Sister Mimi Ballard came from Chile to spend two months at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., eager to learn practical fiber arts skills and to be spiritually renewed.

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, offered just the right sabbatical experience for this Ursuline Sister of Mount St. Joseph at Maple Mount, Ky.

For most of the past 24 years Sister Mimi has lived and ministered in the city of Chillán in central Chile at the Dianna Ortiz Ursuline Center for Women where she is the director. Casa Ursulina, as it is called, serves 150-200 women weekly as they develop resources for their personal and economic growth.

Sister Mimi discovered White Violet Center for Eco-Justice on the Internet. She was delighted to learn of an affordable answer to her professional and spiritual needs.

"It’s renovation work for me," she said about her time of renewal. "Studying, praying, community living … I make the schedule. I pick and choose the things I do."

Learning new skills

Sister Mimi learned as much as she could about fiber arts to take back and share with the women in Chile. She is now experienced in the process of taking raw fiber from the animal and creating the end product, such as hats, scarves and shawls.

Getting connected

White Violet Center raises alpacas, so she spent time with them. Sheep are more accessible in Chile.

"I love animals. Just being out in the field and have wild geese fly over … There was a connection — definitely a connection with life I don’t normally get."

And from alpacas and sheep come valuable fleece and an opportunity for making money.

"I’d never even heard of felting," she said. "I can see how practical it is."

Sister Mimi said the women she ministers to have easy access to wool from sheep that at this time gets thrown away because there isn’t a local market for it. She is excited about helping those women make money from something of no use to them until now. She will teach them how to clean and card the wool, spin it into yarn and make garments to sell.

Spiritual renewal

As part of her spiritual experience Sister Mimi especially enjoyed the days she spent alone at the straw bale retreat house. This cottage-style house sits at the edge of St. Joseph Lake at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

"The geese and blue herons come and go from this lake. If you’re a birdwatcher like I am it’s bird watching heaven," she said. "There’s a wonderful display of nature."

Taking it with her

"It’s entertaining learning something new," she said. "This has been a totally stress free time."

Sister Mimi is determined not to walk back into the same hectic schedule she kept before her sabbatical at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice.

"I will keep my energy level where it needs to be," she said. "I will have a totally different appreciation for what I have when I get back."

For information about the Individualized Earth Sabbatical Program at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, contact Sister Maureen Freeman, CSJ, at 812-535-2930 or mfreeman@spsmw.org