sPeAkiNg aBoUt DiVeRsItY...

look at our diverse group, ready to go to the village party :-)...
I assure you we were not dressing up (the other day some of us enter on a store and the guy thought they were dressed for carnaval , eh, eh, eh),but we are naturally like this ... punks, freaks (I don't like the word hippies, in Portugal we use the word "freaks" ) and a gentleman , all in one family living in the same place :-)...
We went to the village cuz the Mayor invited some men who play " Acordião" (don't know the name in english...if you know let me know) to come and bring some joy along the streets...
Of course we wouldn't miss it :-)...


we had great fun, and even Lyna took her "poi's" (I hope this is well spelled) and danced along with the musicians...they would go walking in the streets and stop every cafe for a break and a drink...
Unfortunately Chimere and Violeta fought again and Violeta was seriously wounded... she's fine now but I had to go to the vet with her... Pula also got sterilized this week, but it was no problem...next day he was fine...I guess his worst nightmare was to stay 2 days without food...

Anyway, Lyna went back with Chimerre, and we kept on watching the musicians...

Maren started to dance with one of the old ladies ...


and then the old people from the village couldn't hold themselves :-) ...

and here is our Mayor, on the right, who called these musicians and also joined the party... he's such a cool person...

sEe yOu sOoN WiLli, Jo aNd dAvId...

I'm kinda late with my news, cuz I haven't been getting the time to blog nor reply my huge list of e.mails...
Anyway, after Cathy and Emmanuel, Emma and Juran also left...and the last ones were Willi, Jo and David... They will come back though, cuz they are already part of the in and out flowing of the land :-)...
Here's Jo and Lukas with the tractor... Jo and Willi explained all the stuff to Lukas and now he's in charge of the tractor and the chain saw...I have to say that he's doing an excellent job... he's very responsible, dedicated and always excited with his tasks... I'm glad he's here with us... he's our little brother as he's the youngest...

In the mean time, Ton came and he has been a blessing as well...
he's now well established in his "magic mountain" as he called, and he has been a good help in envisioning the trees on the most harmonious places as possible, so they go along with the natural scene that is already presented... he's our oldest and wise brother... Actually it's really funny to see Ton and Lukas hanging out together... it's good to see how different generations, cultures and subcultures interact together in this place ... just like the diversity of trees we're planting :-) ...

mOrE PiCtUrEs fRoM nEw yEaR...bY eMmA cOwAn...

I've been really rubbish when it comes to take pictures...so here goes the ones Emma sent from her time here...

Kettle is ready, coffee on the way !!! this is for Lisa :-), actually this kettle was given by the Borden's :-)


Denny Hurst who came from Lisbon with the family and other friends...

Isaac Hurst and his self made bow...

Ben and Martyna also came from Lisbon with the Hursts...

Maureen Hurst and Marcia...

Emmanuel chopping wood...

Willi, always busy with something...

Cathy preparing her bath with eucalyptus leaves...

Gloria and Marieluise...

Me and Emma, my best friend...

Marcia and Lyna...

Lyna and Emma...

Lukas getting is hair ready for the new year party... :-) I love him !!!

Our new year barbecue !!!

Maren's refuge place :-)

Marcia clearing up the oak forest...

Emmanuel and Juran making the "swet lodge" (sauna)

Juran cleaning his sheep skin...

That's Cathy...always ready to serve and work ... :-)

Maren with her stylish look :-) ...

Juran and Cathy... so beautiful smiles !!!



When the big bus finally arrived... we were in awe !!! so cool !!!

Juran goofing around in the supermarket !!!

I went with Juran, Emma and Marcia to see the trees we'll buy for the land...
And we met this amazing man, Mr.Fernandes, who have been working on this place for 26 years taking care of this amazing trees...

