Mary Ebyarimpa

I come from a Catholic background. I was born into a Catholic family and educated through the Catholic Schools. In primary school one of the things the nuns would encourage us to do was to pop into church before and after school. I loved doing this, not so much to say prayers but more to greet God and to sit in the silence of the church. I always felt held and safe in that Silence. The contemplative was born.
I remember clearly being introduced to the Good News Bible and meeting Jesus and deciding he was real and he is to be followed. This became a compass for my life.
As a child I had a great sense of God infusing all of life.
This became the foundation of my life.

In my 20s, once I finished my nursing training I went traveling. I spent a summer cycling around Europe by myself. During this time I realized how much I had received in life, which led me to join a lay Missionary organization called VMM. I was sent to Turkana in Kenya as a nurse. I spent 2 wonderful years working with the Turkana people. I then lived a further 8 years in Africa.
It was during this time that I drifted away from God.

On returning to N.Z I had a great sense of God inviting me to draw near. I returned to church where I was fed and nurtured by the Alpha course and the Charismatic Renewal. I was coming back to life. It was a wonderful time but something else was calling.

I kept hearing the words Be Still and Know I am God. I knew I had to respond and somehow live into these words. Silence, and stillness became part of my life. I had a wonderful sense of homecoming. I was very fortunate to have a wise Spiritual Director who helped me to listen and encouraged me to respond to God’s invitation.
From there I discovered a form of Christian meditation called Centering Prayer which is part of my daily practice along with lectio divina.

Silence, and stillness are very much part of my life now.
“Living Silence” was the title of my special interest paper that I wrote for the formation program of Spiritual directors. This can be found on the SGM website.
I enjoy offering silent retreats. This is a time where people can come away from their often busy, noisy life to enter a time of silence and stillness and be held by Love and rest and listen to what lies deep within.

It is from silence and stillness I offer Spiritual Direction.

Being a Spiritual Director is such a privilege. To sit with another as they share their struggles, joys, sorrow, desires and questions is to be standing on Holy Ground.

I offer Spiritual Direction from my home, where I offer a place of welcome, warmth, safety, friendship and acceptance. It is a place where you can dare to share and express your thoughts, feelings, questions, desires, failures and successes, free of judgment. It is a time where tears and laughter are welcome. Nothing in your life is out of bounds, all is welcome, even what you might think is too ordinary or too glorious or be ashamed of. It is a time where the masks that we often wear can be set aside and what lies deep within can be slowly revealed. It’s a time where we go deeper, listening for what God might be saying and inviting you too and also a time where you can listen deeply to yourself.

I will not give you answers but I will help you to listen, to wait, to discern and to respond to what is true for you, to what the Spirit might be inviting you too.

I like to start our time together with either silence or a guided meditation or a simple prayer.
I enjoy working with Interactive Drawing Therapy, which is a wonderful way to bring to light what is hidden.

But mostly I like to listen, to ask questions, to offer spaciousness and unhurriedness so you can listen to and explore what is within you, so you can listen to the invitation that the Holy Spirit/ Divine/ Sacred One is inviting you to and help you respond.