tImE 4 cOnTeMpLAtIoN

LOUVA A DEUS !!! (praying Mantis)

fEw dAyS iN pOrTo...

I went to Porto last week for a few days to visit my family :-) and also to take Emma to the airport :-(... God is leading us into a much deeper relationship... that's so cool ... she's my best friend, my prayer partner, my journey partner, my sister... in good and bad moments...I just love her !!!
the babies are getting more and more cute...look at them !!!

Edna is a great and proud mom, and Paulo is an amazing dad...Pamela also came for the weekend to see her little brothers...she was all excited telling me that she was dressed in white coz that was the worldwide day of Peace...she's so sweet...and she has such a great heart !!! this girl is gonna make some noise in this world, I tell you...
And I also took the opportunity to make my second tatoo, eh, eh...I will not post any pictures yet, coz it's not totally finished ... it will need maybe 2 more sessions...Ouch !!!
but it's amazing already !!! Paulo is a great tatoo artist...I give him an idea and he just does it...


I'm back on the land now...actually I'm in Fundao today to make some stuff and go shopping...our cats and dogs are desperate for food...yes, now they're a lot...Mishu and her 3 kitties (and I think she's pregnant again...oh, no...I'm gonna check today for a vet to sterilize her:-( we can't handle more kitties killing all other animals )...Huckleberry and Tom Sawyer already addopted us as their family and Violeta seems to go the same way...Juran brought her for Bruno's sheep, but he never comes to pick her up...Oh well...They're all free anyway, which is good... we basically just feed them...
Yep, this land is a shelter for all those who need a family...even animals !!! :-)

ViLlaGe pArTiEs...

During the whole month of August and still now in September all the surrounding villages have been having their local parties... it's often around some sort of "saint" (I don't even want to comment on that here), but is mainly a family gathering where also those who are working abroad join in... There are special masses around the "saint", there's a lot of food and drinks, and also bad portuguese music...we call it "pimba" music here, and they mostly have really bad quality and aweful lyrics...
they're usually about sex, where the role of the women is mainly as an object...and the most weird thing of all, is that we see the woman enjoying as well...I don't get it...probably they don't even pay attention to what is said...well, I hope that's the case :-/..I always say to the foreigners that they are lucky for not understanding the lyrics :-/...
Some may say this is our folk tradition, but excuse me...This has nothing to do with tradition... if we remember some old portuguese music, there's nothing to do with this... Here we have some good drum players, and some other traditional instruments, like "adufes" for instance...What about folklore? what about the revolutionaries from the 70's? Zeca Afonso, Janita Salome, Julio Pereira and others... and there are also so many good ones from today...where are the revolutionary songs which use to give the people from the countryside their worth and value? songs that would awake people to fight for their rights, instead of just making them numb and quiet with alcohol and other drugs ...
This "pimba" bands are no more than a great business...and it's sad that people are buying it... Even university students support this guys...Pfff...where is this country going from here?!!...
I wish we could do something here to really promote our traditional culture... there's so much richness in each district of Portugal... so many traditional handicraft and knowledge being lost... so many good artists which are mostly ignored...
Portugal is not only Lisbon... this is a big lie that was sold long time ago... There are so many riches in the countryside, and so much better quality life...
well, it was good to go to Povoa de Atalaia and participate together with the people, but I couldn't handle it for too long :-/... and also in the land, almost every weekend during this month we heard the loud music from everywhere :-) eh, eh... oh well, I had to sleep many times with ear-plugs, but that's ok :-)
It's good to keep traditions...it keeps the culture...but is this really keeping it ?!!!
here goes a song I like from Zeca Afonso...
for those who understand portuguese :-)

"Quando a corja topa da janela
O que faz falta
Quando o pão que comes sabe a merda
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando nunca a noite foi dormida
O que faz falta
Quando a raiva nunca foi vencida
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é acordar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando nunca a infância teve infância
O que faz falta
Quando sabes que vai haver dança
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é empurrar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando um cão te morde a canela
O que faz falta
Quando a esquina há sempre uma cabeça
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é empurrar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando um homem dorme na valeta
O que faz falta
Quando dizem que isto é tudo treta
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é agitar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é libertar a malta
O que faz falta

Se o patrão não vai com duas loas
O que faz falta
Se o fascista conspira na sombra
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é dar poder a malta
O que faz falta"

LoOkiNg a Bit bAcK...

well, I just had more things to share about the prayer week and some very amazing people who were at the land...I'll just post some pictures and write some comments... Yes Whitney, I did have pictures of the "Prayer wood", but I didn't have more battery last time when I wrote about it...so here goes now...


this was in the prayer wood...by the way, now it became a permanent prayer spot for those who desire some retreat place in the land...very shantii...

