Susanville Church of Christ ~ Susanville, CA
A Glimpse of the Matchniff Family
by Danny Matchniff
I was born and raised in beautiful, sunny San Diego and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I have two sisters (one older, and one younger). I am 35 years old. Amy is 29. Amy and I both were raised in the church, so to speak, being taught the Bible all our lives. We both owe our parents tremendous thanks for their devotion to our God and for instilling in us the teachings of God’s holy word to guide our lives. I often wonder where I would be without their spiritual guidance.
After the third grade my parents decided to homeschool my sisters and I. At age 15 I passed the High School Proficiency Exam and started my first year of college. At 16 I began working my way through community college. I helped manage and run a small RV supply and repair store. A year and a half later I took a job at Vons grocery store as a courtesy clerk, then later was promoted to the meat department. After three and half years I moved along to work for an advertising company.
The idea of becoming a preacher/teacher of Christ’s saving gospel found a significant place in my heart when I was 18 years old. Teaching others about the power of God’s word of truth, bringing them to a greater understanding of it and to a deeper level of faith became a true joy and passion for me. So, at the age of 22 I moved to Clovis to study under Dann Walker who preached at the Clovis congregation at that time. Two and a half months after my arrival, sadly, Dann passed away. I was shocked and dismayed, left without a mentor to help me train for the work of a preacher, and left with questions about what to do next. One year later (September of 1999) I moved to Morro Bay to study with Brent Willey in the preacher’s training program at the Cayucos congregation, currently the Los Osos church of Christ. That was the most intense, challenging, and character-building year and a half of my life, yet not with any regrets.
After completing my training (if there is such a thing) I moved to Fresno to begin working with the Sierra Vista congregation. It was there in Fresno that God answered my years of prayers in blessing me with a beautiful, godly wife. Amy and I met on Super Bowl Sunday, 2001. I was finalizing my training with Brent and guest-speaking at the Clovis congregation that particular Sunday morning. After worship, a husband and wife from the Sun Garden congregation where Amy attended in Fresno were hosting a Super Bowl party and lunch in their home, to which I was invited. It didn’t take long before I introduced myself to the cute, shy, blonde girl sitting all by herself. A month later I was all packed up and ready to move to Fresno after accepting their offer to be a part of the Lord’s work there in Fresno. It didn’t take long after the move before we started dating. One year and 6 months after meeting each other we got married (July 26, 2002).
In March, 2004, after three years of diligent work with the Sierra Vista congregation, Amy and I accepted the offer to move to Bakersfield to work with the Rosedale congregation. It was in Bakersfield that God blessed us with our two children whom we love dearly, Hannah (4 1/2 years old), and Seth (2 1/2 years old). Hannah taught us patience during the pregnancy. Instead of being born on her “due” date of June 23, she helped us wait, anticipate, wonder, and be anxious for her nine-day late arrival on Sunday morning, July 2, 2006. 2 years later, pregnant with our second child, this time a boy, Amy had to survive her third trimester through the heart of the summer heat in the central valley. Saturday morning, September 12, 2008, after a 3-hour labor our baby boy, Seth David was born. And, now with a baby girl on the way, we feel quite blessed by our God above.
My wife, Amy Robbins Matchniff was born in Long Beach. A few of her early childhood years were spent living in Sacramento where she and her family attended the Mack Road congregation when Don Alexander was preaching there. Amy, her dad, mom, and younger sister moved to Susanville when she was 7. Amy graduated high school with honors and got a full scholarship at Fresno State University. In spring, 2003 she graduated from Fresno State with honors receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and acquired her teaching credential. She has used her degree to occasionally substitute teach kindergarten through sixth grade. Since starting our family she has put off the public school teaching to focus herself greatly upon being a homemaker and mother to our children, which I greatly appreciate.
We keep ourselves busy with every-day activities and work just about like anybody else. Amy and I both have enjoyed an active lifestyle together and with members of the church wherever we have been. Activities from slow-pitch co-rec softball to league bowling with friends and spiritual family. “Active” is a good word to describe me. All my life growing up I played sports and kept busy in the outdoors. Anything from baseball, to soccer, karate, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, bowling, golf, paintball, frisbee golf, ultimate frisbee, and just about any other kind of sport, I like to play it or do it. Apart from that, we enjoy spending time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing in spiritual discussions or just relaxing for a good card game and camaraderie.
