Posts on Garcia Family Blog

Uganda Hear About This! - Garcia June 2025 Update

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 20:40:27 +0000

Hello Family & Friends!

I bring back greetings from the churches in Uganda to all of you! I can’t thank all of you enough for your support and prayers that helped send me to Uganda a few weeks ago. I never realize how fruitful one of my missionary trips is until I arrive and see how blessed our missionaries are to be visited and loved by our presence there.

After a few long flights, Isaac and I arrived near Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where we stayed a few days with the Kanyike family. Jill was one of the first missionaries sent out of our home church, Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. Her husband, Brian, a Ugandan national, pastors an amazing church called Arise Christian Fellowship there in Kampala. We got to hold a men’s conference, go to the slums, visit the marketplace where Brian started the church, and I even got to teach the Sunday service! But on top of seeing their amazing ministry, the best part was just spending time with their family.

Uganda, Finally! - Garcia Family Update May 2025

Wed, 28 May 2025 16:59:40 +0000

Hey Friends and Family!

The time is finally almost here! For about the last 4-5 years, we have made plans and then had to scratch those plans for Joel to travel to Uganda, Africa. Last year, we went so far as to purchase tickets even, just to have the Lord change our plans yet again!

SGWM has three amazing families serving in Uganda: The Anikus, the Harrises, and the Kanyikes. Joel will be traveling with Isaac Douglass (who assists him with missionary care) with the goal of visiting these families, seeing their ministries first-hand, and to just be a blessing to them. This makes a HUGE difference in the lives of missionaries, to have their “senders” from back home visit them and see what their lives and ministries look like.

Garcia Family Update March 2025

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 20:50:47 +0000

Hello Family and Friends!

As always, we pray you are doing well. I’m not sure all of you realize this, but you are a vital part of the ministry we get to do for Saving Grace World Missions. The fact that you read our updates blows us away; we are so grateful! For those of you who give financially, that partnership allows for this ministry to be a part of my full time work, so that missionary care can get more of the attention that it needs! And every time that I hear of someone praying for us, I am reminded that prayer is the engine that keeps our ministry moving and effective. Without your prayers, there is no power behind what we get to do for the Lord. So, from the bottom of our hearts, we want to say thank you!

Will You Pray With Us? - Garcia Family Update January 2025

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:39:45 +0000

I love January! I’m always looking for a fresh start, a blank slate. It excites me to think about all of the things the Lord may have for us in the year ahead!

It’s been a great holiday season. October through December is a busy time for our church, with Halloween Front Yard Party Outreaches, our annual Thanksgiving Potluck, and Christmas services (which means dusting off the old Christmas songs for the worship teams I lead!). But it was so great to celebrate all of these things with our church and family.

What A Trip! - Garcia Family Update October 2024

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:35:37 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

One of the reasons I do what I do is that I LOVE missionaries. God has not called me to be a missionary (not yet at least!), but I know He has called me to send them, care for them, and love them well. This last trip I went on for 21 days in September was such a great opportunity to do just that: loving and caring for our missionaries well by having time with them face to face, worshiping with them and talking with them and sharing experiences with them.

Walking for the Nations! How YOU Can Get Involved! - Garcia Family Update August 2024

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:56:23 +0000

Hey Friends and Family!

I pray you are all doing well and enjoying these last days of Summer! Joel had an amazing time in Mexico teaching a workshop on raising up and leading a worship team, leading a night of worship and prayer for our School of Missions students, and then teaching a class for them on the theology of worship.

We are looking forward to a BIG month starting this week; here are some of the things going on that we would ask you to be in prayer for us over:

New States & New Countries - Garcia Family Update July 2024

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 03:05:01 +0000

While my (Joel’s) travels typically take me internationally, every once in a while I get to travel to a new state. Back in May, our whole family went on a road trip to Pagosa Springs, CO, where we hiked to waterfalls and along rivers, saw historic little towns, and spent time swimming at the beautiful resort we were blessed with a free seven night stay at! On the way back, we also got to visit the “Four Corners,” where you can stand in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico all at once. A novelty for sure, but the kids loved it.

God's Good Hand - Garcia Family Update May 2024

Fri, 17 May 2024 15:26:38 +0000

Most of you may know that I’ve been the Young Adults Pastor at my church for about 8 years now. The Lord has done amazing things in this group over the past year. We are currently going through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and one of the recurring themes in those books is God’s good hand being upon the work that these great men of God did (Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31; Nehemiah 2:8, 18). As I think about our ministry, and in particular about what’s to come this Summer, I see God’s good hands all over it!

Praise God for Answered Prayers! - Garcia Family Update February 2024

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:48:34 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I pray you are all doing well! The last couple of months have been so exciting for SGWM, and especially for me as the Director of Missionary Care. We have sent out FIVE new missionaries straight to the field for me to care for: one couple to Japan, and one couple and a single gal to the Middle East. It is so exciting to be a part of loving and shepherding these teams as they develop. I get to lead the team who does a lot behind the scenes to support these missionaries well by processing their finances, sending their updates out to their supporters, and providing pastoral care. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than SENDING these amazing men and women of God!

A Prayer Request - Garcia Family Update January 2024

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 05:21:22 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

As we near the end of the first month of 2024, we look back on last year with gratitude for all that the Lord has done, and for your faithful partnership in prayer and support; and we also look forward to what the Lord has for our family and ministry through the rest of 2024 ahead of us. Please see below for an important prayer request as we begin this year!

