speaker-0: no.
speaker-1: When you say fight human trafficking, I think a lot of us think, like you're like you're raising awareness. But like no, you actually literally mean that. What is it what does the work actually look like?
speaker-2: So so I I look at human trafficking kind of in three buckets. The prevention and awareness. Okay. Which would be going into the schools, middle schools, high schools, talking about the dangers of social media, explaining what human trafficking is, you know, all the awareness and prevention campaigns. Then you have the the the interdiction in the middle, which is the recovery of them. Mm-hmm. And the justice for the trafficker and the prosecution. and then the third lane would be the aftercare. Okay. Right? The rehabilitation, the aftercare. The first lane and the third can be done by civilians and they do it really well. you don't have to be law enforcement for the prevention awareness or for the aftercare. The piece that we always and originally got into in Thailand. was the interdiction piece. and so that's why when you said at the beginning of the podcast about me going through police academy and getting deputized, it wasn't just 'cause I had nothing else going on and like thought I would go try this out. That was needed for our team to be able to work, do counterhuman trafficking work in the US. Okay. So now, you know, fast forward quite a few years Most of our team is commissioned law enforcement under some sheriff's office in the in the country. We have quite a few that support us. And we've created a task force with those sheriff's offices that that allows us to work nationally. So we work coast to coast in a case assist role for other jurisdictions for other law enforcement. So early on we were reaching out to cops, you know, all over the country trying to make introductions of who we are and and now it's been really neat. We've got now we have those entities that'll reach out to us and ask for assistance on specific cases. So
speaker-0: What does assistance look like? Like give me some give me an example for listeners like, you know, we're it is this just basically I have a feeling it's more than just on the phone consulting is what I'm alluding to.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, no, most of the time we're getting on a on a plane or getting in a car. but it it is the most complex crime. the the trauma that comes along with it I'm trying to think how to concisely explain it. most cops and I love obviously love cops because our whole team's cops, Just don't just don't know what they don't know. So if you haven't been deeply into the counterhuman trafficking, it's going to be really confusing for you. And most of these cops have a desk full of cases from domestic violence cases to dope cases to financial crimes to theft, you know, you name it. And a lot of times, because most places don't have a dedicated human trafficking task force, A human trafficking case is just one in that stack and they're crazy confusing because typically you're going after a a a victim that doesn't know she's a victim. Incredibly defensive. We have if we go into a house or an apartment or anywhere, we have to be just as worried about her stabbing us or shooting us as the trafficker initially. Okay. And but what we've learned is is that we can when we can separate them from their trafficker and spend time with them and and just meet their needs, basic needs of a a safe place to stay, clothes, food, possibly or likely some medical attention, getting their ID back, their driver's license, helping them out, you know, with the with the courts, because they likely have some pending cases out there that, you know, that they got pinned on them but were were actually you know a part of her being trafficked in her situation. So just all those things where they feel helpless. They've kind of been brainwashed to not trust law enforcement. They obviously don't trust men, because all the men in their life, at least in this life, which a lot of them got in when they were 13, 14 years old, have been in it for one thing. so they it's easy for them to view all men as okay. They're only interested in one thing. And so w when we can genuinely show a a a different type of man to them and and start to build that trust, it's amazing how much they'll just open up and and you know just the the wires that were crossed, you know, just kind of getting all that back in alignment and and it's incredibly frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding because there's been multiple girls that have not been ready and they've ran and they've gone back into the life and we just tell them like that totally fine. We're not we're not giving up on you. Just don't be upset when you see us again. Because when we tell you we're we're coming for you again, we're we're coming. And so A lot of times when we get in front of them that second or third time and they look at like they call us the the crazy white guys. like man, it it I think it kind of clicks like okay, there's these guys may actually really care. and so that's when we've seen the the greatest success. And then in a perfect world, we will take the victim, get her on a plane, get her in a car, TSA's been awesome. Some of the airlines have been great, letting us fly them for free. And TSA helps us when they have no documents. They'll take our word for it and, you know, get them on a plane. And we have safe houses and shelters all over the country that we have partnered with. So we have tons of options of of places to take these girls. So in a perfect world, we'll take the victim, which is the hardest piece for law enforcement. 'Cause it's one thing dealing with the case and the trafficker and all the stuff going on there. but then also having to deal with this victim, you know, it's all another piece of it. So if we can take that off their plate and then all the in intelligence or information we've gathered throughout the case, we can package it up and hand it to the local detective and try to make his job as easy as possible for him to go, you know, handle the the justice piece. and and go to work on the trafficker or that network or you know, other girls involved. So I don't know if any of that makes sense. No, yeah.
speaker-0: No it doesn't make sense.
speaker-2: The most complex cri and being in law enforcement now for almost ten years, by far the most complex crime I've ever been involved with or seen.
speaker-1: I think I think re resetting my stereotype or assumption, right, that the you're you're not busting down doors all the time that rescue is is actually a slow process and it's like baked in the relationship is kinda what I hear you saying.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah. So we just have a lot of really creative ways to to separate her from the trafficker and and create an opportunity to to get in front of her. Yeah. obviously if if she's a juvenile, she doesn't have the option. She has to come with us. And we try to handle that very delicately and and and respectfully. but if they're adults, they don't. you know, they can easily give us the the double birds and not interested. Yeah. and so we just again continue to try to try to love on in in a way that they haven't ever seen before and you know hope that they hang on to our number. And and it happens off. We just got a call I think two days ago from a a girl that we had encountered in the past and she called and and said she was ready. So Okay. You know, we'll go we'll go get out of that situation and and comfort that the trafficker won't be able to, you know, to reach Mm. To to get a hold of Just make sure they're safe.
speaker-1: All right, Jason, wanna take you back to the late eighties.
speaker-0: come on now. Come on now.
speaker-1: Tell me about somebody that was meaningful in your life in the late eighties.
speaker-0: man. Okay, I can't use a musician. I can no yeah. Okay, I've got somebody. Give me give me his name's Clifford.
speaker-1: somebody you know. Yeah. Well well you can tell the name, I guess, right? What did Clifford do?
speaker-0: Clifford was an elder in my church who just treated me with a lot of kindness. He was my small group leader in seventh grade. Yeah. He and his wife Pam. They still live here in
speaker-1: And you went to CIY events when you were a kid. Well
speaker-0: Ta kind of. I was a I was the first person to ever go for my church. Really and I had to go by myself and with another church. So yeah.
speaker-1: yeah.
speaker-0: I did. I was a sophomore.
speaker-1: Well I'm glad somebody opened up the seat for you to be able to do that.
speaker-0: I did I work for a bricklayer and I paid my own way.
speaker-1: Is that right? Well, you know, not every kid out there can work for bricklay. Not every
speaker-0: It's hard
speaker-1: Good work, but it's hard.
speaker-0: work.
speaker-1: Well, I I know every student who shows up at a CIY event is there because some adult has cared for them and created space. Absolutely. The truth is though, we do have a problem at CIY that we can't seem to keep up with, and that is this problem of it's growth, right. As soon as we open up a new location, it fills up and we find every year we have Jason math math problem. How many kids on a waiting list every summer?
speaker-0: I mean last year was three thousand. Yeah.
speaker-1: So unless we continue to keep pace with what God is doing, we will leave more kids at home every summer.
speaker-0: I mean we're growing at like twelve percent to eighteen percent a year.
speaker-1: It's a lot of bricks we gotta move.
speaker-0: Gotta stack
speaker-1: We're looking for people like Clifford who believe in what God is doing in the next generation to come alongside us and for a dollar a day, that's a hundred and eighty bucks per student, we can open up a seat for a a student. So that's two every year if you give a dollar a day. We encourage you to go to CIY.com slash give and think about joining us as we try to reach as many students and open as many seats as possible.
speaker-0: Adam, I'm sure there's probably a lot of correlations in our culture between things related to pornography and trafficking, things related to you know illegal immigration and and people being trafficked and taking advantage of. are you seeing any patterns that that man, this is what I see. Here here's the pattern that I see happening in our culture when it comes to and I'm sure there are also boys that are being trafficked, not just girls. when you when you see that, are there patterns that you've with your law enforcement background and just your mind 'cause no doubt in baseball I taught you to read patterns. I mean you you've got a skill set for that. Are there patterns you're able to see that like man it's here's here's what I've learned from from being in this now for over a decade.
