::Home:: ::Testimony:: ::We Believe:: ::Children:: ::Devotions:: ::Donate::
Bible Worship & Praise Teaching & Worship Calvary Teaching Videos Chuch Smith Calvary Chapel History Video
Weight Of Glory 1941 C. S. Lewis EAGates Artist Good Friday Reading Habakkuk Teaching Being Sent Out Teaching
|
"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." C S Lewis 
Rick Vestnys Teaching At CCBC 2002 
Larry & Patty 2002 Came From Oregon With Rick To Help Start CCSM 
Calvary Chapel South Maui in 2002. Started With 11 People as Kihei Christian Fellowship In A Living Room In 2001 
CCBC Maui Started With 7 Students In 2002. We Held Class In The Girls Condo Unit, But Now We Meet At This Building 575 S Kihei Rd. God Grew CCBC! Calvary Chapel South Maui Holds 2 Sunday Services Here Now Too! 
CCBC Student Body In 2002 
CCBC Student Devotions On THe Beach 2002 
Gordon Teaching Isaiah Class CCBC Maui 2004 
Gordon & Nancy Gates Maui 2005 
Hudson Giving Hugs, Off To Alaska 2005 
Dug & Sue Jenson & Boys Started Bible Study In Sitka 2005 
Where Is Sitka? 2005 
Calvary Chapel Sitka 2005 
Gordon John In Sitka 2005 
Gordon & Joy Sharing Vision In Sitka 2005 
A Sitka Church 2005 
Gordon & Nancy California 2006 
Gordon Big Bear Lake 2006/2007 
Gordon & Hannah Back On Maui 2007 
Gordon Upcountry Maui 2008 
Nancy Maui Fall 2008 
New Ranch 2009 Back To Top |
FROM DETROIT TO CALIFORNIA...I was born in Detroit Michigan when gas was 31 cents a gallon, and the average cost of a new home was 16,500.00. After 18 years of your standard youth stuff, I thought I would try my luck in California. My stepfather had offered me a job, and I was also wanting to meet one of those California Girls the Beach Boys were always singing about, so I got on a plane and went West.1981 I FOUND JESUSIn 1981, a year before I finally did find my future wife, I also found Jesus at Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel, and gave my heart to Him. I later found out that the girl I was about to meet was not only a classic California Girl, but also a Christian. It became the most important detail we could share with each other.1982 TWO BECAME ONEIn December 1982 I married my surfer girl and started a family in Orange County California. For the next 15 years we raised our children and our new business doing contract cleaning services the best way we knew how, but in 1997 our business goals and our personal goals started to pale in the light of a new vision Jesus was placing on our hearts. Many of our friends new and old were looking on to see what it was that Jesus was leading us in. Things were about to change in a big way for us.Walking With Jesus From Place to Place...1997 OFF TO MAUIIn December of 1997, After two years of study with Calvary Chapel Bible College in Twin Peaks California, and later Murrieta Hot Springs California, We went out to do church planting work on the Hawaiian island of Maui. We had a little hands on experience helping a new church plant near the college called Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship in Temecula California. We felt called to Maui to help with worship and children's ministries along side a new Church fellowship forming on Maui. This small church group eventually became the root of two Calvary Chapel Fellowships on Maui. We only stayed ten months before we were off to Oregon to sit under the teaching of Pastor Jon Courson.1998 OREGONOur time in Oregon at the Applegate Christian Fellowship was a time of rest and fellowship with Jesus. It was at that time that we felt the Lord give us a vision to pray for a fellowship like the Applegate for the islands. We Returned to Hawaii 8 months later in May of 1999 with this new vision of how we should pray for Maui, and to serve in whatever way Jesus would lead us to.1999 MAUI 2First, He allowed us to help with the formation of Calvary Chapel Central Maui, and the CSN Radio Station now set up in Kihei as 91.9 FM. This was about a year of wonderful service, and great memories. We then joined fellowship with Calvary Chapel West side in Lahaina Maui until Nancy was to great with child (Hudson Taylor Gates) to continue to drive across the island for Church. We were praying to the Lord about a new work in Kihei, but did not know what He wanted to do until we heard that a man from the Oregon Church we had attended was coming to start a new Church in Kihei. Rick Vestnys, a very wonderful Bible teacher and Pastor, was sent to do the foundational work of the new fellowship that started out as Kihei Christian Fellowship. We later changed the name to Calvary Chapel South Maui. We were so blessed to help Rick and others with the formation of the new fellowship that later became Calvary Chapel South Maui, and later, we also helped set the foundation for the new work the Lord was leading in now known as Calvary Chapel Bible College on Maui. It was amazing to see another church start from just a Bible study. The first Bible study had only 11 people counting our youngest daughter,and our unborn son. The first service on the beach was the following Sunday. All 11 were present, and a few more. Now it has grown to a large church group with two services! God is a master builder.Ministry With CCBC Maui Students In Sitka Alaska 2005 SITKA ALASKAAfter three years of serving at the church and teaching at the Bible College, We felt it was time to move on. A door opened in Sitka Alaska, so off we went with a great team of Bible college students, friends, and the blessings of all our friends and Church Family on Maui.What a wonderful send off we had. We relocated to that beautiful place for a short 8 weeks to lead the Bible College team as we all put on a Vacation Bible School outreach in June of 2005. Click To Listen To The Sitka Radio Ad The CCBC Student Leader Did The fellowship was great! We came to stay, and considered serving as a Pastor of that church, but God worked in a wonderful way to show us that the man who started the fellowship should be the only Pastor, so after many hugs and tears we left Calvary Chapel Sitka in the loving hands of the founder 'JESUS' and the saints he is still working through in that place. 