Jane Beausoleil Wenninger

Been to Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hoover Dam, the US Virgin Islands, Haiti in the West Indies, and Wales. The Virgin Islands, Haiti, and Rome were my best trips. The Virgin Islands were wonderful, beautiful, like magic.
Rome was the best for history, art, and getting in touch with church tradition.

Haiti was an adventure. It was the most deeply educational. Got to sleep in a wet bed for almost 10 nights straight. Got pulled into jail by a policeman. Got driven through part of a river which overflowed the road like you see in the movies, got to preach while a man drove his ox cart in front of the open doors of the church, got to interpret for the director of His Royal Ministry and her lawyer because he couldn't speak English and she couldn't speak French.

I wanted to be a priest. I also thought about moving to Texas. Never dreamed of being Protestant! Now I'm an ordained minister involved in the healing ministry in Texas. My teaching position at Quinsigamond Community College was insecure because I didn't have my master's degree. (I had been hired based on some works I had had published.) The old dream of “priesthood” surfaced. Instead of studying English, I went to theological school and was ordained. I teach people how to pray more effectively for others, especially when sickness is involved. It's not a matter of technique. It's more a matter of trust, faith, and understanding what God is really like. If I get more opportunities, I'll do it more. Yippee!

During one of our classes, the sister asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. We gave the standard answers except for (I think) Muriel Faucher (Johnson). She said she wanted to open a package store. The sister was shocked. We all laughed. I thought she just said it to get the sister's goat, and that made it even funnier. The sister said, "No you don't." and Muriel said, "Yes I do. I'm opening a package store." Guess she wasn't kidding! Mildred had her dream down pat!

I wasn't enough of a dreamer when I was young. Still have a good thing going with Ron. We're happy with our kids, too.

God has been very good to me. Among other things, I've seen a blind eye open and a little girl (in Haiti) have a bone grow in her leg where it had been missing.

Arthritis has been kicking my butt. Even so, I'm much better than I was a year ago.

I've been hanging around with poets lately. It's stimulating and fun. I still make up new dreams as I go along.