staff

pastors & servants

Pastor Gary Malkus

Senior Pastor

pastor andrew ferguson

Administrative Pastor

Pastor hector garcia

Children's Ministry Pastor

PASTOR GARY ARCE

School of Ministry

Christian Bergman

Young Adults Pastor

Pastor Hunter McKoy

Youth Pastor

Isaac Robles

Worship Pastor

Kevin DeLucia

Ministry Coordinator

Nathan Hatley

Administrative Assistant

Emily Paquette

Receptionist

GABRIEL VARELA

Children's Ministry Assistant

PASTOR GARY MALKUS, SR. // SENIOR PASTOR

I received Jesus as my personal Savior in April of 1980 while serving in the US Army. My wife, Danielle, and I began attending church regularly from the moment we were saved. The Lord called us back to California when my tour in the military ended in the fall of 1980.

In 1981, I began teaching a weekly Home Fellowship and was part of the counseling ministry for Colonial Bible Church in Tustin, CA. In 1986, we moved our family to Phelan and began attending what is now Calvary Chapel of Phelan. I began teaching a Home Fellowship after a few months of attending this church. I was ordained as the Youth Pastor in July of 1989. I truly enjoyed working with the teenagers and teaching them the Word of God. I worked as a Youth Pastor until January 1993 when I was brought on staff full-time as the Assistant Pastor/Administrator.

In 1991, I became a Chaplain for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. I began this ministry as a Citizen Volunteer Chaplain. I completed the Reserve Peace Officer Academy in October 1994 and was sworn in as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. I served as a Chaplain on a peer level with the Deputies in our department for 28 years before retiring in December 2019. The Lord has opened many doors through Chaplaincy for ministry to those in the Law Enforcement community. I am currently serving as a Chaplain for the United States Secret Service with great expectations of the Lord doing powerful work among the Agents and office staff.

In October 2007 I became the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Apple Valley. Danielle and I came to this church with excitement to see all that God has in store for us. It truly has been a blessing to watch the Lord build His church in our community. 

We have three grown children: Terra who is married to Jim, Gary Jr. who is married to Jessica, and Jacquie who is married to Andrew. We are also proud of our fourteen grandchildren: Savannah, Jimmie, Ean, Raelyn, Karis, Titus, Sofia, Lola, Malachi, Freedom, Judah, Daisy, Cruz and Uriah. As well as our three great grandchildren Oden, Carsen, and Alisen.

On March 22, 2023, my wife, Danielle, went to heaven.  She died of a rare bone marrow cancer while undergoing a stem cell transplant. After 45 years of marriage and serving the Lord together side by side, this has become the most difficult season of my life.  However, the Lord has continued to be my strength and comfort through the grieving process.  He is still pouring out His blessing on the work of the ministry here in the Town of Apple Valley.  For that, I am grateful and look forward to all He has in store for our church family.

PASTOR ANDREW FERGUSON // ADMNISTRATIVE PASTOR

In the Summer of 2003 I was addicted to methamphetamine.  Because of my addiction I violated my probation.  When I went to court they ordered me to find a program that would help me find freedom from my life controlling problems. My Dad found a Faith based program called Teen Challenge that was highly recommended by His Pastor. I met with the Pastor on a Sunday and he encouraged me to go to get the help I desperately needed. I entered the doors of Teen Challenge broken, ashamed, empty, and hurting from the lawless life I had chosen to live. I had a real encounter with Jesus Christ just two weeks after entering the doors of Teen Challenge.  This encounter radically set me free from the bondage of sin. I had finally found purpose, Identity, and calling that directed my life into full time ministry. I graduated the program after one year.  Then I entered the Internship program for four months, which lead me to the Teen Challenge Ministry Institute for one year of Bible college.