We're Back! Garcia Family Update November 2023

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:00:07 +0000

It is great to be back from an extremely fruitful trip to the Middle East and North Africa! I wanted to extend my thanks to you all for praying for Isaac and I. Our families were loved and taken care of while we were away, and our time in the two countries we went to was much needed.

I’ll be honest, I really don’t like traveling. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love getting to see our missionaries on the field, but this trip included 8 airplanes, with flight lengths ranging from 1 hour to 11 hours; we barely made our final connecting flight home (unlike our luggage, which had to be shipped to us the next day!); and, as is typical, I got a stomach sickness in the middle of our trip that hindered some of the ministry we planned on. But when I think of what our missionaries go through and what they have given up to get the gospel to the unreached, those things all become minor inconveniences.

Thank You For Sending Me! - Garcia Family Update October 2023

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 21:02:05 +0000

Hello Friends!

I pray you are all doing well! I wanted to use this update as a time to both ask for prayer, and to extend my gratitude! Next week, I am traveling with my friend Isaac (who is a pastoral intern at our church) to two countries that will remain unnamed, as they are “sensitive countries” (countries that are not open to the gospel). Our goal there is to visit with our SGWM workers in those countries, get a good firsthand look at the works there, and minister to them in love. This is what we call a “missionary care” visit, and something I love to do as the Director of Missionary Care with SGWM!

Called to Preach - Garcia Family August 2023 Update

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 18:47:06 +0000

Hello Friends!

It has been a busy summer for us! On top of holding the fort running the SGWM and CCSG home office and staff in the absence of many of our leaders during the summer School of Missions, the focus for Joel has been teaching and preaching. Since returning from Israel, which was the focus of our last newsletter, Joel’s teaching schedule has consisted of:

Co-teaching a class in June with Pastor Trent through 1 Timothy
Young Adults group every Thursday night through the book of Romans
Teaching the church through 1 Peter every Wednesday night during this July and August
A monthly Bible study for our church’s husbands and fathers through the book of Proverbs
Teaching a couple of our internship classes
Filling in on a Sunday morning for our pastor who became sick on Saturday night
Teaching a session at our church’s youth camp in July
Teaching for the young adults group and then three Sunday morning services the following weekend at Calvary Chapel The Rock in Santa Rosa, CA at the end of July

In the midst of this, Joel and Amy got to help with our church’s VBS in July, which was a major success!

What A Trip! - Garcia Family Update May 2023

Tue, 16 May 2023 17:59:09 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

We pray you are all doing well. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our updates, pray for, and support us! It means the world to us.

I (Joel) returned from a fruitful trip to Israel a couple of weeks ago. It was great to learn from our trusted guide and my pastor, Trent, getting a better grounding on the locations where the Bible took place. There is new significance to every story we covered as we receive greater context for the stories of Scripture. I also had the privilege of leading a LOT of worship at various locations, as well as doing some teachings.

Preach The Word! - Garcia Family Update February 2023

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:36:53 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

These last few months have been a sweet time of ministry. The Lord has really been confirming what I believe to be His main calling on my (Joel’s) life: to teach the Word of God! This specific calling plays into every role He has me in, from leading worship to being Director of Missionary Care here at SGWM.

The opportunities for me to teach have been plentiful. Right now, I am teaching our young adults group weekly through Romans. I was privileged to preach for three Sunday mornings at our church through the book of Jude recently. I am co-teaching a class at my church with our Senior Pastor through the prison epistles right now. In a couple of weeks, Amy and I will join a young adults group in northern California as I teach all of the sessions at their retreat; this group is led by Bond and Heather Gaona, who is a fellow SGWM board member with me! I will get to teach a session at my church’s youth camp in a few weeks, and I will also get to teach a Sunday morning at the church of a friend I met on my recent Nepal trip in just about a month. Notice that some of these teaching opportunities have come through missions connections! This has all taken a lot of hard work studying, but it is so awesome to walk in what God has called me to.

Fruit in Nepal - Garcia Family Update November 2022

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 19:10:27 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

It is hard to explain how amazing the experience I had in Nepal last month was. I met the men I know and pray for constantly who are my modern-day heroes of the faith. They serve the Lord is South Asia and the Middle East, I read their stories, I pray with them on Zoom, I talk about them all the time, and I finally got to meet with them in person, many of them for the very first time. It was an incredible feat for my friends Bond and Heather to get all of these men to Nepal for a conference, but it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever gotten to be a part of.

