Machine Gun Preacher - Sam Childers | SRS #037

Welcome back everybody. Once again, we. have an individual who has made a major. major impact on the world. Started out. as a 1% biker guy, addicted to drugs, all kinds of crime, turned his life. around, went to Africa on a mission. trip, and made a tremendous impact to. children over in Africa. Made a. tremendous impact on the world. Once. again, guests on the Shawn Ryan Show are. proving that you do not need an army to.

make an impact in this world. It starts. with an idea and that idea grows into. something massive and before you know. it, you've helped thousands and. thousands of people. Ladies and. gentlemen, I want to welcome Sam. Childers, also known as the Machine Gun. Preacher, to the Shawn Ryan Show. If you. don't mind, please give us a like, leave. a comment, let us know what you think of. the show, and please subscribe. Hit the.

subscribe button on the YouTube channel. if you're watching this on YouTube. And. if you're on iTunes and Spotify, please, please leave us an iTunes or Spotify. review if you haven't done that. That's. all we're asking. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, please welcome Mr. Sam Childers to the Shawn Ryan Show. Enjoy the show, everybody. Love you. [music].

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Sam Childers, welcome to the show. Hey, good to be here. I am over the moon. that you're sitting here today. I've. been really excited about this. interview. We've been trying to get it. out here for a long time [clears throat]. and. well, and now here you are. [laughter]. But, uh, just a quick introduction. So, you're a motorcyclist, an author, a. humanitarian, part of the 1% Detroit Highway. motorcycle club member, recipient of the.

Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice. You founded Angels of East Africa, which. has orphanages in South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia, which are full of children. that you've saved from the South Sudan. war zone. And they made a movie about. it, a big Hollywood production, also. known as The Machine Gun Preacher. I'm. so happy to have you here.

[clears throat]. God's good. He is. He is. you know, [snorts]. you're you're a one-of-a-kind guest on. any show. I've never had anybody on mine. like you at all. And and um you know, I. spent a lot of time researching you. I. watched a documentary, the movies. I've. read about you. Um, and when I started this show, the premise was to help people with.

mental health, with PTSD. And I never made my business about. money. And then as it went on, I started. making it about money and things started. getting complicated. I still, you know, try to help a lot of people. And. through my research for you, for this. episode, it made me realize that I need. to get back to what I was originally. doing. and that that money is not going to.

bring me [clears throat] any. fulfillment. And uh. I just want to say thank you for. bringing me back. But unfortunately, we live in a world. where if you don't bring in money, you. won't be able to do a show like this. That's true. So, I I mean, [clears throat]. I think we have to balance that all out, you know. Uh I know I wouldn't be able. to do the work that I do in East Africa. if we didn't have the money. Yeah. I've always I've always had this. motto that if you're doing good, if.

you're injecting good into the world, then good's going to come back to you. Yeah. But that's not true because you. know if you look at a lot of nonprofits, our nonprofit's a pretty high nonprofit. on a dollar actually spent in the field. always over 50 cent. The average. nonprofit out there is 15 cent and less. Some of the big name nonprofits are only. like a nickel on a dollar, you know. Wow. So, organizations like yours and.

organizations like mine, we have to. balance it out and we have to make sure. that we're making money because you're. not going to be able to do your good. shows without good cameras, you know. So, that's very true. I look at it a little bit different. That's very true. [clears throat]. But, um, well, moving on. Well, for. starters, everybody gets a gift. Wow. On the show. So, just a little something. for your travels. All right. Well, thank. you. I don't know what all it is, but.

it'll it'll be used. [laughter]. It's It's Vigilance Lead Gummy Bears. Is it really? Yeah, we got our own gummy bear line. It's It's Is it is it one of the CBD. gummy bears? No, [laughter] just candy. I can't eat many at one time. Just candy. All right. But um [snorts] so. I want your life story. So you're the. the the arc in your life story is just. incredible and. [clears throat]. uh I think it gives a lot of people.

hope. You've done amazing things in the. world. And. yeah, I tell you what, I'll kind of skip. through it because it can be pretty long. and pretty complicated. But uh I was. born in a Christian home. And a lot of. times when people hear my testimony or. they hear anybody's testimony that got. in a lot of trouble, uh the guy with the. bad testimony always tries to blame it. on someone from his family. I couldn't. I had the perfect mom and dad. My dad. was in the Marines. He was an ex-marine.

Tough guy, but born again Christian. My. mom, I think, only sinned three times in. her whole life when she gave birth to me. and my two brothers. Uh, [laughter]. my mom, I always describe her, she came. out of the womb speaking in tongues, very religious woman in good woman and. she actually just died this past year. and died at 87 years old. But I had no. reason to get in trouble. But when I was.

a little kid, five years old, six, seven, eight, even 10 years old, if. you'd said, "Sam, what are you gonna be. when you grow up?" I'd have told you, "I'm gonna be a preacher one day." But. at 11 years old, going [clears throat]. to the secular school, I have a lot of I. have a big heart for kids here in. America that's in a secular school, they. go through things that we forgot about. And at 11 years old, I started wanting. to fit in with the kids that I thought. was cool.

I'm thinking in my mind, man, those kids. are cool. They're smoking cigarettes, smoking marijuana. And all of a sudden, I started doing what they was doing. So, by the time that I was 12 years old, I'm. going to booze parties. 13 years old, eating acid, popping pills, 14 years. old, snorting coke. I'm fitting in. Everybody liked Sam Childers. I become. the most popular kid in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Everyone knew me. At 15 years old, I.

didn't care if I fit in anymore. I found. myself waking up every morning, putting. a needle in my arm, shooting up heroin, cocaine. At 15 years old. At 15 years old. Yeah. I left home. before my 16th birthday, started selling. drugs. like the documentary. [clears throat]. There's a doco out there that was done. Uh a guy that they interviewed said, "I. never known anyone at 15 or 16 years old. that walked around with a suitcase full.

of drugs.". And uh I did. I mean, I I'm talking when. I was 16 17 years old, I would have. $50,000 worth of drugs in my possession. Nowadays, we're talking a quarter of a. million, 300,000. That's what they'd be. worth. So I started selling drugs in Grand. Rapids. Then I started running drugs. from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Minneapolis to Chicago, Chicago to. Orlando, Florida. Uh there was a time in.

my life I became a shotgunner. Hired gun. for drug deals. [snorts]. My life went out of control. I was in my. 20s living in Orlando, Florida. And I'm. skipping over a lot, but I'm living in. Orlando, Florida, and I get into a. really bad bar fight. [clears throat]. That bar fight's what changed my life. And a lot of people when they get to. this part of my testimony, if I'm in a. church, people start thinking, "Oh, that's when he gave his life to the. Lord." No, it wasn't. That's when I made.

up my life, made up my mind. I'm done. living this life. And I was in the back. of this bar and there was people got. shot, people got stabbed, I was beat up. really bad. And I looked at the front. door and I remember I made up my mind if. I make it to that front door, I'm done. living this life. I made [clears throat] it to the front. door. I went home, told my wife that. night, which was from the movie Lynn, and she was a stripper at the time. And.

I said, "We're moving.". And she got all worked up because in her. heart she wanted a way out. And she. said, "What happened?" And I says, "I. got into a fight and I know someone's. going to end up killing me for nothing.". See, I never had a problem with dying, but I have a problem with what I'm about. to die for. If I'm going to die for. something, I want it to be worthwhile. I. want it to be something that can be. written on a tombstone. I don't want to. die for nothing for a bar fight or a a.

jealous husband or anything like that. I. want to die for something worthwhile. So, we moved over a thousand miles away. back to my hometown where people didn't. really knew uh know me very well. They. they knew me as a little kid, heard. stories about me, but I was able to walk. away from the biker world. I was able to. walk away from friends, anyone that done. drugs, I could walk away from drugs. And for two years, I lived a clean life.

And my wife started going to church. And. over that two years, she would ask me. every Sunday, "Honey, will you go to. church? Will you go to church?" And I. always tell people, you know, if you got. a nagging wife, you got to shut them up. Just do what they want. You know, so she. kept asking me for two years, go to. church. And I I couldn't take it no. more. So I wanted to shut her up. So I. went to church and gave my life to. Christ. And then all of a sudden I'm. find myself on a mission trip in Africa.

