McCurdy Fiesta Time!
Saturday, October 29
10:00 to 2:00
Join us on Saturday, October 29, as we celebrate McCurdy’ 110-anniversary celebration! Planned activities include:
- viewing of a new film about McCurdy;
- antique car show;
- volunteers dressed in period costumes;
- games on the lawn;
- “Trunk or Treat” for the kids;
- silent auction;
- bounce obstacle course;
- alumni events;
- cookie decorating;
- special anniversary celebration presentation;
- dessert for all;
- ...and much, much more!
Please come to celebrate this amazing milestone with us!
It won’t be the same with YOU!
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Photos of the 2019 McCurdy Fiesta celebrating 107 years of ministry! |
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COVID-19 Update
As of October 6, 2022, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) reported the following number of new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population (by county):
- 7.5 new cases per 100,000 in Bernalillo Co.
- 7.9 new cases per 100,000 in Los Alamos Co.
- 7.9 new cases per 100,000 in Rio Arriba Co.
- 7.9 new cases per 100,000 in Santa Fe Co.
- 7.9 new cases per 100,000 in Taos Co.
Currently, most counties in northeastern New Mexico continue to be in the “low” level of risk category. McCurdy continues to implement health and safety measures regarding COVID-19 protocols to help ensure the safety of the children and youth we serve as well as our staff and volunteers.
If you are bringing a VIM team to McCurdy in 2022 or 2023, please be sure all team members review the McCurdy COVID-19 Protocols: LINK Please note that all VIM team members are required to be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to departure to a week in mission at McCurdy and must have a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of departure for Española.
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Reflections:
McCurdy History
By Edith Brown, McCurdy Historian
As we commemorate 110 years of ministry to the Española Valley, I would like to share with you my McCurdy story because I am responsible for the McCurdy School Historical Room that was founded by Miss Irene Cole.
My name is Edith (Morse) Brown and I graduated from McCurdy School in 1971. My husband is also a McCurdy graduate along with two of our children. Two of our grandchildren began their educations at McCurdy and graduated recently from McCurdy Charter School.
My responsibilities in the Historical Room this summer have included:
- meeting with the granddaughters of Angelica Romero, who traveled from Velarde with Miss Mellie Perkins to Santa Cruz in 1915 to continue the work that began in 1912;
- greeting some members of the Class of 2002 for their 20th year reunion;
- sharing information with a relative of Miss Stella Tapia, namesake for a scholarship that provided funds for many McCurdy graduates to attend Evangelical United Brethren/United Methodist colleges;
- and opening up the Historical Room for some of the work teams and volunteers that are essential to our operation so they can see some interesting items.
Our Room is currently small in size, but I would love to welcome you to the long and fascinating history of McCurdy Ministries!
If you have any items or photos connected to McCurdy’s 110-year history, we would be pleased to discuss potential donations to our collection.
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Larry and Dorothy Swalley (above left) and Susanna Bailey (above right) served as Dorm Hosts during the months of July-September 2022. They were a huge help to the small McCurdy staff as their assistance allowed the McCurdy staff to focus on the more critical details of the ministry. |
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Dorm Host/Long-Term Volunteers Needed
Long-Term Individual Volunteers serve on an individual basis (or sometimes together as a couple or with a friend). We accept individual volunteers throughout the year and work closely with each volunteer to determine the best timeframe and volunteer assignment. If a Long-Term Individual Volunteer serves for at least two weeks in a fiscal year, there is no charge for housing.
Currently, Dorm Host(s) are needed for the 2023 mission season in the months of March, April and May as well as November. Essentially, a Dorm Host welcomes VIM teams with a loving heart and provides basic hospitality and assistance to the team throughout their week in mission. Other possible volunteer tasks while on the McCurdy campus include:
Office: Volunteers assist office staff. Duties may involve typing, computer data entry, making copies, filing, shredding, writing thank you notes, and preparing mailings.
After-School Care (ASC): Volunteers staying a longer period are preferred for these positions as they work closely with the students. This would involve assisting the regular ASC staff in the supervision of children from Pre-K through 6th grade. This includes helping to prepare snacks, playing with and reading to students as well as helping with homework when needed.
Maintenance: Volunteers perform electrical work, plumbing, woodwork, mechanical repairs, yard work, painting, and cleaning as needed and according to the volunteer’s skills.
Our volunteers need to be flexible in their work, just as all our staff is required to be flexible in their work. If you are interested in becoming a long-term individual volunteer, you can read more about it on the MMCC updated website. LINK
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More VIM teams
needed in 2023!
While we have eight VIM (Volunteer in Mission) teams scheduled in 2023, more teams are needed. Please prayerfully consider scheduling a team to serve McCurdy Ministries Community Center next year.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of work tasks – construction, building maintenance, lawn care, and administrative duties. There are tasks available for volunteers with any skill level and any age (12+).
For more information about volunteering at McCurdy, go to our website at www.mccurdy.org and click on the Volunteer tab at the top of the page to locate the VIM Team Leader Handbook, VIM Team Member Handbook, the Long-Term Individual Volunteer, or the Local Volunteer Handbook.
