GoD iS sO gEnErOuS...& hE uSeS gEnErOuS pEoPLe...

This is the second time I'm going to type this... last friday I was just uploading the last photo and...everything was gone ...

I have no idea of what happened...but anyway, that doesn't stop me from writing it again...defeating technology by patience and perseverance ... especially because I want to praise God in this post...
so yes, God is generous...and God uses generous people... I was thinking about that on thursday during my trip from Porto in this beautiful car ... I still can't believe I actually have a car... a convertible car for a farm, it almost sounds like a joke, but it´s not...

At just the right time, because now we will start picking olives and I had no way to carry them... This is not exactly the kind of car anyone would carry olives in, but well, it will have to work... maybe in smaller portions...

Paulo, my brother in law gave me the car... just like that... he was about to sell it because they didn't need it anymore and it was one more expense and I just asked if I could use it until it´s sold... and he simply said " You want it? You can keep it !"...

he even fixed something that was broken and gave it a complete washing up before he handed it to me... Paulo is an amazing person... This is just the way he is ! And Edna, my sister as well... they are not only generous, but they are so hospitable with so many people that come and go through their house... actually, most of those who come here through Porto airport end up staying one or more days in their house... and everyone gets impacted by their friendliness, hospitality and generosity... they already have 2 extra "sons" living with them, Nico, from Angola and Juran from Italy, besides the 6 cats and 4 dogs... and they just had twins ! It´s a full house all the time... I hope they also receive from all those who pass by, and that doesn´t become too much for them to handle... When I visit it seems like everyone is helping...

I'm so thankful myself... they've been a blessing to me in so many different times...
All this made me think about many other circumstances when God blessed me... and I'm only referring to material things, because if I would mention all the others this would be a never ending post... 

I can't help but be in awe and gratitude for all the things God has been giving me...
like this laptop I'm using now and the mobile internet...I remember 2 years ago just saying in one e.mail that my communication was not so good because the computer I was using was almost "dying"...a friend replied and said "why don't you share with your friends and raise some money to get a new one?!"...and he was the first one to give some money... I never thought about that...How could I just ask for money to buy a new computer?!! well, but I did it...and in one week I had all the money... God is generous...and God uses generous people... What about the iPod that I'm charging now too?!! well, that was a funny one...I had a friend coming over and he had an iPod...I just thought in my mind..."Hmm, that would be great to have in the land"...believe me or not, next day I got a package from my sister... she was sending me her old iPod..,isn't that amazing ?! it took me almost a month to figure out how it works, but now it's a blessing in the land... it´s our "sound system" !

The craziest story you might know already...how we got this land ...well, how God provided 30.000 Euros in 5 weeks...
All this is crazy to me... these are things that I never thought I could afford, and I never even dared to ask for... first because I don't have any savings account (saving what anyway), I don't have rich parents, and I never buy anything on credit... thank God!
God is generous...and He uses generous people... And I'm so thankful to all those who have been participating in my life through their money...people that believe I am supposed to be who I am, and do the things I do...
I´ve been living like this for almost 10 years now, and God has always been faithful... giving me even more than I could think I could ever have...

I remember one day when I was in Lisbon... Those were the "not so wealthy days" of my journey (well, not that much has changed since)...I was counting every cent to buy the essential food I needed... I was renting a room mainly because Byron and Lisa were supporting me every month and I would rent 2 rooms to students to cover most of it... 

I remember it as if it was today... I was coming out of the train, it was a hot summer day, and a desire just came to my mind : " it would be so good to have an ice-cream now" ... For me that was an "extra" need, a luxury, and I couldn't afford to have "extra" needs then... I didn´t have a job, I was receiving money from people, so I shouldn't have more than the essentials... These were my thoughts then... and that's when God taught me a lesson... I felt a voice saying : "- Go buy an ice-cream for your own pleasure, please"... it was almost like a command... and then God started to speak to my heart... "- you are not my slave, you are my child and my friend... and I like to give you good things and satisfy your heart´s desires"

So I went and bought myself my favourite ice cream...

