As I watched tonight video clips from l'Arche Lambeth, I realized, how much I miss l'Arche and how much I learnt there. - about myself, about prayer, about creativity... l'Arche retreats, spiritual direction, relationships based on trust and deep respect for everyone, values of l'Arche really changed, shaped who I am now... As my friend Marcela visited us last weekend, I heard from her updates about l'Arche Lambeth community life. I hope we would be able to plan a visit with Pete and Danielka. It was great to see how Danielka enjoyed our visit to the community few years ago during Easter and how well she connected with my friends with profound learning disabilities.
Art as a prayer is a very important part of my faith journey - especially since I came to live and work in l'Arche community in the UK in 1996 http://www.larchelambeth.org.uk/. Living in the community and discovering the gifts and creativity of adults with learning disabilities profoundly changed me. I discovered new dimensions of my own previously hidden gifts especially art as prayer.
Within L'Arche Lambeth, I was blessed to have many opportunities to share my prayer paintings with the community (including painting for a UK retreat with Jean Vanier and illustrations for booklets for Faith Groups). While living in l'Arche Lambeth, I became a member of Holy Trinity Brompton, where I attended the Alpha Course and also became a member of a small worship team (as a singer) and supported one of the new HTB plants. During that time, I also completed the HTB worship leader training which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed living out my spirituality in daily life both as a member of l'Arche and as part of the HTB worship team, attending whole-congregation prayer meetings.
After 4 years in London, due to visa restrictions, I had to leave UK. I went to work and live in l'Arche community in Calgary in Canada - http://www.larchecalgary.org/ Whilst there, I was received into membership of the Lutheran Church and became a member of a very lively worship team, once again as a singer. Through worship, I was able to share my gift of prayer paintings and was twice invited to create prayer paintings during the whole congregation service. This was a very exciting time and a great blessing as our Lutheran Church had a joint service with the Church of England. In l'Arche I continued to be amazed by the gifts of creativity and the variety of expression of faith of adults with often severe and profound learning disabilities. In Faithful Companion of Jesus, Sister Pat Desnoyers who lead dance sessions for our core members (people with learning disabilities), I found an excellent spiritual director. Sister Pat encouraged me to go deeper in exploring the ways God speaks to me through my art. I also became a member of an inter-denominational group of Christian Artists. Our work led us to organise an exhibition of our artwork in Calgary.
After 2 years in Canada, I moved back to Europe, as my young nephew was struggling with cancer. And I also met Pete through www.christian-cafe.com. I moved back to the UK, back to l'Arche communities (in Bognor Regis http://www.larchebognor.org.uk/ and later l'Arche Liverpool). While in l'Arche Bognor Regis I continued to use the art with people with learning disabilities and myself. Together with a professional art-therapist, I lead an art workshop during a Jean Vanier UK retreat in 2004. .
After 4 years in London, due to visa restrictions, I had to leave UK. I went to work and live in l'Arche community in Calgary in Canada - http://www.larchecalgary.org/ Whilst there, I was received into membership of the Lutheran Church and became a member of a very lively worship team, once again as a singer. Through worship, I was able to share my gift of prayer paintings and was twice invited to create prayer paintings during the whole congregation service. This was a very exciting time and a great blessing as our Lutheran Church had a joint service with the Church of England. In l'Arche I continued to be amazed by the gifts of creativity and the variety of expression of faith of adults with often severe and profound learning disabilities. In Faithful Companion of Jesus, Sister Pat Desnoyers who lead dance sessions for our core members (people with learning disabilities), I found an excellent spiritual director. Sister Pat encouraged me to go deeper in exploring the ways God speaks to me through my art. I also became a member of an inter-denominational group of Christian Artists. Our work led us to organise an exhibition of our artwork in Calgary.
After 2 years in Canada, I moved back to Europe, as my young nephew was struggling with cancer. And I also met Pete through www.christian-cafe.com. I moved back to the UK, back to l'Arche communities (in Bognor Regis http://www.larchebognor.org.uk/ and later l'Arche Liverpool). While in l'Arche Bognor Regis I continued to use the art with people with learning disabilities and myself. Together with a professional art-therapist, I lead an art workshop during a Jean Vanier UK retreat in 2004. .
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