Breaking Generational Cycles with Faith and Courage with Amanda Perry Pt 2 - 40

A night on an apartment floor changed everything. Amanda’s life had been marked by abusive relationships, addiction-fueled chaos, and the crushing belief that she was beyond love—three kids by three different fathers and a heart full of shame. One raw surrender—no script, no polish—set a new course that reshaped her identity, her family, and her purpose.

We walk through the aftermath of that turning point: the next-morning step into church, the immediate shifts in daily choices, and the long work of unlearning patterns formed by trauma. Then comes Tom—her middle school boyfriend turned quiet intercessor—who prayed for her by name for three years and married her into a future neither could have imagined. Their first year was hard. Old reflexes collided with new love, and healing meant relearning conflict, trust, and gentleness. Miscarriages and the hidden shame of a past abortion surfaced, too, until truth and grace broke the lie that she was disqualified. The freedom that followed became a testimony other women could hold, sparking release from decades of silence.

The story expands into calling. With six kids and two full-time jobs, Amanda and Tom began serving unsheltered neighbors in parks, camps, and under bridges. A single request—“Be my friend”—reframed their outreach. They moved from quick handouts to long tables: birthdays remembered, fishing trips planned, names learned, respect given. The gospel rose naturally from friendship. Street wisdom taught them what many systems miss: people can feel authenticity; dignity opens doors; consistency builds safety. Their work with Watered Gardens channels that truth into practical evangelism, recovery support, and pathways toward stability, all anchored in presence and compassion.

If you’ve ever believed someone is too far gone—or feared your own story is too messy—this conversation invites you to reconsider. Surrender is not the end of your story; it’s the hinge that turns chaos into calling. Listen, share with someone who needs hope today, and if the message moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: where is grace asking you to say yes?

Transcript

Welcome Back And Part Two Setup

Kim McIntire 0:06

Hey everyone, welcome to the It's Time to Rise Up Podcast. We pray you're encouraged and blessed by what is shared today. If you're not familiar with our show, please check out our website at it'stimetoriseup.org where you'll find our social media links. And as for our podcast platforms, you'll find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you find your podcast. I want to welcome you back into the studio tonight, Amanda. We're so glad you're back with us and my co-host, Amber Sampson.

Amber Sampson 0:37

Hello, hello.

Kim McIntire 0:38

So, Amanda, um, her story. Um, this is part two of her story. And when we left off, you were talking about going to Oklahoma. So why don't we pick up the video?

Oklahoma Dreams And An Abusive Relationship

Amber Sampson 0:48

If you have to listen to part one, oh, yeah, what you're doing and go back to part one because you don't want to miss it. Good idea.