To schedule a VIM team for a week, simply contact our Volunteer Registrar Eufemia Romero by phone at 505-753-7221, ext. 210 or by email at eromero@mccurdy.org.
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Amazon Wish List
One easy way to help McCurdy Ministries is to simply select an item or two each month to purchase from our Amazon Wish List. (It operates like a wedding registry site.) There is a wide variety of items needed, from basic school supplies to cleaning products and snacks.
Just be sure to select McCurdy Ministries Community Center on the address list at checkout so your items will ship directly to Española. Amazon Wish List: LINK
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Recipe of the month
How about some easy, delicious salsa to spice up your dinner this month. This recipe is from McCurdy’s very own collection, Recipes of a Century Past, published in 2012 to celebrate the ministry’s 100th anniversary. The recipe was shared by Flora L. Vigil
Salsa
- 2 (14-1/2 ounce) cans Hunt’s tomatoes, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 jalapeño peppers, chopped finely
- 1 habanero pepper, chopped finely
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
- salt to taste
- 2 large avocados
Combine undrained tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeño peppers, habanero pepper, cilantro, salt, and avocados in medium bowl. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.
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Team Reflections/Devotionals |
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Claremore FUMC team members at work and in worship at Valley View UMC in Española with Pastor Russ Hall. |
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Team Reflections
by Linda Polson
Both VIM teams from Oklahoma (Claremore FUMC and Boston Avenue UMC) met with a few “detours” as they served in mission to McCurdy Ministries Community Center in September. Boston Avenue’s team had to replace their team leader at the last minute as Ed Payton tested positive for COVID-19 just before making the trip to Española. Luckily the rest of the team was able to come and spend a week making a difference at McCurdy.
The following week, the team from Claremore FUMC (which included team members from Tahlequah FUMC) had one of their team members become ill and test positive for COVID on Wednesday evening. The team quarantined in the dorm on Thursday and traveled home on Friday wearing N95 masks and making very few stops. Unfortunately, four more team members tested positive for COVID after arriving home, including Team Leader Linda Polson (me!). However, Linda shared a story with her team about a time when a “detour” in her life was not a bad thing, but rather a God thing! Following is her story.
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Not All Detours Are Bad!
by Linda Polson
In 1998, I drove myself and two other ladies to an Executive Women International regional conference. From Tulsa, OK, we drove the curvy two-lane highways across Arkansas to Jackson, MS. We decided that we wanted to drive part-way home on Saturday night after the conference ended. The ladies in Jackson advised us to drive straight north to Memphis and then due west to Tulsa, so we would have a much easier route on four-lane highways.
As we headed out, I handed a printed map to the woman in the front seat and asked her to help guide me through Memphis. Unfortunately, I did not study the map enough to know what highway routes I needed. As we approached a major interchange on the southeast side of Memphis, my navigator figured out too late that we should have turned west. I told her it wasn’t a major problem as we would just get off at the next exit and circle back.
It was late and raining when we exited the highway. However, once off the interstate, we could find no apparent entrance ramp anywhere close to where we exited. For the next half hour, we circled through poor neighborhoods and found no entrance ramp to either the highway we just left or the one that we needed. How frustrating it was to be able to see the traffic as we drove parallel to both highways trying to find a way onto one of them.
We finally came upon a small convenience store and stopped. I told the other women that I would leave the car running and would lock the doors while I went inside to ask directions. We all knew it was a part of town and time of night that three white women should not be in alone.
As I entered the small store, all eyes turned on me and all conversation stopped. I quickly approached the counter and asked the young black clerk if she knew where we could find an entrance ramp to either of the highways. She said that she didn’t know but asked a small black man who was standing nearby to see if he could help me. This sweet man approached me with a grin that revealed at least three missing teeth. He immediately told me to head back east, to go under the interstate that we had been on, and to turn left at the next stoplight. Back in the car, all three of us ladies were thrilled to see the entrance ramp right where he told us it would be!
As we were driving along rejoicing at our good fortune to finally be on our way again, we travelled less than a mile before we came upon a 7-car pileup that was being cleared from the highway. It then became clear to us that our 30-minute detour had saved us from being involved in that crash. Our attitude about the evening’s misadventure became a time of praise and rejoicing as we realized that God had taken care of us by getting us off the highway just in time!
I pray that you, too, see how often the Hand of God saves us, even in unexpected ways!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of your Love, Mercy, and Grace
that sees us through the difficulties of life. Help us to recognize
that sometimes the “detours” of our lives provide a better path for us to take.
May we always, always be thankful for your abundant Love and Care!
In Jesus’s blessed name, Amen!
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Photos of Boston Avenue UMC team members during their mission week. Special work projects included removing all landscaping material in front of McCracken Gymnasium and Cole Community Center and replacing it with Santa Fe Rock plus reworking the beds in front of Project Cariño.