speaker-2: Yeah. a a couple and I'll and I'll start with the the men's side, the buyers, having interviewed a lot of them because there there's times when we'll do and and actually a a part one of our teams that we have just travels the country and does trainings and then puts on these what we'd call a reverse sting or a buyer a buyer operation. where w they will advertise as a female and so Johns will come in or men will come in to purchase a girl and then when the door opens it's us standing there, you know, instead of the girl. It's law enforcement. So having interviewed quite a few men over the years that are buyers, ninety nine percent when you get to know it it started with pornography. quite a few of would would have you know, some type of trauma or abuse when they were younger from from typically from a family member. but you guys know how powerful porn is. Or or maybe you don't. I do because I've struggled with it. And I've I've seen these men that it was very innocent just looking at a magazine back when we were younger, when it was, you know, much tougher to get a hold of. And then it just leads to a little more, a little more, a little more. maybe You know, what they think is calling in an escort of a girl that is willing and wanting to do this. I I wish all men could see behind the curtain of that, that the majority of girls that are advertising online on these escort sites are not doing it independently. There are some, but the majority, and we've dealt with a a lot of them. You know, if you could see behind the curtain, it's it's it's not what you think it is. So yeah, we have got to interview a lot of men over the years. unfortunately we've had some some pastors that have fallen into it that I've got to spend hours with and just hear their story and how they put on this mask, you know, every Sunday and around the congregation and but just hurting and broken inside and a broken marriage and kids, you know, all the stuff that just leads them down this path. and man, it's dark. It's an easy one to hide. I think it's an easy one to justify. that we're not we're not hurting anybody else. And again, just having the opportunity to to kind of see on the other side of it and all the evil and darkness is it's a lot different than what you think it is.
speaker-0: I think even you know, even if somebody's sitting there saying, Well, you know what, I'm I'm I'm looking at porn but I'm not I'm not calling escorts. The truth of the matter is like you're supporting an industry even before you've you've found yourself. I say before because I don't think that th this sin is going to be happy until it it devours every aspect of your life. and so I say not yet because it's its ultimate goal is to completely destroy. but you're still supporting an industry. that is marginalized and taken advantage and destroying people. You know, and I think you know, we work with students, I think the rate right now is that, you know, nearly eighty percent of I can remember these stats right now, and I'm I'm pulling out right now from a a book I was reading. If I can remember, I wish I had the book with me. I think it's like eighty percent of teenage boys and sixty percent of teenage bo girls are looking at pornography on a regular basis. So when I think about your Your world, your foundation, what you're looking at, like this problem is gonna escalate like never before. Like this is gonna I would imagine the trafficking issue, even with awareness, continues to increase because you know, bring in AI, bring in everything else that's happening in our world today, you know, the the nature and mind of man continues to find more and more ways to drift. and and so I can only imagine for your foundation and what you're seeing is is probably an escalation, not a decrease.
speaker-2: No, no, for sure. This is we're we're losing this fight. Mm-hmm. A hundred percent. And man, it'd be easy to let that really be a downer for us. And so I think we do a really good job as a team, not looking at the bigger problem. Not really looking at it like we're here to end human trafficking. Even though that would be so cool to see in my lifetime. But just for our sanity, is how about the girl tonight? Yeah. That's praying, you know, God send somebody to come get me out of this situation. So we we we constantly talk about just the next one and and one at a time and put all our focus on that girl. And it may be two weeks because there may be a lot of fights and movements involved and a lot of moving pieces. But let's just focus on on her and then you know, go after the next one and the next one and just chip away.
speaker-0: How do you guard your heart in this? I mean Yeah, how do you guard your heart in all this?
speaker-2: Yeah. I you know, I learned from IJM. I don't know if you guys have heard of International Justice Mission and got to know them years ago and any place in the in the world I would travel working with them or going out with them. It was really neat and all these other countries. They have nine AM as mandatory, all stop, come together and just pray and do like a devotional. And so we've really we've adopted that as a team. to start every day there. And and not just that, but also everybody knows that this is this is the time for like full transparency. If there's something that's something where Satan's grabbing you, awesome. play it out and let's all walk through it together. Or or just something going on at home, you know, in anything and super uncomfortable at times and I know it's it's tough when we have like n new guys or girls come on board. it's probably awkward to hear that type of transparency, but that's that's how we can Just feel totally open to to share that stuff with with our team and not let it fester and turn into something else. So man, God could remove that protection at any time. I don't know why he would, and I don't see it happening, but but so far he's just kinda had a a hand over over our team and our hearts and the work we're doing and you know, it it's been It's it's neat because obviously it's awesome to have God on your side. I mean, no denying that. But also cool 'cause it also is is confirmation for us that we're this is the work we're supposed to be in. Yeah. So it it's yeah, it's super special.
speaker-0: Well here in a second I want to have you share a little bit more about your foundation so people know. but I'm gonna shift gears just so you know, talking about human trafficking is is is heavy and critical and important. but I know a few of our of my guests would be remiss if I didn't ask at least a couple of baseball questions before we wrap up, even though you don't live in that world anymore. I had a chance to sit down, I'm hoping I can get him on the podcast with Mike Matheny, and man, you wanna hear some stories. That guy cracked me up, man. one of my my goodness. He is a story he he's a good storyteller and he had some some fun ones. I don't know if this has it happened. do you remember maybe you never did. I don't know this about you. Do you remember the first time, if ever you charged them out?
speaker-2: No, never charged.
speaker-0: Never charged. All right, all right.
speaker-1: Who okay who hit you the hardest who hits you the hardest then? Yeah.
speaker-2: a guy named Josh Johnson.
speaker-0: Who'd you play for?
speaker-2: Marlins, I think I was with Atlanta. Okay. Man, big country strong right hander. Through through like ninety-five, ninety-seven. And he had a cutter and that he would throw on occasion. And he threw a fastball inside that I didn't think was a cutter. So I just kind of posted up. Didn't move because I knew it was gonna barely miss me. Yeah. And and It it cut and connected in my inside of my back, like my knee. So right on the inside of my knee. So hard it bounced back to him. So it wasn't, it's not like it grazed me. But it's it's typically it I mean it always hurts, but it's not terrible when you know you're gonna get hit because you kind of learn how to absorb it a little bit or or move to where it hits you in a spot that but when you're not expecting it to hit you and don't give at all and just you know, post up is not smart and that I felt that for a few days. So I'll never forget that. I think I think Matheny I could be wrong. I think he's the catcher I tried to run over. Okay.
speaker-1: Okay.
speaker-2: That I totally whiffed, missed him and rolled and separated my shoulder the
speaker-0: no, yeah.
speaker-2: one of the only times of my career I've been on the D L and I think I think it was Matheny
speaker-1: Gosh.
speaker-2: he had the ball for like I don't know how many seconds. I mean I was out by a mile. And so he had plenty of time to just like a like a bullfighter, you know, just just get out of the way and tag me as I try to run him over. And
speaker-0: What was your what was your favorite way to mess with some?
speaker-2: probably the bet it was probably the best result 'cause he's so much bigger and I
speaker-1: Big one.
speaker-2: would have got hurt.
speaker-0: What was your favorite way to mess with somebody on first base?
speaker-2: I don't know. I don't know as far as mess with them. I've always enjoyed conversation, but as far as messing with
speaker-0: Yeah. I didn't know if you try to distract him, we'd try to try to do things with him. Who was your favorite person from
speaker-2: Good friends, I would. Yeah. Yeah. Go go ahead.
speaker-0: Do you have what it made you laugh a lot when you get on you g they get on first with you? Or that you enjoyed, even from another team. Like when they would get on first, I love what this guy's on first with me. Okay.
speaker-2: It was usually the the Latins. Just hilarious. I I think of like like David Ortiz, who I got to play with later on briefly. Miguel Cabrera, just some of the guys, their their spirits are so fun to be around. And and I think it's because they're they played in a different country, it was more serious and they came here and they almost looked at this as like just a bonus. Yeah. Like fun, fun, you know, backyard. Recess, playground. Okay. Yeah, they were a blast.
speaker-0: Well how do people get a hold of you?
speaker-1: I got one more I gotta ask. I mean y baseball is known for its hi its historic stadiums. Give me a stadium you walked into the first time and you went, Holy smokes, I can't believe I'm playing here tonight.
speaker-2: old Yankee Stadium. Not the original. Yeah. The one we
speaker-1: Okay. You didn't play that long ago. I g I get that. Yeah. Yeah. But the one before the one they built out.
speaker-2: Yeah. And probably because 'cause my dad played there. yeah. So anywhere my dad played, so there and Wrigley. Yeah. You know, in Chicago, Boston, some of those were pretty neat, just know I'm knowing I'm on the same same stadium, same dirt as as my dad played on. That's great.
speaker-1: That is cool. That's true. That is cool.
speaker-0: Well how do people get a hold of you? Like we we've got a little gift we're gonna give you here in minute, but but if they want to get a hold or learn more about both what you're doing with veterans and what you're doing with human trafficking, if they wanna you know I don't know if these are not for profits you've got that people can get behind, if they wanna volunteer their time.
speaker-2: All under it's all under E three Ranch Foundation, so E three R F dot org. Okay. Okay. And I I appreciate you saying that.
speaker-1: No, we'll put that in the show notes. We'll put the link in there and they can go they can go right to it. We'd love for the people to connect. But go ahead.
speaker-2: As you could imagine, it's it's a little bit generic for good reasons, especially on the human trafficking side. So it's a little bit it vague. but I think they've done our team's done an awesome job on that on that website and kind of s saying what we can and trying to get the idea of of the mission behind why we do it. Okay, you know, just trying to do kingdom work. same as you guys.
speaker-1: And you're doing it. We we love we love love supporting and love hearing your story.
speaker-0: Any hunting fishing trips coming up?
