LEADER: DeNicka Arrellin

When I was 4 my parents divorced and even before then I never had a relationship with my dad. Growing up I was raised with the knowledge of who God was, but never that I needed an intimate relationship with Him. When I was about 5 or 6 my aunt started taking us to church with her and I loved it! When I was 7 I gave my life to the Lord, but still didn’t fully surrender in my relationship with Him. Being that I never had a real relationship with my dad I learned to be pretty independent and that definitely affected my walk with God in the sense of relying on Him and trusting His plans for my life. When I was 16 I attended a small group Bible study and realized I wanted to know who God was and why He wants my life. Even though, I still face the challenges of complete surrender and trust in the Lord, He has proved Himself worthy of my life and following Him has been and continues to be the best adventure of my life!

LEADER: Edgar Mata

I grew up in a broken home so seeing problems at home was somewhat normal for me. Ragardless of the issues that would go on between my parents, they always encouraged me to go to church and believe in the Lord. Growing up, I began hanging out with the wrong people. For the longest time, I knew what the right thing to do was but it wasn’t until one evening when I was 16 after hearing a sermon that I felt Jesus calling me and it was then when I asked Him into my life as Lord and Savior. It was through some time that the Lord began to free me of confusion, bitterness, and pain from the things I saw in my broken home.
Sometime later I began getting comfortable in my walk and it was then when I began getting distracted in the things of the world again. I found myself drinking and engaging in things that did not glorify God. I had made school and my girlfriend a priority over God. Through all of this, I could sense the Lord trying to get my attention but I was not listening. I had to learn the hard way though. It was after my dad’s death and a break up with a girlfriend of 6 years that I felt broken again.
Since then, I rededicated my life to the Lord. He has built me up and I have not felt more complete since then. I currently serve as leader of the Refuge ministry at Renovate. I have been tremendously blessed and there is not a day that the Lord fails to show me His grace and mercy. Even though, things may not be easy at times and still struggle, I know I serve a God who is never changing and is always there for me and loves me.

LEADER: Whittney Dutton

At 7 years old, I asked Jesus into my heart. I didn’t know much but I knew that Jesus died for me (John 3:16) and hell is a bad place that I didn’t want to go. I asked the Lord into my heart with my parents’ and pastor’s counsel. I served at a little Baptist church and was very involved in the youth group.
When I was in high school, I began competing on a national level for rodeo and discovered food completion (??? Is that right???what is that????) which I also competed on a national level and continued competing all through college. I was a competitive, driven person who was finally shown my own heart’s motives this year, through an opportunity to go to Israel.
It was my last chance to win a national title in rodeo; I needed to decide between a chance at a national championship, which I had been working towards my whole life, or a trip to Israel. I thought I had to win a national championship in order to have a platform to tell people about the love of Jesus so they would listen. Well, the Lord showed me that there is not a platform tall enough to top Jesus rising from the dead. TETELESTAI; (It is finished, paid in full, John 19:30). That is what Christ did for us: PAID IN FULL! I experience that as I seek after Christ, pray, and watch for answers. He will always provide. I went to Israel and I am still being blessed by the trip.
Now, I work at a café/coffee shop and for my parents’ western business. I serve at Renovate and Calvary. I have a Culinary Arts Degree, and am also finishing a Hospitality and Tourism Degree. I still rodeo and help put on rodeo Bible camps. I enjoy studying God’s word, cooking, and spending time with family.