Worship, Fellowship, and Family: One Family’s Joyful Experience at San Jose Pastors Conference
Photos by Francis Faurot
This article appeared in Issue 109 of Calvary Chapel Magazine. Tap here to sign upfor the next NCPC, to be held September 21-23 this year at the Mount Hermon, Conference Center.
Nate Cate (left), pastor of Calvary Chapel Vallejo, CA, and his wife, Dani (right), enjoy a time of worship with their adopted son, Gabriel. Though he is non-verbal, Gabriel makes exuberant, joyous noises when he hears worship music.
At the NorCal Pastors & Leaders Conference last September, 6-year-old Gabriel Cate was the loudest singer in a Mount Hermon, CA, Christian conference center auditorium surrounded by redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Gabriel, a paraplegic with severe sensory impairment since birth, expresses himself through music. His dad, Nate, who pastors Calvary Chapel Vallejo, CA, said, “He’s nonverbal, so you think he doesn’t know things, but he knows every song. When it’s one of his favorite songs, he gets louder and more excited.” At the top of Gabriel’s song list is “Gratitude”, especially the line, “You’ve got a lion inside of those lungs.”
Nate and his wife, Dani, adopted Gabriel from a Brazilian orphanage when he was 15 months old, while they were missionaries. As the Cates stood outside the orphanage in the rain, Dani heard a baby crying. “I looked at Nathan and said, ‘Oh, he’s crying.’” Inside, they met Gabriel, throwing a fit in his highchair. Dani continued, “I remember thinking how bizarre it was that I knew it was our baby crying, even though we didn’t yet know his voice. There were maybe 20 kids in that orphanage, but somehow the Lord had put in our hearts to know Gabriel’s voice before we even knew him. We knew he was our baby.”
During pregnancy, Gabriel was exposed to an untreated sexually transmitted disease. He now suffers from several serious brain disorders that have led to developmental delays, seizures, paralysis, and blindness, requiring complete daily care. “He’s on a feeding tube because he doesn’t eat anything by mouth,” Dani revealed. “People think that [caring for Gabriel] is hard, but it doesn’t feel like that. It’s a lot physically to take care of, but ...” Nate jumped in, completing his wife’s sentence, “Because of his attitude, it doesn’t feel like a lot of work. He’s the sweetest. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s like he feels just so thankful for everything. He’s always smiling at us, always happy.”
Gabriel’s neurologist suspected Angelman’s syndrome because he smiled so much—but genetic testing proved he was just a happy boy.
“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b
“The Lord taught me a lot through Gabriel’s suffering,” admitted Dani. “Though he lives in daily pain because of someone else’s sin, he manages to have so much joy through everything. That’s very convicting to me. I may get mad when someone offends me or messes up my day, but Gabriel is such a good example of having joy in tough times.”
Worship Culture
Leaving Brazil two years ago to return to the U.S. was a culture change for the Cate family. Nate commented on the Latino culture they’d experienced in Brazil, “People are very emotional, and worship is very heartfelt. Not that I question our congregation’s heart for the Lord, it’s just a different cultural expression.”
When the Cates, along with 10 of their now 11 children and their then-future son-in-law, arrived at the NorCal conference, sponsored by Calvary Chapel San Jose, CA, they were met with the same lively, heartfelt worship they had missed in Brazil. “The worship was so good, and all our kids talked about how nice it was that everyone was worshiping the Lord together,” Nate offered. “And it was Gabriel’s moment; he just loves worship!”
Left: Hoppy Sanchez (left), wife of Leonard Sanchez, pastor of CC Spring Creek, NV, reconnects with Mercedez Homen, wife of Dustin Homen from Calvary Chapel Reno Sparks, NV.
Right: CCSJ Pastor Mike McClure and his wife, Brenda (right), are circled in prayer by attendees.
Evangelist Ryan Ries of The Whosoevers and Calvary Chapel Revival Night offers a warm invite to an altar call. Dani said, “Our kids really enjoyed listening to Ryan. After they got home, several of them read his book, Kill the Noise: Finding Meaning Above the Madness.”
Family Connections
Opening the conference, Calvary Chapel Association leadership councilman Pastor Don McClure encouraged believers, “I get to be at some of these conferences around the country and be part of this huge, wonderful family. It’s incredible. And that’s what you are part of—it is just wonderful.”
Two young men share some take-aways between teaching sessions.
In quiet intercession, two men solemnly voice their needs before the Lord.
The Northern California Pastors Conference, held by Calvary Chapel San Jose (CCSJ) at the idyllic Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center, offered many scenic venues for outdoor fellowship.
At check-in, attendees are given name tags and resources to enhance their experience during the three-day conference.
Because Nate is bi-vocational with a large family, it has been difficult for them to establish personal connections. At the conference, he and Dani were relieved to find a supportive Calvary Chapel family. “It was awesome to see that they are invested in us being there,” Dani said. “The group here in Northern California seems to really care about each other. It was encouraging to hear, ‘We want you here. We’ll do whatever we can to have you here next year,’ because you can feel isolated. Just to pack everybody up and take those days off is challenging, but it’s important to have that fellowship and hear what the Lord is doing in churches all around this area. It gives you life.”
Having nearly all their children at the conference was the Cates’ most cherished moment. And, it was nostalgic for Nate and Dani to hear speakers they grew up listening to while attending youth group at Calvary Chapel Brandon, FL. “I remember Sandy Adams talking about ministry and the difficulties of ministry. I thought, OK, we are not alone in what we are going through, because if Sandy Adams is getting through it, we can too,” Nate concluded.
Seated next to a majestic California redwood, a group of Calvary Chapel believers enjoy a campfire in the cool of the evening, sharing encouragement and counsel.
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