The first time Amy pursued a relationship with God was when a friend invited her to church. She knew immediately that this was the void in her heart that had been missing her entire life. Despite the hardships she had experienced, somehow she knew she could trust God. Shortly afterward, Amy was married and had a daughter, Chelsea. Her husband at the time didn’t believe in Christianity so Amy had to make the difficult decision to leave the Christian faith.
Amy reached adulthood without the care of an earthly father and having never seen a model of healthy family relationships or marriage. The next few years were very difficult. Amy faced divorce, depression, job loss and a lack of self-esteem. She had no one to turn to for help. Nothing in her life had gone the way she felt it should. Through the pain, she did find one constant: prayer. God revealed Himself many times during this season. Reassured that God was always with her, the verse that shaped her faith and sustained her was Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
In the years that followed, God did not leave Amy. Not for a second. She met Tony, a Christian man with strong family values and a love for Christ. She found his family “fascinating” as she saw the love and respect they had for each other and was amazed at their transparency and the fact that they wanted to spend time together. Amy and Tony married. There continued to be challenges, strife, and self-doubt yet Amy’s faith sustained her as did the overwhelming support of her husband’s family. Two years ago, the Conte family began attending Mariners Church. In March 2017, Amy gave her life to Christ and was baptized by Pastor Paul and Kaitlin Gehret. Today, Amy and Tony are nursery workers and a part of LifeGroups, blessed with a church family and a place for Amy to finally call “home.”