speaker-2: you know what I look forward to the most these days is hunting in my backyard. Yeah. As much as
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-2: I like like going after elk and bow hunting elk or Alaskan bear or those are still super fun. But I I really like just walking out the back door, getting in a tree chance.
speaker-0: I totally understand. Well your your ranch is a little bigger than what I've got. Yeah, it is miserable. We've got thirty acres of river bottom right on we we don't live that far apart from each other. You're in Fort Scott, I'm in Joppa, Missouri area. But we've got thirty acres of river bottom right on Spring River. And there's nothing like be able to get up in the morning, walk out your door on your property, or sometimes I'll take a canoe and paddle upstream to bow hunt. But I've got like ten different stand locations on on we've got we've got farmers all around us, so yeah, it's There's something about that that's pretty special. Now again, I don't have anything the size of V three ranch, but still it's it's a good thing. It's a real good thing.
speaker-2: Well, send me some pictures. I will. I want to see them.
speaker-0: I will. I will. Well I'm kind of I'm being a little particular. I'm I'm I'm trophy hunting right now, so I've I've had my my shared deer. I'm I'm looking for one I can put on the wall. So that's that's what I'm hunting. So unapologetically, I'm looking for two things we want to give you and we'll we'll get these two, we'll send them to you. Not too far away. One is it's a hat from our friend Nate Carnes at Remedy Provisions. kind of the idea behind Remedy is he talks about how the outdoors is the good for what ails you. And and just letting this be a reminder when you find yourself in a place that I need to be so many times Jesus withdrew to solitary places and I get that at a heart level. and that's the the mindset behind remedy. We're gonna send this to you, Adam. The other one is from a good friend of ours, because I think one of the things you're learning to do, both in human trafficking, and even if you're sitting down, you know, having a bourbon of cigar and playing cards with some veterans that are struggling, learning to cut through. what needs to be cut through is important. So we're gonna send you a custom made knife from a guy named Rick Bayless to drop point hunter. and but yeah, kind of the the idea behind that is is man, as a leader, what is it you need to cut through? And and you know how important a good knife is. not just when you're harvesting game, but man, even in in leadership. Learn it to cut through what what you need to keep versus what needs to go away. So yeah, we'll drop this into you, we'll get it sent to you. but man, thanks for the time. Thanks for being here. Thanks for just you know, one, always impressed with with what you did on the field. and you're a special ball player, but I'll be honest with you, I'm really even more impressed with who you are as a man, as a father, as a husband, and and what you're doing, to say, Hey, you know what? I've got the ability to respond to issues in the world around me and I'm not just gonna allow retirement to be something that I drift into. I'm actually gonna continue. you remind me of of somebody we talk about with with Caleb. But man, you're still you're still taking mountain, still taking hill country when when a lot of men are are just wanting to coast. And man, Adam, what I love about you is brother, there ain't no quit in you. And and I'm really impressed by that, man. Really impressed. So I'll keep fighting, you keep fighting and and I'll see you on the other side. But between now and then we're gonna get you a knife and a hat.
speaker-1: Thanks Adam. Appreciate the time.
speaker-0: Dude. Yeah. Thanks, man. Safe travels. Yep.
speaker-1: Be good dude. Thank you.
speaker-2: Take care, fellas. See ya.
speaker-0: Eric, we think yeah, thinking about thinking about what he had to say and and trying to think of like, you know, one thing we love doing here at the current is giving everyone a take home when they leave. And i it's difficult 'cause I think for a lot of us, like, you know, we can't just we've n a lot of us haven't earned enough money we can just walk away from and I'm not saying he did that, like but
speaker-1: There would there would have been a cost for sure. There was a cost, a hundred percent.
speaker-0: But I'm I'm thinking about, man, what does it look like to walk away from something that significant? Yep. And to walk into the unknown, but also into something that matters deeply to you.
speaker-1: Yeah, I don't know what it's like to step away from something, yes, that provides financially at that at that level, also probably in some way defines who you are. Yeah. It certainly dictates your annual calendar, right? I've never been on a baseball card, but to actually just go, Nope, there's something that is so compelling and so convicting that I I have no choice but to be done. This big thing in my life all of a sudden is not as big as I thought it was.
speaker-0: I think what he what he does is he puts himself in positions where God can move. Yeah. He he takes a trip to Thailand. Sure. He doesn't found a company or found a not-for-profit. He takes a trip. So I think my my challenge for a listener is: what is the one thing God keeps putting in front of you that you need to step into? The trip you need to take, the conversation you need to have to see like where could God take you if you're willing to take the first step. And I know. I I I'm just I I think of like I know when I travel international trips I've got this thing where I always say yes. No matter what it is, I always say yes. Things that are holy and honorable, I always say yes. But I think for for a listener is what is it that God has placed in front of you, the opportunity that that you're saying no to that you probably need to lean in to say yes to?
speaker-1: Opportunity and burden maybe too. Yeah. Right. Like that maybe comes from that opportunity.
speaker-0: And I think about like I understand, you know, when you look at Adam walking away from baseball, there's also a whole lot of people on his board that have still have their day jobs, but they're still saying yes to something. They're still moving into it. And so I would say, man, what is it for for you as a listener that you've got a burden for? Something that that hits at the back of your mind that, you know, maybe I'm not saying you lose sleep over it, but it nags at you that God's calling you to respond to him. What's one step you could take to say yes? Yeah.
speaker-1: Interesting, like I I didn't ask him this, but like he d he wasn't credentialed for this work when he had that burden. Right. And I know that you know, I mean this literally, like it wasn't until he was deputized, quite literally, to go and actually do something about it at that level. But I think sometimes we go, Well, that's not for me, because that's not my background, or I'm I am this over here, and we think we have to have it all packaged up and ready to go. Like, just go start learning, go start exploring, go start. You know, putting your fingers around the edges and trying to figure out what is God doing with this burden and this opportunity? That's all the permission you need to start the process.
speaker-0: Yeah. And I mean, I even think about here's a guy that, you know, he's got all these accolades in baseball and he's going back to police academy. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you know, somebody always asked, you know, but you know, Adam, that's not your responsibility. You don't have to do all of that. Yeah. But I think responsibility comes down to do did he have the ability to respond? Uh-huh. And he made it his responsibility. Yep. And that's a beautiful thing. It's like, so what do you as a listener, where, where do you have the ability to respond and how are you engaging in that intersection? Yeah. Like he could have been done, man. Yeah. He could just be hunting on E three ranch and some days that sounds pretty enticing to be honest with you.
speaker-1: No.
speaker-0: Yeah. There are days I'm like, Man, that'd be nice, just
speaker-1: Big gas left from the tank, and I don't think any of us want to live that that kind of life. Right. You know what I'm saying?
speaker-0: No. It it's that thing we talked about. It's just this idea of retirement. I wish we could just kind of rid that that from our vocabulary. Yeah. Because you have so many good men and women who walk away from jobs and then they walk away from calling. Yeah. They walk away from purpose. It's why you see so many older adults, their health begins to deteriorate, their minds begin to deteriorate, their bodies begin to d deteriorate, because they go from functioning at at a high level. I mean, granted, none of us are probably functioning as high as Adam's level was, but still, and like, can you just stop saying you're going to retire and just say, man, I'm going to repurpose myself in a way that's outside the industry I've been in? Like stop that phrase. Stop that attitude. Like and I'm not saying you got to go back to work. That's not what I'm getting at, but like stay with purpose. Stay engaged. Don't just take your foot off the gas and coast to the grave.
speaker-1: Well, and there's something too for like there's resume building, right? And then there's eulogy building. Yeah. Right. And I think we spend so much of our life thinking about what's my LinkedIn look like? Right. But also I I trying to think more about like, what do I want people to say about me after I'm gone? What's that legacy piece that's beyond just well how my work defines me or a title defines me, but really who I am at my core and what God is doing. Because if we really believe in eternal life, like we recognize that starts now.
speaker-0: Did you feel just like what you're saying right now resonates with me, how little he really cared to talk about baseball?
speaker-1: that's that actually kind of surprised me. I thought we would talk a lot more about, you know, baseball and reading an off s you know an offseam, you know, you know, change up or whatever else. But yeah, it was just like it was a such a small part. Yeah.
speaker-0: 'Cause one is about success. Yeah. The other one is about significance. Yeah. And and you could feel it in his tone. What he what he wanted to talk about at a heart level wasn't the glory days. It it wasn't any of that.
speaker-1: So as an interview I was somewhat convicted and I was like, I didn't want to spend a lot of time talking about, hey, didn't you used to be awesome? Wasn't that cool when you 'cause I don't think that's what would get any of us yeah excited about. And I you've like I know and you've you've wrestled with this a little bit, right? Like you you have been very open with our team about when you could retire. I don't know why, you know, you don't have to sh you know, show your portfolio or whatever else, but like you've been open with that and go, like, I could be done.
speaker-0: yeah. I I I don't mind talking about it. I just
speaker-1: It's helpful for people who are in your similar stage of life to think through like what is beyond my my day job? I
speaker-0: I am 57. I've earned every bit of gray hair in my beard and I love it. Like I've got no issue with my age. Like I dig it. I've it's it's a fun season of life.
speaker-1: Beats the alternative. Yeah.
speaker-0: man, I've just honestly, I'm loving this season. Like it's it's probably my favorite season of life so far. But I've said that about every season. I really enjoyed where I'm at. But you know, one of the things I had some in I'm just a quick backstory on vulnerability is that I kind of had some people that didn't give me great advice in investing early on and and really frustrated me. Went on doing the details. And so my early 30s, I said, no more, no more. I I can't live this way. And so we made a a lot of decisions in our marriage and a lot of decisions in our life. I said, by the time I'm 60, I want to be able to walk away and and and like and so we've worked hard in the background. You know, we really have. So I've told our team here, it's like, man, I can retire at 60 and I'm 57. I won't. Yeah. Like I'll keep working at CIY because I love working here. Like I truly love it. But for me, after sixty, it's all gas, no break. Like I feel like Caleb. Caleb taking the hill country at that point. Like, let's go, man. Like, there's no part of me that feels like I'm winding down. I feel like at 60, man, I'm winding up.
