Nun Run

This past week I told myself and two of me teen girls on a Nun Run. A Nun Run is where a handful of girls go and visit a few convents for a short visit to each one.  We started at OLV parking lot all in one piece and ready for any exciting adventure down to Texas and  back up! As you can see by the picture we started out nice and perky and ready for anything. 

The first day, we went to Omaha, Nebraska.  We learned of the horrible flooding in Iowa and that general area.  We got rerouted because I-29 was closed for parts of it so we got to see a beautiful Iowan countryside.  There is lots of corn in Iowa.  We ate at Fatburger for supper and it was absolutely wonderful for a burger place.  

We then headed to our hotel for the night!  I had a really nice room but for some reason the girl's room was not as nice as mine.  The next morning we got up bright and early to head the Sisters of St. Francis of the Most Holy Eucharist.  They were a beautiful community. We got to spend some time with Sr. Mary Clare and the other Sisters.  We learned about their community, St. Francis, and how this particular community lives. One of their apostolates is sending things that are donated to people around the world. The crucifix is from their retreat house.  The girls rated this community number 2 on their rank of communities.The pictures are of different things around the convent and the girls with the Sisters...

 

The next morning we got up bright and early and did morning prayer with the community and had breakfast with them.  We were then heading out to Tulsa Oklahoma to visit the Benedictines there.  They were a great community as well.  Their main apostolate was teaching and nursing.  We met with Sr. Catherine and she had a few activities lined up for us to do with the community.  She taught us the difference between a monastery and a convent. She also taught us how to determine a St. Benedict statue.  We also learned about how Benedictines value community and hospitality.  There is always someone on call to answer the door if someone was to knock or ring the door bell.  That was really nifty.  They did do the Liturgy of the Hours a little different than I am use to. Sr. Catherine taught the girls how to make Rope Rosaries.  I really struggled with this but I was diligent and got 3 knots!  Oh yes!!!  (We wont discuss how the girls had pretty much finished at least one decade!)

The next morning we went off and started the long drive to Panhandle, Texas to visit my Sisters!  Now picture this...Brianna in the back making a Rosary, Nikki writing in her journal, Christian music playing in the background and all of a sudden blue lights...yes blue lights.  After getting to the right and pulling over a very nice state trooper came over and explained why he pulled me over...he had been following me for 1.5 miles and I had stayed in the left lane instead of getting over right away and Oklahoma had passed a law a few years ago that one must get over immediately after passing someone.  I am curious if he did not notice the MINNESOTA license plates.  Well he asked where we were headed and I told him "Panhandle, Texas to visit the School Sisters of St. Francis."  His response, "Sisters...like nuns."  Me: "Yeah, I will be entering that community in a year." Him: "So you're a nun." Me: "Not yet but in a year's time I will enter the community to be a nun."  Him: "Well I can't give a nun a ticket."  I just smile and he walked away with my license to check on everything.  Of course it was all good.  He approached the car again and asked how one becomes a Sister and talked a little longer about the Nun Run and told us he was Catholic and then asked us to pray for him and all three of us agree.  So, if you are reading this now stop here and say a quick prayer for this very kind and amazing officer. So in a way we were evangelizing on the highway.  

So after that I stayed in the right hand lane unless I was passing and then got over quickly.  Yes, I was paranoid for the entire trip.  We finally made it to Groom, Texas where there is a massive (19 stories tall) cross that can be seen from miles.  It is a Catholic thing but most people who come are Protestant.  There are the living Stations of the Cross, a replica of the Shroud of Turin, and some other really amazing statues.  It is a work in progress but almost complete.  

We meet up another group there and Sr. Mary Michael.  She brought her youth group to visit the Panhandle Franciscans too.  Here is a picture of all of us at the Cross...

Sr. Mary Michael also taught the girls how to finish the rosary which included teaching them how to use a lighter. (2nd picture)  Sr. Mary Michael, the girls and I all agree that rosary making is not one of my gifts.  I will let the girls do that.  The top picture is of Nikki and Sr. Celine.  Nikki accidentally sprayed Sr. Celine with the water hose while doing dishes.  The third picture is of Crystal, the newest Candidate to the School Sisters of St. Francis, and I doing our "Trouble with Angels" pose. And the last picture is all of us plus Sr. Mary Michael together. 

We then headed to Wichita where we spent a few short hours at a mall having a little bit too much fun! I think we scared a few folks.  Then to a yummy in the tummy dinner.

  And then we quickly hopped back on the road to head to our hotel for the evening. In this time we made a 3 minute potty break.  The girls had their seat belts off and the door open even before the car came to a complete stop.  By the time I unbuckled Brianna and Nikki were both out of the car and all three of us were literally running up to the bathroom.  We quickly did our business, washed hands and ran back to the car.  Yup we did it in three minutes.  The poor guy who was waiting for something must have thought we were nuts.  But it was fun times!

