WE WERE ACTING LIKE COLLEGE
STUDENTS AND YOU KNOW PARENT
BODIES.
YOU CAN'T KEEP UP THAT KIND OF
LIFE STYLE.
THIS IS A, A LONG ROAD DOWN A
BIG BLACK HOLE.
REPORTER: ERIK AND MARY
MARRIED IN 1998.
WE WERE HEAD OTHER HEELS NOR
EACH OTHER AND SAW A DRIVE.
WE KNEW WE COULD MAKE A LOT OF
MONEY AND DO GREAT THINGS.
REPORTER: BOTH HAD SUCCESSFUL
CAREERS, ERIK A REAL ESTATE
DIRECTOR AND MARY A CREATIVE
DIRECTOR FOR A REAL ESTATE
COMPANY AND ARTIST.
THEY WORKED HARD AND PLAYED
HARD.
WE WERE ALWAYS OUT HAVING A
GREAT TIME.
I WAS FOCUSSED ON MAKING A
LOT OF MONEY HARD.
WE WERE BOTH DRINKING THEN.
ALL OF OUR FRIENDS DRINKS
REPORTER: BEFORE LONG THEY
HAD THEIR FIRST SON, ZACH.
IS THIS ALL WE WERE GIVING
HIM.
I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THEM.
ERIK DECIDED TO PARLAY THEIR
WEALTH.
I THOUGHT I COULD EARLY
RETIRE.
I WAS BEING SOMETIMEMID BY CITY
OFFICIAL MEMBERS AND FAMILY
MEMBERS.
I DECIDED TO DRINK MORE
REPORTER: 2006 THEIR SECOND
SON WAS BORN.
WHEN THE BANK KEPT CALLING
WITH NO SALES.
I WAS SEEING THE WRITING ON THE
WALL COMING.
I LITERALLY DRANK MYSELF TO PASS
OUT.
WE WENT FROM THIS JOVIAL
SOCIAL DRINKER TO SOMEONE
PASSING OUT AT 5:00.
I COULDN'T AROUSE HIM.
WE WERE HAVING ARGUMENTS THAT
WERE HE WOULDN'T REMEMBER THEM
THE NEXT DAY.
I DIDN'T WANT TO DRINK ANYMORE.
I HATED IT.
I STARTED TO LOATHE THE WHOLE
LIFE STYLE.
I STARTED TO REALLY HATE
HIM
FOR
CHECKING OUT WHEN HE SHOULD BE
DEALING WITH THINGS.
IT SCARED ME.
I WAS THINKING THIS ISN'T WHAT I
SIGNED UP FOR.
HE WAS GETTING TO THE POINT I
DIDN'T WANT HIM TO TAKE THE
CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLES,
SOMEONE TOLD ME THEY TOLD HIM
DRINKING AND DRIVING.
SHE LITERALLY HAD TO TAKE ME
ASIDE AND SAY TO ME IT IS EITHER
YOUR BOOZE OR US.
THAT IS WHEN I REALLY DID START
TO HAVE AN EPIPHANY THAT THIS
SOCIAL CRUTCH TURNED INTO A GOT
TO HAVE IT IN THE MORNING
ADDICTION.
AFTER MARY TOLD ME I WOULD LOSE
EVERYTHING I HAD, BEING THEM,
MARY AND THE BOYS IT WAS TOO
MUCH FOR ME TO BEAR.
I TOLD HER I WOULD STOP DRINKING
REPORTER: MARY BEGAN A SEARCH
FOR HEALING.
I WENT TO MY UNCLE'S CHURCH.
I BROUGHT ZACH TO THE SERVICE.
OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS TRUE,
ALL THE STUFF I HEARD.
IT ALL GELLED AT ONE MOMENT.
I FELT THE POWER OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT COME ON ME.
IT WAS DRAMATIC
REPORTER: ERIK SAID GOD WAS
WORKING ON HIS HEART, TOO.
I GOT INTO THIS DAILY BREAD
BOOK AND HAD DEVOTIONALS.
THEY STARTED TO SINK IN.
THAT IS WHAT I THINK WHAT REALLY
HELPED ME START TO FOCUS MORE.
WHEN I STARTED READING THE
DEVOTIONALS, IT MADE ME READ
MORE WHERE THE PASSAGE CAME
FROM.
IT WASN'T OVERNIGHT WITH
ERIK.
I HAD TO TRUST GOD DAY BY DAY BY
DAY AND PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF
ANOTHER.
IT CAME IN MILLIMETERS.
IT DIDN'T COME IN LEAPS AND
BOUNDS.
REPORTER: WITH TWO CHILDREN
NOW AND NO. 3 ON THE WAY AND NO
JOB PROSPECTS, BANK FORECLOSED
ON THEIR HOME IN 2006.
THEY WERE FORCED TO SELL
EVERYTHING THEY OWNED AND LIVE
IN A CAMPER WHILE ERIK LOOKED
FOR WORK.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE
HEADING BUT WERE CONFIDENT GOD
WOULD LEAD US.
WE HAD TO REBUILD OUR
MARRIAGE BUT GOD WAS THE
FOUNDATION WE PUT OUR MARRIAGE
ON.
THEN WE BUILT UP FROM THERE.
THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED,
COMPLETELY CHANGED THE WHOLE
MARRIAGE.
WE DIDN'T COUNT ON EACH OTHER TO
FILL OUR NEEDS.
WE COUNTED ON GOD TO FILL OUR
NEEDS AND RESPECT AND HONOR EACH
OTHER.
WOW, WHAT A CONCEPT, I KNOW.
IT WORKS.
IT DOES.
REPORTER: AFTER LIVING IN THE
CAMPER FOR SEVEN MONTHS, ERIK
FOUND A DEVELOPMENT JOB IN
DURANGO, NEW MEXICO, THEY LOVE
THEIR NEW HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS.
THE LORD BROKE IT DOWN FOR US
IN SIMPLE TERMS.
I AM GOING TO HELP BREAK YOU
BACK DOWN SO YOU CAN RELEARN
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TOGETHER AS
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
IT IS PAINFUL, YES.
I WILL BE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF
THE WAY.
WE ARE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE OUR
14TH YEAR OF MARRIAGE.
I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT WANT IT
ANY OTHER WAY THAN TO GO WHAT WE
HAVE GONE THROUGH TOGETHER WE
ARE SO MUCH MORE TO EACH OTHER
FOR EACH OTHER NOW THAN WE EVER
WOULD HAVE BEEN REGARDLESS OF
HOW SUCCESSFUL WE COULD HAVE
BEEN IN THE MONETARY AND
MATERIAL WORLDS.
MARY IS WHO I MARRIED.
I FEEL VERY BLESSED TO HAVE MARY
IN MY LIFE.
