Speak to the Rock Podcast
Speak to the Rock Podcast
A Legacy of Faith Across Time: Robert Duran's Spiritual Journey
When Robert Duran speaks, the weight of history and the warmth of personal faith resonate in every word. Joining us for a profound discussion, Robert brings the past alive, from treasured moments casting lines with his father to the poignant narrative of his family's sacrifices during the development of the atomic bomb. Through his father's service under General Patton to Robert's own immediate call to preach just a day after salvation, we journey through a tapestry of faith that spans generations.
Welcome. Today's episode or can speak to the rock podcast with Chuck and Chris. Welcome to today's episode. We're happy to be back in very excited because today we have a very special guest. We have mister Robert Duran with us, and he will be sharing some of his stories his testimony and just encourage each one of us in today's episode and and Welcome, Robert.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you so much for having me. Thank you.
Speaker 1:It's excited to be back. I know you were here last season. And we talk a little bit of your testimony, a little bit of your story, how you met the Lord. But today, I want you to if it's possible to be sharing some of your experiences. You've been in a a Christian for how many years now. Seventy three, So it's twenty four, fifty one years. Fifty one years, Christian. And your testimony is amazing because the day after you got saved, got call you to preach. Mhmm. So can you tell us a little bit about it? How was your life? How you grew up? A little just a couple of things that you have. So it can be helpful for our audience today.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm one of about six children. I'm the second one. And I I had a normal childhood. I don't have a lot of memories, like, you know, have a lot of traumas that, like, some other people. I would just kind of a happy go lucky kid, very mischievous, got into a lot of trouble, made life really hard on my mom, my dad he worked out of town most of the time, so, you know, he would come home weekends. And so we we would spend time with him And some of the best memories I've had with with my dad is he would take us fishing. He hated fishing himself, but he would always just stay time
Speaker 1:as well.
Speaker 2:It take us we used to go up to Northern New Mexico, the little community called Chama. And then we go trout fishing. I mean, we get up there and he just set the fight make a fire, make a big breakfast We'd take off fishing right away. He'd make a big breakfast. We'd come back. We'd eat. He'd clean up. We'd take off again. He'd clean up, make lunch. And and those are some of the you know, good memories that I have grown up. Just a lot of adventure. Also, we weren't he we're construction. So he had a job Yeah. In the mountains, I forget the name of the place close to home in New Mexico. And he used to just take us to work like, at five o'clock in the morning and my older brother we used to go and we would fish all day. I mean, he would just drop us off by the side of the stream, and he'd take off to go to work, and then he'd pick us up in the aft in the evening.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That is awesome. I mean, that was a different time, obviously. And but I I know I wanna I wanna share a couple things about your your dad because it's a in in you. It's a it's a little different Sorry, and I know people ask you where you come from, but your your grandfather was part is native American part of the Apache of the twelve months of New Mexico?
Speaker 2:Debit right.
Speaker 1:Debit right. Yeah. And, you know, and right now, the movie up in Hymer is very popular any you haven't watched any. You won the Oscar, the kind of award. And and you you seen the movie or you know the story about the the the descript about the story of Oppenheimer, you will find out that the atomic bomb was actually created in New Mexico in Los Alamos and a lot of people don't know this by your family on that land.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Or part of that land. Part of that land was owned by my grandfather. Actually, my dad would tell a story that him and his older brother, one, my dad's name was Ramon, and my grandfather's name was Ramon. But my dad tells a story that they were just like teenagers and they used to work cutting trees for lumber. And that one day, the military or some people from the military just came up to their property, and they told them they were get taken the land from them. And I guess my grandfather resisted a little bit, so they shot one of the mules. And I guess my grandfather packed it up and let don't have all the detail, but I I remember something like that that my dad would share that they just took the land from them.
