Thanks

January 24, 2010 Lynn and I chose to come to Bolivia because we believe in helping people in need and because we were attracted to the Franciscan approach to mission service. Wanting to be part of an organized effort never puts one entirely there. Good people have shared our mission effort by helping us begin. Lynn has her own list, and some of the names here may repeat will overlap.


Thanks to our friends at Middlebury College in Vermont: Class of '10 friends Judy and Carmen and Emily and Eugenia and Nora and Jamie and Yuki and Ashley and Johnny and Philipe and Alexandra and Bilal and Todd  [We were so glad w could meet with you in November. We wish you all the best with your current semester and approaching graduation. Thanks for sharing the memories with the book that arrived on Christmas Eve], and Class '73 friend Mike [thanks for making time for us, and gracias por "Vaya con Dios" y el mundo.  We hope the Student Symposium continues to be a great opportunity for students to share their research], as well as Patrick [thanks for guiding our effort to honor Norbert], and Ron [congratulations for being recognized as one of the nation's best]. Paz.


As Catholics in Middle Tennessee, we received positive support from the members of religious orders there, particularly Fathers Steve, George, Patrick, and Dexter, all of the Dominican Sisters of Nashville, and all of the Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery in Ferdinand, Indiana. All participated in the development of our family and education of us and our children, Emer and Norbert. Lynn and I both have had good friends in our work places, people who made our jobs easier by doing their own jobs well so we could focus on doing our own, and sometimes inspiring us to try new methods for better results. We believe that going on mission is not a process of leaving friends behind but one of extending ourselves to use what we have learned through our work, education and family to help others in a new and equally demanding environment. Thanks John and Maggie, Eric and Sam and Paul and Mikey, Dean and Cindy and Tammy and Caleb, David and Joe and Coleman, Donna and Joyce and Naji and Dan, Stephanie and Ali and Carolyn, Bob and Sally and Lillian and Nancy and Bruce, Cathy and Jim, Mary Joe, Isaac and Darius and Joseph and Al and Betty, Manik and Tom and Kathy and Debbi and Derenda and Dantha and Jay, Jan and Ken and Mike and Bill, Alan and Paul and Dianna, Martina and Tom and Raul and Jeffery, Arnie and Sam and Harry, Doris, Benton, Mary and James, Nancye and John, Vickie and Anne and Mary and Tim and Tim and Deborah and Dominic and Bobby, Tom and Brian and Joel, Joel and Joel, Jim and Jim and James, Natasha and Nipun, John and Phil and Amy and Christy, the nice lady with the sack of iris bulbs, WebJim, Johnny and the gang at the track, Linda, and many more.


Thanks to Tom and John and Mary Ann and Emer for letting us slip away, and Fr. Frederick for blessing our effort.


For Lynn and me, a part of being able to undertake mission service at the ages of 57 and 58 respectively is having health. Despite our voluntary adherence to good regimens of diet, exercise and vitamins, we can't claim responsibility for our own good health. We also have received good evaluation, treatment, and advice from our physicians, nurses and counselors. They have accompanied our whole family in sickness and in health, demonstrating their own professional skills and the truth of our interconnectedness, our need for each other in all human societies. So, thanks to Harry, Ralf, Misty, Gail, Jonathan, John, James, Scott, David, Peter, Paul, James, and John.


We also had to find good homes for our two cats Abbey and Elliot, and our dog, Gemma. Special thanks to Amy, Emer, and Craig for opening your homes to them.


Redistributing our stuff was an adventure we could not have completed without tremendous physical effort and kindness from organizations (Craig's List, local consignment shops, the Salvation Army, Amvets, Goodwill and the Wilson County Dump) and people (Craig and Delores and Madi and Lara and Sunshine and Leroy and Layla, Ken and Janice, Eleanor and Barbara and Tim, Dave and Elliott and Chris, Gary and Betty and Claude).


Also I would like to thank Theresa of the Tennessee Register and Bob of the Tennessean for their interest in our undertaking, and also Bitsy, sister of Padre Juan, for reminding me that I am embarking on a well-traveled road.


Thanks to everyone at Franciscan Mission Service (I'll name names later), including the bread lady.


Thanks also to Jack and Otto and Michael and all of our buddies at Calvary.


I think about you all, and it feels so good.


As I reflect on our process of departure, I'm sure I will remember others and so will revise this entry as needed.