THIS MOTHER'S DAY WE ARE
HONORING A WOMAN WHO HAS BUILT A
LEGACY OF LOVE, SERVICE, AND
HEALING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON
OVER THE LAST 60-PLUS YEARS.
SHEARS FRONT AND CENTER TO
EVERY LAKEWOOD HOUSTON CHURCH,
COFOUNDER DODI OSTEEN.
DOMINIQUE SACHSE SAT DOWN WITH
THE MAY MATRIARCH.
SHE'S SHARING STORIES FROM THE
HEART YOU'LL ONLY SEE ON 2.
Reporter: SHE'S THE FIRST
LADY OF LAKEWOOD CHURCH.
FIND THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS
WRITTEN, BELIEVE GODS.
Reporter: DODI OSTEEN,
LAKEWOOD'S COFOUNDER AND WIFE OF
THE LATE JOHN OSTEEN AND MOTHER
TO JOEL OSTEEN.
THE MATRIARCH AT 82 IS STILL
GOING STRONG.
LEADING, INSPIRING, AND NOW
WRITING A NEW BOOK, A DREAM
YEARS IN THE MAKING.
THE TITLE IS PERFECT.
IF MY HEART COULD TALK, BECAUSE
I DO BELIEVE THAT YOUR HEART
TALKS.
SO TELL ME WHY THIS BOOK AND WHY
NOW.
YOU KNOW, DOMINIQUE, WHEN
JOHN WENT TO MD-11 17 YEARS
AGO -- TO HEAVEN 17 YEARS AGO.
GOD TOLD ME HE WANTED TO WRITE A
BOOK.
YOUR PARENTS PUT A LOT INTO
RAISING YOU WELL.
I WAS THE LOVE OF THEIR LIFE.
I CAN REMEMBER BACK IN THE
'40s WHEN THEY TOOK ME TO A
STORE IN PASADENA AND BOUGHT ME
10 NEW DRESSES AT ONCE AND TO
ME -- I COULDN'T BELIEVE ANY
LITTLE GIRL WOULD HAVE 10 NEW
DRESSES AT ONE TIME.
BUT THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN
ANYTHING FOR ME.
DELORES GREW UP IN BAYTOWN.
HER FATHER WORKED AT HUMBLE OIL
REFINERY FOR 37 YEARS.
AT A YOUNG AGE, SHE SUFFERED
FROM POLIO.
EVERY NIGHT HER DAD WOULD
MASSAGE HER LEGS TO KEEP THE
BLOOD CIRCULATING.
SHE WENT ON TO NURSING SCHOOL,
AND EVENTUALLY BEGAN WORKING AT
A HOSPITAL, AND AND THAT'S WHERE SHE
MET A LOCAL PASTOR NAMED JOHN.
HE USED TO COME TO THE
HOSPITAL TO SEE DIFFERENT PEOPLE
AND I NOTICED HE WOULD DROP BY
THE NURSE'S STATION TO SAY HI TO
ME.
AND I THOUGHT, MAN, THAT MAN HAS
A LOT OF SICK PEOPLE IN HIS
CHURCH AND I DIDN'T REALIZE
UNTIL VALENTINE'S DAY OF 1954,
THAT HE WAS COMING TO SEE ME.
Reporter: READING ABOUT YOUR
LOVE STORY, YOU SAID JOHN WAS
YOUR FIRST AND YOUR ONLY.
HE WAS.
Reporter: TELL ME ABOUT THE
UNION OF THE TWO OF YOU.
I HAD NEVER GONE OUT WITH
ANYBODY ELSE.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ACT.
I CALLED HIM BROTHER OSTEEN THIS
AND BROTHER OCEANSTEIN.
HE SAID -- OSTEEN.
HE SAID WOULD YOU PLEASE QUIT
CALLING ME BROTHER OSTEEN AND
CALL ME JOHN!
Reporter: FOR 44 YEARS THEY
WERE A TEAM, LAUNCHING LAKEWOOD
CHURCH IN A FEED STORE ON
MOTHER'S DAY'S IN 1959.
SHE IS MOM TO FIVE CHILDREN WHO
WITNESSED NOTHING SHORT OF A
MIRACULOUS RECOVERY FROM WHAT
DOCTORS SAID WAS TERMINAL CANCER
IN 1981.
SHE TURNED TO SCRIPTURE AND
PRAYER AND THE BELIEF THAT
WELLNESS WAS THE ONLY OPTION.
THIS LIFE-CHANGING EVENT
REFOCUSED AND LEE ON REENERGIZED
HER LIFE.
HE CALLED ME ABOUT THREE OR
FOUR WEEKS AFTER JOHN'S DEATH
AND SAID, MOTHER, DO YOU HAVE
ANYBODY TO PREACH SUNDAY.
I SAID NO.
AND HE SAID I WANT TO PREACH IT.
AND BY THE WAY, I THINK THAT
TBAWD IS CALLING ME -- GOD IS
CALLING ME TO PASTOR THE CHURCH.
WHEN I GOT UP ON THE FLOOR --
I'M SURE WERE YOU IN SHOCK.
I SAID, JOEL, ARE YOU SURE.
Reporter: AND WITH THAT PHONE
CALL, A NEW ERA BEGAN.
THE OFFICIAL NEW PASTOR OF
LAKEWOOD CHURCH, OUR SON, JOEL
OSTEEN AND HIS WIFE.
Reporter: TODAY YOU'LL SEE
DODI OSTEEN FRONT ROW AT ALL
CHURCH SERVICES, CHEERING ON HER
SON.
SHE'S A PRAYER PARTNER FOR THOSE
SUFFERING FROM ILLNESS AND
NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT.
SOME SAY SHE'S A HANDS-ON MALE
WE ARE HEART.
GIVE -- .
GIVE --
I LOVE YOU.
I LOVE YOU, TOO.
I THINK YOU'RE ONE OF MY
FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE
WORLD.
Reporter: IF MY HEART COULD
TALK, COMES FROM A MOTHER WHOSE
HEART FELD THE URGE TO SPEAK.
-- FELT THE URGE TO SPEAK.
A WOMAN WITH HER STORY OF HER
OWN AND THE DESIRE TO TELL.