Diaries from the Southwest – September 2025
Our SW trip began with a wonderful worship service that brought the entire group together. Afterward, we traveled to the Sky City Cultural Center at the Acoma Pueblo, where we toured the village and visited a church built for Spanish missionaries. The history of interactions spanning hundreds of years gave us a deep appreciation for the Native American tribes’ perspective. Despite the past, they have integrated their beliefs with Christianity and warmly welcome all visitors to their community. It was truly an enriching experience.
Next, we journeyed to the El Morro National Monument. At El Morro, the timeless human desire for immortality inspired individuals to etch their lives into the rocks. This includes Zuni Indian petroglyphs, inscriptions from Spaniards in search of mythical golden cities, and messages left by Americans moving westward towards California.
We concluded our day at El Rancho, a historic hotel in “old” New Mexico. The hotel has hosted movie stars such as John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, and Joan Crawford. While we didn’t meet any movie stars tonight, we enjoyed fellowship, fun, and some great storytelling. Going into this trip, I didn’t know what to expect, but it has been an incredible journey so far.
–Chris Nardo (Photos from Kim Nardo)
Our group started the day with an outdoor Sunday morning service, borrowing from today’s DPC service, in an ancient site that had petroglyphs. Before we could explore more we headed to Acoma Pueblo, a village high up on a mesa, that has been continuously inhabited for hundreds of years We learned the history of the Spanish invaders and the resulting hardships the inhabitants endured. The Acoma Indians have endured through all those difficult times and are proud of their heritage. The pottery we saw is exquisite.
From there we headed to El Morro National Monument where we learned about petroglyphs and inscriptions. We hiked to the top for spectacular views before returning to cars to ride to our home away from home in Gallup.
–Diane Paul