Garcia Family Update - September 2022

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 14:42:44 +0000

Hey Friends!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update! It has been awhile since I have sent out an update, and the Lord has been doing a lot in our lives and ministry, so below is a short video as well as some bullet points for you all to pray over. Thank you so much for your Gospel partnership!

https://youtu.be/kTymHJTyW6Y

Praise God that He has given me new roles and increased responsibilities and opportunities to serve Him! I have taken on the role of Ministry Pastor here at our church, Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. Please pray for wisdom and vision as I oversee the ministries of our church!
Praise God that He is giving me opportunities to teach! On top of teaching our Young Adults group weekly, I have the opportunity to teach at our upcoming Men’s Retreat, multiple times during an upcoming trip to Nepal, and a couple of Sunday mornings at the church after that filling the pulpit for our Senior Pastor while he is away on a trip to Peru. Pray for the anointing of the Spirit for those times and for the time and diligence to study.
Praise God that He is opening doors to travel again! Along with one of our SGWM board members, Heather Gaona and her husband Bond, SGWM missionaries Aaron and Jena Garcia, and my friend and church’s Youth Director Isaac Douglass, I am traveling to Nepal in mid-October to represent SGWM, meet ALL of our national workers from South Asia and the Middle East, and put on a conference for all of them to encourage them in their ministries! Pray for strength, guidance, and the Spirit’s filling to represent Him and His Word well on that trip, and for Amy and the kids as they will be home without me for 10 days.

We also would love to keep you updated on our ministry via our newsletter email updates if you are interested. You can sign up for those by clicking the link below:

The Power of Prayer - Garcia Family Update March 2022

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:48:32 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

We have been provoked lately regarding the power of prayer in our lives and the lives of others. Prayer is so powerful, the most powerful weapon we have as believers. As various trials have popped up in the lives of loved ones, we have been reminded of this reality.

A few weeks ago, Amy’s dad was in a skiing accident that left him in critical condition. Through the prayers of many, he is on the road to recovery. Though things are coming along much more slowly than we’d like, we are so thankful the Lord saved him from an accident that could have been so much worse!

Let Me Re-Introduce Myself! - Garcia Family Update February 2022

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:57:24 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I put together a short video for this month’s update to re-introduce our ministry. A lot of people aren’t fully aware of my role as Director of Missionary Care with SGWM and what that entails, so this video gives a short glimpse of what that means and why it’s so important!

https://youtu.be/1MLS54brcVo

We also would love to keep you updated on our ministry via our newsletter email updates if you are interested. You can sign up for those by clicking the button below:

This Christmas Was... Different - Garcia Family Update January 2022

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:52:56 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

Sick-mas

I pray you are all doing well! As many of you know, for many this holiday season was a little different with Omicron sweeping through many communities, including our church community. This is the second year in a row that we didn’t get to see any extended family on Christmas due to COVID; I came down with COVID 3 days before Christmas! It was rough on the family as it spread through the house and kept us cooped up over holiday break, but fortunately symptoms were mild and everyone recovered quickly.

He's Even in the "Boring" Stuff - Garcia Family Update November 2021

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 23:11:43 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I pray that you are all doing well as we enter into one of my family’s favorite seasons: Fall!

These last few weeks, I’ve been reminded that the Lord is even in the “boring” stuff that I do as Director of Missionary Care for SGWM. Administrative duties are not always fun and exciting. As COVID has changed our ability to travel, and I have been very slow and careful in trying to decide when and where I should travel next for missionary care, our focus has been on trying to make sure our home base operations run really well. That means I’ve been on the phone and Zoom checking up on missionaries to pray for them, and helping with their practical needs.

Send Them Out! - Garcia Family Update October 2021

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 18:27:44 +0000

Hello Friends!

One of the amazing parts of my (Joel’s) ministry with SGWM is seeing missionaries sent out. We refer to them as the tip of the spear, and we and the local church are the shaft by which these amazing missionaries are thrust into the midst of the unreached to bring the light of the Gospel to them. There is nothing in life more exciting than being a part of that process!

Full Schedules and Full Hearts - Garcia Family Update September 2021

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 18:30:58 +0000

Hello Family and Friends!

We pray that you are all doing well. I’d love for you to take a few minutes to watch our latest video update on our family and ministry!

https://youtu.be/1oYFXZ9LM9g

Please continue to pray that the Lord would open up doors and give direction on where He would like me to travel next. I take traveling seriously, as it costs money and precious time from my family, so I want to make sure that when I do travel, it is exactly where the Lord would have me to go to minister to missionaries. So far, I have not sensed open doors from Him to any specific area.

It Takes An Army - Garcia Family Update August 2021

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:00:52 +0000

Hello Family and Friends!

I hope that you’ve had a wonderful Summer! The days are still hot here in Southern California, but Fall will be here before we know it. Our kids have already officially started school up again (though school never really stops for homeschoolers, does it?).

This Summer reminds me of the importance of the crew it takes to send and care for missionaries. As Director of Missionary Care at SGWM, I help lead an army of people to support our missionaries. This includes our administrative staff and interns, but outside of our offices, there is a grouped that our own heroes, missionaries, look up to as their heroes: Missionary Care Teams.

Equipping the Next Generation of Missionaries - Garcia Family Update July 2021

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:34:07 +0000

Hello Family & Friends!

We wanted to send you just a quick update in the middle of a busy Summer. Our family is doing great, and the kids are having a blast swimming, meeting friends, and learning new things this Summer.

As many of you know, we hold an annual six-week Calvary School of Missions in Rosarito, Mexico every Summer. This program provides a primer for training young people in the theology and practicality of international missions and reaching the unreached. The theme is always a surrender of their lives and plans to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. This year, Joel got to go for the first week of the school to meet the students, minister to them as they grapple with missions and theology through a whirlwind first week. This has been a huge blessing, as he has never gotten to go for the first week and establish relationship with the students like this! In particular, it is really awesome for him to use his gift of leading worship to create an environment of surrender, intimacy with the Lord, and fervent prayer for the students. Please pray that the Lord would give guidance and wisdom to the students over the remaining fives weeks, and that He would strengthen them through the spiritual warfare they will experience.

