by Ilse Reissner
Today I write with a heart full of gratitude for all the
blessings the Lord continually pours on our ministry to the Spanish speaking
communities both here and overseas. In spite of many obstacles and
difficulties we encounter along the way, there is a mysterious force pushing
us forward with incredible energy and renews our desire to continue.
We had our second Spanish Formation for service here in
Orlando the week of July 21st. We had an incredible group! Only the Holy
Spirit could have possibly put this together! We invited Leila from El
Salvador, Raul from Puerto Rico and Judith & Julio from Mexico to join our
team and receive the training to conduct the workshop in the future at their
locations. There were three more people from each country as participants,
including a priest from Mexico, Fr. Luciano Villanueva. We also had
Spanish-speaking participants from California and Florida. A total of 16. We
put our effort in and the Lord blesses it. It pops up here and there and
grows, and in turn bears fruit, and so on and on and on. After the workshop,
the International Contact persons stayed an extra day. Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler
flew in especially for this meeting with the Board members of Extension
Contemplativa. We had a very productive session and put together a plan for
the next three years.
Our recent pilgrimage with Fr. William Meninger, In the
Footsteps of St. Paul, that included Greece, Turkey and a cruise visiting
certain Mediterranean islands like Patmos and Rhodes, was an awesome
experience! Look for our next pilgrimage in the next Bulletin, or at the
October Annual Meeting it will most probably be in the fall of 2003.
