About Me

I have always found fascinating people’s inner lives and the way we make meaning of the world, God and the ways we connect with and experience Divine Presence, and the way people relate to one another and the social contexts/structures we all find ourselves in. All of these threads find their home in a deep conviction that God exists as Love and that each and every person is beloved simply because they exist.

This conviction led me into justice work, for justice is love in action. I did asset-based community development, working with people who were unhoused and people who immigrated to the U.S.  As I served in this capacity, I came to realize that while I deeply cared about structural issues, I found myself more drawn to offering care on an individual level, creating spaces for people to discover themselves, connect to God, and process their experiences. I discerned my call as a spiritual director and began to meet with people individually.

I found myself on the edge of many traditional church spaces due to my work and my own journey, witnessing the way faith had been weaponized and working with people who no longer felt safe or welcomed in their faith communities. This grieved me deeply. As a spiritual wanderer myself, having spent time in and out of contemplative, charismatic, evangelical, and progressive streams of Christianity and as a bicultural Ecuadorian American, I knew the pain of belonging at the cost of pieces of yourself. I felt moved to create communities that made room for all of who people were becoming and which honored the spiritual journey each individual makes in their lifetime.

Aside from my work, I’m passionate about getting outside (hiking, camping, hammocking), expressing creativity (collage, baking, haikus), and exploring new places!

Certificates

  • I received my certification as a spiritual director through Sustainable Faith.

  • I have taken both levels of S.T.A.R. through the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. I am certified as a practitioner, able to integrate the materials into my work.

  • I am certified as a Movement Chaplain through the School of Global Citizenry with the Faith Matters Network. This means that I am equipped to navigate spiritual/emotional care in justice/advocacy/social care spaces.

Trainings

  • I took a course on the circle process through the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University.

  • I took a course on nonviolent communication through Peace Catalyst using the work of Roxy Manning.

  • I took this training through the Religious Trauma Institute.

Ministry with ReWire

I am part of an organization, ReWire, that empowers staff to live out their calling through ongoing formation, providing administrative support for fundraising, and offering online tools and platforms. In addition to my offerings of spiritual direction, Grey Space, and facilitation/speaking, I also do work connected with other members of ReWire. You can see short descriptions of those listed here. If you’d like to learn more, I’m happy to connect with you through the contact page.

  • A network of micro-communities that center the inward journey toward self and God, outward movement toward the oppressed and marginalized, and spacious community where all the parts of ourselves can belong.

  • An online learning platform highlighting the intersection of contemplative spirituality and activism and offering tools and formation materials to help people on their journey.

  • For churches or formation groups who are wanting to grow in areas of developing alternate structures, connecting people more deeply with God, or engaging justice issues meaningfully.