Boasting In Him - Garcia Family Update June 2021

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 19:44:52 +0000

Hello Friends!

Check out this video of some of the things going on in our life and ministry this Summer:

https://youtu.be/_jHYhK1vTxM

We would ask that you pray for the Lord to meet our financial needs and consider partnering with our ministry financially as the Lord leads. If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.

An Update From Maggie & Harrison - Garcia Family Update May 2021

Sat, 15 May 2021 18:21:27 +0000

Hello Friends!

Some people don’t realize that in a family in vocational ministry like us, the kids are as big a part of the calling as the parents! On this lovely Saturday morning as I write this, I’m sitting in the living room while my two oldest, Maggie (7) & Harrison (5) build a Magnet Tile house. I decided to take the opportunity to interview them for this update; hope you enjoy!

Grateful to Serve - Garcia Family Update April 2021

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:09:42 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out our latest ministry & family update. Check out the video below to learn the latest from us :)

https://youtu.be/_GmLNhCHaS8

Life In Motion - Garcia Family Update March 2021

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:30:28 +0000

Hello Friends!

This past month has been filled with some amazing ministry opportunities for us. I (Joel) was able to help lead a team of youth and young adults on a Mexico trip, where our church’s heart is to get the students stirred up for the cause of reaching the nations with the gospel. Joel’s main goal there was to help lead and disciple the students through that process, as well as taking a few opportunities to step out of his comfort zone and lead some worship in Spanish (a language he doesn’t speak!).

Strive in Prayer - Garcia Family Update February 2021

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 22:58:53 +0000

Hey everyone! Here is a short video update on our family and ministry. I encourage you all to meditate on Romans 15:30-33 and its implications for all of us as missionary SENDERS! We are so blessed by all of your support and prayers!

https://youtu.be/jYZpTQhzjH4

Made For This - Garcia Family Update January 2021

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 04:23:12 +0000

I’m sure we were all ready for a fresh start in 2021. For our church, we started off the year with a week of prayer and fasting together, which was such an eye-opening time of denying our flesh and pressing into Jesus together. There’s no better way for us to start our year!

On the SGWM front, it has been so refreshing for me moving forward in our vision for missionary care, which I am privileged to lead. This has involved me meeting with multiple SGWM missionaries each week to get to know them better, wrap my head around their ministries and their needs, and simply let them know that SGWM is here for them. It’s like linking arms with missionaries all over the globe, and it’s exciting to have that kind of direction to sink my teeth into and do what I was made to do: simply play a part in the Great Commission! And I want to tell you, wherever you are and whatever vocation you are in, that you are called to play a role as well. In fact, those of you who support and pray for our family are playing a role in that way, and I can’t tell you how much I praise God for that!

What We Are Thankful For - Garcia Family December 2020 Update

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:23:20 +0000

This year has had its ups and downs. Well, let’s face it, for many of us, it feels like this year in particular has been chock full of downs. But as I (Joel) was in a staff Christmas gathering this morning, we talked about all of the good things God has done this year through our ministry, and the amazing teams He has placed around us to make it happen. And that got me to thinking about the amazing team my family has: all of you who read these updates, pray for us, and support us financially. Seriously, it blows us away that you guys support us and stand behind all that the Lord does in and through us for the sake of the gospel going to our neighbors and the nations. We are so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts.

Keep Trusting, Keep Moving, Keep Perspective - Garcia Family Update November 2020

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:39:38 +0000

Hello Friends & Family! We bring you this month’s Garcia Family Update in the form of a video :) Check it out, and be encouraged to keep trusting, keep moving, and keep perspective in the midst of these tumultuous times!

https://youtu.be/4KbzLW-hpC4

Please pray for us:

1. That the Lord would continue to give us energy and wisdom for raising our wonderful kids!

2. That the Lord would sustain Joel’s voice, as he has a nagging cough that comes with the high usage of his voice in teaching and leading worship.

New Seasons - Garcia Family Update October 2020

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 22:19:20 +0000

Hello All!

Just a quick update from the Garcia Family as we enter my favorite time of year: the Fall and Winter seasons. It has certainly been a strange season for everyone in the world this year, and our family and church has been no exception. We thank God for the ways He has drawn us closer to Him and challenged us as we do both local and worldwide ministry and raise young kids during a worldwide pandemic and social and political unrest in our country. All in all, our kids and family have done amazing and flourished during this time. We couldn’t be more proud of our kids and thankful for the Lord’s work in their lives. But COVID has changed a lot of things, from the way we grocery shop to the way we visit grandparents

South America Pt. 2: Huacho, Peru

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 02:36:14 +0000

Hello Friends!

I’m excited to bring you all part two of my South America trip update. Our time with the Tippie family in Huacho, Peru, was the shortest of the trip, only covering a couple of days. But boy, were they packed days!

Upon arriving back in Lima via a short flight out of Cajamarca with the Tippies, we took a three hour drive that got us into Huacho (pronounced “Watch-Oh”) near 11pm. I observed that Peruvians seem to be night-owls, and they eat late! We were tired, but Pastor Craig didn’t want to send us to bed with empty bellies. I was glad for that after a delicious meal of roasted chicken, aji sauce (think Chick-Fil-A sauce with a little south-of-the-border kick), and french fries. Peru LOVES their french fries, with their almost 4,000 varieties of potatoes that grow there! I could definitely have gotten used to that.

