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OUR STAFF

Mobilizing Youth Ministries

Our leadership team has the heart and passion to mobilize the local church youth ministries to reach teenagers in their city and the world. More and more, it is a challenge for students in our culture to show up and attend a church function. Parable LA has seen a movement of the Holy Spirit among the youth of Los Angeles by going directly to them and we empower church youth ministries to do the same.

MEET THE TEAM

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Hung and Angie Thach

Hung and his family fled from war-torn South Vietnam in 1975 and came to the United States and was sponsored by a church in Chattanooga, TN. He and his wife Angela have been married for 27 years and have three children, Caleb, Brooke, and Jericho. They served with the high school ministry of Cru for 25 years and Hung currently serves as the Executive Director of Parable in Los Angeles.

Their passion is to help bring the love and truth of Jesus to teenagers around their city and the world. Their family embraces the messiness of ministry and loves sharing life with the staff, college students, and teens, whom they have the privilege of serving and leading.

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Susana Bendijo

The death of Susana’s mother at the age of five sent her and her older siblings to America to different relatives. It was a confusing time, culture, climate, and no dad for years. But when she was in grade school, something amazing happened. Susana’s older sister had gotten involved in campus ministry at her university and heard the good news of Jesus’ love for the first time. That same night, her sister shared with Susana how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Susana was surprised Jesus wanted to be a part of her life, and was excited to say Yes to Him.

As an adult volunteering with the high school ministry, Susana saw the emptiness of young people who were growing up in a tough complex culture filled with identity issues, sexual pressures, substance abuse, violence and high anxiety. She fell in love with the fact that a ministry goes to the teenagers – their school – their world! Bringing Jesus! It was then that she knew what she had to do. She joined the work full-time and is thrilled to show God’s heart to rescue the lost who are walking in darkness (Isaiah 61:1-4).

Susana’s passion is to share the Gospel of hope and love with young people, mentor them, and send them back to their campus to reach more, and home to reach their families. “I have seen the goodness of the Lord, and He will accomplish what He started in me!”

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Brandt and Jessica Carson

Brandt and Jessica Carson

Brandt’s journey towards ministry began during high school, where he discovered the transformative power of a personal relationship with God through the guidance of church mentors and leaders in Cru.

This experience ignited a passion within him to serve others and share his faith. In 2013, he responded to God’s call by relocating from Tennessee to California to join the High School Ministry of Cru. Since then, Brandt has been actively involved in evangelizing and mentoring students across LA/OC high schools.

In 2014, Jessica was drawn to a similar calling while working as a crisis specialist with at-risk youth in the public school system. Feeling compelled to share the message of Christ with teenagers, she began volunteering alongside Brandt. Soon after, she decided to step away from her stable career path and licensure in Social Work, and commit to full-time ministry.

Today, as a family of five, the Carsons are dedicated to continuing their impactful work with Parable. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, their mission is to join students in the middle of their story, bring healing to their past, and offer redemption for their future. They desire to help students recognize that God has intricately crafted their stories on Earth and in Heaven. Join us in embracing this transformative journey.

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Casey Cashen

Casey met and fell in love with Jesus in 2005 at the age of 24 and got involved in the high school ministry right away. His heart broke over the lostness and desperation of teens and the realization that if we lose this generation, then we lose our future! He has been blessed to minister to so many teens and share the truths of Scripture individually and in groups of all sizes.
 
Casey has been serving on staff with Cru and now Parable since 2010. His passion is to help lost students find Jesus and experience new life in Him, to build them in their faith while addressing the brokenness in all areas of their lives, and then to mobilize them to reach others in their schools, families, and community.
 
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Jenny Chan

Jenny was raised in a small town in North Carolina. Childhood was full of dirt roads, climbing trees and neighborhood friends. Everything seemed sweet till around 10 years old when she realized her home and many of her friend’s homes were filled with domestic and substance abuse. Despite her desire to avoid falling into those same patterns she found herself becoming who she didn’t want to be. Thanks to the seeds of the gospel sown in her heart as a child during VBS, she cried out to Jesus. God provided a beautiful church and Godly role models to lead her to Jesus and show her how to follow him.