The next morning we headed to the Yankton Benedictines.  They were the largest and the only non-habited sisters.  All the other communities either had a habit or at least a veil.  We had a lot of fun with the Sisters.  We played games, talked, had supper, prayed with them and of course asked questions.  They took us to the dam that is right near by and wow!  It was something.  All of us got to ring the gong that usually calls people to prayer! 

The next morning we all jumped in the car and headed home to our nice beds!  We were thoroughly exhausted!Our after pictures!

The Stepping Stones

So I know it has been awhile since I have written.  I have been super busy with work, home, and life in general.  I have now moved to a beautiful apartment that I love...it has hot water!  Small victories in life.

I was challenged to write down my stepping stones to me belie am called to be a Sister by my Spiritual Director.  There are a great many stepping stones I am sure and some that I do not even know now but the Holy Spirit continues to reveal them to me as I continue to pray and ask Him for His guidance.  So I am going to try to go through some of these stepping stones now.

The first major stepping stone was first being introduced into the Church through a Life Teen Mass and a Life Night.  I felt a call to the Eucharist.  I knew that the Eucharist was not a something but a someone.  I continued to read Scripture and compare what the Church taught to the Scriptures.  It all made perfect sense. 

The next major stepping stone was when I went to a youth conference in Montgomery with my youth group. During Adoration I finally acknowledged that Christ loves me, died for me, and that He wanted me to be in full communion with His Church.  I supposed you could say "I let Him into my heart"  something the Protestants had been trying to get me to do up to this point.  This all happened on my 14th birthday.  It was the best birthday I could ask for.

The next stepping stone would be me coming into the Church.  It was April 7, 2007.  I was baptized, received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation and then finally received Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the Eucharist for the first time.  I was filled with His grace and love.  It was a magical night for me.  I knew that I was a new person.

The next stepping stone would be working with SHYNE.  I began to realize that I love working with teens and teaching them the faith.  I enjoyed being that spiritual mother to them (I did not know this is what I was doing at the time. I just thought that I was being a good friend to them)

Then I heard it!  I had just received Jesus in the Eucharist during the Easter Vigil 2 years after I came into the Church.  I do not remember what exactly I heard that time but I think it was as simple as God putting the idea of being a Sister into my head.  It kinda freaked me out at first because I am not worthy to be a Sister and i was still young in my faith.  Really young.  I was still a toddler if you wanted to think about it in that sense.  I remember not knowing what to do next.

So like a good daughter I go to my college dad, Deacon Cesar.  I went to him and explained to him what had happened and what I was thinking.  He then gave me a book to help look through communities and he told me to pray and to remember that just because I am thinking about it does not mean that I am supposed to be a Sister.

I started looking at different communities.  I filled out a form that was like a dating site only it matched the discerners with communities.  I received a lot of matches back and lots of email messages and mailings.  I was continued to search for communities that I was interested in and that I was drawn too.  At first I thought I wanted to be a Dominican but realized that they were missing the type of joy that I was looking for.  They had joy but not the type I wanted.

Then I stumbled upon the Panhandle Franciscans' website.  It made me cry as I looked at the pictures and watched the videos.  They had the joy that I wanted.  I remember sitting at the computer in tears and just praying and asking God if I could have that type of joy.  So I contacted them or they contacted me (not really sure) but as I began a relationship with Sr. Mary Michael I was beginning to see the joy.

I continued to pray and go to Adoration.  I kept hearing "Will you marry Me?" or "Will you be My bride?" or "Follow me!"  That seriously had an effect on me.  So I knew that I had to continue to discern.

During my senior year, I met a very nice gentleman and we began to date.  It was a very interesting relationship but I began to have doubts because I was still discerning religious life.
 
In the Summer of 2010 I went to visit the School Sisters which was a HUGE stepping stone.  I finally got to experience what it was like to be at a convent.  I got to see what it felt like to live among the Sisters.  I loved it there.  I was not one hundred percent sure that is where I was supposed to be.  However, I did have a wonderful conversation with Sr. Mary Ana.  She told me about convent life, being a Sister.  We talked about my story.  I remember her telling me that whenever I was ready I could ask for an application.  I told her at that time I was not ready.  I was sad to leave but alas it was time.

Then I moved to Minnesota to be a youth minister.  This is not how I planned my life to be like right out of college.  I was planning on being an elementary school teacher.  But God, as always, laughed at my plans and asked me to do what He desired of me and that meant to move to the "frozen tundra" aka Minnesota.  By living in Minnesota I have been given the space needed to discern and to recognize where God desires me to be. 

Then in November I broke up with the gentleman because it was obvious where God wanted me to be.  I got the overwhelming feeling that I needed to apply or at least have the application. I asked Sr. Mary Michael for one and received one in the mail and I was so excited


The next stepping stone was visiting again in March.  As I was traveling I was feeling as if i was going home not just visiting.

I applied and here we are now playing the waiting game for entrance!

I am sure there are more but as for now these are what I have come up with.  :)