After a tragic truck accident, doctors thought Matthew would be a vegetable and encouraged his parents to pull the plug, but God had other plans and worked a great miracle of healing! Then along the difficult journey of physical recovery, he started down a path of meth addiction...and which culminated in emailing a photo of all his guns to the sheriff's office with a threat to kill any of them that trespassed on his property again!
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Episode Transcript
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Phil Shuler (00:00):
HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the
(00:03):
Safe House Ministries podcast,where we share stories of the
power of God to change livesthrough Safe House Ministries.
Safe House Ministries is basedout of Columbus, Georgia, and we
are a ministry that exists tolove and serve people who have
been affected by addiction,homelessness, and incarceration.
I'm your host, Phil Shuler, theDirector of Development for Safe
House Ministries here inColumbus, Georgia.
(00:24):
Safe House serves over 1, 100people each month as they
transition back into ourcommunity.
Safe House provides an abundanceof services including 213 beds
for homeless individuals andfamilies, case management for
obtaining job skills and longterm employment.
Over 300 hot meals every day,free clothing, and so much more.
One of the most incredibleservices that Safe House
(00:45):
provides is our free 9 12 monthintensive outpatient substance
abuse program, which is statelicensed, CARF accredited, and
has no wait list.
Almost 100 percent ofindividuals staying in our
shelters who follow our threephase program become fully
employed within a few months.
And 68 percent of individualswho stay at least one night with
us End up finding work andmoving into their own home.
(01:07):
Thank you for being with ustoday and listening to our
podcast.
We hope you enjoy this week'sepisode.
This whole time they're tellingmy parents, pull the plug on
him.
Pull the plug on him.
He's gonna, he's not gonna everbe able to think again.
He's never gonna be a walkagain.
He's gonna be a vegetable.
A burden on you, a burden onsociety.
Pull the plug on'em.
It's not worth it.
Meanwhile, time's gone by.
I'm So you heard all this?
No, no.
This is what my mother's tellingme later.
(01:28):
Okay.
Um, nurses and everybody justcaring about their day.
They come and get me mymedicines in my, in my IVs, you
know, food in my feeding tube,you know, liquid diet.
Um, as I'm in my coma andthey're not supposed to touch
me.
One day this nurse walks by and,uh, she rolls me on onto my
side.
She still does not, she, shedoesn't know why she did it,
(01:49):
'cause she wasn't supposed to.
But she rolls me on my side thisthree months later and slaps me
on the back.
All the fluid comes outta mylungs.
Every last bit of flu.
This when I turned this, thiswhen I took a turn for the
better.
And the doctors were hopeful.
Hopeful again.
Yeah.
Um, but the, the, the reallystrange thing is this, this
nurse's name is Angel.
Wow.
(02:09):
Absolutely.
Um, but yeah, so, um, thedoctors, uh, when I come outta
my coma finally, and I'm acoherent, I give my mother a
bunch of names and numbers offthe top of my head that are,
that were correct.
Telling her to go tell, callthese friends, you my friends,
go tell them that I'm okay.
All these numbers come back, becorrect.
So the neurologist, Dr.
Novak up there comes into myroom and he's like, Mr.
(02:32):
Anderson, you know, we're gladthat, uh, we, you're gonna,
you're gonna make it, you'regonna be better than we thought.
Wow.
Um, so, um, you know, as far asmy brain goes, they were totally
wrong as, but they, he's,they're still not thinking I'm
ever gonna walk again.
So you, you must have had like aserious head trauma supposedly.
Your hip was broken?
Yes.
Probably all kinds of things, Iguess.
(02:52):
Yes, yes.
I, I had, I had shattered both,both pelvises.
There's just no way.
Wow.
So, and how long were you in, ina coma or out?
Three months.
Three months.
Three months.
Wow.
And so it was after the threemonths when you woke up with the
biker nurse and putting thetubes, it was that, well, that,
that was originally, that wasthe, that was at the moment in
the er.
Okay.
That was, that was the, my firststep.
(03:13):
Oh, okay.
And then from there you were outfor three months.
That's it.
That's it.
So then, uh, so I was inrehabilitation for just a short
period of time before the,before they sent me home, um,
not expecting me to walk again.
You know, I'd go home in awheelchair.
I'm in a wheelchair for a longtime.
And, um, now at this point, whendid you find out about your
friend or what had happened toyou immediately?
(03:34):
That was, that was the firstquestion I asked, um, when you
woke up.
When I woke.
Absolutely.
How's Ken?
Um, and my mother had told methat he passed, you know, um, so
yeah, that was, that was prettyhard to take, but I, I kind of
had already known it.
Like I said, when we crashed,he, he had the blood coming out
his nose and his mouth.
I, I already kind of knew it andobviously I had this experience
(03:54):
wherever it was that he gave hislife for my life as far as I'm
concerned.
'cause he made a choice.
So, um, yeah, I, I had alreadyknown it, it had already settled
at the end.
Um, it's still, it still weighson me.
I, I got a syndrome call doessurvivor's remorse, um, is what
they call it.
So it's definitely hard to dealwith.
Yeah.
But, um, it is what it is.
(04:14):
So, yeah, still I'm not supposedto walk at this point.
Wow.
And Dr.
Jorge Alonzo comes along to UABand he looks at my x-ray x-rays
and he says, you know, I think Icould do something with this.
So he ends up taking me intosurgery, 13 hour surgery, re
breaks my pelvis, takes crumbsto, and puts crumbs back
together with, uh, metal platesand screens and pins and rods
(04:39):
and screws.
And anybody who sees thesex-rays, it's just like, what is
going on here?
Like, like what did he do?
He just, frank inside of yourhip.
Um, so I walked around with a,about a three inch limp, a three
inch difference in my legs forI, I don't, I don't know.
It was, that was probably about10 years before I had a hip
replacement.
And then they were able to do ahip replacement and.
(05:00):
Basically you were, you were 18at the time?
I was 19.
19.
Okay.
This, this says 20, but I thinkthey were just doing the math on
the years and not the, not themonths.
So yeah, I was 19 at that time.
Wow.
So you were able to startwalking, but you had that three
inch difference in year untilthey did hip replacement and
it's, it's this hip replacement.
I've been, I've been justnormal, you know.
(05:21):
So after therapy, as you'restarting to get better where are
you at mentally, spiritually?
Were you still wanting to getback to the drugs or where were
you at in that space?
I lost all my friends.
Um, my friends that I bought,you know, of course they
weren't, they didn't come backaround.
Yeah.
'Cause I didn't have much tooffer.
(05:41):
Yeah.
Um, so yeah, I did dabble backinto drugs a little bit.
Did that I get, did that sendyou into depression?
Of course.
Absolutely.
'Cause, uh.
Uh, yeah, just not having nobodyaround really would.
It was hard.
It was hard.
Um, so yes, I started using, Istarted using cocaine until
2012.
I checked myself into rehab.
So were you living with yourmom, like when you got, when you
(06:02):
were in therapy and trying onyour path to recovery, did you
move back in with your parents?
First, first several years Idid, you know, but I've, I've,
I've always been wanting to beon my own, so I've taken care of
myself.
So as soon as I get back out, Igot back out.
Okay.
So, so talk about those recoveryyears as you're, when you're
with your living with yourparents.
You said you started back inwith cocaine.
Mm-hmm.
(06:22):
Just trying to cope, I guess.
That's right.
With the trauma and theisolation.
That's right.
Did you start getting back outtrying to do the party life or.
I was never really into theparty life, I guess you could
say.
Even though I ran a nightclubgoing out to nightclubs was
never really my thing.
Yeah.
Being at parties, it was alwaysat my house, you know?
(06:43):
Um, yeah.
Where, where we partied.
So that really, I wouldn't say Iwas, I, I would get I would've
even gone back to that partylife'cause there was no party
life.
It was just So you're just usingas a way of self-medicating.
That's it.
Were you selling as well, or no?
No.
Absolutely not.
Okay.
How were you getting the moneythen?
Um, social security disability.
So you just would get that andthen use it for drugs?
(07:05):
Yes, sir.
And sir, your parents would takecare of whatever living expenses
you needed?
Absolutely.
you said that was several years?
Yes, sir.
did it get worse from there ordid something happen that made
you wanna get outta that?
So I definitely wanted to getout of it.
I checked myself into rehab in2012.
I told my, nobody knew I wasusing cocaine.
I was what they call afunctioning addict, which
doesn't exist, by the way.
(07:25):
Yeah.
Um, you could think you'refooling everybody, but, um, I'd
say for the most part, my familydidn't know.
Um, really?
So like your parents, maybe theysuspected, but they didn't ever
call you back, call you out onit.
I don't even think theysuspected.
I went to my mother's house atfour 30 on It was November 10th,
2012.
