WinDs oF cHaNgE...

It's been only 2 weeks since I came back but it seems like so much have happened already...
I'm still in a winter season, so a bit more introspective still...
Let me try then to share some of the latest news around here at the Mount of Oaks...
Today I almost finished the main structure of our prayer shelter...This is how I found it (picture below) when I came back... It was a bit sad to realise that the wind blew the roof cover away, and things were just stored out of the rain till now... For me this is such a central and vital place of the community...

a place for us to retreat with God, a place to hide sometimes, a place to seek comfort, wisdom, peace, joy, a place to seek God together with others... yes, for me this is the place from which all the others things emerge... And I felt as I came back that something in the air was different...I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was different...
We met together the day after I arrived and I was surprised to hear some things I heard... still don't know where those things came from, or if they were always there, but hidden... In the end I was glad things got clear... we discussed around the vision of this land, and some were not totally agreeing with what was posted on the new blog ... I didn't want to sound arrogant, but I had to say that when I shared about the vision for this place (which everyone agreed), and when I posted it on the new blog , the idea was not to be changed... Some people were not so comfortable with this, cuz they wanted to change the vision to fit theirs...
Anyway, I don't want to go on details here, but in the end it was basically decided that Josh and Rosie would like to go to some other friend's land in Algarve, as their vision is more to live in a permaculture farm with few friends, and not having the constant flow of people as we have here... I totally supported them in their choice, as I would not like that anyone who live here would not really fit in the vision for this community... Hospitality being one of the most important things we'd like to offer... welcoming the strangers and weary wanderers whenever they show up...
This is a farm, yes, but not only that...a monastery, but not an exclusive and inward focused community... we might be exclusive when we say this land is God's , and the Spirit of this place is Christ's, but this same Spirit is ALL inclusive (even though people might try to confuse "Christ" with "Christianity" or "Christians" )... we might be exclusive when we say we want to develop permaculture and not other kind of intensive agriculture, but we'll also include all other sorts of ideas and ways to care for the earth as long as it's respectful and not harming...
BEING INCLUSIVE AND AT THE SAME TIME DISTINCTIVE, has been a question in my mind since then... I believe we can be both... we don't exclude anyone, but because of some distinctive values, or pillars in the vision for this place, some people might exclude themselves... Anyway, this could develop in extensive philosophies that I'll not develop here...
Ton also shared a desire in his heart to live in a smaller place with 4 or 5 people who would vow to live in total silence, except for some reflection seasons where they would have some teaching or something along these lines... Interesting!!! I encouraged Ton to go for it... I think something that it's very important in a community is that people know what they want, and follow it... and not try to drag others along...
I surely don't want to drag anyone in this place... so, now the vision is clear, and those who desire the same will come and feel connected to the place...
I believe this vision is God's, and we can only see a glimpse of it... But as it is God's, also those to whom God is sharing the same will come ... Of this I'm sure :-)...

Anyway...since that day I have these words in my mind..."winds of change"... and the WIND keeps blowing... and it's a season to let The Wind bring the change... As I re-build the prayer shelter I keep thinking about that... TO BUILD IN STRONG FOUNDATIONS...I'm planning a more stable prayer shelter, stronger, and hopefully it will last a bit more than a year... I like when things don't last anyway :-)
Like my house as well... This is my next project...
It really needs fixing... re-new... strong foundations...
a cool green roof :-)... and a bath place inside...oh yes!!!
I'm just waiting for Peter to move from the guest room (he's building a shelter for himself) so I can stay there while I build the roof of the house... I want to finish the prayer shelter first, of course, but I hope I can have my roof ready before the permaculture course...

Speaking about Peter...he's a very nice and friendly man who arrived 2 weeks or so ago... he came from Germany by bike, and hitch-hiking from south France after a truck smashed his bike...He's gonna stay till April and then keep going on the road to Italy... one of those pilgrims we are so blessed to welcome here and offer shelter...

Line is back as well... here cleaning Zebrita's feet... she was just waiting to sell Zebrita and go to France to join a "Christian Community" where she met a good old friend... but this week she found out that her friend is coming here with his horse... so , that might take 5 months till he arrives... So Line asked me if she could stay and she will not sell Zebrita yet... Of course I said that would be no problem...
Nonolito will be very happy about that too :-) It 's so nice that Line is back here, and we're having such cool times praying together and having lots of questions about the Bible and Jesus...