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: Like I'm like, let's go, let's go. Now our staff is going to hear that, like, boy, like he's already intense. He's already like pushing so hard. But I think for me, it's just like, I don't know when I'll retire, like whatever that word is. Like maybe never, but there'll come a day I don't work at CRY. I'm sure that will come. But I know at 60 I could if I wanted to, but I won't. Sure. But I know that for me, like I don't, I don't want to ever reach this point where I just kind of disappear into a recliner, man. Yeah. Like I just wanna, I wanna, I wanna pour myself like a drink offering. I want to know that when I when I see the Father in heaven, I gave everything I could to the very end. Yeah. You know, until either like, yeah, either way. Like, you know, I got my my coffin in my office that I built, which is I some more listeners are like, what? He just got really weird. But I look at it every day because I know someday I'm gonna be in that thing. And like even choosing the wood it was gonna be, that's a whole nother conversation. I choose the kind of wood you're gonna build your coffin out of. It's a complicated conversation. But I look at that thing every day at my office. I want to take it home as a coffee table. My wife said no. Yeah, it's fair. but I look at it every day thinking, man, someday I'm gonna be in that box. And between that day, between today and that day, I'm gonna give everything I've got to the very end. Yeah. and so for me, it's not about that the fact that I could retire at sixty financially, like, whatever, man. It's about like, okay, after that, all bets are off. Like I don't need this anymore. So now let's have some fun with it. Does that make sense?
speaker-1: Well, there's some real I'll use two P two P words. It there's a real peace and purpose. Yeah. Abo about that. Yeah. The peace to know like, dude, I'm good. But the purpose to go like, let's get to work. I am I am good.
speaker-0: I don't have any plans on just being put out to pasture. I I'm I'm gonna go as hard as I can at the very end. Yeah. Until like all right.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. No, that that that significance piece we're talking about. no, that's good. I think I think that is that. Lean into that. I think it's worthwhile to think about to call our attention not only to our death, but into also the fourth chapter or the or the fourth quarter of our life and be like, how do you want to basically make decisions today to set yourself up? And I sound like a financial investor. I'm I I mean that yes, but also like everything holistically, your relationships, right? Your health, your mental health, your heart. Your marriage, your finances, your kids. Like, how do I want to begin to plant seeds now so that I have trees that have grown into legacy when I'm at that stage and I can actually do those things. Right. Where you're like
speaker-0: But I think for a lot of people, Eric, and I love what you're saying right there, it's it's not about like It it's not about like I've got to stay in this position because this place, whether it be where I work at CIY or wherever somebody else works, it's not about being needed. It's about, I think men and women need purpose. You know, and and there is a distinction there. Like, I just I want to make sure that I stay engaged as a father, engaged as a husband, engaged as a Christ follower, engaged in purpose. Like work is not. A result of the fall. Work was a gift before the fall. And whether you work for a paycheck for a company, or you work for your local church, or you work for human trafficking, or you work to re to replace veterans, work is a gift from God. Yeah. And the moment we stop working, we stop like just living the life that God called us to live in the very beginning.
speaker-1: interesting, I think, you know, the first the first when God shows up on the scene in Genesis chapter one, he shows up as a craftsman. Does as a worker.
speaker-0: He does and he puts man to war.
speaker-1: And he puts man that's the first commission, right? And so that's that's
speaker-0: Well, be fruitful, multiply. But yeah, still I don't need to go there right now.
speaker-1: well you can, but again, do the things now so that you can do that as long as you can too, you know. So ridiculous. dude, it was really good. appreciate appreciate Adam's heart and just the man the work that he is that he is still doing. And even like a bit of like personal conviction too. We were kind of joking before we hit record, right? Like, what do you think the what do you think the call to action is? And you were like, Well, maybe it's like Men should stop looking at porn. 100%. I wish I wish there was something I could do to combat human trafficking. Yeah, there is.
speaker-0: Yeah. I mean, considering that among our listeners right now, we could estimate that sixty percent of you, or fifty percent, let's go fifty percent of you, fifty percent of you listening to this podcast right now or are probably looking at at pornography on a regular basis. Understand that is not a secret thing you're doing. You are supporting an industry. They make money off of your clicks, off of your your your your time. Yep. And what I would say is that, you know, as men, you have got to submit that to the Father. Yeah. He says, Be holy as I am holy. Yeah. you've got to to recognize that that this this shame that's pushing to isolation really should be calling you by the power of the Holy Spirit to both confession and accountability. Yeah. and I would say confession to another believer if you want healing, no doubt you confess the Father and he'll forgive you, but confession to another believer for So that healing can come, but also, man, just confession to the Father and understand that, man, you want to make a difference? You want to join Adam's team? Yeah. Well, step one is stop looking at pornography. There's there's step one. Yeah. And we get a lot of men and women on this that are being taken, taken captive and held captive by an enemy. Yeah. And and we're not here to to beat you up as much as as for you to recognize that you are being hunted and pursued.
speaker-1: We've we've I'm on a a text chain with a couple of guys. I won't say who they are, but we all travel a lot for work and stuff. And one one of us, every time he travels, he's like, Hey guys, I'm traveling this week, just letting you know. Mm-hmm. And what he is doing, like we've all come a long way, but what he is doing is just keeping the conversation on the table and inviting the questions like hey, no, you get back Friday, how was it? Yeah, right. And I just think even something as simple as that, constant check-ins. Constant vulnerability, constant transparency is the only way through this. But the enemy drives us to secrecy, drives us to shame, drives us to say, you should be beyond this or you're the only one that struggles. And it's like, no, like this is worth a fight. This is worth looking at the knife right here, cutting everything out. Yeah. Because ultimately, as you said in the conversation, this is a sin that only leads to complete utter destruction.
speaker-0: Man, I've I've got so many friends who have lost marriages and lives and time with their kids because they began to tolerate it in their life. They thought it was a secret thing. And man, whatever you've been to tolerate, you eventually come to accept. And once you've accepted, the only way that the enemy, the only way Satan's gonna to be satisfied is when your life is completely and totally in ruins. And and right now pornography is a primary gateway. So yeah, if you want to help out Adam and what he's doing there with with E3 and some of the stuff on the ranches, Step one, start looking at pornography. and then step two is man, I encourage you to jump in and and learn more about what he's doing and how you can support and help him.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. Well that's good stuff. Dude, thanks for the time. appreciate Adam's insights and stories and we'll we'll we'll keep doing this. It's good stuff. man, this is a nice one too. I like it's still very fall is on its way, right? So this is a good this is a good fall hat. So check out check out Nate.
speaker-0: It's a good vol hat. would not wear that in a deer stand though. How
speaker-1: Would you not? No.
speaker-0: come? It just wouldn't. But it's a nice hat. No, I don't
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: wear orange. I'm wearing like camo.
speaker-1: Okay. But yeah. All right.
speaker-0: Honestly, deer, that that color would not impact deer whitetail hunting at all. Okay. It actually it wouldn't that pattern's just fine.
speaker-1: Okay. Yeah, okay. Man, I appreciate you guys letting me hang out because I don't hunt. We know we've talked about this, and so it was good for me to sit and listen to you guys. I just love listening to guys talk about things that they love, whatever it is. Well you can hunting, I know. I get I'm so glad Adam didn't ask me. Eric, do you hunt? And I'm like, Yeah, I'm always hunting for a good brunch spot. If I can find a man, so my time with the fathers over an ex benedict. That's what I'm looking Let's get out here. The Current is a media property of Christ and Youth, executive produced by Eric Epperson and co-produced by Lauren Bryan and Joseph Jackson. Terry Omar, you're the love of my life. please rate and review the show and please hit that subscribe button. New episodes can be found wherever you get your podcasts. Show notes, giveaway rules, and other details can be found at CIY.com slash the current. Thanks to today's guest, Adam LaRoche and our host, Jason French, and you, most of all, the listener. until next time. Stay in the deer stand, stay in the river, stay in the current. We'll see you there.