Um, went to her house at four 30in the morning and woke her up
(07:45):
out of sleep and told her Iwanted to go to rehab and she
looked at me.
So you had moved out at thatpoint?
Absolutely.
So after.
A year or two living with them,then you moved out, or it was,
it was probably longer thanthat.
Yeah, it was probably severalyears, probably five, six years.
Okay.
And then you moved out, you'restill using drugs.
That's right.
But that's when you went back2012 you said?
Yes, sir.
And told her I need to go torehab.
And she was confused.
(08:06):
She didn't For what?
And so I told her cocaineaddiction, um, and she said,
okay, well my sister-in-law is achild psychologist here in town.
Um, so she says, well, sheprobably knows this places, so
she suggested the BradleyCenter.
I said, no, you know, I can't bein Columbus if, if, if I'm gonna
be in a rehab, I need to getoutta Columbus away from where
(08:28):
you can get access or the peoplethat you know, or, or where I
can run.
I can run and I know where I'mat.
Yeah.
You know, so, um, I went up toanchor rehab in Atlanta, um, for
I think it was two, three weeks.
And I never went back to thepowder of cocaine.
Um, but I still, I stillcontinued to smoking marijuana.
Um.
And eventually, I mean, this is,and this is years later I'm, I
(08:50):
was now maybe 40, 41 when Istarted dabbling with
methamphetamine.
Now this after you went toanchor, or was this before?
After.
After.
So you you let go of the cocainemm-hmm.
Through the anchor program.
Mm-hmm.
And then you got out, you cameback to Columbus and you started
on meth.
Well, I, I continued usingmarijuana for, what, 20 years?
Maybe not just, just shy 20years and started using meth,
(09:12):
like I said, about 40, 41 yearsold.
Wow.
Um, how now, how far removedfrom the rehab program were you
at this point?
15 years.
15.
Wow.
So probably at least.
So you got clean.
No.
Okay.
And then, so let's say, and thenyou were still onto marijuana.
That That's right.
And then 15 years later, let,let's say, what made you wanna
start, let's say 10 years?
I've, you know, I, I don't know.
(09:34):
I can't tell, I can't tell youwhat was going on in your life
at the time, or it was a friendthat introduced, introduced it
to me, and I always looked downon people that used meth.
I thought it was a dirty drug,and it is.
But, uh, I don't, I don't know.
I don't know what made me tryit, I guess peer pressure.
Um, were you pretty stableotherwise?
Like you were working?
Yeah, I was doing Living on yourown was doing really well.
(09:54):
I was running my own smalllandscaping company.
I was doing really wellmonetarily.
I had everything I wanted,everything I needed, just
hanging out with maybe friendsthat you shouldn't have been
hanging out with and Absolutely.
So yeah.
And so I don't even, I'm 43 now.
I ne I, I've done a day or twoin jail twice I first time, in
fact, the first time I did acouple hours in jail, was bonded
(10:15):
out.
Next time I did a weekend andwas bonded out.
And then I didn't, I, I went tojail at 42 years old.
Um, and spent 16 months inMuskogee County jail for a
terrorist threat on the sheriff,like an idiot, because just high
hyped up on meth.
Yeah.
And just, just making the wrong,wrong moves and Wow.
So 40, about 41 you started onmeth.
(10:36):
That's right.
And then it sounds like it justwent downhill quickly.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
'cause I was, I was, I wasactually, after my buddy
introduced it to me I wasgetting it from a supplier who I
had been friends for with, for along time, and I was getting it
for free.
I wanna pay him for it.
Now how does that work?
He just, I'd give him rides, uh,to where he needed to go.
Okay.
And, uh, he'd, he'd give me lotsof it, I mean, lots of it.
(10:58):
So I'd never paid for it.
So it was simple to get Wow.
Didn't spend my money on it.
Yeah.
Wow.
And you were just living on yourown through this whole time?
Absolutely.
Never.
Did you ever have any stablerelationships with females at
all?
Oh, yeah.
Well before I, but after I wentto, uh.
Rehab in Atlanta for the cocaineaddiction?
Probably several months later.
(11:18):
I, I found a female and I'vealways had a girlfriend at, at
most of the time, but she wasterribly abusive, physically.
Um, and not that she was beatingme up.
She, she burned me with an ironat one part point.
Wow.
Um, she was mentally abusive.
She broke me down like I was inthe military or in prison.
She cut my hair off, changed theway I dressed mentally and
(11:40):
emotionally Abusive abAbsolutely.
So why, what made you stay witha person like that?
Um, I don't know.
I couldn't tell you.
Probably'cause she probably'cause she stayed around.
Yeah.
Um, was she using drugs at thattime?
No, she hated it.
She hated it.
Really?
She hated it.
Not even marijuana.
No.
no, she was not even really adrinker.
Um, she did, she couldn't standthe fact that I was using drugs.
(12:02):
So why did, why did she wannastay with you?
I was, uh, monetarily supportiveof her.
Okay.
Okay.
So she, it was room and boardand you would give her whatever
she needed or wanted?
Basically.
Um, and she had her own moneytoo, but it is, uh, yeah, she,
she took me for everything Ihad.
Really.
Wow.
Wow.
And that was several years thatyou guys were together?
(12:24):
We were together for sevenyears.
Do you have any kids at all?
No.
No?
Okay.
No.
All right.
No.
Never married no kids.
I get, I do got, I got, I gotfour dogs.
Hey, I'm definitely, I'm a, I'ma dog lover, which is crazy
'cause.
2021.
I got my first real dog thatwas, and I've had a couple dogs
growing up, um, but actually gota dog that I fell in love with.
And before her, I would've nevereven seen myself with dog.
(12:47):
I'm not a, I would considermyself not a animal person, but,
so I had somebody pawn off a dogon me one day, which I didn't
want.
I told her, we can go get yourdog, but I'm not taking her
home.
Um, which I knew was gonnahappen anyway.
And now I'm a dog lover.
I've, I've collected 5 cents.
I had my first one, the one I'mspeaking of.
She died three weeks ago.
(13:08):
Oh.
And that was, that wasincredibly hard.
But yeah, I'm definitely, I'm a,I'm a dog lover, so, um, yeah.
That's the only friends I reallyneed.
Yeah.
Okay.
So let's start back up again.
When you were, you started onthe meth, okay.
What did that do to your mindand your body and what kind of
decisions did you start makinglike.
Talk us through that timeperiod.
(13:28):
You know, I can't, I don't like,I've, I don't really know.
Like it is.
I've, I was just I feel I wasonly utilizing it to work, you
know, I was working ValleyHospitality down at the
Marriott.
I worked banquets, I worked atHula hands.
Everything that the Marriott Ido, if they needed me down at
the Bibb City Mill, they'd callme out there.
I really, uh, was go one of thego-to guys for Valley
(13:50):
Hospitality and, um, you know,it kept me going.
It kept me going.
Um, I was able to go home andstill complete my personal
projects.
I don't know, I don't know if itis.
I guess it kept me all up allnight and I, I made some bad
decisions, you know, Ithreatened the police and, uh,
that's, uh, like I said, andhow'd that come to pass?
Well, they come to serve me withsomeones one day and I built
this big, beautiful, nice fencearound my property.
(14:13):
And they.
Trespassing my property.
There's no other way to say it.
They broke my fence to get in.
Um, and I had it on video andI've sent the sheriff a video
back saying, if you evertrespassing my property again,
I'll kill everybody.
Um, did they have a warrant orwhat was the reason for coming?
It, it was a summons.
They didn't have a warrant,which Hey, I, I'm, I'm not a
summons.
So they had to an officialpurpose to deliver the summons.
(14:33):
They didn't have a date.
Yes.
See, I see.
I hate, I, I don't like talkingabout this.
And I'll tell you why, because,um, back then I was a guy who
didn't like the police.
Yeah.
Um, now, nowadays, I, they'refine with me.
I'm okay with them.
But the way I saw it then, Ithink legally with a summons,
they couldn't they didn't have aright to trespass on my
property.
They couldn't go past that gateline.
(14:54):
That made you angry?
Were you at home at the time?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So you just, you knew thatthey're there.
You didn't wanna go up?
I'm watching on video.
I got the whole thing on video.
Did you open the door or no?
No.
I called the sheriff'sdepartment and told'em, look, I
know y'all trying, trying totalk to me, trying to make
contact.
Let's set the appointment up fortomorrow.
Um, so I guess, yeah, this, thisis where probably the meth came
into came into play is I'm upall night thinking about this
(15:17):
and it's going through my headrenting space in my head and I'm
thinking, but like, you didn'thave a right to do this.
Um, and whether they did or not,it's not important.
It's like my, you're just notthinking clear.
100%.
100%.
So, uh, yes.
So you called the sheriff officeback and I sent, I sent him
email with some pictures of myguns and, um Wow.
