Of course, we have made a special effort locally to communicate the reasons for our decision with our friends and benefactors. However, we also want to acknowledge here in Restoration our love, respect, and gratitude to all those who made our lives in these houses possible.

The “bottom line” is that we simply do not have enough vocations in Madonna House at present to continue to support the number of field houses we have been maintaining.

The two staff from Paris, Shatzi Duffy and Noella de Laforcade, are remaining in Europe to strengthen our other two foundations on that continent—in England and Belgium respectively.

Most of the staff assigned to the house in Brazil have now returned to Canada, where they are taking up their new assignments.

Andorra Howard will remain in Brazil for a year of further immersion in both language and the culture.

It is our firm hope that one day we can resume, perhaps in another form, our presence and work in both countries, which we have grown to love and cherish in these years. That is in God’s hands.

One thing is certain: bonds of love and respect in the Body of Christ are eternal and can never be broken. For this we are eternally grateful to God our Father.