By: Tessa Valadez "What do you want to be when you grow up?" One of my middle schoolers asked me during our homework hour at Ciudad Nueva's after-school program. I smiled as she typed away at the computer, not even realizing that I was already a grown up. I mean, I graduated from college with two degrees. Then I laughed. Am I grown up? "Well, I --" I paused. She turned and looked at me, waiting for my reply. I felt twelve all over again, feeling myself burst. "If I had absolutely no fear in the world. None, whatsoever. I mean, no worries about competition," I rambled, "or impressing … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving
By: Sami DiPasquale “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite that which has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” - St. Francis of Assisi This week I reflect on how thankful I am for the opportunity to be a part of the Ciudad Nueva community. St. Francis of Assisi once said: “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite that which has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” What an unbelievable vision for us to play a small part of. And yet this vision inherently entails that we come in close contact with real wounds, with families and … [Read more...]
Jesus and His Love for Hairy Gorillas
Did you ever play Donkey Kong on Nintendo 64? Donkey Kong (henceforth affectionately nicknamed DK) is a gorilla -- a clumsy oaf of an ape that has longer arms than he knows how to handle. Or perhaps you first glimpsed his two-dimensional frame on a Nintendo Gameboy as a cartoonish image of a King Kong wannabe with Mario throwing a sledgehammer around to save Princess Peach from DK's hairy grip.Whatever the case or scenario...I'm DK.I have found myself in a slumpy state, the one where my hands hang down until I grow callouses on my knuckles from dragging them behind me. Then there are times … [Read more...]
RELOCATION/ RE-NEIGHBORING: A key component of Christian Community Development
By: Sami DiPasquale "How did Jesus love? Jesus relocated. He became one of us. He didn't commute back and forth to heaven." Last month I began a conversation exploring the key components of a lifestyle dedicated to Christian community development (CCD), a holistic framework that we strive to pursue in our Ciudad Nueva community. One of the fundamental elements of this lifestyle is relocation, or making the decision to live in community with those we feel called to walk with. The following is an explanation of relocation by seasoned practitioners in CCDA (Christian Community Development … [Read more...]
Blown Apart and Pieced Back Together
Hello, fellow readers! What you have below is my experience shared, so far, with a program I'm involved in under the umbrella that is Ciudad Nueva: Border Fellows. This particular internship has given me time to sit back and reflect upon God and the ways He is beginning to work in my life. Care to know a little more about me? Then read on, dear friend, read on. I'vE bEeN wReCkEd ... in the best way possible. Border Fellows has been an experience that has blown my worldview apart, and now I find myself giving God the pieces leftover. I've stumbled into an entirely new culture of … [Read more...]
