Meet Jonathan Lujano | Pastor & Blue Collar Worker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonathan Lujano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is huge in my/family life. We actually, are originally from Texas. For 32 years of my life, I was Texas grown. Born and bred in Texas. My wife born in Juarez MX, and was back and forth from El Paso Tx and Albuquerque, NM. We aMoved to Flagstaff AZ in 2017, for the call of Church Planting. Gave up a supervising position of 4 crews, great pay, 3 vehicles, huge home, and all furniture. Just kept my old RV, church instruments, and the clothes on our backs.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So, other than being a Pastor, and father, I am a full-time, what they title mobile-mechanic, for a company that I won’t name, which is in hot plant, asphalt making. So, I travel repairing our work sites, from changing bearings, and conveyer belts, to working the and operating the plant itself. Before this, in TX I worked on the drilling rigs for 8 years, to a silica sand operation of Transloading, to hotplants. All three operations, completely different, but in all, I worked from the ground up. From the laborer to the operator, to the supervisor/operator.

In each area of these three different fields, I learned by observing what to do and not to do by watching others fail and gain. Where they messed up, I learned not to follow that path, and where they succeeded, I put into practice.

Each job was physically demanding and safety is always #1 in these fields. Death is right there, and one mistake could mean my family could quickly be without a husband and father. So selfishness became huge in my safety. I learned that to be selfish in my life, it taught me how to look out for each and every co-worker I ever worked or am working with. If I took care of myself first, I could protect those I’m working with. A concept I learned to take with me into ministry as well.

Sometimes we need to learn, in order to take care of everyone else, we need to take care of #1 (yourself) first.

Each and every job, was not easy. In the line of work I’ve been in, it’s been trial after trial, and it took years to get to the positions I’ve been in. Patience does not feel like a virtue at times (lol). The struggle with failing and not performing up to par as the job requires. The let downs, and days of rough patches. All apart of helping transition into a more mature person for sure.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would first take them to Grimaldi’s Pizza. Brick oven pizza, is the way to go. And right next door after that, would be a local fav spot, Paleta Bar. Originally from Albuquerque, and was open here in Flagstaff not to long ago. We’d then take them off-roading in our H3, to some cool spots around the mountains here in Flagstaff, with some scary driving spots.

To relax, AWA Kava Coffee Bar is another spot. I’m becoming a regular there, they already know my drink when I walk in! It’s an acquired taste, but the Tongan Kava is the relax drink I take after a long day of work. Then, we have an Axe throwing spot, some local places to go shoot some rounds, 9mm, 12g shotgun, and my
AR-15. Just some recreational shooting.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everybody that has been in our lives from birth until now. Our story, wouldn’t be what it is right now, without every, especially Jesus Christ!

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