speaker-1: When you say fight human trafficking, I think a lot of us think, like you're like you're raising awareness. But like no, you actually literally mean that. What is it what does the work actually look like?
speaker-2: So so I I look at human trafficking kind of in three buckets. The prevention and awareness. Okay. Which would be going into the schools, middle schools, high schools, talking about the dangers of social media, explaining what human trafficking is, you know, all the awareness and prevention campaigns. Then you have the the the interdiction in the middle, which is the recovery of them. Mm-hmm. And the justice for the trafficker and the prosecution. and then the third lane would be the aftercare. Okay. Right? The rehabilitation, the aftercare. The first lane and the third can be done by civilians and they do it really well. you don't have to be law enforcement for the prevention awareness or for the aftercare. The piece that we always and originally got into in Thailand. was the interdiction piece. and so that's why when you said at the beginning of the podcast about me going through police academy and getting deputized, it wasn't just 'cause I had nothing else going on and like thought I would go try this out. That was needed for our team to be able to work, do counterhuman trafficking work in the US. Okay. So now, you know, fast forward quite a few years Most of our team is commissioned law enforcement under some sheriff's office in the in the country. We have quite a few that support us. And we've created a task force with those sheriff's offices that that allows us to work nationally. So we work coast to coast in a case assist role for other jurisdictions for other law enforcement. So early on we were reaching out to cops, you know, all over the country trying to make introductions of who we are and and now it's been really neat. We've got now we have those entities that'll reach out to us and ask for assistance on specific cases. So
speaker-0: What does assistance look like? Like give me some give me an example for listeners like, you know, we're it is this just basically I have a feeling it's more than just on the phone consulting is what I'm alluding to.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, no, most of the time we're getting on a on a plane or getting in a car. but it it is the most complex crime. the the trauma that comes along with it I'm trying to think how to concisely explain it. most cops and I love obviously love cops because our whole team's cops, Just don't just don't know what they don't know. So if you haven't been deeply into the counterhuman trafficking, it's going to be really confusing for you. And most of these cops have a desk full of cases from domestic violence cases to dope cases to financial crimes to theft, you know, you name it. And a lot of times, because most places don't have a dedicated human trafficking task force, A human trafficking case is just one in that stack and they're crazy confusing because typically you're going after a a a victim that doesn't know she's a victim. Incredibly defensive. We have if we go into a house or an apartment or anywhere, we have to be just as worried about her stabbing us or shooting us as the trafficker initially. Okay. And but what we've learned is is that we can when we can separate them from their trafficker and spend time with them and and just meet their needs, basic needs of a a safe place to stay, clothes, food, possibly or likely some medical attention, getting their ID back, their driver's license, helping them out, you know, with the with the courts, because they likely have some pending cases out there that, you know, that they got pinned on them but were were actually you know a part of her being trafficked in her situation. So just all those things where they feel helpless. They've kind of been brainwashed to not trust law enforcement. They obviously don't trust men, because all the men in their life, at least in this life, which a lot of them got in when they were 13, 14 years old, have been in it for one thing. so they it's easy for them to view all men as okay. They're only interested in one thing. And so w when we can genuinely show a a a different type of man to them and and start to build that trust, it's amazing how much they'll just open up and and you know just the the wires that were crossed, you know, just kind of getting all that back in alignment and and it's incredibly frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding because there's been multiple girls that have not been ready and they've ran and they've gone back into the life and we just tell them like that totally fine. We're not we're not giving up on you. Just don't be upset when you see us again. Because when we tell you we're we're coming for you again, we're we're coming. And so A lot of times when we get in front of them that second or third time and they look at like they call us the the crazy white guys. like man, it it I think it kind of clicks like okay, there's these guys may actually really care. and so that's when we've seen the the greatest success. And then in a perfect world, we will take the victim, get her on a plane, get her in a car, TSA's been awesome. Some of the airlines have been great, letting us fly them for free. And TSA helps us when they have no documents. They'll take our word for it and, you know, get them on a plane. And we have safe houses and shelters all over the country that we have partnered with. So we have tons of options of of places to take these girls. So in a perfect world, we'll take the victim, which is the hardest piece for law enforcement. 'Cause it's one thing dealing with the case and the trafficker and all the stuff going on there. but then also having to deal with this victim, you know, it's all another piece of it. So if we can take that off their plate and then all the in intelligence or information we've gathered throughout the case, we can package it up and hand it to the local detective and try to make his job as easy as possible for him to go, you know, handle the the justice piece. and and go to work on the trafficker or that network or you know, other girls involved. So I don't know if any of that makes sense. No, yeah.
speaker-0: No it doesn't make sense.
speaker-2: The most complex cri and being in law enforcement now for almost ten years, by far the most complex crime I've ever been involved with or seen.
speaker-1: I think I think re resetting my stereotype or assumption, right, that the you're you're not busting down doors all the time that rescue is is actually a slow process and it's like baked in the relationship is kinda what I hear you saying.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah. So we just have a lot of really creative ways to to separate her from the trafficker and and create an opportunity to to get in front of her. Yeah. obviously if if she's a juvenile, she doesn't have the option. She has to come with us. And we try to handle that very delicately and and and respectfully. but if they're adults, they don't. you know, they can easily give us the the double birds and not interested. Yeah. and so we just again continue to try to try to love on in in a way that they haven't ever seen before and you know hope that they hang on to our number. And and it happens off. We just got a call I think two days ago from a a girl that we had encountered in the past and she called and and said she was ready. So Okay. You know, we'll go we'll go get out of that situation and and comfort that the trafficker won't be able to, you know, to reach Mm. To to get a hold of Just make sure they're safe.
speaker-1: All right, Jason, wanna take you back to the late eighties.
speaker-0: come on now. Come on now.
speaker-1: Tell me about somebody that was meaningful in your life in the late eighties.
speaker-0: man. Okay, I can't use a musician. I can no yeah. Okay, I've got somebody. Give me give me his name's Clifford.
speaker-1: somebody you know. Yeah. Well well you can tell the name, I guess, right? What did Clifford do?
speaker-0: Clifford was an elder in my church who just treated me with a lot of kindness. He was my small group leader in seventh grade. Yeah. He and his wife Pam. They still live here in
speaker-1: And you went to CIY events when you were a kid. Well
speaker-0: Ta kind of. I was a I was the first person to ever go for my church. Really and I had to go by myself and with another church. So yeah.
speaker-1: yeah.
speaker-0: I did. I was a sophomore.
speaker-1: Well I'm glad somebody opened up the seat for you to be able to do that.
speaker-0: I did I work for a bricklayer and I paid my own way.
speaker-1: Is that right? Well, you know, not every kid out there can work for bricklay. Not every
speaker-0: It's hard
speaker-1: Good work, but it's hard.
speaker-0: work.
speaker-1: Well, I I know every student who shows up at a CIY event is there because some adult has cared for them and created space. Absolutely. The truth is though, we do have a problem at CIY that we can't seem to keep up with, and that is this problem of it's growth, right. As soon as we open up a new location, it fills up and we find every year we have Jason math math problem. How many kids on a waiting list every summer?
speaker-0: I mean last year was three thousand. Yeah.
speaker-1: So unless we continue to keep pace with what God is doing, we will leave more kids at home every summer.
speaker-0: I mean we're growing at like twelve percent to eighteen percent a year.
speaker-1: It's a lot of bricks we gotta move.
speaker-0: Gotta stack
speaker-1: We're looking for people like Clifford who believe in what God is doing in the next generation to come alongside us and for a dollar a day, that's a hundred and eighty bucks per student, we can open up a seat for a a student. So that's two every year if you give a dollar a day. We encourage you to go to CIY.com slash give and think about joining us as we try to reach as many students and open as many seats as possible.
speaker-0: Adam, I'm sure there's probably a lot of correlations in our culture between things related to pornography and trafficking, things related to you know illegal immigration and and people being trafficked and taking advantage of. are you seeing any patterns that that man, this is what I see. Here here's the pattern that I see happening in our culture when it comes to and I'm sure there are also boys that are being trafficked, not just girls. when you when you see that, are there patterns that you've with your law enforcement background and just your mind 'cause no doubt in baseball I taught you to read patterns. I mean you you've got a skill set for that. Are there patterns you're able to see that like man it's here's here's what I've learned from from being in this now for over a decade.