Oh yeah.
(15:37):
Oh, man.
Yeah.
That's pretty serious.
Yeah, pretty serious.
Um, so then they came back, uh,um, they came, arrested me at
work.
Um, in, in fact, the day beforeI got arrested, I had a co I, I
had a court appointment for thesummons.
I do.
That's what they were trying toserve me with, to go to court.
Um, so I go to court.
Was this, the summons was a drugrelated thing, or No, it, it was
related to an old friend.
(15:58):
Um, she, well, it's, uh, she.
She dated, started dating a newguy.
Um, I don't think he wanted mein the picture, so he had her
take out a protection order tojust keep me away.
Um, so I don't know, I don'tknow all the circumstances with
that.
This protection order is stillin place.
So me and her haven't even beenable to discuss that, so I don't
know the true true reason whyshe had it put in place.
(16:20):
Yeah, I know.
I, I'm not, I'm not that guy, soI don't know why I'm, I'm
assuming this would've happened.
But so I, I didn't know I wassupposed to be, I thought it was
a Friday when I was supposed tobe in court.
Uh, the court called me Thursdaymorning and said, Mr.
Anderson, you come to court.
I said.
Court.
I thought that was tomorrow.
My truck had been broke down.
Uh, I had a coworker, uh, takingme to work at that moment.
(16:41):
I said, well, I'm, I'd love tocome to court.
I don't wanna have a benchwarrant.
If you could send a, a sheriffto come pick me up I, I'll come
to court.
I don't have a problem.
And so she said, lemme talk tothe judge.
See what he says.
I've heard that sheriff do thisbefore.
So a couple hours go bye bye.
At court.
The sheriff shows up.
Deputy shows up puts me inhandcuffs at work.
Um, and So you think they'recoming to pick you up for the
(17:03):
protective order summons?
Well, they, and they are.
They are.
They, they're coming to pick meup for court.
This is what's happening.
Um, so I go to court, um, andeverything's good at court When
I'm walking outta court, um, oneof the other deputies says, Hey,
Ms.
Anderson, will you sit at thetable real quick?
And so I think to myself like,no, this ain't right.
There, there's some, something'sgoing on.
I I, even though I'm not, thiswas after you had sent that
(17:25):
email with the pictures of yourguns and threatening to kill
everybody.
Right.
If they come into your propertyagain.
Right.
And though I'm not a cre careercriminal, I, I, I know, I know
something's wrong and I'm notdown for it.
I said, can I go outside andsmoke a cigarette?
And he's like, no, just comeover.
Just sit here and sit, sit atthe table for a minute.
And I know my rights also.
So I said, I'm under arrest.
He said, no.
I said, well, I'm an adult.
(17:46):
I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette.
So as soon as I get outside, I'mnot waiting for the sheriff.
If they to take me back to work,I'm run back to work.
Um, and I tell'em, tell mycoworker, look, you gotta take
me home.
You gotta get me a battery, uh,from my truck and take me home.
And so you're trying to run, youfeel like they're coming to get
you and you're trying to run.
Oh, I know what's going on.
I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm not foolish.
So.
(18:06):
That whole night goes by.
And she comes pick me up againfor work, takes me to work, and
I'm at work.
And now we got, now I got twodeputies coming to my house or
coming to my work and arrest meat work for the terrorist
threat.
Um, this is what's in thelandscaping business?
No, this is, I was working atAmber's Waxer riches at this
time.
Okay.
Uh, as a dog groomer.
Um, and so two, two deputiesarrest me, take me to South side
(18:29):
precinct where we got 40deputies a around.
Um, they got a tank.
Looks like it.
This one of the thing that drivethrough tornado.
And we have a, we take amotorcade up to my house and
they're all out there where thear surrounding my house.
And, uh Wow.
Yeah.
And they kicked my door in.
They're looking for my weapons,um, which I had hidden the night
before.
'cause I know it's about to godown.
(18:50):
And uh, they took your wordsvery seriously.
Oh, very seriously.
As they should have.
Wow.
It was, it was a stupid move.
All, all due to meth.
Wow.
Yes.
So did they find the guns then?
No.
No.
I've, I've, I'm not gonna tellyou where I ran them because,
uh, but, uh, I, I, the nightbefore when my coworker took me
home, I said, stop by AutoZone.
Let me get it better from mytruck.
And I took'em and hit'em.
(19:11):
I knew what was gonna happen.
Um, and they're gone.
So I, I, I, I don't even wantpossession of or more, or
wherever I took'em.
That guy's gonna keep'em and hecould have them.
Wow.
That's right.
So they arrest you, take you tojail.
Take me to jail.
Charge me with, so, so, so thenI get to the holding cell and I
call my friend who just got aprotection order on me just to
apologize.
(19:31):
I didn't know what happened,just girlfriend, that it wasn't
a girlfriend who, she was just afriend.
Okay.
But she's the one that took outa protection order on me.
I just wanted apologize to herfor having to take me to court
for whatever reason.
I kind of wanted to find outwhy, you know, so I called her,
she didn't answer, but, um, theycome and slapped me with a, uh,
aggravated stalking charge.
Just for calling her.
Didn't even make contact withher.
(19:53):
So you're the protective ordersaid you shouldn't, you were not
supposed to do anything likethat.
Apparently I didn't.
I never even got a chance toread it, you know, because it
was all, this happened over anight and I figured once I got,
wow.
They probably explained all thatin court, but it probably
wasn't.
No, no, absolutely not.
What she explained to me incourt is that if I saw her, if
I, I can't be within 100 feet ofher if I see her out and about
it's my duty to leaveimmediately.
(20:14):
And that's why I didn't reallyunderstand what the protect,
what, what all was in theprotection order.
So I set it on my dresser andfigured it's weekends coming up.
When I got time over theweekend, I'll read it and see
what, what all, what all thedetails.
Um, so I never had theopportunity.
If I did, I wouldn't have, Iwouldn't have been that stupid,
um, at all.
Yeah.
Um, so, and they caught me withfive and a half grams of, of
(20:34):
weed at my house.
So I also ca caught itaggravated or possession with a
intent charge, which reallyisn't possession with intent
because.
Five and a half grams of weed.
You carry 28 grams around here.
Now I get a ticket.
But because of my charges withthe sheriff, he wanted to make
sure he got me with everythingrightfully so.
Wow.
So what was the charge relatedto the threats that you had
(20:54):
made?
T of threat on the sheriff.
Wow.
All right.
So you're in jail, you'rewaiting for court at this point?
That's right.
Um, people are telling me Go, gorapid resolution.
Go rapid relu resolution.
Go what now?
Rapid resolution.
It's basically, if you gotfelonies, um, you can plead
guilty real quick and they'llgive you, they'll give you a
sentence right away.
Um, I guess that's So you don'thave to wait in court for court?
(21:16):
No, no.
'cause typically down here inMuskogee County, they're backed
up.
It takes most of the time, fouryears for an indictment.
Um, so you're sitting in jailbefore you even get your really
official day of in court, like,oh yeah, that's why, that's why
they're pushing rapidresolution.
Oh yeah.
'cause I mean, you'll get a, youget a bond hearing after 90
days.
So you get an opportunity tomake bond if you can make bond.
(21:37):
But if you can't, you're stuckbeing the severity of my crime.
My, my, my, my bonds were over ahundred thousand dollars, which
after 40, 40, 40,000, I thinkthey want a property hold.
So you gotta give'em twice whatyour bond is, plus the bond
money, plus the 12% of whateveryour bond is.
And Wow.
I don't know.
(21:57):
Nobody that owns$200,000 worthof property.
Wow.
So, yeah, they had me stuck.
I had my So you're stuck.
Yeah.
And they're trying to convinceyou to do the rapid resolution
because Well, that's, that'swhat the guys, the, the, but the
inmates are trying to, theinmates.
So I, I write a letter toRochelle Hunter, who is the
rapper resolution, uh, da orwhatever she is, and she tells
me I gotta plead guilty to allthe charges in order to accept
(22:18):
it.
And I'm thinking, I'm not guiltyof all these charges.
Like, I'm definitely not gonnaplead guilty to aggravated
stalking.
'cause didn't happen.
The possession with tent wasfive and a half grams a weed.
Come on.
And she was like, okay, wellthat, that's off the table.
And she didn't, she never talkedto me again.
So, um, so no rapid resolution,none.
So I wait, I hire an attorney toget me into the bind hearing.
(22:38):
And how did you hire anattorney?
Well, I, through my parents, Ihad to my, my mother.
Okay.
So they helped you out withthat?
Well, not really.
Um, I paid for it, um, but theyhad, they had access to my
accounts so that way they couldput money on my books and
everything else.
Um, so I was like, go ahead andhire me an attorney.
I.
I know I'm not gonna give theguy's name'cause but he was not
a very good attorney.