Pregnant Again And Feeling Unworthy

A Bible At The Diner And A Doorway To Hope

The Night Of Surrender And Baptism

Amanda Perry 0:54

Thank you. Yeah. Um, so even in in all the chaos that I spoke about in part one, there was still a part of me that wanted to do well. And so I went to I I went to Oklahoma to go to NEO, Full Right Scholarship for theater. I thought I was gonna be an actress. Um, but I had I had that friend that had introduced me to a boy, and I remember what she told me about him was he doesn't do drugs. I remember that's what that's how she got me. He doesn't do drugs. Wow. And I thought, oh, well, all right, great, he doesn't do drugs. Um and he didn't do drugs, but he did a lot of other things. And so um I got wrapped up in a three-year, another three-year pretty abusive relationship. Now I need to say this, I wasn't always innocent. Sure. I was rarely innocent because we're gonna duke it out and we're gonna fight because that's what I saw, or I don't trust you, so I'm just gonna go ahead and be unfaithful before you can. And so I wasn't innocent on these occasions. And um, but it was three years of pretty serious abuse and police reports and I mean some pretty serious fights. And so I have my two kids, and I'm trying to go to college, and I'm in and out of this um abusive relationships. I'm in the theater program, which is a whole new world. If you haven't heard about the theater program in college, and um I remember I met this young man, he was quite a few years younger than me, and um I just remember I thought, man, he's good looking. And so we just started hanging out and partying together. And before I knew it, one time, one night stand later, I'm pregnant with my third kid. So now here I am, 24, 25. I have two kids and one on the way, three different dads now. And my mom, as I said in in part one, is a Christian. She's following the Lord, she's inviting me to church. I'm going on and off, and it sounds good, but I just don't get it, you know. Um, but it's there, that invitation is there. And so um I'm pregnant with my third child, and my mom had was uh owned a restaurant in Columbus at this time, Lighthouse, and so I was working there, and this man would come in who I had always wanted to be with, who I'd always had a crush on, and he would come in and he would bring a Bible. And I remember thinking, What? Because throughout the years, um I would I would I would see him or I would try to call him or I'd get drunk and call him. And and I remember the first time he I called him and and when I one of the first times and I was drunk and he said, Well, I'm following the Lord now. And I remember hanging up that phone, I know exactly where I was. I was in my friend's boyfriend's house, and I started crying. I was drunk, but I started crying because I knew that's what I wanted. Now, because I had this mom and I had, you know, and I saw these, and I knew that's what I wanted, but I didn't know how to get there. And so I'm pregnant with with my third child, and he's coming in with his Bible, giving me scripture, inviting me to church. He would leave, I'd go back and tell my mom I'd bawl and cry, and I would say, I'm supposed to be with that man. I know I'm supposed to be with that man. She's like, Well, be with him then. I said, Mom, who's gonna want me? I have three kids by three different dads. Like, who's gonna want me? I remember thinking just after all that that I had allowed to happen and all the things that I had done on my own accord, I felt pretty worthless. And I thought, who's gonna want this? You know what I mean? And so I'm pregnant. Okay, so I have my third, my third child. Now, at this time and all through the pregnancy, I had actually gone back to the Oklahoma guy that was abusive by some strange form of events. Uh we actually met at a bar. We met up at a bar, and he took me home, and he actually stayed in my house for two weeks, and then I took the pregnancy test. I actually found out I was pregnant with the other guy's baby while I while he was asleep in my bed. And I remember I had to go home and tell him, and my daughter's biracial, my third child is biracial, and this man was was racist. And I remember throughout that pregnancy, he would say derogatory things and about her father. And then he at the end started saying them about her. And I remember because he's like, Oh, I'm gonna take care of the baby, no be my baby, and this and that. And I remember thinking, my daughter will never hear those words. My daughter will be proud of her race, she will never hear that. And he was actually in the delivering room, my mom was was two, and he looked at the baby and walked out, and which was actually saving Grace. And so here I am now, 25-ish, three kids. I have this baby by a man I don't really even know, right? So that's just a whole nother vortex. Like you just can't, like, you love this baby, but like I don't even know the father who, you know. But I have this little precious baby, and um her name is Lily Grace, and we we actually have matching tattoos. She got a tattoo when she was 16, and it's saved by grace because this is the time that I really allowed that grace to come into my life because here I am with these three kids, and and I look at this baby and I think, we're not, we're not doing this. And so remember, I'm going on and off to church with my mom, not really understanding. I have this boy that I had liked before coming in bringing scriptures. So I'm getting this kind of like so it was one night, it was actually got it tattooed on my arm as well. It was March 1st, 2008. Um, the the Oklahoma boy actually drove up from Oklahoma in his girlfriend's car, didn't know that's whose car he was in. And we had a one-night stand. Just we're like, this is the only thing that ever worked out between us, and so we mutually um planned this. And I remember he left. This is the good part you waited for. He left, and on the apartment floor, my low-income apartment floor, I just broke down and I cried and I said, God, I can't do this anymore. I so I get up the next day, happens to be a Sunday, and I go to the church that that gentleman I had been talking about had invited me to. He had been inviting me and been inviting me and been inviting me. And I get up and I go to that church and eventually go to the altar and get and get baptized. But maturing in my faith, I realized that's why the tattoos on my arm, it wasn't that that day, that fancy day I went to the altar that I got saved, quote unquote. It was when I surrendered to him on that floor. Yeah. When I was bawling and crying. And even though I didn't say, I believe in you, and you're the Lord of this and you're the Lord of that, my spirit said that. Because I was done living the way that I was living. Yeah. And I'm like, I want to remember that day. Yeah. Because I used to, I would always say March 2nd, the day I went to church. And I was like, no, it was the night before when I was just ready. And my life began to drastically change. Drastically, like instantly. Praise God. Like, you know, some people's like, oh, it's a loan. My life drastically changed.

Immediate Life Change And New Identity

Amber Sampson 8:15

Right. But it was the surrender. It wasn't going to the altar, it wasn't going into the church. It's the surrender. And that's the important part of salvation is the surrender. You can say the prayer every day, but it it can just be words sometimes. So yeah.