Speaker 1:Yeah. They were native Americans and eventually, that's where they build a military base where they actually tested the atomic bump and all that. But then, this is this is kinda upward. But even after that, your dad became part of the military. Yeah. And he was part of the airburn that actually was station in North Africa, if I remember correctly. And also, he was in Normandy for a while.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we were actually in this place where he was in Saint Mary of the Gleeson, in France, in Normandy, where he actually was one of the par he was he in the parrot he was he in the parrot chupor. Paratrooper. Yes. And then he went eventually to Italy, to Naples. And tell us a little bit about that because that's what he did about your mom.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't have a lot of, again, a lot of details. My dad would just spell stories, but you know when you're a kid, you know, they're just stories. But I guess, from North Africa, he he was he worked with General Patton. He was under General Patton's command. And I guess after I guess, the Musulini was in power first, and then the Nazis took over naples, and then the allies, you know, kicked the Nazis out. And that's when my dad was was there in Italy. And And he met I don't I don't have no idea how he met the the Maggiano family, but he became a a big provider for him. You know, during the war, there was very little food. And and somehow he would be able to take food from the base to them. I I was in Italy old about fifteen years ago and one of my uncles, my mom's the youngest brother. He just worshiped my dad. I mean, he when he he knew that I was, you know, sort of on his side, that it was like I was like the hero. Because on several occasion, I guess, they were at the point of starving, and my dad would show up with a truckload of bread or truckload of some kind of food. So they really liked my dad for for that reason. And and then he married my mom and had brought up to to the states and they lived in New Mexico.
Speaker 1:So you're half Italian, half native American, which is is an interim interest combination, but we wanted to see the background where you came from. So you're saying that you grew up with your mom your mom eventually became a Christian.
Speaker 2:What happened is my grandfather, he had a Paul experience with Jesus. He was I guess he was Catholic. I don't I don't really know what he was, but it from the stories that I've heard, he was a a pretty wicked man. And out of nowhere one day he he just had this experience and he heard a voice tell him you must be born again. Wow. And those were just were hunted him. So he went this is a story that I heard. I and probably missing some details. But he said he went to the priest, the Catholic priest there in close to the Indian Pueblo San El DeFonso, they lived in El Rancho, New Mexico. And and the priest told them what has happened to you is that you have had an experience with God He said, I really can't help you, but I don't have a friend that has a bible. And I'm gonna ask him to let you borrow that bible and my grandfather went and got the bible, started reading it. And and God really changed his life. I mean, he he was he used to drink a lot was probably really me to his kids and stuff in some of the stories that I heard my dad talk about. Very strict and but he had that experience with Christ that totally transformed his life.
Speaker 1:That is amazing. How an encounter with God can change everything? I know you're gonna talk about your life, but, you know, coming from your grandfather, how how having a Bible made a for
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Having a Bible, that's one of the things that we've been talking in these last episodes, the value of the world got. And now we take it for granted. We have it in our phone. Yes.
Speaker 2:I have fifteen of them in my house.
Speaker 1:So it's it's it's an amazing, but I wanna make up a little pause here to say how valuable I know for you the Bible because I'm married to your daughter Kristi, which is your second daughter. And I know when when she was at a certain age, maybe maybe, no, fifteen, eighteen. During that time, you actually gave her a bible. You one of your bibles has an inheritance to her. That was a treasure. And I see that bible, and I see
Speaker 2:a lot of your notes. Yeah. You know, when I had I studied a lot. You know, I I was being a self learner. And one of the things early on that I just wanted to leave my kids was my bible. So when I first got saved, I got me a new American standard bible in English, and and I gave that one to Rebekah, my firstborn. And then when I went down to Mexico, I got this. It's a Raina Valera version. And that's one that I preached for, maybe, twenty five years. So that has, like, twenty five years' worth of notes in it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. We meant an inside joke. We say the Bible can preach itself. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I I heard the other day somebody posted on Facebook says that and and this is this is true when it says, when usually when a, you know, when you have a Bible that is like falling apart. That means your life is not falling apart.
Speaker 2:That's a that's a good thing.