Unless They Are Sent Pt. 2 - September 2020 Update

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 23:21:01 +0000

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent?
- The Apostle Paul, Romans 10:14, 15

In my last update, I talked about how the Lord has used me in two of the three major ministries of SGWM: equipping future missionaries through our School of Missions and internship, and church planting in the 10/40 window as I help teach classes via Skype to one of our South Asia schools and discipling some young men here in the states to do the same. But I also alluded to the fact that I have taken on the role of Director of Missionary Sending for SGWM. I want to talk a little bit about that in this update.

Unless They Are Sent Pt. 1 - August 2020 Update

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 19:06:58 +0000

SGWM is all about planting churches among those who have never heard the good news of Jesus, especially those who previously have never had access to that good news. We do this in three ways: 1) by being a missionary sending ministry, where we send missionaries from the U.S. into the foreign mission field and help care for them, 2) by working with nationals in other countries who plant churches and Bible schools to train other nationals to go do the same, with a current focus in South Asia, and 3) by equipping young people passionate about foreign missions at our yearly Calvary School of Missions and through our internship program. These three ministries of SGWM are our response to Paul’s questions in Romans 10.

Devoted - July 2020 Update

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 20:20:27 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at our update. It means so much to us that you would care about what is going on in our lives and pray for us. Lately, the Lord has been moving me toward being more devoted as an individual and as a family as we move forward in our calling for His work. He has done this by bringing me to passages in my daily reading like:

Family & Ministry Video Update - May 2020

Thu, 14 May 2020 06:00:12 +0000

Hey Family & Friends!

Here is a quick video update including how we are handling the world’s present circumstances in our family and ministry:

https://youtu.be/EW8k3kXs-m0

If you would like to donate to the SGWM COVID-19 Relief Fund, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.

Please pray for our financial needs as we live largely off of financial support just like our international missionaries, and we are praying for the Lord to provide more financially to cover some increased costs of living. Please pray that the Lord may provide for us in His will, whatever amount of support He deems sufficient (Proverbs 30:7-9). If you feel led to partner with us financially, instructions are below.

I'm Back!

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 16:41:12 +0000

Hey Friends!

After my last update, Amy and I received a ton of remarks from people concerning my comment about praying for God’s will whether He would have us move to Jordan or not. I mentioned it casually, as we are ALWAYS trying to remain open to what God has for us, but I realize that I should have been more clear that we have received no direction from the Lord about leaving the states full-time. I just know that God moves hearts on short-term trips, especially ones where we are praying specifically about a new work God is doing, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t bring any presuppositions into Jordan that would have kept me from clearly hearing God’s voice. But, for now at least, God still has us here ministering to His church in SoCal and supporting ministry all over the world through my work with SGWM.

Renewed Vision, Needed Prayers

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 22:16:11 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

With a new year, I always find it helpful to think through where God has us and what He has us doing. I am more convinced than ever of His role for me in world missions using the pastoral gifts He’s given me of leadership, encouraging, teaching, and administration. I have been stirred early this year to “go” more; to go where our international ministries are and strengthen the disciples there (Acts 13:43; 14:21-23). And, in the case of my upcoming trip to Jordan, help establish new ones while making my life a blank check written out to Christ, open to where He may send me short-term or long-term.

Ready To Go!

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 22:46:03 +0000

Hello Family and Friends!

We are so honored that you’ve taken the time to check out our latest update. The Lord has been doing lots of exciting things in our lives, and we are so thankful for those who partner with us financially, in the work of the ministry, and in prayer.

Maggie at school

Jude (pre-haircut!)

Harrison and Clara

Our family is doing great! Maggie is doing a fantastic job in school, especially in her weekly literature class. Jude is taking leaps in his learning, especially after potty-training. Harrison is a ball of energy, and loves to play basketball with Joel after Joel gets home from work. And Clara has energy to match Harrison’s! She finally seems to be really close to sleeping through the night as well, much to our delight!

New Life & Fresh Vision

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 20:40:13 +0000

Hello Family and Friends!

We pray you are doing well, and as always, we are so thankful that you’ve taken the time to read this update and see what the Lord is doing in and through our lives. We are so grateful for each and every one of you!

After a lot of traveling the first half of this year, I’m holding off on any more traveling until 2020 (but there are exciting trips in the works!). That means I’m settling down for work at the home office for the rest of this year. But that doesn’t mean things aren’t exciting!

A Quick Summer Update

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 17:26:48 +0000

Hello Friends!

We are here in the middle of Summer, and this year has seen a lot of travel for Joel. On top of the 18-day trip to Peru and Brazil back in January/February, Joel got to go back to Peru in June/July with a bunch of youth and young adults from CCSG, and he also had the opportunity to go to CCSG’s 4-day youth camp in August to teach, lead worship, and minister to our church’s youth, including many who were on the Peru trip, and the children of one our SGWM missionary families.

Video Update: Back to Peru!

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 05:52:28 +0000

Hello Friends!

