Rome Recap - My Favorite Things!

As our time here in Rome is coming to a close, we wanted to review for you some of the fantastic things we’ve seen. One of the best things about coming to Rome is the fountains!

I LOVE FOUNTAINS! Fountains are some of my favorite things – something that always makes me smile. I remember my parents letting us play in fountains sometimes when we were little. Us kids were always in water of some type – at a wading pool in the park, in the backyard with a hose or sprinkler, or in a fountain… It was a great way to grow up! Now somehow that love of watching and playing in water has translated into delightful fountain-watching : )

We have had two months of fountain viewing that have brought me much happiness. Here are some of the pictures. Enjoy!

Me by one of the twin fountains in the St. Peter’s Square!

A big holy water font! It’s kind of like a little fountain : )

Here we are at the fountain next to the Pantheon/Basilica of Mary Queen of the Martyrs. I’m the one in the green shirt with the arms up.

The Fontana de Trevi! This is the gorgeous, HUGE fountain where people come and toss a coin over their shoulder because the legend is that if you do that you will return to Rome. The Italian government helps maintain the fountain and gives the money thrown in the fountain to a charity. This year all the money that people toss into the fountain is being donated to Caritas – the organization that we volunteer with at the soup kitchen every Friday night. This fountain is one of my favorites in all Rome…but the girl next to me was obviously not quite as impressed : )

Here’s a better view of the Fontana de Trevi from the front. Brendan knew that I wanted to come back to this fountain because it is gorgeous and we’d only had two minutes when we passed by during the day. So as part of our five monthsary date (we’d been married for five months on October 24^th) we came back here before checking out some churches and eating at a little café.

He was very nice to come back here with me, but I figure it's not so hard on him. Some girls like expensive clothes and jewelry, I like fountains…he gets off easy : )

Fontana de Paulo – another beautiful fountain. It’s tough to see the details in this picture, but you can see in general how grandiose everything is. I’m in the bottom left corner.

Here is a close up of a fountain in the giant park right across the street from our house and the convent. In the distance you can see the creek that leads to a lake filled with little turtles. The park is beautiful and Brendan and I have spent many days exploring the trails.

Here I am by a fountain in a courtyard that is part of the Basilica of San Clemente. We came to this courtyard to relax and think after we had gone down in the catacombs below the church. It was a great experience, even if it was a little creepy.

On one of our dates, Brendan and I went to get gelato at Old Bridge, the best gelato place in Rome! On the way back we walked through Saint Peter’s Square. The place is even more beautiful at night, if that were possible… Here I am by the other of the twin fountains by Bernini in the square.

Speaking of gelato, it makes me have the same look of excitement on my face as fountains. Here Diggy, Sister Pat, and I enjoy our gelato while waiting for the others so we can all walk home.

Even if a fountain is turned off I find it fascinating…

This fountain was in the piazza in front of the Basilica of Saint Clare. The order of Sisters that Saint Clare founded worked closely with the order started by Saint Francis and God used them to transform the area they lived in! This picture was taken on the way to the volunteer conference when we able to visit Assisi, Italy.

Another fountain in Assisi!

One last fountain in Assisi, by a big church where they hold youth rallies. It was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen and was bustling with prayerful activity. But this fountain was also too beautiful to be missed.

After Assisi we were able to visit Verona, where the foundress of the Canossian Sisters (who we are going to mission with) started her first convent. She has an amazing story, but we will have to tell you more about it when we get back. After we visited some key spots related to Saint Magdalene of Canossa, we were able to wander around the city of Verona and see some really cool fountains.

On one Saturday Brendan and I walked all the way around Rome for six hours. You can imagine how many fountains we saw during that time. It was one of the best days of my life ; )

A fountain outside another beautiful Basilica known for it’s mosaics.

Here I’m trying to help two tritons hold up a giant seashell.

Here’s a fountain in the park across the street from the Coliseum.

Another Roman fountain.

Fountain of a Roman sea-god guy.

One of the four lion fountains in Piazza del Popolo.

Up on a hill we found a little church with a few fountains and a great view of the city!

