As a child, Kayton Garcia, our summer intern with youth, was never sure where his next meal was going to come from. For a season of his life Kayton lived on the road with his family with little money or food. His Dad did his best to find work but found himself underemployed.
Another challenge for Kayton was grappling with relational difficulties that his parents had as they struggled through life as believers and with each other.
During that period of difficulty Kayton also became a Christ follower, and, at 12, felt the Lord calling him to full-time Christian service. His parents were against his desire to go to a Christian school as they wanted him to obtain a degree with better earning potential.
Kayton wanted to attend a Christian University, Biola in SoCal,. It was difficult for his Dad to conceive how the family would be able to afford it, but on the day before the registration deadline, Kayton’s dad agreed to a loan that permitted Kayton to attend Biola.
Kayton knew that Biola was for him and had a great first year, being involved in the school worship team and the pastoral preaching team. Kayton’s family saw how Kayton thrived at Biola. Soon after the school year ended, an opportunity for free tuition was offered through a school that Kayton’s dad was employed. Though Kayton’s parents acknowledged Kayton’s love of Biola, the full scholarship was difficult to pass up.
Even as Kayton was preparing to attend the new school, Kayton’s Dad shared that he had seen how he had grown at Biola and acknowledged the fact that Kayton’s heart was at Biola and expressed his support of Kayton’s desire to stay at Biola but said that he could not help him pay for it.
The very next day Kayton had a conversation with his host in Half Moon Bay and shared his story. In one month, his host, together with his parents, the Mariners family and Biola raised enough money providing the opportunity for Katyon to attend Biola for this upcoming year
You give God your trust and He does something beautiful with it: Kayton Garcia.
By Jon Yoshimine, Volunteer Storyteller
