I realized something important yesterday. I have spent the past month getting used to a new house and new community, and am now ready to call Mercy Hollow Lane “home”.

I’m ready to call it this, though, not necessarily because I’ve become familiar with the nooks and crannies of the house, or because I’ve learned which way to go on I-495, or even because I know everyone’s name and a little more of their story. I can call it home because memories have been made…

It is my first time working in LTP. I travel an hour to Baltimore to a country house where both the boys and girls groups meet at the same time.  While the boys run around outside (enough for the girls to tell us, “they smell”), the girls gatherupstairs and conduct more mellow activities. Both groups have “Chapel time” and the rest of the time is filled with activities that teach them about Christian values for a secular setting.

A couple of weekends ago we had close to 20 teenage girls over for a 24-hour team leader training. Our basement was full of sleeping bags which meant finding a quiet corner in the house was hard to come by.

The weekend included a “honk for prayers” mission. Initially I wasn’t signed up for this jaunt, but when the time came extra drivers were needed. After recieving keys, a purple bandana (and added extra by those in my group), and a decorative car we were off. It was one of those experiences where the one sending out on mission was perhaps more nervous than those being sent. But within half an hour and after plenty of honks and prayers, I joined the girls in the real enthusiasm and joy of giving Jesus. It was decided we were so happy we were “smiling in our stomachs”.

I was asked to help teach CCD for another year at the parish next door. Even though I have four years of teaching CCD behind me, I was mildly traumatized when I learned the class had 31 seventh graders (mostly boys).  That’s a lot of seventh graders in one place (especially boys).

My shock subsided when I found out I would have an assistant teacher, Debbie. Debbie has four small children and so we have established a great working agreement: my role is to teach, and hers is to keep the peace. We’re both happy with it.