Not all the beautiful fountains are in Rome – here’s one we found in Cork, Ireland, when we were trying to hunt down some lunch.

Inside a market in Cork. Notice all the funky birds carved in the fountain.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures because we have enjoyed taking them. Fountain pictures have been my specialty during our time in Rome, but Brendan has also been taking special pictures all during the trip and I know you’re going to love them. We’ll try to get them put up before we leave : )

K, we hope all is well at home. Love you all!

Always,

Rachel and Brendan

In The Potter's Hands

Each of us volunteers have been asked before we leave for mission to write a little article for the VOICA newsletter. I spent some time last night reflecting on our experience in Rome and this is the rough draft of my article that will go in the newsletter that will be spread around Italy and the world. I'll check if Brendan will let me put his up too : )

In The Potter's Hands

In Jeremiah 18:1-6, God tells the prophet Jeremiah to go down to the Potter’s house where God will reveal His next message. So Jeremiah visits the potter and sees him delicately forming a pot. At one point, the clay is not working well and not transforming into the right shape. So the potter reworks the clay into a more suitable shape for the pot.

To me, our time in formation has been a lot like a trip to the Potter’s house. We have come to Rome to get ready for mission. We hope to learn things that will enable us to serve better. And to get this wisdom we know that we don’t have to go to the “big people” of this world or to the most esteemed universities. Instead we go with Jeremiah to the humble, dirty workspace of a simple working man. We go with Jesus to the homes and neighborhoods of the poor, the sick, and the outcasts of society.

During formation this has taken the form of serving weekly at CARITAS – an amazing Catholic organization whose mission is to serve Jesus Christ in the poor. Also, we are preparing to serve the poorest of the poor in our missions abroad in a real and intimate way. But we also find God’s wisdom in our daily living – in the cooking, cleaning, and learning how to live in community. It has been a beautiful experience and we have learned a lot from the process!

Another issue that comes up in pottery is the shape that the potter gives the clay so that it is able to function well, to do something special. To make this perfect shape sometimes the clay is just left circling, while during other crucial times the Potter’s fingers dig deep into the clay to make beautiful curves and designs.

During formation there have been many times when I have felt the fingers of the Potter working hard on me. It happened especially when I was adapting to cultural differences and missing my beloved family. I could feel my rough edges poking out and then being sanded down by the skilled fingers of the Potter.

The shape that we pots ultimately hope to take on should be that of Christ. We’re getting there with a lot of help and grace, but it’s a slow process. In the meantime I have decided I would like to be a water pitcher with a little spout.

When I am an empty water pitcher I will be able to be filled with the Water of Life. And when I am filled, the Water will overflow out of me so other people can have access to its life-giving qualities. That is my goal at the moment.

Looking back over the past two months I can see the formation that has been happening. Maybe not big, radical changes, but lots of little ones that together are significant. The time of formation has been a wonderful gift spiritually and I feel much better prepared to go to mission with Jesus closely by my side.

In just two weeks, my husband, Brendan, and I leave to begin our service with the Canossian Sisters in Dili, East Timor. The challenge will be keeping that closeness to Jesus when things get more difficult and less comfortable. We will have to try to keep our clay malleable, and not let time and stress harden it, so Jesus will be able to continually help us change and grow to be more like Him.

Please pray for Brendan and I, and all the volunteers, who are leaving soon for longterm mission. Pray that we would be soft clay in the Potter’s hands and that He would shape us into something useful and beautiful for Himself.

So hopefully that made some sense. We covered this scripture passage during the first week of formation and it really struck me with all the parallels to the spiritual life (which is what God intended I'm sure : ) Let me know if you can think of any other parallels. K, hope all is well at home!

God bless,

Rachel and Brendan

Celebrate!

Ok, nothing major has happened, but we're all about celebrating the little things here. A couple of days ago we passed 2,000 hits on our blog! That's amazing since we've only been posting for around two and half months!

How do we know? There's a counter at the bottom of the blog that we check when we get on. Brendan put the counter on and at first I thought it was silly to have, but it has really been a source of joy for us. We know how busy that all of you are, and that you don't have time to write us long e-mails about what's going on at home. So that counter takes the place of news. Even if we don't have much contact with you, we know that you do care about us and you are checking in with us regularly.

