Sister Lotus A’Bowl

Sister Ivanna Manda Lei here darlings! I was born in a small outpost in Eastern Washington and was quickly shipped off to the nearest convent where the Reverend Mother took me under her wing.
After growing up and following the Reverend Mother’s teachings, I realized I needed to strike out and see what the world outside the convent held for me. Many years of searching, struggling and wanting to give back to my community, brought me to the doors of the Abbey of St. Joan. In February 2003, I started my Sister journey where Sister Daya Reckoning and Sister Scarlet O’Hairy were my mentoring sisters.
Through their mentoring, as well as all of my other Abbey Sisters, they prepared me to serve my community with a humble heart, outrageous style and to bring fun to all I encounter. May you always be a gift to yourself and those around you!
UPDATE: The Abbey is excited to announce that Sister Ivanna Manda Lei is now an official member of The Orlando Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Gertrude De Nivelles! http://orlandosisters.org/
I was standing in a crowded bar, surrounded by hundreds of people, and I felt completely alone in the world…
…when I first met the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Two larger than life Nuns in white face crossed the bar and greeted me, carrying with them an atmosphere of joy and unconditional acceptance. Their brief recognition of someone in need who was lonely in a crowd forever changed the direction of my life. I cannot remember who those two Sisters were, but I joined the Sisters to do for others what those two did for me.
My personal mission, as Sister Isabella is a simple one. Every Day, I want to help someone feel a little less alone in the world. Some days I succeed, some days I fail, but every day I try.
Next time you go out for a drink, look around. Find that person standing alone in the corner of the bar, peeling the label from the bottle he or she finished much faster than they had planned, and say hello. This simple gesture may change to course of your life.
“We work on ourselves in order to help others, but also we help others in order to work on ourselves.” — Pema Chodron
Note: The Abbey is excited to announce that Sister Isabella Ringing is now an official member of Sin Sity Sisters!
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
*WARNING: If this animal approaches and suggests smiling “like a donut”, elude pursuit and contact your nearest Nun Control Office. This species is recognizable by its brightly colored facial markings and the unmistakable smell of a vintage store. Beware of possible blinding hazard from its overuse of rhinestone decoration.