Thank you all for opening up this update so you can see what is going on in our ministry and keep us in your prayers. It really means the world to us to have people supporting us as home-base missionaries supporting international missions and missionaries. You are all an answer to our prayers!

I (Joel) just returned home from Huacho, Peru. Some of you remember that I went there a few months ago with some other pastors to scope out SGWM’s ministry there in preparation for this recent trip. We took almost 40 teenagers, young adults, and their parents to bless Pastor Craig Tippie’s church, Calvary Chapel Huacho. It was a fantastic trip full of twists and turns. Our entire team was amazing, holding to our mantra for short-term missions: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.” Here is a short video update that I recorded in the middle of the trip explaining why I love short-term trips like these with young people. I wasn’t able to get it uploaded with spotty internet connection in Peru, but here it is!

Introducing: Clara Jennifer Garcia!

Sat, 27 Apr 2019 03:29:08 +0000

Hello All!

Just wanted to give you all a quick update to let you know that Garcia Baby #4 has arrived! Clara Jennifer Garcia came rushing into this world (I mean really, she was born within 25 minutes of us arriving at the hospital) early Tuesday morning, April 23. She is beautiful, healthy, and has quite the set of lungs! Amy is doing great as well. I am taking a week off of going into the office in order to take care of Maggie, Harrison, and Jude while Amy gets adjusted to caring for Clara and giving her a smooth transition into our home. Thank you all for your prayers and support, it means the world to us!

The Adventures Continue

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 20:20:13 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

Well, it’s springtime now, almost Easter, and that is the due date for our fourth little one, Clara, to make her appearance! So, I thought I would give you guys an update before we enter the busy season of bringing a new infant into the family :)

After my trip to South America, I expected that maybe my return to the SGWM home office would be a bit of a downer. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than ready to return home! But when you’re out on the field amongst all of the “action” of missions, it can make the things we do as senders back in Yorba Linda seem a bit mundane. Praise God I was wrong! When I see these families on the field doing the work of the ministry, it inspires me and excites me even more to put my hand to the plow back at the home base. Not only that, but life has been as busy as ever since my feet hit home turf again; the adventures have simply continued here in Southern California. Here is a quick rundown of what we’ve been up to via pictures :)

South America Pt. 3: Brazil

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:17:30 +0000

Hello Friends!

Who knew that one missions trip would require three updates for me to scratch the surface of everything God did with our team in South America! But alas, here we are at update #3 to talk about my time in Brazil, the final leg of our South America trip.

While some of my greatest spiritual warfare happened in Peru, Brazil was the toughest portion of the trip for me both physically and emotionally, despite the fact that (praise God!) my sickness did not follow me into the Amazon jungle. Physically, the pounding heat and humidity of the jungle wore on me over the first two days there, and emotionally, due to the length of the trip, I was really missing my family the most in Brazil, especially in the jungle where I had zero contact with them.

South America Pt. 1: Cajamarca, Peru

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 22:49:17 +0000

Greetings Friends!

As many of you know, I (Joel) just returned a few days ago from an 18-day trip to South America. Two countries, eight airplanes, over 24 hours’ worth of boat rides, dozens of new friends, three new languages, weird foods (cow heart, anyone?), weird animals (pink dolphins, anyone?), rain, hail, heatwave, and real RAIN… Joy, lots of laughing, lots of tears, lots of worship, lots of prayer, lots of Bible, lots of missing my family, lots of physical ailments, lots of sights and sounds and tastes and… This was a PACKED 18 days. Our bodies, minds, and souls went through a lot, more than I’m used to, and while it was hard, my calling to be a part of this movement of God amongst the nations was only confirmed all the more.

On Location! (First 2019 Garcia Family Update)

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 22:03:50 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I thought I’d do something a little different for our first update for 2019. Hope you enjoy this short video packed with the tons of things going on in our life, live from the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta, CA! Just click below!

https://youtu.be/r3PKzPCt84o

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If you would like to support us financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Joel Garcia support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.

What I Read in 2018

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 23:11:01 +0000

Hello everyone, and happy almost New Year! I promise we’ll have a proper family/ministry update soon, but each year, I typically post a list of the books I’ve read over the past 12 months. This is partially because people have asked in the past for recommendations, and partly because it helps me to look back and think about some of the written data I’ve consumed over the year. I’m only posting books I’ve read cover to cover in 2018. I’ll make some comments here and there, and as a side note, I certainly don’t endorse every book or author as holding to my own particular beliefs (especially because the vast majority of my reading is related to Christianity). I’ve separated the books loosely by category, mostly fairly specific, with an added catch-all Theology/Christianity/Other category at the end. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to ask questions, make comments, and let me know what you’ve been reading yourself :)

An Update and An Invitation

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 00:03:55 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I pray you are all doing well, and as always, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to open and read this short update from my family and I. It is such a blessing to know there are people who love us and care about what is going on with our ministry!

Our Step of Faith

Last month marked the one year anniversary of my family taking the step of faith to come on staff with SGWM. And while we had prayed for years for the opportunity to take a “full-time” ministry role with Saving Grace, it was a step of faith indeed. Because I work in part for Calvary Chapel Saving Grace’s Yorba Linda ministry, the church pays a portion of my salary. But because the other half of my work here is for Saving Grace World Missions, the other portion of my salary comes from us raising financial support. It’s been an amazing season of doing work so closely associated with with the heart of the Great Commission (you can read more about all of those things in our blog updates), but it has been a great step of faith to rethink the way God provides for us financially.

