Gaby Viesca: Bridge Builder
Reported by Michael Nellis
NEWBERG, OR - Gaby Viesca is the latest addition to the George Fox University (GFU) Spiritual Life department (SpiL), joining this year as a campus pastor. She is also the director of strategic planning and outreach at the Portland Seminary.
According to Viesca, her journey to the faith was one of finding joy in difficulty, and she hopes to use that gift of joy to teach and guide students in the GFU community.
“Growing up I was a very independent kid…. [I spent most of my young adult life] going after my dreams and things seemed to be going well,” Viesca said, “but then [my life took a sharp turn]. I got a bone infection that destroyed a disc and half of two vertebrae. I ended up spending nine months in a hospital bed without moving.”
This life-threatening infection was what ultimately brought her to God. “[When I was in that hospital bed], my mom started reading the Bible to me,” Viesca said. “I was hesitant to receive what she had to say about God, but when my mom started reading, I could feel my pain going away.
“When people talked about miracles, I always thought, ‘They’re making that up’--but here I was experiencing a miracle, and I didn’t know how to respond to it,” she said. “In the next few months, I started reading the Bible on my own, learning about God’s love and ability to perform miracles. When I began walking again, I wanted to know this God who gave me a second chance. Me, of all people! I wanted to know God’s heart.”
Viesca went to seminary and graduated with a degree in arts and biblical studies. After graduation she found a job as a women’s pastor here in Portland. “I found a church specifically asking for someone with a powerful testimony,” she said. “I was a full-time pastor for five years, and I loved it. I started connecting with a ton of people from George Fox.”
From there, it was on to her current position, where Viesca thinks she can combine both of her aspirations. “One big personal conviction I have is to build bridges between the church and academia, learning from each other and creating things together,” Viesca said.
“I feel there is sometimes a huge gap between them,” she added. “When you’re facing someone in a crisis, or opening up a space for people to struggle together, your heart is key. I wholeheartedly believe that God can work and reveal himself through anyone at any time. You don’t need to have a degree to be a messenger or ambassador.”
Of course, filling two different roles can require a unique strategy. “I’ve come to a place in my life where I’ve given up trying to achieve balance,” Viesca said. “What I’m after now is finding good rhythm. I’m a passionate person and I get so much joy from doing the things that I was created to do. I could easily spend 15 hours straight working on something that I’m passionate about, and it doesn’t feel unbalanced to me—but once I’ve worked like crazy, then I allow myself to rest fully and well.”
Viesca hopes to bring a new perspective to the department as a native Mexican. “I’ve been able to connect with students in their heart-language, in Spanish, and it’s been a joy to be able to do that,” she said. “I’m extremely excited to be at George Fox. It’s been a gift and a huge blessing. I feel so welcome and embraced by the students and staff. I feel like I have a lot to learn from people around me.”