Speaker 1:So, mister Cuomo, so just coming back a little bit in your story. So you eventually your grandfather had an influence in your life of, usually, your father eventually became a Christian your father. I I actually have a privilege of meeting him in California before I married Christian, you know, he was, you know, ex military, obviously. Yeah. But also, Amanda, with a lot of experiences in his life, a lot of stories, and eventually, you know, became a Christian.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well, I could probably talk for three days if I would tell you some of the stories of my dad of my dad's life. But in a nutshell, he started drinking early on had entered the great depression. He left home. And I don't know where he traveled to, but he he was one of those guys that hopped the train and and went wherever the the train would take him. I guess he used to call him Hobos in the old days.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. And
Speaker 2:And then I he joined the military, ended up in Europe, World War II, married my mom, but he had a a real drinking problem. So throughout the years he would drink and then not drink, I can just tell you one one experience that he had and talk about supernatural. He'd been drinking for for a couple of weeks, a strong liquor and hadn't eaten anything. My younger brother, Jimmy, took him to the VA hospital, and they said, we happen to have one bed here. And if he bring him right away, we'll take him in. And when they saw him, they said, you know, he he's probably not gonna make it. You know, he's if he leaves this place, he's not gonna have much of a mind left because he's been drinking so much. And So they put him in the hospital, and then my dad tells a story that one day he was just laying there, you know, agonizing. And some lady walked in and asked him are are you Ramon Duran? And he says, yeah. And the lady said, well, Christ sent me to pray for you and you're gonna get healed. She prayed for him and he was totally healed And she left, and there's no record of this lady. Apparently, she gave him either a piece of paper or my, but I forget what the details are. It put her name on there. And after he got well, he went back to the hospital one to see if she was a nurse or social worker or what. And they had no record of of this lady in the hospital. So, see, my grandfather had that supernatural conversion for not just supernaturally appeared, then my father had it. And and I had a supernatural experience. So I just wonder, you know, it's been one of the dilemmas of my mind. You know, I I think, why has God given us so many breaks? Because I know people that that don't get any breaks. You know, they mess up one time, they're dead, they're gone, and that's it. But it seems that there has been a favor from god and and I don't know why. God just seems to give us favor.
Speaker 1:One of the reasons why we created these podcasts, especially the second season. It's been to show the younger generations, generation C, even millennials. You know, the the the supernatural and also the part of the World God, but also the how God had changed people and and you cannot deny that. You know, when God reveals himself to you, it can even be through the word God, through his word, it can be like a dream. It can be like a boys. He can be in the hospital that you're there. You know, that's powerful. Now, let's go to your story, you know, you talk a little bit about, you know, you're growing up with your dad, taking fishing with your brothers, but eventually, you just started living their crazy life. Yeah. Is that right?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:You became you also became part of the navy.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I was a sailor.
Speaker 1:You were a sailor from the navy and then but that was a very rough time in your life.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:How how do you describe that?
Speaker 2:It was a very dark time. It was during the Vietnam War, a lot of rebellion everywhere. The military was I don't know. It it it was just politically. It was a mess the whole country was up in upheaval. So you were just torn apart from from things. You know what? And being part of the military at that time was a very negative thing. Yeah. You know, if you I remember landing in San Francisco at the airport, and we would purposely, you know, take our uniforms off and and stressed civilian, but we had that haircut and people just knew that we were military. And that there would be people like like even like today, you know, with all the demonstrations, but they would just call us baby killers and spit on us and, you know, that it was just a horrible, horrible time. So after I got out of the navies when I had my encounter with God.
Speaker 1:So when you were in the military that was very dark in your life and you know, all the turmoil that was happening. But to some of our listeners today, that was back in the nineteen sixties early seventies when all this is happening. And it's very similar to what is happening today. There was a lot of turmoil with young people when this is one of the things that you can remember and you can relate to that because young people were really unhappy. Mhmm. And and they were very unhappy for many reasons. You know, in a lot of times, you know, this can be portrayed politically. But the reality of it is, in the root it is, a lot of what has happened even today is because people are really unhappy. People, young people, when you were young, And and you can remember this time, people needed something to make, you know, they they they a lot of the young people were, no. That's when LSD was very popular. Yeah. Heron got very, very popular between, you know, your generation because everybody was looking for something on escape and something to do. Do you remember that time?
