If anyone should hate Tim it’d be me. I’m Amy’s mom. When Tim had his first affair I flew out to be with Amy. When Amy found all the details of the prostitutes he was with, I flew out and helped Amy. She and I packed up and moved out of their house, driving a U haul across country. I sent Amy a book called “An Affair of the Mind”. I called Focus on the Family for support through this. One person’s sin has a ripple affect through the family, you see. I prayed a lot. I wanted Amy to divorce Tim. So did his parents.
When they got back together Amy’s Dad and I flew to see them. I wasn’t going to rest until I heard from Tim’s mouth what he did and how he changed.
I believed him. I still believe him. He’s a changed man. He loves God with all his heart. He wants the peace and strength that only comes from God.
So, I should hate Tim, but I don’t. I love him. I love Amy. I love their precious girls. God has helped me forgive.
- Nancy M. in Nebraska
The Allen’s. I’d have to say I’ve never met anyone like them before in my life. Amy is an awesome friend. She and I had just become mothers about 4-5 months before our friendship began. She spent many hours encouraging me in marriage and motherhood. I never thought about it much when we first met, but I do remember stories of Tim cooking, cleaning and caring for her and their oldest, Alila. But last time she and I were together, she mentioned that the Lord had been growing her in the areas of wifely and motherly duties. If I had one word for the Allen’s that I’d have to put to their title, it would be growth. They seem to be constantly learning to love more deeply, more selflessly in all that they do…but especially with one another.
Amy has constantly encouraged me in my relationship with my husband and directed me to see things from his perspective…to understand him and meet his needs. She lives the higher calling of the Christian to offer our lives as a living sacrifice. The last time our family visited them, I was delighted to see them being more affectionate than I’d ever seen before. Despite all their struggles, Amy holds Tim in high respect as the leader of the family. His girls show this respect too, thanks to her example. And Tim’s constant compliments of Amy about her giftedness was precious. He obviously is in love with her. Our family is grateful to know the Allen family. And what is most special about them is that they prayed for us and still do. The power of prayer is evident in their lives. I remember many times when I would be talking to Amy and she'd say, “I prayed for that!” with much excitement on her face and in her voice. It was so neat to watch God work without her saying a word. It taught me so much about the power of prayer and the power of God.
- Amy P. in Texas
God brings people into our lives who He uses to impact us in mighty ways. In my life Amy Allen is one of those people. One day in a Bible study we were working on together, we came across the Scripture in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 "In a great house there are many vessels, vessels of gold and silver and vessels of wood and earth; some of honor and some of dishonor. If a man rid himself of these things, he shall be a vessel of honor sanctified and useful in his Master's hands, prepared for every good work." As we began to discuss this verse and our desire to be vessels of honor, Amy shared with me an illustration God had given her of a water hose: God is the gardener and we are just the water hose. We're not called to be flashy but to be useful. He can put us where He needs us and will fill us with His living water so we can overflow with that living water to others. We need to work to make sure we don't have any kinks stopping the water flow. If we find any we should rid ourselves of them so we can be prepared for every good work, and useful in our Master's hands. Not too long after that my heavenly gardener decided to allow me, His water hose, to be moved somewhere I would have never dreamt of in my nightmares. I had a choice to make. Would I get all kinked up or be a vessel of honor useful to my Master.
I've often thought of Amy's analogy as I've worked to keep the kinks out and allow my Master to fill me with His healing water. I've been amazed at all God has done! He is a Master gardener and what He plants and tends grows! I've watched Amy and Tim fall more in love with each other as they have fallen more in love with our Savior over the years. As I read Amy's book I stand in awe of our Healer. "He does exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20) I'm excited to see all God does and know He is using Tim and Amy and molding them into vessels of honor for His glory. They are allowing Him to tend them and rid them of the kinks so His living water can flow in abundance. I thank God for allowing our friendship and how God uses us to help each other grow in Him! Our God is amazing! I have already been privileged to see God use Amy's book to touch lives in a prison in Texas! All glory to God!
- Hannah Overton in Texas www.syndeoministries.com
I have known Tim and Amy for about 6-7 years. So I have only known them since after the hard struggles in their marriage and when they have been on the road to healing and a stronger marriage. Their story has amazed me. From a female’s perspective I cannot image how hard it would on Amy to experience all she has gone through with Tim’s unfaithfulness. To have forgiven him completely, and let God heal their marriage, is a huge commitment to the marriage vows they took. I know it is only with God’s help that they both could have truly worked through all of the issues and now have an even stronger marriage. I see in their lives, and in their marriage, strong individuals and a couple who love the Lord and rely on Him for their strength and guidance. It has taken courage on their part to tell their story in hopes of helping other couples.
- Sheri H. in Nebraska
I first met Amy when she came to the Philippines many years ago for a mission and then from then on was the start of many blessings in our lives as pastors.We only have two churches by the time she came, now we have 9 churches, and that is because of her commitment to us and the people in the Philippines.She love the ministry in the Philippines and ministered to people here. When Amy and her husband got their assignment in Bangkok, Thailand, she told us during her mission to come to Bangkok for a vacation.That was a dream come true for both of me and my husband. We really had great time with them in Bangkok.That was really a memorable one for me. Because as a filipina it was really hard and impossible to go out of the country without money and etc, but the Lord was using Amy to fulfill that, it was really a miracle from God. We stayed with them in Bangkok for almost a month and it was really a time of knowing them and fellowship and enjoy God's goodness.
By the time we get back to the Philippines, they started to make a commitment to help and support us financially by sending a monthly support from 2004 until now. That commitment blesses us and the family so much that we were able to send our children to school, help people's needs and work in the ministry, expand the ministry fast for God's glory. Touch lives and minister to their needs. Everything is a blessing from the Lord through His faithful servants, Amy and Tim. The Lord bless those faithful hearts. They were such a blessing to us and the churches and a good example to look up to.
- Pastor Francis & Joy Bacon, Senior Pastor, House of Worship Church Bindoy, Philippines
I asked our Pastor who had been the one to encourage us to reconcile to recount the time when he "re-married" us at the small church we went to in Alexandria, Virginia. This is his account:
I would love to share what happened on the afternoon when the Lord touched both your hearts to persevere through your marriage vows in the tough times.
As I recall, you were getting ready to leave Tim and go back home to Nebraska when we sat behind the church. I remember distinctly asking you both the same question. I asked you to look into each others' eyes, and I asked Tim, "Tim, do you love Amy (still looking at Amy). And you (Tim) responded, 'Yes.' Then I said, 'Then tell her you do.' And he said, looking straight at Amy, 'I love you.'
Then I asked you, Amy, to look into Tim's eyes. And I asked you, 'Amy do you love Tim?' You said, 'Yes.' Then I told you, Amy, 'Then look at Tim and tell him.' And of course, by this time, you both had tears running down your faces. You said, 'Tim, I love you.'
I said, 'I knew you did.' I knew you both loved each other, and the counseling ended. Because when a husband and a wife love each other with the love of Christ, there is nothing too difficult for them BOTH (underline BOTH!) to overcome by the Spirit of God's working in each heart. That was the end of the counseling time.
Amy and Tim, as the years fly by (and they seem to be flying), the best thing you both have is each other! And if Jesus is Lord over both your lives, you are already overcomers in Him (John 16:33)
- Pastor Thomas Buckingham, Alexandria, Virginia