Saved by Jesus Christ | Robert Mascorro AKA Bam Bam’s Testimony

Welcome back, everyone! I’m beyond excited to bring you a truly life-changing testimony today. It’s an honor to be joined by Roberto Mascorro, known to many as Bam Bam. He was once trapped in the dangerous world of gang life for many years. Today, he opens up about the pain, struggles, and the harsh reality of growing up in that environment. But the most powerful part of Robert’s story is how, against all odds, God called him to something greater. That was to become a completely new man. This is a testimony that will leave you speechless. Trust me, you don’t want to miss a single word of it.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

So I just walk up to him, man, and and uh like I said, I I was uh I was plastered. I walk up to the guy and I tell him, Man, brother, because I hear him he's saying, Man, why me, God and what about Joe, bro, whatever, you know, he's saying what's on the new he goes something about Vietnam. So I go, Oh man, this guy's uh he's probably having a flashback, man. Yeah, I go up to the guy, my friend keeps walking. I had a white beater and I take it off, man, and I and I go all the way to the guy. And he's telling me, you know, when he's when I'm hearing him out for you know, I hand him my shirt, I go, Yeah, bro, just uh you know, settle down. Look at your family, man. You know, everybody's all tied up here. And then he's he's not he's not like listening to me, he's still like on his own trip. And then so when he's saying that about God, Vietnam, all this stuff, I'm going, why did I come back, God? Why'd you let me survive? I don't know out of my mouth. Like I said, I start talking good stuff to him. Like, only God knows why, brother. You're gonna be okay. You need to be an example, you need to straighten yourself up.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Welcome back, everyone. I'm beyond excited to bring you a true life-changing testimony today. It's an honor to be joined by Robert Moscoro, known to many as Bam Bam. Robert's story is an incredible transformation. He was once trapped in the dangerous world of gang life for many years. Today he opens up about the pain, struggles, and the harsh realities of growing up in that environment. But the most powerful part of Robert's story is how, against all odds, God called him to be something greater. That was to become a completely new man. This is a testimony that will leave you speechless. Trust me, you don't want to miss a single word of it. And if you are moved by Robert's journey, please subscribe to my channel for more powerful testimonies like this. Alright, everyone, welcome back to another testimony. Today I got a new guest on today. Robert, thank you for coming on, man. I appreciate it. Welcome. Yeah, well, uh, yeah, and um shout out to Isaiah Blancas for setting us up for another, you know, another testimony. He's been hooking me up recently with a lot of guys from the Gangsters for Jesus. You got the shirt on, so I see you representing, man. That's awesome. Yes, sir. Yeah, well, uh, I'm really excited to get into your testimony today, man. So uh you want to go into it and start with uh what your early life was like growing up.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Okay, yeah. Well, okay, like I said, uh I'm gonna give uh first of all, I wanna uh uh give God all the glory. And I um yeah, well, I I was born in Los Angeles, raised, and uh at a young age, uh I lost my my mom. She passed away, and my dad was sent off to prison. So uh yeah, um we were out there in California for for a bit. Uh my oldest brother is uh I'm the I'm the youngest of the family. I it was me, my brother, and three sisters. And uh well uh we we came to Texas together, but then we got separated. Uh we winded up uh we were living with my mom's mom, uh my grandmother. But uh I mean she had just finished raising a bunch of children on her own, and she wounded up getting a heart attack. So we needed uh they needed to find you know where we could go. So my my uh my oldest brother got sent off to uh uh to Arizona to one of those boys' ranches. And uh my sisters, they all got sent to uh uh they got into the system here in Texas. So they went to foster homes. So I was uh uh and they're all successful now, don't get me wrong. But I was uh I'm the only one that kind of stuck with uh family here because uh my my uh one of my mom's sisters lived right around the corner from where my grandmother lived. So uh I went to go live with her. But you know, um I mean I I can't say I was uh I was like the lucky one because I stood with my family, but the thing was that uh we were uh uh you know um family was using drugs, uh uh drinking alcohol, um you know, stuff like that. There there'd be Saturday mornings when we didn't have no milk, but there was leftover beer, so we would put beer in our cereal. Really? Yeah, but that didn't taste too good. We can share cartoons. And then uh yeah, so anyways, that that's how that started out. Uh so then uh um I was uh right there with my uh uh my auntie and my uncle. Um they and then uh I had my cousin, two two two uh two boys and uh two girls. So then uh they accepted me. Um my my uh my uncle and uh he was half German, so he he was blonde haired, blue eyes, man. So I I would, you know, when I got into the family, I I wasn't adopted, but you know, I would tell they would tell everybody I was their son. So, you know, I I appreciated that. But the thing is that my my uh my uh cousins, they they they're they're colored eyed, light skin, light hair. So when you know, people when I would tell them this is my brother, they would be like, oh yeah, right. Um it was we were like nine days on pepper. So so with him, yeah, so with him, you know, uh everything was good. They tried to uh lead us the the the you know the best they could, even though we were, I mean, they were, you know, Uncle was an alcoholic, you know, and and stuff like that, but they they put us in the scouts, uh later on into the young marines, just positive stuff that they were trying to do with us. But it it unfortunately the the surroundings where we were at, um uh, you know, the neighborhood, it was uh, you know, it there was too much going on there. So uh, you know, as far as already gang gang-infisted uh drugs and and whatnot. So uh yeah, so we started so we you know we started you know seeing that like I said, besides that, my uncles they were already older, uh way older than us, and they were already in in gangs themselves. So we were I I admired them. You know, I wanted I want that's what I wanted. You know, I wanted to be a gangster, and I you know, and I and and I just I just fiend for that that lifestyle.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

