I've wrapped up here

I've moved on to Wordpress since the recent shut down of Google Reader. May both the RSS feed and this blog platform rest in internet peace.

Keep up with me at angelodignacio.wordpress.com.

Fellowship in SF at the Days with the Lord retreat

When I presented a workshop about religion and millennials two weeks ago at the SCPASA summit, students talked at length about several barriers, struggles, gaps and honest truths about why religion is driving them away. I facilitated a brief group analysis of why that is the case, and what we as a generation could do in figuring out how to get past the things that keep us from knowing God. My objective was to share with the audience the potential benefits of finding the right group of people within their religion or church - institutions that to them, are out of touch - to help build a relationship with God beyond private prayer.

Of course, no conversations about God are complete without personal testimony, and so below is a quick write-up of the community that is helping me build upon and celebrate my faith - a community that I have come to know as Days with the Lord.

My first encounter of Days with the Lord (often referred as Days or DWTL, members refer to each other as Dayzers) was in 2011, when my mentor invited me to attend the group's retreat that is held throughout the year. Though I hesitated on going, I went through with it and was blown away from the experience by the end of the weekend as well as ever since.

I've been since able to experience the deeper tier of the Days community, moving past being just a participant but as a volunteer, sponsor and general member of a growing group of individuals who not only identify and celebrate Christ the same way that I do, but also appreciate and relate to other things such as culture and lifestyle. My most recent experience happened last weekend when I volunteered for the 43rd retreat held by our chapter in San Francisco. 

The dynamic of the retreat is remarkable. An entire community of participants and volunteers make the pilgrimage to a designated retreat venue, and for three days a fully functioning village is assembled, equipped to carry out a tradition that has brought people in northern and southern California together for over 20 years.

Most of my time was spent getting to know the guys in the bay, which even included an all nighter into the morning, something I have not felt worth doing since my college days. Some of the people were folks I've already met, since they came down to Los Angeles for our retreats to help out and support. What came as a result from experiencing the retreat even from a visitor's perspective is what I believe is the remedy to the struggles and weariness millennials face towards religion: fellowship.

It's the same reason why people continue to come back, retreat after retreat despite work schedules, family lives and other obligations. There's even a couple of Dayzers who haven't missed a retreat in over 20 years. The comradery built through fellowship in the form of serving or volunteering together, or even just catching up since the last event keeps many, if not all, retreats fully staffed. Some members engage with others in the group only once a year when the retreat is held, but as I listened and talked with members of the group, it's obvious the time spent together is fully cherished by all who are present.

I've asked myself, how is this different from any other social circle? Or other communities of faith, for that matter? I have been processing these questions for the last two years over and over again, finally coming to an obvious and clear break this past weekend: the strong presence of culture. It's got to do with the proud celebration of our Filipino roots seen, heard and tasted through music, food and prayer. When pairing a cultural identity together with a spiritual identity, the effects are enormous. People feel even more connected to one another. More relevant and understanding to the sensitivities of an entire nation and people whose ties to Christianity from a historical standpoint are ironic, yet embraced by the DWTL community as any other piece of heritage you desire to preserve. This is who I am, this is who we are. The two most deepest elements that a person can identify with, coming together to form a community. It's no mistake these are the strongest bonds I have seen.

As I observed the activities of the retreat, I was brought back to when I was a participant. The feelings and emotions were just as strong, it was as if I was re-living parts of the experience watching the young men go through the schedule of the day as first timers. I was reminded of how much I learned, how much I felt, the spark that allowed me to rise up and be so proud of my culture and faith. And then when I spent time with the alumni, I felt those reminiscent emotions affirm so strongly, being surrounded by others that regardless of what year we had attended retreat, we had plenty in common. I felt comfort in knowing that even beyond my experience as a participant, there is an entire community to fall back upon when life's turns make being faithful difficult. A community that I can relate to on so many levels.

No wonder people come back, year after year.