In 2006 I accepted a position as a Teacher/Advisor at the Riverside Teen Challenge Training Center. Five years later I was given the privilege to serve as the Dean of Students, Evangelism Coordinator and Apprenticeship program supervisor of Southern California. In 2008 I married my beautiful wife Jacquie and later added to our family four precious gifts: Karis, Titus, Malachi, and Judah. During that time, I served approximately 129 men and staff who were part of the Christian Life School. I found great joy in seeing men’s lives be transformed by the power of the Gospel and witnessing personal growth in their journey of discipleship. I ministered with Southern California Teen Challenge for over 10 years until just recently the Lord came to us with a word that would change the direction of our lives.

The Word we received was Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. This word came while we were at Church on a Sunday morning. It came about four hours before I was asked to pray about coming on staff as the Administrative Pastor. I was completely taken off guard and I was torn apart by having to decide to leave Southern California Teen Challenge a ministry that introduced me to Jesus and had invested into my discipleship for 10 years. I thought I would never leave Teen Challenge, but God had a different plan for me and my family. After spending time seeking the Lord my wife and I received several words from the Lord confirming my transition to this new assignment in the Kingdom.  

I currently serve as the Administrative Pastor. I look forward to serving in the community of Apple Valley and around the world fulfilling the Great Commission. I have a deep passion for evangelism and discipleship and reaching millennials with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe in the life changing Power of the Holy Spirit that has the ability to transform a culture that is blinded and bound by the enemy. I believe we have an opportunity to equip and reach a lost and dying world with the hope of Jesus Christ.

PASTOR HECTOR GARCIA // CHILDREN'S MINISTRY PASTOR

I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1996, but backslid very quickly for 3 years. I was fooled into thinking that trusting in a religion instead of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was what I needed in my life. The gospel was preached to me in a way that I understood it and I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but that is where is stopped. The church I was attending did not teach God’s word in its entirety. The importance of reading God’s Word, praying, fellowship with other believers, and most importantly having a personal relationship with Jesus, was not the priority. The “Just trust what the church is saying and you will be ok” lead me to continue my life as I knew it, but God had another plan for my life - His plan.

Slowly, the Lord began to convict me of my lifestyle. The things I thought were acceptable began to feel wrong. The Lord showed me the plans I had would only lead to destruction and that His plans would lead to life everlasting. I thought that money, women, alcohol was ok to desire as long as I confessed my sin on Saturday and went to church on Sunday. I remember the night I had enough of my life and called out to our God to save me from myself. You see I was caught up in a gambling company making thousands of dollars a week, manipulating women, and using alcohol as a drug to try and drown out my convicted heart. It was this conviction that led me to make a choice to truly follow Him or lose my life to this dark world. I needed Jesus to pick up my broken life and fill me with his love. When I made the choice to follow him instead of the world my real life began. The Lord drastically changed my life showing me that He is the priority and nothing can come before Him. Within 30 days of my repentance I lost the money and all the relationships I had. He took it all away and gave me the simple life I needed. The Lord granted my prayer for a new life in Him and for more than 20 years now, I have grown stronger in my personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is a great honor to have served my country in the United States Air Force from 1999 to 2012, as well as a teaching career from 2000 to 2012 as a high school teacher.

In 2007 I became a Jr High Youth Leader at Calvary Chapel of Apple Valley. I have been so blessed through teaching God’s Word to the youth in both the church and high school settings.

In 2011 I became the director of the children’s ministry at Calvary Chapel of Apple Valley. It was in the Jr. High and children’s ministry setting that the Lord reveled his calling on my life, to serve Him in full-time ministry as the Children’s Ministry Pastor at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.

On August 5th, 2012 I became the Children’s Ministry Pastor at Calvary Chapel of Apple Valley. In January of 2015 God called me to Pastor the High School Ministry for a short period of time and I reprised my role as Children's Ministry Pastor in 2016.  My wife Laurie and I have been married since 2000 and have been blessed with three children who are now adults: Samuel, Chloe, and Elijah. We have been blessed with training up our kids in the ways of the Lord. My entire family is so happy to be part of the Lord’s church in full time ministry at Calvary Chapel of Apple Valley and look forward to serving and watching the Lord build His church until His return.

