Visit from Eileen

We got a real treat yesterday with a visit from Eileen Schofield and Amy Marie, a core member and assistant from the l'Arche community in D.C. Part of the discernment process for coming into l'Arche involves a weekend visit to a community and since D.C. was the closest to me in August, that's where I went.

Eileen was one of the first core members that I met. She has a great Mississipi accent and loves shrimp. She's also really short so standing next to Joni (or even better hugging Joni), our unusually tall core member, is a very funny and awesome sight.

The other amazing thing about Eileen is her part in a program called Art Enables. Art Enables is an art-as-enterprise foundation which provides folks with disabilties professional instruction, materials and studio space for creating their art. And this art is AMAZING. Eileen is often commissioned to paint. Her work is also sold on-line here.

Ever since I met Eileen I wanted a piece of her art in my house. We made a deal with the seller at Eileen's work to put two of her pieces on our registry. They are reserved for us but if no one buys for us we committed to purchase out of pocket after the wedding.

Eileen is just another example of the amazing men and women who are changed and change others through the healing examples of mutuality, respect and common life in the l'Arche community. Jacob and I support the Portland community with our presence, mine as a live-in assistant and his as an extended community member. We also help to support them financially in any ways we are able. As such, one of our registry requests is for donations to be made to support and nourish the lives of Joni, Adam, Marilyn and Erin in l'Arche Nehalem.