Dear Kitty,
Thank you for saying "yes" to the Lord. I recently purchased your CD The Miracle of Divine Mercy and enjoy your beautiful singing and testimony. You may be aware of the gentleman who wrote the lyrics to "Amazing Grace," John Newton. He experienced a sudden conversion through the grace and mercy of our Lord. Rev. Newton was a Captain of a slave ship who gave his life to the Lord after his amazing conversion and became a minister to proclaim the Gospel and the power of God's mercy.
I too had a similar conversion experience. Both you and Immaculee are virtuous women who came from virtuous families much like St. Faustina. I met Immaculee when I took my daughter to the Columbus, OH Women's Conference. She was the first person to articulate for me the sudden conversion that occurs when the Lord fills our heart with His grace. You too share that in your testimony. Mr. Newton's, St. Paul's, and many others like myself, who lived wretched lives, talk about a much more violent conversion experience, but we all end up in the same place…….in love with the Lord and dedicated to living according to His Will.
My conversion happened in Dec. 2008. God spoke to me in an audible voice saying, "You have a purpose." I felt the full presence of the Lord and was frightened to the very core of my being. I knew that God knew everything about me. He gave me the unforgettable blessing of the terrifying experience of being naked before Him to face my judgment. I knew that with a whisper, God could take my life and give me my just punishment, but He gave me His mercy instead. I reflected on His words and I realized that He was giving me a second chance. I surrendered my life to Him in that very moment and have been on that journey ever since.
On the evening of my conversion, I discerned with the Lord what He was asking me to do. I had an overwhelming feeling that Christ was calling me to unite the Christian community and to witness to the power of His mercy. As I closed my eyes after hours of discernment, I had a vision of myself in a row boat. A few years before my conversion, I had made an announcement amongst friends and family that I was going to row across the North Atlantic Ocean. There was no explanation where that desire came from and it caused a lot of laughter and became a bit of an ongoing joke. I knew immediately that my vision was connected to my proclamation years earlier, and I began plans to put together a rowing expedition across the North Atlantic. The expedition would be dedicated to Christian Unity.
Attached please find a flyer that describes the three ministries within EMBARKE. All of them are intended to direct focus to God. I am reaching out to you for help with making the rowing expedition a success. My goal is to row the North Atlantic in June 20010 and incorporate a 54 day Novena so that we could celebrate the Feast of the birth of Mary on Sept. 8. Coincidentally, 54 days would break the 55 day world record that was set in 1896 by two very brave Norwegian immigrants from NY. It would be wonderful to share the Blessed Rosary with Christians around the world to learn and experience. Imagine the power of 54 day Novena prayed by millions of Christians in unison. Please let me know if there is any interest in learning more about EMBARKE and possibly helping me garner support for the expedition.
Very Truly Yours, Greg
Dear Greg,
What a wonderful story! May God abundantly bless your efforts. I’m not sure what I can do for you, but feel free to ask if you have any specific ideas. One thing I would definitely recommend (though you probably already have one) is to get a very holy spiritual director to guide you through this apostolate. God bless you! Kitty
Thank you for your reply, Kitty. Your advice is very apropos. I have been reading St. Faustina's diary, Divine Mercy In My Soul, and have become aware of the importance of finding the appropriate spiritual director or confessor to confide in as I continue to discern the Lord's calling. I have taken comfort in reading St. Faustina's struggles with finding the right person. I too have experienced similar struggles, and like St. Faustina, the Lord used these trials to reveal His desire for me to fully place my trust in Him. Please pray that I find the right spiritual director (I have a meeting with a Dominican Friar next week).
May the Lord continue to draw you ever closer to Him during this blessed Holy Week. Thank you for saying "yes" to God through your beautiful ministry. I will offer a prayer of thanksgiving in your name for your continued work to bring others closer to Christ. Have a wonderful Easter!
P.S. Your Divine Mercy CD is a source of frustration for my wife. Not because of your singing, but due to my attempts to sing along with you. I once asked her if I managed to hit any high notes. She responded by saying, "ask me if you hit any notes!"