That is just glimpse of our lives leading up to where we are. We feel greatly blessed by God to have this family and be at this point in our lives. He has watched over us, cared for us, comforted us, protected us and been patient with us as we strive to please Him. We truly look forward to the work God has in store for this congregation here in Susanville.
After the third grade my parents decided to homeschool my sisters and I. At age 15 I passed the High School Proficiency Exam and started my first year of college. At 16 I began working my way through community college. I helped manage and run a small RV supply and repair store. A year and a half later I took a job at Vons grocery store as a courtesy clerk, then later was promoted to the meat department. After three and half years I moved along to work for an advertising company.
The idea of becoming a preacher/teacher of Christ’s saving gospel found a significant place in my heart when I was 18 years old. Teaching others about the power of God’s word of truth, bringing them to a greater understanding of it and to a deeper level of faith became a true joy and passion for me. So, at the age of 22 I moved to Clovis to study under Dann Walker who preached at the Clovis congregation at that time. Two and a half months after my arrival, sadly, Dann passed away. I was shocked and dismayed, left without a mentor to help me train for the work of a preacher, and left with questions about what to do next. One year later (September of 1999) I moved to Morro Bay to study with Brent Willey in the preacher’s training program at the Cayucos congregation, currently the Los Osos church of Christ. That was the most intense, challenging, and character-building year and a half of my life, yet not with any regrets.
After completing my training (if there is such a thing) I moved to Fresno to begin working with the Sierra Vista congregation. It was there in Fresno that God answered my years of prayers in blessing me with a beautiful, godly wife. Amy and I met on Super Bowl Sunday, 2001. I was finalizing my training with Brent and guest-speaking at the Clovis congregation that particular Sunday morning. After worship, a husband and wife from the Sun Garden congregation where Amy attended in Fresno were hosting a Super Bowl party and lunch in their home, to which I was invited. It didn’t take long before I introduced myself to the cute, shy, blonde girl sitting all by herself. A month later I was all packed up and ready to move to Fresno after accepting their offer to be a part of the Lord’s work there in Fresno. It didn’t take long after the move before we started dating. One year and 6 months after meeting each other we got married (July 26, 2002).
In March, 2004, after three years of diligent work with the Sierra Vista congregation, Amy and I accepted the offer to move to Bakersfield to work with the Rosedale congregation. It was in Bakersfield that God blessed us with our two children whom we love dearly, Hannah (4 1/2 years old), and Seth (2 1/2 years old). Hannah taught us patience during the pregnancy. Instead of being born on her “due” date of June 23, she helped us wait, anticipate, wonder, and be anxious for her nine-day late arrival on Sunday morning, July 2, 2006. 2 years later, pregnant with our second child, this time a boy, Amy had to survive her third trimester through the heart of the summer heat in the central valley. Saturday morning, September 12, 2008, after a 3-hour labor our baby boy, Seth David was born. And, now with a baby girl on the way, we feel quite blessed by our God above.
My wife, Amy Robbins Matchniff was born in Long Beach. A few of her early childhood years were spent living in Sacramento where she and her family attended the Mack Road congregation when Don Alexander was preaching there. Amy, her dad, mom, and younger sister moved to Susanville when she was 7. Amy graduated high school with honors and got a full scholarship at Fresno State University. In spring, 2003 she graduated from Fresno State with honors receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and acquired her teaching credential. She has used her degree to occasionally substitute teach kindergarten through sixth grade. Since starting our family she has put off the public school teaching to focus herself greatly upon being a homemaker and mother to our children, which I greatly appreciate.
We keep ourselves busy with every-day activities and work just about like anybody else. Amy and I both have enjoyed an active lifestyle together and with members of the church wherever we have been. Activities from slow-pitch co-rec softball to league bowling with friends and spiritual family. “Active” is a good word to describe me. All my life growing up I played sports and kept busy in the outdoors. Anything from baseball, to soccer, karate, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, bowling, golf, paintball, frisbee golf, ultimate frisbee, and just about any other kind of sport, I like to play it or do it. Apart from that, we enjoy spending time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing in spiritual discussions or just relaxing for a good card game and camaraderie.
That is just glimpse of our lives leading up to where we are. We feel greatly blessed by God to have this family and be at this point in our lives. He has watched over us, cared for us, comforted us, protected us and been patient with us as we strive to please Him. We truly look forward to the work God has in store for this congregation here in Susanville.