DeBee's Story    

              How it all began...                 

DeBee is a 5th generation granddaughter of Hannah Boone and niece of the famous American pioneer, Daniel Boone.

She is also the sixth child of twelve, born to alcoholic parents. She was sexually molested at the age of five and raised in a poor, violent environment.

DeBee received Jesus Christ as her personal savior at the age of thirteen at Helmer's Street Baptist Church in Houston Texas. At that point Jesus was a life line and a rope to hang onto through the years it took for her to grow up.

Being a Christian did not take care of the damage that being brought up in a family of pain had done. DeBee made many poor decisions and many times hurt herself and blamed God for letting things happen in her life. She loved the LORD with all her heart but could not understand why these things happened to her.

Through the culmination of many of these 'life problems', DeBee was spiraled into a deep, dark depression in 1990. This depression and the journey that God took her through to find out who she really was to God, has resulted in Up Close Ministries.

DeBee had to deal with herself in regard to her family of origin and her own feelings about herself that resulted. She began to search out God's word through prayer, bible study and Christian counseling. Not only did God bring about a profound healing and deep love and commitment to other women he gave her a new name...DeBee. Through her life experiences and personal emotional and spiritual healing DeBee has been given a unique ability to apply God's word to hurts in the church.

DeBee is married with three children (two are grown) and living in Pine Valley, California. She is the caretaker of two adult developmentally handicapped males. One is her brother Mark (the 12th of the 12 children) and her husband's brother Terry. She also does senior care, using her background to minister to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of her elderly clients.

Church affiliation is non-denominational. DeBee was on staff at Skyline Church in San Diego, California for over seven years. She had the opportunity to be on staff with the internationally known; Dr. John Maxwell and then his replacement Dr. Jim Garlow.

DeBee was the teacher/leader of what became one of the largest healing ministries at Skyline Wesleyan Church. For nine years she taught "LORD, Heal My Hurts" using Kay Arthur's book as a guide. DeBee helped over eight hundred women restore joy back into their relationship with God. This intense teaching of healing and recovery is what has become the foundation of "Up Close Ministries" and the desire that DeBee and her husband Michael now wish to bring to other believers.