"I went up to the car and snatched the car door open and told him get out. Well when he got out, he came out with a 357 magnum. And when he pulled the gun the buddies I had left me and I'm standing there by myself. And he placed the gun on my forehead, and he cocked it, and he said I will blow your brains out. Me - I didn't care... I didn't care."
Don was born on the Tuscarora reservation in New York. His parents split up when he was young and for a time ended up living off the reservation. He was also acquainted with the unique sport of Fire Ball. As you'll hear, those were interesting days. But the most significant event of his life took place at camp.
A miracle happened the day. Everything changed. Some might say that he chose the white man's religion. Gary says no. Jesus came for all people. The change that came into his life, and the life of his family - is pretty challenging evidence to ignore.
Gary recorded this shortly after he was told he only had weeks to live. Gary's faith in Jesus is unwavering. And when you hear how he came to that faith, you will understand why. BTW, the doctor was wrong.
"Ten horse is not fast enough for going, 22 foot long wooden boat", Sam said as he recalled the moments after his side had been laid open by a shotgun blast. When your injury is grave and your situation is dire, inadequate power is not what you need.
"I born Cup'ik, real Eskimo. I didn't born in the spring but I born at grass. No, no spring brat. Sod house, and my blanket is all those grasses put together, and those are my mattress."
Have you ever been so close to death that only the hand of someone else could save you? That's what happened to Fred. In a drunken state, he stumbled off a boat and fell into the water. Had his friend not tried to grab hold of him one last time Fred's story would have ended there. It didn't.
The Storyteller - Week of May 12, 2025 Life at home was not what Charlotte wanted. The alcohol made it difficult for her to be there. So she ran away looking for something better. She hoped that in doing so the authorities would place her in a foster home. They didn't. She eventually met a guy named Fred who then introduced her to what she really needed... and it was better than she could have imagined.
"He said to me, 'You're running away from something... I didn't have the ability to tell him to quit talking to me because he was a good friend of mine. He handed me over a Bible and told me that Jesus could help me."
The medicine man told Lawrence that someone had witched him. Someone wanted him to leave his wife and family, and eventually kill himself. He had turned to the medicine man for help because of how things were going, but what Lawrence needed was something that this man could not provide.
Lawrence was raised on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. He has seen a lot of changes over the years, from dirt roads to paved roads... from horse-drawn wagons to the automobile. He married a Christian gal and his boy believed too. When he hit hard times, God used Lawrence's young son to speak truth to him... but he wasn't ready to listen just yet.
The death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead three days later are the most important events in human history. Many cultures have different traditions surrounding the time when Christians commemorate these events. Byron shares about Easter pudding, a tradition among his people. He also shares about the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection, both personally, and for whoever will believe.
When Richard finally decided not to worry about what others thought, he publicly put his trust in Jesus. His life changed. Drugs and alcohol were left behind and God restored his marriage. Richard is a musician who sings about his Faith in Jesus. You can hear his music on this program and online here: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/richard-paul/1715508737
Cocaine had a hold of him... and he couldn't break it's grip. His life was falling apart. His wife had left him numerous times. Richard's addictions were destroying his family. His wife starting attending church - which really angered him. But it didn't stop her. One day he decided to go with her. And something began to happen in his heart.
Richard got involved in alcohol and drugs early in life. Even though everything looked fine on the outside, he was being torn apart inside. He was caught. One night, while watching tv he came across a preacher who seemed to be talking right to him.
Veronica was rejected by her biological father. He lived only an hour away but had no desire to be a part of her life. Not only did she feel that rejection, Veronica also grew up without the love and protection that her dad was supposed to provide. With alcohol in the home, she needed that protection.
"Anybody can be an alcoholic. That's easy... all you got to do is pick up the alcohol and start drinking... and eventually you'll become an alcoholic... because you allow that to take over and consume your life. Anybody can be a drug addict. Anybody can be a prostitute or a drug dealer or this or that. That's all the easy parts. The hard part is not doing it."
Jeff was paying a great price for his drinking. His wife left with the kids and he was all alone. She wouldn't have anything to do with him. It didn't matter how he tried to connect with her, she wouldn't acknowledge him. That hurt him more than anything. But it got his attention.
Jeff, a Cayuga from Six Nations, grew up off the rez in Buffalo, New York. He started partying at an early age and he worked to support his drinking habit. His team's success in lacrosse gave cause to celebrate often, and even when everyone else went home, for Jeff, the party never ended. He found out though, that not only does drinking ruin relationships, it ruins families.
Alcohol had taken Hugh... it had taken everything from him like it does to so many others. But something happened in his life that made all the difference, and now he has been clean and sober for over 27 years. Listen as Hugh shares the rest of his story.
"I took a drink of my mom's beer. And it was terrible. I said, 'Oh, how can you drink that stuff'. I'll never forget her answer: 'You'll find out.' And she was so right on." Listen to Hugh share about how he got involved with alcohol and the toll that it would take on his life.
From falling into the freezing waters of the Yukon River to serving on the battlefields of Vietnam, George has lived through many challenging and difficult situations. And then there were the issues of his heart.
George grew up in Mountain Village, Alaska where life can be pretty rugged. One day, while he was out on his snow machine he got caught in a storm. He got lost and, eventually, his snowmobile ran out of gas. This could be a deadly situation. Should he abandon his snow machine or stay put?
You don't have to do bad things to be bad. Nicole grew up in a Christian home where her father was a pastor. She knew right from wrong and what she needed to do. But she also knew that deep down in her heart she wanted to do evil. Where does that come from, and what is the remedy? Nicole has the answer.
It was a tragic, unexpected loss. Willie's son and daughter-in-law, along with some others, were standing by their car alongside the highway checking their vehicle for a noise they had heard. All of a sudden another vehicle recklessly turned into them and took their lives. Listen as Willie tells the story about how God comforted him in this difficult time.
"I guess it was in June - the first part of June of 1963 that I couldn't take it anymore. My body couldn't take what I was doing - what I was putting into my body. And I realized that I had to quit or something was going to happen." Find out what Willie did that made all the difference in his life.
Willie grew up in Hobert, Oklahoma in a pastor's home. He recalls the Sunday gatherings at church along the river, how the ladies dressed... what they did. He tells how, as a boy, they chased tumbleweeds and hunted them as if they were buffalo. And he shares how he lost his older brother in a car accident because of bad choices.
The Storyteller New Years Special with Tom Claus (Mohawk) New Years Eve is a very special time in the Claus family. It was on that night many years ago on the Six Nations reserve that the family gathered together around the radio and heard a message that would change their lives forever. Listen as Tom reflects on the significance of that day. This is a Storyteller Classic!
Christmas is traditionally a time of gift-giving. Ever wonder why? Mark Custalow of the Mattaponi and Chickahominy tribes of Virginia shares the Christmas story - and reminds us that we celebrate this day because of the greatest gift ever given. What are you going to do with the gift of Jesus?
Leona is from the Alaskan village of Tatitlek on Prince William Sound. She grew up in a large family as one of ten children. At the age of 12, her father passed away. She and her brother took up fishing to help support the family. Then her mother sent her to school. It was there that she discovered that something was missing in her life.