speaker-2: Yeah. a a couple and I'll and I'll start with the the men's side, the buyers, having interviewed a lot of them because there there's times when we'll do and and actually a a part one of our teams that we have just travels the country and does trainings and then puts on these what we'd call a reverse sting or a buyer a buyer operation. where w they will advertise as a female and so Johns will come in or men will come in to purchase a girl and then when the door opens it's us standing there, you know, instead of the girl. It's law enforcement. So having interviewed quite a few men over the years that are buyers, ninety nine percent when you get to know it it started with pornography. quite a few of would would have you know, some type of trauma or abuse when they were younger from from typically from a family member. but you guys know how powerful porn is. Or or maybe you don't. I do because I've struggled with it. And I've I've seen these men that it was very innocent just looking at a magazine back when we were younger, when it was, you know, much tougher to get a hold of. And then it just leads to a little more, a little more, a little more. maybe You know, what they think is calling in an escort of a girl that is willing and wanting to do this. I I wish all men could see behind the curtain of that, that the majority of girls that are advertising online on these escort sites are not doing it independently. There are some, but the majority, and we've dealt with a a lot of them. You know, if you could see behind the curtain, it's it's it's not what you think it is. So yeah, we have got to interview a lot of men over the years. unfortunately we've had some some pastors that have fallen into it that I've got to spend hours with and just hear their story and how they put on this mask, you know, every Sunday and around the congregation and but just hurting and broken inside and a broken marriage and kids, you know, all the stuff that just leads them down this path. and man, it's dark. It's an easy one to hide. I think it's an easy one to justify. that we're not we're not hurting anybody else. And again, just having the opportunity to to kind of see on the other side of it and all the evil and darkness is it's a lot different than what you think it is.
speaker-0: I think even you know, even if somebody's sitting there saying, Well, you know what, I'm I'm I'm looking at porn but I'm not I'm not calling escorts. The truth of the matter is like you're supporting an industry even before you've you've found yourself. I say before because I don't think that th this sin is going to be happy until it it devours every aspect of your life. and so I say not yet because it's its ultimate goal is to completely destroy. but you're still supporting an industry. that is marginalized and taken advantage and destroying people. You know, and I think you know, we work with students, I think the rate right now is that, you know, nearly eighty percent of I can remember these stats right now, and I'm I'm pulling out right now from a a book I was reading. If I can remember, I wish I had the book with me. I think it's like eighty percent of teenage boys and sixty percent of teenage bo girls are looking at pornography on a regular basis. So when I think about your Your world, your foundation, what you're looking at, like this problem is gonna escalate like never before. Like this is gonna I would imagine the trafficking issue, even with awareness, continues to increase because you know, bring in AI, bring in everything else that's happening in our world today, you know, the the nature and mind of man continues to find more and more ways to drift. and and so I can only imagine for your foundation and what you're seeing is is probably an escalation, not a decrease.
speaker-2: No, no, for sure. This is we're we're losing this fight. Mm-hmm. A hundred percent. And man, it'd be easy to let that really be a downer for us. And so I think we do a really good job as a team, not looking at the bigger problem. Not really looking at it like we're here to end human trafficking. Even though that would be so cool to see in my lifetime. But just for our sanity, is how about the girl tonight? Yeah. That's praying, you know, God send somebody to come get me out of this situation. So we we we constantly talk about just the next one and and one at a time and put all our focus on that girl. And it may be two weeks because there may be a lot of fights and movements involved and a lot of moving pieces. But let's just focus on on her and then you know, go after the next one and the next one and just chip away.
speaker-0: How do you guard your heart in this? I mean Yeah, how do you guard your heart in all this?
speaker-2: Yeah. I you know, I learned from IJM. I don't know if you guys have heard of International Justice Mission and got to know them years ago and any place in the in the world I would travel working with them or going out with them. It was really neat and all these other countries. They have nine AM as mandatory, all stop, come together and just pray and do like a devotional. And so we've really we've adopted that as a team. to start every day there. And and not just that, but also everybody knows that this is this is the time for like full transparency. If there's something that's something where Satan's grabbing you, awesome. play it out and let's all walk through it together. Or or just something going on at home, you know, in anything and super uncomfortable at times and I know it's it's tough when we have like n new guys or girls come on board. it's probably awkward to hear that type of transparency, but that's that's how we can Just feel totally open to to share that stuff with with our team and not let it fester and turn into something else. So man, God could remove that protection at any time. I don't know why he would, and I don't see it happening, but but so far he's just kinda had a a hand over over our team and our hearts and the work we're doing and you know, it it's been It's it's neat because obviously it's awesome to have God on your side. I mean, no denying that. But also cool 'cause it also is is confirmation for us that we're this is the work we're supposed to be in. Yeah. So it it's yeah, it's super special.
speaker-0: Well here in a second I want to have you share a little bit more about your foundation so people know. but I'm gonna shift gears just so you know, talking about human trafficking is is is heavy and critical and important. but I know a few of our of my guests would be remiss if I didn't ask at least a couple of baseball questions before we wrap up, even though you don't live in that world anymore. I had a chance to sit down, I'm hoping I can get him on the podcast with Mike Matheny, and man, you wanna hear some stories. That guy cracked me up, man. one of my my goodness. He is a story he he's a good storyteller and he had some some fun ones. I don't know if this has it happened. do you remember maybe you never did. I don't know this about you. Do you remember the first time, if ever you charged them out?
speaker-2: No, never charged.
speaker-0: Never charged. All right, all right.
speaker-1: Who okay who hit you the hardest who hits you the hardest then? Yeah.
speaker-2: a guy named Josh Johnson.
speaker-0: Who'd you play for?
speaker-2: Marlins, I think I was with Atlanta. Okay. Man, big country strong right hander. Through through like ninety-five, ninety-seven. And he had a cutter and that he would throw on occasion. And he threw a fastball inside that I didn't think was a cutter. So I just kind of posted up. Didn't move because I knew it was gonna barely miss me. Yeah. And and It it cut and connected in my inside of my back, like my knee. So right on the inside of my knee. So hard it bounced back to him. So it wasn't, it's not like it grazed me. But it's it's typically it I mean it always hurts, but it's not terrible when you know you're gonna get hit because you kind of learn how to absorb it a little bit or or move to where it hits you in a spot that but when you're not expecting it to hit you and don't give at all and just you know, post up is not smart and that I felt that for a few days. So I'll never forget that. I think I think Matheny I could be wrong. I think he's the catcher I tried to run over. Okay.
speaker-1: Okay.
speaker-2: That I totally whiffed, missed him and rolled and separated my shoulder the
speaker-0: no, yeah.
speaker-2: one of the only times of my career I've been on the D L and I think I think it was Matheny
speaker-1: Gosh.
speaker-2: he had the ball for like I don't know how many seconds. I mean I was out by a mile. And so he had plenty of time to just like a like a bullfighter, you know, just just get out of the way and tag me as I try to run him over. And
speaker-0: What was your what was your favorite way to mess with some?
speaker-2: probably the bet it was probably the best result 'cause he's so much bigger and I
speaker-1: Big one.
speaker-2: would have got hurt.
speaker-0: What was your favorite way to mess with somebody on first base?
speaker-2: I don't know. I don't know as far as mess with them. I've always enjoyed conversation, but as far as messing with
speaker-0: Yeah. I didn't know if you try to distract him, we'd try to try to do things with him. Who was your favorite person from
speaker-2: Good friends, I would. Yeah. Yeah. Go go ahead.
speaker-0: Do you have what it made you laugh a lot when you get on you g they get on first with you? Or that you enjoyed, even from another team. Like when they would get on first, I love what this guy's on first with me. Okay.
speaker-2: It was usually the the Latins. Just hilarious. I I think of like like David Ortiz, who I got to play with later on briefly. Miguel Cabrera, just some of the guys, their their spirits are so fun to be around. And and I think it's because they're they played in a different country, it was more serious and they came here and they almost looked at this as like just a bonus. Yeah. Like fun, fun, you know, backyard. Recess, playground. Okay. Yeah, they were a blast.
speaker-0: Well how do people get a hold of you?
speaker-1: I got one more I gotta ask. I mean y baseball is known for its hi its historic stadiums. Give me a stadium you walked into the first time and you went, Holy smokes, I can't believe I'm playing here tonight.
speaker-2: old Yankee Stadium. Not the original. Yeah. The one we
speaker-1: Okay. You didn't play that long ago. I g I get that. Yeah. Yeah. But the one before the one they built out.
speaker-2: Yeah. And probably because 'cause my dad played there. yeah. So anywhere my dad played, so there and Wrigley. Yeah. You know, in Chicago, Boston, some of those were pretty neat, just know I'm knowing I'm on the same same stadium, same dirt as as my dad played on. That's great.
speaker-1: That is cool. That's true. That is cool.
speaker-0: Well how do people get a hold of you? Like we we've got a little gift we're gonna give you here in minute, but but if they want to get a hold or learn more about both what you're doing with veterans and what you're doing with human trafficking, if they wanna you know I don't know if these are not for profits you've got that people can get behind, if they wanna volunteer their time.
speaker-2: All under it's all under E three Ranch Foundation, so E three R F dot org. Okay. Okay. And I I appreciate you saying that.
speaker-1: No, we'll put that in the show notes. We'll put the link in there and they can go they can go right to it. We'd love for the people to connect. But go ahead.
speaker-2: As you could imagine, it's it's a little bit generic for good reasons, especially on the human trafficking side. So it's a little bit it vague. but I think they've done our team's done an awesome job on that on that website and kind of s saying what we can and trying to get the idea of of the mission behind why we do it. Okay, you know, just trying to do kingdom work. same as you guys.
speaker-1: And you're doing it. We we love we love love supporting and love hearing your story.
speaker-0: Any hunting fishing trips coming up?