Oh.
(22:58):
Um, he was, he did, he told me,oh, we just gotta sit and wait
on that indictment.
Gotta sit there and wait onindictment when indict the
indictment comes.
Well, like I said, that could,that could be four years.
Um, legally they, they, they,they can give you up to four
years till they get, till theyindict you.
And based on the way our systemis, that's the way it was gonna
work out.
That just, I mean, I've heardthat before, but yeah, it's.
(23:20):
It.
That doesn't make any sense tome.
It seems unjust.
Well, they claim they're backedup because of COVID.
I'm not so sure how much that istrue anymore.
Even still it's not, yeah, it'snot fair.
It's not an excuse.
No, it's not at all.
I mean, it's not at all.
But once again, if I didn't runmy mouth, if I didn't do what I
did, I wouldn't be in thatsituation.
You're, you're stuck'cause ofyour bad actions.
100%.
(23:41):
I mean, you were guilty of badchoices actions.
Absolutely.
I'll take accountability forwhat I did.
There's, I'm not gonna put it onanybody else ever, you know,
that's not fair.
Yeah.
Um, but, but there might be, asmall percentage of individuals
that are there because of maybemisunderstandings.
Well, I mean, probably.
And they still have to waityears.
Yes.
Yes.
It it is, it is sad.
It's really sad.
Yeah.
So, lemme tell you what I didnext.
(24:02):
I hired a new attorney.
I got rid of the first guy Ihired.
Jennifer Curry, younger player,named all over the place.
This woman, this woman, had meout in three months, said, look,
we can get you into, uh, drugcourt, mental health court.
Wow.
And within three months, thiswoman worked so hard.
I'm telling you, she was stillfighting.
She was still fighting my casewhile we're in court signing
papers to get me into the drugcourt, um, still getting them to
(24:24):
drop the probation fees.
And this woman was a beast.
Like, if, if anybody ever needsan attorney, Jennifer Curry is
the way to go.
Wow, man.
That's, it Sounds like the Lordblessed you with finding that
100%.
You know, the good I, I stillsee.
My jail time as a blessingmaybe.
Uh, and maybe So how long yousaid was it?
(24:45):
16?
16 months.
Well, so this was when you werewaiting just to get your day in
court.
That's right.
And then as you're getting closeto that end of that you've let
go of this deadbeat lawyer.
That's right.
And then you hired JenniferCurry.
That's right.
And she's the one that got youout after 16 months finally.
Yes, yes.
But you know, the whole timeI'm, I'm in jail.
I'm reading the Bible.
We had to, I, I was one of theinstrumental people in getting
(25:08):
Bibles back into jail.
There was no bibles when I gotthere.
None.
So me and everybody in my dormstarted writing grievances or
grievances.
Grievances every day till theygot brought the Bibles back.
Wow.
There was, there's a couplebibles floating through jail at
this time, even still that havenot been confiscated.
And I'd put scripture on thekiosk every day and I could see
(25:28):
that it was doing a lot of goodfor a lot of people, um, people
that I would never expect thatwould stand there at the kiosk
reading all of it.
And I was just like, wow.
Yeah, it was pretty amazing.
She was hand some bible verses.
It's funny'cause um, now all mytime with this accident, I
suffered a stroke.
10 15, I've probably 20 13, 2012, I suffered two heart
(25:49):
attacks, but the strokes really,my handwriting is not good.
You can't read my handwriting.
But through writing thescriptures, all of that related
to the accident or to the drugsor maybe to all of the above.
Probably all of the above.
But, um, writing the scriptures,I knew I had to take my time and
make legible.
Now my handwriting is prettywell, I mean, it's pretty good.
You, it's, uh, wow.
So this, this improved.
But yeah.
So while you were in jail, theLord was working in your heart
(26:13):
and you knew.
You needed to make some changes?
Oh yeah.
This was my rehab.
This was my rehab.
A hundred percent.
Like I, I, I didn't fight it.
There's drugs floating throughjails, um, especially in Musco
County.
But you, you had made thedecision.
I knew you were, I knew why Iwas there.
You kind of repented and turnedfrom that way, and you didn't,
you just wanted to stay awayfrom the drugs.
You wanted to, to make a betterlife.
(26:34):
Yes, yes, definitely.
So the Bible thing.
I have heard that the reasonthey, they didn't have bibles,
and I don't know if they docurrently, was because I guess
inmates would roll up the pagesand use them as like shanks
maybe, or No, no.
They people or smoke them.
People were bringing books in,you were several years ago.
I don't know when they stoppedallowing books, period.
(26:56):
But they'd start lacing thepages with, uh, uh, spice, um,
liquid that would get you high.
They'd, they'd put in acigarette.
'cause you could make, they, wemake our own cigarette cigar
paper in jail and, um, figure away to make fire and people
smoking there.
So they were doing that with thebooks and the bibles and That's
right.
Maybe that's why they weren'tallowing it.
Well, they, they banned allbooks period.
Um, and confiscated everythingthey could find.
(27:18):
Um, so yeah, that, that was thereason.
But, uh, yeah, we fought,there's Bibles down there now.
I got both bibles that they gaveme while I was in there.
Wow.
Um, yeah.
Wow.
Okay.
So you were influencing othersin a positive way by writing the
Bible verses up on the kiosksAnd that's right.
Before we could, before we hadanything,'cause there were, like
I said, still a couple biblesfloating through.
(27:38):
Yeah.
And I always make sure I've hadmy hands on one of'em.
Wow.
Okay.
So keep going through the end ofthat time in jail and then as
you got out.
So I get out and I go back tostay with my mother'cause uh, I
had to have a place to stay.
Um, you got out released to gointo drug court?
Absolutely.
Okay.
That's right.
So you're living with yourmother and you're about to start
(27:58):
drug court.
No, I'm I you start court theday you get outta jail, you
leave jail and you start court,start start drug court.
Okay.
Um, which, if people don't knowwhat drug court is, is not
actually court.
It's a program where they get,you gotta go to meetings, uh, aa
NA meetings, you gotta go todrug rehab classes.
Um, you gotta take urinalysis upto seven times a week.
(28:19):
Random.
Just a lot of things that it doto help you.
Beat what you've been goingthrough all the time.
Yeah.
To help you get sober.
Stay sober.
That's right.
And just build a foundation fora better life.
That's it.
That's it.
So, uh, I get released to mymother's house.
I was there for maybe a weekbefore she put me out because
I'm not gonna get into that, allthat either.
(28:39):
But she kind of is older andgoing through her own mental
issues.
So I get put up.
Was your dad, was your dad stillaround at that point?
He, he, he, he's still there.
He does what my mother says.
Happy wife, happy life.
I don't, I don't agree with itso much.
'cause I know he is not thathappy by following everything
she wants, but Okay.
Yes.
So to him, I had to havesomewhere to go so I could put
(28:59):
it over at the Freedom House.
Um, so that's how you gotconnected to Safe House
Ministries?
Exactly.
Exactly.
So after a week, you kickedoutta your parents' house, you
had nowhere to go.
Now how did you get into FreedomHouse?
Did you reach out through UnitedWay or did you call my mother?
My mother called my probationofficer instead.
He needs to go, uh, I don't knowexactly what she said, but I get
to court the next day and myprobation officer takes me
outside and she says, look,here's an address.
(29:22):
You need to be moved outta yourparents' house by night.
I said, okay.
All right.
So I get over.
So get over the Freedom House.
So your probation officer hadreached out to Safe House and
made arrangements.
That's right.
Okay.
E Either her or my caseworker,one or the other.
Okay.
Um, so then I get to the FreedomHouse.
And that is the end of part twoof Matthew's story.
and what a, an amazing story ofmiracles.
(29:44):
That it was with God just doingthe amazing healing his mind and
his body after that truckaccident.
And then with God just openingup the doors and giving him a
way to get into Freedom House,uh, helping him on that path
after so many years of drugaddiction.
Next week, you're gonna hear theamazing conclusion of the path
(30:07):
that Matthew took as he got intoFreedom House.
As he got the help he needed, hegot on his feet.
He got so many things in order,and everything just got so much
better.
He will tell you next week.
That Jesus is the main reasonfor the entire turnaround of his
life, the miracles, therestoration, the celebration of
(30:31):
where he is now, so you will notwanna miss it.
We look forward to being backwith you again next week.
We look forward to being with you again next week
as we share another testimonyabout the power and the goodness
of God to change lives throughSafe House Ministries.
if you are someone listening tothis podcast that loves to hear
these stories of the greatthings that God is doing in
(30:52):
changing people's lives for thebetter, and if you would like to
be a part of that work, pleasereach out to us You can reach us
at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus,Georgia, 31,904.
You can call us at seven oh sixthree two two.