Rewinding real quick. You didn't go through any rehabilitation. or anything? No, I didn't go through any rehab. I. mean, at 15 years old, I would usually. shoot up three times a day. Yeah. At 15. years old in the morning. And back in my. days, I I mean, I I was really heavy. into cocaine. And the cocaine back then. you had to sit on the toilet when you. shot it up. And I most guys know what. I'm saying cuz it would just relieve you. so much, you know. But uh.

by the time I was 19 years old, I was. and my my addiction was a really strong. addiction. I mean at 19, 20, 21 years. old, I had it all. motorcycles, guns, women, drugs. I had. it all. But I tell I tell people I speak. in a lot of rehabs around the world. [clears throat] I've spoken rehabs on. this tour and a lot of people have a.

hard time grabbing on to my message. because you can do it, but you have to. want it. That's the biggest problem is. see sometimes we still want that drugs. We still want that excitement more than. we want clean. And it's hard. I. understand that, man. I mean, I went. through it all. Imagine most of your. addicts nowadays got to steal. They got. to steal to be able to support their. habit. I I just sold drugs to support. mine. And I didn't sell a little bit. I.

sold a lot. So, I literally, it was a mental game for me. But the. only way I did it, see, there was a key. Now, if somebody hears this show and. they say, "I can't do it. I can't do. it." You can do it. But you got to leave. all your friends. You got to leave your. relatives. You got to leave the club. I. left the club world for years. There's a. five-year grace. And what I mean by. that, so many times people leave, but. then a year later or 6 months later they.

say, "I'm going back to help my. friends." You're not going to be able to. help your friends because it takes five. years to be clean. For me, I left it all. for 10 years. 10 years of my life, I never had a. drink. I never had a problem with. drinking. Now, I love to have a glass of. scotch now. Good scotch. I drink the. most expensive scotch I can get because. I know I won't drink much, you know, just maybe a couple drinks every night. But I mean, I left it for over 10 years.

now. I can be at the clubhouse. I can be. with friends, family, anybody, drinking, doing drugs. It don't bother me, don't. affect me. I don't have any crave for. it. Don't even think about doing any. drugs. You know, that's incredible. [clears throat]. Yeah. But I only done it because I moved. a thousand miles away. I didn't know a. drug dealer. I didn't know anybody. And. for 10 years, I kept myself away if I. even thought somebody smoked marijuana. And I never had a problem with. marijuana. But I I you know, I I say.

marijuana is a gateway drug. You know, a. lot of people don't like me to say that, but for me it was. That's what I started. on. But anyone that I thought done any. kind of drugs or went out to barrooms or. done anything, I stayed away from them. until my feet was grounded. Now I can be. around it all. It don't bother me. [clears throat and cough]. So you moved you moved a thousand miles. away and you got into. moved from Orlando, Florida to Central.

City, Pennsylvania. Wow. And then two years later, my wife. was going to church for two years. And. two years later, I went to a church. service and the man was from Africa. He was a white guy preaching. [clears throat] And that's the day that. I gave my life to the Lord. And and I I. am a preacher. I I surrendered I. surrendered my life to the Lord that. day. But I went back the next day. because I wanted a little bit more. Well, this preacher's he starts praying.

for me at the altar. He takes a couple. steps back and he starts prophesying, telling me what I'm going to do. And he. starts telling me, "I'm going to. Africa." And I'm looking at him and I'm. thinking, "I ain't going to Africa. I'm. a WHITE MAN. WHY WOULD I GO TO AFRICA? That's the stupidest thing I ever. heard." Then he starts telling me I'm. going to be in a war. And I'm thinking, I'm already married. I ain't going to be. in another war. [laughter]. I mean, so I mean, I'm getting mad at. this preacher. I literally just gave my.

life to the Lord. Okay? and and I was. still a little hotheaded. So in my mind, I started thinking, I'm going to have to. beat the snot out of this preacher. So I. walk outside the church and I waited and. waited, smoking my cigarette, waiting, waiting on this preacher to just walk. through the door. He comes out. I start. cussing him out. I start, "Don't tell me. I'm going to Africa. I'm not going to go. to Africa. I'm not going to be in a war. Those people got in a problem over. there. They can live in their problem.". And all this preacher did was looked at. me with a big smile. I think they teach.

you that in preacher school, how to. smile. Looks at me with a big smile. And. he said, "We'll see.". That was June of 1992. In uh 1994, God just kept moving on me. to go to Africa. Go to Africa. So, I. started putting money in Africa. I had a. contracting company. building homes, painting, roofing, and I. was making big money. And then 95 I was. making more money. 1996.

I literally put $25,000 or more into. Africa thinking, "God, wouldn't you. rather have my money?" God didn't want. my money. He wanted me to go. So in. 1998, [clears throat] in my mind, I'm. thinking, I know what I'll do. I'm going. to trick God. I'm going to go to Africa. on a mission trip. So, I went on a mission trip to Africa. thinking this is a one-time thing. And. like the movie showed, there was an.

explosion and I went running through the. bush and found a young kid that stepped. on a landmine. But that's not what. happened. What happened, there was a. village that was raided by the Lord. Resistant Army. And I'm a hillbilly, okay? I'm not I have no education. I got. to see it from my own eyes. I got to. touch it. I'm the one that had to touch. the holes in Jesus' hands uh just to. know he was real, you know. So, we were. walking around in this village in the.

bush looking for children that were. hiding. and I come across a body of a small. child that stepped on a landmine. The child may have been 8 n 10 years. old. Uh I couldn't really tell because. there was nothing from the waist down. I. couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, but it was a fresh body of a child that. stepped on this landmine. And I remember. walking around the body and I said,

"God, how can this happen in the world. today?" And we don't hear about it. I. mean, we don't hear about landmines. killing children in in South Sudan. And I said something. I didn't realize. what I was saying until today, until. now. I said, "God, I'll do whatever it. takes to help these people." Well, more. than two and a half decades later, I'm. still there. Uh, Africa is my home. I've. dual citizen. My wife is African now,

but I'm still there rescuing children. When you, [clears throat and cough]. before we get into that, what was it. that made you walk into that church? Your wife had been going for two years. you had not, you know, I always knew God was real. You know, I always knew he was real. And. I am a preacher. I'm not a religious. person, but I know that uh if you look. close into my life, the businesses, the.

money that I have made, the money that I. make, if you look close into my life, and you're a total atheist, there has to. be a God because there's no possible. way. Like right now in my life, I work. about 560 people a day. I don't even. have a high school education. I have no. education at all. I'm a motivational. speaker around the world. I've spoke for. MercedesBenz, Fuso, Harley-Davidson. I. mean, some of the biggest manufacturers.

in the world have me come in to speak to. their people. How can that happen? And. then when you keep looking a little bit. closer, many many years ago when I was a. young guy all the way up into my 20s, I. used to stutter every other word. I. couldn't speak. Not stutter a little. bit, every other word. Wow. And then God healed me on a mountain. when I was hunting elk. So I mean, if. you hear the whole story, even if you.

say, "I don't believe. What about this? What about that?" You know, just. research my story and you will believe. and you will know there has to be a god. out there. Wow. Back to Africa. You found the the body. Yeah. Come back to America. I was here for. three months. had a very, you know, like. the movie showed me had a successful.

uh construction company. The movie. didn't show nothing what I had. I had a. camper trailer. I had a four-wheeler. I. had a motorcycle. I had a gun. collection. Probably a hundred guns. I. would go hunting on three to four weeks. a year hunting trips. Colorado, all over. the place. I was a successful. contractor. You had a you had a big contracting. business. I done union and non-union. companies. Sometimes I would work, you.

know, uh 50 60 men. Always worked 15 to. 20. I was a successful contractor. My. last year was $1.8 million of building. houses and and doing construction work. for Pennsylvania. That's pretty. successful company. But I come back and. it didn't mean nothing to me. I couldn't. concentrate. I couldn't walk by my gun. cabinet. I had guns that were uh special. built for hunting elk. I had a 340.

weatherbe with a Leopold scope. I had. everything I wanted. It didn't mean. nothing to me anymore. All I could. remember was children starving, children. hungry, uh children dying because of. some crazy warlord. And I knew I could. do something because along with that. first trip, we were ambushed. We we went. into another village and we was. ambushed. And [snorts] when the van got. ambushed, you know, it had other. missionaries in the van. Everybody run.

out and hide and, you know, started. hiding in holes and and hiding in the. bush. And the first thing I looked for. was a gun, you know, cuz I knew I I I. I'm too fat to run, so I'm going to. fight, you know. And so I knew I could. do something. So, three months later, I. found myself back in Africa in the heat. of the moment. Uh, and I will say that many of the guys, you know, back in those days, there was. good rebels, there was bad rebels. That.

was it. The good rebels are still there. to this day, the SPLA. And, uh, I was I was with some guys when. we got into another firefight. We had to. stop our vehicle. We got ambushed on the. road. And [snorts] I'll never forget, I. grabbed my AK as I was getting out of. the car and I was running to jump in. this ditch. When I got into the ditch, I cocked it. laying there and I was so scared, you. know, like maybe maybe you and other. guys were Rambo in the bush, but I I'm.

going to tell you the truth. I get. scared to this day. Now I don't hear. them shooting at me anymore because I. don't hear too good, you know, but I I I. was scared. And I'm laying there and I. looked up. I peaked up, peeked over this. ditch and here was the soldiers that. were with me. These SPA soldiers ding. from the movie walking down the center. of the road firing their guns and. they're getting shot at. And I remember. laying in the ditch and I said to.

