NEHALEM NEWSPAGE

L’Arche Nehalem, 435 SE 85^th Ave., Portland, OR 97216

Office: 503-251-6901 Fax: 503-251-6952 E-mail: mail@larche-portland.org Web site: www.larche-portland.org

FEBRUARY 2008

Our mission is to create a place to call home

for people with developmental disabilities and those who share life with them.

NEWS

Ì Board member Katie McDonald has been selected to represent L’Arche Nehalem at the October, 2008, L’Arche International General Assembly in Calcutta, India. Members of L’Arche communities throughout the world will gather to affirm the final draft of the new International L’Arche Identity and Mission Statement and to strengthen the links among our communities around the world. Congratulations and thanks, Katie!

Ì The L’Arche Western Regional Core Member Retreat will take place February 19-22 at Palisades Retreat Center in Federal Way, Wash. This year our community will be sending Ben Miller with the accompaniment of Alison Hilkiah and Meredith Zubel, and Joni Smith with her longtime friend and former assistant Patty McNally.

LIFE IN THE HOMES

H The assistant teams from Neahkahnie and Nehalem House will spend a Team Retreat day together on February 7th building relationship and reflecting on the various gifts and challenges of house and team dynamics. Thanks to the Sisters of the Holy Names for making the Laundry Building at Marylhurst available for this day!

H Robyn Dowell is once again enjoying Monday night art classes through Portland Parks and Recreation. If you come by Neahkahnie, ask her to show you her new creations!

H Many of you know that Rodney Gabriel is a great watercolor artist. He has been painting prolifically lately and as always, quite generously gives away his masterpieces when he is finished to assistants, his ElderPlace bus driver, and recently a new friend he met at church at Ascension Parish.

H If you stop by Neahkahnie House, you may notice that we now have two wonderful “fuzzies” at the house. When new assistant Brandi Crawford joined us last month, she brought her cat Sammy. Moki and Sammy seem to be working cooperatively to welcome one another in the Nehalem tradition, despite their different personalities!

H Parks and Recreation outings have been a hot item at Nehalem House this winter. Recently Marilyn Petruzzelli went to a dinner and dancing evening, and Adam Richards enjoyed a Native American Pow-Wow.

H In other fun events at Nehalem House, Tamara Yates and Joni stepped back in time with the Walking With Dinosaurs exhibit at the Rose Garden, and Adam and John Gallagher checked out the car show last weekend.

H Erin Wheeler’s sister Shannon and her friend Wujay cooked a burger feast for Nehalem House in January. The menu choice generated a great deal of excitement for the diners! Thank you, Shannon and Wujay!

BIRTHDAYS Feb. 11: Jerry Deas Feb. 19: Amy Barcia

ANNIVERSARIES Feb. 1: Amy Barcia (9 years) Feb. 1: Ben Luginbuhl (3 years) Feb. 1: Tamara Yates (1 year) Feb. 17: Rodney Gabriel (15 years) Feb. 1986: Matt Weisensee joined the Board

MEETINGS ¤ Wed., Feb. 20, 7:00 a.m., Grand Central: Executive Committee ¤ Wed., Feb. 27, 7:00 a.m., home of Bill Leidy: Finance Comm. ¤ Fri., Feb. 29, 11:00 a.m., Park Ave. Café: Formation Comm.

ON OUR HOME PAGE • Listen to L’Arche on NPR Speaking of Faith • Sign up for our email Newspage • Photo Album, souvenir poster, Vanier quote library and latest letter to communities, more

CELEBRATIONS

Please join us if you can!

e Wed., Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m., Nehalem House: Prayer Night

e Wed., Feb. 13, 7:00 p.m., Nehalem House: Celebration for Ben Luginbuhl’s 3^rd and Tamara Yates’ 1^st Anniversaries

e Wed., Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m., Neahkahnie House: Celebration for Rodney Gabriel’s 15^th and Amy Barcia’s 9^th Anniversaries

WISH LIST

ü Bike lock

ü If you are phasing out a computer and would like to get rid of it, we’d love to take it off your hands! At least Pentium IV/Windows XP compatible would be ideal. Call Doug in the office, 503-251-6901.

God is in these relationships of tenderness and faithfulness, and in the community that celebrates. God is so vulnerable, so loving, so humble in the face of our freedom. And God is ever new. God makes all things new.

Jean Vanier, Letter To Communities, January 2008. Read the entire text here:

clipart from clipartheaven.com

Did you check out the new interactive Jean Vanier quote library on our home page?

Or sign up for an inspirational daily thought or weekly story from Jean Vanier's writings via email at www.larche.ca/en/home/eletters/

Getting a paper copy? Would you like to save us a stamp and receive the Nehalem Newspage electronically? Please drop us an email at doug@larche-portland.org or call us at 503-251-6901.

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