Interim
Executive Director
To ensure the integrity of McCurdy Ministries' programs during the transition of leadership, Rev. Sanford Coon, Chairperson of the McCurdy Board of Trustees, stepped down from his role on the board to serve as Interim Executive Director until a qualified candidate has been hired for the position.
Sanford is a highly qualified individual, having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and his Master of Divinity degree from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Sanford also is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and served 19 years in pastoral appointments in the Austin and Corpus Christi areas. In 1988 he entered the field of financial development with a special interest and background in work with congregations, judicatories, and church groups.
Sanford has served on the McCurdy Board of Trustees since 2012 and as the Board Chairperson since 2019. The Board is incredibly grateful for Sanford’s ongoing commitment and service to McCurdy Ministries!
The photo above shows Sanford and Patricia Alvarado arm-in-arm leading the marcha at the 2019 McCurdy Fiesta.
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Another Farewell
We are sad to announce the departure of another key staff member on the McCurdy Ministries team, Amanda Trujillo Gonzales. Amanda has served as the Director of Project Cariño, McCurdy’s mental health counselling program for 17 years. She has been an amazing example of a servant healer and has had a significant impact on the lives of the students and their families through McCurdy’s school-based mental health counseling program.
We so appreciate all that Amanda has accomplished while serving at McCurdy and wish her God’s blessings as she steps into a new position. She will be greatly missed by all who know her!
We invite you to send Amanda a note of appreciation as she steps into her new position at another institution. You can mail your cards or notes to McCurdy Ministries, and they will ensure that Amanda receives them. Mail to:
Ms. Amanda Trujillo Gonzales
McCurdy Ministries Community Center
362A S. McCurdy Road
Española, NM 87532
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Musical Expertise Needed
We still need volunteer(s) to help sort and organize the musical items stored in McCurdy’s Music Building. There is a large assortment of musical instruments, a baby grand piano, and band equipment as well as stacks of sheet music. Other items include some brand-new Bibles and textbooks plus an assortment of trophies.
A VIM team, musical group/choir, Long-Term Volunteers, or Local Volunteers with musical expertise is needed to help sort and organize these items so they can be sold online, through a big public sale, or privately to a music store.
If music is your expertise, please consider volunteering for this special project by reaching out to our Volunteer Registrar, Eufemia Romero at 505-753-7221, ext 210 or by email at eromero@mccurdy.org.
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Reflections of a Long-Term Volunteer
Earlier this year, Kevin Louise Schaner, a member of the Church of the Savior in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, served as a long- term volunteer in mission for McCurdy Ministries Community Center. She was invited there to host a retreat and a VIM team. However, when both groups cancelled due to issues related to COVID, she relied on Philippians 4: 6-7 (NLT)
‘Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.’
This verse was a reminder to her that what you “do” on mission experiences is not as important as the relationships you build. Whatever skills you bring will match the needs that are present.
Kevin had known about McCurdy since she was a child. While on campus, she was asked to help write about their historic buildings and to record their history back to 1912 for a new Self-Guided Walking Tour brochure. She also organized the Retreat Center to welcome Volunteer in Mission (VIM) teams that would be serving McCurdy Ministries during the summer.
Additionally, Kevin helped with the children ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade who attend McCurdy’s After School Program. She helped them create an EarthKeeper craft to try to encourage them to turn off the tap water while they are brushing their teeth since conserving water is a necessity in the desert.
Kevin enjoyed the fellowship of two diverse congregations while worshipping in Los Alamos UMC and Santa Cruz UMC. Following the traditional UMC Cross and Flame symbol, Kevin was led to some lasting relationships.
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This photo shows Kevin Schaner helping the children in McCurdy Ministries' After School Care program. |
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Drinking Water Concerns Addressed
The water on the McCurdy Ministries campus has uranium content higher than normal. While it is safe to use for showering and hand washing, we highly recommend that it not be used for drinking or for meal preparation. A 5-gallon bottled water dispenser has been purchased by First Methodist Church in Claremore, Oklahoma. The dispenser is located near the small kitchen in the east wing of the Retreat Center.
