My name is Alex Mata and I am working full-time in the Ministry to reach people for Christ and disciple them...

Together with a team of believers and churches, I believe we can make a difference for the kingdom of God here in Southern California.

I am a native southern Californian. I grew up in Cypress, California when there were dairy farms and strawberry fields. I am a third generation Mexican / American on my father's side and on my mothers side I am a fourth generation Mexican / American. My childhood was very suburban. The fact is that I played baseball and football as kid. I enjoyed going to the beach, riding bikes and going fishing with my brothers.

As kid one of my earliest memories is when I was about 4. I was playing on the roof of our garage and fell off of it and broke my right arm. It was purely the grace of God that I didn't break my neck or die.

At age eight I remember when I asked Jesus into my life at a Good News Bible Club in the neighborhood. The bible story was about Joseph and his coat of many colors. After the story time they asked us, " Who wants to go to heaven?". I raised my hand and from there they took me to a bedroom where I got on my knees next to the bed and prayed to receive Jesus as my personal Savior. From that time on I can say I always had a desire to please Him. But as most children I was very immature and lacked self-confidence. I walked around very defensive and got into a lot of fights as a kid because of my temper.

At one point I can remember how I used to pray to God to let us win football games and telling Jesus not to come back for us i.e. Second Coming of Christ, until I had done what I wanted to do in life. As you can see I was very much like any other person be it young or old. Living for self.

At age eighteen, I joined the US Air Force with a desire to get a career in aviation. I became an aircraft mechanic. Little did I know that God would take control of my life. You see what happened to me next is that I tried to walk on both sides of the fence. I lived for God on Sunday and lived like a pagan during the week. But I didn't have any joy or peace in my life. So one night while I was searching for the meaning of life in the Bible I read a passage of scripture in Revelations chapter 3 verses 15,16. It says, " I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

For the first time in my life I realized I could not fool God. He knew me and that I was lukewarm in my faith and that He despised that more than anything else. At that very moment I prayed that the Jesus would become the Lord of my life. I didn't see or hear any lighting bolts but I know God heard me and I began to see the changes in my life! I was able to control my temper and I grew in a great desire to know God and make Him known. I started reading and studying the Bible for the first time on a consistent basis. I stood up for my faith and shared with all that would listen. I saw God bring people to Himself. I had found Jesus and experienced His wonderful hand in my life.

That was the beginning of my walk to maturity in Christ. For the next 4 years God allowed me to meet a ministry called the Navigators led by a full-time staff person named Jack Williams. He and Gary Leavitt, who was my personal Bible study leader, began to train me in discipleship and how to grow in my faith. Looking back on those years I can say they were foundational years for me. After getting out of the Air Force, the Lord led me to be a single missionary in Venezuela. First I had to learn Spanish, so off to language school in Costa Rica.

I know you think I could speak Spanish just by looking at me, and so did everyone else! God used the next 2 ½ years to make me compassionate for my people (The Hispanic world). I led a couple of people to the Lord while I was there but I think He used this chapter of life to make me aware of my roots and the great need for laborers in the Hispanic world. So after South America I came home to Southern California and joined the Navigators Hispanic ministry to help impact this area for His kingdom. I worked for the next 15 years at Boeing as an aircraft mechanic.

The Lord used this period of time to develop me in public ministry. He brought me into contact with a pastor that at one time was my youth pastor. Richard Todd gave me opportunities to minister publicly. I am very thankful for all the people God has brought into my life to make me the man of God He wants me to be. There are many more I could mention but I give God the glory for these key people in my life.

Now I would like to mention my family and how God has used them to make me a better servant of His.I am a family man who has been married 14 years to a beautiful woman that God gave me from Albuquerque, New Mexico. My wife's name is Diana, her nick name is DeeDee. She came to know the Lord through a Navigator ministry at the University of New Mexico where she got her degree in Elementary Education. She has taught in three different states. She loves New Mexico and only gave it up because God brought us together.

DeeDee is currently teaching fifth grade in our local school district. We live in Pico Rivera, California in the heart of the region that we want to impact for Christ. We have two boys; 11 and 8. The oldest is Emilio; he loves baseball and enjoys challenges. He is in 5th grade and is a student at Brethren Christian School. Andrés is in third grade and enjoys reading and the computer. Our family is involved in AWANA, where Andres and Emilio memorize the Word of God and enjoy the game time. Both my boys play the piano and I too just started a year ago. Believe me, my boys outshine their old man! As we are finishing the school year at Brethren Christian School we are very thankful for how well the boys are doing. You see, prior to this year, my boys were homeschooled by their mother for five years.She is an outstanding mother and teacher. Needless to say a great wife too!

The newest member of our family is our black Labrador Retriever named Noche de Belen. He hails from New Mexico but has made the adjustment to Southern California. He is an answer to Emilio's prayers for a dog after the death of our first Labrador Retriever, Bravo. Noche is a responsibility builder for our boys and a companion for me as I work at home. Noche and I are currently attending dog obedience training classes. Now, if we could get him to stop eating our socks he would be a perfect dog!!


As I step out in faith into full time ministry I can use your prayers
 

Alex@urbannav.com