That experience never left her. Following in the footsteps of those who discipled her, she has lived passionately to see youth like herself encounter Christ and experience his love firsthand.

She moved to CA in 2016 to help plant a church and shortly after met her husband and the now Parable team. Now she lives out her calling sharing the gospel and making disciples on high school campuses in Long Beach and surrounding cities.

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Jonathan-Chan

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan is a San Diego native with a passion and hunger for serving God and understanding His Word. Jonathan’s earliest memories are being in Sunday School as a kid, learning about Jesus, and he attributes his heart of service to his parents who faithfully served in his local church’s various ministries. After High School, Jonathan went to Biola University, studying Engineering, with hopes of transferring to USC and receiving three engineering degrees in six years. He found much security and safety in his own plans and aspirations.

In 2022, a freak skiing accident left Jonathan with a fractured wrist and spine. While physically broken, he came face-to-face with a deeper spiritual brokenness he had long overlooked.

As he began the long process of physical healing, he also received spiritual healing through full surrender to God. During this transformative time, Jonathan sensed a clear calling from God — to step into the unknown and dedicate his life, career, and purpose amidst life’s uncertainties. He has since found peace in following God’s plans rather than his own.

Jonathan recently graduated from Biola University with a double major in Applied Physics and Bible Theology. He has a heart for evangelizing, discipling, and equipping the next generation.

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Jordan-Gavero

Jordan Gavero

Jordan, a Long Beach native, has a deep passion for Jesus, cherishes time with his wife Hanna, and strives to share Jesus’ love with others. Jordan was surrounded by faith from an early age, giving his life to Jesus as a young teen, and was involved in Cru at Long Beach Poly HS.

After college graduation, Jordan fulfilled a childhood dream by working in the television industry. But professional success did not meet his deep inner needs. The pandemic year of 2020 was a crossroads for Jordan, personally and professionally. He lost his job and saw his 7-year romantic relationship unravel.

During this challenging period, Jordan looked deep within himself and encountered Jesus in a transformative way. He found security in his identity in Christ, and is committed to sharing these life-changing truths with the young people he serves as a Parable staff person.

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Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram

Brandon grew up in Birmingham, AL, with his mother, grandmother, and sister. In college, he met Jesus, and his life was radically changed. Jesus started to show him that He loved and cared for him despite his mistakes, fears, and doubts.

After graduation, Brandon worked for 6 years as an engineer for Roper Corporation in Lafayette, GA, making stoves and other appliances. On a trip to California, he saw how God was changing the lives of teenagers through a ministry called Cru High School. God began to stir a burden in his heart for the teens, and after a few months of prayer, God led him to move to Southern California to get involved in the lives of high school students. After 5 years of ministry, Brandon felt the Lord call him to join the Parable staff team.

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Daniel Steven Le

Daniel underwent a journey from disconnection to faithfulness. Growing up in a Vietnamese Christian community, he struggled to meet church expectations amidst his own doubts and fears. Feeling isolated, he turned away, finding love in friendships outside of the church. Yet, the Lord led him back, where he discovered love and acceptance through church and Cru. Inspired by the Prodigal Son parable, he accepted Christ, finding purpose in sharing the redemptive love of Christ with others. Following his high school graduation, he volunteered for two years with Cru and is now in his first year of internship, connecting students to the same loving community that saved him.

As he transitions to Parable, he hopes to impact students’ lives through Spirit-led stories, just as the Prodigal Son parable impacted his own.

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Dan and Pat Lee

Dan, a native of San Francisco, joined Cru’s high school ministry right out of college in 1981. His various ministry roles have taken him to Florida and Texas, and back to California, where he joined the LA/OC team in 2017.

Dan serves as the Operations Leader for the team, and coaches high school staff here and around the country in raising their personal financial support. Pat is Parable’s bookkeeper and general financial whiz.