This was when Bart left us...Emma and her wee presents...she always makes something for people...often they are like prayers, and very symbolic..that's our Emma !!!

On the same day Anne left as well after so many months here... it was a great time to have her here and get to know her beautiful heart...

Here is Clemens and Kata when we went to the local party in Castelo Novo....it was fun !!!

Nanette, Bernard, Ernsti and Isa ... they are such great people...all of them...I really enjoyed all the time with them...they are those kind of people that are so easy to love...really !!!

They made lots of things in the land as well...one of them was cleaning our drinking water spring...here are Isa and Ernsti filling some bottles to take up to the kitchen...

They also extended the cover to collect wood for winter...and they left the woods much more cleaner :-) !!!

They are so hard workers...well, they are activists...they can't help it I guess :-) !!! I even had to make some rules while they were here...
I almost force them to enjoy siesta after lunch and stop working under the hot sun...Of course I'm just kidding about "rules", but in the end I guess they were starting to learn some more about rest :-) !!!
Shantii, Shantii... it's a word everyone have to learn here :-) ...


But they were having fun as well...they discovered this little river "pool" near Castelo Novo and we had some nice times there too...

And Bernard got to make some of his inventions work :-) Look at his face here...like a kid !!!

speaking about beeing like a child...eh, eh, this is the sign you can find on the road to Alpedrinha...I just found it when I was walking with Emma to meet the rest at the river... blow the trompet little bear !!! or beer ?!!! (this joke is for Jonathan :-) ...)

Nanette and Lucy with the kitties... I really have to be careful to check the bags of those who leave...everyone wants to take them :-/ ... it was really nice to get to know Lucy as well...what a funny character :-) , and beautiful heart !!!

and Marcia also came back for one more week...soooo cool !!! I really love Marcia...my sister from Lisbon...I guess we know each other for more than 5 years already...but we're getting closer and closer... she's an amazing woman and very good friend !!!

O.K, I just finish leaving you some beautiful picture of the land...

The first sunflowers blooming... with the beautiful yellow fields in the mountains of Gardunha behind !!!

Enjoy !!!

"nEiGhBoRs aRe mOrE tHaN fAmiLy..."

these were the words of one of our neighbors, Adelina... she's amazing!!! she lives in the village and has her land next to ours where everyday she goes to water her wonderful garden... she often gives us the fruits of her labor :-) and she's always giving us good tips on how to plant our own things... she's alone, well, her kids don't live with her anymore... her husband left her many years ago with 3 kids to raise, between 8 and 12 years old...she had to work a lot she said, to be able to raise her kids...but proudly she said that they missed nothing and they never got themselves into big troubles ...now she finds herself alone as they all went away to work abroad... this is just one of many stories of the people of Povoa de Atalaia... but they mostly sound the same... loneliness is all they have left after a whole life of labor in this land...
Tia (Aunt) Adelina says she's really glad we are living here and she's even considering moving from the village to her land :-) ... so sweet... she even said that she's sorry that many of those who come don't speak portuguese, otherwise we could just become a big community there, with ours and her land :-) isn't that a cool idea !!! Who knows !!!
Me and Emma went in the morning to Tia Adelina to watch them making "Agua Ardente", this very strong alcoholic drink made from the rest of the grapes which were smashed before to make wine...
There was Bruno, her nephew, which father just recently died :-( , and his mom... Antonio was also there, one of Tia Adelina 's sons who is now working in France...

This is how the drink is made...the rest of the grapes are boiled in this beautiful pot, and the steam of it goes through that metal spiral which is inside a bin filled with cold water...the condensation transforms the steam into " Agua Ardente"... and that's it...
In the end we stayed for lunch... a nice barbecue with meat, sardines and peppers...
meanwhile the "Agua Ardente" was ready and we could taste it...well, just a little sip...it's soooooo strong !!!
After all the others left and it was only me, Emma and Tia Adelina... I had a nice conversation with her...well, more like a listening time...she told me a lot of her family story and in the end, as we were saying good-buy, she was telling us what I meantioned before, that she really appreciates us to be there...
as tears were almost falling down her eyes I told her that she now has a bunch of children just next to her :-) , they just speak some other weird languages, but they might learn portuguese one day :-) ...
That would be nice... we 'll see what God has still stored for this place :-)... May He also use us to make some of these old people feel less lonely, and also more useful in their end stage of life... they have so much to give and teach us ... we're blessed !!!

