mOuNt oF oAks cOmMuniTy...tHe viSioN...

finally the time has come to define what this place is all about...what God has been putting in our hearts even before we came to know this place called "Mount of Oaks"... a vision that got matured with time...
I'm working on a new blog just for the land and the community as I feel it's already having a life of its own, and I'm not the only one anymore to be committed on a long term basis...
At the moment there is me, Ton (who was before in India for 10 years, starting an Ashram in Delhi), Josh and Rosie (an english couple I met on a rainbow gathering who were looking for a piece of land to develop their knowledge on permaculture and live together with other people), Marcia (who's now in Mexico, but soon will come back), and Carli (who came to stay with us for 1 year, but is considering extending that time)...
Of course these are the residents at the moment, but I have to say that the community as a family has many others more who are all over the world...some visit regularly, some pray faithfully, and so many contribute to our "magic hat" to provide for our different needs...
we gathered recently when Emma and Juran were also visiting (they are definitely part of this family) and I presented the vision God had matured in my heart during these last years... it testified in all of our hearts, so we thought it would be nice to share it with others and make a new blog for the community...so...

THE VISION

a MONASTIC, LIFE GIVING, ECO-COMMUNITY

that's the title I put above the picture I draw...I'll explain each part of the picture soon, but I want to bring some ideas first about these 4 concepts :

MONASTIC - ...in the world, but not of the world...
...reaching a balance between prayer, work, rest & fellowship
...an holistic & organic vision, where everything plays its part in order to function as a whole...we can see things separately, but we cannot really separate one thing from the other...

LIFE GIVING - ...Centred on/in The Giver of Life : GOD

ECO - ... in harmony with all creation...

COMMUNITY - ...being a family...
...inward and outward focused...
...caring for one another and those around...
...inclusive, and not exclusive...

Lets see the picture now and the different parts of it ...


-> THE ROOTS...THE FOUNDATION... what really sustains the whole vision...

- PRAYER, SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN GOD :

*Daily & seasonal rhythms of prayer, fasting, meditation and contemplation
*A place for individual & community prayer (communion with God)
*A place to seek God's presence
*A place for rest & healing (body, soul and spirit)
*A place to pray for others
*Keeping a network of people who pray for the land and community

-> THE TRUNK... what holds it...

- THE CORE COMMUNITY OF LONG TERM NURTURERS :

*A place for intimate fellowship...being a family
*A place to grow with each other in character (healing & Transformation)
*A place to find out more about who we are, developing our gifts and talents
*A place of grace & acceptance of who we are and how we are

-> THE BRANCHES... 4 different expressions ...

- NURTURING THE LAND : developing permaculture, self-sustaining living

*Farming : veggies, animals
*Trees
*Crafts : wood, wool, leather, clay, metal, glass, baskets, etc.
*Use of natural resources for energy (sun, wind, water)
*Transforming products (drying, dairies, flour, bread, jams, soaps, medicines, etc.)
*Rest the land and animals (& people), one day a week, one year every 7th.

- NURTURING PEOPLE :

*Provide hospitality, rest, healing & retreat places
*Provide fun :-) for children and adults :-)
*Provide opportunities for people to serve as volunteers
*Serve the villages around (24-7 prayer/service week & other ways)
*Hosting workshops & Seminars : Permaculture, Music, dance, etc...
*Hosting School groups (educational)
*Going to Markets, fairs and Festivals (ways to share)

- SEEKING JUSTICE :

*By the way we live and how that affects others, both locally and globally
*Networking with other communities for a fair exchange of products
*Developing ways to support communities, projects or individuals in poor countries :
-sharing our experience on self-sustaining living
-sharing with others their projects&needs (visiting as well)
-sell their products at fair prices & send them money
*Giving part of what we produce to those in need
*Offer space & voice for organizations/associations or individuals who seek justice, both locally & globally ("social fair" at prayer week or other events)

- MULTIPLYING : by being a model ...

*Encourage and support others to do the same in other places
*Move to others places to start the same kind of community, or visit frequently those in pioneering stages
*Praying for more communities to start or for those who are already starting
*The goal is not to grow big, but to grow strong and steady in our values...being a model to be multiplied :-)...


...trees bear fruits with seeds, to produce the same kind of trees... but of course, there will never be 2 trees who look exactly the same ...

This is also a vision I got before I went to the land... a network which I believe God is building, between Eco-villages, Urban monasteries, and the many pilgrims who pass through both of them all over the world...I see this happening already...and more is to come !!!