Not having a job is not because I don't want to or I don´t like working... I do work, but mostly volunteering...  I don't have a 9-5 job because God wants my full time to be available to serve other people...
I learned to be ok with that, because it´s not easy in this society to try to explain it...There are times when the pressures of society make me feel bad about it...
For some people it's even preferable and more secure to have a 9-5 job with a paycheck at the end of each month to do what they want with it... and that's ok , if it's ok for them...
As for me, I gave all my time to God and God gives me things and money for me to be at service  and also for the things I want to have (I don´t think I have many needs)

when Jesus said :" -...do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' But seek first God´s kingdom and Justice, and all these things will be given to you as well." ... I believe in this promise.

I just want to end up giving thanks again to all those who've been participating in my life with finances...This is a lesson I learned with one of my mentors, Marcos Azolin (already with the Father in Heaven now), when I was struggling about "living by faith" asking other people for money...he told me "- but you will not ask people for money, instead, you will give them a chance to participate in your life and what God is doing through your life"... and that changed my perspective since then...

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles...you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received... the gifts you sent.
They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
(Philippians 4:11-20)

bAcK 2 oLd tEmPlAtE sTyLe...

o.k, that's it...I gave up...it seams that it's impossible to hide my loooong posts , and for me that 's one of the most important things coz I think that makes it much better to read ... it doesn't look so discouraging if anyone just want to scroll down and have a look :-)
so, sorry for that !!!
PEACE

bLoG uNdEr cOnStRuCtiOn...

don't worry, your computer doesn't have any virus...i'M jUsT tRyiNg 2 fIgUrE oUt tHiS lAyOuT sTuFf 2 iMpRoVe mY bLoG aPpeArAncE...well, so far it hasn't been improving much...if someone can help me...pLeeeeeeeeeeeeeeAsE...I'd like to hide my posts so you can just click on "read more", but now I don't know how to do it...I'm trying to follow the "help" instructions, but it's not helping much, for my reduced understanding of "computer language"...
so, just don't worry if my blog will look different every time you click on it :-/ sorry... iT's uNdEr cOnStRuCtiOn :-) eh, eh... till I figure this out ...

nOt eAsY To gO fRoM hErE tO SpAiN...

It can be crazy to travel in Portugal if you're not in Lisbon, Faro or Porto...even from Porto can be hard...
It's 6.20 am now and I'm on my way to Sevilha...I already woke up at 4am and I'm on a train to Lisbon...I'll arrive there around 9.30am and then I 'll have to wait until 12.30 when my bus to Faro departs...in Faro I'll wait almost 2 hours until my bus to Sevilha departs at 5.20, which will get me there, if all goes well, around 10pm... 

a whole day trip for maybe 500 Km distance between Povoa de Atalaia and Sevilha... going west to Lisbon, then southeast to Faro and then Sevilha... roughly 1000 Km in one day... Oh well...
It was even worse to get the tickets... I tried online, but it didn't work because Portuguese and Spanish services are not connected... there is a bus company, called "EVA" that does Faro-Sevilha, and they have some sort of link with "Rede Expressos" that does the connection between Lisbon and Faro... so, when I tried to buy the ticket online on "Eva"'s web site, they sent me to "Rede Expressos" web site...but the thing is that they have no destination to Sevilha, so, it was impossible...

Thankfully I went to Lisbon last weekend and I could buy it there...but still, it was not easy...I had to go to "Eva"'s ticket place to get the connection from Faro to Sevilha...with an open return which I still need to confirm as I get there... Then I went back to the "Rede Expresso" ticket place and wanted to buy the ticket from Lisbon to Faro and return... for my amazement, I couldn't get a return ticket because it was more then 7 days...oh well, I didn't get it...so, I just pray I will have a return ticket on monday from Faro... believe it or not, that's how buses work in Portugal in the year 2007.

Here's a picture of Huck and Violeta...they always follow me to the train station now, then they go back home by themselves... I like that they are like that, free and independent...so I don't need to worry so much...Tom is not always around, but when he is, he also comes along...  they're funny... I hope they find a way to find food while I'm away as well...Stephi, Jared and Angela are in the land now, but they'll be going to Porto on friday, and Jared will be back only on monday... I'm praying that God will feed them all, cats and dogs, during these days... well, the kittens are good hunters already, so that shouldn't be a problem for them... I hope...

nEw visits, aFtEr tHe LoNeLy dAyS...

Tiago, an old friend of mine from Porto came for a few days to visit...I think he arrived friday night, more than a week ago... it was really nice to have him here...and really fun...he works with "arborism" and he brought a little gift for us... he built a small slide for us to try... Saturday morning another guy arrived, Jared ...hopefully to stay for a longer time...