Now the place (from the Government) is going to close to give place to some business people who will turn it into a "Medronho" plantation... the thing is that the local people who work here will lose their jobs :-( , and this amazing trees will be destroyed :-( ... so now , they are trying to sell as much as possible, at a very cheap price ...
It was amazing the way this man was telling the story of each tree, and the amazing care and love he has for all of them...
"progress" they say... Tssss !!!
Capitalist and retarded mentality I would say...
If we keep destroying our trees and plant eucalyptus for the paper industry (that's european union plan for us), soon we'll have a desert country, cuz this trees consume all the water around and they don't let other trees survive... our Government seems not to care at all for our future generations ... where will this lead us to?!!!
I hope our Government stops being selfish and greedy and realise what they are doing before it's too late...
As for us, we want to plant as many trees as possible, as well as encouraging others to do the same... Locals are also not encouraged to care for the land, small and biological agriculture is not encouraged nor supported, keeping native trees neither, they prefer to plant Eucalyptus to receive the Government support for it and to get some money for themselves... They are also not aware that if we keep doing this, the next generations will not have a good land to plant, and the Eucalyptus will end up taking over and dry out all our fields...
Well, I'm not so fatalistic as well, cuz I wanna see hope, and I'm glad many others are aware of this and are fighting for these land not to become barren...
Lets share this as much as we can

mOrNiNg MeDiTaTiOn...

After the day of the village party for Saint Sebastion,
I was running through my thoughts and feelings of what I saw, wondering what all that meant...
So I started to write it down...
(sorry for my poor english and possible mistakes by the way)

Many people just go to God
to see miracles and receive blessings...
few are really interested
in following His teachings...
When some religious people
came once to Jesus and asked Him for a miracle (Mat.16:1-4)
trying to test Him,
he said the only miracle they would be given
would be Jonah's ...
Jonah had spent 3 days inside the big fish stomach,
and he came out alive
to fulfill what he was called to do in the first place...
The same way,
Jesus died on the cross,
He faced for the first time the separation from His Father in Heaven
and went to hell
to take back from satan
the right he had to destroy human lives...
(actually men gave him that right before,
and therefore it needed a man to take it back)
Jesus defeated sin, the devil and death,
once and for all,
victory over evil was wan...
What greater miracle
do we want more?!!
All other miracles are just a result
and reflection of this one...
But still,
many people seem to ignore,
to take it for granted
or forget about it,
they prefer little miracles
to satisfy their moment needs,
like multiplying bread and fish,
healing their sickness,
casting out of demons,
or even resurrection of the dead...
Aren't all these just shadows
of what is awaiting us in heaven?!!
Aren't these just the natural reflections
of what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us?!!
On the time those religious people
confronted Jesus,
they had no idea
of what was about to take place on the cross...
But today, more than 2000 Years after
the greatest of miracles men could have witnessed,
we're still going after God
looking after miracles and blessings for our own disposal,
we're still with our eyes focused
in our earthly comfort and needs,
we're still running to "holy places",
"holy objects" or "holy people",
in order to receive a blessing from God...
We're still blind to understand
that the miracle of the cross
was to give us the way
to become a "holy people",
a "holy object",
a "holy place" where the glorious presence of God
wants to dwell...
How much longer
will we walk blind?!!
How much longer
will we prevent ourselves
from the heavenly things
to be satisfied with all the earthly things
that will soon pass away?!!!
How long will we keep the vain traditions
in order to keep people's faith,
and stop seeking God for new revelations?!!!
God still performs miracles today,
yes, no doubt about it...
But the intention is not for us to go after the miracles,
nor to worship the ones used by God
to perform them...
the intention of God
is that we seek Him,
that we get awareness of his power and glory
which can be at work in all of us,
that we fear Him,
and that we abandon
our human and selfish ambitions
of earthly comfort,
and we proceed in total surrender
and abandonment of our whole lives
to serve Him, to Love Him
and Love others as Jesus Loves us...

