Upcoming Events in Province IV

April 29-30
Annual Spring Women's Conference of Tennessee
All three dioceses in Tennessee meet at the DuBose Conference Center, Monteagle, TN
Keynote Speaker: Lydia Evans, Province IV ECW President
Music Director: Shaun Pezant, St. Luke's, Birmingham, AL

April 30
Spring Day Away with the Central Gulf Coast ECW
"Everything I Ever Needed to Know, I Read in the Book of Genesis"
Beckwith Camp and Conference Center
Speaker: Father Craig Gavin

May 21-22
"You Don't Know Me: Domestic Violence & the Church's Response"
The 2005 Harris Evans Conference to be held at the Summit Conference Center in NC
For more information, contact Polly Redd, 2701 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209

June 6-8
Jesus Love Me -- This I Know!
Province IV ECW Conference at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC
Keynote Speakers: Canon Dr. Michael Green and his wife, Rosemary
Chaplain: The Rev. Marc Boutan
Music Director: Joanna Macmurphy
For more information, contact Lydia Evans at 843-813-1861 or lydiaevans@comcast.net
or visit the Kanuga website at www.kanuga.org

September 10
Annual Meeting of the ECW in the Diocese of Tennessee
Trinity Church, Clarkesville, TN
Keynote Speaker: Harriett Neer, National ECW President
For more information, contact Ann Ross at rollow31@msn.com or 931-647-0610

October 4-6
32nd Annual Fall Blue Lake Retreat
Central Gulf Coast ECW
Keynote Speaker: The Rev. Jennie Olbrych, Charleston, SC
For more information, contact Karen Jackson at dbj48@aol.com or 334-793-4472

The Prayer of Saint Anselm

Are you search for God in the busyness of every day? Here's a prayer to tape to the bathroom mirror:

O Lord my God,
Teach my heart this day where and how to see you,
where and how to find you.
You have made me and remade me,
and you have bestowed on me
all the good things I possess,
and still I do not know you.
I have not yet done that for which I was made.
Teach me to seek you,
for I cannot seek you unless you teach me,
or find you unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire,
let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you,
let me love you when I find you.

Saint Anselm (1033-1109)

Called to Adopt

Those of you who were with us at Kanuga last June had the pleasure of getting to know the Rev. Jennie Olbrych, our chaplain for the women's conference. She and her husband, John, live in Charleston, where she is the rector of the Church of St. Peter and St. John and he is a professor and teaches theatrical design at the College of Charleston. Jennie is looking forward to being with the ladies in the Central Gulf Coast at their 32nd Annual Fall Blue Lake Retreat, October 4th - 6th, 2005.

At Kanuga, Jennie shared with us that she and her husband, along with daughter Ana and son John, hoped to add to their family by adopting a sibling group from the Ukraine. To see this miracle as it continues to unfold, check out their family blog at http://calledtoadopt.blog-city.com These precious children were baptized last weekend in Charleston -- you'll love the photos!

Jennie writes, "John and I have been married for twenty-five years. A trip to Italy was the original plan for our anniversary celebration, but, as it turns out, we are going to Ukraine instead! Even though we feel a bit like Abraham and Sarah, we trust that God who has called us to this adoption will be faithful to give us the wisdom and strength to be good parents for all of our children. We leave for Ukraine on September 14th (Holy Cross Day) and our appointment at the National Adoption Center is scheduled for the 16th. Our hope is to adopt a family group of two or three children, ages somewhere between 6 and 12."

"The amazing thing is that John and I talked about this very thing (adopting a family group of older kids) when we were first married twenty-five years ago. At the time, though, we had no idea that some of our children would be in Ukraine - that part came later. There's lots more to tell, but this is a beginning.

Pax et Bonum,
Jennie