Candidacy!

Wow! What a busy bit I have had lately! I found out my welcoming community, put in my 30 day notice at my apartment, and moved in with 3 sisters. What a change that has been. I am up early enough to do morning prayer with them before I take off for work. I also do my best to be home by 5:30pm. Some nights everyone is home and some nights I'm alone. 

Another new development is I had my formal enterence ceremony! 

I received my symbol to show that I am in formation with the Adorers! It's a beautiful heart and cross. The red stone in the middle stands for the blood of Christ. This is the symbol I will wear until I take 1st vows.

The ceremony was nice and simple. One thing did catch me off guard and that was how nervous I was that morning. I was sick to my stomach and I wasn't sure I was going to go through with it. Why did I feel this way? I have no idea. I don't even know how to describe how I was feeling. I talked with my vocation director, shed some tears, and walked into the chapel with butterflies still in my stomach. I was beyond nervous standing in front of the chapel with all eyes on me. But it all went off without major incident!

It was an amazing weekend and I look forward to this journey!

I'm In!

So much has happened since my last post. 

First, I have received my acceptance letter!!! Yay!!! It's official now! I spent most of Christmas break just enjoying the fact that I was accepted and not worrying about the details of when and where and with whom. It was a wonderful break! I was able to go back to Illinois and visit family and friends. As well as spend time with the sisters at the Ruma convent.  

Since I have been back, the ball had begun rolling with everything. I have started meetings with my candidate director and and started the transition from telling my vocation director everything to telling her everything. It's difficult, mostly because I won't be having to face-to-face meetings. 

Leadership has been busy finding a welcoming community and a sister companion. Both of these things have been finalized! 

A welcoming community is a small community of sisters that I will be living with during my candidacy. There will be 3 sisters and myself living together. I'm excited, yet nervous about this. I have lived on my own the 6 months and it will be strange moving in with people I have never lived with. My commute to work will get longer and will include a highway that is known to have bad traffic. All of this will be new.

A sister companion is a sister who will be a confidant during formation. She will be someone I can go to and talk to about various things happening. My sister companion will not be a sister living in Wichita so this, too, will be a long distance relationship. I am working hard to trust leadership on this decision.

This is all for now. I have a meeting Tuesday with my candidate director and a meeting Thursday with my welcoming community. Please say a prayer...there is a chance I may be asked to discontinue my blog.