myself, "Oh my god, they're all going to. get killed and then they're going to. capture me. They're going to torture me. This is what's going through my mind.". And I looked back up. and I seen the rebels turn and they. started running. And that day I realized. that if you fought the fight by running. towards it, the enemy would run. And uh. so from that day forth about every. ambush I was in after that, I was right. with them, you know, hitting it right.

on, you know. And I got so bad at doing. it that even some of the guys like. Peter, Peter and me was really close. And he told me one day, "You got to stop. testing God. God wants you to get in the. ditch sometimes." You know [laughter]. what? [clears throat] Can you describe a. little bit about the conflict that was. going on in Sudan at the time? You know, the biggest problem was the. president of northern Sudan, Bashers. Bashers was like the president leader of.

northern Sudan. So he was paying all. these rebel groups which the guy that I. fought for a number of years over a. decade was Joseph Coney the leader of. the LRA but he was financed by President. Bashier. But see Berser would send his. antinoff in. You know they were Russian. antinoff Russian pilots and they would. fly into South Sudan and they would drop. these antinoff. That's my biggest. problem why I can't hear. I mean, I was.

in bombings where my head would just. shake for days and days. I didn't have. earplugs or anything, you know. I all I. had to put over my ears was my hands, you know. But, uh, Berser was the man. that was financing everything. And at. one time, Basher even had a bounty on my. head. Uh, you know, people say it was. Coney. It wasn't Coney. Coney Coney. tried to kill me many times. But Berser. had a bounty on my head that even had a.

warrant for my arrest if they could ever. arrest me for aiding in abetting rebels. And that you can even find on the. internet. Bashers, thank God, you know, everybody. like like what goes on in the darkness. will come to the light. The word even. says it. Bashers now is in prison. You. know, he was overthrown by the people of. northern Sudan. So he's in prison. waiting to be uh tried and everything, you know. Now the HEG actually tried him. a number of years ago. He's the he's the.

only president of a country that was. that was guilty for genocide, you know. So So I think he'll be in prison the. rest of his life if not killed. [snorts]. Why were they Why do they keep hitting. your orphanages and. Well, you know, there was a there was a. uh uh Dline NBC done a story on me and. it came out July of 2005. You can you. can Google it. I think it was called The.

Night Commuters or something like that, but it's easy to find. just dline NBC. machine gun preacher Joseph Con. Um, at one time they they called Joseph Con. the worst terrorist in the world because. he didn't have an agenda. His reasoning. for doing all this stuff would change. every day, you know. So, it made him the. worst terrorist in the world. You know, most terrorists, they got one thing.

they're focusing on. You couldn't tell. with this guy. He was like a mad man, you know. So he he was just a crazy mad. man killing people for no reason. And it. would change every day, you know. And. his biggest thing is he wanted to brand. his victims. Uh he would cut the nose. off of elderly, cut the breast off of. women that was nursing their children. You know, he would cut the hands and. fingers, you know, off of women. you.

know, he he wanted to brand his people. to scare them and he wanted to take over. uh because of people's fear. Jeez. Do you want to talk about some of. the stuff that they were making the. children do, you know, to this day? And there's even. things going on in the Congo. that's [clears throat] still going on to. this day. you know, they'll they'll make. you children kill their parents. You.

know, uh what Con used to do, and Con. was big on it, Coney would make the. children kill their parents. And you. know, a lot of people here in America, they'll say, "How can a child do that?". Very easily because it was done through. intimidation, you know, and you got to. put yourself in that parent's place. They would tell the parent, "If your son. doesn't kill you, we're going to kill. your son in front of you slowly.".

Any parent loves their child enough they. don't want to see their child die. So. all of a sudden they brainwash the. parent where the parent thinks his only. hope of for their child to live is for. their child to kill him. So the parent. will literally plead to the child with. tears in their eyes, it's okay. You can. go ahead and do this and you're going to. live because that parent has so much. love for their child, they don't want to.

see their child be killed. So that's the that's the beginning of. the intimidation of what these warlords. will do in Africa, maybe around the. world. I only know Africa. So that child. once they kill the parent, that child's. mind is there's nothing they can do in. life any worse than what they just did. So they're just totally gone, you know. So that child, the only the only hope. for that child is to rescue him.

uh and to begin to deprogram. what these warlords have placed in them. Most of these warlords, uh, Coney. claimed to be Muslim at one time. Uh, the the ones that I'm dealing with now. are Islamic State, ADF, and ISIS, you. know, and they have they have no heart. even for their own family, even for. their own kind. They don't care if they.

kill 20 Muslim to kill one Christian or. one non-believer, you know. So there's. only one way to deal deal with these. people. You have to get them on their. grounds where you're not going to harm. other civilian people. In your. documentary, you talk about how [clears throat] in. America. we're very cautious about our kids being. in the streets. Yeah. And. but when you got over there, you had.

mentioned that kids go to the streets. for safety. Yeah. You know, [clears throat] right. now, now the Coney War is finished. Gulu. is an unbelievable town now. I mean, I. love going to Gulu now. But Gulu 20. years ago had something called the night. commuters. And those children more than. 50,000 children would walk from the. village into the streets and sleep on. verandas for safety. But there's. something that people don't hear about.

now. In the Congo, there's a bridge. And. that bridge, every morning, over 25,000. women and children cross that bridge. back into Congo to work their crops to. uh uh uh go and make a living for. themsel. But every evening before dark, over 25,000. women and children cross that bridge. back into Uganda for safety. You know,

Uganda now, they had a lot of. difficulties over the years, but I call. Uganda the the land of milk and honey. The president is an unbelievable man. My. only worry is I hope he can stay on for. a long time because he's a good. president. He's born again. He's about. justice and he doesn't tolerate. uh these uh warlords. So right now that. happens every day on that bridge. 25,000.

people morning evening back for safety. of Uganda. Wow. Do you see that every day? You know you I only see it I just. started working in the Congo just just. for six months or so now. Uh so I've. been in zone one in the area of Congo. Uh you know there wasn't the. restrictions 20ome years ago when I was. rescuing over two and a half decades ago. when I was rescuing children in South.

Sudan there wasn't all the not. restrictions there wasn't all the. requirements as there is now like what. we had to do is I can't put these. children that we rescue in my. orphanages. You can't. it could harm the. other children. So I have a farm in. northern Uganda. We we built a dormatory. where the children are going to be. around adults, you know. But I had to. get a scholar of the Quran, but now a. born again. I I got a scholar of the.

Quran, but a born-again Christian that's. going to help to deprogram these. children because they're so much. programmed under the Quran, believing. that every every person they kill that's. a believer or non-believer, they believe. they're getting more rewards for when. they get to heaven. So, these kids got. to be deprogrammed. uh every 3 months I got to have a mental. evaluation done on the children and then. they'll be kept in this particular place.

whether it's my truck stop in northern. Uganda I'm building a dormatory there or. the farm in northern Uganda there'll be. a dormatory there uh they will be. deprogrammed and worked with for at. least a year uh after they they're. evaluated if we feel they can be placed. back with other children, then we'll put. them into schools and start their life. all over again. But it's a process.

that's going to be done slowly. Good. Yeah. How many children are in that particular. situation? We're talking about an unbelievable. amount. Thousands upon thousands of. children. You know, these warlords, especially of Africa, most of them are. coward and they're fighting for a no. cause. So, they can't get people to. enlist in their military or enlist in. their cause because they don't have a.

cause. So, what they do is they they. kidnap children and they intimidate. children and force children to do the. fighting for them. You know, it's only a. handful of warlords, but they go after. hundreds and thousands of children. Damn. [clears throat and cough]. When you started this, when you went. over there the first time, came home, went back,

how did you get started? How did you. find, you know? I I speak in a lot of churches. and seminars and you always get people. that say, "I got a vision. I got a. vision." Or they'll say, especially. Christians will say, "I got a vision. from God and when God gives me the. money, I'm going to step out and do it.". You'll probably do nothing. Okay? If. you're going to wait till you get the. money, you'll probably do nothing. When. I started this whole thing, when I had.

the vision of starting this orphanage, I. didn't have money. I would fly to Africa. on one-way tickets. I had enough money. to buy some uh uh shovels and slashers. and machetes and I started clearing the. land. You know, I didn't have nothing. And this went on for years. And I. believe as a Christian, I believe that. God watched me for years. Now, some. Christians will say, "Oh, God, I help. you right away." Well, that could be for. you. But for me, he watched me. And I.

believe that he watched me for eight. years until he seen I was serious and I. was steadfast and I wasn't going to. quit. You know, I've been telling everyone. there's a second documentary they're. starting to film. There's a second movie. getting ready shortly to go into. production. And people say, "Well, why? Why?" You know, it's been because I. never stopped. And the name of that docu. uhmentary is never stopped. And I.

believe no matter who you are, success. comes through never stopping. No matter. what the storms, trials, or whatever you. got to go through, never stop. What was the first step? [clears throat]. Was it an orphanage? Was it a church? Well, for me, I think the first step for. me was I had to get it in my head. I was. willing to let it all go. And like the. movie Machine Gun Preacher, it did have. some things that was accurate. You know,

Hollywood will take the truth and they. put a twist to it. Uh, one of my first. steps was I took my gun collection and. it was it was hard for me. What I did, I. knew I was getting ready to sell my gun. collection. You know, I'm a hillbilly, okay? So you got guns that your dad gave. you. You got guns that your uncles gave. you, you know. So your guns mean. something. And they guns weren't used to. harm people. I was growed up, you know, hunting squirrel and hunting rabbits,

you know. And so there was some of my. guns that really meant a lot. So I. called my brother and I called my nephew. over. And the guns my uncle gave me, the. guns my dad gave me, I gave to my. brother and nephews because I knew I was. going to sell everything. And I sold my entire gun collection. Sold them all. Kept a couple guns just. to keep around the house. Deer rifles, sold them all. And so that was my. biggest thing that I had to do. And then.

