sad news

Well, this week has been a difficult and very sad week here in Europe. I am not sure how many people still read or contribute to this blog, as it has not many new entries, but I wanted to share with you all that the parents for whom I work this year have decided to separate. When I returned from my trip with Lex, things were not going well for Sophie and Sylvain, and the decline had certainly been rapid. When I left, I thought their relationship was getting better (it's been shaky all year) but the return to italy revealed some weaknesses in their marriage and they have decided to separate. It looks like neither has much ambition to resolve their differences, as this has been going on for 5 years. The last few nights in Italy I could hear Sophie just sobbing on the phone in her bedroom. you can only imagine the effect on the kids...

So Sophie and the girls and I have returned to Alpe d'Huez, where I will finish my year, and Sylvain is going to stay in Italy. Having been raised in a very stable environment where my parents were utterly committed to each other, this has been a definite shock and very painful to watch. I have come to consider the Bouttiers my family, despite our differences, and even if this were not the case, the deterioration of any marriage, especially over the course of many years, is just tragic to see happen.

Now it is my job to support and pray. I have been praying that Mary would reveal herself to Sophie, who I think is ready to meet God and would benefit from a relationship with Mary. I ask you all to pray for the Bouttiers as well. I told them I would leave if it would be easier for them, and they said my being there is extremely helpful and a stability for the children. As you can imagine, this is a task I take very seriously, and I want to be very supportive and encouraging to everyone, but I do feel helpless. So I ask for your prayers for me as well. For the first time this year, I feel like God has thrown me a curveball I am very ready for and I want to make a big difference in their lives. Sophie is looking to move to Paris, probably with the girls, and refuses to give up homeschooling, so this is an enormous task for her. Yesterday I was having a hard time understanding Sylvain in all of this because he seems so resigned to do nothing; yet we talked a little and I can see how broken the man is, and suddenly I feel like I am seeing him for the first time as the human being that he is.

Anyways, I am hoping everyone is well. In other news, I am going to Taize for Easter-- I am very excited to spend Easter in reflection and prayer. There is so much to pray for in this world of ours! How to find time for anything else? Among my prayers are all of you-- keep writing here, it is a delight to me at least to keep updated on people's lives.

Peace