Marquitos, welcome HOME !!!!

At the end of March, L'Arche will welcome a new core member. Marquitos Olmedo is 9 years old, blind and partially autistic. Even though a very generous family took care of him for a period of time, Marcos has no place to live and during these past months, he was staying in an institute. We know him for some time since he visited the HOME and the Workshop in Boulogne but now we are very pleased to announce that he will be a member of our family. “He will be like a little brother!” said Sandra when she visited him along with Fernando Barilatti.

We take this time of Lent Season to prepare our hearts to welcome Marquitos.

Soon, we will announce the celebration date of his arrival.

Visit from L'Arche of Canada

In February two assistants (Karen y Sharleen) ant two core members (Michael y Ken) from different Homes in Canada spent some days with us. We celebrated Ken's birthday (whom we named " Kentucky "!) with an Argentine barbeque (asado). Also, they brought us presents and letters from L'Arche in Canada . ¡Many thanks to all!

In addition, Sandra, Maxi and Osvaldo not only learned a lot about Canada , its landscapes and traditional costumes but also they learned to speak some words in English! By the end of the visit, they all knew how to say: "Hello, good morning and good night"!, among other words.

It has been a very enriching experience for everybody. The opportunity of living together with people from another Arche, feeling that in spite of the different cultures we are just the same when it comes to think and live (thanks to L'Arche) is a declaration of universality and the power of the message of Love that L'Arche holds inside. ¡We hope to see them again!

Watch video of the visit

IN THE MEDIA

L'Arche Argentina was on national television and reached the whole country

As usual, Sandra was very enthusiastic and pretty. “¡I'm going to be famous!” said Osvaldo, looking stylish and spotless. Both, along Maria Luisa Malbrán and María Mullen , went to the TV studio of “Responsabilidad Social" (Social Responsibility), aired by METRO channel. They were invited to give an account of what L'Arche, the Home, the Workshop are and to give testimony of our message to Society. The TV show was aired on March 6, at 08:30 am to the whole country. Soon, we will hope to get a copy and to place it on our website.

Welcome to Father Pepe Vallarino

Some years ago, in May 2003, Jean Vanier visited Argentina . In that opportunity he preached retreat in which several members of our Community participated. In one of the meetings, a priest asked Jean what was his prayer like?

On December 8, 2006, our dear friend Osvaldo came to L'Arche. He came along this priest who had been interested in the way Jean prayed.

Prayer and friendship interlaced in our story, and finally on Sunday, February 3 rd . we celebrated mass at the Home in which Priest José María “Pepe” Vallarino took over as Responsible Pastoral of out Community. Among others, Monsignor Oscar Ojea , Vicar Bishop of Buenos Aires –who has kept us company from the beginning of L'Arche in Argentina- and Richard Bower, Anglican Minister, who is the Responsible Pastoral for the Communities of the Northern area of the United States.

We would like to thank you, Pepe for your spiritual assistance during all this time and ask you to show us the way of prayer from the friendship with the poor. Since in the life of our Community, the contemplation of the latent mystery of the people with intellectual disabilities lightens our way and revives our hopes.

Fernando Barilatti, Director of L'Arche

Watch video of the Mass

visitors

Minister Richard Bower in L'Arche

The Responsible Pastoral of the Communities of L'Arche in the United States , Anglican Minister Richard Bower, lived with his wife a few days in L'Arche. Some years ago, Jean Vanier asked Richard to take this position in his country. Richard is, no doubt, a clear evidence of the Ecumenism, the inter religion and the encounter of diverse creeds, which Jean Vanier pursuits to promote by means of L'Arche. He shared a Sunday Mass with Bishop Oscar Ojea and Father Pepe. Also, he gave a formation lecture for members of our Community.

SANDRA, THE REPORTER

Vacations are over!

Our friend Sandra, wrote an account of her vacations.

“Well, we arrived late at night. We were very happy, we had dinner and we went to sleep. And then the dawn came and we woke up. The birds sang while we had breakfast, we did our chores and afterwards each one of us spent the rest of the morning doing the things we enjoyed. We had lunch, we took a nap, we had tea, we took a shower, we had dinner, we prayed, which is very important for your life since we are a family, and then we went to sleep.

We went to the swimming pool, rode horses, read, listened to music, watched TV and films, talked a lot, rode bikes, danced, took long walks and watch the sunset. It was beautiful.

We played a lot, we had lots of parties and welcomed guests and ate lots of “ asados ”. We talked with the friends we made there, we played games, and we were together. We celebrated Three Wise Men day, which was very nice. We went to town to do some shopping and on rainy days we stayed home, and we shared. We complied with the schedules, went to David's place and talked to Omar. We made very nice things. The countryside is so nice … We would like to thank María Luisa and her family for their invitation to their estancia and to Mercedes and her family because they always welcomed us with so much love.

We had a good time and we will never forget these beautiful vacation days.

