Monica Tomchek has been running the SoCal Harvest Crusade kitchen for 10 years and counting! Her ministry is called Monica’s Munchies. “I love to cook for my family, I’m Mexican and Jewish so I grew up around vats of food,” she laughs.

When Pastor Carmen Rieg asked if she and her husband, Jeff, would be willing to take on doing the barbecues for the satellite churches, they were eager and willing to serve! “We did the satellites for five years and then Pastor Carmen asked us to take over the kitchen for the crusade. We feed the workers, the volunteers, the musicians, and the pastors—we feed anyone here that is working.”

So, what exactly does it take to run a kitchen for hundreds of volunteers at one of Anaheim Stadium’s biggest weekend events?

“In June I get my budget, so that’s when I start shopping and I shop every week leading up to the crusade. Then we come in the Tuesday before crusade weekend and build our kitchen and set up . . . I have a team of 30 people helping me, a team who does all the chopping, a team that does all the serving, a team that does all the cooking, and a team that does all the barbecuing. They all work really hard and without them, we couldn’t make this happen.” They typically feed around 150 people every day and 450 people every night over the course of the crusade weekend.

Running the kitchen also gives her the opportunity to get creative and have fun! Every year she changes the theme and even though her menu typically remains the same, she’ll change a sauce or tweak a recipe. “My favorite theme is red, white, and blue which I do every other year, but this year’s theme is tie-dye, based on Pastor Greg’s book Jesus Revolution.”

This year was a first for the SoCal Harvest Crusade. On Friday night, active-duty military and veteran men and women, were served in the kitchen. Monica said with a smile, that they fed “close to 1000 people, which is the most we’ve ever fed in one day! It’s made me lean hard into the Lord to trust Him to get it done and I’m so honored to have the opportunity to feed the military. This was my absolute favorite year!

Nine years ago, Ceci and her husband, Ben, started serving at the Harvest Crusade. Through their service, their marriage was restored.

Their journey before God was one filled with turmoil. Ben grew up in an abusive and alcoholic household and was a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD. Ceci grew up in a Catholic home but didn’t truly know the Lord. When she met Ben, she had a daughter from a previous relationship. The relationship between her daughter and Ben was a turbulent one, which caused tension in their marriage. Ten years into the marriage, Ceci wanted to divorce Ben, but was too scared to leave because she had nowhere to go.

One day, Ceci’s mother invited them to church. That day, they both decided to follow Jesus and their lives completely changed.

They started serving together in the Children’s Ministry and started serving at the Harvest Crusade every year; they found great joy in serving. The Lord restored their marriage and healed Ben from his PTSD. “We were at the harvest of our marriage, we were reaping the fruits of our marriage.” Ceci saw God’s blessings in their lives.

In 2016, Ben unexpectedly went to be with the Lord. Ceci was devastated, but through the pain she kept serving the Lord. “After Ben’s death, it was hard serving. I was always in tears, but Ben showed me to look for Jesus.”

Since the loss of her husband, Ceci has met other hurting people, and she has been able to share her testimony with others. She knows God is using her grief to help others. And she wants everyone to know that “God is loving and He keeps His promises.”

She’s looking forward to God to using her tonight at the 30th annual Harvest Crusade.

God always answers prayer, but sometimes not in the way we imagine.

Gilbert Garcia can attest to that, “I had tried to join the police force for 10 years but the door kept closing and I couldn’t understand why.” He enlisted in the service following in the footsteps of his uncles and grandfather who also served in branches of the military.

This 37-year-old Marine Corps veteran, served from 2000 to 2008, part of that time in the Iraq War. “I developed a lot more structure and discipline in my life, having that amount of responsibility molds and shapes you.”

He didn’t know that his military experience would come in handy one day.

What impacted him the most during his time in the service were the promotions and his ability to influence the lives of younger marines.

He didn’t know God would answer his prayers.

Although raised in a Christian home and knowing about God, he experienced many personal struggles, including a divorce. “Life was very different being out of the service, when you come out of military life can be hard, I made some bad choices over the years.”

But in 2014, he came back to Jesus and was baptized. “I remember listening to Greg Laurie online and taking notes without realizing who he was, but I was learning about the Lord.”

God was doing something wonderful in Gilbert’s life but he still did not know what.

In 2016, he was told about a chaplain opportunity but did nothing about it—still focusing on his dream of becoming a police officer. But on May 3, 2018, he was asked to pray at Downey City Hall for the National Day of Prayer. At the end of the prayer, the Mayor Pro Tem suggested he look into becoming a police chaplain. God answered his prayer but not in the way he imagined.

