Does God Expect Us To Travel Across The Country To Find Our Home?

[ToJesusMyHeart]

The nearest one is like an hour away. I'm trying to calculate the costs.

I'm honestly really surprised that trains still transport people. Thank you for the much needed information!

[ChristinaTherese]

Seeing as you said you're in Texas, here's a list of Amtrak (a train company) stations in Texas. [url="http://www.amtrak.com/html/stations_TX.html"]http://www.amtrak.co...tations_TX.html[/url] Their website is www.amtrak.com . I don't know if there are any other major train companies or not.... (Of course, there were just a few other replies while I was typing this that said approximately the same thing....)

Edit: Caveat emptor, I have no idea whether "train company" is a decent term. But I just generally invent terms and words as necessary. Unless I'm writing a paper for a class.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Christina Thérèse

[i<3franciscans]

Glad we could help.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Sigh, it's turning out to be only like $30 cheaper than airfare.

Welp.

[i<3franciscans]

Sorry to hear that. I will be praying for you.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

[quote name='i<3franciscans' timestamp='1347052100' post='2480020']
Sorry to hear that. I will be praying for you.
[/quote]

Thank you. Pax Christi sit semper tecum. +JMJ+

[OnlySunshine]

I found my home over 1,100 miles away from my house. I still haven't visited the convent but my Sisters have visited here several times and we have already started my aspirancy process. I have the sense of peace and joy with these Sisters that I have never experienced with any other order I've ever visited -- even the Carmelites I applied to. I just knew (like Mother Teresa said).

Sometimes God does call us to be brave and travel far from our home to find where we are called. Look at the apostles when they were sent on their missions -- they were sent to far away towns and had to travel by foot! I understand what it is like to not have the money. When I wanted to visit the Religious Sisters of Mercy this past November, I had no idea how I was going to get there. I posted on Facebook that I was in contact with them and was planning a visit and my friend PMed me asking how much the airfare was because she wanted to pay for it! I was shocked and amazed at such a nice offer. It was only when I prayed and asked God for a way there did this miracle happen. I sat down and conversed seriously with Jesus and Mary as if they were sitting right next to me.

Pray about it and see what happens! If nothing happens now, just trust that God wants you to wait but He WILL provide a way when the time is right.

[emmaberry]

TJMH: I thought I'd go across the country to find my community, because they were the only ones that 'made my heart flutter' when I look at them online or chatted with the VD.

However, I think I've found my community 3 hours away.

Be open and receptive.. I know that can be a pain to always hear, but it is so true. God really led me to this community that was geographically close to me. If God wants you to enter a community across the country, the funds will be there and you will feel this push to go and visit. If the funds aren't there, don't stress but keep praying.

I am guessing you are more trusting than me, but from my own experience, do not close off communities that are within driving range of you because they don't seem perfect. My community was only supposed to be the first 'pit stop' in the string of convent visits I had planned..and I think it's the one. Be open to communities around you, but many girls in the 'across the country' orders have cool vocation stories about how their airplane tickets/other funds were so generously provided for.

Praying for you, my Texas friend!

[AnneLine]

This is a real dilemma, isn't it!!!! And with the train, you have to add in food... or you will be very hungry in 2 or 3 days!

I took a bus from the San Francisco area to Seattle at one point in the 1980's and it really didn't save me any $$$$ because it took so much extra time going and coming to do the bus. I really think a cheap airfare is the way to go. If you book your fare early, it may be a LOT cheaper, especially if you are willing to travel at times others don't want to fly. If you are looking at the Marian Sisters in Santa Rosa, you want to look at flying into either San Francisco or Oakland -- sometimes one or the other is cheaper.

Southwest flies from many different Texas cities into those two airports.... I

[url="http://www.southwest.com/html/cs/travel_center/routemap_dyn.html?int=GSUBNAV-AIR-ROUTEMAP"]http://www.southwest...AV-AIR-ROUTEMAP[/url]

just checked flights from Dallas to San Francisco at the end of October (and I guessed leave on Friday return on Tuesday), and you can get cheap flights if you book that far out. There are SEVERAL that leave at reasonable (an a few at unreasonable times) it will run you.... $164 each way round trip!!!!! And there is the same price for one that leaves at 10:50 AM and arrives 3:50 PM!!! , with a return for leaving at 110 in the afternoon that arrives in Dallas at 10pm ish. That's not bad!!!!! (You might also want to check out one that leaves in the evening and arrives in Dallas in the morning.... then you wouldn't have to deal with traveling at night.... sometimes paying a bit more for that is worth it....