3 7, 7 3, or you can email us atinfo@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Mi (31:14):
Thank you so much for being with us
this week for the renew restoreand rejoice podcast of safe
house ministries, we pray thatGod will bless you this week.
And we look forward to havingyou back with us again next week
for a new episode.
HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the
(00:03):
Safe House Ministries podcast,where we share stories of the
power of God to change livesthrough Safe House Ministries.
Safe House Ministries is basedout of Columbus, Georgia, and we
are a ministry that exists tolove and serve people who have
been affected by addiction,homelessness, and incarceration.
I'm your host, Phil Shuler, theDirector of Development for Safe
House Ministries here inColumbus, Georgia.
(00:24):
Safe House serves over 1, 100people each month as they
transition back into ourcommunity.
Safe House provides an abundanceof services including 213 beds
for homeless individuals andfamilies, case management for
obtaining job skills and longterm employment.
Over 300 hot meals every day,free clothing, and so much more.
One of the most incredibleservices that Safe House
(00:45):
provides is our free 9 12 monthintensive outpatient substance
abuse program, which is statelicensed, CARF accredited, and
has no wait list.
Almost 100 percent ofindividuals staying in our
shelters who follow our threephase program become fully
employed within a few months.
And 68 percent of individualswho stay at least one night with
us End up finding work andmoving into their own home.
(01:07):
Thank you for being with ustoday and listening to our
podcast.
We hope you enjoy this week'sepisode.
This whole time they're tellingmy parents, pull the plug on
him.
Pull the plug on him.
He's gonna, he's not gonna everbe able to think again.
He's never gonna be a walkagain.
He's gonna be a vegetable.
A burden on you, a burden onsociety.
Pull the plug on'em.
It's not worth it.
Meanwhile, time's gone by.
I'm So you heard all this?
No, no.
This is what my mother's tellingme later.
(01:28):
Okay.
Um, nurses and everybody justcaring about their day.
They come and get me mymedicines in my, in my IVs, you
know, food in my feeding tube,you know, liquid diet.
Um, as I'm in my coma andthey're not supposed to touch
me.
One day this nurse walks by and,uh, she rolls me on onto my
side.
She still does not, she, shedoesn't know why she did it,
(01:49):
'cause she wasn't supposed to.
But she rolls me on my side thisthree months later and slaps me
on the back.
All the fluid comes outta mylungs.
Every last bit of flu.
This when I turned this, thiswhen I took a turn for the
better.
And the doctors were hopeful.
Hopeful again.
Yeah.
Um, but the, the, the reallystrange thing is this, this
nurse's name is Angel.
Wow.
(02:09):
Absolutely.
Um, but yeah, so, um, thedoctors, uh, when I come outta
my coma finally, and I'm acoherent, I give my mother a
bunch of names and numbers offthe top of my head that are,
that were correct.
Telling her to go tell, callthese friends, you my friends,
go tell them that I'm okay.
All these numbers come back, becorrect.
So the neurologist, Dr.
Novak up there comes into myroom and he's like, Mr.
(02:32):
Anderson, you know, we're gladthat, uh, we, you're gonna,
you're gonna make it, you'regonna be better than we thought.
Wow.
Um, so, um, you know, as far asmy brain goes, they were totally
wrong as, but they, he's,they're still not thinking I'm
ever gonna walk again.
So you, you must have had like aserious head trauma supposedly.
Your hip was broken?
Yes.
Probably all kinds of things, Iguess.
(02:52):
Yes, yes.
I, I had, I had shattered both,both pelvises.
There's just no way.
Wow.
So, and how long were you in, ina coma or out?
Three months.
Three months.
Three months.
Wow.
And so it was after the threemonths when you woke up with the
biker nurse and putting thetubes, it was that, well, that,
that was originally, that wasthe, that was at the moment in
the er.
Okay.
That was, that was the, my firststep.
(03:13):
Oh, okay.
And then from there you were outfor three months.
That's it.
That's it.
So then, uh, so I was inrehabilitation for just a short
period of time before the,before they sent me home, um,
not expecting me to walk again.
You know, I'd go home in awheelchair.
I'm in a wheelchair for a longtime.
And, um, now at this point, whendid you find out about your
friend or what had happened toyou immediately?
(03:34):
That was, that was the firstquestion I asked, um, when you
woke up.
When I woke.
Absolutely.
How's Ken?
Um, and my mother had told methat he passed, you know, um, so
yeah, that was, that was prettyhard to take, but I, I kind of
had already known it.
Like I said, when we crashed,he, he had the blood coming out
his nose and his mouth.
I, I already kind of knew it andobviously I had this experience
(03:54):
wherever it was that he gave hislife for my life as far as I'm
concerned.
'cause he made a choice.
So, um, yeah, I, I had alreadyknown it, it had already settled
at the end.
Um, it's still, it still weighson me.
I, I got a syndrome call doessurvivor's remorse, um, is what
they call it.
So it's definitely hard to dealwith.
Yeah.
But, um, it is what it is.
(04:14):
So, yeah, still I'm not supposedto walk at this point.
Wow.
And Dr.
Jorge Alonzo comes along to UABand he looks at my x-ray x-rays
and he says, you know, I think Icould do something with this.
So he ends up taking me intosurgery, 13 hour surgery, re
breaks my pelvis, takes crumbsto, and puts crumbs back
together with, uh, metal platesand screens and pins and rods
(04:39):
and screws.
And anybody who sees thesex-rays, it's just like, what is
going on here?
Like, like what did he do?
He just, frank inside of yourhip.
Um, so I walked around with a,about a three inch limp, a three
inch difference in my legs forI, I don't, I don't know.
It was, that was probably about10 years before I had a hip
replacement.
And then they were able to do ahip replacement and.
(05:00):
Basically you were, you were 18at the time?
I was 19.
19.
Okay.
This, this says 20, but I thinkthey were just doing the math on
the years and not the, not themonths.
So yeah, I was 19 at that time.
Wow.
So you were able to startwalking, but you had that three
inch difference in year untilthey did hip replacement and
it's, it's this hip replacement.
I've been, I've been justnormal, you know.
(05:21):
So after therapy, as you'restarting to get better where are
you at mentally, spiritually?
Were you still wanting to getback to the drugs or where were
you at in that space?
I lost all my friends.
Um, my friends that I bought,you know, of course they
weren't, they didn't come backaround.
Yeah.
'Cause I didn't have much tooffer.
(05:41):
Yeah.
Um, so yeah, I did dabble backinto drugs a little bit.
Did that I get, did that sendyou into depression?
Of course.
Absolutely.
'Cause, uh.
Uh, yeah, just not having nobodyaround really would.
It was hard.
It was hard.
Um, so yes, I started using, Istarted using cocaine until
2012.
I checked myself into rehab.
So were you living with yourmom, like when you got, when you
(06:02):
were in therapy and trying onyour path to recovery, did you
move back in with your parents?
First, first several years Idid, you know, but I've, I've,
I've always been wanting to beon my own, so I've taken care of
myself.
So as soon as I get back out, Igot back out.
Okay.
So, so talk about those recoveryyears as you're, when you're
with your living with yourparents.
You said you started back inwith cocaine.
Mm-hmm.
(06:22):
Just trying to cope, I guess.
That's right.
With the trauma and theisolation.
That's right.
Did you start getting back outtrying to do the party life or.
I was never really into theparty life, I guess you could
say.
Even though I ran a nightclubgoing out to nightclubs was
never really my thing.
Yeah.
Being at parties, it was alwaysat my house, you know?
(06:43):
Um, yeah.
Where, where we partied.
So that really, I wouldn't say Iwas, I, I would get I would've
even gone back to that partylife'cause there was no party
life.
It was just So you're just usingas a way of self-medicating.
That's it.
Were you selling as well, or no?
No.
Absolutely not.
Okay.
How were you getting the moneythen?
Um, social security disability.
So you just would get that andthen use it for drugs?
(07:05):
Yes, sir.
And sir, your parents would takecare of whatever living expenses
you needed?
Absolutely.
you said that was several years?
Yes, sir.
did it get worse from there ordid something happen that made
you wanna get outta that?
So I definitely wanted to getout of it.
I checked myself into rehab in2012.
I told my, nobody knew I wasusing cocaine.
I was what they call afunctioning addict, which
doesn't exist, by the way.
(07:25):
Yeah.
Um, you could think you'refooling everybody, but, um, I'd
say for the most part, my familydidn't know.
Um, really?
So like your parents, maybe theysuspected, but they didn't ever
call you back, call you out onit.
I don't even think theysuspected.
I went to my mother's house atfour 30 on It was November 10th,
2012.
Um, went to her house at four 30in the morning and woke her up
(07:45):
out of sleep and told her Iwanted to go to rehab and she
looked at me.
So you had moved out at thatpoint?
Absolutely.
So after.
