Hi everyone,

Today was a full morning reflection with all the new assistants from L'Arche Daybreak and L'Arche Toronto.  We listened to Joe Egan, our former community leader who shared his 34 years experience wth L'Arche.  We had a chance to reflect in sharing, prayer and silence on how we have changed in the four months here.  In July, I knew in my heart that L'Arche was calling me and would help me.  It has in ways most people would never be able to understand.  I sat and listened as other assistants spoke of the depth and love and transforming power of L'Arche.  There were tears and profound words that were beyond description.  Father Phil can understand with his connections here also and how he is still talked about three years later.

At 4:30 we gathered in our chapel at Dayspring with a celebration to welcome us to orientation membership.  We were able to invite one core member.  I invited Mike Ricci, who has been not only a house mate, but has touched me on my journey.  Mike as well as being developmentally disabled is almost blind.  He walks holding on to my arm, with a cane.  He trusts in my voice, my eyes, my compassion and love.  I help him shower, choose his clothes. I help him with cutting his food, handing him napkins.  We go for coffee, we make muffins, we have the odd breakfast out.  In that time we talk about our home, our families, our friends.  I share Mike's brokeness with his family and his own desires for a greater freedom in his life.  In Mike he has helped me see how to let go and trust in God during my time here.  To know that in my desire to see my path, I had to hang on to God's arm, to trust even though I could not see clearly.  Like Mike who needs help with his daily shower  and is vulnerable and trusting, I have stood naked and vulnerable before God in complete trust.  I have had this complete sense of emptying myself out to God and God has heard me (or maybe because I have emptied myself I have heard God).

At this celebration yesterday, Francis, another core member at 84 and the oldest of the community, came over to me and handed me a certificate, looked me straight into the eyes that pierced my soul and said "Welcome to Membership!!!" three times (in his limted speech).  In his eyes, there is also a gentle relationship with Francis through my time there at the seniors club where we bowl on Tuesday afternoons.  I have great relationship with Francis, through my teasing, and his eyes welcomed me with such great love in his limited words. 

They then invited all the new assistants into the middle of the chapel as everyone else gathered around us.  Mike was led behind us and he placed his hand on my shoulder and I placed my hand back on his.  The community began to extend hands and to sing the blessing song we use here "May the blessing of God be upon you...." and Mike began to sing behind me.  The tears flowed down my face, because of how far Mike has come.  We have developed a friendship and to have Mike smiling and telling me how glad he was I was here and how he appreciated how we spend time together.  Plus Mike has come so far and now has mellowed and to hear him sing was to hear the voice of God singing in my ear.  No one knows how powerful this community has been to me. I also received a great bear hug from Dave Harmon (see photo from yesterday's blog), another core member  from Green house with whom I have a great relationship.  His hug was so welcoming and authentic and it spoke of the friendship we have. I have tears in my eyes as I write this, so profund are these memories for me.

L'Arche has been a place of love, where I have been welcomed into a comunity who is not scared or ashamed to be authentic in their brokenness.  There is a profound gospel love here that is steeped in hospitality, celebration, tears and most importantly in relationship. I see where my own story has been deeply touched and called forth by this community.  I am known here simply as "Jeff", an assistant who lives at Centre Street.  I have found a home, rich in the love and words of Jean Vanier that have been so important for me in my faith journey.  I have walked with the most broken in the most simple of daily activities.  Yet it is through these most simple tasks that have touched my heart and helped me to see my own brokenness, my own dreams.  I have been able to be called forth to dare to face my questions, my hopes, my dreams.  I have shed tears, I have laughed and I have sat in wondrous awe at how God continues to work in me and re-create me.

God is so good!!! Until next time.

Jeff