You know, so that that's what was mo most interesting to you then at that time.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Right after, yeah, because you know, like I say, well, I mean I played football, then you know, I was always like on the fence, man. I wanted to be an athlete, but then I I wanted to go and hang out with the with the boys uh after practice. You know what I mean? And I go over there, you know, start smoking the weed and and drinking the beer, and and then it's and then he got into huffing paint. And I'm talking about late 70s, early 80s. See, I think I think I'm the I'm one of the seniors uh of the of the gangsters for Jesus. I'm 61 years old. Yeah, I'd say so, wouldn't you? Yeah, so I mean I I I I I kind of like when I met Isaiah, I kind of wanted to be like a role model to him, but uh, but a good one. So here goes my story. The way the the way I didn't choose God, choose God chose me. Let me tell you how this happened. Okay, there used to be in on in uh El Paso, we have the Rio Grande. So back in the day, uh the Rio Grande was uh you could it was accessible, man. People would go out there, they would have keg parties, uh there would be concerts, and and that day that I went, it was called uh it was a river raft race. So I was I'm already by that time already 19. I had already done all the all the all the havoc, you can see, uh, as far as uh armed robberies, it just led up to all that kind of stuff. Um fighting, stabbing, shooting. I got some, they gave me some, and I gave them some too. So uh yeah, um, I was at this uh bar this one time. Let me tell you about this story with my what happened here is that uh I was with uh uh um a girlfriend of mine, and uh we were at uh at this bar and there was this other uh person that uh that uh another uh rival gang. Because remember, I'm from California, so uh Texas really didn't uh appreciate that. Uh they didn't like they didn't like us from California. So uh I was with this girl and uh so the the leader of that uh rival gang, he's all like, you know what, uh we're uh we're gonna get the girls' uh gang wants to get to your girlfriend, and uh and if you you step in, you know, you're you're gonna you're gonna get it too. So I said, oh no, that's not gonna happen. So then uh we have so we're in the bar. Uh this guy uh comes up to me and he tells me, you already know what what the plan is, right? And I go, no, well the plan is it's nothing like that's gonna happen. So the guy's all like, all right. So he pulls out his hand, like he's gonna shake my hand, and I grab his hand, and he tries to, he tries to like throw me on the floor. He tried to like like like uh you know pull me down, but you know, I was like I I I I felt his strength and and I had more strength than him. You know, so I mean my nickname was Bam Bam. So I grabbed I just grabbed that guy and I just ran him through the stools of the bar there. So then the the the security guard comes because the guy's getting ready, getting ready to jump me. Security guard uh guard uh comes in, he stops the he's trying to stop, he's trying to stop me. So I, you know, I get a I get a uh billy cup right on top of my head. So I turn around, yeah. I turn around and he didn't do nothing. I just turned around, you know, I'm intoxicated. I turned around and I grabbed that billy cup and I took it out of his hands. So the security guard is trying to cover himself up. But we knew the people from the bar, my girl knew the people from the bar there, so they're telling me, please don't don't don't do it, don't do it, don't don't hit him. So then I hand him, I hand him back the baton. So the lady starts running everybody out of the out of the bar, and then um I hear him. I could hear him say, yeah, well, we're gonna get him outside. So you had to go down some stairs. You really couldn't see nobody till you got down. So as soon as I did go down the stairs, I got stabbed in the arm. So then I said, Oh what? So I turned around because the guy, this guy, mind you, this guy had just got out of prison. He was already like a two-time loser. I was 17 years old. This guy's 37 years old. So he's telling me, Come on, little, come on, little rooster. I'm gonna show you. You you you wanna you wanna uh you wanna see what a real uh what a real rooster does? Come on, rooster, come on, little rooster. So I thought we were gonna box, but like I said, he he let me have it right in the arm right away. So I pulled back and I ran back up the stairs, and there was another homegirl right there, and she goes, he goes, here, bam, man, because I had a shotgun in the trunk of my car. That's what I was trying to get to. So, but I I I couldn't make it. There was a big crowd, I was outnumbered. So I go back in, the girl gives me the buck knife, and I go back out because I uh you know I'm uh you know I gotta get even. So I get down there, and there's the dude, and he's all you know, he's over here. Come on, let's go. So she thinks I already have the blade in my hand. So we're boxing. We started, he thinks we're boxing, but I still I'm already letting them, I'm already letting him have it. And uh the thief the they say that it was 17 uh puncture wounds I did to the guy, and uh he winded up having to use a uh a bag to use the use the restroom, a cholastomy bag or something like that. So, okay, so then uh uh years go by, right? I well before that, my uncle I was in jail, the O County jail in El Paso. And then uh this guy's in the hospital. So my uncle's coming to visit me, and his uncle's gonna go visit him at the hospital. So they're talking, and they start saying, Oh, what? He said, Yeah, well, I'm gonna go see my my uh my nephew. He got stabbed, man. And I go, What? I'm gonna go see my nephew because he you know he's in there for uh uh aggregated assault. So they start, yeah. Well, who's your nephew, man? He goes, and he tells him who it was, and he goes, Oh, what? Man, that's the guy that that's the guy that stabbed my nephew, man. He goes, Oh, that's my nephew, man. Nephews. We were both nephews, right there going, and he's gonna go visit me. So when he gets there, he goes, Hey, you know, I go, he's visiting me, he goes, So, how what's going on? So, what's going on up there? So he goes, let me tell you, I