A Land Full of Potential

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:30:41 +0000

Hello Friends!

We pray you are all doing well, and thank you for taking a moment to read our latest update! I (Joel) have been reflecting lately on what in the past has been, quite frankly, my least favorite portion of scripture: Joshua’s dividing up of the land to Israel after they entered the Promised Land. The list of boundary lines and cities is not a thrilling read, but I was assigned to teach this to our Bible College students in South Asia (via Skype) through the book of Joshua as I finished up my portion of this semester’s teachings. As I approached this text, I noticed that the future of Israel’s rich history was represented in what was, at that time, cities and lands full of potential. This potential for them was the choice between honoring God with the land and seeing His blessings in it (with places like Shiloh and Jerusalem), or offending God with idol worship and receiving the curse of disobedience (as with Ben-Himmon or Dan). As we move forward in our lives of following Christ, the same pregnant potential lies in front of us at all times. Will we reach out and receive His promises in faith and obedience, or end up heaping trouble on our lives with sin, laziness, or cowardice? Praise God that for us, above all of this, stands His great and faithful grace!

Big News & Full Plates

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 17:24:31 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I pray that you are all doing well, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read this quick update and join us in prayer!

First of all, we’re excited to present our big news to you all: Amy is pregnant with our 4th child! We’ll be introducing our newest little one into the world in Spring of 2019. We are blessed that the Lord has allowed us to have a “full quiver” of children so close in age so that they can grow and learn and be friends together. Amy and I celebrated our 7th anniversary of marriage this past month and are blown away by God’s faithfulness to us!

Summer Update #2!

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 18:20:25 +0000

Hey Friends & Family! Here’s another quick Summer update along with some prayer requests for those of you who are following our ministry. Thank you all so much for your prayer and for faithfully partnering with us!

Last week, I (Joel) got to go on my first youth retreat in a couple of years. It took some mental preparation to get back into “Youth Leader Mode,” as it’s been over 2 years now since I stepped away from being the church’s Jr. High Leader to being our Young Adults Leader. I was honored to lead worship for the majority of the trip and give a couple of teachings, one on God’s holiness and one on God’s mercy. What a blessing to see these students worshiping God with their whole hearts! One of my biggest takeaways was the effect that past retreats have had on these students. Youth retreats like this produce lasting fruit that many of them will look back on as spiritually defining moments in their lives, and that was what I was hearing from them on this retreat.

Missionary Spotlight Article for the Record Family: Defending the Faith in a Foreign Land

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 18:03:49 +0000

One of my favorite aspects of my job is interviewing missionaries and writing up articles describing their ministries to get the word out about what SGWM’s missionaries are up to. I’ll post some of those here on my own blog from time to time to give an example of what I’m doing to help promote the work of SGWM and our missionaries. Here’s an article I wrote awhile back about the Record Family, who have the unique role of doing Christian Apologetics ministry in Cambodia. If you’d like to become a supporter of our ministry, please see below this article for some instruction on that.

Summer Update!

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:10:46 +0000

Hello Friends!

I pray that this Summer has been treating you well, and if it’s as hot (or hotter!) where you are as it is here in SoCal, I hope you’ve been able to keep cool!

The Summer months have been productive and fun for our family. Our SGWM team returned from South Asia a couple of weeks ago and brought back with them a boatload of vision for how God is going to move in that country in the coming months! One cool way that I get to participate is to bring my experience working in the financial department of SGWM to help our board see what kind of financial support is coming in and what funds are further needed to accomplish what God wants to do in that country. Crunching numbers and finances are not the most exciting part of missions, but it is incredibly vital and I’m so glad to play a role in this important aspect of SGWM.

Holding The Fort

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 19:16:47 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

First of all, I want to thank you all for reading this. It is such an honor to know that we have people supporting us in prayer who want to know how to pray for us and what the Lord is doing in and through our lives!

As some of you know, about half of our SGWM staff has been on an almost 3-week (including travel time) trip to South Asia. With Pastor Mike’s wife gone there as well, leaving him to fill the role of mom and dad, that has left most of the day-to-day responsibilities for SGWM to land on myself and our awesome intern missionary (who is raising support to become a missionary in Croatia) Rebecca Alaniz. She has been such an amazing asset to our team and has helped make these three weeks a breeze! By God’s grace, we survived the team’s absence, but we’re looking forward to their return! I’ve already seen some of the amazing work they’ve been able to do over there, and I can’t wait to hear all about how the Lord used them! While I’m a bit jealous not to have gone, I’m honored that I get to stay behind and support them by holding the fort here at the SGWM office to free them up to be used by God there. Here’s a pic of our team there:

Come To The Feast!

Fri, 11 May 2018 22:40:44 +0000

A couple of months ago I was in the book of the prophet Isaiah in my Bible reading plan. I was down in a small room at our church with couches, an isolated little spot where I spend time with Jesus an hour or two before work during the week. This amazing poem in the book (chapter 25, verses 6 though 9) leapt off the page:

The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, Refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Missionary Spotlight Article for Rebecca and Brenna: Life, Death, and Waiting

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 20:31:41 +0000

One of my favorite aspects of my job is interviewing missionaries and writing up articles describing their ministries to get the word out about what SGWM’s missionaries are up to. I’ll post some of those here on my own blog from time to time to give an example of what I’m doing to help promote the work of SGWM and our missionaries. Here’s an article I wrote a few weeks ago about Rebecca Alaniz and Brenna Kulla, who are both preparing to go serve Jesus in Eastern Europe. If you’d like to become a supporter of our ministry, please see below this article for some instruction on that.

