James is one of our beloved elders. He began visiting Luther House around 2014 during his undergraduate years at the University of New Mexico, and he continues to be an integral part of our community today.
“I am a cradle Lutheran, as they say, and I was expected to visit Luther House in college,” James recalls. “I didn’t know what to expect, but there was free food, so I decided to try it.”
What James found at Luther House was a place to belong. He discovered community and friendship in a world where those can be hard to find. “There aren’t that many places where you can go just to try to get to know other people,” James says. “This campus ministry is somewhere you can go, not spend money, and really get to know people.”
“When I first started coming to Luther House, I didn’t talk much. After becoming more comfortable with the people, I talk a lot more. It has really helped with my social skills.” James remembers fondly the many friendships he has formed at Luther House. “I really like the outings that we go on together,” he recalls. In fact, he met his fiancée after attending a Christmas play with a friend from Luther House. “It’s a great way to make friends and find a community. You never know who you are going to meet,” he says with a loving glimmer in his eye.
Read MoreAs a young child, Rindra sometimes faced challenges. “I think I was mostly misunderstood,” he shared. As a middle child, he laughingly attributes some of those struggles to what he calls "middle child syndrome." “It was more than that, though,” Rindra explained, “It's hard when you don’t understand people. There was a language barrier for me as a child.”
Originally from Madagascar, Rindra grew up near Luther House in Albuquerque. His mother and siblings attended the University of New Mexico (UNM) and were active members of the Luther House community. Some of Rindra’s earliest memories, around the age of seven, involve large dinners in the chapel at Luther House. “It was a great place to sit down and have a meal together,” he recalls. As he got older, Rindra would visit his sister Ranja and brother Rado while they were living at Luther House. “I thought Luther House was a place for International Students, and in a way, it was. I didn’t know it went beyond housing and food for International Students."
Click through to read more about Rindra.
Read MoreLuther House UNM & CNM in partnership with First Congregational UCC Albuquerque was awarded a $2000 Sow the Seeds grant in the fall of 2023 for their Poetry as Theology program. It went so well!
Read MoreCheck out all the cool things happening at Luther House this month.
Read MoreSee the invitation below from Rhonda Newby-Torres of Luther House in Albuquerque (Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College):
Join us on Wednesday, August 23
from 5pm-8pm to kick off the Fall semester!
We will have food, fun, games, and lots of new swag!
All are welcome at Luther House,
so bring a friend!
We are a Chrisitan faith community
attempting to live out
God's LOVE, justice, and mercy
for all creation.
Read MoreLuther House wants to hear from YOU!
Luther House UNM&CNM is an ecumenical young adult and campus ministry serving the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College. We are a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in partnership with First Congregational United Church of Christ and the Rio Grande Episcopal Diocese.
Luther House is in the process of building ecumenical partnerships with inclusive Christian communities across the state. We want to connect with you and hear from you about your wants and desires around "Young Adult and Campus Ministry."
You are invited to our ecumenical Town Hall Meeting on Young Adult and Campus Ministry. There are several ways to ensure that your voice is heard.
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