who we are
We are an intentional Christian community located in a latino neighborhood in Alexandria, VA. We relocated based on a calling to love our neighbors and to seek reconciliation because we have a conviction that God can transform an entire community through Christ-centered, loving relationships. We recognize our need for God’s grace and community, striving together to live a holistic gospel through biblical study, prayer and simple living.
What does Chirilagua mean?
Chirilagua is a neighborhood in Alexandria, VA also known as Arlandria. However, if you talk to any of the mostly latino inhabitants, they proudly refer to their barrio as Chirilagua. When the Salvadoran civil war broke out in 1980, many had no choice but to leave their country and seek of new life. Many of those who came from Chirilagua, El Salvador settled in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria, bringing a piece of their country with them and giving their new home a familiar name, “Chirilagua.”
our story
Each of us has our own stories, experiences and people that have influenced our spiritual journey. We arrived at a place individually where we were hungry for something that we couldn’t necessarily articulate. We longed to be in a place where we could live out our faith in a more consistent, concrete, transformational way. We wanted to see our faith make a difference in our day to day lives and the lives of others. We were each seeking a way that we could marry our daily lives with larger issues in the world and church i.e. peacemaking, reconciliation, social justice, refugees, immigrants, homelessness, poverty, and the list continues. We understood that Christians had a role to play in each of these arenas and desired to find a way in which our personal faith could intersect on a daily basis with these important issues.
Close to each of our hearts was a desire to follow Jesus’ example of living out upside down Kingdom values. What does it mean, “The first shall be last.”? What does it mean, “Blessed are the poor.”? What does it mean, “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk humbly with God.”? What does it mean, “That true religion is taking care of the orphan and the widow.”? What does it actually look like to take Jesus’ words at face value and follow his example of hanging out with the marginalized of society. What would it look like to truly love your neighbor as yourself? Did He really mean what He said? And if he did, why weren’t we doing it?
Through divine providence, God arranged the circumstances for the lives of Emily, Julia, and Dawnielle to intersect through a conference and book talk near the end of 2006. They were drawn to one another through similar experiences in Latin America and a shared love for the Spanish language. They connected with people, books, magazines, websites, and other communities that helped to more clearly define the vision that God had begun to work in each of their hearts. There was a lot of uncertainty in the process and emotions ranged from excitement to fear. They grappled with moving, job changes, financial situations, approval of family and friends, etc., but they continued to meet regularly with like-minded people and filled their time with prayer, reflection, questioning, and talking with others who were further along the journey.
After eight months of meeting together, in July of 2007, the three young ladies took the plunge and moved into an apartment complex in the heart of Chirilagua, a latino immigrant community in Alexandria, VA. They were affirmed that God was working in the midst of their move, even down to the specific apartment strategically located in the center of activity and next to neighbors who would play a key role in their integration into the neighborhood community life. God’s sovereignty in that process, his leading and guidance each step of the way affirmed that they were exactly where they were supposed to be.
Along the way there have been many shifts in the community. Julia married Isaac in the summer of 2008 and Emily wed Jose September of 2009. Both couples live close by and are regularly involved in the life of the community.
The fall of 2008 was a difficult period of transition for Casa Chirilagua. As the growing problems with pests in the apartment became increasingly overwhelming and the space was proving too small for the growing community, the Lord provided a home just one street over with a back gate that opens into the neighborhood. Though the small distance forces community members to become more intentional about reaching out and spending time with the neighbors, the back gate swings open daily as kids run in for homework help or families come over to share a meal.
The house is now home to Dawnielle, Matt, Jessica, and the Hoppe family (Rachel, Matt, and their one-year-old son Roman). They share a home, meals, and morning prayer. Life together is not always easy, but it is usually fun.
