THE HISTORY OF THE CEDAR RAPIDS EMMAUS COMMUMNITY

It was 1986 at the Christmas dinner for the On Call Chaplains and their wives at St Lukes Hospital where we saw Reverend Nadim Saikaly, of Olivet Presbyterian church and his wife. Nad seemed to be carrying a heavy burden. As I talked with him, he told me that he had a wonderful experience in Madisonville, Ky. Called “The Walk To Emmaus”, and he had been trying for almost a year, without success, to get someone interested in starting the program in Cedar Rapids. I asked what the program was about and it sounded to be a very positive experience preparing people to become more active in their local church. I said that I would call a few people to see if they would be interested. We got together about eleven people including Reverend Oluf Kongshoug from the Presbyterian church in Marengo, who had been involved in the Tres Dias. The “Walk To Emmaus” is an ecumenical program similar to the Catholic Cursillo. The group decided to pursue the idea of starting a community.

I, along with two other men, and later five women went to Madisonville, Ky. To experience the “Walk”. After my “Walk”, as Nad was driving us home, we were discussing possible locations for holding the “Walk” and the problems Nad had already experienced. It was then the Lord spoke to me and said “look at your own church”, (Salem). As we thought about it, everything was there, showers in the basement, a conference room, large kitchen, Sunday school rooms which could be used for dorm rooms, the chapel and of course the sanctuary. After the original group went through in Madisonville, a second group of eight from Salem, including Pastor Gale Hawhee and his wife went through the Walk in Springfield, Illinois.

The administrative board of Salem United Methodist Church agreed to provide space and support this program. We started the process of becoming an authorized Walk To Emmaus Community. We were registered with the International Walk to Emmaus in Nashville Tenn, and worked to become a not for profit organization designation with IRS and subsequently gained a mailing permit from the post office.

Initially we were sleeping on cots borrowed from the Nat’l. Guard. We soon abandoned these for used mattresses from Iowa State University at Ames. We received a lot of very good support from the local Episcopal Cursillo. The first two “Walks” were led by the teams from Madisonville, along with our own people. The community grew rapidly, and in about the third year, we were asked by Nashville to help start the “Walk” in Minnesota. We started by bringing their people to Cedar Rapids to go through the “Walk” and to serve on teams, helping gain experience. As soon as they were of a size to operate separately we helped them by serving on teams to put on their first two “Walks”.

About this same time, a core group of the C.R. Comm. started the Chrysallis program which serves youths from sophomores in high school to sophomores in college. We also worked with a group from southwest Wisconsin, but they could not garner enough support, and we invited them to participate in the C.R. Comm.

In the process of improving our week ends, C. R. Emmaus Comm.has purchased or contributed to the purchase of a commercial refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, water heaters, air conditioning for the conference room, convection oven, Bunn coffee maker, part of the sound system, and many other items which benefited both the church and the “Walk”

May God continue to bless this wonderful program!!.

Harold Hixson & Claudine. 4/5/05