong... and it went on and on. Relatives began to wonder if Indian medicine was involved. More than his physical illness though, Wes had a spiritual sickness... and it's consequences were far greater than his poor health.

"I went up to the car and snatched the car door open and told him get out. Well when he got out, he came out with a 357 magnum. And when he pulled the gun the buddies I had left me and I'm standing there by myself. And he placed the gun on my forehead, and he cocked it, and he said I will blow your brains out. Me - I didn't care... I didn't care."

Don was born on the Tuscarora reservation in New York. His parents split up when he was young and for a time ended up living off the reservation. He was also acquainted with the unique sport of Fire Ball. As you'll hear, those were interesting days. But the most significant event of his life took place at camp.

A miracle happened the day. Everything changed. Some might say that he chose the white man's religion. Gary says no. Jesus came for all people. The change that came into his life, and the life of his family - is pretty challenging evidence to ignore.

Gary recorded this shortly after he was told he only had weeks to live. Gary's faith in Jesus is unwavering. And when you hear how he came to that faith, you will understand why. BTW, the doctor was wrong.

"Ten horse is not fast enough for going, 22 foot long wooden boat", Sam said as he recalled the moments after his side had been laid open by a shotgun blast. When your injury is grave and your situation is dire, inadequate power is not what you need.

"I born Cup'ik, real Eskimo. I didn't born in the spring but I born at grass. No, no spring brat. Sod house, and my blanket is all those grasses put together, and those are my mattress."

Have you ever been so close to death that only the hand of someone else could save you? That's what happened to Fred. In a drunken state, he stumbled off a boat and fell into the water. Had his friend not tried to grab hold of him one last time Fred's story would have ended there. It didn't.

The Storyteller - Week of May 12, 2025 Life at home was not what Charlotte wanted. The alcohol made it difficult for her to be there. So she ran away looking for something better. She hoped that in doing so the authorities would place her in a foster home. They didn't. She eventually met a guy named Fred who then introduced her to what she really needed... and it was better than she could have ima...

"He said to me, 'You're running away from something... I didn't have the ability to tell him to quit talking to me because he was a good friend of mine. He handed me over a Bible and told me that Jesus could help me."

The medicine man told Lawrence that someone had witched him. Someone wanted him to leave his wife and family, and eventually kill himself. He had turned to the medicine man for help because of how things were going, but what Lawrence needed was something that this man could not provide.

Lawrence was raised on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. He has seen a lot of changes over the years, from dirt roads to paved roads... from horse-drawn wagons to the automobile. He married a Christian gal and his boy believed too. When he hit hard times, God used Lawrence's young son to speak truth to him... but he wasn't ready to listen just yet.

The death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead three days later are the most important events in human history. Many cultures have different traditions surrounding the time when Christians commemorate these events. Byron shares about Easter pudding, a tradition among his people. He also shares about the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection, both personally, and for whoever w...

When Richard finally decided not to worry about what others thought, he publicly put his trust in Jesus. His life changed. Drugs and alcohol were left behind and God restored his marriage. Richard is a musician who sings about his Faith in Jesus. You can hear his music on this program and online here: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/richard-paul/1715508737

Cocaine had a hold of him... and he couldn't break it's grip. His life was falling apart. His wife had left him numerous times. Richard's addictions were destroying his family. His wife starting attending church - which really angered him. But it didn't stop her. One day he decided to go with her. And something began to happen in his heart.

Richard got involved in alcohol and drugs early in life. Even though everything looked fine on the outside, he was being torn apart inside. He was caught. One night, while watching tv he came across a preacher who seemed to be talking right to him.

Veronica was rejected by her biological father. He lived only an hour away but had no desire to be a part of her life. Not only did she feel that rejection, Veronica also grew up without the love and protection that her dad was supposed to provide. With alcohol in the home, she needed that protection.

"Anybody can be an alcoholic. That's easy... all you got to do is pick up the alcohol and start drinking... and eventually you'll become an alcoholic... because you allow that to take over and consume your life. Anybody can be a drug addict. Anybody can be a prostitute or a drug dealer or this or that. That's all the easy parts. The hard part is not doing it."

Jeff was paying a great price for his drinking. His wife left with the kids and he was all alone. She wouldn't have anything to do with him. It didn't matter how he tried to connect with her, she wouldn't acknowledge him. That hurt him more than anything. But it got his attention.

Jeff, a Cayuga from Six Nations, grew up off the rez in Buffalo, New York. He started partying at an early age and he worked to support his drinking habit. His team's success in lacrosse gave cause to celebrate often, and even when everyone else went home, for Jeff, the party never ended. He found out though, that not only does drinking ruin relationships, it ruins families.

Alcohol had taken Hugh... it had taken everything from him like it does to so many others. But something happened in his life that made all the difference, and now he has been clean and sober for over 27 years. Listen as Hugh shares the rest of his story.

"I took a drink of my mom's beer. And it was terrible. I said, 'Oh, how can you drink that stuff'. I'll never forget her answer: 'You'll find out.' And she was so right on." Listen to Hugh share about how he got involved with alcohol and the toll that it would take on his life.

From falling into the freezing waters of the Yukon River to serving on the battlefields of Vietnam, George has lived through many challenging and difficult situations. And then there were the issues of his heart.