November 2020

November has been challenging in West Park, but it's coming to a nice conclusion. Elizabeth has made a good recovery from her surgery, and she's getting stronger every day. Shane is back from sabbatical and has re-entered the full stream of community life and spiritual direction commitments. Many, many thanks to the local folks who fed us and drove Elizabeth to physical therapy and doctor appointments: this village has really taken care of its own.

In the wake of all this we are re-evaluating priorities and commitments, deepening monastic life here. This means more prayer, more intentional conversation about what God is doing with us individually and corporately, and shifting some roles. Stay tuned.

After a long siege of illness, Annie has started praying for consistently better health, or the grace to embrace self-care and grace-fully live with whatever serial afflictions arise. After juggling three part time positions for two years, she's taking up a full time chaplaincy position.

Diane has finished writing the icon of Holy Sophia! She is now working on an icon of St. John the Baptist for Advent. She had a wonderful 2 week visit with her parents in October, which was especially important now that they've decided not to gather as a family for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Lauren has been been accepted to a women's leadership program in New York City. She's practicing yoga at home. She and her wife Farrah celebrated Thanksgiving as a pair, with big plans to play Scrabble. Their new weekend activity is to bundle up in their parkas and sit in beach chairs in Astoria Park at a safe distance from friends. Covid activities!

Ernesto has just received a call as lead pastor at First Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebraska. He's excited to be home with his wife Susan after time commuting, but there's sadness in leaving St. John's in Beatrice, NB, filled with people he's grown to love.