I want Days to grow. I want it to live up to its remarkable legacy of fellowship, culture and relevance to young adults. I want the same press-to-start ignition button to getting fired up about a relationship with God be made as accessible to future batches as it has for past. What this family has is so special and beautiful. And as any organization, we must ask ourselves, how do we keep this going? How, in 2013, can we continue to connect with young adults in Los Angeles and San Francisco? How do we reach the same level of brotherhood and commitment to God with the realities of a changing demographic? How can the retreat connect with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Filipinos? How can it connect with people who aren't Filipino? How do we accomplish all of these things and still maintain the most richest, genuine and solid fellowship that I felt this past weekend at the Days with the Lord retreat in San Francisco? A fellowship that preserves the beauty of our heritage, the bonds of tradition.

These answers will take some of the most dynamic collaborations between all members of DWTL, past and recent. And I pray that as we work to build an even stronger retreat community, we keep our minds and hearts as wide and as open as we all did throughout our own 3-day journey. No matter what year. No matter what batch.

Thank you to the entire DWTL community of San Francisco for the amazing hospitality. Photos courtesy of Cip Rose Nicholas.

One year since #KONY2012

It's funny how time tells a story, or begins and extends new life chapters.

One year ago today, I came across the video on YouTube that the world would come to know as KONY 2012, a short film on child soldiers in Uganda that by now needs very little introduction. I noticed friends from all segments of my life -- college, high school, family, work, church -- share the film on their news feeds, and hashtags like #STOPKONY were consistently trending on Twitter. When I learned that the group behind it was Invisible Children, I thought back to when I first heard about the organization in 2006. I was a sophomore in college when I first learned about what was going on in Africa. I didn't attend the film screening that was held on campus, but for some reason, I briefly read up on it on my own. I even remember the GMC vans that were parked in Hannon. When I connected the dots that this was the same group advocating for the same cause, I thought to myself...This is still happening?

We all know where the story takes us next: the explosion of praise and criticism that came as a result of the video's success going viral. Just as I noticed many of my friends sharing the video, friends that I highly respect posted articles and videos that went against how Invisible Children went about telling the story of Joseph Kony and the LRA. The accusation of alleged extreme simplification, the biased and/or inaccurate telling of what actually was happening, the shady practices of their finances and of course, the idea of white savior complex.  

Fast forward a year later to two days ago, when I found myself cheers-ing to the one year anniversary of the launch of KONY 2012. Only this time, I found myself at the Invisible Children HQ here in San Diego, and as a full time staff member. Yes, after a year of following the movements of social media, millennials and social good, I found myself at a cross intersection where an incredible career opportunity formed right at the perfect moment. After an unexpected layoff towards the end of 2012, I made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to take full control of the direction of what I do for a living. As I worked through the impressive leads my boss was sending me, I created a list of companies that I actually wanted to work for, regardless of whether or not I had an 'in' or 'connection.' IC was one of them.

It's funny how perceptions of brands and organizations form through the internet. But for me, especially when the job offer came through, it ultimately came down to looking at the clear facts. The radio towers, the defections, the stories of women claiming back their lives through empowerment, the young adults my age who graduated with degrees as a result of sponsorships, the rehabilitation efforts, the partnerships on the ground. None of these stories went viral like KONY 2012 or were told as loudly as those who spoke against Invisible Children. But forget the hype of any YouTube video, at the end of the day, Invisible Children was, and still is, a force for good.

One thing that I've learned about the team here is how quick we all are at humbly accepting that we are not perfect. That we are always wanting to grow and learn. Perhaps this is the reason why I was attracted so much to the culture of working here, for the sake of growing and learning. I am taken aback as I think about where I was a year ago, challenging myself to analyze the effects of KONY 2012 and whether or not I believed in it despite what some of my closest friends were saying. To think I would be working with them a year later, after every affirmation before I had even come to the thought of applying to the position I hold now is a reality that I am very much grateful for.

I have committed a career to something greater than a paycheck, position title or company shares. I know it is cliche to say something about working towards something greater than yourself, but I really do feel like that every day I come to work. Not to mention the opportunity I get to work with some of the most creative people in the world. These are the people that have proven what a generation can do. What social media can do. What the power of a Share button can do. These are the people I'm so proud to call colleagues. 

What a journey! And the best part about it all? It's only just begun.