PASTOR GARY ARCE // SCHOOL OF MINISTRY

I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior in 1995. In the aftermath of the failure of my first marriage, and working through the guilt and brokenness that resulted, the Lord graciously revealed Himself to me and began to heal my heart. Then He brought an amazing, godly woman into my life, and Brenda and I were married in 1995. We began leading a Home Fellowship group, and I also began serving on the Worship Team at Faith Community Church in Victorville.  At this time, the Lord also allowed me to participate in short-term Mission trips to India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Nepal.

Since 1990, I have been living in the High Desert and teaching Science courses at Apple Valley High School.  This was a wonderful opportunity to work with young people and to stand up for Biblical truth. I retired from teaching public school in 2021.

In 2005, the Lord called my family and I to Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.  We have been incredibly blessed to be a part of this family of believers.  Brenda and I have also been blessed to minister in the Home Fellowship ministry and Young Adult ministry, and I also serve with the Worship Team.

We are extremely thankful to also have two children. Our son Christopher graduated from UC Irvine and is currently an Engineer/Firefighter with San Bernardino County Fire. He and his wife Nicole had our first grandson, Camden, in April, 2023. Our daughter Michelle graduated from Vanguard University and is currently a 7th Grade Math Teacher in the Sacramento area.

In 2011, Calvary Chapel Apple Valley started a School of Ministry for “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).  As a graduate of Calvary Chapel Bible College, I know firsthand the tremendous blessing that comes from studying the Word of God in depth. So it has been my privilege to serve in the School of Ministry as we “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

God is moving powerfully in these last days,  and it is my prayer that our soon-returning Savior will find us busy about our Father’s business – knowing Him intimately (John 17:3), serving Him faithfully (John 4:34), glorifying Him continually (Matthew 5:16), and sharing the Gospel zealously (Matthew 28:18-20).

PASTOR christian bergman // Young Adults PASTOR

When I was around the age of 5, I remember hearing the Gospel for the first time. We were sitting on the floor of my parents' living room listening to my dad present the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I responded that very night. 

Fast forward, and in the 7th grade, I had looked at porn for the first time and felt deeply ashamed. Yet I went back to it again and again. This turned into an addiction, and once I got into high school, I began to look for it out in the world. I started to pursue superficial relationships that would only continue to feed my flesh. 

In 2014, I found myself in a place feeling hopeless and completely alone. It wasn't until I was completely broken and empty that God plucked me out of my lifestyle of sin and debauchery and reminded me of the price that was paid for my sins. 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

Romans 5:8

I rededicated my life to God and decided to leave the world behind and submit to God's will.

I suffered depression for a year after submitting my will to Christ's, until one day God completely lifted my heaviness. Soon after, I jumped into volunteering as a teacher in the children's ministry at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.

I also met my wife, Shania, here at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley, where we were both serving, and in 2018, we got married. I was able to serve alongside my wife at the same church we both grew up in. As we were actively serving as leaders in the Jr. High and High School ministry, God had made it clear of the calling to serve full-time. We just didn't know how or when. 

In 2020, God opened a door for me to become a correctional officer at a Juvenile Hall. He used this opportunity to test and train me until God gave me a word that He was transitioning me out of the detention center, "Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door." Psalms 105:19-20 NLT

A week after receiving that word from the Lord I was asked to come on staff. I came on staff at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley in 2021. 

I used to live my life to serve my flesh, but I now live to serve the living God. It is only by God's grace and power through His son Jesus Christ that I am able to live out my calling and glorify Him with my life.

I currently serve as the Asistant and Young Adults pastor here alongside my wife, Shania. God has blessed us with three beautiful children, Lily, Levi, and Luke.