FiiiiiiU...sO mAnY tHiNgS 2 sAy...

Fiiiiuuuu...I don't know where to start...I was just watching the pictures and I realized so many things have happened...And I'm only taking time now to process it... I have to say that these last 2 weeks have been a bit overwhelming for me...I'm not so good with lots of people around... I feel I don't have time to be with anyone properly and I tend to hide myself as well going to a quieter place...oh well...that's me !!! Actually now I'm having some rest...I'm by myself in the land as some went away, others went to Lisbon or Porto... So, it feels nice after the busy weeks...just me and God :-)
But I've been so blessed with so many beautiful people coming here....Like Nelly , here at the picture


she was crazy...she just came from Lisbon for a night to see me...and her train even got very late because of a fire on the rail tracks...I was so sorry for her, and Catherine, her friend... they arrived after 11pm and had to go at 1pm next day...I wished they could have stayed longer... but I hope she will come back for longer time...she's studying in the States, and she was on her way to visit the Borden's 's in Tanzania...Oh, how I wished to hide in her backpack to go to :-/...

Meanwhile we were on the last preparations to start with our week of 24 hours praying...
A lot of people end up coming that I didn't even know they were supposed to come... I guess God had everything planned ahead...as usual Eh, eh... I lost the count, but we end up being more than 30 people... some more germans arrived...a team of 8 people from Ywam also joined us... it was really cool !!! A very interesting mix of people... And during the weekend, finally some portuguese arrived :-)... Ben, Bruno and Marcia with Whitney and Alana (well, they are not YET portuguese, eh, eh)
But I better now just post the pictures and comment...it's easier !!!

This was our opening night for the prayer week...my sister Edna came with Paulo, Pamela and my cousins from Castelo Branco, Nela, Catarina and her boyfriend Jorge...

It was so cool to have my family and so many close friends together around the fire...friends who are like family too... we took the chance to remember why we were all here... because of Jesus...we shared the bread and wine with one another and we had a time of worship and prayer...
Next day was our first day serving the village POVOA DE ATALAIA...the land of the poet...

and we went on the way just collecting trash that people dump on the side of the road...it's unbelievable how can people still do that when we have already trash bin in the village...even recycling bins... I guess it's a lack of education on that matter...and it was one of our purposes to do that...

It was amazing the kind of things we found as well...

Here's Ernsti...almost looking as if he went shopping in a mall :-)

Funny Barth... he is an angel !!! eh, eh...
Next day we were cleaning up the street in the village and arranging a bit the garden... the Mayor, Rodrigues, gave us some tools for that...

and he said something really interesting...he said "- you know what I'd like you to do with this?...just showing this people what community is all about...coz they don't seam to know...everyone just gets in trouble with one another..."
wow, what an insight...I love this guy!!!

On saturday we were a lot more...the portuguese arrived...and the Ywam team as well...just a few stayed on the land to cook dinner and water the plants...

on our way we met some of our neighbors on their donkey cart...so funny !!!

we didn't have tools for everyone, but we kept working on the garden of the village hall and some cleaned the school...
we had good fun and then went for an ice-cream at the cafe...

a gift from God over the skies of Povoa de Atalaia...just to remember He was with us...

And again on the land, as the sun was about to set... soooo beautiful...
Actually it rained that night and Marcia, Alana and Whitney got a bit wet in their tent which had to rain cover :-/...poor ones, they had to finish their night in the car :-(...
but apart from that it was nice that we had a bit of rain...the land needed it...and it was nice to be a bit cooler after so many hot days...

the last day serving the village, on sunday, we all went, finished the garden and then had a nice barbecue which was a gift from the Mayor for our service... we made it in front of the village hall...



Juran with Hanne and Jonathan...Juran was also making tatoos that night...eh, eh...he's addicted now...


Barth after making his tatoo, with the 2 french girls, Lyna whom we met in Israel/Palestine last year, and Cami, her friend from Paris...
the next days were more relaxed as we didn't need to go to the village...

and the sun came back again so we could enjoy a good swim in our little lake...

or a good chill in our hamock (don't know how to spell it )

some of the team from Scotland...

And there was also some good times around the table to chat and pray for each other...

The portuguese handsome guys :-) Ben and Bruno eh, eh

O.k, my battery is almost over...
There were a lot more nice moments during these days of the prayers week...some really cool charing of testimonies around the fire ...praying for each other nations...actually we were from all over the world... Portugal, Germany, Ireland, U.K., France, Brazil, USA, New Zelland...I guess that's all...wow...all gathered in the "middle of nowhere" in Portugal :-)
God is great !!!

Shantii