Dan’s main passions beside the gospel are Pickleball and Piano. Pat serves regularly at a local food pantry and enjoys mentoring younger women in the faith. 

Dan and Pat’s two children and their spouses and granddaughter live in Orlando, Florida.

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Amber Navas

Even being raised in both a Catholic and Christian household, Amber had no idea what a relationship with Christ meant. In High School, her best friend invited her to Cru Club and later to a Getaway conference in June 2021, where Jesus met her. From being lost in her identity, depressed, and suicidal, the Lord called her out of that darkness and straight into ministry.

Amber has been volunteering with Cru’s High School Ministry since her high school graduation 2022, and became an intern in late 2024. Amber praises YHWH for the privilege of being able to run Parable’s social media accounts, disciple High School girls with similar testimonies as hers, and making a way for her to attend Biola University at the same time, to be well equipped to be a missionary, in His will. Amber is grateful for the continuous work, trials, and blessings He provides in her life as He uses her to search for the lost and bring them back to the house of the Lord!

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Mickey-Parra

Mickey Parra

Mickey and his three siblings grew up in a churchgoing family in Southern California. He believed in God but didn’t learn how to have a living and active faith. His life drastically changed as a sophomore at Long Beach Poly High School. Faced with chaos in his life and his family’s life, he discovered a High School Ministry on his campus. He met amazing, godly leaders who loved him and created an environment where he felt safe enough to bring them into the chaos of his life. They continually empowered him and pointed him to Jesus until he truly understood God’s grace and what a life of repentance looked like.

In the summer before his senior year, after much prayer for direction, God called Mickey into missions. He now has the privilege of serving students with Parable – students who were just like him, lost and in need of the hope and peace that only comes from Jesus through the Gospel.

Mickey invites you to partner with him in pursuing and radically changing students’ lives, helping to bring them from death to life, from sinner to son/daughter and saint.

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David-Potts

David Potts

David served as a leader in the restaurant industry with over 18 years of experience. He answered God’s calling into ministry in 2017 and continues serving people, but now it’s for Jesus. In an act of faith, David journeyed across the country from Atlanta, GA and settled in Long Beach to join staff with Cru’s High School Ministry.

David is passionate about helping others find and follow Jesus through both sharing the word and the love of God. Currently, he serves three local high schools where up to 400 students each week get to hear about Jesus and grow in their faith. David is married to Jamie and they have two beautiful daughters, Dominic and Amara.

When David is not serving in ministry he enjoys spending time with family and friends, music, cooking, and watching trains.

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Carina Quintero

Carina Quintero

Carina was born and raised in Southern California, grew up in a household with four other siblings, and put her faith in Jesus at six years old. Her love and faithfulness for Him would grow from then on. Entering high school, God gave her a heart to reach her campus on a greater level. She began praying for a Christian community to help her do just that, and God answered that prayer with the very same group of people she gets to do ministry with today! Soon after high school, she became a volunteer, intern, and part-time staff with Parable!

“I wouldn’t be here today without God placing His obedient servants in my life and bringing them onto my high school campus. They have been my family. He has brought me up and called me to serve him all the days of my life, and I will do just that. I am beyond blessed and humbled to be a part of His Kingdom and this ministry!”

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Spiro

Spiro Raxiotis

Spiro became a follower of Christ at the age of 22 after a drug overdose and subsequent suicide attempt. He served on Parkcrest Church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry team for over seven years, during which he led the teen version known as The Landing. It was during that time his heart broke for hurting and lost teenagers, seeing his story in many of theirs. He came into contact with a team of missionaries working with high school students and attended a rally at a local high school. It was that same day he heard the Lord call him to serve with this team. Spiro had been a stay-at-home dad for ten years. Following this calling required sacrifices for his wife Jen, and two children, Joshua and Leah.

Spiro has continued to serve as a missionary with high school students in the LA area since 2017. His own children serve in the ministry in their local high school. He faithfully continues to connect with students at multiple campuses with the help of local churches, and hopes to see the Gospel spread among teens.