Leaving home has been harder than I thought it would be. In Iowa and Minnesota in the U.S. and around Brisbane, Australia, we have the pleasure of having a close network of awesome family and friends... most people will only dream of having so many good people around them.

But even if sometimes it seems foolish to leave so many good people, even if only for one year, there have been many things that happened when we were discerning to show us that this was God's plan for us. So He has and will give us many graces to do His work. We have experienced that truth in our lives, so it helps us be able to trust.

When I get a little bit homesick Brendan helps me a ton and lets me talk through it. But my other resort is to look at this picture. I keep it on my desk in our room and look at it whenever I need to. It always makes me smile and remember all of the people at home : )


This is a picture from Christmas last year. You can't see it too well, but it's in our living room at home with the Christmas tree behind us. Mom and Dad had gotten us big, goofy glasses that we all wore for the picture and tried hard to look nerdy. To most of us it obviously came naturally, but Mary, Sarah, and Jian will have to mature a little more - they look a little too normal for their own good.

Side note: My parents have an awesome sense of humor. Not only did they get us these funny glasses, they got all seven of us kazoos for vacation (very brave on their part), and best of all they got us each a set of gross false teeth.

It was within the past few years and I think it was Mom who bought us each a little set of false teeth - you know the ones where the 'pearly whites' look black, mangled, and in an extremely advanced state of decay. Anyway, Mom got us to all take a picture smiling with these teeth in and sent it to our family's dentist. We hoped he would proudly put the picture on the wall of his office, but no luck ; )

Anyway, you can probably tell how happy I am just talking about the picture and people at home! So please know that we do miss all of you a lot even if we are having lots of cool experiences over here. Timor will be amazing, but going home will be great too. So as this holiday season starts, know that we treasure your friendship and your prayers are really appreciated. Talk to you soon!


Always,

Rachel and Brendan

The Wonderful Land of the Irish

As some of you know and some of you don’t, we just had our 5 day break and we were graciously invited by Tom and Tina Cummins, Rachel’s Irish relatives, to come and visit the great land of the Irish.

We flew through London and then into Shannon Airport on the west side of the Republic of Ireland.

Here is our host family - Tom, Tina, and their daughter Orla (they also have a son Robert, who was at home). This picture was taken at Bunratty Castle, which is an old Irish castle that the state took over and rebuilt to its former glory for tourists to see.

Here we must thank our host family: Tom and Tina we have to thank you again, in case you read this! We can’t tell you how wonderful it was to spend a few days with you in Ireland. Because of you we got to see real Ireland (more than just the tourist spots) and get to know some amazing people. You and your family were the perfect hosts and we were warm, well fed, and satisfied with great conversation the whole time. It’s amazing that after meeting just once before you can feel like close family. Thank you for the time you spent with us, even though you have very hectic schedules at this time of year. It was a special time that we will remember forever!

This is an old Irish house right next to Bunratty Castle. If you take a look at the roof, you’ll notice that it’s made out of thatch. This was the common housing material of the time, and can still be seen on some of the houses in the Irish countryside.

At the top of the castle the flag of Ireland was flying high and mighty.

Here Tom was showing us the graveyard near the church where his parents and son, Owen, are buried. While we were there we prayed for them.

Tom Cummins our host and guide for a lot of the time. He is a generous, honest man of God who takes his faith very seriously; it was such a great experience to be around him as he always has the Lord in his thoughts and speech. During the trip, whenever we entered a new building like a church or castle he would invite us to pray with him for the Holy Souls in purgatory, souls who had spent time in these places. Spending time with Tom really opened my eyes up to the things that are important in life, things like prayer and faith in the Lord.

For the first day it was raining and we were fogged in, but the second day came and this is what it brought us! Great weather and picture perfect views for miles.

Here’s an Irish tribute to my Dad, Pat Egan. The night we arrived Tina and Tom took us out to experience our first Irish pub.

