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Planted on Solid Ground Going out of town on a business trip takes on new meaning when your husband is an astronaut.
Anna-Marie counts on her faith for
those times when she’s anxious or worried Praying for the men in her life — husband, Jeff, and sons Brad (24) and Jason (21) — is second nature to Anna-Marie. She’s been praying for their safety and for their hearts and souls since 1987, when she was led to faith under the cross of Christ. Growing up in New York, about forty minutes from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Anna-Marie didn’t seek out a life as an army wife. “My mom always wanted me to go to West Point and meet a cadet!” But as a teenager, Anna-Marie didn’t take her mom seriously. Imagine the surprise, then, when Anna-Marie met Jeff Williams, a cadet, through a mutual friend. “I was attracted to Jeff not because he was a cadet, but because he was a nice guy!” Two years later they were married and their adventure began. “Being an army wife, I got used to separations early in our marriage. I learned early to take out the trash, fix the toilets, change air filters. Jeff was often in the field or flying some aircraft training as a soldier, so I always wanted him to know that I’d be okay at home so he wouldn’t have to worry about me or the boys.” Years later, staying connected when miles of space separate them is still a high priority. “On Wednesdays and Saturdays we drink this special coffee. We started it when we got married almost 26 years ago. He has that special coffee on the space station, so I always think about him especially during those times.” Drinking coffee is just one of the simple things for which Anna-Marie is thankful. Her life is filled with simple moments that she appreciates like walking the dog and sitting in her garden, sipping tea and praying. Her quiet time is precious. “I don’t enjoy life that is too hectic. If it’s too busy, I may forget God in the busy-ness, and He is too special and great for me to forget. “When I remember the love Christ had for me and all of us on the cross, I approach all of my life with that Cross before me. It makes me see things in a new way.” The cross of Christ wasn’t always the center of their lives, however. Neither Anna-Marie nor Jeff were raised with a solid Christian foundation, and it wasn’t until they hit rocky times in their marriage that Anna-Marie realized they needed something more solid upon which to build their lives and their family. “It was a horrible time for us,” Anna- Marie shares with a note of sadness. “We were in the middle of a big move from California to Texas and we had this huge fight.” Because it wasn’t the first big argument, Anna-Marie decided she needed space, and she took her two young boys to a friend’s home and just started driving, searching. “I wanted to find God and the only place I knew to look was in a church.” She stumbled upon a Roman Catholic Church — which was familiar from her childhood — and stepped into the middle of a wedding rehearsal in the church. Seeing her distress, the priest invited Anna-Marie to talk. “He was a kind and gentle man who listened to me.” The next day she and Jeff returned to the church for marriage counseling; the priest’s guidance helped them begin to heal. It was a start. “I’m a very emotional person,” Anna-Marie confesses, “and those first weeks in our new home were stressful. Then the Holy Spirit led two Christian neighbors to tell me about Jesus Christ and His love.” So when Anna-Marie found herself near the edge again, she sobbed and cried out to the Lord, “I can’t do this anymore!” To this day, Anna-Marie’s voice catches a bit as she recalls that turning point in her faith life: “I can still feel the peace, knowing Jesus Christ was real. I knew He would never leave me.” With her husband hundreds of miles away, the Holy Spirit worked in Anna-Marie’s life and home. She began to teach her children to pray before meals and to read the Bible. Her husband heard the difference in her voice as they talked on the telephone. “Jeff noticed I wasn’t crying, angry, anxious, or depressed, but he didn’t understand what had happened to me.” During those months of separation, Anna-Marie would talk to Jeff about Christ every chance she got. Jeff began to read the Bible in his hotel room while Anna-Marie prayed for the Holy Spirit to lead Jeff to faith in Jesus Christ. She tried to answer Jeff ’s questions, and she mailed him tracts to read while he was away. Although they were separated during the week, he came home many weekends and together they found Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. On his birthday that winter, Jeff began to pray with Anna-Marie. Together, they started to rebuild their marriage and family on the foundation of Jesus Christ. They turned to God’s Word for everything — and they still do — at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Anna Marie explains, “It felt like home when we first visited, and eighteen years later, we’re still members… and Jeff has become a great man of God, faithful, strong, and an inspiration to many.” While her husband is in outer space, Anna-Marie fills her days on the ground as a part-time Client Relations Specialist for a financial advisor. She’s also helping her son and future daughter-in-law plan their November wedding. “It’s their personal duty to keep Mom busy while Dad is in orbit!” she laughs. Whenever he’s on solid ground, however, the couple finds time for their favorite date. “You’ll laugh, but we love to go food shopping! “Our favorite spot is an international grocery store in Houston about forty minutes from our home. We started our family in Germany, and I lived in Saudi Arabia for a year, so we enjoy rediscovering foods from our past. Then we’ll come home and cook a fabulous dinner together.” While shopping dates are on hold
until Jeff returns to earth, Anna-Marie
and her husband continue to “date” through their cards and e-mail chats. Anna-Marie is looking forward to their special reunion. “In the fall, I will travel to Russia for Jeff ’s landing and stay about three or four weeks.” They will attend Russian ceremonies, do some sightseeing and shopping, and return to Texas in time for their son’s wedding where Jeff will have the great opportunity to visit with many loved ones. Like so many women whose husbands travel for work, Anna-Marie continues to hold fast to her faith. “I can often feel Jesus’ arms wrap around me to calm me and assure me of His presence in my life and my heart and my days.” God the Father has planted Anna- Marie and Jeff…on the solid ground of His Promises! Beth Foreman is Features Editor for the Quarterly.
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Last March, Anna-Marie Williams traveled to Russia to hug her husband,
Jeff, as he went to work aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, heading for his six-month assignment on the
International Space Station 250 miles
above the earth.
Still, the road ahead was long. Their
move to Houston wasn’t without stress,
and like so many other moves, Anna-Marie was left in a strange town withtwo young children and a house filled with boxes to unpack.