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;"

I Corinthians 1:27

PASTOR HUNTER MCKOY // YOUTH PASTOR

I grew up in a Christian home and at six years old, I understood Jesus would save me from my sins and hell, and so I asked Him to be my savior. But I didn't truly know what it meant to pursue a loving relationship with the graceful God who saved me. So I remained a spiritual infant, compromising over time into sin and by high school, an addiction to pornography. I kept trying to coming back to God's "good side" with my own strength, until my young adult pastor taught me the same grace that rose Jesus from the dead already lived inside me, and would empower me to live righteously for Him. 

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" - Titus 2:11-12. With the understanding of the power of His grace in my life, I repented and rededicated my life to God in 2018.

That summer (June 2018), I accepted the job as the Receptionist at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley. I was pursuing a promising career at the AV Parks & Rec Dept., but God gave me a clear word in John 15:19 that He had chosen me out of the world and His plan would be far better. And that plan continued in October 2018 when I became a leader for our OTHERS Youth Group. As I served, God revealed that Youth Ministry would be a full-time calling over my life. That in due time, He would use me to share His word with youth who desire to faithfully follow God.

In March 2021, our church staff team grew and I became the Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper. Also in 2021, God led me to the kindhearted, godly woman I get to call my wife. On December 17th, 2022, Allegra and I got married and we continued to serve together in Youth Ministry. Since then, she has given birth to our two lovely children, Maisy & Miles.

In September 2024, I was ordained as the Jr High Pastor here at CCAV, and in August of the following year, I was called to serve both our Jr High and High School ministries as the Youth Pastor. Allegra and I are excited to be used by God as He transforms these kids and uses them for His kingdom with the same grace that made us His new creations and allows us to serve others!

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24.

Pastor Isaac Robles// worship pastor

I grew up in a Christian home and was blessed to be surrounded by the things of God from a young age. My grandma was the one who always made sure I was in church. I was dedicated as a baby by Pastor Raul Ries at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs. When I was about five years old, my family moved to Moreno Valley, where I attended Calvary Chapel Christian School from kindergarten all the way through high school.

It was during those years that the Lord began to stir a desire in my heart for worship. I remember sitting in church as a junior higher, watching the worship leader sing and play, and thinking to myself, “I want to do what he’s doing.” From that moment, I immersed myself in learning all I could about worship and guitar. I spent hours watching YouTube videos, practicing, and growing in my gift. Eventually, I began leading worship for youth group, and as I grew older, more opportunities opened up. God placed amazing men in my life who poured into me, helping shape and mold me into the worship leader I am today.

From 2019 to 2022, I had the privilege of serving as the Worship Leader at Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley. Around that same time, I married my beautiful wife — who I met in high school at Calvary Moreno Valley. We’ve now been married for seven years! Our first year of marriage was a trying one — full of challenges and attacks from the enemy — but in His faithfulness, God met us in a powerful way and reminded us of His promises.

Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

From that season on, our relationship with the Lord and with each other was never the same. Whenever we find ourselves facing hardship or even the day-to-day struggles of life, our prayer has become, “Lord, I can’t — but You can. So I’m going to get myself out of the way and allow You, by Your Spirit, to get all the glory and praise as You do it through me.”

In August of 2022, my dad passed away. Around that same time, my wife and I were expecting our first baby — our daughter, Lennon — who the Lord used to bring great joy and strength during a difficult season for our family.

In 2024, I began pursuing a career in the fire service. I completed an EMT program, graduated, and started applying for jobs while taking fire science classes in preparation for the academy. But no matter how many applications, interviews, and steps I took, it seemed that every door kept closing. In the middle of questioning what God was doing, a new opportunity was presented — one I didn’t see coming — to come on staff full-time as the Worship Pastor at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.

At first, me and my wife were completely taken back. This was nowhere near what we thought our plans would be. But through prayer and wise counsel from godly leaders, we felt the Lord calling us — me, my wife, and our two daughters, Lennon and Charlotte — to be part of what He is doing at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.