Rachel and I tried to catch a leprechaun, but in the end we didn’t have any luck. So here she is trying to impersonate one.

This is a picture of the Rock of Cashel (and me). It used to be a huge fortress, then a Cathedral and monastery, but the elements have worn it down over the centuries.

The Rock of Cashel had some outstanding views of the countryside, above is one of them. The whole place was on the top of a hill thus making it extremely windy, in fact, it was the windiest place that I have ever been to in my life.

This is the Downey household; this house has been passed on from generation to generation of Downey’s for over 300 years (if I remember correctly). Tina Downey (now Tina Cummins), our hostess, grew up in this house.

We were blessed enough to attend vespers at a Benedictine abbey on our second night. After the prayers were finished, Tom recognized one of the Priests and introduced us to him. The Priest, Fr. James, then asked us if we had time for a private tour of the Icon Chapel. Of course we said yes! He brought us to the chapel, which was located under the main altar. When we got there we saw that the chapel was decorated with Icons of Jesus, Mary, and the saints collected over hundreds of years. Above is an Icon of St. Nicolas, yes, that St. Nick.

Here is a picture taken by my crafty camerawoman. Tom and I were taking a nap on the couch while waiting for a call from Rachel’s Uncle Mike in America. Tom, Tina, and Mike pray a Rosary every night over the phone. We were invited to join them in this amazing prayer for a few evenings.

On our third and final full day in Ireland we caught a ride with Tina into Cork and explored. This is Rachel, dressed for the weather, waiting for the bus to the city center to come along.

A picture of the river running through Cork. The city was bustling with people and things to do. In the morning we found ourselves walking around, sightseeing, relaxing and doing a bit of souvenir shopping. At noon we ran across a church in the middle of the city, the Cathedral of St. Francis, and went to a beautiful Mass. After that we found some food, Italian pizza no less, and then continued our exploring. It was a perfect day for sightseeing and we made the most of it.

Unfortunately, we had to leave Ireland. Far too soon in my opinion, but the time spent with the Cummins was a blessing in every possible way. After saying goodbyes we boarded the plane and headed out.

The plane ride back was quite adventurous. On the first flight we ended up sitting next to a woman, Julia, whose mom had just died. We said we would pray the rosary for her mom and her, not knowing if that would be ok with her, but she perked right up and said it with us. The rest of the flight we had a lively conversation. I think that God put us there at the right time to distract her from her sadness for awhile.

On the second flight a man was caught smoking in the bathroom and he was confronted by the flight staff who told him that there would be police waiting for him when we landing in Rome. True to their word, the police were there in force. Above is a picture of Paris at night.

- The Egans

P.S. The time in Ireland was great because it was very much like home. Things were a little different, but to be in a place where everyone spoke some version of English and that Mass was said in English alleviated some need for home. And we were with family that really took us under their wing. It was as close to being at home, without being at home, as we could get. It was a gift that we thank God for and will not forget. Because it was so beautiful (even in November), we hope that we will get to go back someday for a visit!

We're Back!

Hey everyone!

Just a quick message so that you know Brendan and I are back from Ireland safe and sound! The Irish landscape was lovely, but the Irish people were more lovely. Even during the couple of days when it was rainy and cold outside, we got a taste of incredibly warm Irish hospitality. The time with Tom, Tina, Orla, and Robert was a little piece of heaven for us because it was like a little piece of home. Hopefully we will be able to go back someday, but at least for now it has been quite an adventure and a really rewarding trip.

Brendan took a ton of good pictures and we'll put those up as soon as we can. Hope everything is well at home and we'll talk to you soon!

Always,

Rachel and Brendan

Happier Things : )

Okay, the election is over and we’ll see what happens. On to happier things! This Saturday Brendan and I leave to visit Ireland. We have a five day break from training so we’ll be flying up and staying with Tom and Tina and seeing a little bit of the country. All the Downeys that have been to Ireland: please e-mail us and let us know if there are any must-see spots around Tom and Tina’s house. We have just three full days to see whatever we can, so advice is definitely appreciated. Thanks!

