On the Shores of Hunter Lake

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Life can get rather busy these days as I continue to combine theology and pastoral ministry studies with jail ministry. For the past two months, I’ve come home on Fridays spiritually filled and physically exhausted. This past weekend, however, I had energy for one more thing: joining another of my Sinsinawa Dominican sisters to meet with the counselors and staff at Camp WeHaKee. This is a Camp for girls founded by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1923.

Last Saturday, about 35 of us sat in circles and talked about the values of community, compassion, justice, truth, and peace. We read and exchanged stories, dramatized what values might look like when people are fully present to and with one another, and had fun. I felt re-energized after just one day with the young women who come to serve as counselors from various parts of the United States and places abroad! After a weekend of conversation, story-telling, visiting the horses (one in particular), and relaxing on the shores of Hunter Lake in northwestern Wisconsin, I returned home feeling renewed and hope-filled.

In this life, as a Dominican sister, I often feel as though I receive extraordinary – awesome, in fact – gifts from the Creator that far exceed any of my childhood dreams. My current life of ministry, study, prayer, contemplation, and fun enriches my ability to be in right-relationship with God, the wonders of creation, others, and myself. Although I can sometimes get caught up in the busy-ness and challenges of the world in which I live, I have never been happier. Where are you placing your energy for life these days?
Sr. Tanya Williams, OP

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