A year or two living with them,then you moved out, or it was,
it was probably longer thanthat.
Yeah, it was probably severalyears, probably five, six years.
Okay.
And then you moved out, you'restill using drugs.
That's right.
But that's when you went back2012 you said?
Yes, sir.
And told her I need to go torehab.
And she was confused.
(08:06):
She didn't For what?
And so I told her cocaineaddiction, um, and she said,
okay, well my sister-in-law is achild psychologist here in town.
Um, so she says, well, sheprobably knows this places, so
she suggested the BradleyCenter.
I said, no, you know, I can't bein Columbus if, if, if I'm gonna
be in a rehab, I need to getoutta Columbus away from where
(08:28):
you can get access or the peoplethat you know, or, or where I
can run.
I can run and I know where I'mat.
Yeah.
You know, so, um, I went up toanchor rehab in Atlanta, um, for
I think it was two, three weeks.
And I never went back to thepowder of cocaine.
Um, but I still, I stillcontinued to smoking marijuana.
Um.
And eventually, I mean, this is,and this is years later I'm, I
(08:50):
was now maybe 40, 41 when Istarted dabbling with
methamphetamine.
Now this after you went toanchor, or was this before?
After.
After.
So you you let go of the cocainemm-hmm.
Through the anchor program.
Mm-hmm.
And then you got out, you cameback to Columbus and you started
on meth.
Well, I, I continued usingmarijuana for, what, 20 years?
Maybe not just, just shy 20years and started using meth,
(09:12):
like I said, about 40, 41 yearsold.
Wow.
Um, how now, how far removedfrom the rehab program were you
at this point?
15 years.
15.
Wow.
So probably at least.
So you got clean.
No.
Okay.
And then, so let's say, and thenyou were still onto marijuana.
That That's right.
And then 15 years later, let,let's say, what made you wanna
start, let's say 10 years?
I've, you know, I, I don't know.
(09:34):
I can't tell, I can't tell youwhat was going on in your life
at the time, or it was a friendthat introduced, introduced it
to me, and I always looked downon people that used meth.
I thought it was a dirty drug,and it is.
But, uh, I don't, I don't know.
I don't know what made me tryit, I guess peer pressure.
Um, were you pretty stableotherwise?
Like you were working?
Yeah, I was doing Living on yourown was doing really well.
(09:54):
I was running my own smalllandscaping company.
I was doing really wellmonetarily.
I had everything I wanted,everything I needed, just
hanging out with maybe friendsthat you shouldn't have been
hanging out with and Absolutely.
So yeah.
And so I don't even, I'm 43 now.
I ne I, I've done a day or twoin jail twice I first time, in
fact, the first time I did acouple hours in jail, was bonded
(10:15):
out.
Next time I did a weekend andwas bonded out.
And then I didn't, I, I went tojail at 42 years old.
Um, and spent 16 months inMuskogee County jail for a
terrorist threat on the sheriff,like an idiot, because just high
hyped up on meth.
Yeah.
And just, just making the wrong,wrong moves and Wow.
So 40, about 41 you started onmeth.
(10:36):
That's right.
And then it sounds like it justwent downhill quickly.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
'cause I was, I was, I wasactually, after my buddy
introduced it to me I wasgetting it from a supplier who I
had been friends for with, for along time, and I was getting it
for free.
I wanna pay him for it.
Now how does that work?
He just, I'd give him rides, uh,to where he needed to go.
Okay.
And, uh, he'd, he'd give me lotsof it, I mean, lots of it.
(10:58):
So I'd never paid for it.
So it was simple to get Wow.
Didn't spend my money on it.
Yeah.
Wow.
And you were just living on yourown through this whole time?
Absolutely.
Never.
Did you ever have any stablerelationships with females at
all?
Oh, yeah.
Well before I, but after I wentto, uh.
Rehab in Atlanta for the cocaineaddiction?
Probably several months later.
(11:18):
I, I found a female and I'vealways had a girlfriend at, at
most of the time, but she wasterribly abusive, physically.
Um, and not that she was beatingme up.
She, she burned me with an ironat one part point.
Wow.
Um, she was mentally abusive.
She broke me down like I was inthe military or in prison.
She cut my hair off, changed theway I dressed mentally and
(11:40):
emotionally Abusive abAbsolutely.
So why, what made you stay witha person like that?
Um, I don't know.
I couldn't tell you.
Probably'cause she probably'cause she stayed around.
Yeah.
Um, was she using drugs at thattime?
No, she hated it.
She hated it.
Really?
She hated it.
Not even marijuana.
No.
no, she was not even really adrinker.
Um, she did, she couldn't standthe fact that I was using drugs.
(12:02):
So why did, why did she wannastay with you?
I was, uh, monetarily supportiveof her.
Okay.
Okay.
So she, it was room and boardand you would give her whatever
she needed or wanted?
Basically.
Um, and she had her own moneytoo, but it is, uh, yeah, she,
she took me for everything Ihad.
Really.
Wow.
Wow.
And that was several years thatyou guys were together?
(12:24):
We were together for sevenyears.
Do you have any kids at all?
No.
No?
Okay.
No.
All right.
No.
Never married no kids.
I get, I do got, I got, I gotfour dogs.
Hey, I'm definitely, I'm a, I'ma dog lover, which is crazy
'cause.
2021.
I got my first real dog thatwas, and I've had a couple dogs
growing up, um, but actually gota dog that I fell in love with.
And before her, I would've nevereven seen myself with dog.
(12:47):
I'm not a, I would considermyself not a animal person, but,
so I had somebody pawn off a dogon me one day, which I didn't
want.
I told her, we can go get yourdog, but I'm not taking her
home.
Um, which I knew was gonnahappen anyway.
And now I'm a dog lover.
I've, I've collected 5 cents.
I had my first one, the one I'mspeaking of.
She died three weeks ago.
(13:08):
Oh.
And that was, that wasincredibly hard.
But yeah, I'm definitely, I'm a,I'm a dog lover, so, um, yeah.
That's the only friends I reallyneed.
Yeah.
Okay.
So let's start back up again.
When you were, you started onthe meth, okay.
What did that do to your mindand your body and what kind of
decisions did you start makinglike.
Talk us through that timeperiod.
(13:28):
You know, I can't, I don't like,I've, I don't really know.
Like it is.
I've, I was just I feel I wasonly utilizing it to work, you
know, I was working ValleyHospitality down at the
Marriott.
I worked banquets, I worked atHula hands.
Everything that the Marriott Ido, if they needed me down at
the Bibb City Mill, they'd callme out there.
I really, uh, was go one of thego-to guys for Valley
(13:50):
Hospitality and, um, you know,it kept me going.
It kept me going.
Um, I was able to go home andstill complete my personal
projects.
I don't know, I don't know if itis.
I guess it kept me all up allnight and I, I made some bad
decisions, you know, Ithreatened the police and, uh,
that's, uh, like I said, andhow'd that come to pass?
Well, they come to serve me withsomeones one day and I built
this big, beautiful, nice fencearound my property.
(14:13):
And they.
Trespassing my property.
There's no other way to say it.
They broke my fence to get in.
Um, and I had it on video andI've sent the sheriff a video
back saying, if you evertrespassing my property again,
I'll kill everybody.
Um, did they have a warrant orwhat was the reason for coming?
It, it was a summons.
They didn't have a warrant,which Hey, I, I'm, I'm not a
summons.
So they had to an officialpurpose to deliver the summons.
(14:33):
They didn't have a date.
Yes.
See, I see.
I hate, I, I don't like talkingabout this.
And I'll tell you why, because,um, back then I was a guy who
didn't like the police.
Yeah.
Um, now, nowadays, I, they'refine with me.
I'm okay with them.
But the way I saw it then, Ithink legally with a summons,
they couldn't they didn't have aright to trespass on my
property.
They couldn't go past that gateline.
(14:54):
That made you angry?
Were you at home at the time?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So you just, you knew thatthey're there.
You didn't wanna go up?
I'm watching on video.
I got the whole thing on video.
Did you open the door or no?
No.
I called the sheriff'sdepartment and told'em, look, I
know y'all trying, trying totalk to me, trying to make
contact.
Let's set the appointment up fortomorrow.
Um, so I guess, yeah, this, thisis where probably the meth came
into came into play is I'm upall night thinking about this
(15:17):
and it's going through my headrenting space in my head and I'm
thinking, but like, you didn'thave a right to do this.
Um, and whether they did or not,it's not important.
It's like my, you're just notthinking clear.
100%.
100%.
So, uh, yes.
So you called the sheriff officeback and I sent, I sent him
email with some pictures of myguns and, um Wow.
Oh yeah.
(15:37):
Oh, man.
Yeah.
That's pretty serious.
Yeah, pretty serious.
Um, so then they came back, uh,um, they came, arrested me at
work.
