In this raw and hilarious episode, Ruslan shares how his real life as a kid looked a lot like Grand Theft Auto—minus the video game controller. From sneaking into strip clubs in Tijuana at 12 years old to dodging corrupt cops and accidentally getting trapped in nightclubs with surprise bills, the stories are wild… but the lessons run deep.

He opens up about being raised by a single mom, falling in with older friends who could drive, and being unsupervised during some of the most pivotal years of his life. And in a surprising twist, the only people who tried to steer him toward a better path were two older gang members—one of them named Carl—who insisted he stay in school and not waste his potential.

You’ll laugh, shake your head, and maybe even tear up hearing how God used even the most dysfunctional people to speak wisdom into a young Ruslan’s life.