VIM teams are encouraged to use this new water dispenser. It features both cold water (40℉ to 50℉) and hot water (186.8℉ to 203℉). Teams using the dispenser will be responsible for purchasing the 5-gallon bottled water and, as they are preparing to depart at the end of their mission week, they will be expected to leave sufficient water in or available for the dispenser for the next team of volunteers to arrive.
The 5-gallon bottled water for the dispenser can be purchased from Wal-Mart which is located at 1610 N Riverside Drive in Espanola. Empty bottles can also be refilled at the pump in front of the store for a minimal cost.
Another alternative is Food King, which has an automated water dispenser in their parking lot that is open 24 hours per day. The current cost to refill a 5-gallon water bottle is $1.75 (cash only). Food King is located at 930 Riverside Drive.
Using these refillable 5-gallon water bottles versus purchasing individual bottled water should provide substantial savings for VIM teams.
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New Mexico Things to See and Do |
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Exploring Bandelier National Monument
One hundred and forty-two years ago (October 23, 1880), Adolf F. A. Bandelier stood at the rim of Frijoles Canyon and looked down at the remains of the Ancestral Pueblo Village of Tyuonyi and the cliff dwellings of Long House. Later Bandelier wrote in his journal, “About 4 P.M. the border of the almost precipitous descent into the Cañon de los Frijoles was reached, and it took one-half hour to descend—on foot, of course. The grandest thing I ever saw.” Bandelier did not make the journey alone but was guided here by a man from Cochiti Pueblo, Juan José Montoya. He and Montoya had spent time exploring the Pajarito Plateau together.
The site of Tyuonyi and the setting of Frijoles Canyon made such an impression on Bandelier that he used them for the location of a novel begun three years later that he titled, "The Delight Makers". Based on what Bandelier learned in his time at Cochiti Pueblo, the book is a work of fiction, but one he intended to be based on scientific facts and to convey to readers information on the archaeology, geology, and ethnography of the region. He also hoped it would dispel the romantic image of Indians in contemporary literature such as James Fenimore Cooper’s "The Last of the Mohicans". "The Delight Makers" is still in print to this day.
On February 11, 1916, the long-fought efforts of Edgar Lee Hewett to protect the critical archeological resources of the Pajarito Plateau finally bore fruit with the establishment of a National Monument. Bandelier, who had died in 1914, was an inspiration to Hewett. He was honored by the new park being named after him.
Bandelier National Monument's Visitor Center is only 28 miles from the McCurdy Ministries' campus and offers spectacular opportunities to see petroglyphs and cliff dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs.
Bandelier National Monument: LINK
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Join Us in Prayer Each Day at 3:20 p.m.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work with us,
to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
– Ephesians 3:20
As we walk though this time of transition in the leadership of McCurdy Ministries, the McCurdy Board of Trustees and the staff have joined together in praying each afternoon at 3:20 p.m. using Ephesians 3:20 as our prayer guide. We hope you will join us in this daily ritual as we seek God’s guidance and trust that God will provide answers far beyond what we could ask or imagine.
Special Note: Please know that the Executive Committee of the McCurdy Board of Trustees is in the process of interviewing strong candidates for the vacant positions. The search for new leaders to guide McCurdy Ministries into the future is well under way. We look forward to making important announcements about new leadership in the coming weeks.
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Amazon Wish List
Check it out – school supplies needed! Every month new items are added to McCurdy’s Amazon Wish List which operates like a wedding registry site. We hope you will consider selecting an item or two to purchase, especially with the start of a new school year rapidly approaching.
There is a wide variety Items on the Amazon Wish List, including basic school supplies, craft supplies, cleaning products, bedding, etc. Everything purchased helps the ministries’ programs either directly or indirectly.