Amanda Perry 8:30

It's all those years as a kid, I went to the altar. I went to the altar, I went to the altar, trying to get this, getting saved, like everybody's talking about. But I wasn't done with the chaos. I wasn't done with my sin. And in that moment, I was done. And like I said, I went to that church and started um just hungry. Okay, mind you, I'm hungry. Things changed in an instant the way I dressed. I used to dress provocatively to get men's attention. I worked at a um at a restaurant, at my mom's restaurant, and I flounced around and all these older men, and and instantly, the next day I go back to work, I'm completely covered up. And men are making remarks to me, and I am saying, that makes me uncomfortable. Stop. And it wasn't something that I had to think about that, okay, I gotta do better. I gotta not. No, it was I was changed. Praise God. Right? I no longer wanted that validation. Yeah. Um silly things like wearing my seatbelt, going the speed limit, not buying any more pirated DVDs. I actually had $500 worth of pirated DVDs I threw in the dumpster. And people are like, what? You could give those away. I was like, no, I'm not putting that on anybody. So just little things. Now, mind you, the past 18 years he's worked out some really big things, but right away, those really small things, alcohol, whatever.

Meeting Tom Again And Years Of Prayers

Kim McIntire 9:49

It really brings to life that 2 Corinthians 5.17. Yes. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. Absolutely. That is the reality that we should experience when we encounter the living God. Absolutely. And that doesn't mean we're perfected or that we never mess up, or there aren't things in our lives that God has to, you know, work with us to work through. But I love that story that things changed. Yeah. You were not the same. Correct. Notice. And I don't I don't feel like that message always comes forth as it should. Right. You know?

Amanda Perry 10:27

Yeah. It's beautiful, Amanda. It is beautiful. I mean, there were things deep inside me that still had to be worked out. My first year of marriage was really hard because I wanted to fight my husband, and I put my hands on my husband and I called my husband names. And um it took about a year to to work that out because this is how I thought we do family. This is how I thought we do conflict. So there were still things that needed to be worked out that were just part of my brain, part of my wiring. Um, but it's beautiful because I started Bible doing Bible studies with that man I told you about who um actually was my first boyfriend.

Amber Sampson 10:57

Did you say doing Bible study like you were like really studying the Bible?

Amanda Perry 11:00

We were actually studying literally, no, all night long. He let me ask because he So this is the cool part. So that first boyfriend I had from seventh to ninth grade is this man, it's my husband, Tom. And so he, we dated on and off seventh to ninth grade. He was the nerd, he was the guy that said, sorry for saying I'm sorry. We split up. Nine years go by, he's partying, he's doing all the things I'm doing, we're just doing them apart. And then he meets the Lord after nine years and he prays for me specifically for three years. What? By name. Oh my goodness. He never dates a girl, he never has a girlfriend. When I go to the church, remember how I told you I woke up the next day to go to church, they knew who I was because he talked about me, because he prayed about me with them. Oh my goodness. Right. He's always like, don't talk about that. And I'm like, it's the most beautiful part of my redemption. Oh my word. God used him as a flesh because I'm visual. And so that he prayed for me for three years. Do you not forget that I was pregnant with my third daughter in that time he's praying for me? I'm pregnant. And I said, Did that not ever thwart you? Like, did that not ever and he's like, No. He's like, you know, I did things I wasn't proud of. I could have been, I could have been a dad too. Like I wasn't worried about that. I was just worried when God was telling me you were the one, I was just thinking, how like how you know, how?

Kim McIntire 12:16

That's just the love of Jesus, though.

Amanda Perry 12:17

Because human love can't do that.

Kim McIntire 12:20

No, that's true.