Even more importantly, my brother James is turning 16 on November 6^th. This is a day he has eagerly waited for! I’m sure that he will celebrate his birthday in the DOT getting his driver’s license : )

From left to right: Johnny, James, Phil, Isaac, and Zach pose next to a cascading waterfall in the Colorado Rockies during vacation.

James is active in choir and football. He can sing like an angel, and has just made the top court for the Dowling Choir’s madrigal dinner (along with Phil), which is a big honor. But he also has an intensity that is perfect for football. When James is in the zone I would hate to be in his way. He’s hardcore and does all of the football training and then for fun he’ll run with his Cross Country friends who run six or seven miles a day. He is also incredibly intelligent and excels in school.

One of my favorite memories of James is that during high school and when I would come home from college, James would always wander into Laura and my room when we were studying. Then, while pacing constantly, he would talk and talk and talk…about everything! I have a feeling he could talk for days if he had the opportunity : ) That kid’s mind and body are always going a mile a minute.

When he was little, he used this creative energy to build block forts and houses. We thought he might grow up to be an architect, because he could play with blocks and legos forever and designed pretty cool things. Even in recent years, he has made and painted many elaborate models (mostly Star Wars) that look really good. Who knows where God will take him, but we know he’ll be successful!

I’m so proud of him. Over the past few years especially I’ve seen him growing up a lot in how he relates to other people, in controlling his intensity, and in learning how to be gentle and strong. He also has done a great job of picking friends that will push him toward God and that love the outdoors, sports, and have a great sense of humor. As I get older I realize more and more that the people you choose as friends have a huge impact on how you think and act (good or otherwise). James has chosen wisely in that area.

Finally, here’s James doing the Alligator Dance at Brendan and my wedding. I’m so happy that James and all my siblings are not afraid to be crazy and have fun (doing things that don’t endanger your health, just your pride). These are the classic things I’ll remember about James forever. Stay awesome James - happy birthday!

Love Always,

Rachel and Brendan

Election Countdown

Dear family and friends, I hope that you are excited for this Tuesday! The question that has been haunting us constantly for the past two years will have a definitive answer and we will begin to deal with the consequences.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been living in Italy during the last months of preparation for the U.S. Election! Brendan gets updates on the internet, but other than that we are FREE from the incessant commercials and hype. Ok, that’s partially because we watch almost no TV too – whenever Sister Pat turns it on for the news they’re broadcasting on the U.S. election also. The whole world is watching and waiting just like we are.

So what are you going to do? Vote? I hope so. We just sent in my absentee ballot today, and Brendan’s was sent in three weeks ago (it’s a long story…). It’s so nice to have it sent, so that our votes can hopefully make a difference.

Brendan and I have been praying daily for the result of the election and for America in the future, regardless of the decision on November 4^th. I know many of you have been doing the same. Keep it up – prayer is powerful and effective, especially when combined with action!

So who will you vote for? It’s easy to get very emotionally involved because politics is a subject that really exposes our values. But emotions aside, it’s easier to think logically in terms of numbers. It’s almost necessary when both major parties have a lot wrong with their judgment. Until there is a political party that truly values the dignity of all people of all ages, and applies that value to the laws of the state and country, we will be stuck in this horrible position. Here are the numbers on some very important issues…

Death Penalty – 42 deaths in the U.S. by death penalty in 2007
www.deathpenaltyinfo.org This is becoming less of an issue as more states make the death penalty illegal.

Euthanasia – 49 deaths in Oregon in 2007 http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year10.pdf

There are not many because currently only Oregon has legal euthanasia. But it will become more and more of an issue because many states have been trying to get it formally legalized (but have been unsuccessful as of yet).

Embryonic Stem Cell Research – I spent twenty minutes trying to find stats on how many embryos/babies were destroyed for research in 2007, but couldn’t find anything specific except that pro-embryonic stem cell research people are hoping to get people to donate at least 200,000 from infertility clinics.

This also is an issue that will become more and more prevalent if democrats are elected. Bush compromised and gave federal funding to start 78 lines of embryonic stem cells (lines made by destroying many embryos), but banned more funding in the future. The Democratic parts of Congress have been trying to override that ruling during his term, but have been unsuccessful. It will undoubtedly come up again in the future.

