If you have been attending CrossCity, and serving in any capacity, then you’ve met Paul Bedolla. He has a true servant’s heart for the Lord, and I am privileged to share with you a small glimpse into how he lives his life.
Paul was raised with a Catholic upbringing which, as he put, “consisted of a somewhat strict religious path. As a family we attended church on Sundays and catechism or Sunday school for the grade school years; this was followed by youth and young adult programs. I oddly recall knowing that there was an Almighty God, I just didn’t know how to find Him. My path to be saved and genuinely know the Lord was a tumultuous one. For me it took being so lost, before I was truly found. I had spent a significant time in the military and overseas in various parts of the world including Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during those times I saw humanity at its worst; even having to witness the loss of some friends. I really had a hard time coming back in 2008. There was a period where I became self-destructive through addiction and brokenness, which dramatically hurt my wife, children, and everyone around me. Years later as I was newly on the path to recovery, my wife passed unexpectedly in 2015. Those were some hard times for my children, for me, for everyone. Over the next few years God was working on my heart. It was through endless brokenness, desperation, and trials, that led me to complete surrender to accept Christ as the Lord and Savior of my life.”
Paul shared that “in the summer of 2017, I had called a friend to ask if he could recommend a good Bible-based church. He immediately referenced CrossCity. I remember not wasting any time and showing up on a Sunday morning.” From there, the ball got rolling, and Paul dove into serving in any and every capacity he could. From Guest Services, to Rooted, and Missions, he made it a point to put into practice being the “hands and feet of Jesus”. One thing that hadn’t changed since childhood was Paul’s habit of serving others. When asked if serving others was a regular practice as a child, Paul’s response made some of us envious. He shared “I never really thought about it as “giving back and volunteering”, it was just the way my parents raised us- to help others whether it be in the community or in the church. It was through those experiences and upbringing that led me to a deeper level of service to my country when I joined the Marine Corps in 1994. My earliest memories of volunteering were at spaghetti dinners held at our church in Gilroy where we all pitched in to help to set up, feed people, and clean. I learned that to be part of a community was to work together and help each other.” What a sweet model of Jesus’ servanthood!
Fast forward to 2021, and our church had stepped up to come alongside Afghan refugees after the devastating results of withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan. Paul shared, “I was volunteering with CrossCity Missions and there was an announcement about refugees coming to settle here in Fresno. This really touched my heart, as I was in Afghanistan in 2005 with the military and knew exactly what was happening. It really was God working in ways that still completely amazes me. Bethany Christian Services was the local agency assisting in refugee resettlement and CrossCity partnered with them to sponsor an Afghan Family; we also partnered with Break The Barriers to hold a Summer Camp for all the refugees.
“A year and a half after this, Bethany reached out to me to see if I might be interested in a full time position as a refugee case manager with them! I accepted, and it’s now my role to assist refugees that have been granted refugee/asylum status by the US Government. The direct impact that Bethany plays is the integral part in resettling refugees that are escaping persecution right in our backyard. It’s been impactful to see our community come around these refugees, like the grocery store clerk that takes the time to assist someone from the Congo on how to shop, or the property manager that takes a moment to get to know a family when they come in to pay rent. It’s truly a privilege and blessing to be part of a team that helps people/families start a whole new chapter of their life here in the United States. I see children that now have the opportunity to pursue an education for the first time in their lives, families that now live in safe housing, free from danger, with clean water, and access to all the resources we have here. These are life changing opportunities I see in the lives of people daily. It is truly reflecting Christ and being the light in a dark world.”
What a privilege to have Paul, a man with a true servants’ heart, as a part of our church body, and someone who lives out the gospel on a daily basis!