Missioning Ceremony

This week has been great! The night before my flight out of Detroit was pretty chaotic and it was good to be able to slow down and regroup before I leave. The training each day was particularly informative and inspirational. Presentations were given mostly by the Sisters, but a few others. All had many years spent in foreign countries. Not only are all of the speakers well qualified in their areas, but they all talk and move about with an incredible enthusiasm for life.

Sister Evelyn - 8 years in Peru, 4 years in Congo, worked with the Peace Corps in Malaysia Sister Kathleen - 30 years in Congo
Sister Marie - 8 years in Peru
Sister Mary Ann - 25 years in Brazil
Sarah - Kenyan native for 50 yearsSister Pat - 8 years in Kenya
Sister Maura - 12 years in Kenya
Julia - Physical Therapist for 22 years

Today, as a send off, the Sisters invited us all to a Missioning Ceremony in our honor. We were told ahead of time to prepare something to say to all those who gathered.
When we arrived at the stately "Mother House" we were surprised to see that the chapel was nearly full of people on our account. Most of the people were Sisters of Notre Dame, but a few families of the volunteers were present aswell. One family even preformed as a choir.
We all sat in the front row of seats nervously waiting for when it would be our turn to speak. They opened with a prayer and continuing words of encouragement and when this was over we all stood up. We filed next to the podium and fumbled a few words of thanks feeling very proud, but also very unworthy of such a send off.

When we were finished speaking we all sat down, there was a great appalause and they all began to sing.

"I am with you on the journey,
and I will never leave you.
I am with you on the journey
and I will never leave you."
"I am with you...always with you.
On the journey..."

It was all very emotional...