just the the guy you stabbed was one of our one of our gang, one of our our one of our members, which was my uncle's member. I didn't know. And I go, is that right? He goes, Yeah, so what's going on? What's happening? You know, did he pass away? Did he die? He goes, No, man, he he's in the hospital though, but he is uh he is uh using uh uh uh that bag to use the restroom. So man, uh at that time, man, I didn't have no feelings. Like I said, my mother passed away. I was gonna be, I was only two years old, but but when my I was gonna turn two years old when my mom passed away for my almost my birthday. And then uh, like I said, I met my dad the first time in prison uh at the age of six years old. That's when I the first time I got to meet my father. But yeah, but after all those stories that they had told me, I mean I know I'm I'm I'm jumping the tracks, but I'm just trying to, I'm just speaking from the heart, and I'm trying to let all the youth know you know that it's you can always change. Right. So what so, anyways, um so yeah, there so they we could we do the business and stuff like that, and then he he's good and all that. So by the time it's time to go to court, you know, I I believe uh my mom had always been praying for me, and uh, you know, I I mean, because I always got like I got a good break there. We go to court, but the guy's back in prison. Like I said, he was already a habitual criminal. This was gonna be my first time of anything here in Texas, any kind of record. So then um so then uh I you know I get out and the fall the cases fall apart. Uh there's uh what is it called? Statute limitation was over. So I I got I got to skate on that one. So yeah, I come out, I'm still doing my doing my mess, and then uh and then uh you know so I'll get back to you with with that guy. So, anyways, so he lived, he survives. I get back into the mess, but then uh like I told you, I went there was river raft races they were having. So I went out there uh July the 3rd, back in 1982. I'm manual, I'm I'm already what I'm 19 years old. My first daughter was born, so she was only born in April. So what she was only three months old, man. And uh yeah, I was 18, I had turned 19. So we're for everybody swimming in the river. There was this little area where you there was this little small bridge you could jump off it, you know, to jump into the river to to take dives. So, anyways, that's why I had already taken a couple of them. On the second dive, I already felt kind of like the sand hit my toes. So I said, hey, because you know, uh, when there's current in the river, it might be deep one time at one moment, and the next moment the sand will just shift and fill up that that void, whatever hole is there, whatever. So, anyways, I felt it like wow, that it's starting to fill up. So I'm going back on my third dive. So I go up to the I'm going back to get on that bridge, and uh as I was walking down, there was this, there was this, uh uh, there was this guy, man, like you know, older guy, and uh, and he's right there uh boxing the there was you know in the river, there was like uh kind of like those uh wood wood uh lampposts, like the posts, but they were short, but they were but he was right there punching it, hitting it, head butting it, and he was covered in blood and sweat. So I was with another homie of mine, and I tell him, hey man, hey man, let's go, let's go help this brother out. You know, he's he's one of us, you know what I mean. He's a Chicano, you know, he's he's Rasa, you know, let's let's let's help him out, man. And then my my friend goes, man, my homie goes, Man, don't you see that he's he's psycho, bro? He's nuts. He's gonna, he's gonna, he's gonna get us. I said, oh man, but he needs help. I go, look at his family. All his family was like in the background, they were all scared of him, you know what I mean? So I just walk up to him, man, and and uh like I said, I I was uh I was plastered, dude. Uh it was back in the days, there was uh the uh acid hits and uh and the and the booze and the and the beer and uh all that other the Mary Jane, all that. So I'm high the kite. I walk up to the guy and I tell him, Hey, brother, because I hear him, he's saying, Man, why me, God? Why, why me, God? Why not? What happened? What about Joe Bro, whatever, you know, he's saying, and then that's when I was when I knew he goes, uh, something about Vietnam. So I go, oh man, this guy's uh he's probably having a flashback, man. So I get I go up to the guy, my friend keeps walking, I take off my, you know, those those uh they call I don't know why, but they call them white beaters, those white uh the white tank tops. I know I had a white beater and I take it off, man, and I and I go all the way to the guy, and he's telling me, you know, when he's and I'm hearing them out, but then so then uh when I hand him my shirt before, you know, I hand him my shirt, I go, here brother, here bro, just just uh you know settle down. Look at your family, man. You you know, everybody's all tied up here. And then he's he's not he's not like listening to me, he's still like on his own trip. So then uh, and then so when he's saying that about God, Vietnam, all this stuff, I'm going, why did I come back, God? Why'd you let me survive? And then so then I don't know, out of out of my mouth, like I said, I start talking good stuff to him. Like, you know, God, only God knows why, brother. You're gonna be you're gonna be okay. You need to be an example, you need to straighten yourself up, you need to, right? So I'm telling them the stuff. So then when I hand him my t-shirt, I go, here, bro, wipe your sit, wipe yourself down, bro. So he grabs the t-shirt, he wipes his face, he looks down at the shirt, it's all full of blood, and he just goes into another like a trance. He just starts screaming, giving just starts screaming, like you know, loud. And he grabs my t-shirt and he makes it into a ball and he tosses it into the river. Like I said, we're right on the river bank. But you know, blood, when it hits water, it spreads. So when the t-shirt hit the river to hit the water, the blood, the blood spread, and it kind of looked like a body, man, floating down the river. So I go, hey man, what'd you do that for, bro? That wasn't cool. I go, go get my shirt, bro. You know? So he looks at me, man, and then like he finally like, and then he goes, and I go, go get it, man, go get my shirt, man. And he just takes off, man, just running as fast as he could. He jumps in the river, swims, grabs