Our talented Kids Create Coordinator and Marketing Coordinator, Drew Holguin, has a proven record of going where help is needed and stepping up to the challenge. He isn’t scared or hesitant to jump in and get his hands dirty when it comes to the Lord’s work. Drew is a valuable member of our team, and this month we get to learn how he came to join the Ciudad Nueva team! If you’ve seen the colorful mural-in-progress on the wall of our building, you’ve had a glimpse of the creative leadership shown by Drew. He’s all about hands-on activities to bring our students closer to God and to each … [Read more...]
“You Never Retire From Ministry”—Joe Gavaldon’s Reflection on His Work at Ciudad Nueva
At Ciudad Nueva, we have seen God accomplish his work through the ministry of our beloved Family Outreach Director, Joe Gavaldon. He retired from his role here at our agency, but we know that God’s work through him is just beginning. God’s Calling In 2009, Joe first felt God’s calling on his life to work in ministry. He worked with Young Life, a community ministry that guides young people to know Christ. While it was hard for him to leave, he felt God’s hand guiding him to work with students full-time. He trusted that the door would open to a new opportunity, and it came! Sami, our … [Read more...]
Drew Holguin Brings Creative Energy to Kids Create Middle School Program
How God led Drew to Ciudad Nueva Drew Holguin was born and raised in El Paso, but it wasn’t until this past summer that he learned about Ciudad Nueva. Drew, who started as Ciudad Nueva’s Kids Create Assistant Coordinator earlier this month, has spent the last four summers working at a camp called Lone Tree Ranch in Capitan, New Mexico. This past summer, he met a group of middle school students from Ciudad Nueva who came to the camp for a week of adventure and excitement centered around the love of Christ. Even though Drew grew up on the opposite end of El Paso from the Rio Grande … [Read more...]
Small Groups Breathe New Life into Middle School Ministry
“No kid goes unnoticed” When Lexi Moles, Ciudad Nueva’s Middle School Program Coordinator, received a complaint from a parent that their child wasn’t hearing about Jesus often enough during the middle school program, she could have dismissed it as inaccurate or unhelpful. Instead, Lexi chose to allow the parent’s complaint to serve as a catalyst for reevaluating the entire program. “We are a Christian- and faith-based nonprofit, so I thought the parent had a valid point,” Lexi says. “I guess the program had stayed stagnant for awhile.” Lexi responded by weaving small groups into the … [Read more...]
Ciudad Nueva’s Upward Soccer League Expands to Include Middle School Teams This Fall
When Ciudad Nueva brought a youth soccer league to the Rio Grande neighborhood last fall, only one thing was missing: a middle school division. Ciudad Nueva decided to limit the league to kindergarten through fifth grade during its inaugural year, but league director Bruce Meyer plans to expand the league to include teams for middle schoolers this fall. The league, which is part of the Upward Sports organization, was the vision of Ciudad Nueva’s executive director, Sami DiPasquale, who sees it as a way to further Ciudad Nueva’s mission of building community in the Rio Grande … [Read more...]