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Keith and Susan San Luis

Keith and his wife Susan are from the Philippines. They both surrendered their life to Jesus Christ while in high school. After a season in their respective professions (engineering and dentistry), they both answered God’s call to do cross-cultural missions. Keith served in East Asia for 12 years as a church planter and as Cru’s LeaderImpact City Director, reaching out to influential leaders, businessmen, professionals, and youth.

Keith and Susan have been married for 19 years and have one teenage son, Chesed. In 2022, God called both Keith and Susan to reach out and start a church youth ministry in Southern California. They later joined Cru High School LA Metro Team, seeing the great need to evangelize and disciple the next generation for Christ and help fulfill the Great Commission. Keith works with Cru’s Church Mobilization team in partnership with Parable.

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Jeanette Saxton

Jeanette is excited to serve alongside the Parable team as their Virtual Executive Administrator. She joined the staff in March of 2020 under Cru, and immediately knew the new opportunity to grow God’s Kingdom with Parable would continue to be a blessing that only God would orchestrate “for such a time as this”.
Born and raised in the Central Valley of California, Jeanette, and her husband Scott, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in February of 2020. Without the promise of a plan in their move, they packed up and followed God’s plan to move to Tennessee.

Nothing could have prepared them for what followed in the world around them after their move. The blessing that did transpire was an ever increasing trust in the Lord to supply all that they needed, and little of what they wanted. “You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have”. – Corrie ten Boom
As Jeanette virtually serves to be the “hands and feet” of God, to help the Parable ministry of Los Angeles, she fully trusts that the Lord has placed her just where she needs to be, for her good and for His glory. Join her in praying for Parable, that the Lord will continue to supply the workers for a harvest that gives glory to His Kingdom!

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Caleb Thach

Caleb Thach

Caleb has experienced the love of Jesus since childhood in Chattanooga, TN, and accepted Him into his life at an early age. When he was 13, his family relocated to Southern California to launch Cru’s High School Ministry.

Growing up immersed in his parents’ ministry, Caleb witnessed the gospel’s transformative power firsthand, inspiring him to empower and disciple the next generation. Now at Parable, Caleb is thrilled to participate in God’s work among youth in Los Angeles. His mission is to help reach teenagers with the love of Jesus.

 

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Josiah Thor

A first-generation Cambodian-American, Josiah was born and raised in a God-fearing home in Long Beach by two ex-missionary pastors. In 2018, during his freshman year, he walked into a Cru club hoping to find Christian peers. He found friends, but also encountered genuine curiosity and godly love from the Cru staff. He learned that he didn’t need to put up a church façade or perform, but could simply be himself as a son of God.

After graduating in 2021, Josiah took a step of faith by volunteering with Cru, moved by how Jesus showed His love through them. He poured into students as he had been poured into. He volunteered for three years with Cru before joining Parable as an intern. God has given Josiah a big heart to love the students of LA as they are, just as Jesus does, and to show them His redemptive power.

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David and Jen Urquhart

David and Jen Urquhart come from Cru Inner City serving with church partners and working with college students for 15 years. Previously, David worked as an engineer with Mitsubishi Electric and Jen worked in outdoor education, leading kids on nature hikes with Inside the Outdoors.

David has deeply appreciated the mentors who have discipled him in high school and college and desires to do the same for high school students who face cycles of poverty, crippling anxiety, and abuses that Jesus wants to heal.

David went through a 4 year season of gripping chronic back pain, which nearly brought him to the end of his life. After extensive doctors meetings, scans and tests, it brought him to a mental health rehabilitation center where he lived for 3.5 months and experienced tremendous healing and brought him to 100% capacity. Their family is so thankful for God’s grace to sustain them through this journey. David loves to share about the practices he has learned as well as the spiritual truths with others who experience long suffering.

In their free time, David loves playing piano and keyboard, running, playing competitive ping pong, and woodworking. Jen loves reading, running, hiking, creative projects and homeschooled our boys for 4 years. They both love serving with their church and lead the youth group at City Church of Compton. They have lived around the corner from their church in Compton for 14 years with their three boys.

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