House Leader Updates

Kamryn Laurence
3 days ago
3 min read

Hello!

My name is Kamryn Laurence, for those of you who are new to our community, and I am this year’s House Leader. I grew up in the Seattle area and have lived at Lisieux for the last 2 years. I was elected House Leader by our current cohort of girls just shy of 2 months ago and man, we have already done so much as a house in those 2 months!

We have gone through a lot of transition as a house with several roommates moving out and several more moving in. We bid farewell to Sophia, Anne-Marie and Mikaela this summer, all of whom lived here for over 3 years! Thankfully, all three have decided to stay in the area for the upcoming year, so we’ve gotten to continue to hangout regularly. Each of them were such a gift to our community and brought so much joy, life and healing to each one of us. We pray for blessings upon each one as they continue on in their walk with Christ outside of Lisieux.

In addition, we welcomed two new girls into our community: Kate and Trinity! We’ve already seen how the Lord is working wonders in both of their lives to bring healing and clarity and have enjoyed watching them experience community life. They have each brought so many gifts to the house and are such a joy to be around.

We recently spent time bonding together at our Fall Community Retreat, which was held at Trinity’s family cabin outside Naches. We enjoyed sipping cider by a cozy fire, home-cooked meals, and praying together. We also participated in a cute fall photoshoot and a PowerPoint night! There were many good laughs, fruitful conversations and bonding moments that gave each of us a sense of belonging and refreshed our souls after the busy season behind us.

My time at Lisieux has been filled with many joys, challenges, new skills, new friendships and so many beautiful memories. I’ve experienced healing in ways that I never could have predicted and never knew I needed. I’ve watched my roommates blossom and been so thankful for the way that God has protected and guided us during this season of life. I never knew that living in community could be so challenging and at the same time so so good. The desire of my heart is that everyone has the chance of experiencing the support, love and devotion of a community like Lisieux. I truly cannot imagine having gone through the last 2 years without these girls, and I’m forever grateful.

As House Leader, there are many challenges that I face (like increased spiritual attack…yikes!), but the Lord is good to remind me that He is always here with me and He never leaves my side. Each and every difficulty, set-back, tense conversation, and penitential moment serves as a vehicle for my salvation and growth in virtue. So, paraphrasing James 1:2-4, I can confidently consider it joy whenever I face trials of many kinds, for I know that the testing of my faith produces perseverance.

The year ahead has me excited for what is to come for our community. I look forward to experiencing another round of Liturgical seasons with all the joys of the holidays and the purification of Lent, and I anticipate the arrival of other Catholic women who will stand to gain so much love, healing and joy from the Lord through our community. As I move through this next year as House Leader, I hope to continue our legacy of hospitality, healing and rest.