After completing the training with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and doing 40 hours of schooling, he was ordained as a chaplain. And on May 9, 2019, Gilbert was sworn in as a Long Beach Police Department Chaplain.

God answers prayer!

He’s full of excitement as he talks about this new season in his life, “The Lord has opened so many doors I can’t even explain! When I take a step back and look at my life in the big picture, I am amazed and thankful for where God’s taken me.”

Now Gilbert spends time doing ride-alongs and considers his a ministry of being present. “I like knowing that if anything comes up, I’m right there with them, police, fire, and law enforcement . . . these are selfless jobs and they need someone to talk to.”

This was Gilbert’s third SoCal Harvest Crusade and it’s fitting that he’s serving with the Security Team.

Thank you for your service Gilbert, then and now.

“I’ve always been patriotic,” Ana Maria says proudly. She was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the Unites States when she was 11. After high school, she went to college and gave the nursing program a try because her mother always wanted her to be nurse. She soon discovered it wasn’t for her. “I decided to go to an Air Force recruiter who recommended I apply for the electronics carrier field. I’ve always wanted to serve our country . . . it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity and a great experience.”

Ana Maria served as a Sargent in the United States Air Force, on active duty from 1988 to 1994, then joined the Air Force Reserves from 1994 to 2013. She loved learning new skills and did various jobs, traveling everywhere, from Hawaii and Korea, to the Philippines and Turkey. But she found a great passion in the job of Combat Camera. “It was fun and different, we did a lot of medical videos, and went to Tunisia to document the medical personnel on active duty as well as reservists in the northern part of Africa for three weeks.”

But carrying around the heavy camera equipment, during her time in the Air Force,  took a toll on her body. “If it wasn’t for my physical limitations I’d still be out there. The military has always been a familiar thing for me, being around other military people is my comfort zone so when I left the service I felt disconnected and lost. But God led me to Orange County and it changed my life. I joined the Long Beach VA, I started volunteering at the VA garden, and it became therapeutic and healing for me.”

Raised Catholic, Ana Maria remembers, “There was a picture of Jesus in my household, my mom taught me how to pray, I went to church every Sunday, but never really had an understanding of who God was. I would try to be good but I made mistakes, I hadn’t learned about God’s great grace and mercy.” Her daughter attended Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and was constantly inviting her mom to church, but she always refused until one day she said yes!

In 2008, Ana Maria gave her life to the Lord. She says, “Jesus was always calling me to be in His family, He was always there, from friends at school to strangers I’d meet, He always [found] a way to put people in my path that helped me. My life was changed. I used to worry . . .  and I was even afraid of dying. Knowing Jesus takes away my fear of dying because I know where I am gonna go!”

This was her first time at the SoCal Harvest Crusade; As an Air Force veteran, she looked forward to carrying the flag. “I like to support other veterans and get excited to be involved in veteran activities!”

Thank you so much for your service, Ana Maria!

“I don’t take this opportunity lightly,” explains Chris Tomczak, speaking about his participation in the flag presentation at this year’s SoCal Harvest Military Appreciation Night. “The flag represents what I stand for, regardless of what’s going on in the world, it’s who I am.”

Chris is a 50-year-old veteran of the U.S. Navy; he served from 1987 to 1990 during the Gulf War, and was in the reserves from 1990 to 1993, having to be on high alert during the tumultuous days of the Los Angeles riots.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after his 18th birthday. “I came from a single-income family so there wasn’t any money for college.” He saw the military as his best choice for an education but he ended up getting so much more than he anticipated. “I had so much fun it wasn’t even like a job, I traveled all over the country, to [places like] Panama, Mazatlan, Vancouver, but what was most memorable are the people I met.”

When he left the service, tragedy hit. His mother passed away of a massive heart attack and he recalls those days as being very dark, full of bars and drinking. But his time in the military taught him resilience, and although he wasn’t walking closely with the Lord, there was always a sense that God was with him even in tragedy, and he knew God had a plan for his life, but he couldn’t see it yet.

Years later another tragedy, his dad passed away. And Chris knew he had to make some changes. He fondly remembers his dad telling him, “You guys better be saved cuz I’ll be waiting for you all in Heaven!” Chris wanted to set a good foundation for his children and to give back to God. “I wanted a different life for my family, that’s when we dug into church and I devoted my life to Jesus.” Soon after, Chris, his wife, and his daughter were all baptized together!

What does the future look like for Chris? “I want to help vets get the help and resources they need because it can be hard cutting through all the red tape, and I want to serve my community and make an impact. . . .”

