I am Landry Veitch and I am married to Jennifer and we have 4 girls Harlyn, Suttyn, Loweyn and Everyn.
Jesus/God got my attention a few times over the years. In grade school there was a family that I knew and their father would organize the local boys to get together and play sports at their church. I went for the sports and snacks. I noticed though how different the boys were all through school. They were nice, they were good, and they didn’t get into the trouble like me or my friends did. As intrigued as I was, of course decided to have nothing to do with them further and went my own way.
In my early teens fell into addiction with alcohol and drugs and suffered the consequences until my early 20’s. God worked some absolute miracles in my life especially with my additions.
After attending treatment for my addictions in 1991 I was befriended by a Christian schoolmate whose group of youths took me into their group. I attended church a few times with the group and liked what I heard but unfortunately once a relationship within the group failed, I went back to what I knew best – my addictions. The battle raged on for another 5 years until I made it to AA in 1997. I stopped drinking then and took wholeheartedly to the AA program. For those that don’t know AA is a spiritual program and speaks of God and the requirement for a higher power. He was in my life again albeit in a minority position.
Over time my attendance to AA faltered after 5-7 years as I thought I had better things to do and could do this on my own. In this time while sober I managed to meet my eventual wife Jennifer. We dated and married 2008, bought a house and started a more formal life together. In the year after getting married we had our first child and my life started to turn upside down. I started feeling overwhelmed with fear of this world and my little girl in it. I was scared day and night. I turned back to AA and attended regularly but still had trouble shaking the fear and anxiety. Life continued on and our family growth with it as we added a couple more, little girls to the mix. My fear and anxiety grew and grew.
In 2014 I started to feel the pull of God at my heart. I felt full of fear and very empty inside. I was still doing things that I did before I quit drinking and had everything I wanted but still felt like this. I started to feel a subtle tug on my heart a voice that said I needed to have more of God in my life and to share with my family. Attendance at church actually came to my mind stayed.. I talked to my wife about my feelings and being pulled towards God. I was scared what may happen and she all in. I was familiar with FGCC from my short stint with the church group in my late teens and that was the church that came to my mind instantly.
I was full of fear and pain and finally decided to call FGCC to arrange to speak to someone prior to attending. I called and Ange was my first contact. We talked a bit about my story and wow I was amazed God put someone in my path that understood where I was at. She encouraged me and shared a bit of her own story with me on the phone. Thereafter she got me in touch with Pastor Kevin. I met with him and to be honest some of it is a blur. Our family started to attend Sunday services and we liked it and felt at home. I kept meeting with Pastor Kevin and he encouraged me to seek and helped me join in. I joined a couple of Alpha groups and learned so much. I learned about Jesus and started to see the truth about him and his life. I bought a bible and started reading it. I started to see things differently, people, places and things had a different meaning. It was not long thereafter that I believed that I was God’s child.
Since we started attending FGCC our family has grown – we have added a 4th daughter. God has blessed us so much. We have met other members who have taken us in and made us feel so welcomed. I joined the men’s ministry (thinking it was Dad’s like Mom’s) wow, was I wrong but wow what a group of men to be with and what great leaders we have. My life will never be the same as a result.
I have come to see and feel the hands of Christ through this church and its members.
We talk and think about God in our home. Our girls talk about God and Jesus and most nights we say the lord’s prayer together as a family.
I have now learned baptism and membership is my starting point and I look forward to how God will lead me into the future.