It all started my senior year in High School. My family just left FBC...now COTH...because of some stuff at the church. I stayed for a couple more months to help the new youth pastor with some transition stuff. But had to leave and join my family at CBC. So January 1998, I made the scary move. I knew Pritam and that's about it.
Ben Pitney, FBC's old youth pastor was the new youth pastor at CBC. SO it was a little easier to move on into the group. I knew I had to jump in feet first to start well. The HS Group was going to Mexico and me being kinda Mexican, I thought I should go. But yeah I knew that God had planned this perfectly. SO I had a couple months with the group before we went to Mexico. Matt Carver remembered me cause I was the guy that came onto his VCHS football bus, crying, and thanking them for beating us??? And for being good Christians:) (little did I know at that time)
SO, April of 1998 we went to Mexico to get my first taste of the mission field. We had a good team and we were going to put on a VBS, play soccer, and preach! This is where all the memories of CBC started. "Peaches" yeah, that was my nick name given to me but some "hot chick" while I was serving her peaches. "Strawberries", if you were there you know what I'm talking about:) "Coco Lima's" very good tacos! Camping, cold showers, the guys NOT taking showers, the BUS and so much more. God grabbed a hold of my heart and stuck it right in the middle of the lost and CBC!
That was it! CBC was my home. Another 'hot chick...Betsey", hired me as an Intern for the Childrens department. It was the best summer intern staff and we had so much fun! Bamboola was probably the best. All the interns painted each others faces and we had a great time. PS...kids really do pee and poo in the BALLS at Bamboola.
I have to say that our College Group starting that summer was amazing! Ben did a great job at bringing us together and making us a family seeking God more and more. We actually loved coming to the group on a Friday night and just being with each other. I thank God for that time in the college group.
POLAND!!! I think I have been to Poland 5 times! Yeah crazy! I can honestly say that the Summer of 1999 is where my ministry started. I had a chance to use my story to lead someone to Christ. I got to see that relationships built on trust and Christ makes for a great foundation. We did English Camps for Polish Students and in that built relationships. We ate, drank, slept, showered, played, learned, worshiped and grew closer to Christ! Each trip was awesome but I have to say that our first trip was the most memorable.
Africa was another beautiful country that I had a chance to go to and see how God is working there. Again we were the first from CBC to step foot in Africa. (It seems like, I'm always on the teams that go first???) The children of Africa...well...what can I say...they...umm...you really have to go there and see it for yourself. The children that we ministered to loved life because Jesus loves them. They have nothing but they have smiles on their faces because they have Jesus. AMAZING is all I can say.
In the middle of all this I was volunteering with the children's department with teaching, leading and even leading WORSHIP! Yeah you heard me right! I was also volunteering in the Jr. High Group. I served with Ben, Sean and Brian in the Student Ministry Department. But I had to quit when Brian was the head. I was starting a new chapter in my crazy life...
Betsey Alford came into my life like an Angel floating on a cloud. Beautiful, WHITE, perfect and everything that I wanted. But I didn't even know it:) Yes, she was my boss when I came to CBC. I dated other people. She dated other people:) We were on the first trip to Africa together and serving right along side each other. We worked well together and were becoming friends. Nanda was trying to rekindle the flame between my ex-girlfriend but God had another agenda. We came back to the U.S. of A. and Betsey and I were on another team to Poland. And that's where Betsey fell in love with me!!! We stayed a few extra days in Krakow, we had to share a room in a youth hostile, watch A.I....the worst movie EVER, and we had a Corona! Good times. We again came back home and that's when I started the magic. For the next couple weeks, we went out on dates but they weren't dates. Finally, at the FRENZY...so good by the way...we went on a drive all night talking about us. If we would last? When she would kill me? And just everything under the moon. We ended the next morning in front of my house with a kiss to seal the deal. It was perfect!
SO, I was dating an older woman. I WAS THE MAN! We spent the next year with each other and letting our families try to figure us out. I had the talk with her parents. I thought that I was going to walk in and Mike was going to be cleaning his guns and knives, but it was Jan that gave me all the trouble. She grilled me for hours! But I won them over in the end with my charm and good looks.