Faith, Spirituality and 20-Somethings

Last weekend I was in Long Beach for the 6th Annual SCPASA Summit. It was my first time presenting a workshop, as encouraged by Leezel. Below, in blog post form, is what I presented.



Religion, faith and spirituality are things that are really personal to many of us. Yet, as the case studies and statistics show, we as young adults have struggled when it comes to talking about it with others or even identifying with it at all. At the SCPASA summit last week, I had the great privilege of presenting my thoughts on why this is the case among millennials, and engaged in conversation with a group of students who attended my workshop, "Faith, Spirituality and 20-Somethings."

I shared a very familiar story about my life growing up as a Catholic. The struggles of not identifying with my faith, despite being raised by the sacraments throughout elementary school up through college. I talked about the honest admitting to myself that I was only attending mass because my parents were, and I was really only praying because well, that's what we all did together. But I shared how neither of those things made me feel closer to God, and by the time I enrolled in college -- I had more or less drifted away from Catholic traditions, and focused entirely on a personal journey on figuring out who God meant to me.

Many students were able to relate. And afterwards, I presented a few statistics from case studies about young adults in America and then asked them to share their thoughts:

• 1/3 of young adults, ages 18-30 are religiously unaffiliated, the highest percentage ever recorded. Out of this same group of people, 68% of them believe in God (PEW RESEARCH 2010)
• 72% of young adults surveyed said they were "more spiritual than religious." 65% rarely or never pray with others and/or rarely attend worship services (LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES) 

Why is that? The answers among the group were interesting. Some alluded to the reality that college had brought on different experiences that were different from what they had been raised to. Others talked about the choices they found outside of their family's church, and the struggle being more about finding a place where they fit in. More surprising to me, one person talked about having to be accountable for his own faith -- something he had never had to do prior to college. All of these struggles were reasons that these young adults in the workshop, yet believers of God, were shying away more and more from church, prayer groups and communities of faith. I shared some reasons I thought were driving away people, which included extremism, progressive values and the unfortunate isolated cases of corruption, politics and the commercialization of the church.

"This is unfortunate," I said. "Because the oldest religions of the world have been around for thousands of years. They've really stood the test of time. Yet in 2013, these very religions are driving away - by the masses- the next generation of believers and followers." I then presented the case that there was benefit in religion and church, no matter how comfortable a spiritual life away from it can feel. I challenged students to consider the possibility that religions are stronger and more present than ever before among young adults. 

I presented three examples that exemplified the tendencies of religion/church. (To clarify, by religious tendencies I meant 3 specific criteria: 1) able to bring people of the same belief together, 2) encourages them to perform traditions, activities and rituals together for the sake of 3) worshiping and/or adoring something or someone.) The three examples I used were: Apple, the Los Angeles Lakers and Disneyland.

Notes From My White Board At Home

In all three examples, we a large group identified the kinds of things that made each of these brands similar to creating a religious following. For Apple, we talked about the tradition of receiving a new Mac for college, the slang/lingo that you communicate with other Apple owners, and the icon Steve Jobs. For the Lakers, we talked about all of the superstitions that fans adhere to on game days, how the city comes together for the Great Parade, and the legends of Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn and Dr. Jerry Buss. And finally, at great length, we talked about the Disneyland experience. The must-do's, must-see's, and apparently, the must-eats. The excitement in people's voices as they talked about their experiences slowly began to unravel the realization that while folks had found themselves turned off by "religions" and "religious tendencies," they were finding them (and even participating in them) through other forms in modern day culture.

I then explained how each of these examples had one common thing: they brought communities together. From here, I then made the case that while religious institutions are not things young adults are fond of (for the same reasons talked about at the beginning of the workshop,) they were able to bring communities of faith together, which was something spirituality couldn't do. I made the point that chances were that if you believed in God, your faith called for you to do things like love one another, serve those in needs, treat others nicely, etc. This was not possible if without a community. In fact, while spirituality gave us the intimate relationship with God, a community is needed to integrate the things that we are called to do/become.  I briefly mentioned how this was a useful thing to understand now, as communities that college students are frequently a part of dissolve upon graduating -- the communities found with fellow believers of faith do not.