my shirt, comes back out, and he comes all the way back to and he hands me the shirt and he tells me he tells me. But when I but like everything was his, I mean, I swear, like, I mean his the cuts on his forehead were gone. He was a complete different person. It was like when he jumped in the river after like only God knows he came back sober, like a different person. So I was like, wow, what the heck? So then I get my shirt, man. I put it back on. I mean, it was a word rinse stuff or what have you, and I go back to take my shot. So I take my dive. But this time, like I told you, the river where I was diving, I guess uh it kind of felt like getting a big punch on the side of the jaw, man. Like jumping in a pool and hitting the side of the wall. So then uh well it knocked me out. I try to go up, it knocked me out, but it brought me back in. Kind of like a TV set when it goes out but it comes back on, you know, like woo-woo. So I can't back on. But luckily, when I when I uh I guess when I I hit the the the the riverbank or whatever I hit, it fit me with my with my mouth up. I was I was able to breathe because I I my my whole body was stunned. I could not move my arms, legs, nothing. I couldn't even talk. I was trying to call my friend, he was swimming right next to me. Damn. I'm trying to call, he helped me. Oh man, I I couldn't even because I get my nerves have gotten stunned. And like I said, I was always always athletic and stuff like that. That's what the doctor said that, but it wasn't just that that saved me the the the good uh muscle structure, what have you. This is the part where this is where it is. So I'm floating down the river and I get to a uh riverbank, and it's like uh I mean uh like an island in the middle of the river. So I get there, you know. I mean, I'm barely moving, man. I'm crawling. So I get there and then I look, I go, oh man, it's like another 20 yards to get to the bank to the riverbank. And then it was already dusk. Uh it was no, it was dawn, the sun's going down. So you look if you look in the water, you can't see nothing. When there's the when the reflection in the water, you cannot see nothing because it's just gonna reflect so nobody could see me, you know. So I I go, I float down the river about a hundred yards. I get to that bank, that riverbank, I crawl on my hands and knees, and I look, I go, wow, I got a ways to go, man. Well, I don't think I'm gonna make it, man. So I start walking, start going down, crossing uh trying to get to the riverbank to get back to the family and the party and all that whatnot. So uh no, the water starts as soon as I start going to walking back into the uh towards the riverbank, the water just starts coming up. So before you know it, it's already ways deep. Then before you know it, it's already shes high, and the river starts to take me again. And I'm saying, oh, this is when my turn. Why me, God? Why me? Why me, God? Before you know it, out of nowhere I got this strength, man. And I tell everybody it was divine intervention because I believe it was like my guardian angel. I believe my guardian angel picked me up, and he literally floated me all the way across to the riverbank. I crawled, he let me down, I crawl out, uh, and I'm like, what the? So then I I I stand up, you know. I'm I'm like, you know, I I was able to like everything came back to normal. So I start walking, get back to the part, I go, hey, let's go. I was pissed off, I was angry. I go, let's go. Nobody's what you're gonna let me die in the river, you know, stuff like that, man. Trying to blame everybody else except myself. Well then I we cut it short, we start taking off, and then uh I tell my friend, you know what? I think I broke my neck, man. He goes, Nah man, you break your neck, you would have been dead already, or paralyzed, bro. So I go, I don't know, man. I don't feel good, man. I don't know, right? Let's go. So we get home and you know, we start unpacking all the you know um ice coolers, whatnot, all that stuff. But then I I don't know if it was the the what was it, the the acid or the alcohol or whatever wearing off on me, but I started getting falling into some deep pain here, and my neck starts swelling up. Well, to the point I can't I was having a hard time breathing. So I I told my ex, give me a ride to the hospital. So there was uh on the way over there, there was a train tracks. We went over the first one, uh, like you know, the bump, you know, the bumps on the train tracks, and man, that was that's just like a stabbing pain in the neck. So I said, Hey, what are you doing, man? There I go again, blaming everybody else. Man, why are you going so fast? You know what? Just take me home here. Just take me home. I'm gonna take myself to the hospital. So I go, we go back home, I drop her off, and I take off by myself. Didn't go, I didn't didn't get that far. But uh some homies they had already called me saying they were having a party right around the right around the area. So I go to the homies, I go to the party and I go, hey man, uh, what's going on? What hey man, come on, man, this party, whatever. You know what, man? Uh uh I'm hurt, bro. I think I hurt my neck. I took a dive in the river and stuff. Nah, man, you be dead, man. You yeah, nah, man, you're gonna be all right. Come on, man. But luckily, one of my homies' cousin was a fireman. So he took me serious. He was, oh no, no, no, no, no, no. Let's see what's going on. I go, Oh man, call the ambulance. I don't think I can go no more. I'm uh I'm already losing feelings for my feet and my hands, and I'm having a hard time breathing. Just get an ambulance then. He goes, You want to call the ambulance? I go, uh well, not really, man. I don't want to make a fuss. So what he did, he drove me to the local department, fire department, which, like I said, he he was a fireman. So he got he went with his comrades, they they they stabilized me and all that. But by the time all that happened already, that was it. I already lost my my limbs, I couldn't move my hands, my feet, nothing. I was I was paralyzed. So then uh well, I get to the hospital. It took six months in there. So um on the day of the surgery, you know, um they have me in this room, uh, the pre-op. And then uh some guy comes up to me with long hair. Remember, I'm a homie, I'm uh you know, not not in short hair, khakis, you know, that my lifestyle. This guy's completely opposite, like a hippie. So he comes to me, brother. Can I pray for you? And I say, Yeah, man, yeah, why not? Yeah, pray