Chapel Updates, a Monastery 10k, and More

Glory to Jesus Christ! 

We're nearing the end of the month of October now, and all kinds of different things have been going on, from continued chapel renovations, to a monastery 10k race. Here are some updates:

Chapel Renovations:

The ceiling and walls are blue! A new tile floor was laid in the sanctuary, replacing the blue shag carpet that used to be there. New flooring in the bathrooms has also been installed, which vastly improves the previous situation (the subflooring was totally exposed before). The can lights in the ceiling are operational now. We are still waiting for pendant lights and chandeliers to arrive to complete the lighting of the chapel. In the meantime, exposed lightbulbs are hanging.

Today, the wood molding finally arrived! We were waiting for it for a couple of weeks without any sign of when it might finally come. This and waiting for the lights are the only problems we've really hit so far in the entire project, so that's really amazing! We're glad that the molding is finally here so that it can go in and all kind of other things can happen like plumbing, putting carpet in the confessional, putting in doors, and reconstructing the icon screen. 

Outside, some landscaping work has been happening, like smoothing out the ruts created by all the machinery that's been needed for moving and pouring the sidewalks. Some exterior lights were also installed along the sidewalk and to illuminate the bell tower. The siding has been going back up, a roof over the main entrance is in the process of being finished, and grass seed will be sown today. 

It's wonderful to see things coming together, so much so, that we have moved back into the chapel for prayer (during the times when work isn't going on in there). On Monday, October 17th, we got our first snowflakes of the season. We've moved basic liturgical supplies into the chapel so we can have Vespers, Compline, and Divine Liturgies in there. We get to be right in the midst of the renovations during the final stages, experiencing it coming together around us as we pray at the different times of day. Today, we are saying good-bye to the "tabernacle" (our temporary tent chapel) and packing it away. 

Friday night, we prayed Compline in our unfinished chapel for the first time. The acoustics are so much better than they used to be. We were amazed. We don't have to strain our voices so much to be heard. On Sunday, we had Divine Liturgy in the chapel for the first time since the summer. We're getting really excited for everything to be finished soon.  

Bridegroom's Banquet Photos: 

We meant to do this a while ago, but had some technical issues. Here are (finally) some photos from our Bridegroom's Banquet which was last month. It was such a wonderful evening. 

 

The First Ever "Speedy Celibates 10k":

On Thursday, October13th, rubber hit the road as some of the nuns competed in a 10k race of their own invention. Mother Natalia and Mother Gabriella ran 10 kilometers with three priest-friend-runners. Mother Iliana was training for the footrace but because of an injury, had to adjust her plan. She did a 20k bike ride, and Mother Cecilia, a last minute entry, did a 10k bike ride. The race route was on the roads around the monastery. Mother Theodora stayed at the monastery to prepare a delicious and nutritious breakfast for the competitors, and Olivia was on poustinia. She sat on one of the new concrete pads outside of her poustinia and watched the beginning and end of the race while drinking tea and doing some spiritual reading. 

All of the participants did amazingly, and it was so much fun to work toward a goal and then to achieve it together. (Fr. James Kulway won the race with a time of 38:49.)