Once you get to the San Francisco areaThere is a greaet commuter bus from San Francisco into Santa Rosa.... so you need to look at flying to SFO or OAK and then getting the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train (a metro, really) into San Francisco and then getting the Golden Gate Transit. Figure it will be about $10 or $15 OVER your airfare each way to get from the airports to Santa Rosa. I am sure the Sisters would be willing to meet your bus. Santa Rosa is about 40 miles north of San Francisco... and it is a BEAUTIFUL ride.

Put aside $5 a day and you will have your flight paid for.... if you can find someone with a credit card to pay for it, you can pay them back. You can do this, TJMH.

Edited September 7, 2012 by AnneLine

[carmenchristi]

I'm taking a break from VS, and promised myself not to post, so I won't be looking up this thread again, but since I saw it in the general index I thought I'd just add my 2 cents.

I'm from a small town in upstate NY I entered a community in CT, but I met the sisters because they came to my high school. I ended up in Europe for almost 8 years.

Was this the best decision of my life? I don't know, but God used it. It was certainly the most important decision of my life. Did God really call me to that community? I'm not sure, maybe for a time. But that's not the point. The point is that God comes to meet us. So do what you can to search, and stay in peace. If you can't travel to Alaska and God wants you to be in Alaska, He will get you there.

So no, you don't have to travel across the country even to meet a community that is on the other side of the country.

As I said, I'm not checking VS again, I'm already kind of giving in to temptation so if you have any questions then you can PM me

Edited September 7, 2012 by carmenchristi

[Kayte Postle]

This can be very difficult, as a fellow college student I understand. Something that I might suggest is sign up for a southwest credit card, you get like 25,000 points by just signing up for the card. Then use the card to pay for things you already pay for (rent, eletric, etc.) and pay off the card 100% each month. When my sister moved to florida (we live in ohio) my mother did this, and my mother, father, and I have been down there 4 times in the past 2 years (my mother has been down 6-7 times) and we have yet to pay for a plane ticket. We've been able to use points every time. Credit cards are dangerous, especially for us college kids, but if you know that you are responsible enough to handle having one it might be something to consider and look into.

God will get you there when He wants you there. Continue to trust in Him, and have patience. Prayers for you!

[NonNovi]

In my country, religious life is nearly dead and not very interesting for young people. Almost every community has a common age of 65 or older. To find an interesting community I'm obligated to search in other countries. Fortunately I found it at once. Unfortunately, the motherhouse is 1000 kilometers away, and I don't have a drivers license (or a car). There is no airport in the area and by train is very expensive.

But if God wants you somewhere, He'll get you there. Or He will bring those sisters to you. In december a friend of mine, a priest in this community, wanted to visit the motherhouse for a few days. So I had the chance to accompany him. Last sunday, some of their priests and seminarians were in my country and I had the opportunity to meet them unexpectedly. At the end of september they have ordinations near the motherhouse. My friend wants to go, but only if I accompany him again.
You see, when the time is right, God offers you the chances you need. Within the year I've got 3 chances, and it didn't cost me a thing. Trust Him, and keep praying. I'll pray for you.

[DiscerningCatholic]

I know the feels, guys. There aren't even any communities in my home state who aren't all composed of non-habit wearing old women who want women to be able to be ordained as priests.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='NonNovi' timestamp='1347058616' post='2480064']
In my country, religious life is nearly dead and not very interesting for young people. Almost every community has a common age of 65 or older. To find an interesting community I'm obligated to search in other countries. Fortunately I found it at once. Unfortunately, the motherhouse is 1000 kilometers away, and I don't have a drivers license (or a car). There is no airport in the area and by train is very expensive.

But if God wants you somewhere, He'll get you there. [u][b][i]Or He will bring those sisters to you[/i][/b][/u]. In december a friend of mine, a priest in this community, wanted to visit the motherhouse for a few days. So I had the chance to accompany him. Last sunday, some of their priests and seminarians were in my country and I had the opportunity to meet them unexpectedly. At the end of september they have ordinations near the motherhouse. My friend wants to go, but only if I accompany him again.
You see, when the time is right, God offers you the chances you need. Within the year I've got 3 chances, and it didn't cost me a thing. Trust Him, and keep praying. I'll pray for you.
[/quote]

This is EXACTLY what happened to me! I visited 4 communities and THE one that God is calling me to came to my parish! How amesome is that?!? It's not an everyday occurence, especially since they are setting up a convent here next year!

[TheresaThoma]

Pray about it and trust. if God wants it to happen it will happen. For me when I wanted to visit the SMMC for the first time I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. Then for pretty much no reason at all airfares started dropping from over 200 to 164. I also was asked by a former teacher to house sit for him and he would pay me 100 dollars. I didn't know where I was going to get the rest of the money but at that point I went ahead and booked the ticket. Not too long after I babysat for my neighbors and they paid me 65 dollars. I later laughed when I realized God had given me EXACTLY what I needed to get there. So look for those little opportunities and save what money you can!