This will be the very first SoCal Harvest for Chris. He and his family made every effort to be here Friday night, not only to join other military servicemen and women on the field but to experience worshipping and praising God along with hundreds of other believers. “That is going to be awesome and it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!”

No, this isn’t a story about the actor who starred in popular television shows in the 80s and 90s, although he would say that his life was just like the TV show Happy Days.

Growing up in Wisconsin during the 1940s and 50s was a very happy time for Patrick Duffy. He wasn’t surrounded by the temptations that entice our culture today. Drugs, alcohol, and sex outside of marriage was actually frowned upon. Patrick spent his youthful summer days sailing, swimming, and skiing on Lake Superior. His parents were married for 61 years and he enjoyed a wonderful childhood. When he was old enough, he enlisted in the United States Navy because he loved boats and always wanted to serve our country. It was there that he met Joe, who after 50 years, is still a great friend.

But even though Patrick had such a lovely life growing up, he still felt empty and didn’t know why.

During his time in the Navy, his good friend Joe, who was a Christian, would tell Patrick about God. Patrick knew about God. Growing up his parents took him to church every Sunday but he never actually studied the Bible. Patrick says, “I knew the Holy Spirit was working on me while in the Navy, because even the doctor and the chaplain were Christians. [They] were praying for me the whole time!” One day after a church service on the boat, Patrick was overwhelmed with emotion and broke down crying. One of his friends asked him if he’d ever asked Jesus into his heart and it was then that Patrick became a Christian. “Whenever we’d set out for liberty (leisure time in different ports) the places would be full of prostitutes and bars, so I’d hang out with the doctor and the chaplain to stay out of trouble.” It was also then that Patrick discovered his love for God’s Word. “I was excited about the Bible, I started reading it, and couldn’t put it down!”

After leaving the Navy, he spent a year with Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization that he still supports to this day. He attended Bible College and learned how to evangelize and share the gospel. Patrick also has been listening to and watching Pastor Greg Laurie since 1970. But he says his real passion is marriage counseling, “I know about the hurt and devastation of divorce, so I try to mentor and counsel couples having trouble in their marriages. I hope that I can influence as many people as I can for the gospel to make a better world, people are starving out there and they don’t even know it.”

At 75 years young, Patrick isn’t slowing down either! Three and a half years ago he became a newlywed! He says he’s never been happier, and calls these the best years of his life. One of his favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.”

Congrats, Patrick!

At the age of 59, David has surely seen his share of life’s challenges. Serving as an E5 Sargent in the United States Army from 1986 to 1991, his unit was responsible for removing Manuel Noriega from power in Panama. And when war broke out in the Middle East in ‘91, he was put on high alert as part of the Quick Reaction Force, a team ready to head to war at any moment. Yet, through trials God shows His grace.

But before enlisting, David also experienced challenges closer to home. He got involved with biker gangs; he went through a bad divorce, was hooked on drugs, and lost the will to succeed. He hit a low point and found himself living in a motel, crying and distraught, he knew he wasn’t doing a good job of running his own life so he decided to let Uncle Sam run it for him.  It was through God’s grace he overcame these trials. At the age of 26, he joined the Army, and it was there that he found the discipline he needed. “The Army gave me the tools I needed to be able to cope with different things that happen in life, the discipline and training that helps me to this day.”

One of his favorite saying is, “It’s mind over matter, if you don’t mind it, it doesn’t matter.”

Still, it was clear to him that God was showing grace and mercy in his life over the years. He suffered a massive heart attack, and coded 4 times, “I knew if God brought me back, then I was going to support my wife doing her good work of helping others. I was always a charitable person, a spiritual person, but not religious. And whenever I asked God for help, He always gave me a path out. When I met my current wife, she helped me out of some bad situations. She was a believer and she preached Jesus through the way she lived and not just her words. She was beautiful and made me want to be a better man.”

Together, they formed a nonprofit to help underprivileged children, the homeless, and veterans.

David has been reading the Bible and going to Bible study and was recently baptized. “I was shown the path to God and I was smart enough to take it!”

While attending an event given by the American Veterans Assistance Group in May of 2016, Doreen Matsumoto was so impressed by the presentation of the gospel and how they handed out Bibles afterward that she knew she had to be a part of it! But it wasn’t going to be easy! An elite Green Beret veteran led this group and he needed to see the fruit of her labor proven, and Doreen was more than up for the task. She did not serve in the military, but her heart is full of love for those who did.

