Wednesday

Sister Lucy Paulin, with a small group of people, started H.O.M.E. in 1970. Today the small Learning Center building (where the women on our trip are sleeping while we are here) has grown to a dozen homes, several transitional housing centers, a group home for members of her Franciscan order and others in need who wander her way, a small food bank, soup kitchen, a saw mill, an auto repair shop, and dozens of services for those Sister Lucy calls our culture's "discards."

She spent an hour with us this evening sharing her story and the story of HOME and the world Emmaus movement, and answering questions for more than half that time. She is an astounding woman who radiates compassion and care and patience. When asked why she and the people at HOME are so patient with those who continue to come to them for assistance and comfort, she simply says, "because God told us that we should share with them what we would want shared with us."

The group is working hard, both on our projects and on our ever-evolving experiment in Christian Community. Tomorrow will be our last day of work, and the weather is still a challenge (though we did get about 4 hours of sunshine this afternoon!). Senior night is also tomorrow -- always an emotional time on these adventures -- and then on to, weather permitting to Bar Harbor, Acadia Naitonal Park, the Atlantic Ocean, and then back to Brunswick for worship and rest before the trips home on Saturday.