for me. I'm about to go to surgery. Well, do you you wouldn't mind if I put hands, if I put hands on you, like my hands on you, like lay my hands on you? I will no man, go ahead, bro. So, yeah, so he puts his hands like on my shoulders, and he goes, Can close your eyes, brother? I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna say this prayer for healing. And I said, All right. So I close my eyes, and then all of a sudden, as he's praying, um, they're even praying in tongues, but before you know it, I still I feel hands all on me. So I'm all like, what? I open my eyes, I take a little peek, you know. I open up one eye, and it's all these different people praying for me. It was young, old people, there was people of color, people all different nationalities, man. And I'm like, what? Where did all these people come from? So they're praying for me, and then when they're doing that prayer, I start feeling like a warmth, and it started in the tip of my toes. And before you know it, it starts coming through up my body, and and people say, Oh man, you were still hanging on the drug. Oh no, man, this really did this is what I experienced. This is my this is my testimony. So when the that that the warblet from the toe, by the time it got up to my chest and it came out of my mouth, it was like fire. I believe it was the Holy Spirit. So so it's so when that happens, we get interrupted because the nurse comes in, she's all hey, you guys are too loud. You know, people are gonna be getting surgery right now. You're good, you guys good, you're gonna have to leave. You you're you're being too loud. But after that had happened, I had already felt like like, you know, my neck, everything, all the swollen was gone, man. I felt healed. I was healed. So I told the nurse, no, you know what, ma'am, these people just healed me. Because she had lifts, she comes back. I go, ma'am, I go, ma'am, that wasn't cool what you did. And then she's all like, What? Well, you ran off the people that were praying for me. And she's all like, What people? And I go, the people that you you the people you told to leave and go, where where did where did they go? I go behind that curtain. Where? This one, this curtain here, and I go, yeah. Oh, wait, because when she walks in, she sees me doing push-ups. I'll get done. Yeah, because I felt healed, man. After that, you know, when she ran everybody off, uh, the fire came out of my mouth. I felt instantly healed. I when she she takes back off, so I start doing push-ups, man. So she walks in, man. What are you doing? Man, get up, get in bed, you're about to go to surgery. I go, no, ma'am, you know what? I'm healed already. She goes, No, you can't be healed. Yes, those people heal me. You know, I I didn't know the full, you know, effect. I mean the how to explain it to her. So she's all like, no, it's the drugs, man. You're on drugs. That's what's happening. You're hallucinating. I go, look, ma'am, I've already been here six months. That that asset already wore away, man. I'm not, you know what I'm saying? So when I tell her, okay, so what it wasn't cool, ma'am. It wasn't cool what you did. You make the people leave. And she's all like, What people? How the people that were praying for me, and then she goes, Well, where did I tell them to leave? She goes, Well, they went behind that curtain. She goes, This curtain, and I go, Yeah. She she pulls the curtain to the side, bro. And there's nothing but a rock wall. Dang. So I'm freaking out. I'm like, what? So here they come. Here, we're gonna give you some more, you know, we're gonna give you some more drugs. You're gonna knock me nothing. And I was saying, no, no, no, don't call the doctor. I'm already healed. These people healed me. I'm healed. Look, I'm moving my neck and everything. Like, she's all like, oh, stop doing that, man. You're crazy, man. Stop it, man. And no, well, like I said, so they went ahead and went on with the surgery, man. They gave me something or whatever, knock me out. So I wake up, I'm angry. And they didn't, they uh I they winded up doing a book uh, what do you call it? Uh a fusion on my neck. What they did uh nowadays, modern surgery, uh modern uh uh C spine injuries are done through the throat. They'll do a little slit right here, and they'll go and do what they ever they need to go to repair uh the the vertebrates. Not me. They cut me, they butchered me up back there, like uh yeah, I got a big old scar back there, and use surgical wire. And yeah, they don't do that no more. And they they took a big old chunk out of my hip because that's the that's the the thickest bone in in your body is your hip. So I got it, yeah. They they dug the I got an extra little hole there, so they got it, they shred uh did like slivers of it and laid it down on my neck and tired up with the with that surgical wire. So I was like, it was like it will it was like if I started all step one all over again, man. So it's gonna be Thanksgiving. They say you can go visit your family or what have not, and you know, we're gonna, you know, we're gonna uh put you a Philadelphia collar, they called it the soft collar with uh with uh and then we're gonna put uh uh what do you call it of when you break your arm um cast, like uh yeah, the casting. So you wrap it. Because for uh like I told you, like for the I was there in the hospital for six months, and they when I I uh after surgery, they had put a halo. I don't know if you know if you heard of a halo, which is four bars, it's like a vest, and there's four bars, two in the front of your head, two on the back, and it's a halo because it goes around your head and they screw it into your skull. Yeah, they I don't know, they still do that kind of stuff, but uh I don't think so, you know what I mean. Talking about back back in the days, yeah. So then also there I go, step one again. And I was so angry, and man, I even came out cussing and all that. And my grandma's my grandma was there, and she goes, Yeah, uh, you know, in Spanish, no Roberto, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't be, uh, don't be cussing. She was a very religious person, my grandma. Catholic though, you know, with her with her rosaries. She would turn on her incense, she would read her Bible, she had her little altar. Very religious. And then uh, no, you don't you don't talk like that. You respect she was she always she was like that like I said, that's the that's the that's who I went to be raised with uh in my earlier years before I went with my other auntie. So then um, anyways. So uh yeah, I stood there another couple of months. So uh it was it was it was gonna be uh uh it was gonna be um uh Thanksgiving. So what was it, June, July, August, September, October, December. Yeah, seven months later. So it goes, just I think you're ready to go home. We're gonna let you go. We're gonna we're taking off the halo, but we we're still gonna put on that uh Philadelphia colour, they call it. And we're gonna we're gonna put that uh that cast on you. I go, man, that thing was super heavy, man. My neck.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

