“I’ve attended church for as long as I can remember,” Amber reflects. “As a little girl, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I may not have fully understood what that meant, but I knew the difference between right and wrong and wanted God’s presence in my life.”

Raised in a Christian home with a father who served as an associate pastor, Amber’s faith journey was shaped by the teachings of the Bible. Yet, she continued to wrestle with moments of uncertainty at her local Baptist church. Even with the love and support of her family, God revealed to her the need for repentance and grace. 

“I was involved in every church program—volunteering in the nursery, leading Vacation Bible School,” she recalls. “But God revealed the true condition of my heart. When I repented, the anxiety and fear I had carried for so long were replaced by overwhelming peace.” Ironically, despite growing up in a Christian home, Amber often felt “different.” She struggled with anxiety, fear and a sense that something in her life wasn’t right.

“I knew I wasn’t living a life that pleased God,” she admits. “I didn’t always make the right choices, but when I was at my lowest, I cried out to Him; and He reclaimed my life!”

Though she was a Christian, Amber’s childhood was marked by feelings of loneliness and emptiness. Being “set apart for God” in a public school environment wasn’t easy. “I struggled a lot with who I wanted to be and who God wanted me to be,” she says.

It was during this time that Amber felt called by God to full-time ministry, though she wasn’t sure exactly what that would look like.

“I remember sitting in chapel one day, thinking ‘I just don’t want to be a pastor’s wife.’ I had never seen a woman preach before. The women in leadership roles at church were baking cookies or watching children—important work, but not what I felt God was calling me to.”

Amber’s first experience with The Salvation Army came when she worked at Camp Arnold in Washington. Although she had grown up nearby, it wasn’t until she took a summer job there that she encountered the Army’s mission. A few years later, she began attending the Seattle White Center Corps when her husband became the Christian education director.

Eventually, Amber felt God’s calling to become a Salvation Army officer, but this decision came with its own set of challenges.

“I was intimidated by the idea of preaching,” she admits. “But with much study, practice and prayer, I overcame that fear.”

Her secret to overcoming public speaking anxiety? “I always tell people that I hate public speaking, but I love telling others about Jesus.”

Amber and her husband, Joe, were commissioned as Salvation Army officers in June 2014 as members of the “Disciples of the Cross” session. Since then, their service has included posts at Phoenix Citadel, AZ; Roswell, NM; and Grand Junction, CO. Today, they serve as administrators at the Oakland Adult Rehabilitation Center in California.

“I want to continue to follow where God leads,” she says. “I want to build my life with Him as my firm foundation, so when the world feels like it’s crumbling around me, I remain steadfast in Him.”

Captain Amber no longer feels alone. She has a loving husband, four children, and a Savior, who has been with her all along. One thing that drew her to The Salvation Army was its emphasis on inclusivity: “The Army is a place where everyone belongs.” In their covenant, Salvation Army officers vow to “care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unloved and befriend those who have no friends.”

For Amber, this mission resonated deeply. “That was me,” she says.

Her advice to those struggling with loneliness is to rest in the assurance of Christ’s constant presence.

“My testimony is one of correction and love,” she shares. “There have been many times I tried to solve problems on my own, to protect myself or survive situations in my own strength. But God always gently revealed Himself and brought me back to Him.”

Amber encourages young adults feeling lonely or inadequate  to find someone they can be accountable to, whether it’s a corps officer, a fellow soldier or a trusted friend.

“We weren’t meant to do this alone!”