I took Betsey to Disneyland in November of 2002 and asked her if she would marry me and be with me for the rest of her life. And she said YES! It's been 5 years now and she hasn't killed me...yet.
I was involved with the non-church plant "church plant" at CBC called Crossings. I was involved with the Cafe and had a great time. There came a time where this "church plant" actually planted but we didn't go. Betsey was working and getting paid big bucks at CBC...lol...and we both felt God keeping us there. We got back from our honeymoon in Hawaii and Nanda asked us to help with another non-church plant "church plant" called Crosspoint...yeah that's what I said...and we said yes? (not to self: DO NOT start or get involved with a ministry your 1st year of marriage...no matter who asks you) That kinda flopped...really flopped!
Betsey and I had a chance to go to the Czech Republic and lead a team to do a VBS for Missionary Kids. Really good trip! The kids were amazing and we had a great time. I still remember this little girl who didn't speak any english and did not like anyone...except me:) She would cry and ask for me and give me this big ol hug, while patting my back. It was the best. But Chris Coggins was on the trip teaching all the kids how to write viruses for Macs and that's where we started our love relationship. How can't you love that big sexy head. He was the Youth Pastor at CBC that time. He was in charge of the College and HS. As we talked about everything I was telling him that I wanted to get back into youth ministry somehow in anyway. He told me to go back home, pray and we would talk 2 weeks later and see what God was saying...
We sat down at Togo's in June of 2004 and Chris offered me the JOB as the Jr. High guy. I didn't eat my lunch, that's how much it took me by surprise. I started August 1, 2004. I had some big shoes to fill and I had no clue what I was doing. But, I read a couple books and put my head down and made it work only by God's grace! We had a crazy fun year!!! I was working at Adobe as a building engineer at the same time so it made it even crazier!
In the next couple years we bought a condo, had a crazy kid named Dylan, and we were loving life and our little family was growing. I was loving ministry and having a bunch of fun! We went to YS in Dallas. I was learning a ton from Chris, myself and God was teaching me more that I was expecting to learn.
Chirs came to me in January 2006 and said he was going back to the Motherland...Texas...to plant a church. He was going to be gone in May and wanted to get me prepared. I don't think that was enough time to prepare me for the next 2 years of my life:) But that how God planned this crazy life and I just had to hold on! I didn't know I had the job until Chris recommended me as the next Youth Minister of CBC. The elders saw my heart and where I wanted to take the group. They said YES and told me to hold on...
As I started, there was a whole new team starting at CBC. Kyle, Brandon and I were the new guys and we were looking to the future. There was new and exciting things happening.
Student Ministries was taking new steps. Every major leadership change is big, weird and it takes some time to get comfortable. I stepped in and started running. Chris had some big shoes to fill but most of the kids were my old Jr. Highers and I was in a good place. Ministry was good. We were doing new things and making some mistakes. We were in Hume again, we started going back to Mexico, taking families to New Orleans, All-Nighers got bigger and better, leaders were getting BIGGER and better, and the ministry that was happening outside of church was even better. Jordan and I were running the Student Ministry and killin it! We worked well together and I love that guy!
Ryan came in August of 2007. He was the new Family Pastor and the old Youth Pastor of South Hills. I knew that he was going to be a great addition to our team. He was my new boss and I finally had someone that was going to be walking through ministry with me daily. He was the reason why Student Ministries grew and with his leadership and knowledge I looked good.
By the summer of 2008, there were major changes in CBC. Brandon was gone. Kyle was gone. I was wanting leadership and someone to step up in CBC and take us to a new place. By September of 2008, I had the whole school year of 08-09 planned and I was totally excited for the school year. This class that is graduating in 09 was my 1st class that I had as the Jr. High guy. I was excited to complete them as a class and pass them on. But CBC was in chaos and money wasn't showing up every Sunday.
God is good and his plan is always the best! God's timing will always rise above your timing!
Oct. 08 - Nov. 08 in the next blog...
