That success was tested through Kate’s, their youngest child, life-threatening struggles with drug addiction. “Every time things were at their worst,” said Amy, “and I was in the darkest place a mother could imagine, God would intercede. It was as if God was telling me, ‘I have a place I want you to go so I can help you, while you help me with my other children.’” Amy was asked to serve and mentor Mariners’ youth at Hume Lake, and there, “The Brandon’s, (Veach and Read) would lift me up in prayer and my pain was taken away. That’s the kind of support we’ve had from our church,” she said. “God really meets us when we’re broken.”
Another example of God’s intercession was in March of 2017 when Marty had a health scare while the couple were on vacation RV’ing in the California dessert. Amy had to rush to the hospital alone while Marty was being airlifted for care. It was a terribly long drive. Amy cried out to Jesus, and the passage from 1Cron v.20 came to her, “I felt His presence! He was beside me in the passenger seat and He gave me peace.”
“Our friends at Mariners have known about Kate’s struggles for years,” said Marty. “They have walked her journey with us, and without our Life Group, Mark Heath’s men’s group, and the church’s support, I don’t know how we could go on. There is no judgement at Mariners. It’s all love and support.” Amy added, “They love her just like Jesus loves her.”
“Our Life is a Journey of Faith,” said Marty. “Life is hard, it throws us curveballs. When we start feeling comfortable, we know that a curveball is coming. And, when it does, we pray and do our best to give it all up to Jesus.”
By Marina Scofield, Volunteer Storyteller
