oN tHe wAy...2 tHe rAiNbOw gAtHeRiNg...

we travelled on monday and arrived on thursday... only now I'm having the time to sit and try to write about it...me, Marcia, Lyna and Juran went on a short trip to a rainbow gathering down south in the Algarve...I feel I lost the momentum to write about it, but lets see what comes up in this post as it flows...

when I arrived I was filled with lots of feelings and emotions, heart connections, lots of stories in my heart, lots of beautiful pictures in my mind... I have to say that I didn't take many pictures there because I don't feel comfortable as I know many people don't like cameras... Most of the things we saw and experienced cannot be captured in a picture anyway...

we had a nice trip, around 5 hours long...we stopped once in Portalegre to have a coffee and to admire an ancient tree, a massive 160 year old "Plátano"/Plane tree... Simply Beautiful !



We arrived after lunch and set up our "tent" on the hill...

beautiful view as well...

Look at the beautiful flower I've found just next to our camp? I have never seen anything like it... it was as if it was made out of wax or something... amazing!
over the rainbow camp and the beautiful valley of green, yellow, purple and white... a strong fast river run through the valley and along its bank the rainbow camp was set...tents were all over in different places, the main kitchen, 2 tipis and the "coffee shop" from where we could hear shouting "coooooooffee" all day long ...

in about one hour we were ready to join the others...
I feel at home in the rainbows...if you're not familiar with these gatherings you can find out more here in a previous post I wrote...
people received us with a warm hug and the usual "welcome home" saying... some were already preparing dinner in the kitchen, a couple of children were playing in the water naked, some others were arriving too.. .we went to the main circle where the fireplace is always burning and we joined the musicians... the guy with the guitar started to sing a nice song...I don't remember now exactly but it was something like "Jah is with us , we don't have to fear" , I followed with my drum and it went on and on until dinner was ready ..." Foooooooood circle" ... time to gather all around the fire and join hands...we forgot plates...silly us !!! but Provision never failed ... we cut a bottle in the middle and there was a plastic plate and even a normal one for us to use... the food was always good as well !

I met old friends I haven't seen for years, I met new ones...there were around 60-80 people... all beautiful , each with their own characteristics, each one special...
nights were filled with fun, music and dance...

some nights more than others...one time people were getting wild making animal's sounds...it was so fun!!! so freeing !!! so releasing !!! hard to describe with words...

many people asked us about our community and we left directions on the "information tree"... we are hoping to have some of them over as there's another gathering happening soon near us in Serra da Estrela... We also heard about a "natural trance party" called "walking to Zion" near Covilha, where people are invited to join with all sorts of instruments ... I would love to go to that one, but I don't think I'll go to the other rainbow gathering...there is too much work in the garden on these hot sunny days ...

I really wish some of those people we met will come here... That's what this land is for too, to welcome the pilgrims, the nomads, the travellers who need a bit of peace and rest on their journey... of course it is also nice, and necessary, that everyone contributes with work and money for food, but so far we have been really blessed with those we´ve been hosting. 

As a nomad myself, I know what it's like when you just need a "home" to come back to... I miss travelling actually, and being on The Way...but I know I'm on the right place at the right season... I love hosting as well... it´s a privilege...

we also met a nice English couple who shared about permaculture and they will come as well... we could learn a few new things to put in practice here at the land, and I felt challenged to attend a 72hours course on Permaculture Design which will give me lots of new insight and ideas to use in the land... I'll pray and research about it...

Thursday morning we woke up early to start our trip back to the land...we wanted to be with Emmanuel who arrived just the day before we left for the rainbow... it was a pity we didn't get much time to hang out, but I'm sure he'll be back...next time for a longer period...

we left our "roof" to a girl who had no rain proof shelter... another beautiful person we met... we went to the kitchen and coffee shop for good-byes and we were ready to get our feet on the road... I mean in the car...

There is one more nice story to share...
we wanted to have a coffee and some food before our 5 hours drive, so we stopped at the first cafe on the way... there were people on both tables outside so we asked a man if we could join him... "of course", he said... we went in to order our things and only when we came out we noticed he was a traveller too... an older man, in his fifties, and not portuguese... we asked him where he was going... "I'm a pilgrim"... we laughed  and said "so are we!" ... " I can tell", he said ...I wondered why? ...

He was going to "Santiago de Compostela"... it's his second time...the first time was 15 years ago and he said he discovered himself... now he came to discover Portugal... he's from The Hague-Holland, divorced 20 years ago, a retired policeman (he worked in the human department services he said), lives alone and he was surprised to hear we were living in a community... he never heard such a thing and that surprised us as well... he was challenged by the idea I guess... 

we all felt we were before an amazing person with lots in his heart to share... he was also a musician, he had 2 instruments, one for the inside, the violin, and the other for the outside, the harmonica... his words carried wisdom and he would not speak only superficial things...
when I asked him where he was on his journey with God, he pondered a lot and started to share... he said he went through some shadow places in his life, but he learned a few things... in his first pilgrimage he said he lost his arrogance... he thought he didn't need others, that he could be happy alone... that was his arrogance...but he learned he is a social person and he needs humans for him to realise he is human... It reminded me of a movie I saw recently, "Into the Wild",  which I recommend everyone to see...

when he finished I went to the car to pick up my Bible and read to him a Psalm that came to my mind as he was speaking... Psalm 23..."The Lord is my shepherd"...he was grateful ... Juran also played for him his "Mbira", a kind of hand piano from Africa, with which the man was amazed...his name was Anner by the way, even though I'm sure it's not well spelled...

the presence of God was clear in our midst and we could all fill it...
he liked my hat... he didn't have one, and he didn't have much hair to protect him as well, so I gave it to him... you should have seen his joy...

Lyna said he looked like Heidi's grandfather...we all laughed ...he didn't want to accept it in the beginning, but I was sure it was not my hat anymore... I was happy too... Juran also gave him a necklace he carried with a nice green stone... Anner didn't know what to say nor what was going on...

Neither do we... we just knew it felt right... we went on our way, leaving him on his journey and followed ours...
we couldn't say much to each other, we all felt we just had a sacred encounter... set up by God for sure...

we went in silence and in awe for a while and I stopped to put on Shimshai's music..."I sense Your presence..."
it was so strong... so real... so beautiful... tears almost fell down my face, my heart was full...

we were also looking forward to being back home... to be with the others...to see the garden and the trees...and to have a nice "sweat lodge" before a good night of sleep...