I started selling. I had a fishing boat, bass tracker fishing boat. I had a. camper trailer for the first two years. that I was in Africa. I didn't ask. anybody for anything. And then all of a. sudden, I found myself on the third year. flat broke. I spent all my money, spent. all all my toys. I sold and I found. myself having financial problems. Sold. my construction company out. So on that. third year is when I started going out.

to churches and and uh letting people. know what I was doing. But it was still. a struggle until the eighth year. And. the eighth year in. they were getting to they were starting. to repossess my home. And my [clears throat] wife called me. I. was in Africa and she said, "Uh, Sam, we. just got notice of a sheriff sale on the. house.". And I just started this feeding program. I was I mean people literally starving.

I'm feeding them. And I I I asked her, I. said, "Well, how much money do we have?". And she said, "We got a little over. $2,000." And I needed $2,000. And uh I remember I told her, I said, "Well, they can have the house. Send me. the money.". And she said to me, "Are you sure?" And. I said, "Yeah, they can have the house. We'll get another house." And she sent.

me the money. Well, the following week was a sheriff's. sale. And a guy came through the night. driving from Kentucky. and he drove through the night to my. home and he handed my wife a check for. $5,000. and he said, "I don't know why I. did this, but God told me I had to be. here today." So 2 days before the. sheriff's sale, she paid the $2,000.

and stopped the sale. And from that time on, that was like. eight years into this thing, and uh I've. been over two and a half decades there. now. From that time on, I believe God. had his hand upon the work. I believe he. always watched me, but first he wanted. to see that I was going to be steadfast. before he jumped on board. Do you know that man? What's Yeah. Yeah, I know him. Yeah.

Keep in touch. You know, I haven't seen him in a long. time. you know, right after that, uh, I got tied up. with, uh, Jesse James and one of his. secretaries was kind of a religious. person. And, uh, so, uh, [snorts] they. all thought, well, you can't take money. from the, you know, from from the world, the secular world, and be a Christian. Well, they don't know the Bible very. well because the Bible says you you can.

take money from the kingdom and or or. excuse me, you you can take money from. the wicked and use for the kingdom, you. know. So, uh uh I mean I haven't talked. to him in many years, but he knows what. he did. He knows he saved my house from. a sheriff sale. Wow. Yeah. [cough]. [clears throat]. Let's take a just a real quick break and. when we come back, we'll pick up back in. Africa. All right, serious question. Who wants to take the.

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right now. Just want to say thank you. guys. you are our top supporters and. you're what makes this show actually. happen. If you're not on Vigilance Lead. Patreon, I want to tell you a little bit. about what's going on in there. So, we. do a little bit of everything. There's. plenty of behind the scenes content from. the actual Shawn Ryan show. On top of. that, basically what I do is I take a. lot of the questions that I get from you. guys or the patrons and then I turn them.

into videos. So, we get right now. there's a lot of concern about. self-defense, home defense, crimes on. the rise all throughout the country, actually all throughout the world. And. so, we talk about everything from how to. prep your home, how to clear your home, how to get familiar with a firearm, both. rifle and pistol, for beginners and. advanced. We talk about mindset. We talk. about defensive driving. We have an end. of the month live chat that I'm on. at.

the end of every month where we can talk. about whatever topics you guys have. It's actually done on Zoom. You might. enjoy it. Check it out. And if Zoom's. not your thing or you don't like live. chats, like I said, there's a library of. well over a hundred videos on where to. start with prepping, all the firearm. stuff, pretty much anything you can. think of, it's on there. So, anyways, go. to www.patreon.com/vigilanceite. patreon.com/vigilance.

elite or just go in the link in the. description. It'll take you right there. And if you don't want to and you just. want to continue to watch the show, that's fine, too. I appreciate it either. way. Love you all. Let's get back to the. show. Thank you. All right, Sam. So moving back into. Africa, it looks it appeared to me that you were. building basically compounds or small.

villages. Yeah. What how did you find the people. to help you? Where was the first one? The first one was in Nimbley. Nimley, South Sudan is the first and one of the. oldest orphanages that I have. But our. registered registering that orphanage is. still number 0006. And we are one of the first, we are one. of the longest, one of the largest. orphanages, not the largest, one of the.

largest orphanages that never shut down. during the war. So we are in South. Sudan, the oldest registered orphanage. in South Sudan. never closed one day. We. were attacked several times during the. war. We were bombed by Russian antinoff, but we never shut down. We never left. and were still there. But a number of. years ago, God said something to me and.

and be, you know, I'm not a real smart. guy, so I got to listen close to God. He. said to me, if you're just going to. build another orphanage, why don't you. stay home? And I tell the churches this. around the world. [clears throat] Most. people don't realize in a third world. country, if you're in an orphanage, you. have to leave at 15 years old. You're. out. And most people don't realize that more. than 70% of those children end up in. prostitution.

So I asked the church, what did we. really do? We build an orphanage. We. take all this money from US and Europe. and other western countries. We build. this orphanage. We take care of these. children till they're 15 years old. They. go into prostitution. They die of AIDS. or murder or some kind of disease. What. did we do? We really done nothing. So I started asking God, God, you got to. explain to me a little bit more. So we.

started teaching a skill and a trade. So. I opened my first restaurant in Uganda. and over the years we have had over 200. young people go through that restaurant. We taught people how to be a chef, how. to be a prep chef, how to be a waitress, how to be a manager. But I noticed it. worked and something that I always say. to Americans. A lot of Americans when we. do something and it worked, we only want. someone to pat us on the back and then. we really do nothing else. But because.

of me not having no education, I always. wanted to be the best when I do. something. So I seen it work. So I wanted to do more. So we started. this commercial farm, a little farm in. northern Uganda, not quite 200 acres. And I'm no farmer. I've been a biker all. my life, you know. And so we started. this farm and it started working and we. started feeding more people. We started.

training people in irrigation and and. farming and ranching. Now that farm is. over a thousand acres. That farm works. more than 80 young people. Uh we have uh. probably 150 head of cattle. We got. sheep there. We got goats there. The. last uh four years we have gave away all. of our rice harvest. Uh last year we. gave away 50 ton of rice and filled our.

own storehouses. 50 tons. 50 ton of rice. The year before we gave. away over 90 ton of rice. That's like 200,000 pounds, right? Yeah. Yeah. We have. So last year we. done a crusade in December, a three-day. crusade, and we fed over 6,000 people. that day. to over 6,000 people, but not. with rice and beans. I mean, we I. brought cows from the farm. We butchered.

20 head of cow and 20 goats, you know, and and we fed people, you know. So, so. our ministry is not just taking care of. children. It's giving people hope, you. know, and skills. Yeah. And teaching a skill and a trade. Real skills. How did you how did you in. the movie and in the documentary? It seemed when you when you picked that. first spot for the orphanage,

it seems as if you had an epiphany at. that exact moment in time. I believe now I would love to sit here. in this chair and tell you, you know, I. was a non-educated person, but I made. myself smart. I can't. Okay. The truth. is I believe that my success in life and. I'm a pretty successful guy now. I. believe my success from life came from. hearing from God. How do you know God. speaking to you? You don't want to do.

it. You know, if you're all happy about. doing it, doesn't mean it's not a good. thing, but it's probably not God. speaking to you. Uh, I recently started a Americanstyle truck. stop in northern Uganda and we. [clears throat] were getting ready to. buy this uh, a little 2.5 acres of. ground and this is why I tell people. it's always a big thing to hear the. voice of God.