Sandra

Brief news

Searches: actually L'Arche is looking for a professional for the position of Head of the Workshop and Community Centre. Send you CV to comunidad@elarcaargentina.org . On the other hand, we keep on searching for assistants to live at the Home.
In December, the Mayor of San Isidro Gustavo Posse visited L'Arche and was very pleased with what he saw. Some ongoing projects were introduced to him: The Home enlargement and the building of the chapel in order to accomplish a greater participation of the neighbours.
In the next few weeks, we will start up the second floor of the Workshop, donated to L'Arche by an individual donor, last year.
On Sunday, March 23 rd We will welcome a new English assistant. She came from L'Arche Brazil and will stay until June.
Recently, an US radio station aired an interview to Jean Vanier, very valuable. To have access to the interview, please click here.

(photo: Jean Vanier and mother Teresa de Calcuta)

Word of the Day

"The essential for me, is to love the reality and not to live in the imaginary world, not to live in what could have been or what could be, but to love the reality and then discover that God is present within it” (Jean Vanier, interview in Public Radio, Dec 2007

Jean Vanier, at L'Arche, Argentina

"One of the greatest misfortunes of our society is weakness rejection. Everybody is longing for love, but is afraid of loving. We build walls between us and the other people. However, when fear disappears and we are opened to tenderness, we are thrilled to discover where the source of life is. People with intellectual disabilities teach us the way…”

Are you interested in knowing more about L'Arche and its mission and history? Which is the underlying message? Who is Jean Vanier and what is the spirituality like at L'Arche?

From Tuesday, April 1 st . L'Arche invites everybody to participate in monthly meetings regarding L'Arche Spirituality and Mission . The meetings will have a central guideline based on Jean Vanier book “Each person is a sacred story”. They will take place the first Tuesday of each month, at 19.30 hs. at San Nicolás de Bari Parish, 1352, Santa Fe Street (Capital Federal)

To receive the programme or to register, please send an email to:

comunidad@elarcaargentina.org

Projects

"365 Reasons" Calendar

The project "365 Reasons" has seen the light and the money have been collected for the benefit of L'Arche. After a year of gathering in a blog people's reasons to wake up every morning and live, María Mullen designed a calendar with one reason for each day of the year. KRAFT acquired copies for its employees and some other copies were sold to the public. La Nación wrote an article, it also appeared in Revista Tigris and in Radio Nacional. More details in www.365razones.com.ar

Thank you!

In the last months, L'Arche welcomed and bid farewell to many friends.

In November, Eric Charier, an assistant at L'Arche in Quebec ( Canada ) made his dream come true when he came to Argentina , “the end of the world”. He shared a whole month with us at the Home. His friendship, his stories and anecdotes will always be remembered!.

On the other hand, at the end of November, Desiree Roman bid farewell to L'Arche, after working as an assistant since August 2007. And at the beginning of January, Julie Degaute, also an assistant who worked at the Home for six months, went back to her country, Belgium .

To every one of them, ¡Many thanks! No doubt they all have left their impression in our hearts and they have helped us to mature. We miss them already and we are anxious to hear from them.

testimonY

My friendship with Osvaldo

By Cristina P. (Volunteer)

I'm a volunteer at L'Arche Argentina and I would like to share a very nice experience I lived with Osvaldo, who is the third core member welcomed by our Community, after Sandra and Maxi.

In addition to a walking stick or a wheel chair to move around, Osvaldo also has problems expressing himself and many times he recurs to gestures and signs or repetition of words that he knows we understand.

To be honest, I didn't have a close relationship with him and I understood very little of what he wanted to say. I felt like he was always repeating the same things and I understood almost nothing of what he said, although I was told he could make himself understood.

One Saturday that I was with him, we were alone with Maxi, Osvaldo, one assistant and myself. That day I was not feeling well and I recalled a house full of people, like it used to be at other times and how I would like to meet everyone and share with them what was happening to me that day.

The assistant had to work with Maxi and asked me to take care of Osvaldo. Now I think God prepare this whole situation, since He provide us with what we need.

I didn't know what to do with Osvaldo. I told him that I was going to drink mate (our most typical infusion) with some cookies and if he wanted to join me. He told me with signs that he didn't want mate since he was not feeling well of the stomach but that he did want to keep me company. I offered him some tea and he accepted. We started to chat. I repeated in a loud voice what I thought I had understood he said, to confirm with him if this was true and he at times agreed, other times he denied and a few times he got angry, I don't know if this anger was with himself or with me because I didn't understood and so he tried to express himself again…. (keep reading)

To share your testimony, please write to comunidad@elarcaargentina.org

Shakespeare and L'Arche

At the end of 2007, Maxi, Sandra, Osvaldo, Daniel and Fernando, were actors in Shakespeare's play: "A midsummer night's dream”. The play was the result of several months of rehearsal at a theatre workshop. ¡A standing ovation, please!