pRaYeR wEeK iN pOvOa dE aTaLAia...

This post will be filled with pictures...as it's easier for me to remember all the things that happen these last weeks...
This picture is of the house we hosted the prayer room... such a perfect location...just next to the main church building and right where the sweet old ladies hang out on the hot summer days... yes, it has been hot...between 35 and 40 degrees (celsius)...Fiuuu!!!
Anyway, this house was generously provided by the priest of the parish, who unfortunately was going to leave the village on the last day of the prayer week :-(... but that's another story...I'll comment more about it towards the end of this post...


One week before I had a surprising and pleasant visit from our little brother Lukas and his brother Philip... It was so nice to be with him again...and he was very pleased to be back as well :-).. Here they were getting Nono ready to go up the mountain with them :-)

Here's lovely Anne, who came also before the prayer week and helped me to set up the room... she came to check the land for a possible place for her to live in...but she felt it was time for her to be On The Way and walk...so she did...here was the night before she headed on her journey... I believe a beautiful and strong one... I feel she'll be back...she really loved it here, and we had good conversations about living in community, and specifically about what I dream for this place...
Bless you Anne...May the Wind guide you, May The Provider shelter you and give you the food and drink you need to keep moving...The One who is The Way is with you :-)...

Uli and Stephi also came with the kids (not so much now), Melody and Elias... we all had great fun... and Uli, despite being on holidays, couldn't help but fix all our bikes...Bless you Uli...They also came with a caravan trailer that they left for Sieglinde (Miri's mom) , who will come to spend the winter here :-)...

Emma also came, just few days before and she helped me with the last details of the prayer room...well, to be honest, most of it !!!

Marcia came on Sunday... I missed her soooo much !!!
here we were chilling under Maria's cafe pergola vine...Hmmm, nice ones !!!!
My full time supporters in the kitchen... As last year, we had all our meals at the village Hall kitchen... what a blessing !!!
A creative moment at the prayer room ... It was a lovely week...not so much people... but because of that we had lots of time for listening each other's stories and pray for one another... It was definitely a week for listening !!!
We opened up theprayer room at 9pm on Sunday, the 9th... There were in the village some young people from a parish in Lisbon, whom we met last year... They really enjoyed the last prayer room, so I invited them to the opening of this one... we worshipped God with some of their portuguese songs, and we prayed together... they were quite emotional because the priest was leaving and they were really close to him... I felt sorry for them, but it was so beautiful to see such sincere love... it was nice to be with them again... Few days before they all went with the priest to have lunch with us in the land...
Listening to the old ladies who would hang out just outside was our way of serving for this year... what else do they need !!!
In return (not that we'd expect it), they would come with water melons and huge tomatoes from her gardens :-) How sweet is that !!!

But our garden would also supply us with some things...look at this beautiful harvest... and tasty as well !!! :-)

Edna came alone on thursday... Paulo and the babies, together with Ulli, Juran and Nuno (their fisherman friend from Olhao)... Edna needed some time alone and I believe she had great times in the prayer room...she spent 3 nights there...here in the picture, in the morning when we arrived for breakfast :-)...

At the fountain of the Village Hall...dipping our feet in water :-) Clara on top trying to stuck her foot on the hole :-)... this was saturday when Paulo and the rest arrived...

The sweeties !!! They do love water !!!

Oh yes, they do !!!

On that day also, some friends of Emma arrived, after hitch-hiking all the way from Bradford...well done !!! Here's Levina and Nina...Andrew was cut here...sorry about that Andrew... well, you cannot really see Nina too...I also don't have pictures of Ricardo, Clara's boyfriend... Great guy ...really lovely to meet him !!!

Juran showing off the gourgets from his garden... Nuno the fisherman in the back...what a lovely guy as well :-)simple...humble, always ready to serve ...