I bet.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

So so then uh I go home uh for that Thanksgiving, uh for that Thanksgiving, and then uh so I was really exhausted. I go lie in bed, and then uh I guess they had uh they they had stapled me up. That's when the staples were up, they were kind of fairly new. But when I'm in bed, I feel I feel a lot of like a wet, warm, warm wet in the back of my of my on my shoulders. So like so I kind of like sit up and I turn around and nah man, I'm already bleeding to death. The whole bl yeah, the whole thing opened up on me. So there I go back to the hospital another couple of months. All right, so I finally get out, and like I said, uh the part of my family that that I was raised up were uh hustlers, dealers, you you name it. And then so I wasn't uh and and but my uncle he always taught us how to work, so I I knew how to work, but I I I was uh out of commission, man. I I couldn't, you know what I mean? I was a construction worker. So then uh well you know I'm here with a cane with a big old cast, and there was a where I lived, there was a little, it was like a little drive, one one way in, one way out, kind of thing, and then that's where you know you would go uh you know what they call it nowadays the trap. That was the trap. They were just just like a drive-thru, man, just drive through, pick it up, and go. So yeah, I was there and everything and stuff like that. And you know, I did I did I had no other way of making money, you know, and that I had already been touched, but I didn't know how to how to continue with that, you know. Or like I said, I didn't choose God, God chose me.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

You know. So how'd you end up what did you end up doing then after you I mean how long did you well I got rated?

SPEAKER_00 39:18

No, yeah, I got raided, I got busted, I wanted to go to jail again and stuff. Oh, you didn't. But you know what? They with I was I I had my my I had my little uh my uh my you know my my my protege where I I would never have nothing at my base. I had my little soldiers where I would stash stuff, so they could never get me, really. So then uh I got healed, life goes on, years go, the years go by. I give myself a job and stuff, and I wind up getting hurt on my back this time, my lower back. I went back into the workforce. It was a company, the the Tonka Toys, they came from Minnesota to Texas for the cheap labor, Texas and Juarez. So it they were they uh at one point they just straight up hired 3,000 people, man. Because they brought the whole thing. So I started working after maybe a year or two. I wound up hurting my back there. Uh I wounded up learning how to do the forklift and stuff. So um we're loading this trailer, and then uh and then uh we couldn't fit the rest of the merchandise because the the the other shift, they didn't uh you know, they there was a big white gap that they needed to have filled. Because usually with two, three stacks, you could still push it with the with the forklift, you know, strong enough to push it to where you needed to be. So we started, we had to do it by hand to get at least where the forklift would be able to push the rest of the the material the the toys in, you know, the and it's all metal. Those trunks are are nothing but steel. So they're they're heavy. So as I'm doing that, I'm doing the last box, and the guy says, You're ready. I go, Yeah, I'm ready, just let me get out. As soon as I said as soon as I said, yeah, I'm ready, that guy just pushed the the thing in and and uh the the boxes of the of the toys with all the still toys right into me, man, and just squashed me. So instant, instantly, yeah, instantly he he uh ruptured my uh my last uh the lumbar, the last three discs on the bottom. Wow. So yeah, so there they go again. They started waiting, man. I'm in here still, man. So I was finally able to get out. I crawled myself out of there, man. And it was a Saturday night, so there was like nobody around, and but there was a supervisor, and I did let them know, you know what, man, this guy, I just got hurt there, man. I was alright, you're gonna have to make a uh a report or whatnot. So, okay, do it on Monday. So I was working night uh second shift. So I go Monday morning and they're they're already having like a little meeting. I was supposed to be there. They're having a meeting of what what had happened to me, whatever my report I did. But I hear him saying, you know what? Excuse me. Nah, let's just say that he got hurt out of the company. He was probably playing football or he did something, and then I hear that as I'm I'm walking in, and then I say, Hey, well, uh, don't you think I should be involved in this uh uh conversation since it's about me? Oh, they were all surprised. I go, but you know what? Forget it. I wasn't in the meeting, you didn't wait for me to come to the meeting, so I'm gonna go ahead and uh take off and just worry about my just uh talk to my attorneys. So yeah, I went when I was uh when I was locked up, there was a lot of you know people that would do insurance scams, but I wasn't scamming nobody, I was really hurt, and he would tell me, no man, you know, go get a lawyer. So then I took that part of the advice. So yeah, anyways, I winded up getting a good chunk of money. I'm 21 years old. So I wound up being uh moving up to the east side of town in El Paso, decent neighborhoods, really nice out of coming, getting out of the valley, you know, where all the mess was at. So I wounded up going over there, got me a nice little four-bedroom home, just like hitting the lottery, you know, everything new cars, washers, dryers, refrigerators, you you name it. Back in the day, that was some good glue. Yeah, so so I then I get back into the yeah, I get back into the the the the gangster stuff.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:00