Um, in, in fact, the day beforeI got arrested, I had a co I, I
had a court appointment for thesummons.
I do.
That's what they were trying toserve me with, to go to court.
Um, so I go to court.
Was this, the summons was a drugrelated thing, or No, it, it was
related to an old friend.
(15:58):
Um, she, well, it's, uh, she.
She dated, started dating a newguy.
Um, I don't think he wanted mein the picture, so he had her
take out a protection order tojust keep me away.
Um, so I don't know, I don'tknow all the circumstances with
that.
This protection order is stillin place.
So me and her haven't even beenable to discuss that, so I don't
know the true true reason whyshe had it put in place.
(16:20):
Yeah, I know.
I, I'm not, I'm not that guy, soI don't know why I'm, I'm
assuming this would've happened.
But so I, I didn't know I wassupposed to be, I thought it was
a Friday when I was supposed tobe in court.
Uh, the court called me Thursdaymorning and said, Mr.
Anderson, you come to court.
I said.
Court.
I thought that was tomorrow.
My truck had been broke down.
Uh, I had a coworker, uh, takingme to work at that moment.
(16:41):
I said, well, I'm, I'd love tocome to court.
I don't wanna have a benchwarrant.
If you could send a, a sheriffto come pick me up I, I'll come
to court.
I don't have a problem.
And so she said, lemme talk tothe judge.
See what he says.
I've heard that sheriff do thisbefore.
So a couple hours go bye bye.
At court.
The sheriff shows up.
Deputy shows up puts me inhandcuffs at work.
Um, and So you think they'recoming to pick you up for the
(17:03):
protective order summons?
Well, they, and they are.
They are.
They, they're coming to pick meup for court.
This is what's happening.
Um, so I go to court, um, andeverything's good at court When
I'm walking outta court, um, oneof the other deputies says, Hey,
Ms.
Anderson, will you sit at thetable real quick?
And so I think to myself like,no, this ain't right.
There, there's some, something'sgoing on.
I I, even though I'm not, thiswas after you had sent that
(17:25):
email with the pictures of yourguns and threatening to kill
everybody.
Right.
If they come into your propertyagain.
Right.
And though I'm not a cre careercriminal, I, I, I know, I know
something's wrong and I'm notdown for it.
I said, can I go outside andsmoke a cigarette?
And he's like, no, just comeover.
Just sit here and sit, sit atthe table for a minute.
And I know my rights also.
So I said, I'm under arrest.
He said, no.
I said, well, I'm an adult.
(17:46):
I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette.
So as soon as I get outside, I'mnot waiting for the sheriff.
If they to take me back to work,I'm run back to work.
Um, and I tell'em, tell mycoworker, look, you gotta take
me home.
You gotta get me a battery, uh,from my truck and take me home.
And so you're trying to run, youfeel like they're coming to get
you and you're trying to run.
Oh, I know what's going on.
I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm not foolish.
So.
(18:06):
That whole night goes by.
And she comes pick me up againfor work, takes me to work, and
I'm at work.
And now we got, now I got twodeputies coming to my house or
coming to my work and arrest meat work for the terrorist
threat.
Um, this is what's in thelandscaping business?
No, this is, I was working atAmber's Waxer riches at this
time.
Okay.
Uh, as a dog groomer.
Um, and so two, two deputiesarrest me, take me to South side
(18:29):
precinct where we got 40deputies a around.
Um, they got a tank.
Looks like it.
This one of the thing that drivethrough tornado.
And we have a, we take amotorcade up to my house and
they're all out there where thear surrounding my house.
And, uh Wow.
Yeah.
And they kicked my door in.
They're looking for my weapons,um, which I had hidden the night
before.
'cause I know it's about to godown.
(18:50):
And uh, they took your wordsvery seriously.
Oh, very seriously.
As they should have.
Wow.
It was, it was a stupid move.
All, all due to meth.
Wow.
Yes.
So did they find the guns then?
No.
No.
I've, I've, I'm not gonna tellyou where I ran them because,
uh, but, uh, I, I, the nightbefore when my coworker took me
home, I said, stop by AutoZone.
Let me get it better from mytruck.
And I took'em and hit'em.
(19:11):
I knew what was gonna happen.
Um, and they're gone.
So I, I, I, I don't even wantpossession of or more, or
wherever I took'em.
That guy's gonna keep'em and hecould have them.
Wow.
That's right.
So they arrest you, take you tojail.
Take me to jail.
Charge me with, so, so, so thenI get to the holding cell and I
call my friend who just got aprotection order on me just to
apologize.
(19:31):
I didn't know what happened,just girlfriend, that it wasn't
a girlfriend who, she was just afriend.
Okay.
But she's the one that took outa protection order on me.
I just wanted apologize to herfor having to take me to court
for whatever reason.
I kind of wanted to find outwhy, you know, so I called her,
she didn't answer, but, um, theycome and slapped me with a, uh,
aggravated stalking charge.
Just for calling her.
Didn't even make contact withher.
(19:53):
So you're the protective ordersaid you shouldn't, you were not
supposed to do anything likethat.
Apparently I didn't.
I never even got a chance toread it, you know, because it
was all, this happened over anight and I figured once I got,
wow.
They probably explained all thatin court, but it probably
wasn't.
No, no, absolutely not.
What she explained to me incourt is that if I saw her, if
I, I can't be within 100 feet ofher if I see her out and about
it's my duty to leaveimmediately.
(20:14):
And that's why I didn't reallyunderstand what the protect,
what, what all was in theprotection order.
So I set it on my dresser andfigured it's weekends coming up.
When I got time over theweekend, I'll read it and see
what, what all, what all thedetails.
Um, so I never had theopportunity.
If I did, I wouldn't have, Iwouldn't have been that stupid,
um, at all.
Yeah.
Um, so, and they caught me withfive and a half grams of, of
(20:34):
weed at my house.
So I also ca caught itaggravated or possession with a
intent charge, which reallyisn't possession with intent
because.
Five and a half grams of weed.
You carry 28 grams around here.
Now I get a ticket.
But because of my charges withthe sheriff, he wanted to make
sure he got me with everythingrightfully so.
Wow.
So what was the charge relatedto the threats that you had
(20:54):
made?
T of threat on the sheriff.
Wow.
All right.
So you're in jail, you'rewaiting for court at this point?
That's right.
Um, people are telling me Go, gorapid resolution.
Go rapid relu resolution.
Go what now?
Rapid resolution.
It's basically, if you gotfelonies, um, you can plead
guilty real quick and they'llgive you, they'll give you a
sentence right away.
Um, I guess that's So you don'thave to wait in court for court?
(21:16):
No, no.
'cause typically down here inMuskogee County, they're backed
up.
It takes most of the time, fouryears for an indictment.
Um, so you're sitting in jailbefore you even get your really
official day of in court, like,oh yeah, that's why, that's why
they're pushing rapidresolution.
Oh yeah.
'cause I mean, you'll get a, youget a bond hearing after 90
days.
So you get an opportunity tomake bond if you can make bond.
(21:37):
But if you can't, you're stuckbeing the severity of my crime.
My, my, my, my bonds were over ahundred thousand dollars, which
after 40, 40, 40,000, I thinkthey want a property hold.
So you gotta give'em twice whatyour bond is, plus the bond
money, plus the 12% of whateveryour bond is.
And Wow.
I don't know.
(21:57):
Nobody that owns$200,000 worthof property.
Wow.
So, yeah, they had me stuck.
I had my So you're stuck.
Yeah.
And they're trying to convinceyou to do the rapid resolution
because Well, that's, that'swhat the guys, the, the, but the
inmates are trying to, theinmates.
So I, I write a letter toRochelle Hunter, who is the
rapper resolution, uh, da orwhatever she is, and she tells
me I gotta plead guilty to allthe charges in order to accept
(22:18):
it.
And I'm thinking, I'm not guiltyof all these charges.
Like, I'm definitely not gonnaplead guilty to aggravated
stalking.
'cause didn't happen.
The possession with tent wasfive and a half grams a weed.
Come on.
And she was like, okay, wellthat, that's off the table.
And she didn't, she never talkedto me again.
So, um, so no rapid resolution,none.
So I wait, I hire an attorney toget me into the bind hearing.
(22:38):
And how did you hire anattorney?
Well, I, through my parents, Ihad to my, my mother.
Okay.
So they helped you out withthat?
Well, not really.
Um, I paid for it, um, but theyhad, they had access to my
accounts so that way they couldput money on my books and
everything else.
Um, so I was like, go ahead andhire me an attorney.
I.
I know I'm not gonna give theguy's name'cause but he was not
a very good attorney.
Oh.
(22:58):
Um, he was, he did, he told me,oh, we just gotta sit and wait
on that indictment.
Gotta sit there and wait onindictment when indict the
indictment comes.
