RIP

Notice My nephew Graham died this past week. Wow, that has been a lot to handle on so many levels. He was just 23 years old and struggled with cancer for a year. Then just when we were regathering hope again for a new treatment, things went the other way and he died.

I have been again impressed by my family and community and friends as we gather for support and to mourn and pray for Graham and for each of us. I'm trying to call different family members since I can't be there to support in person. There are just not words, but I can imagine that each of my siblings hugged their children extra-tight in these days. Mother's day has taken on a deeper meaning, not without its pain.

It has meant SO much to me to have the CSJ support, prayers and visits to the family that I couldn't make. What a blessing. Again, words fail. But I think this is what community and Gospel living mean. And I am so blessed to be a part of this community.

My friends here in Leuven have also been a blessing - they have been sensitive and supportive. I told one friend about Graham, and she expressed her support and prayers, then I told her I needed a hug and she gladly obliged. It is always good to have friends that are close enough that you can ask for what you need and know that they will gladly provide. Again christian community at work.

On a happier note, we had our Pentecost celebration - all the language communities of the University parish gathered at the oldest church in town (11th century). We had three choirs from the different groups. The celebration was organized in 2 weeks. If we had done this in the states there would have been months of preparation.

When I say organized, I use the term loosely. We were supposed to sing the Alleluia, so I asked who was doing the sequence, so we would know. The director of another choir said he didn't know - we would see what happened. So the moment came, no-one made a move, so he stood up, nodded to the organist (big old pipe organ with a console in the body of the church) and away we went. There was no music for the verses, so after a pause, someone looked around, saw noone else was coming so he got up and read the English, we sang again, and then some other person got up and read the rest of the verses in French. So that was it.

At the offertory, the Cameroonians from our choir said: you come with us - and we became part of their offertory - I'll have to say they danced and sang better than the rest of us - but if it made them happy, we were happy to join.

There were a few other times when there was a pause, a few people would huddle at the side, clearly organizing the next part, then we would take off again. But everyone was pretty good natured about this, even if a few would have organized a little better if they had been at the helm.

At the end, we did If You Believe and I Believe - a favorite of the Hereford Sisters. We did English, Spanish, German, Chinese and Luo - as I understand, that's the language of the area where the CSJs will be in Uganda. One of our choir members is from there.

All in all, a grand celebration of the outpouring of the Spirit, some of us went for lunch at an outdoor cafe - the weather has been GORGEOUS!

Peace,
Amy