Uh, we went to buy the land and we're. getting ready to sign the papers and I. could hear God say, "It's not big. enough.". So, I told the guy, "No, we can't buy. it." So, it took another year, another. year of having this vision, but I knew. that 2 and a half acres wasn't big. enough. So, finally, we found 10 acres. of ground. We started this Americanstyle truck. stop. I based it off truck stops in. America and also in Europe.

So now I'll skip over a lot. Shell used. to have the largest truck stop in East. Africa. My god is bigger than Shell. Now we own. the largest Americanstyle truck stop in. all of East Africa. It's over 60 acres. There's two restaurants. There's a. supermarket, a hardware store. There's. hotels, uh, a auto mechanic, a fuel station, uh,

a a paint shop, a tire shop. I mean, there's so much on this property. Over. 60 acres. It's working way over 60. people. I'm not even sure how many work. there now, but it's teaching people a. skill and a trade, and it's making. money. That's how we're able to keep. operating during co and everything. Our. ministry is still feeding about 10,000. meals a day. So I believe that my.

success came through hearing from God. All the way to the initial orphanage. where you picked absolutely exact. location. Yeah. All the way from the beginning. I. remember when I first started clearing. the land, I bought the land, the. original piece of land. I paid $500 for. this land in South Sudan. And that's. over two and a half decades ago. And I. started clearing the land. I had legal. papers on it. And the government,

so-called government. There wasn't a. government there, but the people running. the government at the time, they come. out and they said, "Sam, you can't build. this orphanage here. You can't do this. here. The rebels are going to kill you.". And I remember throwing my tools down. because I was angry. Cuz I knew I knew. they were right. And I looked at the guy. AND I SAID, "I KNOW. YOU TELL GOD. I. ALREADY TOLD HIM, BUT HE SAID IT HAS to. be here. Well, I never got killed yet. And I'm. still there.

Still there. Can you talk about some of. the struggles that I mean, you went from. a raw piece of land. Yeah. to. a safety a safety, you know? I think the biggest struggle. that I had to deal with over the years, and you still deal with it, and I'm sure. you probably had it in your journey so. far, is the people that you always. think's going to be beside you aren't. the people that's next to you. And so, so many people that started this.

thing with me, when times got hard, they. would say, "Sam, if God was in it, we. wouldn't be struggling like this." And. they left. But I never quit. You know, I. got I got two books. I got a third book. getting ready to come out. Uh uh or. really counting the small documentaries. There's been a lot of small doos done on. me. But the full feature documentary, they're starting another one uh here. soon. The second movie, Machine Gun.

Preacher. None of that stuff would have. happened if I would have quit. So I tell people all the time, don't. focus on your friends that's on either. side because they will change during. your journey. The biggest thing to focus. on is you and God. Yeah. What about some of the struggles from. the rebels? You know, I never really focused on the. struggles from the rebels. You know, I.

never focused on what I the good things. I've done. I always kind of focus on the. bad things that I need to still keep. doing you know cuz uh you know over the. years I lost my marriage and a lot of. that was because of money and success. you know you know a lot of people when. you get money and success they think. it's time to quit and I couldn't quit. you know. uh so I kind of focus on what I need to. do and not on what I've already done.

because I might end up quitting like a. lot people, you know. Well, you were getting hit a lot. At. least [clears throat] it appeared you. were getting hit a lot when you were. standing that compound up. Yeah. Yeah. And we [snorts] talked about this. downstairs before. I probably should. have waited, but. some of the stuff that I saw in the. documentary or the movie and um I've. done a lot of research, so I'm getting. they blend, but you had you kept getting hit over.

and over. The main orphanage was. attacked like three times. Uh but the. rebels could never penetrate through a. bamboo fence and like the movie showed. Hollywood movies showed the rebels. burning the orphanage to the ground. If. you read my book, Another Man's War, they never burn it to the ground. And. and I would love to tell you, oh man, I. was like Rambo, you know, I run out. there and fought them off. The truth is. they would run up uh they would be like.

a hundred meters away, shoot an RPG, and. that RPG would do a nose dive before it. hit a bamboo fence. We were attacked at. least twice with nearly 200 rebels at a. time. They could never penetrate through. that bamboo fence. 200 rebels. And there was only ever like uh 10 of us. on the other side of the fence. And we. would fight them off every time. But it. was God miracles. I'll tell you a God miracle. It's in my.

book, Another Man's War. Uh, one morning. we were getting ready, uh, me and two. soldiers were getting ready to to to go. into the city, and there was a lot of. fighting going on, and back in them. days, we didn't have a lot of bullets. and stuff, you know. So when we left. that morning, each of us had a uh one. full clip for our AKs and I had a. Macronoff pistol, an old just an old. German pistol, you know, and I had one. clip for it. So we started driving and.

we got ambushed. And usually when I'd. get ambushed, if there was a ditch. around, I would drive my car into that. ditch. because that was the best place to be. fighting from. Don't just stop, you. know. And so I drove down into this. ditch and we started fighting. We fought. for over three hours. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. You know, I don't care if you believe this. I. don't care if the people that hear this. believe this. I would love to tell you a.

different story. Truth is, we fought for. over three hours, never reloaded our. guns. Are you kidding me? You can believe it or not? I'd love to. tell you the a different story, but. that's the truth. And when we left there. that day, we each had at least a half. magazine left. So, and then you want to hear a better. story. We were we were driving up on the. border. Bivia used to be the border. That was in.

Uganda. And they [clears throat] said, Sam, they. said, "You can't go no further." This is. the UPDF. He said, "You can't go no. further. the rebels are attacking. Antinoff or or uh uh Anaka. And uh I. said I said to them, I said, "Well, we're soldiers, man. Let's all go." And. they said, "You can't." So I had two. trucks and there was five of us. And. that day I had Peter and Thomas with me. and I told these guys said, "Well, we're. going." So I put Peter on the top of one.

uh vehicle and put Thomas on the top of. the other vehicle and we start driving. down the road. And as we were driving, I. didn't know what was happening. Did you. ever hear that song? This is stupid. This is stupid. This is stupid. Well, if. you did, I wrote it. So, I'm thinking, God, what in the world am I getting. into? And I could hear God say, "Drive. faster. Drive faster." So, I'm driving. down the road. I'm I'm in the lead. driving this Land Cruiser as fast as I.

could drive. Peter's on the roof of my. car be bar barely hanging on on the roof. on this luggage cage. and we come around the corner and you. could see all the chaos and huts burning. and smoke and God said tell Peter to. start firing. So I hollered up to Peter. and he started firing and when he. started shooting that 30 caliber PK. all I could see was people starting to. run. And I looked in my rear view mirror.

to see where Thomas was on top the other. truck and all I could see was a cloud of. dust. I couldn't see nothing else. The. enemy ran that day. They thought an army. was coming down the road. I would love. to tell you we went in there, five of. us, and we slaughtered them, you know. But what's so crazy, you'll hear the. story to this day. You'll hear stories. tell stories told from the locals about.

how when the machine gun preacher came. in, the bodies were stacked yay high of. the rebels. The truth is I didn't even. fire a shot. They run. That's truth. Interesting. Yeah. [clears throat]. Where I was going is in. you cleared, we had talked about this. downstairs, you cleared all of the brush. so that there was nowhere for these guys. to hide. Yeah. You know, I'm not a I'm not a.

trained military person like you and so. many other good soldiers that fought for. our country, you know, and uh I fought. because I just felt I had to do. something to save children. So, I mean, they they kept attacking us from the. riverside and you know, I know guerrilla. warfare, okay? So, most of these guys. are kids and and even the guys, they. don't have shoes, okay? They walk with. sandals. And to walk through the jungle, there's cactuses around and and stuff to.

step on. So, most of your rebels will. follow the river edge. That's how they. walk because if they walk on the river. edge, there's nothing to cut their feet. up. So they kept attacking us from the. river side. So all I knew is we had to. stop them from coming from that river. So I just started thinking, "All right, what are we going to do?" And there was. so much trees and brush between us and. the river, you they were almost right up. on us, you know. So I told them, "Cut.

everything down." We cut everything, every bush, everything down. burnt. everything to the ground. And then we. went and just told everyone, don't walk from the river at night, but. they even had curfews back in them days. But I told everyone, if you walk from. the river, we're going to shoot you. And. we never was attacked again. Up to this. day, never have been attacked. We're. now the everyday civilian is not going.

to come up with that. They're not gonna. where where are these tactics? You know, I got like I could say again, I got to give all the credit to God. You. know, these were things that I mean, because I'm sitting there. I mean, I've. been a biker all my life. I started I've. been a oneenter since I was 15 years. old. You know, I knew how to I knew how. to fist fight and use a gun. My my dad. brought me and my brothers up as kids to. be able to shoot with either hand. So, I. shoot a pistol with either hand, right. or left, you know. So that training was.

from my dad. But I can't my that all the. things that has happened in the bush. I. believe it was just the Holy Spirit. moving on me. Yeah. Love to tell you a. better story, but I can't. [laughter]. [cough and clears throat]. How many gunfights do you think you've. been in? I've been I've been in over 10 ambushes. where they ambushed me. I've been in. over 10 major battles and I've had.

people try to kill me over 10 times. Been shot once and stabbed three times, but that was in the US. That was all right here in the US. Yeah. One of the big things that I would like. to tell to people out there that might. be listening is, you know, because I. never quit, we have a project going on. It's called the Bush Kid Project. that Bushkid project. We go with a blood. lab. We go with doctors. We go with.

nurses. We go with a security company. which I own. We go deep into the bush on. cowtrails. and minister to sick children that are. dying of malaria. You know, a lot of. people don't realize in Africa alone. every two minutes a child dies malaria. bacteria infections. They say up to. 1,200 children die per day of diarrhea. from bad water and bacteria infections.