speaker-2: you know what I look forward to the most these days is hunting in my backyard. Yeah. As much as
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-2: I like like going after elk and bow hunting elk or Alaskan bear or those are still super fun. But I I really like just walking out the back door, getting in a tree chance.
speaker-0: I totally understand. Well your your ranch is a little bigger than what I've got. Yeah, it is miserable. We've got thirty acres of river bottom right on we we don't live that far apart from each other. You're in Fort Scott, I'm in Joppa, Missouri area. But we've got thirty acres of river bottom right on Spring River. And there's nothing like be able to get up in the morning, walk out your door on your property, or sometimes I'll take a canoe and paddle upstream to bow hunt. But I've got like ten different stand locations on on we've got we've got farmers all around us, so yeah, it's There's something about that that's pretty special. Now again, I don't have anything the size of V three ranch, but still it's it's a good thing. It's a real good thing.
speaker-2: Well, send me some pictures. I will. I want to see them.
speaker-0: I will. I will. Well I'm kind of I'm being a little particular. I'm I'm I'm trophy hunting right now, so I've I've had my my shared deer. I'm I'm looking for one I can put on the wall. So that's that's what I'm hunting. So unapologetically, I'm looking for two things we want to give you and we'll we'll get these two, we'll send them to you. Not too far away. One is it's a hat from our friend Nate Carnes at Remedy Provisions. kind of the idea behind Remedy is he talks about how the outdoors is the good for what ails you. And and just letting this be a reminder when you find yourself in a place that I need to be so many times Jesus withdrew to solitary places and I get that at a heart level. and that's the the mindset behind remedy. We're gonna send this to you, Adam. The other one is from a good friend of ours, because I think one of the things you're learning to do, both in human trafficking, and even if you're sitting down, you know, having a bourbon of cigar and playing cards with some veterans that are struggling, learning to cut through. what needs to be cut through is important. So we're gonna send you a custom made knife from a guy named Rick Bayless to drop point hunter. and but yeah, kind of the the idea behind that is is man, as a leader, what is it you need to cut through? And and you know how important a good knife is. not just when you're harvesting game, but man, even in in leadership. Learn it to cut through what what you need to keep versus what needs to go away. So yeah, we'll drop this into you, we'll get it sent to you. but man, thanks for the time. Thanks for being here. Thanks for just you know, one, always impressed with with what you did on the field. and you're a special ball player, but I'll be honest with you, I'm really even more impressed with who you are as a man, as a father, as a husband, and and what you're doing, to say, Hey, you know what? I've got the ability to respond to issues in the world around me and I'm not just gonna allow retirement to be something that I drift into. I'm actually gonna continue. you remind me of of somebody we talk about with with Caleb. But man, you're still you're still taking mountain, still taking hill country when when a lot of men are are just wanting to coast. And man, Adam, what I love about you is brother, there ain't no quit in you. And and I'm really impressed by that, man. Really impressed. So I'll keep fighting, you keep fighting and and I'll see you on the other side. But between now and then we're gonna get you a knife and a hat.
speaker-1: Thanks Adam. Appreciate the time.
speaker-0: Dude. Yeah. Thanks, man. Safe travels. Yep.
speaker-1: Be good dude. Thank you.
speaker-2: Take care, fellas. See ya.
speaker-0: Eric, we think yeah, thinking about thinking about what he had to say and and trying to think of like, you know, one thing we love doing here at the current is giving everyone a take home when they leave. And i it's difficult 'cause I think for a lot of us, like, you know, we can't just we've n a lot of us haven't earned enough money we can just walk away from and I'm not saying he did that, like but
speaker-1: There would there would have been a cost for sure. There was a cost, a hundred percent.
speaker-0: But I'm I'm thinking about, man, what does it look like to walk away from something that significant? Yep. And to walk into the unknown, but also into something that matters deeply to you.
speaker-1: Yeah, I don't know what it's like to step away from something, yes, that provides financially at that at that level, also probably in some way defines who you are. Yeah. It certainly dictates your annual calendar, right? I've never been on a baseball card, but to actually just go, Nope, there's something that is so compelling and so convicting that I I have no choice but to be done. This big thing in my life all of a sudden is not as big as I thought it was.
speaker-0: I think what he what he does is he puts himself in positions where God can move. Yeah. He he takes a trip to Thailand. Sure. He doesn't found a company or found a not-for-profit. He takes a trip. So I think my my challenge for a listener is: what is the one thing God keeps putting in front of you that you need to step into? The trip you need to take, the conversation you need to have to see like where could God take you if you're willing to take the first step. And I know. I I I'm just I I think of like I know when I travel international trips I've got this thing where I always say yes. No matter what it is, I always say yes. Things that are holy and honorable, I always say yes. But I think for for a listener is what is it that God has placed in front of you, the opportunity that that you're saying no to that you probably need to lean in to say yes to?
speaker-1: Opportunity and burden maybe too. Yeah. Right. Like that maybe comes from that opportunity.
speaker-0: And I think about like I understand, you know, when you look at Adam walking away from baseball, there's also a whole lot of people on his board that have still have their day jobs, but they're still saying yes to something. They're still moving into it. And so I would say, man, what is it for for you as a listener that you've got a burden for? Something that that hits at the back of your mind that, you know, maybe I'm not saying you lose sleep over it, but it nags at you that God's calling you to respond to him. What's one step you could take to say yes? Yeah.
speaker-1: Interesting, like I I didn't ask him this, but like he d he wasn't credentialed for this work when he had that burden. Right. And I know that you know, I mean this literally, like it wasn't until he was deputized, quite literally, to go and actually do something about it at that level. But I think sometimes we go, Well, that's not for me, because that's not my background, or I'm I am this over here, and we think we have to have it all packaged up and ready to go. Like, just go start learning, go start exploring, go start. You know, putting your fingers around the edges and trying to figure out what is God doing with this burden and this opportunity? That's all the permission you need to start the process.
speaker-0: Yeah. And I mean, I even think about here's a guy that, you know, he's got all these accolades in baseball and he's going back to police academy. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you know, somebody always asked, you know, but you know, Adam, that's not your responsibility. You don't have to do all of that. Yeah. But I think responsibility comes down to do did he have the ability to respond? Uh-huh. And he made it his responsibility. Yep. And that's a beautiful thing. It's like, so what do you as a listener, where, where do you have the ability to respond and how are you engaging in that intersection? Yeah. Like he could have been done, man. Yeah. He could just be hunting on E three ranch and some days that sounds pretty enticing to be honest with you.
speaker-1: No.
speaker-0: Yeah. There are days I'm like, Man, that'd be nice, just
speaker-1: Big gas left from the tank, and I don't think any of us want to live that that kind of life. Right. You know what I'm saying?
speaker-0: No. It it's that thing we talked about. It's just this idea of retirement. I wish we could just kind of rid that that from our vocabulary. Yeah. Because you have so many good men and women who walk away from jobs and then they walk away from calling. Yeah. They walk away from purpose. It's why you see so many older adults, their health begins to deteriorate, their minds begin to deteriorate, their bodies begin to d deteriorate, because they go from functioning at at a high level. I mean, granted, none of us are probably functioning as high as Adam's level was, but still, and like, can you just stop saying you're going to retire and just say, man, I'm going to repurpose myself in a way that's outside the industry I've been in? Like stop that phrase. Stop that attitude. Like and I'm not saying you got to go back to work. That's not what I'm getting at, but like stay with purpose. Stay engaged. Don't just take your foot off the gas and coast to the grave.
speaker-1: Well, and there's something too for like there's resume building, right? And then there's eulogy building. Yeah. Right. And I think we spend so much of our life thinking about what's my LinkedIn look like? Right. But also I I trying to think more about like, what do I want people to say about me after I'm gone? What's that legacy piece that's beyond just well how my work defines me or a title defines me, but really who I am at my core and what God is doing. Because if we really believe in eternal life, like we recognize that starts now.
speaker-0: Did you feel just like what you're saying right now resonates with me, how little he really cared to talk about baseball?
speaker-1: that's that actually kind of surprised me. I thought we would talk a lot more about, you know, baseball and reading an off s you know an offseam, you know, you know, change up or whatever else. But yeah, it was just like it was a such a small part. Yeah.
speaker-0: 'Cause one is about success. Yeah. The other one is about significance. Yeah. And and you could feel it in his tone. What he what he wanted to talk about at a heart level wasn't the glory days. It it wasn't any of that.
speaker-1: So as an interview I was somewhat convicted and I was like, I didn't want to spend a lot of time talking about, hey, didn't you used to be awesome? Wasn't that cool when you 'cause I don't think that's what would get any of us yeah excited about. And I you've like I know and you've you've wrestled with this a little bit, right? Like you you have been very open with our team about when you could retire. I don't know why, you know, you don't have to sh you know, show your portfolio or whatever else, but like you've been open with that and go, like, I could be done.
speaker-0: yeah. I I I don't mind talking about it. I just
speaker-1: It's helpful for people who are in your similar stage of life to think through like what is beyond my my day job? I
speaker-0: I am 57. I've earned every bit of gray hair in my beard and I love it. Like I've got no issue with my age. Like I dig it. I've it's it's a fun season of life.
speaker-1: Beats the alternative. Yeah.
speaker-0: man, I've just honestly, I'm loving this season. Like it's it's probably my favorite season of life so far. But I've said that about every season. I really enjoyed where I'm at. But you know, one of the things I had some in I'm just a quick backstory on vulnerability is that I kind of had some people that didn't give me great advice in investing early on and and really frustrated me. Went on doing the details. And so my early 30s, I said, no more, no more. I I can't live this way. And so we made a a lot of decisions in our marriage and a lot of decisions in our life. I said, by the time I'm 60, I want to be able to walk away and and and like and so we've worked hard in the background. You know, we really have. So I've told our team here, it's like, man, I can retire at 60 and I'm 57. I won't. Yeah. Like I'll keep working at CIY because I love working here. Like I truly love it. But for me, after sixty, it's all gas, no break. Like I feel like Caleb. Caleb taking the hill country at that point. Like, let's go, man. Like, there's no part of me that feels like I'm winding down. I feel like at 60, man, I'm winding up.
