Steering Team

In 2016, my wife Stephanie and I moved to the coast side and joined Mariners.  We live in El Granada with our children Tabitha (6), April (4) and Preston (18 months).  I grew up in Northern California and have been practicing law since 2007.

In 2017, we joined a Life Group and I appreciate Mariners’ emphasis on the importance of Life Groups to help people grow closer to God and to each other.  I would like to see Mariners’ Children’s Ministry grow and further develop the next generation of Christ followers.

Favorite verse “Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the tings which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NASB)

One Saturday evening 11 years ago, after many years away from the Lord, my wife Clarise and I came to Mariners Church, realized what we had been missing and have been coming ever since.  We have lived in La Honda for 15 years. I have spent many years as a Manufacturing/Industrial Engineer in the automotive industry and run a few of my own businesses. More than anything, I love to fix and build things that are useful and am now interested in finding ways to do this; bringing people together with God in their lives.  My heart is to serve and I am looking forward to helping Mariners Church continue to grow and bring more people to know and follow our Lord Jesus as Mariners has done for myself and Clarise.

Favorite verse “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones”.

I am the proud mother and grandmother of two sons and two daughters, a grandmother to three granddaughters and two grandsons.  I have lived in Half Moon Bay since 1997. My husband Foster and I have been attending Mariners for the last 13 years. We made Mariners our home because our beliefs and our “faith walk” is shared in the messages delivered at Mariners. As we move forward at Mariners, I see many of my personal goals in parallel with that “Great Commission”.

My professional career spanned 33 years working for IBM and other technology companies.  I feel that I have been very blessed and now is my time to “give back” utilizing some of the things that I have learned over my personal and professional lifetime. Paramount in my life is to SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST and the redemption he offers…which is for everyone.

My favorite bible verse is: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…not by works, so that no-one can boast” Ephesians 2:19-20”.

I’m the person on the right of the photo! I am married to Arturo with three daughters and four beautiful grandkids.  I live in Half Moon Bay and was born here but raised in Mexico. I’m kind of picky with food, but my favorite fast food is Panda Express!

I have been attending Mariners for about six years or more. What I would love to see happen at Mariners, is to reach seniors who want to attend church but don’t have a ride.

My favorite verse “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by work, so that no-one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2 : 8-10

In 2017 I began to feel an emptiness, and a sense of void in my spirit that could not be filled with anything of this earth.  An urgency to reconnect to God was over-taking me day by day.  I had fallen away from my previous church and over time the feeling of loss became more and more present in my thoughts.  I soon realized that I needed to regain my connection to God.

I returned to what I knew, the Catholic church, but continued to feel the call to seek out God; something was missing, I needed something different from the religion-based foundation I had grown up with.  I needed to find the place where my faith would be nourished by connection and fellowship with other believers.  I called out to God to show me where He wanted me to be.

Then the Covid lock-down hit, and on my birthday weekend!  Gosh, that was really an experience.  As the days and weeks began to go by and the walls really began to feel like they were closing in on me, I when looking online to see if I could find church services.  I did too, many of them.  It was interesting to see the differences between the services. I had no idea.  One morning in mid-April I saw a NextDoor post from a local pastor about Sunday services being streamed by a church in the next town over from me, so I clicked on it and discovered Mariners. There was an instant confirmation that this was where God wanted me to be.

My husband Mike and I began to watch each Sunday morning on the Mariners YouTube channel and as soon as we were allowed to come in person, we did.  In March of 2021 I was baptized in the Mariners parking lot.  Soon after I began to serve on the tech team and from time-to-time on the worship team too.  Over time, I’ve increased my volunteering and use my skills to fill gaps and help expand the reach of the church to non-believers. This church was an important steppingstone in my reunification to God. I want to help it grow and become a resource for others in the greater Half Moon Bay area.

Mariners Community Church is a place where all who are seeking God can come for help and spiritual guidance.  So many people are lost, not understanding that it’s about a relationship with Christ Jesus, not the dogma of a religious denomination.

My hope is that within the remainder of my life I can contribute to helping restore spiritual connections for the many people that are seeking it.  Through a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ all things are possible.

My favorite verse:  “You, Oh Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.
Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me. For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” Psalm 31: 1-5