Raising a Soul Surfer

One Family's Epic Tale

By: Cheri Hamilton, Rick Bundschuh

Narrated by: Pam Turlow

A shark attack is no match for God's plan and providence. When 13-year-old surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack, the media spotlight turned her quiet life upside down. Many wondered how this rising star would find the inner strength to press on and realize her pro surfing ambitions. Would she be able to adapt her surfing style to compete? Now, Bethany’s mother, Cheri, pulls back the curtain on her family’s life to show how the seeds of Bethany’s eventual triumph were planted decades before her birth, when Cheri and her future husband, Tom, were surf-loving kids searching for life’s meaning in the next big wave.

Raising a Soul Surfer follows their unpredictable journey across a continent to find each other and Jesus, and traces the hand of God at work in their lives as they married and started a family. Long before Bethany lost her arm and nearly her life, God was preparing the hearts and minds of her whole family to trust Him when it mattered most. The story of the Hamilton family, told as only a mother could, is a vivid illustration of how a sovereign God can turn what we see as a tragedy into a hope-filled witness of His power, grace and blessing.

©2011 Cheri Hamilton, Rick Bundschuh (P)2011 Oasis

I love how real and raw this story is!

As a parent, we all wonder if we are doing it well. This story renewed my faith and authentically shared the real-life challenges of Christian parenting, and parenting in general.

Raising A Soul Surfer

I really enjoyed this, listening to Cheryl Bethany’s mom as she went step-by-step through their entire life story and history, and just the events of Bethany is attack and comparing it to the movie. It was so much more in depth and get much more meaning even I believe..

We went to Kawai in 2008 and lived on a few organic farms and also we beach hopped between Anini beach and Haena Beach.
We did stay in Kapaa for a short time, but spent most of our time at Hanalei Bay, Ke’e and Tunnels.
I had split from my husband and we left the island around 24 January 2010 got back to New Mexico and then learned about the hurricane that was to hit near the end of February of 2010.
We had done professional tree, work and landscaping for many people from Kapaa Clear to North Shore Kilauea next to where they film Jurassic Park plus we camped there.
Camped in Moloaa Bay, Anahola & Kokee state park. Then Kapaa.
Lived in Princeville for 2.5 months.
We were a family of 5 and I felt like homeless bums even though we were Christian’s. I remember often wondering what the inside of Hanalei’s little church was like. It just reminded me of a little country church. It was so quaint and so adorable. ♥️😁 had good times and bad times on the island until I separated from my husband and asked if the kids wanted to stay with your dad or come with me back to the states and so we all left him behind sad but it was the end of a 16 1/2 marriage that couldn’t actually be finalized until three years later.