I was quick to mention that I didn't recommend finding a 'balance' between the two -- personal spirituality and religious communities of faith, but it was about understanding what both had the capability of providing on a journey towards living a life closer to God. 

To finally tie the workshop back to the theme of this year's summit, Redefine, I shared how having a strong understanding of both sides - not just spritiual - can lead to a strong sense of identity; knowing who you are, and who you are not. Once again, I shared my story of being highly involved in several activities in college, such as a fraternity that at one point, began to label me things beyond my control. While I loved greek life, I didn't appreciate being identified by three letters on my chest. Realizing this, I delve deeply into my faith as well as communities of faith to determine once and for all who I was, and who I wasn't. I challenged the group to do the same. 

Overall, I could tell many of the students were coming to the workshop hoping to have some of their biggest questions about religion answered. Why does my church think this is wrong? Why do we do things this way? The workshop didn't provide the answers, clearly. But I think it helped students realize three critical things. First, the reality that they are not alone. That they were not the only ones asking/thinking about these things. Second, the power of religious communities of faith (through the form of church, youth groups or two people you talk about faith with.) And lastly, the role faith plays in identity -- along with culture, professional industries, peers and family, the idea of faith is something that truly defines who we are. I hope this talk brought them closer to figuring out how that's the case each of their lives. 

Thank you to SCPASA for the opportunity to present. Thank you, Leezel, for helping me put my first workshop together.

3 months in San Diego

View of the Neighborhood // PHOTO: NATE PEDRONAN

Time has flown by since November when things fell into place for me here in San Diego. Just one month before that, I was on the most aggressive job hunt of my career, living scarcely in the wild off unemployment and laying low from a lifestyle that had steadily grown thanks to four years of a stable job. A week and a half before Thanksgiving, I was blessed with an offer from Invisible Children to join their communications team and work the email strategy that they wanted to elevate in 2013. And beyond any of my expectations, I found myself packing it all up and starting a new chapter here in San Diego before 2012 would come to an end.

It's now been three months since the big move. I'll save the post about work for another day, tonight I wanted to mark how things are living here as a city. When everybody asks me how San Diego has been so far, I always say that it's been really good. But in all cases, I end up mentioning the lesson that I am quickly learning about finding new friends in a city that you're new in. It's largely different from the way I found friends in college; finding my network here is taking more effort than I thought. Thankfully, I've already met some people through some professional and church meetups  so hopefully in the next three months, I'll have better news to report about this particular adaptation to the city.

Cousins and Friends From LA Visiting SD // PHOTO: ALEX MAIDA

 

All in all, I am really satisfied with where I am living. Bankers Hill is probably the best setup that I've had when it comes to the different places that I've lived, topping out Gardena and even Westchester. Downtown San Diego is not as big of a metro city like New York or Los Angeles, but it's bustling enough to feel like you're in a somewhat fast paced town. It is interesting that the city is noticeably slow and empty during the week, yet it turns into such a scene as weekends bring people from out of town and nearby suburbs to bars and restaurants in neighborhoods like the Gaslamp, Hillcrest and North Park. My personal favorite is Little Italy. 

The Farmers Market in Little Italy

Riding Through Downtown After Work

There are some things that I do miss about home, like Asian buffets, POWER 106 and Laker games being played at every bar and gym. I've found remedies to each of these to get me by, so it looks like it'll be all right. 

Power 106 On the iPhone, Nothing Like It Here in SD

So far the highlights of the last three months include dining out during Restaurant Week, getting onto the baseball field at Petco Park and skydiving out of a plane with friends and family. There have been some learning lessons too, like getting one of the smart cars that I used as part of Car 2 Go's car sharing program cited and towed -- and then just a week later, having my bike stolen at the mall (I used a weak cable lock.) Thankfully, I've taken my dad's advice on both of these events, doing what he calls, "charging it to experience." Doing so keeps the highlights in the spotlight.

"Charging It to Experience," Getting Towed in December

Small and Subtle Examples of Public Art - Life is Beautiful

More to come from America's Finest City...