Marriage, Healing Old Patterns, And Forgiveness

Miscarriages, Abortion Shame, And Freedom

Amanda Perry 12:21

It's the love of Christ. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then like I said, that first year of marriage, when I was cussing and putting my hands on him, he would look at me with tears running down. He would never stop me. He would never hold me down. He would never say bad things to me. He would just look at me and he would cry and he would say, I love you. You're being deceived by the enemy. Because the Lord prepared him for those three years. Like he was praying for me, but God was preparing him because I was a mess. You know? Yeah. And so I got to see Jesus in my husband. And I remember thinking, if a man can forgive me and can love me and can stand by me, because I would tell him, Why don't you just leave me? You just need to leave me, right? You just need to leave me. And he wouldn't. And I'm like, this Jesus thing is real, you know what I mean? This is really real. And so he, God, I mean, God's worked it all out. We were married after a year. We suffered several miscarriages. Um, I remember there was a time in my life where I blamed myself for my abortion, and I had to literally lay in my bed one night. It was probably our third, fourth, fifth. I mean, there were several miscarriages. And I remember thinking, mad, I was mad for a while. But then I remember thinking, well, I did this to myself. This is what I get. Because you never know. Like there's religion mixed up in gospel sometimes. Sure. And you know what I mean? And I had a lot of religion. My first year of following the Lord, I condemned myself when I read the Bible because it talks about murder. And I knew I had abortion and I knew I was going to go to hell because of that, even though I was a Christian. My husband didn't know I had to come clean with him. And it was a really beautiful, powerful moment that we don't have time for, but um, completely set free from that shame and guilt. That's why I can talk about it now. I don't have any shame and guilt from that decision. Um there's freedom. There's 100% in Jesus. The truth shall set you free. And and the Lord brought me to a place in my first year of being saved, and he said, I want to use you. He goes, I want to use you for my kingdom. He goes, but I need to use all of you. And if you're holding back part of this part of your story, you're holding back part of what I did for you. And so I gave my testimony to about 500 people, and I didn't leave that part out about my abortion. And young people came up to me. There was a pregnant girl at this youth event I was at, and she was like, Thank you so much. And a woman that had said, I've been carrying this for 30 years, and I went and talked to my pastor, and I've been set free from it. And so I got to see like the fruit, the fruit, the fruit of just being vulnerable and just sharing what has happened. And and so, um, yeah, so we I went through those miscarriages, and I remember I got to a place where I was just like, okay, God, well, I would think it was my fault and this is what I deserve, and I don't get, you know, but then I got to a place and I said, Lord, the Lord, I if I don't ever have a child with a man that I love, because he my husband didn't have any kids, then I will still serve you. I will still love you. And I mean, I don't even know within my I mean, we were pregnant, and so we had our first, we had our first kid, and the Lord actually um revealed it to Tom in like a dream or a vision where he saw an angel holding a a son and we didn't find out what we were having, and Tom said, You're having a boy, and and sure enough, when he was born, he was a little boy, he was actually born dead. And Tom, I said, Weren't you worried? And he said, No, because the Lord had promised me a son. And so then, you know, a couple of years later we have twins. He was born dead. Let's back up. Yeah. He wasn't breathing, he was blue, he was he was dead. He had the cord wrapped around him, and yeah. But he was fine. Yeah, but then like it just in a moment, Tom said he just in a spirit was settled that n everything was fine. Even he said I was looking at this. So it's a miracle, baby. 100%. And if we had time, we could do part three, part four. Like, we don't have time to tell you, but like he is a miracle, like he is, he is the enemy didn't want him around because he's gonna he's 15, almost 15, and and man, the enemy's still nipping at his little heels, but he's powerful. Yes. Uh-huh. Yes. Then we had twins. Actually, that son was uh also born dead. So my second son, so my my twin daughter was fine, but the second son was born dead. Like my husband said, they saw him pick him up. He's not crying, he's not screaming, they're flopping him on the bed, they have to rush him out. Um, and Tom just once again, he knew we were having twins before before I told him we were, because he said he saw um my older kid pushing around a stroller with twin babies that she was playing with, and he said, Look, we're gonna have twins. And so he wasn't What a beautiful gift. Right. Wow. Just faith, you know, faith, the power of faith. Yes. And so we have our three kids, so we have six all together. I had my three before we were married that he took in as his own and loved them. And like I said, if I could tell you stories of just the dysfunction that was still there, but the way that my husband loved their dads, like, and they have spent the night at our house because he invited them over, because there were times that it just wasn't a really healthy situation. So my kids couldn't go with them. And he said, That's okay, you can come sleep at our house and spend time with your kid. That's unbelievable. It's insanity to the normal brain. You know what I mean? It's insanity. It's God's grace. It is.

Amber Sampson 17:37

Wow.

Amanda Perry 17:37

So you should maybe you should interview him next.

Kim McIntire 17:40

Um They should have invited him to be with you probably. Well, he would have loved it.

Amanda Perry 17:43

Let me just tell you. She Amber knows him.