And the fun part is about to begin...
This was Sunday morning...well, I don't know if it was morning anymore... I had a lovely conversation with Juran and Ulli, together with Emma... Next time we'll see them will be at their wedding's celebration in Germany :-)... we were also speaking about Edna's Baptism that would be somehow, that sunday, before we closed up the prayer room... So, after our conversation, Edna came and said : " Would you cut my dreads?!!"... eh, eh, eh... With Edna things had to be different anyway... and special, of course... She wanted something symbolic to remember such a special day... And it was a nice start for a baptism !!!

Juran started...

Then me...

Emma's turn now !!!

The 3 of us at the same time !!! :-) I felt so privileged to be part of it !!!

Yep, it needs to be all gone !!! Look how happy and joyful she was !!!
And she looked beautiful... well, it's hard for Edna not to :-) she just shines !!!

Soon, a saloon was set up :-) Ulli needed her hair cut a bit...

I was next :-) ...why not take the chance :-)

After that we all went to the prayer shelter...we heard Edna and why she wanted to get baptized... there was nothing else to say really... we just worshiped for a while...
lots of crying and emotions in between... all good !!!

All up the hill then !!! to the pond :-) !!! Unfortunately I don't have pictures of that cuz I was in the pond with Edna... It was nice cuz Emma got this picture of Edna between me and Juran as she went on the water... and Edna said : " Yes, that's how I wanted as well"... So we went, despite the possibility of getting our feet filled with leeches... we didn't really know the "right things to say"...but anyway, she knew it in the heart what she was doing...and above all, God knew it... she declared before all of us, and before all the beings on earth, heaven and spiritual realm, that she belongs to Jesus, her Savior and friend :-)... It was very beautiful and of course, lots of laughter... me and Juran embraced her and we all jumped backwards into the water... after that, the rest joined the party :-) It was great !!!

After all the buz we went to the village to eat something and go to the mass...It would be the last one this priest would give :-(... everyone was sad with that, and Paulo (the priest) also... but he was obeying his bishop who thought he could be better studying in Rome... I admire Paulo's humility and submission a lot... Rome was the last place he would like to go, he told me, but I prefer to believe I'm obeying God... I'm very sad too, because he was a gem... not only preacher, but doer of Jesus' words... I will always remember one day when he was sitting on a door step with an old man at 1am in the night... I found out that he was counseling a father to get reconciled with his son... and they did reconciled... Anyway, just wanted to leave some words here, honoring this servant of God... even though it's hard for him to accept any compliment to himself... I thank God for Paulo, and I glorify The Creator for this beautiful person ...
here in the picture was the feast table that the people of Povoa de Atalaia prepared for Paulo... a simple way to tell him they love him... It was beautiful Paulo's words at the end of the mass as well... he was appreciating the people of this village and expressing his love... he acknowledge their lack of self-esteem, and encouraged all to never think that way... wow, we're all touched... Yes, these people are amazing !!!

Happy ending !!! We put on some reggae throughout the night, Paulo bought some beers, and we all had a nice time together in front of the church building...

Now, some random pictures of the prayer room...if you manage to get here :-)







"Nothing can separate us from your Love God"...NOTHING !!!
THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL !!! IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU ... ALL !!!

...and finally, some REST...not that the whole week was not restful, but it sure felt good to be alone with God and few close friends...
Me and Emma went to "Moses" to be with Vonny and Andrew... I love them so much...

I was looking forward to see how their work in the house was doing...basically, they are rebuilding an old ruined slate house... almost by themselves, only Joao, their neighbour is helping them and teaching them how to do it... AMAZING !!!

me and Emma engraving a message in their wall :-)... "blessing"

and "shantii" (me of course)...

Blessings of Peace at Moses...Amen !!!

Me and Emma went back to the land and Lucy came to visit... we had a short yet lovely time with her...
Nina, Andrew and Levina enjoyed a lot to stay at the land and look after it while we were away... when we came back they had prepared for us a lovely dinner...they left the following morning, hitch-hicking back to Bradford... I was really pleased to meet them all...

Now, me alone again... clearing up the prayer room, organizing few things here and there... washing dirty rags... checking up my e.mails and writing on my blog...
back to my solitude again :-) with God and all creation around me :-)