A Move from God

When Victoria Dempster’s parents announced they were moving from Camarillo to Orange County during her senior year of high school, she was devastated. Camarillo had been her home since she was in kindergarten, and she knew every inch of the town by heart. With a boyfriend, a tight group of friends and a school she loved, how could she possibly start over? Would she ever make new friends? And would life ever feel normal again?

Victoria’s parents relocated to Orange County for her father’s new job, and Victoria remained in Camarillo with her grandparents to complete her senior year. In June 2010, she made the move to Orange County to be with her family. Her parents had settled on Saddleback as their home church, and Victoria went along with them reluctantly. “I just went on the weekends to do my duty,” she said. “I was in a bad place and very angry.”

Victoria was involved in an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend, and he’d become controlling. With her now living in another city, he grew even more possessive. He didn’t like her hanging out with other people, not knowing where she was or what she was doing. Victoria tried to hide her doubts about the relationship from her friends and family. She kept a low profile and tried minding her own business, not wanting to get involved with church, but that was all about to change.

She received an unexpected call from a woman on Saddleback’s college ministry team who invited her to a college ministry meeting, and Victoria reluctantly agreed to go. She wasn’t sure what to expect that first week. All her walls were up and she still felt anger at God and her circumstances. But something happened that first night in the college ministry—God began to work in her heart and the walls she’d worked so hard to build started to crumble. The following week, Victoria joined a small group and began to develop friendships. As she let people into her life, the walls continued to come down. A few months later, she went on a winter retreat with the college ministry and, while there, she recommitted her life to Christ.

“God broke down every wall,” Victoria said. “I felt forgiveness, peace and grace.” To proclaim her commitment to Christ, Victoria got baptized as well. She wanted everyone to know she was a changed person inside.

Upon returning from the retreat, Victoria broke up with her boyfriend to begin the next chapter of her life. A few years later, she met a new guy, and they have been happily dating ever since. They have served together at Saddleback Irvine and in the Saddleback Kids ministry. “Saddleback is an amazing place,” Victoria said. “Lives are being changed here. Serving allowed me to be on the other side of the church experience, to meet a ton of people, and hear their stories of how the church changed their lives.”

Today, Victoria attends Hope International University, majoring in social science and child development. She has a passion for both kids and teens and hopes to work with children in the future. She still attends her small group, which she’s been a part of since first coming to Saddleback. The group has changed over the years, but the girls there still remain some of her best friends.

“They are constantly pushing me towards Christ,” Victoria said.

As Victoria reflects on her move to Orange County, she remains thankful that God pulled her out of her comfort zone. “If it wasn’t for my family moving down to Orange County and Saddleback Church, I don’t know where my relationship with God would be. I am so grateful for the community of people I’ve encountered. If you ask my mom why we moved, she’d say it was for me. God used my dad’s new job to get me to this church so I would fall in love with Jesus all over again.” Today, Victoria no longer hides behind walls. She is happy and free, content in her relationship with Christ and in the community she’s found. Victoria has come home.