Amber Sampson 17:45

But he's so quiet. I can tell he's talking about the Lord, but it's like I don't you're saying all those things. I'm like, Tom? Because I I know him, but I don't I don't know him.

Miracle Births And A Growing Family

Amanda Perry 17:55

Wow. Yeah. So we have three kids, and now those kids, like I said, are almost 15 and 13. And like I said, I we don't have time to say all the ways that the Lord has redeemed every single thing. He works all things for the good for those who love him. And every single thing, every single never that I felt like that the enemy used against me, even as a Christian, tried to bring them up. God has redeemed every single one. I've got to speak at um youth events to young girls. I get to go into jails and lead ministry. I've been into so many drug rehabs to lead ministry. Um, my my kids at school, um, pregnancy crisis centers.

Kim McIntire 18:35

Yeah. Wow.

Amanda Perry 18:36

Every single thing.

Kim McIntire 18:37

Again God has redeemed. Again, the Lord not wasting not wasting the pain, not wasting the rejection, the shame, the condemnation, all the things the enemy has tried to bring against you, the Lord has redeemed. In such a beautiful way.

Amber Sampson 18:54

So you and I know each other through our job, and um we work at Water Gardens, and you and uh if you're a local, you probably are somewhat familiar, but we um care for those who are unhoused and those who are in poverty, and we have men's recovery program, we have a men's and or then we have a women's and children's shelter, and um it's a it's a it's a it's a quite the machine that's going on, but um the Lord's doing so many things. So um Amanda, as she mentioned in part one, is our evangelism coordinator, her and her husband Tom, and so can you share how the Lord has is using you guys, your stories, both of your stories, um to minister to those who are living in some of the worst of worst. And um and you you take it because I don't even know what to say because I'm one of my favorite stories.

Amanda Perry 19:54

So we've been doing ministry with water gardens for probably at least 10 years. Um one of our favorite parts of the stories is Dan that is now in the kitchen, like he was in Water Gardens and we served him. And he actually still has in his Bible a picture that my 15-year-old drew him that many years, eight years ago. Wow. Um But so we've been doing ministry, whether it's in the kitchen or with whatever. And a couple years ago, I started doing the Monday nights with somebody else that was they were like, you need to go with us, a friend of mine. And the Monday nights is that's when you go out into the streets, and that's when you go to the parks and under bridges and into the homeless camps. That's when that's when the legwork happened, you know. And you're going into these, and I don't mean to interrupt.

Kim McIntire 20:38

You're going into these camps, the homeless camps are just the areas and and what's actually happening when you're going there?

Radical Grace For Co‑Parents

Calling To Serve And Redeemed Purpose

Amanda Perry 20:47

Right. So that's what so when I first started, really we're just taking a a bottle of water or a snack and just saying, Hey, we've got you a bottle of water, you know. Can't like how's it going? Can we pray for you? And so I did that for maybe a year or two. Cl I mean one and a half to two years. And is it a group of people? Um so it's been like sporadic groups of people, but it is a there is a group. We have a saw a core group, but then people have come and gone. Okay. Yeah. And so I'm doing it more because Tom, I don't know why he was staying at home at this time. So I'm going out more. But I would come home. And you're not going, you're going with men. Yes. Yeah. So we are I'm protected. A man, um, a man that he he's been doing it for many more, many years. Um, one of the men that goes with us still. And um, you're going with the forge guy, so you're plenty protected. But I remember crying almost every time I would drive home, and I would say to myself, There has to be more to this. There has to be more to this than this. I'm giving you a bottle of water, I'm giving you a snack, in four minutes it's gone, and then what? And I know that the scripture says, Whoever gives me a drink and in in my name is doing it to the least of these, is doing it to me. I know that. But I knew there was something more. So one of our Monday nights, we pull up to Ewart Park, and there's a group of men at the Table and they're doing drugs, and we just walk up. And my husband uh ha was joining me at that time, so he got on board and and I gave some food and they were being real, just mocking. And actually, one gentleman who was they were doing drugs, he got up and went away, which is actually Phil uh the guy that I'm not gonna say his name that we talked about. Um he was one of the gentlemen that you and I have discussed, and um he walks away actually, but this one guy's here and I could tell he's the leader, and so he's being just real, real just straightforward. And so I just got right up close to him. I said, What's your name? And he told me, and I said, Can I ask you a question? Because I knew I could, you know. And I said, How does someone like me get through to someone like you? I said, I bet you see a lot of Christians, don't you? And he said, Every day, all the time, they bring us food and whatever. And I said, Okay, so what do I do to get through to you? And he goes, Three words that change my life and changed how I do ministry. He said, This, be my friend. This 65-year-old man that has been homeless on the street for 25 years. Be my friend. And so the next Sunday was Easter, and it happened to be this man's birthday. We pull up to the Ewort Park, we bring trash bags and pokey sticks and gloves, and we're gonna clean up the trash because I told my husband that's what God did for me, that's what I'm gonna do for them. And actually, Tom was like, No, we're not going to clean up the trash. I said, Yes, we are. We pull up, and God already had the trash cleaned up, a church group came full through. And so you know what we did? We spent that afternoon sitting down at tables, being their friend. And the gentleman that I told you before that had got up, sit down with my kids, and they colored and they drew pictures.

