Many of you maybe wondering what has gone on since the 2019 Calvary School of Missions where I was fortunate to be able to lead the on-ground operations of the missions training school launched by Saving Grace World Missions. I do have to confess since then it has been quite an interesting season. For a period of that time, quite frankly, I was asking myself what am I doing here? This was the question, this has been the struggle. As I have returned to work here in the SGWM (Saving Grace World Missions) home office, fulfilling my duties as the Assistant Director as well as my role as associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace, I’ve asked myself a lot of questions. What am I doing here, why am I sitting in hours of meetings, why am I answering phones, why am I chasing emails, why am I dealing with traffic? Why, why, why? Well, a few answers became clear to me. First of all because this is what God has called me to for this season. Even though my heart longs to be in the field and to be in the lives of missionaries, God has called me for the time being to pour into them from afar and take short visits to them. Secondly, God has entrusted to my care several young men and women from the school who are now interning with us. The Lord has seen fit to allow me to pour into their lives, guide them, and direct them as they seek to acquire the skills and tools they will need to succeed on the mission field. ...

I must admit that up until January of this year I have had a very limited view of missionary care. Having just concluded a six week trip to Mexico where I had the privilege of leading the Calvary School of Missions, I struggle to find the words to express the joy and growth brought about through this experience. It has been difficult at times as I left my fiancé, Jenn at home but both of us see the sacrifice being well worth it. I spent the last six weeks watching seven young men and women seek the Lord for His will for their lives. The Calvary school of missions was a six-week intensive Missions training School focused on education in the morning hours, teaching students the Biblical philosophy of missions, cross-cultural ministry, church planting techniques, and so much more. The afternoons were filled with various types of outreach, homework, and lessons in self-care and relationship building. ...

During this past month, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in what we call Missions Sunday here at my home church Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. This was a great opportunity to bring awareness to the congregation about the amazing work the Lord is doing among the nations through missionaries who set aside everything and sacrificing so much for the furtherance of the gospel. During the main services, I was able to participate in a five-person Q&A panel from Saving Grace World Missions (SGWM). Our goal was to shed some light on the way SGWM gets to be used by the Lord in the Great Commission ...

Hello everyone, we had a wonderful Mission trip to Peru where I was able to be a part of the leadership team for our high school and young adults mission trip. We spent 14 days journeying to Peru ministering there and returning. Calvary Chapel Huacho was our receiving church and ministry partners on the trip. Pastor Craig Tippie and his crew there took fantastic care of us. Team Unity in Huacho ...

South, South, South….. Some birds fly south for the winter, some retired folk go south for the winter and that’s exactly what I found myself doing. Granted I’m not retired nor am I vacationing or engaged in any other activities the birds might be engaged in down South, but I found myself continuing to follow the call of the Lord upon my life in the South during the season. It started with a couple of trips to Oaxaca where I was able to join SGWM missionaries who are dear friends of mine as they sought for a place to plant a brand-new church in southern Mexico ...

For the last 17 years I have been able to serve the Lord on the front lines of the battle by doing ministry at Christ-Centered Residential Chemical Dependency treatment. I have had a front row seat to see the power of God in the transformation of men’s lives as we worked through the trauma, grief, abuse, neglect, and various other issues that arise from lives lived in rebellion to God. I have had the privilege of seeing men turn their lives back to the Lord, or come to Him for the first time ever, and get set free from the grip of the enemy and the bondage of sin. ...

Over the last year and a half, I’ve gotten many lessons and realized more and more the lack of humility in my life. One of the biggest exposers of this issue has been need. Having stepped out of my career and ending the paycheck, I never realized how much I solved my problems by just buying what I wanted/needed. I always sought to honor God with my finances and feel I did a pretty good job but had no idea how many areas having a paycheck makes you not lean on God. There’s been no lack of lessons since I came to SGWM and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Last week right before the missions conference my car broke down for the final time. ...

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I appreciate all of your love, prayers, encouragement and financial support. Because of you, I’ve been able to engage in many wonderful things this year. At the top of my list, is caring for and loving missionaries who have left their homes, families and American desires to further the Gospel around the world. I have been able to do this through telecommunications and technological tools along with personal visits to their homes and ministries. ...

October is a month usually associated with darkness, a month where much wickedness is celebrated. I suppose this October wasn’t different for many, but for me, it was a month of celebrating much light and the grace of God in my life. You see, in October nineteen years ago I got radically born again, I’m sure it was a coincidence but that was also the last time I did drugs, alcohol or went to jail. I rejoice in the fact that the Lord rescued me from the Orange County jail cell where I was a physical and psychological mess and chose to set this sucked up ex-con on a path for His glory. October is not only a month that I celebrate salvation, sobriety and being returned to my right mind but it’s also a month that Jenn and I celebrate one year of our relationship. So October is full of celebrations and milestone memories for me. It also kicks off three of my most favorite months where it seems like opportunities to engage people in conversations about the Lord are more abundant. I’m looking forward to and taking advantage of these opportunities every chance I get. ...

I’m not sure why, but one of the hardest things for me to do is write an update letter. It’s not like there are no great things to report of what the Lord is doing or that there are no struggles or that life is not in session. But the reality of sitting down and putting pen to paper has been so difficult for me. Some would think that being a missionary in California, USA would not be hard at all. Although I am enjoying all the benefits of the United States of America there are still many difficulties involved in serving here. I think it’s also a matter I’m dying to self. I say that because one of the greatest difficulties for me is to talk about me and sometimes I feel like that’s what I’m doing in an update later. I also think there’s a spiritual component here at work. The reality of an update letter is to bring attention and glory to what God is doing in the midst of victories, trials, and defeats and I truly believe that this is met with a special level of opposition. In any event, thank you for letting me share my heart and my struggle. Since the last update later and coming back from South Asia there have been some big changes in my life. One of them being a lady ”friend” of mine that I have been seeing for almost a year now is now officially my girlfriend. This is a wonderful thing and she is a truly godly woman who is completely in love with Jesus and His word. Even though I truly believe the Lord is in this and my friends and church family totally love her, this is a whole new level of awkwardness and dying to self as I have not had anybody in my life for the last 14 years. ...