|
 Our
story begins in 1961 when our mothers met in junior high in
Saratoga. Emily's grandparents, Jack and Flora Cox (namesake of
SFC's Cox building), and Matt's grandparents, Dean and Vera Ladd,
were involved in a Republican association together and became close
friends. Our two families-were forever joined on June 30, 2001, when
we were married at SFC. We settled into teaching careers in San
Jose, California, and enjoyed married life. However, God was at
work. From the day we returned from our honeymoon, we felt a sense
of unrest in our souls. We continued to pursue life trusting God to
make clear why we felt as if we were waiting for something to
happen.
During our time teaching at a Christian school in San Jose, we
helplessly watched as many of our students' families walked through
divorce. We sat down and calculated that 40% of Matt's students from
2001-2005 came from broken homes. Our hearts broke as these little
ones crumbled, cried, and lashed out at the pain they experienced
when their homes were torn apart. Observing their pain each day
ripped at the wound on Matt's heart, still throbbing from his recent
experience of watching the divorce of his own parents. We wanted to
help our students and their parents, but didn't know how.
Determined not to become a divorce statistic ourselves, we
attended a FamilyLife marriage conference in 2002. Just ten months
married (and five months pregnant), we gained many tools and grew
greatly in the area of communication. We loved the conference so
much that we resolved to attend the following year. At that next
conference, we attended a staff opportunities session, excited to
hear how we could be a part of the volunteer team for FamilyLife in
San Jose. Yet during the session, our hearts were strongly pulled by
the description of full-time missionary staff positions at
FamilyLife's headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas. Stunned and
shaking, we left the session and cried tears of joy together.
Finally all the pieces fit together. It was as if a curtain was
pulled back and a black light was turned on, revealing the
fingerprints of God shaping, unsettling, and directing our lives.
His timing He gave us this ministry with FamilyLife -- a perfect
fit.
The broken and wounded are all around us. Our enemy is alive and
well, and he is hitting us from all sides. We need to stand in the
gap for a generation that is being fed lies about what marriage and
family is and what it stands for. FamilyLife is bringing the truth
of God's Word back to families. We joined FamilyLife to be used for
the greatest good to help strengthen families with the tools they
need to survive the onslaught of our deteriorating culture. We moved
to Little Rock in order to work full-time to that end.
We could not do what we do without the consistent and prayerful
financial support of Saratoga Federated Church and the others who
have joined our team! Thank you for the vital role you play in
rescuing and strengthening our nation's families!
Contact Information
Matt and Emily Bertholic
12 Westglen Cove
Little Rock, AR 72211
mbertholic@familvlife.com
Sponsoring Organization
FamilyLife
Phone: (800)358-6329
Website: www.familylife.com |
