Petitpã¨lerin Counts Down

[petitpèlerin]

Has it really been since I was in France since I've logged in here? Change of scenery, change of habits, I suppose. I've been out all summer running all around the US with my temporary freedom and my own car finally at my disposal again. I visited both of my community's houses in the United States (East Orange, NJ and Princeville, IL) and spent about six weeks in camps/retreats/summer programs with the Community of St John. (I highly recommend their Eagle Eye program to any discerners between 16 and 35! And bring your friends! It's not just for discerners. http://eagleeyeministries.org/) Got to spend a week at high elevations with TheresaThoma. Also got to visit the Grand Canyon and some of the other natural and man-made wonders of the western US. I've been home spending time with my family for a few weeks and my entrance is looming, so here is my official countdown thread.

 

I want to thank you all for the role you played in my discernment. I'm very slow to venture into any new social situation, and religious life is no exception, but coming on here and reading about your experiences, your desires, your discernment, your shared resources, your good advice that the people you trust have given you, etc., helped me recognize the signs of a religious vocation in myself. Of course I don't know my vocation for sure, but the only way for me to discern further is to enter and see. I'm entering the Apostolic Sisters of St John in Princeville, Illinois on September 6th.

Edited August 26, 2013 by petitpèlerin

[nikita92]

Boy have you been busy and that is wonderful news!! We will be counting down with you (as usual) please feel free to relay all your thoughts, feelings etc! We are here to support you!! ;)

[ChristinaTherese]

I was just thinking of starting a thread asking you when you were entering. :nun3:

[petitpèlerin]

Really?! Thank you both!

[brandelynmarie]

That's in just a little more than two weeks! :shock: :joecool: How exciting!

[TheresaThoma]

Ahhh so exciting. So I guess I REALLY must have confused the Sisters in Princeville. I sent a letter there for you about a month ago, thinking that you were entering after Ecclesia! :blush: oops! 

I will put the real date on the calendar now so I don't forget.

 

Also I second the recommendation for the Eagle Eye retreats, they are amazing!

[AnneLine]

Very happy for you, Petit Pelerin!!!!  Continuing to pray.....

[Jennifer]

Praying for you as you countdown to 6th September.  God bless you Petit Pelerin.     :nun3:  :nun3:

[Julie de Sales]

I was also wondering how you were you doing lately. I'm happy that you are entering so soon, praying for you! :)

[petitpèlerin]

I'm just working at keeping the anxiety level down. So far so good. Just as I was starting to get nervous these past few days I got a beautiful and encouraging e-mail from one of my good brothers in Europe, a good friend who knows me well and knew what I needed to hear this week, and now I'm more excited than nervous: not a jumping-up-and-down excited, but an I-can't-wait-to-see-these-people-again-and-live-their-life and I-must-be-dreaming-pinch-me excited. I've been so focused on what I'm leaving behind, trying to do everything I love one last time (one last visit to Grandma's house, one last trip to the local ice cream stand, etc.) and I've been so far removed from community this past month (after practically living with them for the last two years) that I've lost sight of what I'm headed toward.

 

I also just received a letter from the sisters confirming my acceptance (we sort of did the application/entrance process in reverse and I just sent in my formal entrance request letter two weeks ago!) Sister said my letter was "beautiful" which made me happy because it was basically just a brief outline of my vocation story, so maybe it's not just my opinion or wishful thinking that God has done great things in my own little life.

 

Mostly, I have this sense of having an invitation to the greatest thing that could possibly happen to a person: to be invited to give up everything and follow Jesus. It happened in Jesus' time, to the apostles, to the rich young man, and that same 2,000 year old spirit is inviting me to do the same as them. (Okay, really that spirit is God and is eternal, but you know what I mean.) Wow. Really? Me? I'm chosen for this? I'm not at all the romantic type and sometimes I'm so dense that I miss the meaning of things altogether, but I think this one is finally getting a little bit through to me. :farmer:

[ChristinaTherese]

Pelerin, you have wonderful brothers, and wonderful sisters as well, I'm sure. I'm so very happy for you as you enter on Saturday. I'll try to remember to keep you in my prayers for the next while! :nun1: (I'm on my phone, so that's just a guess.... I think I'm fine with either emoticon it pulls up, though.)

[TheresaThoma]

4 days!

I will be keeping you very close in prayer during these next few days.

 

"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillippians 1:6

[Feankie]

Prayers for you as you begin a new portion of your journey .

[petitpèlerin]

Thank you for your prayers. :)

[Hna.Caridad]

Praying for you on this, your last day "in the world", and as you continue to discern your vocation.    :nun3:

[cmaD2006]

Praying here too ... congrats as you take this wonderful step.

[petitpèlerin]

Thank you all, and thank you for your help, CMariaDiaz. You helped me see things clearly when I really needed it.

 

My friend from New Zealand is here. It's such a blessing, she's helping keep all the usual packing and departing stress down, in so many ways, and keeping my parents delighted whereas they and I normally have terrible nasty arguments just before I leave. (It's a worn-in tradition we couldn't change if we tried.) And I'd be so freaked out about everything I'm leaving if I were here alone, but with my friend here all I'm doing is looking ahead, happily, and she's so funny she just keeps cracking me up. God is so, so good! We'll be headed to Princeville in the morning. Pray for us, we'll be praying for you.

[AnneLine]

:heart: praying :pray:

Edited September 6, 2013 by AnneLine

[brandelynmarie]

Go with God. :)