Although I initially felt very uncomfortable about taking photos in the monastery (it seemed to breach the sisters' enclosure) I decided to take some photos to commemorate one very special weekend in Carmel. I can't quite believe it, but now I'm almost certain that I am called to the cloister. I am now at the stage of screaming, "Why, Jesus, why? And how??? HOW???"

One of the sisters asked me how I would mind enclosure. I replied truthfully that the thought did not bother me that much, but I felt that after a while I would start to miss the sea and the Arabic language and culture. She comforted me, saying that she was once able to make an unexpected visit to the sea and it felt better than ever. Then another nun added that if I missed Arabic very much I could just teach her to speak it and we would have conversations during recreation! I know that the potential for Arabic lessons will not be high in a monastery, but I have a suspicion that those sisters won't expect me to completely turn my back on my childhood language and culture. That came as a relief.



The gates of the monastery.



The monastery viewed from a distance.



The ikon on the wall of my cell.



The bells that woke us up at a ridiculously early hour.

Me at work in the kitchen garden. I was stringing some beans.



Two sisters at the enclosure gate.



Taking a Sunday afternoon walk.



We discovered some mating toads in the wood. For some reason, Sister Stephanie was very amused by this.



Me and the novice sister who was assigned to look after me.

Those are great photos, thanks for sharing!!!
and what/where convent was this?


Jessica
http://www.xanga.com/adiscerningsoul

Great photos! As to your language and culture, one never knows what the Lord has in store for us and why you might be called to a specific place. No convent ignores the talents of its sisters and somehow the reason you feel called there will be revealed.
Alicemary

I am pretty sure she is discerning with Quidenham in England.

The photos are fantastic! The place looks beautiful and the nuns so sweet!

I am so happy for you....

At the risk of stepping into "ladies' territory", here's a few cloistered nuns who probably wouldn't mind if you spoke Arabic :

http://www.strafqa.org/photog/living/livhp.htm

As the site says, it's the monastery of St. Joseph in Batroun, Lebanon. St. Rafka was a nun in this community, and her tomb is there.

Thank you for sharing these lovely photographs......The sisters certainly made you welcomed and I can understand why you can't wait to return for your longer visit in the summer. God Bless.

The monastery at Batroun looks wonderful. If Iget an urge to change Rites/can afford a trip to Lebanon, I will drop in on them. St Rafka's picture is definitely going to be added to the Heavenly portrait gallery on the wall above my bed. But for now, I'll continue to discern with Quidenham Carmel.

The irony of this is that Quidenham is located in Norfolk. My family used to leave Saudi Arabia twice a year for holidays in England, and we always had to spend part of that time visiting my nana in Norfolk - a place that I found dull, lethargic, and full of people who speak English in scarily strange accents. ("Aryerawrooight?" means "Are you all right?") In my nana's village it is a great excitement if next door's chickens escape into your garden. When she asked my dad if we had plans to move there when we moved back from Saudi, I saw my life flashing before my eyes. NOOOO. Not Norfolk! Never Norfolk!

And now the first community I am seriously considering is Norfolk-based. God's sense of humour is peculiar to say the least.

Beautiful pictues!!! They certianly seem like a wonderful community, you'll be in my prayers as you discern.

Same here, looks lovely!

http://www.carmes-liban.org/

http://www.carmelholyland.org/en/sisters/beth39.htm
http://www.carmelholyland.org/en/sisters/nazrt39.htm
Blessed Mariam of Jesus Crucified is FANTASTIC!, may she intercede for you!


http://www.carmelholyland.org/en/mariam/vie49.htm
"Le Petite Arab". Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified lived from 1846 to 1878. She died at the age of 33 in the Carmelite Monastery in Bethlehem. On November 13, 1983 she was beatified, the first step in the process of officially being named a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
"Mariam,The Little Arab" pamphlet published by Carmel du l'Enfant Jesus,Bethlehem, Israel.

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm6j.htm
Prayer

God, Father of mercy and all consolation,
you raised Blessed Mary, the humble daughter of the Holy Land,
to contemplation of the mysteries of your Son
and made her witness to the love and joy of the Holy Spirit.
Grant us, through her intercession,
so to share in the sufferings of Christ
that we may rejoice in the revelation of your glory.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Romans 8:26-30; Gospel Matthew 11:25-30.
Texts taken from the “Carmelite Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours,” Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome: 1993.

Maryam of Jesus Crucified is a friend of mine. She deserves to be much better known in the West. Whenever I'm confronted with something that I know I have to get done but that looks too difficult for me to manage, I repeat her famous words - "This is already done in Heaven" - and go for it.

And thank you for the PM and the beautiful links, EJames. I will spend some time exploring them closely.

Thank you for sharing those photo's, they are so beautiful! It looks like an awesome place, and the sisters look so sweet I'm glad you had a good retreat. God Bless you,
-uruviel