Two years earlier, she had given her life in full surrender to Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and completed ministry school with honors as well as became an ordained Chaplain through the Riverside Police Department. She also had considerable experience and knowledge from running her own successful business. It was this relationship with Christ and the skills and talents He gave her that would lead her to serve people and share the gospel!

Doreen managed to put on some very successful fundraisers including raising money to provide vets with down payments to get into their own homes. When she was given the challenge to raise money for a police officer who was hit by a drunk driver while on duty, and only had seven days to do it, no one thought it was possible. Doreen made it happen and raised over fifteen thousand dollars! But the miracle didn’t end there; she made it a point to visit the officer in the hospital herself in order to give him the money, figuring it would be a great opportunity to pray for him and share the gospel.

She told the officer, “I have an ulterior motive for being here, I wanted to pray with you.” He seemed unphased and told her “I know, Jesus told me. When I got hit and my legs were pinned up against that car, I needed to come to Him.” Doreen said, “There’s no time like the present, do you want to accept Jesus into your heart?” The officer said yes as his wife cried happy tears next to his hospital bed. Doreen would continue to visit him in the hospital to share scripture and disciple him.

Today, he is healed, walking, and raising two beautiful children. The fruit of her labor was surely evident, but Doreen says, “Doing all the labor beforehand was nothing compared to the joy of this officer coming to Christ.”

From organizing outreaches for veterans and housing the homeless to counseling and sharing the gospel to the community, she is amazed at all that God is doing and thankful to be a part of it. “People need to have the work clothes of Jesus on at all times, we thank our vets for their service but we don’t do anything about it. They need our help even with the small things like putting up a TV, or fixing their sink, or providing them with a new couch. They need to see the love of Jesus, even the nonbelieving vets.”

Tonight, she definitely has her work clothes on. She’s invited several veterans to come and experience the SoCal Harvest Crusade, many for the first time. Doreen reminds us, “God opens doors, and all we need to do is walk through them.”

Sometimes past sins go so deep and lies listened to so long that hearts grow cold and some even question the truth that there is a God in Heaven who loves us.

That was Miranda tonight. This is her second night at this year’s SoCal Harvest Crusade but halfway through she was ready to leave. “I thought, what’s the point? All these Christians talk about the joy of the Lord and this and that and there’s not much joy in my life at all,” said Miranda. “I was really ready to leave; I was fed up with God and even questioning that there really is a God at all. I started to leave when I heard Greg Laurie start talking about abortion and I started crying and came back.”

You see, Miranda had three abortions when she was younger. “It was accepted in my family and as a matter of fact, my sister even paid for my abortions.” Miranda thought that God could never forgive her having three abortions but He brought her here tonight for that very reason–for her to hear that God will forgive her for her past sins, including those three abortions.

Miranda made her way down to the field and, in tears recommitted her life to Jesus. “I can’t believe God loves me enough to have Greg Laurie talk about abortion tonight. I am so thankful to Him for loving me so much.

So, you see, it doesn’t matter what your past looks like, there is a God in Heaven who loves you—no matter what—that’s what Jesus came to die for, that we might be forgiven our sins and be reconciled to Him.

Tonight, as people are funneling in for the final night of this year’s SoCal Harvest to see Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Madeline Carroll, and Pastor Greg Laurie, the Liem family made their way into their seats. “This is our third night this year. We love it!” Thania exclaimed. They’ve made the drive from Redlands, California, all three nights.

Growing up and living in Indonesia, Yohan and Thania met in their twenties. Both were born in China and both of their parents moved to Indonesia because they wanted more than one child. Yohan is one of six children and Thania is one of–believe it or not–twelve! (She has three sisters and eight brothers). Neither family lived near to one another. They just “happened” to have met years later at church (no happenstances with God).

Thania accepted the Lord at fourteen years old, after a friend from high school invited her to church. Yohan became a Christian when he was thirteen after he was invited to a Christian youth retreat and started going to church. “It was tough being both Chinese and a Christian in Indonesia. People would throw things at us and mock us.”

Thania and Yohan met at church. They dated for seven years before getting married. They married in Indonesia at the church where they met. They had their first son, Jonathan, when they were in their late twenties and moved to the United States a year later. “We wanted a better future for our family and we wanted to raise our children in a Christian home without fear of persecution,” shares Yohan. Their second son, Jeff, was born here in the US.

So let’s not forget how blessed we are in America to be free to worship Jesus at a public place such as Angel Stadium. Let’s praise God for brothers and sisters we have from all over the world, including a heavily Muslim country such as Indonesia.

Now’s is the time to worship!