Introductions

In the interest of your well being as you go through this blog, allow me to introduce the beautiful women of God that I am blessed to be sharing this year with. The introductions will only touch the surface of how wonderful these women are, especially since that is something I, myself, am still discovering. Aristotle once said, “To truly count someone as your friend, you must first eat a bag of salt together.” We have a long way to go.

Agata was born in Poland and moved to the U.S. when she was 19. She’s been here for 10 years studying. She works as a Physicist and is on the precipice of earning her PhD. She loves being outdoors and I have nick-named her “Agata the Worker,” as even when she was little her favorite toy was a hammer and nails.

Becca and I met when she first came to an Eagle Eye Summer Camp for teens. Her family doesn’t live far away from the brothers. As my roommate I have the pleasure of sharing some great moments with Becca. She’s the youngest of the group, but possesses a beautiful maturity that puts her way ahead of me. She’s a sassy individual with a quick wit and sense of humor, which, I’m sure, will come out in many of the stories of this year.

Emma is from Florida. She has a beautiful angelic voice and loves to sing. Last year she worked with LAMP ministries and the Sisters of Life. Her attention to detail is a wonderful blessing, as not much escapes her notice, and the apartment looks more beautiful and welcoming as an effect. She is very warm and caring, and one of these days I’m going to get her to play football.

Erin is also from Illinois. I met her on the first ever teen Eagle Eye 6 or 7 years ago when I was 16. She and I then attended Franciscan University of Steubenville together, where we truly developed our friendship. To describe her in one word would be impossible as there are so many excellent words to choose from. My mind rests on Prankster, the effects of which are already rubbing off on me. We laugh and have a lot of fun, but the best of all is that I am already comfortable sharing little moments with her and am thankful every day that she decided to come this year.

Graceanne, who moonlights as Park Ranger Clarence, is from Pennsylvania. Although I haven’t heard her play violin yet, it seems as though she is very good in her humble way. She once played at a school in Italy for 5 weeks where she went on several adventures and saw the Holy Father by happenstance. One thing she has made perfectly clear, is that she LOOOOVES St. Therese of Lisieux. She is surprisingly unsurprising: which in plain English means that I can hardly ever believe the things that come out of her mouth, but each time I wonder why I’m surprised. She’s got a great sense of humor and is very quick to laugh.

Joan is from Wisconsin but also has a great love for Canada. She attended a Catholic Bible School in Canada for one year and remained for a second as their secretary. She also worked in Youth Ministry at a parish in Wisconsin. She loves the outdoors and is great to have along for hiking adventures. On the many car rides we’ve taken together thus far, she is found occupying herself by making beautiful rope rosaries. So far she’s given a rosary away to every new person we’ve encountered. She has a very giving nature and her vibrant laugh and smile brighten up the apartment.

Kristy is also from Wisconsin, she and Joan have many mutual friends but never met until Eagle Eye. Kristy and I have shared many laughs and adventures these last two weeks. Her sassy sense of humor and compelling story telling keeps us laughing around the dinner table. She counseled at a youth camp for a couple summers, but at the moment I can’t remember what camp.

Father Nathan is my Spiritual Director, founder of all things Eagle Eye. He began Eagle Eye as a week-long summer camp for teens in response to a need he saw in 3 sisters he encountered on a rock-climbing adventure. He asked them where they went to go deeper, and when their answer was “no where” he created for them a week long camp. It was meant to only be the one-time, but the Holy Spirit and Our Lady had different plans. He then moved into weekend retreats throughout the year as well as the summer camps and now he has formed a school for young adults called the Eagle Eye Institute. Father is a very compelling teacher and I am always riveted in his classes. He has a way of portraying the truths in ways that show me passages to deeper waters, always challenging me to become closer to Christ through forming my intelligence.

Eagle Eye Institute: It is such a gift to be able to step away from the world and enter into a life of ora et labora, prayer and work. Prayer is the center of my life at the Eagle Eye Institute. We live the monastic prayer life with the Community, that being: Silent Prayer in adoration in the morning, Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Mass, spending time in thanksgiving for the Sacrifice of the Mass, Vespers followed by Adoration and the Angelus three times a day. I will eventually go into the beauty of each of these prayers in subsequent posts. In the afternoons each of us has an apostolate we work on for the brothers. Mine are acting as Father’s right hand for planning the Saint John Summer Conference, Advertising the Summer Conference, Organizing SAP Saturdays and WOW Weekends for Teens as well as audio and video work for the Community. At this point all 8 of us, women, are living in the Contemplative Sisters’ guest house. I have a room in the beautiful and cozy apartment and there are 4 girls in the main extension of the guest house. The Brothers recently purchased a house and some land very close to the monastery. We are in the process of working to renovate the house and once the necessary changes are made they will allow this year’s Eagle Eye Institute girls to move in. Next year the property will either be used as a guesthouse for the Brothers or as a Novitiate for the Apostolic Sisters in America.