Rooted & Reaching Ministries Amber’s Testimony – Part 1
I didn’t grow up in a stable home. My parents were split, and I rarely had the chance to see my father. I was an only child, but instead of feeling cared for, I often felt unwanted. Affection from my mom was rare, and I grew up feeling like love was something I had to earn – and even then, it wasn’t guaranteed.
When I was 10 years old, my mom met the man who is now her husband. We moved to the United States, where I lived without legal status. Life became even more uncertain and difficult. There was no sense of security – emotionally, physically, or even in where we lived.
I experienced physical abuse. I was hit across the face, thrown into walls and onto floors. Words were spoken over me that no child should ever hear – names and labels that slowly tried to become my identity. I was only allowed one five-minute shower a week. Basic care and dignity felt like privileges instead of rights.
There was no stability. We moved constantly because my stepfather struggled with alcoholism and couldn’t keep a job. Both of my parents chain smoked, and money was always gone. I was sent to ask friends’ parents for money, and I wasn’t allowed back home until I did. As a child, I carried burdens that were never meant for me.
School wasn’t an escape. I wasn’t popular. I was different. I didn’t know how to interact with people because there was no healthy interaction at home. I smelled like cigarette smoke from my environment, and kids noticed. I felt ashamed, isolated, and invisible.
By the time I was 17, a few people began to notice something wasn’t right and tried to step in, but my parents shut it down quickly. Still, God was already moving, even when I didn’t know Him yet.
Eventually, I got connected to a youth group – and that’s where everything changed. That’s where I met Jesus. That’s where I was saved.
For the first time, I learned that I wasn’t unwanted – I was chosen. I wasn’t unloved – I was deeply loved. I wasn’t the names spoken over me – I had a new name and identity in Christ.
God didn’t just save my soul; He began healing my heart. He showed me that my past did not define my future. The abuse I grew up in did not have to become my pattern. The brokenness I came from did not have to be what I passed on.
Today, I share my story for one reason: to give God glory.
Because only He can take a child who felt invisible, unwanted, and broken – and raise her into someone whole, loved, and called. Only He can break cycles of abuse. Only He can restore identity. Only He can turn deep pain into purpose.
What the enemy meant to destroy me, God has used to shape my compassion, my faith, and my calling.
My story is not about what I survived – it’s about what God redeemed.
And if He did it for me, He can do it for anyone.
Amber’s Testimony – Part 2
Hi, my name is Amber, and I became a follower of Jesus when I was 18 years old. My journey began in a very dark place. I grew up in a home filled with both verbal and physical abuse. My stepfather was an alcoholic, and the environment I lived in broke me emotionally. I was made to feel worthless, insignificant, and invisible. I was constantly told that I was to be seen and not heard.
Because of the conditions at home, I struggled at school too. My parents chain-smoked indoors, and I was only allowed to shower once a week, so I was often teased for how I smelled and looked. I never had new clothes, or even second-hand ones that fit well. Socially, I felt completely lost and awkward. I didn’t know how to connect with people and was regularly bullied. There were times I didn’t want to live anymore—I truly couldn’t see a future for myself. On top of that, I was considered an “illegal immigrant” in the U.S. since I didn’t have a visa or green card as a Canadian. My outlook was hopeless.
Then one day, a friend invited me to a youth group. I didn’t know what to expect, but I felt something there I hadn’t felt before—acceptance. I kept going, mostly to escape my home life. I also started attending FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). It was at an FCA conference that I heard the Gospel clearly and surrendered my life to Jesus. That moment changed everything.
At 20, I moved back to Canada and eventually pursued a Diploma in Business Accounting. I had faith, but at that point, my relationship with God was surface-level—I went to church on Sundays but didn’t go much deeper. It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I realized something was missing. I was deeply discontent, constantly seeking a relationship to fill the void. I was desperate to get married, thinking that would solve everything.
After several heartbreaks, a friend invited me to do a program designed to strengthen our relationship with God. But there was a catch: I had to fast from men. At first, I was shocked—how could I give that up? But I did. And through that fast, I fell in love with Jesus in a new, deeper way. He brought healing to places in my heart I didn’t even know were broken. I began to understand what it meant to have a true relationship with Him—not religion, but real connection.
Even now, I’m still working through things, but I’m no longer overwhelmed by them. After several years of singleness and contentment in Christ, God brought my husband into my life—completely unexpectedly. I had finally reached a place of peace in being single, and that’s when God surprised me.
Today, I walk in a deep relationship with Jesus, and my heart burns with a desire to teach and disciple others—to show them how to dig into scripture, how to walk with God, and how to become true followers of Christ. This isn’t just something I believe; it’s someone I know. It’s not religion—it’s relationship.
I have countless testimonies of God’s faithfulness and goodness in my life, and I look forward to sharing more as He leads.