ABOUT

LAVIDA

WHO ARE WE?

The LAVIDA Network brings life to The Navigators Calling by connecting, developing, and equipping Hispanic/Latino disciple makers, juntos with the broader Navigators family, to be effective in reaching and discipling Hispanic/Latino people: life to life and familia a familia.

WHAT DO WE DO?

The focus of LaVida is to help carry out our Navigator Calling among US Hispanics and Latinos by contributing to the Navigator Missions’ ability to reach, disciple and train Hispanic and Latino laborers and leaders.
LaVida will provide encouragement, shepherding, coaching, relational connectivity and be an influence multiplier.
LaVida is positioned as an integral core network of the U.S. Navigators to partner with other missions and develop new culturally relevant ways of reaching Hispanics and Latinos.
LaVida events will serve as a catalyst for recruitment, connecting laborers and leaders in helping create momentum, training, mission alignment and vision casting for Hispanics and Latinos in the US Navigators

Staff

Meet Our Team

Alicia Garcia

Network Director

Raised Texican before I knew anything different, I found the Navigators as a freshmen at Arizona State University. It became apparent to me that The Navigators there cared for me beyond being a number in their ministry.

The Navs quickly became not just an organization, but my family. Being far from home, it was this community I grew to cherish. The Navigators have a strong value on discipleship and helped me grow closer to God by dealing with past hurts, and bringing me to the desert of Arizona to allow God to refine my life.

I see great value and opportunity in spreading God’s truth on the college campus. My passion now is to see others experience the same personal relationship and freedom in Christ that I have come to know. After 16 years on staff in Southern California, Penn State, and Oregon, I am pleased to continue laboring with The Navigators as the Collegiate Regional Director for the state of Texas and the Network Director for LaVida.

As Hispanic and Latino students make up more than 20% of the college population among students - It is evident God is doing something among our peoples for His Glory! I am pleased to serve both locally in this way and nationally with LaVida to see what God wants to do for His Great Name!

Sam Huxford

Leadership Team

Sam Huxford was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until he was 4, when he then moved to Miami. He became a believer at the age of 11 but it was when God introduced The Navigators to him in college at Florida State University where he wholeheartedly began to follow God. While studying finance, he felt the call to come on staff to reach students like him that came into college wanting to grow in their faith and also for the many students who don’t know Jesus.

He has been on staff with The Navigators in collegiate for 12 years. He was introduced to the LaVida Network several years ago which began his journey into embracing his ethnicity. Throughout this time, he has had the wonderful privilege of being married to his lovely wife Jennifer Huxford for 12 years, and they have four kids, Isabella, Aria, Luca, & Ezra. They are pioneering a collegiate ministry at Florida International University in Miami, FL. They desire to see students and non-students in Miami know the one, true God. Sam continues to serve LaVida Network as the co-Director for the LaVida Conference.

Josh Borunda

Leadership Team

Chris Ballesteros

Leadership Team

Josh Borunda is on staff with the Collegiate mission of The Navigators. He was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, in the same home his grandfather purchased when he first moved to Texas from Mexico. As a 3rd generation Tejano, his love for good queso, homemade tortillas, and brisket reflect that intersection of Mexico and Texas.

He was the first in his family to leave home for college and moved to Lubbock, Texas to pursue a business degree at Texas Tech University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2010 and then pursued a master’s degree in business administration in 2012. During those years, the Lord ignited a passion to see young students commit their whole lives to following Jesus. Josh’s heart is for holistic disciplemakers who trust Jesus with every area of their lives. And for the next generation of Latinos as they wrestle with very real questions about life, God, and their ethnicity.

He currently serves as the South Central Associate Regional Director for Collegiate, helping to resource, develop and care for staff, students, and everyday disciplemakers across Texas. He also serves on the LaVida executive team and lives in San Marcos, TX with his awesome wife, Caitlin Borunda!

Chris was raised in a small town in central California. During his time at University of California: San Diego, he met the Navigators. While their his heart was sparked to mentor and disciple other men. After graduating, he went on staff with the Navigators in 2018. Chris has served in several different context since joining staff. He has served on college campuses, in churches, and in the inner-city with urban youth. He is currently working on his Doctorate of Ministry at Western Seminary and lives in Merced, CA where he is focused on ministering to people in several context including high school, college, and church context.

Alex Mata

Leadership Team

Andrew Duran

Leadership Team

Alex is a third generation Mexican American Californian. Raised up in Southern California and lives in Pico Rivera with his wife Diana who is from Albuquerque NM who is an elementary teacher who meet the Lord at the University of New Mexico in the 80’. They have two adult sons living on their own. Alex surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ when he was 19 in the USAF. Where he met the Navigators military ministries, during this time God used it to call him to the mission field with the Navigators in Venezuela during the Mid 80’s. Alex & Diana have been married 36 years in December and have served the Lord as partners with local churches and community outreaches until 2003, which Alex felt called to full-time into the Navigator ministry and left his 20 year career in aviation to join the Hispanic Navigator ministry in community and served the Hispanic Navigators as director of ministry. He continues to contribute and has great passion for the gospel to be shared across the US Latino Communities. He currently is a credential Life and Leadership coach and serves as a local elder at FBBC. He loves to sports, aviation and coaching marriages for the love of Christ.

Andrew’s mission is to develop leaders & disciple-makers for the Kingdom and have a lot of fun while doing it. He studied English Literature at the University of Florida where he met the Navs. After serving in collegiate ministry in Florida for 11 years, he and his family moved to Colorado in 2023 where he serves full time with Leader Development. Andrew & Sarah have been married for 14 years and have 3 boys, Noah (10), Silas (8) and Luca (9 months)! They co-own a Crossfit gym on the east side of Colorado Springs — “Crossfit Tava”. In his free time, Andrew enjoys iced coffee, fitness, and drinking iced coffee (in that order).

Gina Holm

Leadership Team

Gina Holm serves as the Director of Navigators Life and Leadership Coaching (NLLC). Gina is passionate about encouraging ministry leaders to embrace their identity in Christ and take their next step in their journey with Him. She does this through life-on-life discipleship with young women around her dining room table, as a Navigator Life and Leadership Mentor Coach and serving local churches.

Gina has an M.A. in Local Church Ministry from Grace Theological Seminary and has been serving in vocational ministry for over 25 years. Gina treasures quality time and fun adventures with her husband of 26 years, Lindell, and their three young adult children.

Alex Mata

D4L Influencer