“Ciudad de Gracia’s mission is to be transformed by the grace of Jesus, to reflect his glory, and establish his kingdom in our community.”
The last two years have not been easy…for any of us. In fact, this has probably been one of the hardest seasons we have ever lived through. Ciudad de Gracia has not been exempt from this difficulty, and yet in the middle of it, God is still good and we have found his favor. Proverbs 3:3-4 tells us God’s favor will not leave us when we love and are faithful. This is a part of Ciudad’s mission, to be transformed by God’s grace and love and reflect that within our lives and in our city. Part of God’s favor has been to provide us incredible support that has been an anchor for us as leaders, partners like you Christ’s Church! We’d love to share with you a few stories of how we’ve seen God’s favor so you can get a small picture into Ciudad de Gracia.
Alejandro is a young 20 something man that Abiel, pastor of Ciudad de Gracia, met years ago playing indoor soccer down the street from the church. He ran with a crew of other young guys in the city that worked enough to buy drugs and pursue his passions: himself and soccer. Last year Alejandro hit rock bottom, he felt empty, hopeless, and worthless. In desperation, he reached out to Abiel seeking help and hope. He knew Abiel was a pastor and saw something different in him. In conversation and through prayer, Alejandro saw the hope Jesus provides through the gospel and accepted him as his savior. Over the last year, we have walked with Alejandro as he has grown in understanding and discipleship. He has gotten clean, he’s loving and caring for his family, and has become a witness in his community. Recently his brother came with him to one of our community groups and said he wanted to check it out because his brother is different and he wants what Alejandro now has!
In addition to seeing individuals’ lives transformed by God, we have also seen God move in our community. At the beginning of the pandemic we partnered with Emerson Elementary School, a Title 1 school right smack dab in the middle of the Albuquerque International District, to meet the needs of families in need by gathering and distributing food boxes. Through this partnership, we were able to build relationships and trust so we now have a formalized Shine Partnership with the school. Ciudad de Gracia is now involved on a weekly basis with the school serving and supporting teachers and administrators, tutoring kids in classes, and responding to needs. New Mexico is a tough place for kids to grow up, particularly in the International District (formerly known as the war zone) so we are grateful to be allowed to be the hands and feet of Jesus to kids in our neighborhood who are close to the heart of God.
Christ’s Church, thank you for being a part of this kingdom work! We are grateful for your faithful support and prayers. You can continue to support us through prayer. Pray for many more Alejandros! Pray for community transformation. Pray for God’s provision. Gracias amigos!