So we've been doing that project for two. years now and we're still doing that. project to this day. We're working in. the Congo rescuing children. Our feeding. program is over 10,000 meals a day. We. have five working orphanages, so we're. still taking care of children. Uh, we've. drilled way over 50 wells over the. years. We've repaired over three dozen. wells. We've built seven schools from.

the footer up. We're building the eighth. school right now. So because of never. quitting, because of people that might. be out there listening, we have never stopped because of people. supporting and jumping on the uh uh uh. mission with us. So we're not an. organization that's trying to get. started. We're not an organization. that's starting to do things. We're an. organization that has proven for over. two and a half decades we're never going.

to stop. That's amazing. That really is truly. amazing how many people you're helping. Yeah. And [clears throat] something else. that I'll I'll tell for you and I'll. tell for a lot of organizations out. there. You know, a [clears throat] lot. of founders from organizations, they. always want to keep their hand on. everything. They want to keep everything. operating. And what happens when they. die? The organization falls apart and it.

closes. um for the past 7 years uh I'm 60 years. old now for the past 7 years it started. coming to my mind wow if I die this. whole organization's going to fall so. that means I dedicated my entire life to. nothing so for the past seven years I. started organizing. [clears throat]. in key people that when I leave this. world the organization's going to go on.

I'm a businessman. I don't want to. invest in something that's going to fall. when the leader dies, you know. So, we. are finally at that spot that if I die. tomorrow, this organization will keep. going on. The CEO of the organization is. not even 30 years old. Her husband, Pastor Michael, is 38 years old. Uh, so. I mean I know this organization's going.

to keep going on. My my wife I've. remarried since my first wife. My wife. is only like 37 years old, you know. So, and everybody is sold out. And I have so. many young missionaries that's with us. now that's in their 20s and 30s that uh, you know, God's setting it up. I hope I. just get to sit down in a rocking chair. one day, but I don't think that's going. to happen. [laughter]. What? [clears throat] You've seen a lot.

of carnage, you've been a lot of gunfights, you've. seen a lot of war, you've seen the. some of the worst things that could. happen to people. Uh, you just showed me. a video downstairs, you know, of I. believe it, you said it was in the. Congo. Yeah, it was Congo. of children. beheading other children and and and. I guess kind of where I'm going with. this is. everybody has to compartmentalize that.

kind of drama. uh one way or another and when you. were coming home when you were starting. this thing up. how did you comp compartmentalize that. kind of what you were seeing that kind. of trauma with from. I believe that what I've been through. [clears throat]. I was always through it with God at my. side. So I believe that other soldiers. like you and so many other good soldiers. that fought for our country,

I believe that their struggles. happened because maybe they didn't have. God right at their side. I don't know. But I know that up till now I've been. okay. Uh, I don't wake up with bad dreams. The. only dream that I ever had a few times. was, uh, I dreamt somebody told me I. couldn't go back to Africa. And I would.

wake up crying and I'd wake up and, you. know, just all stressed out because. somebody told me I couldn't go back. So, uh. I mean, uh the worst thing that I ever. seen over the years, and I tell it now. and then because people ask, "What's the. worst thing you ever seen?" One time we. were driving in the front lines and uh. they stopped us on the road and they. said, "Sou got to come quickly. You got. to come quickly." You know, and so I.

thought, "Oh man, we're going to get. into a fight." And you know, once you do. it for a few years, you get excited. about it, you know. So, we're running. through the jungle, me and a few guys, and we have our guns and we, you know, ammo bags on and everything, and we get to where. we're going, and here was a big tree, and these rebels nailed children to the. tree. And uh the children were already dead,

but it was the most horrible thing. trying to get them off the tree because. you you don't want to hurt them, but at. the same time, they're already dead, you. know. So, that's probably the worst. thing that I've ever seen. But what I try to stay focused on is the. children that we still have to rescue, you know. Will there be another machine. gun preacher? I don't know. Am I trying. to change train one? No, I'm just trying.

to train someone to love the ones when. they're rescued and don't stop working. with the children and and keep uh. uh just keep trying to feed the starving. people. You know, I don't know if you. get into statistics or anything, but. statistics right now because of CO. happening because of the war in Ukraine. [snorts]. Statistics in East Africa, they say that.

more than 28. million people will die of starvation. East Africa only. And. by the end of 2023, can you repeat that number? They're saying that in East Africa only. by the end of 2023 because of COVID, because of the war in Ukraine, there'll. be 28 million people die of starvation.

and and and these are statistics that. you can find big replica pe people like. world food program is saying this this. is not me okay and uh I know I can't fix. the problem but I can do a little. something so that's our big focus right. now there's something everyone can do. just because you can't fix it that don't. mean you stop. that's a lot of people Yeah,

let's take a quick break. Yeah, a lot of you have heard me talk about my. psychedelic journey this year and all. the benefits that came from doing it. One being I haven't drank in 7 months. I. haven't had any caffeine in 7 months. My. anxietyy's gone. My anger's gone. A. whole list of benefits came from that. And that led me down this journey of. researching benefits of mushrooms and.

fungi in general. And in my research, I. found this company called Mudwater. Mudwater is a coffee alternative with. four adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs. With a fraction of the caffeine as a cup. of coffee, you get energy without. anxiety, jitters, or the crash of. coffee. What I really like about. Mudwater is that they took the time to. find the perfect ingredients to make a. product that's going to make you feel. better every day. I genuinely believe.

that this is a good product. Mudwater is. Whole 30 approved, 100% USDA organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher. certified. Mudwater also donates monthly. to the Berkeley Center for the Science. of Psychedelics. is Mudwater believes. the country is in a mental health. epidemic and so do I. Go to. mudwwater.com/shan. to support the show and use code shaun. for 15% off. That's mudwwater.com/shan.

Use code shawn for 15% off. [music]. So, you're one of the most prolific drug. smugglers [music] in the world. Smuggled. cocaine, marijuana, worked for Pablo. Escobar, the Medigene cartel, the OO. brothers. Is there anything [music] you. haven't done?

[music]. Became one of the government's most. valuable informants in the war against. cocaine. But last night on Louisiana, Barry Seal's enemies caught up with him. and [music] killed him. The. plane took off and the wheels came up. with a thud and went on a little bit. further and got about 5,000 ft and they. were just a little [music] click click. and near him said, "What was that, Dad?". I said, "He just turned his autopilot. on.". Fell reaches over and he says, "You fly. these things, huh?".

And anyhow, he got under me and he's. shooting those [music] tracers and he. must have been just under the airplane. because they looked like they were. coming up like an arc right under the. windshield. Just red [music] streaks up. Of course, some of them was live, you. know, but [music] they hung a dead man in sail. with me and he was frozen and he was. wrapped in u wrapped in newspaper. [music] strips of it like a mummy from. his feet all the way to his head and uh. they put him on a meat hook onto a boat.

on side the wall and hung him there said. you next son of a [ __ ] you next. It's not going to land anywhere but. Arkansas. [music] That's right. because. he said it's paid off all the way to the. top. The old saying, [music] if you can't. stand the heat, don't work in the. kitchen. I can take [music] the pressure. A lot. of people die in this business. I'm. telling you, I'm one of the only people. I know still alive. [music].

[music]. All right, Sam, we're back from the. break. And during the break, you were. bringing up some pretty interesting. stuff. All of my stories are in my first book. and my second book. First book is. Another Man's War. And my second book is. Living on the Edge. And then my third. book is The Most Likely. So, uh, uh, The.