God used this verse to confirm His calling:

Romans 8:28 — “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

We prayed, “Lord, if You are calling us, then You have to provide everything we need.”And He did. From a house, to a washer and dryer, to a refrigerator — God provided every single thing. He is so good and so faithful.

Philippians 4:19 — “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Through it all, we’ve seen God’s hand in every step. We are resting in His truth and faithfulness as we seek His will and purposes in this new chapter of our lives.

Isaiah 26:3 — “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Kevin DeLucia // ministry coordinator

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

As a child I remember going to church every now and then with my family, but it wasn’t something I took to heart or desired. In 2014, I met my wife Monica in high school. We were both young and trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives. Shortly after graduation, Monica and I began living together in sin and we were not married and at that time. We weren’t believers, but we knew there was more to life than what the world had to offer and we decided we were going to begin going to church together.

We would attempt to go to church, but still had one foot in the world. We couldn’t take it upon ourselves to give up the sin that we had and make it right to what God had for us. In October 2017, I received Jesus as my savior at a weekend men’s retreat. God knew what He was doing that weekend, but I had no idea that my life would change from that moment I raised my hands and invited Him into my life. Although I accepted Jesus as my savior, I didn’t take my walk with Him seriously.

Calvary Chapel Apple Valley was having a men’s bible study and I was invited to attend with my grandpa. I was finding any way not to go but one Saturday I went. God was using people that day and having me feel welcomed. I started to attend Young Adults to get involved more with other believers my age. Being involved in this ministry helped me realize the importance of a relationship with God rather than “just attending church”. I wasn’t convicted of my sin and I wasn’t living a transformed life for Jesus.

In January 2020, I decided I would recommit my life to Jesus and pursue a relationship with Him. I became on fire wanting to learn more and about him. I wanted to become involved in serving others at CCAV through the sound and worship team. In August 2022, I felt God had bigger plans for my life and my career choice. I quit my full-time job and began the Fire Fighter Academy. I completed the academy in November 2022 and was told I’d be guaranteed a job. Month after month I would pray for God to open a door for a job opportunity, but I was unsuccessful in finding a job. God has shown me through His Word the importance of staying faithful as He knows the plans for our life. After doors continually staying shut regarding the fire department, I prayed for God’s will and direction for my life. I began serving in all ways possible at the church as He continually put serving people on my heart.

In December 2023, God opened a door and provided me a job. I was asked to become staff at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley as the ministry coordinator. Being faithful and obedient to God’s calling has blessed my family and I in so many ways. I want to do God’s work to build up His Kingdom in Heaven because He has saved and restored my life. I am thankful to be where the Lord wants me as His plans are greater than my own.

NATHAN HATLEY // Administrative Assistant

Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

I was not raised in a Christian household growing up, so my whole life up to the point of being saved I lived my life for the world, which was where I found my identity. I was raised by a loving family, but there wasn’t an influence of the Lord in my life, which ultimately led me to live a radical lifestyle for the world. In High School, I lived all out for the world and all its pleasures, I started to get into parties, drinking and toxic relationships, also that leading to an addiction to pornography which led me into a deep pit of feeling empty and unsatisfied.

Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

God met me right where I was at in a radical way, He sought me out through a friend in my class who invited me out to church. It was a Wednesday night here at Calvary Apple Valley that I first came and heard that this Jesus died for my sins and rose again so that I could be forgiven and have a relationship with the Living God, and that night I gave my life to Christ. I found my identity and purpose in Jesus rather than living for the world and the lust of it. Immediately after that night God started working in my life and cleaning me up, and every opportunity I could be at church I was there. After a year or so following Jesus, I felt the call from the Lord to go into ministry, and I didn’t know then what that looked like cause I was still new in my faith but I knew the Lord was leading me that way. That call from God led me to Calvary Bible Institute, a huge step of faith where I got my foundation in the Word and direction in the ministry. After the program, I returned home where I came and Interned at CCAV for the summer and shortly after that in August of 2024, I came on staff here at Calvary Chapel Apple Valley.