Amber Sampson 23:36

No.

Street Outreach: From Handouts To Friendship

Amanda Perry 23:37

And we spent all afternoon with them getting to know them. The next Sunday, we picked them up, we went fishing. We hung out with them all day, fed them burritos, fed them, like being their friend. And that's been two years now. In March, it'll be two years. And it's been the most beautiful, it changed how we do ministry. It has changed because it is all about relationship. The kingdom is about relationship, the gospel is about relationship, it is all about relationship. And all they needed, they needed to know they were important. Yeah. Giving them a bottle of water and a snack was great. But that but remembering their name, remembering their name, you'd have thought they were a celebrity. Like, how do you remember my name? You remember my dog's name too? Yeah, because we love you. And and so now, like I said, it's been two years. And if you ask my husband, who's one of his closest friends, he will say that older gentleman who's on been on the street for 25 years, and all we want is just to see him be sheltered, but he's just done it so long he doesn't know how. But just getting to know them, sharing our stories with them. And we never came in with a Bible saying, Listen here, you dirty rotten sinners, read like we carried our Bibles with us, don't get me wrong. But we sat down with them, and you know what? They brought up the gospel. They asked the questions. I'm not I'm not even kidding you guys. I wish you could witness it. We're sitting around at a picnic table one time. People are coming up trying to deal drugs, and these men are like, nope, get away. These are our friends, these are our good friends, these are our church friends. Our kids, protect, they're like, Aren't you scared? No, we are the most protected people in Joplin, Missouri. And I promise you that we have never once been scared. Amanda, that's incredible. It's beautiful, and it's God. It is God working all things out for his good because I get them. I understand the praying. Do you know every one of them has they have pain and trauma? Every one of them. Yep. And I and we get it. Tom and I both, because he grew up the same way, you know. And so it's like, we're just people. They'll tell you, they'll tell you they're different. They're not like, they're different. And it's not something to boast about. We're confident because we're just we're we're pouring out of what God has poured into us. And it's a beautiful, it's natural, it's just it's not forced. And so that's why I said we had to do this webinar for water garden. I'm like, this is so weird. But they wanted me to do it over how do you reach the unsheltered homeless? And I'm like, this is obvious. And finding out it wasn't like some people don't understand because it's this weird thing. But I think, you know, I think that there's a fear.

Kim McIntire 26:04

There is. And that's what people have to work past, and they can only do that through Holy Spirit. Yep. Um, because the Holy Spirit is the only one that can remove that from us. Right. And so I think getting past that fear of, well, I might get hurt, or what will they do to me? Right. Or are they crazy? You know, just the stigma. Let's just be real. The stigma. Yeah. But can I handle the smell? Right. Or, you know, just what do I talk about? What do I ask them? And so what you're bringing to the table is just some truth that I think the average person doesn't know. No. They need a friend. Yeah.

Amanda Perry 26:44

They see right through the fake. They do I mean they do because they've had to deal with that their whole life.

Amber Sampson 26:49

Yeah.

“Be My Friend” Changes The Mission

Amanda Perry 26:49

And trauma does that for you. You know, you can see right through people. And so they can see right through it. Um, but and I tell, like, because like my kids have seen things that kids probably shouldn't have seen. We have never been in fear. Like, you know, do I tell people, should you go to the park and just start? No, you shouldn't. Right. Because you you don't. Like you shouldn't just do that because it is a dangerous, it is dangerous to go under bridges and into camps. Um, but we know we're called there. Like we know that's where we're supposed to be. There's a grace, too. There is a grace. There really is a grace. Like, I'm I can't tell you how many homeless people have tried to fight women on my behalf. I'm not kidding you, like women will hit on my husband, like weirdly and inappropriately, and I just sit there and these 60-year-old women will come up trying to fight on me. Like it's just like Because they protect you. They do, because it's that it is it's God's grace is just upon it. And they're our friends, they're our family. It really are.

