Settling in at the Mission House

We have now been at the Mission House in Los Angeles for three weeks.  We are beginning to settle into the routine of formation and community living.  More about that in a moment.  The kids have adjusted quickly and nicely to their new school.  The picture of the six kids was taken as they were leaving for their first day of school.  We are thrilled with how welcomed they were by the faculty and students.  Emily is doing well with a longer school day in kindergarten, Jessica is excited to be receiving her first reconciliation and first communion very soon (in 2nd grade), and Joshua is on the 4th grade basketball team, improving daily.  One of us takes them to school by 8:00 am, and picks them up at 3:00 pm each day.  They enjoy playing and sharing with the other family's children at home.

There are eleven adults in the formation program.  It is a lot of people living under one roof!  We are getting to know one another.  It is a really good group of people, all very nice.  And they all love and appreciate our kids.  Our Monday-Friday schedule includes praying the Liturgy of the Hours together in the morning and evening, attending Mass every day, sharing meals together, and having classes from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm.  We have some excellent instructors coming to teach us and facilitate our formation.  So far we have had orientation, a week-long retreat, and classes in communication, prayer, Scripture, and mission theology.  This is a nice time for us as a family and for Joy and I to be renewed personally, relationally, and spiritually.

We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and good wishes we received from our Sacred Heart family!  It was so nice to hear the words of appreciation so many expressed to us, and to be blessed by the financial support.  Thank you to all of you who are supporting us and praying for us.  May God bless you abundantly!

-Pete (and family)

Lay Mission-Helpers, Here We Come!

We are preparing for the adventure of a lifetime!  It is a big change to leave our home, our friends, and our parish community of almost nine years.  We have been so enriched and blessed by so many of you!  Thank you for loving us and supporting us.

We will be living in Los Angeles at the Mission House for almost five months.  There will be eighteen of us in the house, including one other family with children about the same age as ours.  While the kids are attending St John Chrysostom School in Inglewood, we will have formation and discussions in various topics to prepare us for mission, including theology, Bible study, missiology, cross-cultural issues, and personal and spiritual development.

It appears that our family will be sent to Cameroon, Africa, for three years, serving in the Archdiocese of Bamenda.  Most likely, we will live on the grounds at the major seminary and Pete will teach pastoral theology.  Joy is looking forward to getting there and gradually seeing how she can be involved in mission, while attending to the children's needs.

Amidst a lot of uncertainty, we are very excited about this opportunity to "share our gifts, live our faith, and change the world--and let the world change us!" (the motto of Lay Mission Helpers).  We are confident that God is calling us, and that He will be faithful to provide for us and bless us in all sorts of new and exciting ways!

-Peter, Joy, Joshua, Jessica, and Emily