His visa will run out in the end of October, so he needs to extend it for more 3 months for now...He was thinking to apply for a permanent visa and make the land his homebase in Europe, but for that he would need to go to the USA to apply for it... how can we understand these things?

Jared wants to stay in Europe for a while...travelling and getting to know travellers, squatters and anarquists...
so now I have a new neighbor in the woods... He loves trees as well...he just set up his hammock and rain tarp between 2 trees, and he's happy... a very interesting person.

The next day, Tiago set up the slide for us to have some fun...

and it was soooooooo cool, even though it was just a small one... we were speaking and he said he has a project to present to the city-halls to set up Arborism "playgrounds"... It´s a great idea, to bring children to natural places, connect them with trees and teach them to deal with their fears...

On monday Stephi was coming... she's a mother I met in Germany 2 years ago in the rainbow when I met most of the Jesus Freaks' family... she's married to Uli and they have 3 kids, Milan, Melody and Elias... they're a great family...
Me and Jared went shopping in Fundao as we had quite a few heavy things to buy... luckily we found a baby car in the trash that helped us carry all the shopping back to the land... great provision...

After shopping we picked up Stephi from the bus...she was happy with that, and also very proud of herself as she hasn´t been traveling on her own since a long time...

It has been really cool to have her around... but unfortunately I don't have much time to be with her as I just came this weekend to Porto to see some friends and I will have to leave again to Sevilha to see Byron and Lisa... I'm so excited and looking forward for that...I miss them sooooooooooooo much !!!!

mOrE cOnNeCtIoNs aNd wHy cAlLiNg MoUnT oF oAkS tO tHe lAnD...

It's so interesting how the internet can connect people who just live next to each other and haven't crossed paths with each other personally...

One day I got a comment on my blog from someone who was interested to get to know more about our community, lifestyle and principles... He asked me why we named the land "Mount of Oaks" and I explained it to him...  I was simply looking at the military map of the region and the mount where we stand is called "Monte dos Carvalhos", which is "Mount of Oaks", in Portuguese obviously...

He then told me that he also has a house in the "Monte dos Carvalhos", and it might be the same hill , isn't that funny? 

So far our only contact was through my blog, but I´m looking forward to meeting him personally... I asked him how did he find my blog, and he said he just saw the signs on the road and he was curious to know what was that all about... then he typed "Mount of Oaks" on Google and he found Nuno Barreto 's blog who was recently here and had made a post named "mount of Oaks"...from there it was easy to get the link to my blog... These technologies can really be used for useful purposes, if we don't let ourselves be used by it, but that would be another post...

 Aquiles Pinto is his name, he lives in Lisbon, but he grew up in this area, more in Serra da Estrela, which is the highest mountain range in Portugal and it´s on the other side of Serra da Gardunha, the mountains around us... here he has inherited half of the house of his grandmother where he used to spend all the summer holidays...
Eventually I got to meet him in person...he came this saturday with his daughter Alexandra to see the land...but it was a bit rainy already so we didn't even went to look around...I just made some tee and we mainly spoke about many things... he said he heard about many people living like this, but not many christians... I wonder what he meant by that as I´m sure there are many other christians living like this too, and even more radically, like so many monasteries all over europe once were... Or Leo Tolstoi´s communities which are a great example...

Maybe today we see less christians choosing a simple life out of the capitalist system, specifically because they are trying to follow Jesus´s teachings when it comes to finances and sharing of all resources, as I am, and that might be what he wanted to say with that comment... It is sad and I know it´s true for what I´ve seen... Many churches are too much focused in themselves, in getting more members and in their own entertaining programs, more than trying to reduce all the injustices in the world that enable europeans to live the comfortable lives they live in... a lot of churches still preach a "prosperity gospel" that says that God blesses the wealthy, as we see it coming from American preachers... One time I went to a christian group of university students to talk about justice and ending poverty and someone commented that my content was too communist... imagine.... I think a lot of communist teaching is more "christian" than a lot of church teaching, and possible many communists are better followers of Christ than many christians today. 

Anyway, I also found out that Aquiles is a natural lover of this region and knows a lot of the history and the traditions of local people... he has a lot of interesting things to share... 

we were exactly speaking about the village parties and how it could be much more traditional than it is (as I wrote in a previous post)... I guess Aquiles can give me a lot of information for me to research...and maybe we can work together on something, who knows? 