Most Likely be out this this coming new. year. But there was a time that Coney. was coming into South Sudan, Juba for a. peace talk. So I went there with one of. my sniper rifles. I was going to greet. him on the road, but uh he was supposed. to stay at the Bridge Hotel. So I went. and got a room at the Bridge Hotel and. his mom was staying there. Were you going to kill him? I was going to greet him. I was going to. be this welcome committee. And uh uh so.

he ended up not coming. He didn't come. in. So anyways, the morning that I went. out to eat, uh uh his mom and the other. people that was with his mom, uh they. dusted me. And you know, I don't know if. you know much about the African way of. killing people. They'll they'll dust. your food. They'll have a little bit of. it in their hand and it's a real fine. dust and when you're getting your food.

or you turn your head, they'll just. and blow it on your food. Well, I got. dusted and I I I almost died. Yeah, almost died. What is it? What's the chemical? I'm not sure. You know, it's just it's. all herbal stuff. Witch doctors, you. know. Everyone knows Con, you know, and. this is not me talking. And Con said at. one time when the aunt died, he took her. demons. So he said he had 260ome spirits. that gave him his orders what he was.

going to do. And his mo his mom was the. same way. And everyone that run with the. mom and con, you know, they were all. into witchcraft and devil stuff and. everything. But but my my liver started. shutting down and everything. And I'll. never forget, I went back into my room. and within about 3 4 hours, I was. deathly sick. And I knew I was. that fast. Yeah. 3 to four hours after eating my.

food, I was deathly sick. And one of the guys, Ding, Ding was with. me from the movie, The Real Ding. Ding's your right-hand man. Yeah. Well, Ding, Ding's still in the. SPLA. He's a He's a uh I believe Ding. now is a captain now, but I still see. him, still talk to him and everything. Well, Ding and the other guys that was. with me, Peter was with also, they said, "Uh, Sam, you got poisoned." And so, I. thought I was going to die. And I. remember laying in my bed for hours and.

I said, "God, I ain't afraid of dying, but do you realize how you're going to. look if they haul my body out of this. room?" I said, ' God, this is all on. you. I said, ' God, you you got to heal. me. I said, 'God, I want you. Please, God, just touch me and heal me that I. can walk out of here tomorrow morning. and walk to that buffet and get my food. And the next morning, I could barely walk and stuff was just.

coming out of me like all the liquids. and everything. I could barely walk. But. I got up and I said, "God, I'm going to. do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to. walk out." And I walked out that morning. and I remember looking over at the lady. sitting at her table, Joseph Cony's mom. And I told her, I says, "I'm still. looking for your son.". And I literally said that and I could. barely move. I mean, I literally at the. time thought I was still dying, but I.

wanted her to know that the God that I. serve was bigger than any poison she. could give to me. Yeah. And Con has killed successfully killed. everybody that he's ever put a hit out. on, you know. Yeah. Coney, everyone that he. would say he was going to kill, he. always killed. Uh, and it just slipped. my mind. One of his right-hand men. Uh, and it's in my book, but uh, oh, I maybe. it'll come back before I finish telling.

the story, but they were sitting at a. table and they're talking and he just. picked up a pistol and shot him in the. forehead. And uh, he told everyone he's. he's I didn't kill him. He's just. asleep. But Coney was a wild man. I. mean, everyone that he would say he. would kill, he would kill. And I was one. of them that he said he was going to. kill that he hasn't. And I'll like I. told them I done a I done a crusade in. Gulu one time, a preaching crusade. And.

the the people in people in town, the. government people came to me and they. said, "We just figured out who you are. There's no way you're going to be able. to do this crusade, Con. said, "If you do this crusade, he's. coming here to kill you.". Well, I'd done the crusade with a. grenade in each pocket and a pistol in. my back. But I preached it and I told. him, I said, "Listen, if you can't make. it, tell me where you're at and I'll. come to your house for dinner." You. know, so co Joseph Con, as far as I'm.

concerned, was a coward. Still a coward. and he will pay for the crimes that he's. done. I hope he does. Yeah. I really hope he does. [sighs]. [clears throat]. So, what are you guys getting into now? I mean, it took you How long did it take. you to get fully set up? you. [clears throat] you know I I still don't. believe we're fully set up to where I. would like to see it come to. You know, I would love to see before God takes me. out of this world, I'd love to see our.

organization feeding 20 25,000 meals a. day. I'd love to see our farm be a few. thousand acres. You know, my goal for. this next year, you know, because of CO, because of the war in Ukraine, our food. bills have doubled. Like for what our. farm would produce now, our main food. bill was about 12,000 a month. That's. just food. That's not payroll, nothing. else. 12,000 more dollars we spend on. food. It's up to 28 to 28 to 24 to.

28,000 a month. That's what our food. bill is now. So for this new year, I would like to. grow 40 to 50% of the crops that we use. to feed people. I'd like to grow on our. farm, you know. So, uh, I'd love to see. a lot of expansion on our farming. Uh, I'd love to see some more children homes. built. And, uh, we do a lot here in the.

US as well, you know. Yeah. what um. [clears throat]. with the kids that you get in the in the. movie, there's a lot of separation. The kids. are ripped from their family. Maybe they. were forced to kill their parents. They're they're they're separated from. their siblings. Have you been able to. reunite any families? And I I got a good story for you, too. Our biggest thing is we don't want to.

keep children if they have immediate. family. We want to place those children. back into their homes. But [clears throat] a number of years. ago, and this this happened, one of the. big magazines, I think it was the. Inquirer, the Inquirer magazine, I. believe it was, they done a story on me. Well, anyways, the story was about a. father that found his child. And um uh. and and how this father found the child.

was through his brother. Uh, one of the. local newspapers in Uganda done a story. on me at Christmas time and it was kind. of a story about the machine gun. preacher rescuing children and it had. all these children around me while the. uncle was in Gulu. and read the newspaper and seen this. child. Well, the uncle seen it was a. child that was his brother's son. So, he. came to where I have a home in Gulu.

I've been in Gulu over 20ome years. He'd. come to the children's home and so they. called me out. I happened to be there. and I come out and he was pointing at. the paper and he's speaking in their. local language and he said, "This child, is he here? Is he here?" And just so. happened the child was there. So I. brought the child to the gate and when. he seen the child, this uncle passed. out. just passed out on the ground. because it was the same child that they.

raided a village, the LRA, and they. raided a school. and they chopped these children all up. And the parents and family members had. to come to this school where all these. pieces of bodies was and they took. pieces of bodies that they thought was. their child home to bury. So here the. father and the mother and the family, excuse me, took all these pieces of body that they.

thought was their son and buried this. child. Well, this child was one that. escaped and hid in the bush and then he. was dramatized really bad, but we. rescued him. So here uh I told him, I. said, "I can't give you the child." I. said, "You go bring the father." and uh. because the child was still mentally on. on not you know stable. So here a week. or so later he come back right at.

Christmas time. You know the story was. done before Christmas to kind of you. know get everybody in the Christmas. spirit of me rescuing children. And uh. here the father came and the father fell. to his knees and just fell to the ground. and couldn't believe it. Well, the son. recognized the father and everything. even though he was so dramatized, but. that was one of the good stories of. placing a child back, you know. So, imagine you buried your son,

you had his body in your hands, but it. wasn't your son, and then you find your. son still alive. You know, it's good. story. Wow. What's the What's the time. separation on that? You know, it was. probably I'm going to say almost two. years or so. Two years. Yeah. Yeah. It was almost two years. What what's happening now? You know, I. turned 60. I've been in Africa over two. and a half decades. And I believe. there's a lot of things.

there's a lot of things we try to block. out. And uh so you try to block out a lot of. things. So there's some things you don't. remember, you know, but you try to. remember a few good stories. How many of these children. [clears throat] still have hope that. they're going to, you know, our organization. uh is one of the only organizations out. there [snorts] that when you finish.

school and you leave our organization, if you're 70% or better. in your uh class, we will send you on to. university. So before co I had 20ome. kids in university. I mean you you don't. even want to see our school fees. Our. school fees are ridiculous. Even now I. have about eight kids in university. right now as we speak you know. So so. our organization we don't only create.

jobs for you to learn a skill in a. trade. We give you the opportunity to go. to university. Uh we got some very good. s success stories. You know in Africa. [clears throat]. you don't get a lot of you don't hear of. a lot of organizations working with. women. It seems like all the all the. programs are for men you know. So on our. farm we built a uh a two-story house.

sixbedroom fourb with cottages on the. outside big rooms. And we built this. house to teach young ladies from Africa. that was involved in the war. You know, in a lot of African villages, if you're. a young woman that you you may have been. used as a sex slave, you were a wife to. the rebel, you had children to the. rebels, they don't want you back in the. village anymore. So, a lot of these. women will just walk into the bush and.

set down and die because they have no. skill. They have no trade. They have no. future. So, we built this house to teach. young women a skill and a trade. We. teach them how to clean a house and how. to make a bed. And people say, "Well, what I most people should know that if. you were raised in a mud hut with a. grass roof, you don't know how to make a. bed." But we have got in and if you're. on a passport from East Africa, you can. travel anywhere in East Africa. We got.

unbelievable amount of women that are. working in hotels, nice hotels because. of the skill and trade that we taught. them in this house. And we have one lady. particular I like to tell her story. She. wanted to work in the kitchen with me. I. I had three restaurants at one time and. I love to cook. I don't call myself a. chef. I just love to cook and eat, you. know. So she wanted to know everything. that a mazongu, a white person liked to.