ended up going back so you end up going back again after all that man you know getting a bunch of pounds and this and that and and start move you know dealing yeah but but now but now by this time it's already interstate oh right it's already interstate is they're flying to different parts of the states yeah so so the money's coming in like I would make uh we could make an a hundred uh a hundred thousand dollar deal and I'm walking home with 10 g's in a shoebox how long did you end up being able to do that before you got busted well yeah well I don't know I winded up getting raid like I told you I'm I'm I don't think I'm all slick or what have you but they could never get to me because I never had nothing there. Oh yeah so yeah that's the so man now it was three raids I got there the first time they broke down my windows doors you name it garage all that second time I opened up the doors and let them in bro and nothing was caught nothing was found the third time I even had a helicopter practically sitting on top of my the roof of my house they went in there I'm I'm in the back room I noticed that my little my my little two two of the my the my youngest kids were still in the in their beds and I said what the heck what the heck you didn't go to school I go oh my god and here they come to not you know raid the the the goons are coming and I tell them stay in bed don't move they're coming in and I you know later on in the years you know man I I really regretted putting all my kids to the stuff out of that where I just couldn't find the you know how to you know change the the right way man because I already was touched like I said God saved me that day healed me but I kept going writing with the devil man when so then after that happened yeah that was the last straw and I said I'm done with it and then uh little uh not uh not long after that Isaiah popped up and goes what's up man man I go what's up man and he goes yeah man you know what I'm just coming here to tell you that uh I I accepted Jesus man and I'm all like what really man he goes yeah man and I'm all like you know what and I and I'm trying to test him still oh look man I got some nice cold beers I got some big fat joints spark it up man drink one up oh no man you know I'm trying to put him like to the test like devil they ain't tempting you bro and you go no man man for real I'm done I'm done with all that man I'm saved and I and I want you to to to be the same you know God's out there man for us so wow man so then uh okay so then that's when it started manifesting to me now you know it started like already starting uh you know I you know I I wanted to go I wanted I wanted to start making rights instead of left so so then uh but I still didn't know how to spread the love or give my testimony or anything like that right what had happened to me like that and because I kept doing the the wrong the left side so anyways um after all that uh yeah I stood still there uh I beat the cases again by the grace of God and now we say you know what I believe my my my mom you know probably told Jesus help this dumb boy right you know he's a stubborn he's a stubborn knucklehead but um but yeah no well then one day uh you know I'm I'm in Isaiah's book like I said he would love to always be hanging out with the with the big boys like I said he he could even be my son but I called him my little brother but uh that you would want to be hanging out and and in those days we were uh I had a pool table in my in my uh in my uh in my house in my garage and that's where the party spot was at there in the garage and uh we had gathered all these different uh homies from all the different neighborhoods because there was this one gang you already know uh you know that was taking over everybody it was only going to be one gang that's it no more no more everybody had their spot it's gonna be one big territory so a lot of people fought it off and I mean some gangs did and some some some didn't but anyways we're having a meeting there it was a uh it was like seven of the of the head uh honchos of each each gang when I say when Isaiah walked in there there was even people from California there and uh yeah he was well he felt that my homie was mad dogging them or what have you so there he goes little bro wanna go want to go and stab stuff uh because like I I had already told him all my bad stuff so I felt like I I kind of told him the wrong things dude so there he goes man trying to trying to puncture up my my homie and I'm going oh bro that's not gonna happen here we're we're having a truth we're having a meeting here we're trying to we're trying to fix things up man so uh no so then my homies were like who's this little who's this little punk here right let's take care of him or whatever oh no bro nothing nothing like that's gonna happen here that's my little that's my little protege right there he's my meanie me so um no everything we we wind it up he wounded up taking all night long he was just they were just mad dogging bulldogging each other all night long but they couldn't they couldn't do nothing because I had already set the the the put my foot down and you know people would listen to me so then uh that that was over so then um one day I go I go to this uh uh a bowling landly bar and lo and behold there's that dude that I stabbed back in those days he's already out of prison I think he had done a 20 a 20 year bit so I see him man and he sees me so I said man uh you know I already had the change of heart man you know like I said I'm on the fence one foot in one foot out but I wanted to apologize to the bato man you know I I felt bad for what I did to him one of them because it was he wasn't the only one but anyways I walk up to him and he starts like like I said I'm already in my 30s so he's already what in his 50s I guess like I told you I was 17 he was 37 so we're a good what 20 years apart so he's already there I walk up to him and he's thinking that you know he's all like well man this you know he's thinking I'm gonna attack him and I told him no bro I just want to come and apologize man I'm I'm I'm changed you know because you're still in a bar it's a bowling alley bar right but you know it's still not the place I believe but I still had to tell him because God said you come as you are and I told him the same thing I changed man I you know I'm for Jesus bro and I would like you to forgive me bro for that what I did to you and he's all like no man nah bamba I forgive you bro and we embraced each other bro wow not a lot of people can do