Mary loved to put on a blue apron and help with the dishes both days! So good for her to share in this small part of the life of her Auntie Sue and her community! 
On the way to Mass on the first morning there - the Feast of St Peter and St Paul - Hallel reminded me that on this day a year ago she traveled from Rome/St Peters to St Paul to see John in St Joseph hospital as he awaited the diagnosis of the tumor in his brain! Of course... I was deeply touched by the memory and the power of the feast day that brought Hallel to join her family.
After mass of ST Peter and St Paul - it was a special feast day for Simon-Peter and for his dad Paul... so we basked in the glory of a feast day with the little sisters...
Little Davey wanted to blue apron too!
Who knew that helping with dishes could be a fun family job to share after every meal? I guess that I do remember that time with my family and later with my kids in the early days before the dishwasher in our new home just before John was born... before that I always had girls - 4 of them - up at the sink with me and sometimes in the sink! I still put small grandkids in the sink for a bubble sink in between for dirty episodes or just a diversion throughout the day!
Color us blue!
In the dining room there are cloth napkins inside of a napkin ring at the place where you are to sit.... Mary makes hers and it will be there for everytime she comes to visit - for Mary... PINK!
Mary liked the place in the chapel by our Lady of Guadelupe... Two years ago Susan told us that she was joining the community at this spot in the chapel - the tears flowed at the meaning and beauty of it all!
Hallel is in charge of the chapel... it is beautiful and is the same everywhere in the community - truly they are united in the Eucharist in more ways than the fact that heaven comes down to earth! I carry this peaceful beautiful place with me in my heart! Once again many wonderful times spent there with the joyful community - as my mother in law said of her time there..."They are always praising God!" That is why Hallel took her name!
Pat described how Simon would sit by Hallel in the chapel at times of prayer and mass... He loves his Auntie Sue and she him... How powerful for a young boy to know and love the Little Sisters? One way they change you is to make you realize...."We don't need it."
A French supper - outside - as many meals were while in France. On this ground they hope will be their little monastery where once stood the Belgian Catholic Church in the midst of this poor Hispanic neighborhood. As we had lunch on this feast day of Simon and Paul - St Peter and Paul... there was a 30 something man named, Mike, in the kitchen talking to the little sisters... We were introduced to him and Simon was impressed because he had on a John Deere shirt... After he left the sisters joyfully shared that they had met him a few weeks before... he came with a friend. Afterwards he had said to his wife for whom he had bought a classic mustang -"We don't need it... I think I will sell it and give the money to the little Sisters." She agreed and that day he had handed them a check for $25,000!
We made icons in the basement to take as a keepsake... this will be a cherished memory of their feast day celebrated in KC! And the beautiful lesson that we all need to learn in this materialistic world.... "I don't need that."
Simon and his dad love ice cream - so the perfect celebration of their feast day!
Lamb of God - Eph 2:13-19 "In his flesh, in his person, Christ killed hatred."
"Virgin Immaculate lead us along the way of pure love in the footsteps of the unblemished Lamb." As I hear these words ring inside me and know that we are very blessed to have our daughter answering the call in this powerful way - I must again say fair thee well as we take to the road to head to Lake Michigan. I might be in touch from there minus the pictures... you are probably all breathing a sigh of relief! Jesus we love you and thank you for your sacrifice of love and being a "beggar for our love". We are humbled to see our Lord and God of the Universe knocking at the door of our heart! Come and be our guest and we fall at your feet! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, Barb
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