Well, like I said, that could,that could be four years.
Um, legally they, they, they,they can give you up to four
years till they get, till theyindict you.
And based on the way our systemis, that's the way it was gonna
work out.
That just, I mean, I've heardthat before, but yeah, it's.
(23:20):
It.
That doesn't make any sense tome.
It seems unjust.
Well, they claim they're backedup because of COVID.
I'm not so sure how much that istrue anymore.
Even still it's not, yeah, it'snot fair.
It's not an excuse.
No, it's not at all.
I mean, it's not at all.
But once again, if I didn't runmy mouth, if I didn't do what I
did, I wouldn't be in thatsituation.
You're, you're stuck'cause ofyour bad actions.
100%.
(23:41):
I mean, you were guilty of badchoices actions.
Absolutely.
I'll take accountability forwhat I did.
There's, I'm not gonna put it onanybody else ever, you know,
that's not fair.
Yeah.
Um, but, but there might be, asmall percentage of individuals
that are there because of maybemisunderstandings.
Well, I mean, probably.
And they still have to waityears.
Yes.
Yes.
It it is, it is sad.
It's really sad.
Yeah.
So, lemme tell you what I didnext.
(24:02):
I hired a new attorney.
I got rid of the first guy Ihired.
Jennifer Curry, younger player,named all over the place.
This woman, this woman, had meout in three months, said, look,
we can get you into, uh, drugcourt, mental health court.
Wow.
And within three months, thiswoman worked so hard.
I'm telling you, she was stillfighting.
She was still fighting my casewhile we're in court signing
papers to get me into the drugcourt, um, still getting them to
(24:24):
drop the probation fees.
And this woman was a beast.
Like, if, if anybody ever needsan attorney, Jennifer Curry is
the way to go.
Wow, man.
That's, it Sounds like the Lordblessed you with finding that
100%.
You know, the good I, I stillsee.
My jail time as a blessingmaybe.
Uh, and maybe So how long yousaid was it?
(24:45):
16?
16 months.
Well, so this was when you werewaiting just to get your day in
court.
That's right.
And then as you're getting closeto that end of that you've let
go of this deadbeat lawyer.
That's right.
And then you hired JenniferCurry.
That's right.
And she's the one that got youout after 16 months finally.
Yes, yes.
But you know, the whole timeI'm, I'm in jail.
I'm reading the Bible.
We had to, I, I was one of theinstrumental people in getting
(25:08):
Bibles back into jail.
There was no bibles when I gotthere.
None.
So me and everybody in my dormstarted writing grievances or
grievances.
Grievances every day till theygot brought the Bibles back.
Wow.
There was, there's a couplebibles floating through jail at
this time, even still that havenot been confiscated.
And I'd put scripture on thekiosk every day and I could see
(25:28):
that it was doing a lot of goodfor a lot of people, um, people
that I would never expect thatwould stand there at the kiosk
reading all of it.
And I was just like, wow.
Yeah, it was pretty amazing.
She was hand some bible verses.
It's funny'cause um, now all mytime with this accident, I
suffered a stroke.
10 15, I've probably 20 13, 2012, I suffered two heart
(25:49):
attacks, but the strokes really,my handwriting is not good.
You can't read my handwriting.
But through writing thescriptures, all of that related
to the accident or to the drugsor maybe to all of the above.
Probably all of the above.
But, um, writing the scriptures,I knew I had to take my time and
make legible.
Now my handwriting is prettywell, I mean, it's pretty good.
You, it's, uh, wow.
So this, this improved.
But yeah.
So while you were in jail, theLord was working in your heart
(26:13):
and you knew.
You needed to make some changes?
Oh yeah.
This was my rehab.
This was my rehab.
A hundred percent.
Like I, I, I didn't fight it.
There's drugs floating throughjails, um, especially in Musco
County.
But you, you had made thedecision.
I knew you were, I knew why Iwas there.
You kind of repented and turnedfrom that way, and you didn't,
you just wanted to stay awayfrom the drugs.
You wanted to, to make a betterlife.
(26:34):
Yes, yes, definitely.
So the Bible thing.
I have heard that the reasonthey, they didn't have bibles,
and I don't know if they docurrently, was because I guess
inmates would roll up the pagesand use them as like shanks
maybe, or No, no.
They people or smoke them.
People were bringing books in,you were several years ago.
I don't know when they stoppedallowing books, period.
(26:56):
But they'd start lacing thepages with, uh, uh, spice, um,
liquid that would get you high.
They'd, they'd put in acigarette.
'cause you could make, they, wemake our own cigarette cigar
paper in jail and, um, figure away to make fire and people
smoking there.
So they were doing that with thebooks and the bibles and That's
right.
Maybe that's why they weren'tallowing it.
Well, they, they banned allbooks period.
Um, and confiscated everythingthey could find.
(27:18):
Um, so yeah, that, that was thereason.
But, uh, yeah, we fought,there's Bibles down there now.
I got both bibles that they gaveme while I was in there.
Wow.
Um, yeah.
Wow.
Okay.
So you were influencing othersin a positive way by writing the
Bible verses up on the kiosksAnd that's right.
Before we could, before we hadanything,'cause there were, like
I said, still a couple biblesfloating through.
(27:38):
Yeah.
And I always make sure I've hadmy hands on one of'em.
Wow.
Okay.
So keep going through the end ofthat time in jail and then as
you got out.
So I get out and I go back tostay with my mother'cause uh, I
had to have a place to stay.
Um, you got out released to gointo drug court?
Absolutely.
Okay.
That's right.
So you're living with yourmother and you're about to start
(27:58):
drug court.
No, I'm I you start court theday you get outta jail, you
leave jail and you start court,start start drug court.
Okay.
Um, which, if people don't knowwhat drug court is, is not
actually court.
It's a program where they get,you gotta go to meetings, uh, aa
NA meetings, you gotta go todrug rehab classes.
Um, you gotta take urinalysis upto seven times a week.
(28:19):
Random.
Just a lot of things that it doto help you.
Beat what you've been goingthrough all the time.
Yeah.
To help you get sober.
Stay sober.
That's right.
And just build a foundation fora better life.
That's it.
That's it.
So, uh, I get released to mymother's house.
I was there for maybe a weekbefore she put me out because
I'm not gonna get into that, allthat either.
(28:39):
But she kind of is older andgoing through her own mental
issues.
So I get put up.
Was your dad, was your dad stillaround at that point?
He, he, he, he's still there.
He does what my mother says.
Happy wife, happy life.
I don't, I don't agree with itso much.
'cause I know he is not thathappy by following everything
she wants, but Okay.
Yes.
So to him, I had to havesomewhere to go so I could put
(28:59):
it over at the Freedom House.
Um, so that's how you gotconnected to Safe House
Ministries?
Exactly.
Exactly.
So after a week, you kickedoutta your parents' house, you
had nowhere to go.
Now how did you get into FreedomHouse?
Did you reach out through UnitedWay or did you call my mother?
My mother called my probationofficer instead.
He needs to go, uh, I don't knowexactly what she said, but I get
to court the next day and myprobation officer takes me
outside and she says, look,here's an address.
(29:22):
You need to be moved outta yourparents' house by night.
I said, okay.
All right.
So I get over.
So get over the Freedom House.
So your probation officer hadreached out to Safe House and
made arrangements.
That's right.
Okay.
E Either her or my caseworker,one or the other.
Okay.
Um, so then I get to the FreedomHouse.
And that is the end of part twoof Matthew's story.
and what a, an amazing story ofmiracles.
(29:44):
That it was with God just doingthe amazing healing his mind and
his body after that truckaccident.
And then with God just openingup the doors and giving him a
way to get into Freedom House,uh, helping him on that path
after so many years of drugaddiction.
Next week, you're gonna hear theamazing conclusion of the path
(30:07):
that Matthew took as he got intoFreedom House.
As he got the help he needed, hegot on his feet.
He got so many things in order,and everything just got so much
better.
He will tell you next week.
That Jesus is the main reasonfor the entire turnaround of his
life, the miracles, therestoration, the celebration of
(30:31):
where he is now, so you will notwanna miss it.
We look forward to being backwith you again next week.
We look forward to being with you again next week
as we share another testimonyabout the power and the goodness
of God to change lives throughSafe House Ministries.
if you are someone listening tothis podcast that loves to hear
these stories of the greatthings that God is doing in
(30:52):
changing people's lives for thebetter, and if you would like to
be a part of that work, pleasereach out to us You can reach us
at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus,Georgia, 31,904.
You can call us at seven oh sixthree two two.
3 7, 7 3, or you can email us atinfo@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Mi (31:14):
Thank you so much for being with us
this week for the renew restoreand rejoice podcast of safe
house ministries, we pray thatGod will bless you this week.
And we look forward to havingyou back with us again next week
for a new episode.
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