These days is becoming normal
that the "love" of parents
to their children
is expressed by the material things they offer
and the financial sacrifices
they take to give to their children
what they desire...
But is this Love?!!!
Correcting a child for doing something wrong
is condemned,
(I'm not saying the ways used for correcting are all good)
and parents are seen as "bad"
if they correct their children,
but God tells us :
"Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as His children...
Our parents disciplined us for a little while
as they thought best;
but God disciplines us for our good,
that we may share in His Holiness." (Hebrews 12:7-10)
Even Jesus "learned obedience from what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8)
Many desire just the blessings of God,
but they are not willing to be disciplined,
corrected or transformed...
They want to be the way they are,
run their lives the way they want,
and when in need,
they almost demand God
to come and rescue them...
If we're going through a little suffering
we're not willing to handle it,
we're not willing to mature
and we can even become a bitter person...
What miracle do we want God
to perform?!!
To heal our physical sickness
or to heal our wounds and souls
and transform our character?!!
Do we want God to multiply fish and bread
or do we want to put His Kingdom first
trusting that our basic needs will be met?!!
Do we want God to give us what we want
when we ask,
or do we want Him to build up our faith
and teach us to trust in Him,
waiting patiently for Him
to give us what we really need
on the right time?!!
We ask for patience and endurance,
but we're not willing to wait,
we ask for faith,
but we want to see first in order to believe,
we ask for provision,
but we're not willing to trust,
we ask for deliverance,
but we're not willing to surrender and let go,
we ask for life,
but we're not willing to die,
we ask to receive,
but we're not willing to give,
we ask ,
and ask...
but we're not willing to listen...
we want to see God,
not as He is,
but as we want Him to be...

I could go on and on with this,
but my question remains:
Are we looking for God
for His miracles and blessings,
or are we really willing to obey His teachings
and be transformed by His Spirit
in order that we become
"the miracle" and "the blessing"
which will give glory to God in this world ?!!!

nEw yEaR...

it's been a while since I last wrote... I've been quite busy with people who came over, so, that's a good reason to be offline...
Now I'm in Porto again, I came to bring Juran with Amelie (his dog) , to get a big tent that was offered to us and also to take care of some paper stuff of the car... I can't wait to come back already, there's so much stuff to do now at the land... we're buying around 250 trees to plant from a place that is going to shut down and they're selling all trees really cheap... it's also time to trim some other trees and prepare the fields for the Spring... Finally the rain came and that's perfect for the trees we'll plant soon :-)...

But let me share the latest news anyway... This huge bus you see on the picture was one of the Christmas presents for the land....

"it came from Heaven" Willi says... he just doesn't want me to say that he was the one who brought it all the way from Germany... He got it fixed a while ago and wanted to give to a friend, but she said it was too big for her to move around, then he offered it to the Jesus Freak Community in Cologne, but they also said the same thing... "so I offered it to Jesus" , Willi said, "I'm gonna take it to the land in Portugal"... That's Willi... an amazing guy with an amazing heart... on the way to the land 120 Km from it, the big bus broke , in Spain... so, it didn't came for Christmas and New Year, but Willi never gives up, and for him, a broken car is in itself a present :-)...he loves fixing things, and he's simply a genious (have you heard about Macgiver? He´s just the same), even though doctors say he is not able to tie his own shoes anymore, so "Mercedes Benz" fired him after 30 years of work... Tsss, right!!!
he doesn't get bodered much about it anyway, he makes jokes about it all the time...they pay him a good pension and that is enough to support himself and to help others ... anyway, going back to the big bus...so he ordered a piece that was broken... Jo brought it when he came down from Cologne, and they went to Spain... it only took them 2 days to be back with the bus fixed...
So, in a way, yes "it came from Heaven"... a real blessing from God to the land... now we have a "land hotel" :-)... but God used an amazing guy to bring it down to us...