eat. So I, you know, [laughter] Spanish. omelets, uh, uh, uh, eggs benedict, you. know, she wanted to know all this stuff. Pancakes, uh, French toast, waffles. She wanted to. know everything that us mazongus like to. eat. For two years, I taught her everything I. could teach her. and how to make a. simple lunch, simple sandwiches and. hamburgers and stuff. And two years. later, she goes into Gulu and she opens.

up a little restaurant. And this little. restaurant, you could barely put 10. people inside and 10 people outside. You. would stand in line to wait to eat in. this restaurant. And it was just amazing. because she learned how to do this just. the way we love it. And then she even. got a bigger place and now she got. married, moved to the other end of. Uganda and has another restaurant. But. these are some success stories of people.

that got into our hands and learned a. skill and a trade. I've always said if. you want to change a nation, it's not by. handouts. You know, when you do. handouts, what do we create? We start to. create another America, you know, but if you teach people a. skill and a trade and how they can. function on our own, that's how you. change a nation. That's amazing. That's incredible. I love that you just.

said that. Yeah. Where are you headed from here? You know, well, I'll be uh I'll be back. in the Congo here soon. So, right now, well, I fly when I fly from the US, I. fly from my office in Pennsylvania, which is a bike shop. It's run by my. brother and then another young lady. I'll fly from there to Ethiopia. I'll. spend a few days in Ethiopia. We have a. really big project there that we might. end up selling. It's been hard raising.

money for this project. Six sixstory. building almost finished. Uh, and then. I'll fly from there back to Uganda. I'll. go into Congo to do some work there in. the South Sudan. I mean, Africa is my. home now. What What are you doing down in the. Congo? You know, the Congo, we are preparing to. rescue children and take any children. that are rescued by the government and. give them a safe haven to go to. But the.

biggest thing is these children got to. really be mentally evaluated. They got. to be worked with. It's going to take. some time because of what they've been. made to do and not only made to do but. what they have seen, you know. So it's. it's going to be a long process in the. Congo. Do you foresee your organization opening. orphanages and churches and. No, we'll stay on the Ugandan side. Okay. you know, uh, Uganda inside. I.

love Uganda. Like I said, it's the land. of milk and honey. Everybody knows me. Everybody trusts me. I'm not like other. NOS's, you know, and I don't want NOS's. to get upset with me saying this, but. NOS's a lot of times follow the news. because where the news is, the money is, you know, and and I've been a proven NGO. that I came to East Africa and now it's. my home. I'm not going nowhere.

How long have you considered that home? Uh, you know, I've been married to my. wife Justine for uh uh three years now. and I I've been I've been basically. living there full-time for about seven. years now. Yeah. No, you don't miss the US at all? No. You know what? You know, everyone. used to say, "Well, I miss this. I miss. that. I got an upper class restaurant. that everything that I miss, I make.

there." you know. So, and and I think. the the biggest food that I love is. sushi. I love sushi, man. I I just go. crazy over sushi. And if you look in. Kala right now, there's probably 13. Japanese restaurants in Kala. And I get. a kick out of missionaries. They'll say, "I'm going to Uganda to preach the. gospel." I always ask them, "Where are. you going?" They say, "Compala. We're. going into Compala to preach.".

And I kind of laughed because when I. went there, there was no Pizza Hut. Now. there's Pizza Hut. There's like 12. Kentucky Fried Chicks. There's two. McDonald's. Everything is there, you. know. But I spend most of my time to. this day in the bush. And uh I love the. bush. I think a man like you that has fought. for our country and dedicated years of. your life, you know, you always got a a. piece of wanting to be there. You know,

for me, I've been blessed enough to live. there and have a wife that loves living. there with me, you know, so I'll be. there the rest of my life. [clears throat]. With these mission trips, I saw on your. website that um you host mission trips. Yeah, we host mission trips. That's. through Angels of East Africa. Our. organization, the nonprofit name is. Angels of East Africa USA. Now, we have. an Angels of East Africa Poland, Angels. of East Africa UK,

uh, Angels of East Africa, Germany. There's several offices around the world. because when I do world tours and you. take money out of them countries, you. got to have nonprofits. And then there's. an Angels of East Africa Uganda. So we. we we meet people around the world that. will go on these mission trips. So. that's all run through Angels of East. Africa. I have no doings with none of them, you.

know. I don't like being around people, you know. So, the only thing that I do. when you get there, the the uh the. company that I have, I run and I own and. run an armed security company. So, we. make sure and I'm usually the face. you'll see. I make sure you get from. point A to point B. You know, I make. sure you get to all the all the projects. so people can come in, you know, and. there's always people they want to come. in and get a gun in their hand and go.

fight. That's the last thing you should. want to do. I I tell people all the time. that ain't ever going to happen. But. what can happen is you can get one of. these children that were that was harmed. or or hurt really bad and you can hold. them in your arms and you can love on. them. That takes more of a man and a. woman to do that than it does to pick up. a gun and go hurt somebody. I would agree with you on that one. Yeah. [clears throat].

Well, Sam, I just you're just an incredible human. being. Yeah. Praise God. Yeah. And uh I just want to thank you for. coming out. Yeah. And I want to invite you to. Africa. Maybe maybe for you not to come. to Africa on a mission trip. Maybe for. you to come on a visit and we do some of. these sitdowns in Africa. And I get you. to sit down with Deng. I get you to sit. down with Peter and get you to sit down. with some of the people in the bush. And.

I think it'd be a really really good. show, man. And uh. Well, I got to tell you, it's funny that. you mentioned that because on my way. over here, I called a friend of mine. He's been on this show. He painted these. paintings. His name's Justin Hughes. And I asked him if he would be willing. to go over there with me if we got an. invite. Yeah. And uh. he's a former seal as well. Yeah, I. think it would be good for you. Yeah, I. think it'd be good for you. Be good for. your show. I mean, you're not hearing.

from from me. You're hearing from. victims. You're hearing from people. that's still there fighting fighting the. fight. You know, you can hear from my. wife. You know, a lot of Africans, they. want to marry a mazongu because it's. like a ticket out. And if if you. interviewed my wife, she would tell you, "Oh, I can't I can't leave." you know, [laughter] and uh at at at at. my [clears throat] motorcycle shop, I. own 15 acres of ground there. And I was.

going to build a nice house and. everything there, you know, and my wife, when she was over here about a year ago, she said, Sam, she said, "I'm not going. to tell you what to do, but she said, "You don't need to build that house for. me because I can never come to America. to live." She said, "You know, our work. is in Africa." So, I I mean, at least I. know I got the right wife because, you. know, she doesn't want a ticket to. America. Maybe to visit, you know, she.

was just in Germany and Italy and. Switzerland with me speaking and and and. we had a good time, but our home is. Africa and that's where we work. Well, I would uh I would love to take. you up on that invite. Yeah, I think it would be really good. Yeah. Yeah. I think it I I could see. you, you know, setting your cameras up. and doing your thing there. Yeah. Where can people find you? Where do they. donate? You you know, the the easiest way to.

find me is just remember the name. Machine Gun Preacher. You know, I can. sit here and tell you Angels of East. Africa. You'll be trying to write it. down and you're going to mess it up, but. everything to find me is just machine. gun preacher. And that's pretty simple. Most people can remember it. You Google. Machine Gun Preacher. That's the name of. our website. That's how you get a hold. of me. My main office is in uh outside. of Central City, Pennsylvania. And it's. a motorcycle shop. We build custom.

motorcycles. There's actually a small. clothing line of machine gun preacher. clothing. And people say, "What?" You. know, and it does about a half a million. dollars of sales a year, you know. So. you can go online, you can go on to. Facebook, Google Machine Gun Preacher or. or my name Sam Childers, but our work is. done because of people like you out. there, you know. And I I challenge.

people look into the if you have a. nonprofit that you're financing, there's. a few questions you need to ask them. Ask what the CEO makes. You have every. right to ask, you know, ask how much on. a dollar is spent in the field. you have. every right to ask. If people don't want. to ask you financial questions for a. nonprofit, then don't support them. And uh we need. your help. Machine Gun Preacher. All right. We'll link everything below.

as well. That way it's easy for them to. find as well. And and um Sam, I just. wish you the best of luck and and and. thank you so much for gracing us with. your presence. It's been a real honor. And uh hopefully the next time I see. you, it'll be in another hemisphere. All right. Thank you. God bless. God. bless you. Cheers.

Hey everybody, I'm Shawn Ryan. Click. here to subscribe to the Shaun Ryan Show. YouTube channel for the hottest and most. compelling interviews [music] that you. will not see anywhere else. I've also. made a playlist of all the previous SRS. episodes so they're easy to find. You. can find that right here.