Romans 12:1-2  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

EMILY PAQUETTE // RECEPTIONIST

I grew up in a Christian home with wonderful parents that homeschooled me, led me to Jesus, and most importantly showed me God’s love every day. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was just 5 years old with my Mom. However, the full meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross and the shedding of His blood to cover my sins did not fully manifest in my heart until I was about 13 years old. All it took was hearing a teaching at youth group one Wednesday to really change the perspective of my heart towards my life and all that the Lord had done in it. Complacency is one of the greatest enemies of a Christian and that is where I found myself that night. I was walking in the motions and “following Jesus,” but I quite literally had very little witness for Jesus coming from my life.

Colossians 2:6-7 - “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

After that night, I began to fully follow Jesus Christ and live with intention and not in expectation. I began reading His Word consistently and making a concerted effort to keep a prayer journal and attend church. I began to reach out to my parents and leaders, to ask questions about life and the meaning of living fully surrendered to Christ instead of assuming I had it all figured out. In short, I was a baby Christian that had been fed most of my life but I needed to grow. And what better way to grow than to seek the wisdom of God’s Word and the knowledge of the mature Christian’s God had placed in my life.

Fast forward to June 2022, I started attending Calvary Chapel Apple Valley with my family before my Senior Year of high school. I began to get plugged into the life of the church slowly by regularly attending Sunday service and the Youth Group on Wednesdays. I then entered church ministry roughly 6 months after attending and began to serve in any capacity possible, including the coffee shop, children’s ministry, food pantry, church cleaning, and any event in between. As I continued to serve Jesus in these capacities, I found my spiritual life thriving. I was no longer just being fed but also able to pour out onto my like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ.

On March 4th, 2025, I accepted the Receptionist position here as an answer to prayer. The Lord showed me this was my way out of the previous job I had worked at for almost a year. Moving forward, I am ecstatic to see what the Lord will do in the life of this church I call my home.

gabriel Varela // children's ministry assisant

I was raised in a Christian home, and for as long as I can remember, my family attended church every Sunday and Wednesday at CCAV. I accepted Jesus into my life when I was about six years old. At that age, though, church was mostly about the games and snacks for me, and I didn’t fully understand what it meant to follow Him.

In 8th grade, I was exposed to pornography for the first time. I remember feeling ashamed, but I was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. Over time, that turned into an addiction. I felt conviction to repent at different points, but I never acted on it.

By 10th grade, I had reached a place where my sin left me feeling empty, broken, and discouraged. In that moment, God made it clear to me that He was pursuing me and had not turned His back on me. I knew I had a choice to make—that if I didn’t take action, I was heading down a dark path. So, I went to my parents and confessed everything. They responded with grace and support, and God used them to help me begin walking in freedom.

From that point on, I truly repented and began pursuing a real relationship with God. I started serving in the sound and tech ministry at CCAV, which gave me the opportunity to consistently sit under solid Bible teaching. Not long after, I heard about a young adults discipleship program called the Tenth Hour Project. My original plan was to attend the eight-month program after high school and then move on to college, but God had other plans.

During that time, the Lord did a deep work in my life. I became more aware of His grace and how undeserving I am of it, and that changed everything. I made the decision to fully surrender my life to Him and go wherever He would lead me.

After graduating from the program, I was invited to join the Tenth Hour Project staff, where I had the opportunity to lead young adult teams on the mission field in Peru. After about two years, God led me back home to Apple Valley, where I was invited to serve as the Children’s Ministry Director’s Assistant.

No matter where I am, I know I am called to be an ambassador for Christ. This world is not my home—I’m a citizen of heaven, here to represent the Kingdom of God. Whether I’m at home or overseas, my desire is to live on mission and share the life-changing message of the Gospel.

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 - "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."