On January 18 we set sail in our overstuffed minivan to
Tucson to spend a week with Ryan's parents before we moved on to Los Angeles
for four months of formation. The big
push to get ready and leave was an enormous task that seemed to never end, but
somehow by the grace of God we were able to get our home ready for Maura's
brother (Conor) to move in, finish our jobs, determine what we wanted to put in
storage in our basement, pack and say goodbye.
We are still in awe that we were able to pull all of this off with the
help of our three not so helpful wonderful children.
For several months leading up to our departure date we had
the blessing of many gatherings with loved ones and incredible support from so
many people. The largest gathering was
the farewell dance that was thrown for us at the end of November. We had about 250 people show up to say
goodbye and express their support for our work.
The evening was an incredible success in that we had a blast and we
raised a big percentage of the funds we needed.
As we reflect on the night the words that come to mind are overwhelming
love. We are truly in awe at the
encouragement we received from that night and since. Thank you!!!
While in L.A. we are living in an old convent with another
family (they have 5 kids) and a married couple who are all preparing to go on
mission. Maura and Ryan take classes
during the day covering theology, cultural awareness and personal growth. We are really enjoying the opportunity to
grow in all three of these areas. The
girls are in school at a local Catholic school.
We are grateful for the supportive and welcoming community at the
school. The girls are still not very
excited to be in school all day although they are incredibly adorable in their
school uniforms. Patrick stays with a
woman from the neighborhood at our house while we are in class. On weekends we explore all the free things
offered in the L.A. area.
If all goes as planned we will be commissioned as Lay
Mission Helpers on May 26, 2013 at which time the formation will be over. We will then head east with a few days spent
in Tucson en route to Colorado. On
Sunday, June 2 at the 10:30 mass at Spirit of Christ in Arvada, CO there will
be a send off blessing for our family, all are welcome. Then we plan to spend 2-3 weeks in Colorado
and leave for the Chicagoland area at the end of June. Our departure date for Cameroon has not been
set, but we are hoping to leave mid-July.
The next 3 years will be spent in Bamenda, Cameroon. Our plan is to only return to the U.S. during
the 3 years in the event of an emergency, but we can have visitors.
We continue to ask for your prayers and support as we
prepare for this calling and thank you for all that you have already done for
us.
Much Love-
Maura, Ryan, Honora, Clare Rose & Patrick
