What do you do at the Mission?

I am the Chaplain/Men’s Services Coordinator, and the pastor at Journey Church. To work here, you have to wear many hats. I teach three classes, am responsible for the daily chapel service, photograph/videotape special events, social media, listen a lot, and mop floors if that is what is needed.

Tell us about yourself. 

I have an amazing life. I live onsite at our downtown Mission, so things stay interesting. I am very involved in my church and in my free time I enjoy riding my motorcycle, going to concerts, fishing and golfing.

How did you end up at the Mission?  

After many years suffering from my addiction, I ended up living on the streets of Reno. A friend of mine from the streets came to the Mission and encouraged me to do the same.

What is one thing about you that surprises people?  

That I am a chaplain. It surprises me.

What hobbies do you have? 

Motorcycle riding, fishing, golfing.

What is your favorite movie or television show?  

Anything with superheroes.

What is the best criticism you have ever received?  

Only when you take responsibility for your actions, can you change them.

What do you consider your biggest success?  

Actually my biggest success was nothing I did. Christ did it over 2,000 years ago on a cross at Calvary. The day I accepted that was the day my life changed forever.

What is the most influential book you’ve read besides the Bible?  

Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby & Claude King. It completely changed how I respond and relate to God.

Who has most impacted you on your spiritual walk?

I have a number of strong Christian role models in my life but I have to say that the first time I ever heard Francis Chan speak, it blew me away.  His sermons and books have instilled in me that there is no halfway when it comes to following Jesus.

How did you come to know Christ?  

Out of desperation. Nothing I had tried seemed to work and quite frankly, it was Jesus or die.

Which Biblical character do you identify with the most? 
Most definitely Jonah. I always ran away from God until finally I ended up in the belly of a fish that spit me out on the doorstep of the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission.

What is your favorite memory at the Mission? 

I would have to say the first time I ever said the sinner’s prayer with a client. It was then that I realized that God could use somebody like me to help bring others to Himself.

What do you like most about being part of the Mission team?  

It’s more than a team, it’s a family. We have literally been through hell and back together. I don’t question anybody’s heart here. Nobody is here for their own gain. We are all people who have received God’s amazing grace and just want to see others experience that same grace.

Why the Gospel Mission? 

Come find out. It would become immediately obvious to anybody who spends any amount of time here. God is working in amazing ways here, and it is an incredible blessing to be a part of what He is doing at the Mission.