He already sent me yesterday some music and other links about different traditions from this area, I still need to check it out... It would be nice to revive some of the traditions and culture of this place ...

"Deus quer, o homem sonha, a obra nasce"

(Fernando Pessoa)
"God wants, man dreams , the work is done" (rough translation)

Alexandra might be back soon with her boyfriend..they are both musicians, she plays the flute and he plays the saxophone...actually I heard him around new year when I was passing by their house, but I didn't see anyone..

Another blessing was that Aquiles gave me a key for the electricity house they have in the end of their land, less than 5 minutes from ours... There, I can have 2 plugs where I can charge my computer and other stuff...Isn't that a blessing !!! I'm so grateful !!!

lOnG rAiNiNg dAyS ...

Today I can see the sun again, after one full week with non-stop rain... Phew! I was feeling like this little mouse here in the picture... poor one, I took him out of the road just 5 minutes before a car came...I hope he survived...but I hope he doesn't find the way to my kitchen...

I didn't mind the rain actually, it was a nice, quiet and cozy time for me...I was alone with the nice company of all the cats and dogs of course,  so I would have my own rhythm to do what I needed to do... 

I realized I need so much time alone with God than I thought I did... I'm just losing the track of time every morning now...I 'm usually getting up at 8am, I go down to feed the cats and dogs...it's always an excitement, as if they wouldn't see me for weeks ! I make my own breakfast too and then around 9 I'm going up again to my hut to have my meditation time... I'm just going through a bunch of teachings I already have to review them... As I do that, God is revealing new stuff, or I´m reminded me of other things that I forgot... it's so cool ... I also realized how much I love this ancient texts we call the Bible... God speaks a lot to me through those stories of man and woman trying to figure out what God is like... I'm glad we have Jesus´ life to bring more clarity about that because humans tend to get stuck in their own interpretations as if there is only one way to see it... It´s true that what we know about Jesus´ life is also in text, but as we develop our own relationship, the Spirit starts to speak to us and we develop our own stories in life with this God who is not only present, but actively present... 

After meditating on some text, I just pick up my pen and journal and often I´m surprised with what comes out...sometimes prayers, sometimes questions, sometimes cool revelations and different ways of looking at the text...

When I'm by myself and have no one to really care for or any other responsibility, this is what I love doing, this is what makes me lose track of time... Sometimes, like today, it was already 2pm when I was done... 

I am so thankful I can have this time, because this practice does make me a better person, and I feel I can help more people with this wisdom... This is also a good reason to live like this in a community, being able to provide for a small community our essential needs, and having more time to pray, meditate and study...

I need to make more time for these practices even when more people are around... it might look a bit unsocial to some,to be away most mornings, but that would make me such a better person to be around... 

It´s important in a community that we have time to develop our spiritual practices and have time and space of our own. I think everyone needs this, otherwise it is not sustainable in the long run... We need to be well balanced and healthy in order to be available to serve others who are in need... If we just give and give without looking after ourselves, we could end up empty and burned out...

I've been having other challenges too...like discipling the kittens to pee and poo outside the kitchen and my house... They are cute but they are challenging my patience to the limit... it´s not easy to make them understand they cannot just  pee everywhere there is some soil... because part of our kitchen floor, is soil ( I'm trying to compact some clay now)... my hut´s walls are soil... so , it's hard for me to get them to understand the difference between inside soil and outside soil...

Speaking of hard work, I've been also digging ditches for the water to flow and not to get stuck where it shouldn't... the heavy rain helped me to see where it was needed.
Another good thing about being alone here was that I was able to bathe inside the kitchen in front of the fireplace... it felt so good, and simple! There's something about having a bath, especially in a basin and with a simple soap , that reminds me of childhood when I would spend the summer with my grandparents in a small village in the centre of Portugal, or later on in Angola where I lived pretty much off-grid in the humanitarian organization I served in... At my grandmother's there was a big basin, or maybe that was how I remembered as a child... she always had her fire place in the kitchen on, with a few round iron pots with 3 little legs, where the water boiled super fast... not unlike what I did yesterday here, it felt so good, even if the basin was not that big...
little things in life that can bring us so much joy!