Herman's in Los Angeles

Background
Since childhood we both had toyed with the idea of full-time Christian service, but often these thoughts were pushed behind other "more profitable" desires. However, during our years in college, God began to unfold His plan for our lives. Because of the human service fields we chose in college, both of us had the opportunity to intern in social service agencies before receiving our degrees. Mike worked with excellent gang intervention and prevention programs near LA, while Tonya interned at a prominent community center in urban Indianapolis. So often we were frustrated with the limitation of the governmental programs to share Christ's love, which was our client's deepest need. We saw time after time that even the best secular programs are powerless to change the human heart.

God's Plan Unfolding
The summer of 1990 is when we first met each other serving as urban ministry interns with Here's Life Inner City in New York City. HLIC's Summer in the City project was our first real exposure to serving the poor from a holistic, biblical approach. It was then clear to us that God was calling us to the city on a permanent basis. The following year, we helped staff the first Summer in the City project in Los Angeles and were married the summer of 1992. In January of 1993, we joined the staff team of Here's Life Inner City- Los Angeles, the urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

We now serve as the City Directors of Here's Life Inner City in Los Angeles. We have a team of 20 incredibly talented and committed people who have dedicated themselves to serving the Christian church here in LA.