Missionary Spotlight Article for Vincent Family: Preach. Disciple. Send. Repeat.

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 22:22:22 +0000

One of my favorite aspects of my job is interviewing missionaries and writing up articles describing their ministries for SGWM’s monthly newsletters. I’ll post some of those here on my own blog from time to time to give an example of what I’m doing to help promote the work of SGWM and our missionaries. Here’s an article I wrote a few weeks ago about the Vincent family in Rosarito, Mexico. If you’d like to become a supporter of our ministry, please see below this article for some instruction on that.

Time To Go!

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 23:43:54 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

I hope you’re all doing well! Thank you for taking the time to read this update; I can’t tell you how much it blesses missionaries when you read our updates and take interest in the things God is doing in our lives. Things are continuing to go well with the ministry here. If you’re not familiar with my specific role in missions, the short of it is that I am on staff with Saving Grace World Missions as Director of Communications. I’m part of a staff that makes sure our missionaries are cared for spiritually and practically. My main role, on top of assisting with financial management for our missionaries, is to get the word out about what SGWM is and what we and our missionaries are doing. Please be in prayer as I lead up the promotion of our upcoming banquet May 5th, which is a great opportunity to garner support for the organization to help us send and support missionaries in an even greater capacity! Most people don’t realize the need to support not just missionaries on the field, but the organizations that send them and support them. The work of a missionary is not nearly as effective without a great sending organization!

Missionary Spotlight Article for the Miller Family: It's a Jungle Out There!

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 09:02:02 +0000

One of my favorite aspects of my job is interviewing missionaries and writing up articles describing their ministries for SGWM’s monthly newsletters. I’ll post some of those here on my own blog from time to time to give an example of what I’m doing to help promote the work of SGWM and our missionaries. Here’s an article I wrote a few weeks ago about the Miller family. If you’d like to become a supporter of our ministry, please see below this article for some instruction on that.

Missionary Spotlight Article for the Gaona Family: Home is Where the Mission Is

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 09:17:11 +0000

Home Is Where the Mission Is by Joel Garcia

Sharing the Good News About the Really Good News

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 22:06:30 +0000

Hello friends and family! Here’s a quick update on how things have been going in my now 3-month old position as a full-time SGWM missionary. In summary, things are fantastic, and I feel more settled into my role than ever before. I still fulfill a hodgepodge of tasks for our ministry as we all work together, but my official role is Director of Communications. What does that mean? In the business world, we’d probably refer to it as “Marketing,” but I don’t think that quite fits the bill of what I do for SGWM. We’re in the work of facilitating the spread of the Gospel through our missionaries and endeavors; my job with SGWM is to let the world know about what we and our missionaries are doing. In a nutshell, I’m spreading the good news about how our missionaries are spreading the really Good News!

Around the World (No Planes Required!)

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 22:41:26 +0000

The transition into being full-time missionaries with SGWM, becoming intimately connected with facilitating worldwide Gospel work and raising support as missionaries ourselves, has been quite a whirlwind. But there’s a peace in the midst of the hurricane, and we’re finally settling in to see what this is going to look like for our lives in the long-term after the completion of two successful church events I got to head up: our Halloween Front-Yard Parties and Thanksgiving Potluck. (If you’re curious, planning a potluck for 150+ people gives you a taste of both delicious food, mass chaos, and an incredible display of community in your church family). I’ve been a bit more freed up now to dive into the missions side of things. In the past month-and-a-half, I’ve had a chance to make contact with ministry in Uganda, Pakistan, and South Asia, with no air travel required!

Broadened Vision through a Narrowed Scope

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 03:49:25 +0000

Coming into this new venture of what most people call “full-time ministry,” I knew to expect the unexpected, but I suppose I still didn’t necessarily expect what I would stumble upon my first week. As an SGWM missionary, I’ve gotten to experience some really cool things this first week and a half at our headquarters, including the beginning of some training for one of our dear brothers in a sensitive country to direct some of the vision he has for sending missionaries out from his own ministry! I’ve been a part of some meetings on how to best bless our missionaries and get their stories in front of the body of Christ. And of course, I’ve been getting really excited preparing to teach through the prison epistles to one of our schools of ministry in Asia via Skype starting in a little over a week. How incredible that I get to be a small part of reaching the nations!

A New Adventure

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 22:10:26 +0000

Hello Friends, Family, and Brothers & Sisters in Christ!

My name is Joel Garcia. My family and I are about to embark on the greatest venture of faith we’ve yet to face in our lives, and we’d like to invite you to be a part of it!

Who We Are

I am the director of the Worship Ministry at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace, and my wife Amy and I, after leading the Jr. High Ministry for six years there, have now been leading the church’s Young Adults Ministry for just over a year. We met at CCSG and have been married for six years now, with three incredible children: Maggie (3), Harrison (2), and Jude (5 months). We certainly have our hands full!