And to clarify, I have no problem with adult stem cell research which has been VERY successful in curing illnesses (I think it was more than 70 conditions as of now). If no embryos are used then no human life has to be destroyed in the process.

War

4,189 U.S. casualties in the Iraq War so far.
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

There have been an estimated 1,203,640 U.S. casualties in ALL wars the U.S. has been involved in, as of January 2007. Plus a few more with some casualties in the Iraq War from January last year until now.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_US_soldiers_were_killed_in_all_wars_fought_by_the_US

Keep in mind that this is the number of casualties during more than 200 years of fighting wars!

Abortion –

Approximately 49,915,600 babies have been killed since abortion was legalized in 1973. That’s almost 50,000,000 deaths in 35 years! That dwarfs the number of U.S. soldiers killed in all our wars! You may begin to see why many people treat this as a single election issue.

And if you'd like to compare the numbers to the other issues listed above, there were approximately 1,287,000 abortions performed in 2007. The disproportionate effect this issue has on our country cannot be ignored.

These numbers are from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research institute that gets numbers directly from Planned Parenthood abortion providers and tracks data for the govt. http://www.nrlc.org/Factsheets/FS03_AbortionintheUS.pdf

If that many babies have been casualties of abortion, imagine the far reaching emotional and physical effects on the parents, especially the mothers, on the misguided doctors who perform the abortions, and our society whose conscience dies little by little as we accept this tragedy. Not only that, but what example are we giving to the other countries of the world? Being in Italy has really made me understand that American standards have had a big impact on most countries. That’s a lot of responsibility.

Mother Teresa said, “For me life is the most beautiful gift of God to mankind, therefore people and nations who destroy life by abortion and euthanasia are the poorest – for they have not got food for one more child, home for one old person. So they add one more cruel murder into this world.”

She also said, “It is very painful to accept what is happening in Western countries: a child is destroyed by the fear of having too many children and having to feed it or to educate it. I think they are the poorest people in the world, who do an act like that. A child is a gift of God!”

And again, “Abortion is the killer of peace in the world…the greatest destroyer of peace, because if a mother can destroy her own child, what is left for others but to kill each other? There is nothing to prevent them.”

Mother Teresa applied Jesus’ love in our times – her life was spent living with the poor, lavishing love on them. She knew that abortion does not help – it can only hurt. In fact, a topic that took up a significant part of her Nobel Peace Prize speech was a complete rejection of abortion and challenging us to stop slacking on the life issues.

I don’t expect you to be the next Mother Teresa, but these are the values and responsibilities that Jesus gave us and that are consistent with the dignity of every person. If you consider yourself a person of faith you’d better be intimately involved with both alleviating poverty (physical and spiritual) and protecting the most vulnerable (the unborn children and the elderly among others) in your actions, including the way you vote. Most of the republicans I know are people who are pro-life in their voting and actions and they are giving their time and treasure to the poor. But in my experience I haven’t met many democrats who are actively pro-life, which makes me sad. I would love to be shown otherwise, but I’ll wait for that day.

I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin because Barack Obama has a 100% voting record for the NARAL for the past few years (meaning that the leading pro-choice organization gave him an A+ for voting perfectly in support of abortion). He also voted against banning partial birth abortion, a horrible procedure where a baby is being born and is halfway outside the mother's body and is killed. I won’t say how it's done here, but it brings me almost to tears when I think about it. http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm

The murder of the innocents is of prime importance to me. To be honest, I checked out the voting records on life issues for each of the president and vice president candidates and the only one that was really good was Sarah Palin. I would vote for her for president if I could because of a solid stance on most of the life issues. McCain is a bit more iffy, but much better than Obama or Biden. So it's a sad state of affairs, but I do know that McCain will do a better job of protecting the innocents and has the international experience to make things better. But I don’t put all my hope in a president (thank goodness!) because there is only so much that a president can do. What I wish for America is a change of heart and a return to what’s really important.

God bless America…

~ Rachel and Brendan