In Christ, I Am a New Creation, Book II, A Leap of Faith, is the third and final book in Veronica Hughes' autobiographical Orthodox Book series.

From our earliest days as Eastern Orthodox converts, my late husband, Gregory, and I shared a spiritual longing; we both longed to live a semi-monastic life near a monastery in the wilderness and experience a little taste of what the Holy Fathers and Mothers of the Orthodox Church experienced in the spiritual desert.  We both converted in our 40s and we chose to fulfill this dream in our 60s.  The process took 10 years and was a labor of love, especially by Gregory, who built our cabin in the wilderness.  Were we crazy to want to follow the "way of the ascetics"?

Together, we chose to accept and follow our calling.  The experience taught us to trust, and have faith in where God was leading us, despite our disappointments, struggles, doubts, and fears.  In the process, we learned to lay aside our mind chatter and worldly understanding so as to enter into trust in what could not be seen and made little worldly sense.

Our move was the opportunity of a lifetime that provided essential spiritual stepping stones for both of us.  What we experienced, learned, and lived together helped both of us to find a deeper connection to our faith, prayer, and God, which then gave us the courage and strength to make the challenging transitions that awaited us when we returned to the world.  May our hard-earned lessons be of service to you in your Orthodox journey.  We left the world for a time to fulfill our calling.  May this book inspire the fulfillment of your Orthodox callings and dreams as well.