2005 TEXAS & MICHIGANWe were on the road again. We stopped off in Texas to visit family as well as to walk the land and pray. It only took a few days to know we did not feel led to stay in that area. Next, we decided to take a road trip up to Michigan to visit my side of the family and begin praying for what the Lord may be doing in the area that we could be involved in. We had a great time, but had to cut it short in January to return to Orange County California.2006 CALIFORNIAIn California our oldest daughter gave birth to our newest granddaughter, and found out that she (Abby) has Hydrocephalus. This is an accumulation of spinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain, leading to their enlargement and swelling. She is doing well, but we are told that this is a life long condition. She is expected to live a normal life because they caught it early, and it is not as bad as it could be. Praise Jesus! We felt led to get to her side.This resulted in another really fun road trip across the nation. We took our time, stopping each evening to sleep in a hotel and let the kids burn off energy in the pools on the way. What a beautiful nation we live in. We were able to see so much of it by driving, including the Grand Canyon! We were so blessed to be there for so many reasons. We felt led to stay and help in any way we could. We have also been able to help our second oldest daughter get a few things worked out in her life, and have truly enjoyed seeing her too. Nancy and I loved being near our two oldest daughters again, and have had great fun with all six of the grandchildren as well. 2006 A SUPERNATURAL WORKIn July 2006, we were planning to return to Hawaii to work and re-connect with the Calvary Chapel South Maui Church. These plans were changed because Nancy was told that she needed to have a tumor removed from the right side of her neck/jaw area. We decided that this news could be Gods way of guiding our steps as the Bible teaches us. Man makes his plans, but god guides his steps. We were concerned as it was putting pressure on her nerves for the right side of her face, and could mean nerve damage not to mention even worse things. Knowing God is aware of the past present and future, we began to pray and asked many of you prayer warriors to pray as well. To God be the Glory, she got through the surgery, and still has her smile! We are now done working through the healing process. Your prayers were heard, and our God is powerful!2006 BIG BEAR LAKEAs 2006 rolled out and 2007 rolled in, we decided to move ourselves to Big Bear City California. This was our second time living in this Southern California mountain town. Living at 6,000 + feet was inspiring and restful. We bonded together even more as a family during this time. We made some new friends, and attended the Calvary Chapel in that town. I had an opportunity to do a lecture to the Christian School students of that church, and was even considering teaching. The door never opened for the teaching position, so we continued to pray and seek Gods direction for our family ministry team.2007 MAUI 3As we did, we began to feel led to return to Maui. The general manager of the real estate company I worked with, who is also the worship leader of CCSM, was asking us to consider returning to work full time. We felt it might be good timing, so in May of 2007 we did return to the beautiful island of Maui. It was wonderful to re-connect with many old friends. We decided to also re-connect with the fellowship we had been so involved in before leaving in 2005. We have had great support and prayers have been answered as we settled back in.What is great, is that a wonderful family we met in Sitka has decided to move to the island, and we have had a great time of being a support network for them, and I was personally praying for a new vision from our Lord as to how we may be used on this island while we are here, and that has been it! We are starting to think we may be here awhile as we see our children getting brown again and enjoying the warm weather and water. They seem to fit in so well, but we will make our plans and allow God to guide our steps. 2009 TEXASIn July 2009 our plans were to take a nice vacation, and look at potential property with the idea to purchase and perhaps build little by little. What we felt led to look at was a small ranch in south Texas that already had a home and barns etc on it.This was nothing we felt we would be able to purchase, but felt led to take a step of faith and make an offer that only God could open the doors to. Well, step by step, with what we feel is Gods leading we were able to work out a deal and are purchasing this beautiful 15 acre property. It is amazing how it worked out! Even before we left home for the vacation, we began to feel that God wanted us to pray. Pray for the people we would meet, Pray for the situations we would be in, Pray for Gods vision as we knew the distractions would come our way. I know this was the leading of His Spirit!. After arriving in Texas and visiting with our family, we almost left the area without looking at the land, but were re-directed back. We found out the owners were Christians too. After looking we prayed for Gods plan together with the owners, and knew if it was His plan it would open up. If not, it would not. We put together our offer and prayed again for the email we were sending. I forgot all about it, as it was a long shot by any standard in my opinion, but God is much bigger than that! They accepted! Amazing... How Great Is Our God! A video of the property God has blessed us with Panoramic Photos By Gavan This is what we see as the next chapter in our journey with God. We are preparing for it right now. We plan to move on to the property in October 2009. Who knows what God will do? 2009 ALWAYS PRAYING TO EXPERIENCE GODThank you for your prayers as we seek His face from day to day and from place to place.| Love 4 Country web hosting | Javascripts by Codelifter™ | |Contact Us| Back To Top |
