tHeRe'S mOrE fAmiLy iN dA NeIghBoRHOoD...

me and Jared just had an amazing Sunday ....it was also our "holiday" from the olive picking work...finally we finished all the work and we'll be taking the olives tomorrow morning...
But on Sunday we got to go on a trip to "Moses" to meet a family, the Winter 's...
They got my contact through Mike Love, a friend of Emma, who heard from her about the Mount of Oaks...I also met him in Palestine last year, and he's also one of the 2 guys who lent us part of the money to pay for the land on time... So when he heard the Winter's wanted to go on a tour in Europe with a van, he told them about me and that we should connect...
So, the Winter's left London some months ago, starting an adventure that would eventually lead them here...they just didn't know it then :-)...well, they actually had no idea of where to go, as they only picked a map one hour before leaving London after having everything packed... they only knew they wanted to find a piece of land where they could move in and live in a self sustainable community with other people, preparing a resting place with many gardens for people to enjoy, contemplate, meditate, etc... as Vonetta is a yoga teacher, they would also like to set a yoga retreat place, as their idea was to be together with other couples and singles who also teach Yoga... they thought they would find some land in Italy, but once they got there they didn't feel that was the place...so they thought about Portugal...
eventually they got stolen in Bilbao and they lost my contact, but some weeks ago I found their blog again and wondering where they could be I went to check it out... for my amazement and surprise I found out they have already found their land, and amazing story of "coincidences" that you can read in their Blog ... I got amazed not because they found a place, but because they were just on the other side of the mountain, a bit more than 1 hour by car from us :-)... isn't that funny and amazing !!!
So, I was even more curious to get to meet them...and I felt all those "coincidences" were no coincidence at all :-)
we had an amazing time... they are Andrew, Vonetta, with 2 beautiful children, Joshua and Eloise, and Michell, another yoga teacher... They went to show us their land , "Moses" (which in Portugal has nothing to do with a name of a man...it is simply the name for more than one "Mó", which is a huge stone that grains cereal)... but that's also the name of their amazing dog...who kinda led them all there...he must be a prophet dog :-)...before they departed they knew Moses would lead them to the "promised land"...and that's why their blog is called "poop in europe"...I found that name great !!! but the whole story is in their Blog if you want to read, so I don't write too much here...
the place is simply beautiful in itself, but they have amazing ideas to make it even more beautiful...Vonetta is a gardener too, so she can't wait to start making beautiful places everywhere in the land... it's huge, 3 hectares with plenty of water, and bordered by too streams of rivers... simply amazing...it's in a valley with lots of trees as well... it has few stone ruined houses that they will restore, and Michell has another house too...there is another couple who bought the field next to it also with some ruined houses, so they have a bunch of places :-)... They want to restore that for themselves and then work out a way to build mud huts for people to come for the yoga retreats or other things... there will be a place, that will be a kitchen where everyone will eat together... the place where fellowship will happen, where conversations will flow between people from different backgrounds, cultures and belief systems...that's Andrew's dream...
These are all dreams so far... and I totally believe they're God's, coz that's what He's been putting in the hearts of so many of His children throughout the world...
I'm excited about all this... coz I know what God starts He also finishes...and He's definitely starting something there as well... as He already started here... so near :-) so interesting !!!
after seeing all the lands we were starving so we went to a cafe and snacked something before we could go to the restaurant and have dinner... on the cafe we met all their new friends, 3 young couples from Oleiros, the nearest village... very nice people who have been helping them since they came... very nice fellowship time... it was like we new already for long time... we shared a lots of stuff, we drank, we eat, we laughed together, we drank , we eat... and so the night went on... it was nice to hear more about Yoga and Christianity, and how many times they are so misunderstood and rejected by other Christians who are so afraid of things they know nothing about... I found it great and very exciting, and I believe many christians can learn so much out of things they feared for so long... after dinner in the restaurant, we went back to the same cafe, their friends were back there too...so we kept talking, eating, drinking , some were playing cards, laughing, eating, drinking ... we're being family :-) ...till it was time to go back home...
it took us about 1 and a half hour...wow, we'll definitely see each other often...
we actually might go back on friday coz they're giving a party for their friends there and would love us to come...they will be leaving to London next week, and take care of their things there...selling house, etc... and wish to come back around March...
I came home tired...but totally satisfied and my heart was filled with thanksgiving for this wonderful new friends ...