Growing up on the beach- Gary grew up within bike riding distance from the beach in Torrance California. He began surfing at the age of ten it quickly became his passion. He is a beach boy at heart. Gary found Christ at the age of fifteen and God would weave these two together to draw him towards his calling.
Preparing for the ministry- After graduating high school and a brief stent in Hawaii (surfing of course), Gary felt called to the ministry. He studied at Hope International University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in church growth.
Becoming a lead pastor- After serving in multiple capacities as a volunteer at church, God opened a miraculous door for him to become the lead pastor of a small upstart church in Menifee, California. Under Gary’s eighteen year leadership, the grew from sixty people to six thousand.
A heart for missions- In Bible college Gary was trained to have a heart for global missions. After seeing the perfect waves of Indonesia in all the surfing magazines, he wondered if Indonesia had a need for the gospel. Could it be that God would combine his love for Jesus with his love for surfing to draw him in this direction? He had to find out. After discovering that Indonesia was considered one of the most unreached places in the world, Gary felt compelled to take a trip and see this enchanted land for himself. He sold his Jeep to finance this first.
Falling in love with Indonesia- That first trip to the Indonesian islands of Bali and Sulawesi we all it took. Gary fell in love with the people, the culture, the challenge, and the waves too. He was hooked. Gary would go on to make two trips a year for the next thirty years before finally marrying Susan and moving to Indonesia full-time.
Half Muslim and half Christian- Susan grew up in a household with a Christian father and a Muslim mother. She was forced by her parents to participate in activities from both religions. Until the craziness of this lifestyle took its toll and her dad decided to call a former Imam (who had converted to Christianity) to the house talk to Susan’s mom Betty about Jesus. The gospel was presented to her and she began reading the New Testament. Shortly after Betty had a dream and saw an image of Jesus. This was a sign to her that Jesus was real. She woke up and announced that the entire family was getting baptized and following Jesus from then on.
A match made in heaven- Gary and Susan first met in 2012 and got married the following year. They both knew they were destined for a life on the mission field in Indonesia. Susan being a native Indonesian and Gary having made nearly sixty trips, it was time to take a major step of faith. They sold all their possessions and moved to Nias Indonesia to begin the ministry in this very strategic location.
Planting a church- They first set their sights of building a house and a small surf hotel. This hotel would become their primary means of business. If the Apostle Paul had a tent making business to help support himself, so his personal needs would not be a burden on the ministry, it made sense to adopt that same strategy. Hence, Grace Wave Resort was born. By the grace of God, both the house and the resort have been completely paid off. So it was time to seek the Lord about the next step in their ministry. They had spent years doing the work of evangelism, teaching from church to church. But Gary and Susan both felt God wanted them to do more. After a couple months of prayer, they felt God was calling them to plant a church right in the village where they live and work. After talking with pastor Troy, their home church pastor at Venture Church in Encinitas, California, Venture church Nias was born.
The days of small beginnings- The church began as a home Bible study in Gary and Susan’s living room. What began as a small group of 10-15 people, grew into a group of 40-50. People were sitting in the kitchen and up the stairs to hear the Word of God and worship together.
Breaking ground- This small gathering of believers had big vision. Their prayer was for a plot of land right on the main village road so that everyone who passed through would see Venture Church Nias. Soon a plot of land became available and was purchased by faith. They did not have all the money for the land but put down a deposit anyway, believing God was guiding and God would provide. Shortly thereafter the land was paid off and a ground breaking ceremony celebrated the occasion.
Construction begins- Immediately they began construction on the Venture youth center. Once completed, the Church services would be help here for the foreseeable future. The building served double duty as a gathering place for the youth and the adults for the next year. But God wasn’t done yet. Funds were donated for the main worship center so construction on that began as well.
Grand opening- The hand of God was all over this season of church growth. Miracle after miracle took place as the congregation grew in number and in maturity, and the provision for the worship center came in. What seemed like a ten year process was done in just two years. How good is God?! Upon completing, a grand opening ceremony was held. Political leaders, community leaders, church leaders, and hundreds from the village tuned out to celebrate the completing of the church and a new era of spiritual awakening.
A venture of faith- The venture of faith continues with church operations and all its weekly ministries. Gary and Susan also have a vision to finish the parsonage and dormitory upstairs. This space was included in the building design from the very beginning. The parsonage will eventually house a Nias pastoral family to help lead the church. The dormitory will house up to 12 interns from the local Bible college. These interns will not only get 6 months of training, but will also help serve in the ministry to gain practical hands on experience. Please keep this vision in prayer so that we can help equip the next generation of leaders.