Andrew Talavera

“To simply give people a moment to know that God is near In whatever environment I am in, I want to operate out of a place that knows Christ intimately. I constantly have to remember that I am serving a king who deserves my best.”

Andrew has called Surrey his home for his entire life. He is currently studying at Trinity Western University, working towards a bachelor’s in Psychology with a certificate in Human Services, with the goal of one day becoming a counsellor.

 Before joining the YU family, Andrew worked as a Surrey Urban Mission Society shelter worker. For two years, Andrew would spend a lot of time getting to know the homeless in Surrey’s Whalley area, which led to exposure to the dark reality of drug addiction and the prominence of overdoses within the city. Working in such proximity to a vulnerable community, Andrew witnessed the substantial consequences of childhood neglect and trauma. Joining the YU family, Andrew is eager to participate in the vital preventative work to influence at-risk teens to follow a new and more positive trajectory. “This is about redeeming people’s narrative from victimhood to fortitude.” 

While Andrew’s role is administrative assistant, he believes that in-office work can go a long way in helping the body function, which indirectly aids YU youth workers on the frontlines. Andrew quotes YU veteran Dean Klassen, “We’re the bellows that keep the fire burning.”

Andrew reads as many Christian books as he can get his hands on in his free time, with his favourite authors being C.S. Lewis and Henri Nouwen. In addition, he leads worship for his church’s young adults group, drinks coffee, and enjoys God’s beauty through his morning runs.