Speaker 2:An answer. We were looking for answers, you know. So kinda, it's similar. It was to what's happening today, but not. I feel like our generation had a real cause. You know, it it was like, I think we were informed. You know, the Vietnam war really divided the country in a unbelievable way. But it was a a very real war that that US was really involved in.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And what's happening today seems to be more something that is happening by another nation and yet we have made it personal.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I think people are, you know, people are looking for somebody to blame. People are looking for somebody because of all the pain that they had. Now during that time that you were mentioning before when all these demonstrations and all these people is during that time, when we had the we call it Jesus movement in young people. So in the midst of all these chaos, it was a great opportunity and And this is encouraging for me for today because in the middle of these cares, it's an opportunity for God. To reach out to another generation like he did it with literally. Well, part of that generation that, you know, God's say a lot of your bodies that they were drug addicts, drugs, all these people, they have a supernatural encounter with God. How was your encounter with God?
Speaker 2:It's really unbelievable. We just had a a god before's alumni reunion last week, and it was really really good. I there's people there I hadn't seen for over forty years. But the last day I was sitting there and somebody came up to me and said, do you know who this is? Then I looked at this lady and I didn't. And And she said, this is Jan Jensen. What I knew Jan Jensen was fifty years ago. Jan Jensen was one of two girl one of two people that that witnessed to me the night before I got saved. And I can tell you the story that that night that I had gone into town to, you know, I was on drugs and the whole thing. And I was parked in this parking lot. And all of a sudden, I saw like a like a flatbed truck stop in front of me and a bunch of young people were came around and started setting up some sound equipment on the flatbed truck. And I just sat there and watched them, then they signed some some songs that guy had a sex a phone, he played some music, and then they would get up and have like a real short, you know, five minute sermon or they preach for a few minutes or give a short testimony. And I was listening to that, and then they just stopped, and they all broke up. And this guy and Jen Jenson came to me. The the guy's name was Lee store shine, something like that. And I remember I rolled down the the window of my car a little bit and it was it started to sprinkle. And I was just watching them and they kept talking to me about about Christ. And I just think how long did these idiots gonna stand out in their lane? You know, that I would just think in that. It's raining. And they were just still telling me this and that and the other. And the the girls, Jan Jansen's makeup started to run. I could just see these black March running down her face, and I was just so impressed by that. Well, the conversation went and finally I just said, hey, listen, if if you're Christ, can be as real to me as as my drugs. I'll I'll serve them. And they said, okay. So they said, well, They asked me if they had a a new testament at at the house. I said, I did. So I said, well, go and read the book of John. So I gave him my word. I went home and I opened up the book in John and I read it. And the book was alive. It was it was not just a character that I had heard of a historical character. It was actually the person of Jesus came alive in the in in the book of John to me.
Speaker 1:That is awesome. That is awesome because we've been talking about the power of the world. Yeah. When when God wants to do something in your life, I mean, you you were, I mean, lost.
Speaker 2:Very lost. Very lost. But there's
Speaker 1:a couple of things about this story that you're sharing. This is the the the fact that these young people approached to you and they have compassion. Mhmm. And they didn't care of the environment. They didn't care about your hostility. They didn't care about the rain, but they stayed because they knew that God had something for you. Mhmm. And and that and so you saw Jen Johnson last week?
Speaker 2:Yeah. A few days ago.
Speaker 1:A few days ago. After all these Well, she told
Speaker 2:me that when Annie was sick that she came to the house. On your ex Yeah. Yeah. But I don't remember. It was another time in my life, which I I don't I but this time, I I mean, I when I saw her and they told me, which I just started crying. I got real emotional. Channel.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because it just went back fifty one years. And they made me well, I got up the next day. And again, to to continue with a supernatural story, the the presence of god drew me to the place where these young people were staying. It was just like an urgency to go see see these young people. And I don't know how much, you know, time we got left or No.
Speaker 1:That just keeps talking. Keep talking. That's fine.