Please use the following link to log onto the Amazon website and select something needed. Just be sure to select McCurdy Ministries Community Center on the address list at checkout so your items ship directly to Española.
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Grilled Lamb Chops with Pistachio Butter
Summer is grilling season so how about trying this yummy recipe from McCurdy’s very own collection, Recipes of a Century Past, published in 2012. The recipe was shared by Clay Denny, Class of 1961. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plus 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1/3 cup coarse bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dry Greek oregano
- 1 tablespoon each of fresh parsley, mint, and dill, coarsely chopped
- 12-18 lamb rib chops, French-trimmed, patted dry with paper towels
- 2 lemons
For the pistachio butter: In a high-speed blender or coffee grinder, combine 1 cup of pistachios and 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Process until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.
For the pistachio crumb: In a small skillet over medium heat add the remaining olive oil, bread crumbs, and coarse pistachios. Toast the pistachios until golden brown and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cool and then mix in the fresh chopped herbs.
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill, or ridged cast iron grill pan, until hot. Paint chops with extra-virgin olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill the chops until firm and char marked, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness and how you like the meat done. Rest the meat for 1-2 minutes.
Spread the pistachio butter over each chop and top with a sprinkle of pistachio crumb. Squeeze fresh lemons over the top, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
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Walking Counts When It's Hard to Run Your Race
I did not want to break the commitment I made with myself, but my ambitions were more than I was capable of achieving that day. Reluctantly, I gave myself permission to alternate between running for as long as I could and walking when I needed a break.
Sometimes we need to offer ourselves this same type of grace in our faith race.
There are seasons in our lives when we look and feel spiritually strong. We faithfully have daily quiet time, attend Sunday services, forgive quickly, serve in multiple ways, adhere to spiritual disciplines and fellowship with others.
Then we experience unexpected obstacles we must overcome that leave us exhausted, out of breath and ready to give up. The author of Hebrews offers us encouragement for those seasons in our lives.
Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us ...’
This scripture comes after spiritual ‘giants’ – Abraham, Sarah, David, Samuel and countless others – are commended for their faith. These people are the spectators of our faith race and a part of the ‘great cloud of witnesses referred to in Hebrews 12. Because of the foundation they laid for us, the author of Hebrews says we can ‘throw off everything that hinders’ and ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’
My faith race this year has been one filled with many challenges. I wish I could say I immediately threw off my hindrances, sins and the things that entangled me, but there have been times when all I could do was just keep moving forward.
Hebrews 12:1 tells us quitting is not an option. Instead of quitting, we must learn to give ourselves grace.
I opted to run my faith race for as long as I could and to walk when I needed to. Walking does not equate to failure. It simply gives us the grace we need to persevere.
Walking may mean that for a season ...
1. We are intentional about resting more and serving less.
2. We spend time with God instead of doing things for God.
3. We pray prayers that are filled with more tears than words.
I am convinced walking will not disqualify us. God doesn't ask us to sprint at top speed through our faith race; He asks us to persevere. God encourages us to choose a pace we can sustain over time. Sometimes this requires spiritually walking.
When we walk, we are still moving and believing in God, completing the race marked out for us and building up our endurance so we can eventually run again. Each of us has a God-appointed race only we can run. When life gets hard (and we know it will), may we focus on Jesus and walk with perseverance until we can run the rest of the way.
Dear God, thank You for giving me models for how to run my race with perseverance. When life gets hard, help me to keep going. Show me what it looks like to adjust my pace while continuing to persevere. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
To read this devotional online, use this LINK
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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.
We hope you know how much your continued support is appreciated and needed, especially during this transition of leadership. Please be assured that the ministry is strong and will continue providing the programs that are so vital to the children and families in the Española Valley. May we all rest in the knowledge that God is in control of all things and will guide us as we walk through this “valley” with Him.
On behalf of the McCurdy Ministries Community Center Board and staff as well as the children and families MMCC serves, we pray you continue to experience God’s love, mercy, grace, and peace in your daily walk with the Lord!
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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