by Mike Vandermause on July 06, 2018

Amanda Boeder

Amanda Boeder shared her powerful story of adversity and redemption during Green Bay Community Church services on Sunday, May 10, 2015. Here are some key chapters in Amanda’s life that took her down a difficult path but led to a deeper faith in God:

Growing up

*She was raised near Green Bay, attended a Lutheran school through eighth grade and regularly went to church and religion classes. But Amanda said she never had a true respect for her faith until a couple years ago.

*Amanda said she started hanging out with some people in Green Bay "that probably were not a good fit for me. I chose a lifestyle that wasn’t the best choice." She got pregnant at age 17 while a senior in high school and chose to keep the baby (Jasmine).

Dealing with abuse

*Amanda lived with Jasmine’s father and endured verbal and emotional abuse. She finally mustered enough strength to leave, despite threats from Jasmine’s father that he would kill himself or take his daughter away from Amanda. "I wanted this family to stay together,” said Amanda, who at that time was 19. "I wanted to get married, but I knew I couldn’t stay there."

*During this time Amanda found herself in a car with Jasmine’s father to discuss their daughter. Suddenly he started driving at more than 100 mph and threatened to crash and kill them both. Amanda tried to reason with him and when the car slowed to about 45 mph, Amanda reached over and threw the vehicle into park, which left them stranded on a country road. A stranger stopped and saw Amanda was in distress and rescued her from the ordeal by getting her to jump into his vehicle.

*Amanda lived at Golden House and got a restraining order against Jasmine’s father. But one day while Amanda was at her father’s house, Jasmine’s dad showed up with a gun and hogtied Amanda’s brother, cut the phone lines, handcuffed Amanda, and poured gasoline on Amanda’s father and threatened to light him on fire. Amanda miraculously got access to a cell phone and called 911, and a police SWAT team eventually surrounded the house. At one point during the stand-off Amanda grabbed Jasmine and ran outside into the bitter cold and to the safety of the police. Jasmine’s father attempted suicide with a pill overdose but failed, and he was eventually committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Tough times

*After that traumatic incident, Amanda said she went through a lot of dark times. She suffered from post traumatic stress, anxiety and depression. She called herself a terrible mom to Jasmine, and there were days she couldn’t even get out of bed.

*She had a five-year relationship with another man and got engaged but had some misgivings and called off the wedding in 2012 and felt she had hit “rock bottom."

*In 2013 Jasmine’s father escaped from the institution he was in and was on the loose for months, which left Amanda living in fear. “I didn’t know where he was,” Amanda said. “I was not in control.” Amanda didn’t live at home until Jasmine’s father was captured.

Finding peace and strength

*Through her trials Amanda said God revived her faith, and a catalyst was when she started attending Green Bay Community Church.

“From the moment I first came here, this place moved me,” she said. “I have always believed, but I strayed from my faith a little bit. God was a long lost friend who moved away. He was always there when I needed him but I wasn’t always hearing his communication. … It was all supposed to happen the way it did. When I found this place (GBCC) I felt fulfilled."

*At first Amanda was reluctant to share her story, but it became clear to her that she could help others because of what she experienced.

“I finally had peace over me that God was using me in ways I had no idea,” Amanda said. “The reason why I’m up here (sharing with the entire church body) is not to ask for pity. But someone in this room who is going through something, I can hopefully give courage for someone to deal with that situation."

*Amanda offered some advice for people who face adversity: “When you are going through bad times there is hope,” she said. “In dark times I could not peel myself off my bed. I think back to that and see how far I have come. It’s not me doing that. As I look back, the footprints in the sand I see, those are Jesus’ footprints carrying me."