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: Like I'm like, let's go, let's go. Now our staff is going to hear that, like, boy, like he's already intense. He's already like pushing so hard. But I think for me, it's just like, I don't know when I'll retire, like whatever that word is. Like maybe never, but there'll come a day I don't work at CRY. I'm sure that will come. But I know at 60 I could if I wanted to, but I won't. Sure. But I know that for me, like I don't, I don't want to ever reach this point where I just kind of disappear into a recliner, man. Yeah. Like I just wanna, I wanna, I wanna pour myself like a drink offering. I want to know that when I when I see the Father in heaven, I gave everything I could to the very end. Yeah. You know, until either like, yeah, either way. Like, you know, I got my my coffin in my office that I built, which is I some more listeners are like, what? He just got really weird. But I look at it every day because I know someday I'm gonna be in that thing. And like even choosing the wood it was gonna be, that's a whole nother conversation. I choose the kind of wood you're gonna build your coffin out of. It's a complicated conversation. But I look at that thing every day at my office. I want to take it home as a coffee table. My wife said no. Yeah, it's fair. but I look at it every day thinking, man, someday I'm gonna be in that box. And between that day, between today and that day, I'm gonna give everything I've got to the very end. Yeah. and so for me, it's not about that the fact that I could retire at sixty financially, like, whatever, man. It's about like, okay, after that, all bets are off. Like I don't need this anymore. So now let's have some fun with it. Does that make sense?
speaker-1: Well, there's some real I'll use two P two P words. It there's a real peace and purpose. Yeah. Abo about that. Yeah. The peace to know like, dude, I'm good. But the purpose to go like, let's get to work. I am I am good.
speaker-0: I don't have any plans on just being put out to pasture. I I'm I'm gonna go as hard as I can at the very end. Yeah. Until like all right.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. No, that that that significance piece we're talking about. no, that's good. I think I think that is that. Lean into that. I think it's worthwhile to think about to call our attention not only to our death, but into also the fourth chapter or the or the fourth quarter of our life and be like, how do you want to basically make decisions today to set yourself up? And I sound like a financial investor. I'm I I mean that yes, but also like everything holistically, your relationships, right? Your health, your mental health, your heart. Your marriage, your finances, your kids. Like, how do I want to begin to plant seeds now so that I have trees that have grown into legacy when I'm at that stage and I can actually do those things. Right. Where you're like
speaker-0: But I think for a lot of people, Eric, and I love what you're saying right there, it's it's not about like It it's not about like I've got to stay in this position because this place, whether it be where I work at CIY or wherever somebody else works, it's not about being needed. It's about, I think men and women need purpose. You know, and and there is a distinction there. Like, I just I want to make sure that I stay engaged as a father, engaged as a husband, engaged as a Christ follower, engaged in purpose. Like work is not. A result of the fall. Work was a gift before the fall. And whether you work for a paycheck for a company, or you work for your local church, or you work for human trafficking, or you work to re to replace veterans, work is a gift from God. Yeah. And the moment we stop working, we stop like just living the life that God called us to live in the very beginning.
speaker-1: interesting, I think, you know, the first the first when God shows up on the scene in Genesis chapter one, he shows up as a craftsman. Does as a worker.
speaker-0: He does and he puts man to war.
speaker-1: And he puts man that's the first commission, right? And so that's that's
speaker-0: Well, be fruitful, multiply. But yeah, still I don't need to go there right now.
speaker-1: well you can, but again, do the things now so that you can do that as long as you can too, you know. So ridiculous. dude, it was really good. appreciate appreciate Adam's heart and just the man the work that he is that he is still doing. And even like a bit of like personal conviction too. We were kind of joking before we hit record, right? Like, what do you think the what do you think the call to action is? And you were like, Well, maybe it's like Men should stop looking at porn. 100%. I wish I wish there was something I could do to combat human trafficking. Yeah, there is.
speaker-0: Yeah. I mean, considering that among our listeners right now, we could estimate that sixty percent of you, or fifty percent, let's go fifty percent of you, fifty percent of you listening to this podcast right now or are probably looking at at pornography on a regular basis. Understand that is not a secret thing you're doing. You are supporting an industry. They make money off of your clicks, off of your your your your time. Yep. And what I would say is that, you know, as men, you have got to submit that to the Father. Yeah. He says, Be holy as I am holy. Yeah. you've got to to recognize that that this this shame that's pushing to isolation really should be calling you by the power of the Holy Spirit to both confession and accountability. Yeah. and I would say confession to another believer if you want healing, no doubt you confess the Father and he'll forgive you, but confession to another believer for So that healing can come, but also, man, just confession to the Father and understand that, man, you want to make a difference? You want to join Adam's team? Yeah. Well, step one is stop looking at pornography. There's there's step one. Yeah. And we get a lot of men and women on this that are being taken, taken captive and held captive by an enemy. Yeah. And and we're not here to to beat you up as much as as for you to recognize that you are being hunted and pursued.
speaker-1: We've we've I'm on a a text chain with a couple of guys. I won't say who they are, but we all travel a lot for work and stuff. And one one of us, every time he travels, he's like, Hey guys, I'm traveling this week, just letting you know. Mm-hmm. And what he is doing, like we've all come a long way, but what he is doing is just keeping the conversation on the table and inviting the questions like hey, no, you get back Friday, how was it? Yeah, right. And I just think even something as simple as that, constant check-ins. Constant vulnerability, constant transparency is the only way through this. But the enemy drives us to secrecy, drives us to shame, drives us to say, you should be beyond this or you're the only one that struggles. And it's like, no, like this is worth a fight. This is worth looking at the knife right here, cutting everything out. Yeah. Because ultimately, as you said in the conversation, this is a sin that only leads to complete utter destruction.
speaker-0: Man, I've I've got so many friends who have lost marriages and lives and time with their kids because they began to tolerate it in their life. They thought it was a secret thing. And man, whatever you've been to tolerate, you eventually come to accept. And once you've accepted, the only way that the enemy, the only way Satan's gonna to be satisfied is when your life is completely and totally in ruins. And and right now pornography is a primary gateway. So yeah, if you want to help out Adam and what he's doing there with with E3 and some of the stuff on the ranches, Step one, start looking at pornography. and then step two is man, I encourage you to jump in and and learn more about what he's doing and how you can support and help him.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. Well that's good stuff. Dude, thanks for the time. appreciate Adam's insights and stories and we'll we'll we'll keep doing this. It's good stuff. man, this is a nice one too. I like it's still very fall is on its way, right? So this is a good this is a good fall hat. So check out check out Nate.
speaker-0: It's a good vol hat. would not wear that in a deer stand though. How
speaker-1: Would you not? No.
speaker-0: come? It just wouldn't. But it's a nice hat. No, I don't
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: wear orange. I'm wearing like camo.
speaker-1: Okay. But yeah. All right.
speaker-0: Honestly, deer, that that color would not impact deer whitetail hunting at all. Okay. It actually it wouldn't that pattern's just fine.
speaker-1: Okay. Yeah, okay. Man, I appreciate you guys letting me hang out because I don't hunt. We know we've talked about this, and so it was good for me to sit and listen to you guys. I just love listening to guys talk about things that they love, whatever it is. Well you can hunting, I know. I get I'm so glad Adam didn't ask me. Eric, do you hunt? And I'm like, Yeah, I'm always hunting for a good brunch spot. If I can find a man, so my time with the fathers over an ex benedict. That's what I'm looking Let's get out here. The Current is a media property of Christ and Youth, executive produced by Eric Epperson and co-produced by Lauren Bryan and Joseph Jackson. Terry Omar, you're the love of my life. please rate and review the show and please hit that subscribe button. New episodes can be found wherever you get your podcasts. Show notes, giveaway rules, and other details can be found at CIY.com slash the current. Thanks to today's guest, Adam LaRoche and our host, Jason French, and you, most of all, the listener. until next time. Stay in the deer stand, stay in the river, stay in the current. We'll see you there.