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Colossians Moments at McCurdy
by Rochelle Caudill
We came together as a group of nine, some friends, others acquaintances, to go on our mission trip to McCurdy Ministries in Española, New Mexico. To be honest, there were some feelings of anxiety and trepidation as we drove off from the church in our 15-passenger van in the wee hours of the morning. COVID had reared its head, and Ed Payton, who had done all the planning and preparing, along with his wife Judith, were unable to go with us.
Richard Wansley served as our devotional leader and presented us with a challenge for each day coming from Colossians 3:12-17. "As God's chosen one, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS AND PATIENCE. Bear with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive....."
Each day we were challenged to dwell on a word, use it, understand it and then come back together in the evening to share and discuss our perceptions. The first day was COMPASSION. When we looked at our workload, it was easy to feel a bit of self-pity and sympathy for this small group of travelers who had come so far to beautify the outdoor area for others. The sun was so hot, shade was minimal, and the ground was hard and unyielding.
On Monday the word was KINDNESS. We were beginning to recognize each other's weakness and strengths and developed a system that worked for each of us. We showed kindness when we passed a tool, shared a drink of water or came to the rescue when the task of a team member was too great for one person.
The word for Tuesday was HUMILITY and we really had to work on this one. By then, our work was coming together, we had accomplished so much and to be honest it really looked good!! We were so proud of what we had accomplished so far, and we were beginning to see that the end was in sight. We had been told that if we could not accomplish all of our projects, there would be another team coming the next week who could complete the work. Well, now--- there was no way that was going to happen, in all humility, we were determined to complete our task!
On Wednesday, despite our attempts at being MEEK, we were on a roll, determined to complete our task. We made a plan and started to work. We were making really good progress until we were told to pause, and not to return to work until after a specific time, due to an important meeting being held near our area of work. Upon hearing this, we had to really focus on all the words: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness as well as patience. How dare they interfere in our work plan!! As a team, by now a very strong team, we grumbled among ourselves and eventually decided to practice our words and let it go. When we returned back to work, we found that God had smiled on us and shaded the area where we were working, demonstrating how God works when we decide to be patient and stop complaining.
By Thursday our work was done, tools were gathered up and put away and it was now time for the team to enjoy a little of the beauty of the area. Our final word was PATIENCE and that was easy when you have two good drivers who navigate and drive you around. We visited Bandelier National Monument in the morning and spent the afternoon in Santa Fe. We saw some beautiful country and ate some very good food.
In the evening of each day, we discussed our word and how it related to us on that particular day, but more importantly how we lived the words in our daily lives. As Colossians 3 continues:
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him."
Thanks be to God. Amen, Amen.
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Touring the Puey Cliff Dwellings
with a McCurdy 2012 Grad
by Linda Polson
For the first time, the Claremore FUMC mission team booked a tour of the Puye Cliff Dwellings. Located only 7 miles from the McCurdy campus, this National Historic Landmark is home to the ancestors of today’s Santa Clara Pueblo people.
A park bus drove us to the top of the mesa, where we prepared to see how the ancestral Tewa people used to live hundreds of years ago. Imagine our surprise when our tour guide introduced herself as Samantha Moquino, a 2012 graduate of the McCurdy Mission School. Yes, she was a member of McCurdy’s last graduating class!
For the next two hours, Samantha provided many details about early pueblo community life, including how the Tewa people lived and worked on top of the mesa during the summertime and on the cliff face during the winter months. We viewed the kiva structure, the 140-room communal home, and the 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding mountains that were considered sacred by the Tewa people.
Then a few brave team members, descended the cliff face to tour the cliff structures and cave dwellings. Part of this trek included climbing down a 40-foot ladder. The rest of us rode the park bus back to the visitor’s center to view the small museum and watch as our brave comrades descended from the top of the mesa.
What a blessing it was to spend our afternoon with this delightful and informative McCurdy grad! We were touched by the knowledge she shared of how the Tewa people lived and gained a deeper understanding of the way these ancient people respected their homeland. Everything in nature was sacred to them – a lesson that we all need to remember.
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McCurdy Ministries Community Center creates hope and empowers the lives of children, youth, adults and families through education, life skills, and faith-based programs in Española, New Mexico.
The month of October is a favorite time for many people as it is the start of autumn. We hope you will pause to enjoy crisper air and to watch the changing colors of nature. Isn’t it amazing to see God’s world dressed in the amazing colors of fall!
Please join us in praying for the McCurdy staff and the children and families of the Española Valley. May the ministries and programs continue to have a powerful and positive impact on the people we serve, as they have for the past 110 years. And may we always seek God’s guidance and blessings – each and every day!
McCurdy Board and Staff
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Through our Volunteer Newsletter, we are providing the latest information about volunteer opportunities at McCurdy Ministries Community Center and sharing helpful tips about planning a mission trip to Española. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions about articles or resources. Send your suggestions or questions to Linda Polson at lpolson1966@gmail.com. Linda is an MMCC Board Member and experienced VIM Team Leader.
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McCurdy Ministries Community Center creates hope and empowers the lives of children, youth, adults and families through education, life skills and faith-based programs
in Española, NM.
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