Relationship First Ministry And Safety

Amber Sampson 27:45

And and I will say, I've watched Amanda um do lead chapel services, and I mean, these are her friends, these are her loved ones, and she calls them out and she'll say, I love you. I'm so glad you're you're here today. You know, you're my sister, and she calls them by name and she'll call out something. So she's not just talking, I've seen it, and she's a her and Tom are a gift to not just to water gardens. I mean, it's way beyond that, to the people that we get the opportunity to serve through the ministry, but far beyond that, because there's people that you and Tom go and connect with that I'll never know, that I'll ne I may never see unless I join you on a Monday night. And it's just a beautiful thing, and I'm so grateful for your yes, because you could you we could we all have the opportunity to say no. God's not gonna force you to do anything, and so I thank you for your yes. Yes. And you're making and I know you know you're making an impact, but only in heaven will you really know what you're the impact you're making and w what you're leading your kids into. And um and so I think too, you you may feel called into something that's hard or God, I don't understand that. There's when you're called, there's a grace and you can do it. Um I've Yes. It's just true. And there's when you I don't oh, I don't have time. How many kids do you have? Six. Six. And you and you and Tom both work full-time jobs? Full-time jobs. And we're Friday night, Sunday mornings, Monday. And you do it because there's there's a grace. So I want to challenge our listeners today that if you feel called or maybe you have a passion in your heart for something that you don't quite understand, or you think I'm such a hot mess, my story is such a wreck. God can use that. If God's put a passion in your heart, He's gonna grace you for He's gonna grace you to do it. So say yes for the you know, pray for the open doors and say yes when they open. And don't be scared. And um, yeah, don't be scared. Trust him, because there is the grace to do what he's calling you to do. So um, Amanda, thank you for your yes and get sharing your story. Um I've I've been speechless, I've been undone. I mean Kim went through half box additional. I really did.

Kim McIntire 30:09

Sorry about the snipples listeners, but it touched my heart. Yeah, and so I know it's gonna touch many hearts.

Amber Sampson 30:15

And um and so if you're probably praying for somebody who's so who's lost and you feel like they're on the other side of, you know, and they're too far gone, I think Amanda's story is testimony of like, no, you they're not. That's right. They're not. And so um, you know, there's there's just so much to say. But um thank you for saying yes to the podcast and for continuing to say yes and um what a time. So if you if this podcast has ministered to you, share please share it because there's so many put components of the story that I know will minister to so many people. So please share it with your with people in your circle.

Overcoming Fear And Seeing People

Kim McIntire 30:58

Yeah. Yeah, we encourage that. I'm not always great about saying that, but there's a lot of um benefit that comes from sharing something that's testimony means.

Amber Sampson 31:08

Yeah.

Kim McIntire 31:08

Yeah. Then we should we shouldn't contain the blessing, we should share the blessing with others, the encouragement with others. Absolutely. And I want to say on a personal note that I am so grateful that you are at my grandchildren's school as a teacher there and an influencer there.

Amanda Perry 31:25

I'm raising up warriors. I'm praising God for it. I was mad. I wanted to be at the public school and God brought me here, and yeah, and I'll never go back because I'm training up warriors and it's awesome. Yeah, it's awesome. Praise God. We're thankful for you, Amanda. I have to say one more thing. Go ahead. Be on the lookout because I've started my first book. So what you've heard here, I'm gonna tell the whole world, and I've only told a few people. Um, I've never published a book, I have no idea what I'm doing, but the Lord is writing my story, and the title of the book is Never. And so I love it. It's gonna be awesome.

Kim McIntire 32:01

And we are so excited for that to be released. So good. So we are extending an invitation that when your book is getting ready to be released, we want you to come on and do a book release interview. Yeah, okay. That'll be fun. That way everyone can know where to find your book and where to order it and all of the things. So thank you again, Amanda. Thank you. Thank you for taking your time to listen to our podcast. We'd love to hear your feedback. Please rate us or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. And just a reminder, please share this episode, part one and two, with someone that you believe would be blessed and encouraged by it. May God's grace and peace be with you all in Jesus' name.