Another amazing present which actually came inside of the big bus, it was something I was longing for for long time...
a motor excavator (I hope that's the proper name)...whatever, it means that we'll be able to work the land much easier and make a bigger vegetable garden this year...
I also got a volunteer to take care and work with it :-), Lukas (in the picture lighting a cigarette)...
Lukas is another amazing guy that came to the land... He's a young punk rocker kid, maybe 17 years old, nephew of Jonathan and Anne... they asked me a month ago if he could come to the land as he was already disapproved in his school...I was excited about it...of course he could come!!! so Jonathan wrote his school and presented the project of the "Mount of Oaks" community and ask them if Lukas could finish his year here, as a volunteer in a social project... they accepted !!!
And it has been so nice to have Lukas around... the school disappoves him as a good student, but the truth is that he's so willing to learn...and he's enjoying so much to be on the land... he's always with Willi and wants to learn all about mechanics... and he loved the "motor excavator", that's why I made him responsible for it...I thought he needed a specific responsibility of his own...and I'm glad he's excited about it...
It's interesting to see how our society labels people and simply discards them as they please, according to their patterns and demandings...
Willi is considered as mental invalid, but in reality he´s a genious...
Lukas is considered a loser and not approved to fit in the system, but he has such an amazing heart, he really wants to learn things and he's good in what he does... for me he has all to be a winner, not a loser...
How many people in this world live thinking they are losers, or end up becoming criminals, addicts or homeless, just because our society doesn't know how to affirm them in their real identity... society is so limited in the options of life it presents... if we don't fit, if we are a bit different, if we just don't understand it, don't agree with it or don't believe in it, we are stamped as losers, crazy, lunatics, dangerous ,etc... Tssss...what an ilusion !!!

On the same picture, on the other side of the table is Ton, a Dutch man who was living for 10 years in Delhi, India (here is his new home at the land).
He started and he was running the Sewa Ashram, a community of the poor and destitute... But now he came back to Europe and he needs some time to get addapted to our ocidental culture, process all that he learnt in India, write down his thoughts (and he has good ones), rest... well, simply BEING... and I guess he found a place for that at the land...he loved Portugal and our people as soon as he came... I'm glad with that...I've been hearing about him and his work for almost three years, and now he's here...so cool !!!

But many others came together with the 2 buses convoy from Germany: Lyna and David who are about to have their child, Maren and Edy who were already here last year...As I said Jo also came after new year and will go back with Willi this coming week...
We also had a guy coming from Sweden, Emmanuel, who heard from the land from different Jesus Freaks and from Emma in UK... It was really nice to get to know him as well, and I'm looking forward to see the pictures he took here...
There was also 2 german girls, Gloria and Marielouise, who are travelling and volunteering in different organic farms through the wwoof program...
Emma also came, of course, and she brought an old friend of hers, Cathy, a very cool girl as well...
For the New Year I also got special friends coming from Lisbon, Denny, Maureen,
Alana and Isaac Hurst, Ben and his girlfriend Martyna, Ruben and Marcia...
Marcia is a special one as well... We've been friends for some years already and the last years we've been getting more and more closer... I love Marcia, and I love her desire to get closer to God...she just decided to quit her job, sell her house and give her time to be with God...well, it was not "just like that", she wisely took the steps she needed to take...some were surprised, some thought she was crazy, but some also encouraged her... I'm really happy that she's staying in the land for a while, and hope to get even closer to her... And I'm sure God will do great things in her life, cuz He always does when we separate ourselves to Him...

So, here are some pictures of the New Year party...

David, Lyna and Chimere(Lyna's dog)...Emmanuel taking a picture...

Nuno, our friend from a neighbour village...

Isaac, Maureen, Martyna, Marcia, Ruben and Alana...
Martyna, Ben (hiding), Maureen (runing away), Marcia (with her beautiful smile), Ruben and Alana...
Edy celebrating the coming of the New Year...opening a beer bottle with the chain saw... everyone got surprised and amazed...the highlight of the night for sure !!!
Even Willi came to take a close look !!!
Gloria, Marielouise, Emma, Nuno, Jared, Wili, Lyna, Cathy and Lukas...

And we also got a new look in our Kitchen...we moved the hang out place for the kitchen place, and we got a new wooden Hoven from my aunt... it's much cosier now :-)


And this is our future "swet lodge", or sauna if you prefer, that Juran and Lukas so carefully built...unfortunatelly it was always too rainy to try it out...but soon we'll make it...