Speaker 2:I got to the house. I think I took my bicycle and or maybe I took my I don't remember, but the front door was open. And I honked a lot of noise inside. So I kind of walked in the front door because it was open and there was, like, twenty young people Some were just laid out on the floor, some were kneeling, some were sitting sitting up, and and they were praying. I mean, but really loud and and, you know, like, a lot of passion. And I was I just stood there and I was listening and I could hear some of them mention my name. Wow. And they were saying, you know, we're praying for rubber Duran, the young man that we met last night. Lord, you'd need to do something in this line. And they just get prayed. And I just stood there. And suddenly, one of the guys opened his eyes and saw me there, so he got up and took me to a little office on the side of the or the the main room. And he closed the door. He got two folding chairs. He put one there for him, one for me. And he started talking to me, and he he asked me what I wanted, and I said, I don't go home. And then, you know, I got kinda I think he probably said something that triggered something in me because I I started getting, you know, little vulgar and and cushing Adam and stuff. And he was real patient. He he just looked at me. And then he he said something that changed my life forever and it became the the main message of over fifty years of preaching. He said, Robert, your sin is breaking god's heart. And I just said, what? He said, yeah. Your sin is breaking God's heart. I said, no. I said, how can that be? You know, how can I affect If if a god that big exists, there's no way a little guy like me can have anything to do with him much less break his heart? So he he just looked at me and didn't say a whole lot. He just said, well, You don't have to take my word for it. Why don't you ask him? And I didn't even start all the remote. Say, what do you mean to ask him? Say, yeah. Well, just kneel in that chair. And asks God to show you what your sin is doing to him. So, you know, I I I felt kind of pressured, kinda, you know, I said, okay. What the heck? So I knelt, and I don't remember exactly what I said, but I said, Lord, this guy says something or to god this guy says that I'm breaking your heart. Did that true? Show me. And the presence of the Holy Spirit just came upon me. And it was I I can't explain. Yeah. I mean, even fifty one years later, it actually happened February eighteenth of seventy three. I can still remember as the holy spirit came upon me, and I can't tell you in words what he showed me. But I started crying and I started begging God to stop. And all I could say is don't show me anymore. Now, this guy he didn't even get up off his chair. You know, a lot of time, you know, when somebody is having to you when you're witnesses somebody, you feel like you can need to you know, helped God a little bit. He didn't even come over and, you know, put his nail on his head. Sure. It's okay, Rob. He just sat there and let God torch should be here. You know, because that's what it was. And I mean, it must have been fifteen, twenty minutes. I I don't remember how long it was. It was it was quite a while. I just kept weeping and weeping. And weeping. You know, the the chair has that little concave, you know, where where you sit in it. When I you know, after, you know, he lifted from me and I opened my eyes. There was a bunch of tears that piled up in there and and everything else, you know, tears and mucus and everything because I had cried violently. And remember, I just looked at the guy and said, what do I need to do to not break God's heart anymore? He he just had a very simple prayer and He led me to Christ, and I opened my heart to Christ, and he came in, and it's the rest of his history,
Speaker 1:or God delivered you that day from drugs. From drug addiction, from all that, got healed you. And I just wanna wrap up this episode and say into young people, you might be in the same position that Robert was You maybe have been in the dark place in your life, you maybe away from God, you maybe have people that you know they've been praying for you, or maybe you are somebody that I just randomly listening to this video, to this short, to this Spotify episode. And you are lost, and you are like Robert, you are just, you know, deep in sin and and you are looking for an answer, you're looking for hope. And we just wanna give you this opportunity and tell you that in the midst of the darkness. In the midst of your lost God is still dead and he wants to reach out to you. God is love. God is compassionate. And maybe he can give you another break like he give it to you. God is merciful. Yeah. He's very merciful. So you you wanna have that encounter with that that Robert was sharing today. You can also pray the same prayer today. God, I don't wanna pray your heart anymore. I wanna get closer to you. So, Robert, thank you so much for sharing with us.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's been a pleasure. It's been amazing to hear that your testimony and the stories and We'll see you next time.