that or say they say they did that exactly and I and that and like do like it says in the Bible man we need to forgive if I want to be forgiven wow I need to be forgiven and I need to forgive how anyway well I I got to do that and stuff and then like just things just things started getting better for me man just God just giving me blessing after blessing man you know that what did that do for your faith how did that push you over the fence you know what I mean I started just stay staying away from everyone staying away from the money and that was hard man you know what I mean not not having that you know you're used to restaurants and you're used to this and you're used to that man you're used to clothes you're used to colognes you're used to jewelry yeah all that had to go yeah all that had to go it had to change if I'm if I'm really gonna stand for the cause for the kingdom right yeah so so yeah then Isaiah when he came and told me you know what I I wrote a book or not and you're in and I and I said well okay man that's cool he goes and then here's one of the very first he brought me one of the very first uh uh uh gangsters for Jesus uh show sure because he had a show so I will I got on the show as well I got on the show one of the first ones okay but they're all you know they're all you know you know changed so I wanted to be part of that you know and uh just started spreading the love you know started you know with starting with my own family members you know my uh one of my as a matter of fact one of my cousins just got out as uh he beat a murder rap and he's with us now he's with the Chancellors for Jesus so it's just been all positive all good things man I I got remarried yeah uh I'm I got remarried uh you know I got my I got my new wife and and because you know just I because I I just couldn't be around the the the way my own life was man and nobody wanted a change you know I was the head of the household but still it was the devil just had everybody on the on the on the stronghold so anyways yeah I started going to church um got myself baptized Isaiah do it no it was uh it was this uh it was Pastor Brown of uh the word of life and the reason being because when I broke my neck uh Isaiah was still a little shoot shoot he was still a little child oh so you did this way back in the day when I when we with that when I broke my neck at 19 and he's the one that he he's the one that had prayed for me so I just felt like uh when he I got it he started his church in a in the school oh okay okay so now Pastor Brown I don't know if you've you've heard of him but uh he's he's with the word of life and uh he has his own church now and all that and and and we just crossed paths again man and that's uh huh so I started going to his church and way before uh church and the alley and all that yeah so now you've been doing stuff with gangsters for Jesus and like I said I I I I try to support I'm not all there my wife is uh I want to honor her as well because it's you know that's hardcore bro yeah just not anybody can just not anybody can walk up into the uh uh church in the alley let me tell you that you you you you know you gotta you gotta be uh seasoned so you know my you know my wife she's just you know but I've gone a few times on my own I got uh I I got to uh uh take my my cousin when he got out of prison and um so I support him you know what I however I can whatever I can do yeah you know so um so that's that's that's where I'm at yeah yeah you got a really good testimony Robert also known as Spam Bam yeah you know I think that you know your story from where we started off in the beginning I mean you went into how your life was growing up and you were just really born into a you know unfortunate situation with your mother passing away when you were young and your your dad being in the prison system and then going in with your grand grand grandmother and then family you know splitting apart siblings and everything and then just being around a gang infested neighborhoods and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 57:16

I mean just unfortunate but you know but like I said God got my my siblings we're all in contact now we're uh he just little by little just starts putting your your life together man who's ever gone whose ever is missing that needs to be there they come back he'll do that restore your life right start restoring it yeah that's what people I mean that's what is a good thing to let people know is once you start doing that your life starts becoming restored once you give your life over and like you said the ones never too it's never too late you know it's hard when you're when you're young like that well uh do you want to pray us out and pray for those people that may be stuck in the addiction or gang life or okay you know anything well okay let's hear let's do it right Lord Jesus yes sir Lord Jesus we come to you especially towards the youths Lord to let them know that you are and is and will always be the true God and the one and only you I you are more loving than any other loving a person that can can be you do live Jesus is uh is a life and thank you for your mercy Lord your grace for changing me and and anybody out there that wants it like I said I didn't choose you Lord you chose me and I just want to be a good steward for you Lord and use me any way as you want to in Jesus' name I pray amen thank you Robert Robert's testimony is a powerful reminder that no one is beyond redemption even someone who was once consumed by the darkness of gang life can be transformed into a devoted follower of Christ. Through God's grace Robert has been given a new life one filled with purpose and now he's sharing that light spreading the good news what a blessing to witness this transformation. Leave a comment in the comment section share your thoughts and let us know how this testimony impacted you. Spread the message. Share this testimony with others who need to hear it. If you believe in the power of change hit the like button to show your support. Also don't miss out. Hit the notification and the subscribe button if you want to continue to get more testimonies like this. At the end of this video a playlist will pop up called the testimony playlist and in that playlist you can see all the testimonies that I've got to record in the past. You're gonna want to check them out. There are so many other people that have been saved just like Robert. Thank you again so much for watching and of course we'll see everyone on the next one