At a Fresno elementary school, 20-year-old Bibiana Montes felt a spark ignite in her as a kindergartener. She dreamt that one day she would become a teacher, in part because of her influencers at Susan B. Anthony where she attended school and Saturday Sports. These individuals, teachers and volunteers, left a deep, personal impact on Bibiana. Their support helped her define her career goals and find the confidence to pursue them in hopes of making a difference in the lives of children.
We made it to the end of another school year! Phew!
Summer is always a good time for me to PAUSE (and rest), REFLECT (and evaluate) PLAN (and dream for the year ahead). At the end of the school year I am always ready for a little break. But it didn’t take long for God to remind me that He does NOT take a summer vacation and is still prompting my heart.
A couple months before I began working with ENP I made the decision to live in an intentional community for ten months at the Pink House located in the inner city of Fresno.
During the ten months of living with 11 other brothers and sisters within a facility of four apartments, we learned about numerous topics, such as: Reconciliation, Christian Community Development, Biblical Community, Leadership Development, and Evangelism, to list a few. Among all the topics we studied as interns, the simplest of them all was one that resonated with me the most . . . the topic on God’s commandment to love our neighbor.
Each year we produce an Annual Report to highlight the year that passed and the impact made in our city by servant hearted people from our partnership churches, organizations and universities.
Imagine what our city could look like if every church became this deeply engaged in a Fresno neighborhood!
A CHILD’S JOY can be heard in a laugh, seen in a smile, felt in a hug. A CHILD’S JOY can be seen when running, playing tag or skipping rope. A CHILD’S JOY can be heard in a song or when calling out the name of a friend. A CHILD’S JOY should be something we never see fade away!
poner mi granito de arena
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contribute my grain of sand
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As a high school student in my hometown of Madera, I began to participate in my community. I volunteered with various nonprofits, particularly those that engaged with immigrant and farm working families. I had a heart for people, and discovered my passion for serving.
Fresno is an interesting city to study. We have segments of our city that want to be upscale and edgy. We have our old school parts of town that want to make time slow to a crawl so it doesn’t become part of the hustle and bustle of a growing city. There are the techie folks and the immigrant farm workers, all wanting an opportunity to not only survive, but to grow and thrive.
“This is so much fun!” I cherish those words I heard from students on my first day as a volunteer at Ericson Saturday Sports!
ENP’s mission is to “to connect churches and community partners to elementary schools and to equip them to serve through their active presence in every neighborhood.” What it boils down to is being a better neighbor.
So much ink has been spilled recently around the racial tension that has been swamping our nation. This is politically and theologically charged stuff. I do not write this thinking I will convince you of anything, but to just share how I came to a paradigm-shifting idea of my own privilege and what it means to live and love like Jesus.