Actually , we (me, Line, Carly, Ton, Jared, Peter and Darek) have been having really cool meditative prayer times each morning... at the moment in the big bus till the prayer shelter is ready... And once again I see how this is so important and creates such a special bond between us all... Of course we can have fellowship with people in so many other ways, or even with God...but there's something special when we pray together...One in mind, heart and Spirit... this is where we see each other's hearts, and where God's heart is shown through each one, in each one...

Anyway... most of the days so far have been cold or rain, with some nice sunny days, but not many...
this give us more time for indoor activities, like Carly making this amazing basket... or many other stuff we can entertain ourselves with in the big bus...we can even make fire inside and stay warm, so that is inviting !!!

Oh, and look how much snow we've been having...

for 2 times, each time for 1 or 2 days, we had the mountains around covered with snow and it actually snowed in the land, but not enough to stay... sooooo beautiful !!! This is quiet rare here , that's why it's so amazing for us !!!

Nature inspires us...Nature calls us to retreat... Nature calls us to gather and get cosy around the fire... Nature calls us to reflect and contemplate... Nature calls us to admire... Nature calls us to change... Nature calls us to move on... Nature is never static...
neither do we... we are like the Wind...

sOLidaRiTy FaSt FoR ZiMbAbWe, tHiS sUnDaY

I just signed in for this petition to fast for Justice in Zimbabwe THIS SUNDAY...
Kumi Naidoo, a South African activist in his eighth day of a 21-day hunger strike, has recorded a video appeal for Avaaz members worldwide to join the protest by pledging to fast this Sunday, when he will speak to the African Union summit about Zimbabwe's crisis. If thousands of us fast, our actions will give power to his words.
Kumi Naidoo is choosing to fast all these days, but when he went to Zimbabwe during Christmas, he met many people who don't even have that choice.
Lets remember those...
Lets not only fast to join the hunger strickers, but lets also pray that God may bring Justice to these loved brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe.
And here are the words of Isaiah in chapter 58 for us all to meditate on ...maybe during fasting this sunday :


"3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
"

PeRmAcULtUrE cOuRsE ...cOmiNg sOoN...

Hey Everyone, soon we're gonna host here at the land a

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE

FROM 28th MARCH - 5th APRIL.
This is a 72 hour course, spread over 9 intensive days of practical experience and learning the principles, methods and applications of permaculture, sustainable land design and growing.
The course will be led by Lesley Martin a teacher with twenty years teaching experience.

It will cost 150 EUROS including food. Accommodation is camping so BRING A TENT AND SLEEPING BAG.
We will need your confirmation and a 50 euro deposit till the 1st of MARCH, so that we can confirm numbers of attendees and see if we have enough people to run the course.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY CUZ USUALLY THIS COURSE IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE...
DON'T LOOSE IT !!!


WE'D ALSO NEED SOME 3 OR 4 VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH COOKING, AS ALL OF US HERE WILL ATTEND THE COURSE... THAT WOULD BE GREAT !!!
SO IF YOU FEEL LIKE HELPING ON THIS WAY LET US ALSO KNOW TILL THE 1ST OF MARCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH...

Please contact us for more information:
- by posting in our new blog
- by calling to our house phone : (00351) 275561057
- by calling my mobile phone : (00351) 965429083

nEw bLoG...

Just for all of you to know that the new blog from the land is
http://www.mount-of-oaks.blogspot.com (click on the title of this post)
and not anymore www.nurturingournature.blogspot.com...

We had some conversations lately with the ones who live here and some don't really feel comfortable with the whole vision, so we decided to change this name cuz one couple who live here decided that they want to start a different kind of community and they would like to keep the blog name for their own personal blog...

NEW SEASON... hold on to our ROOTS...

fAmiLy...iT's whErE oUr hEarT iS...

I had a great time with Emma in Ireland this last month... getting to know her beautiful friends in Belfast and her family who lives in a farm towards west... I could experience a "proper" Irish Christmas (proper for her family), and meet some part of her family... they are great, very hospitable and making sure I was welcomed and feeling included ... And I did felt at home and among family with them...
After that we went to the Land in Portugal to spent the new year with more family...
>It was nice to be back home, to see Rosie and Ton...Josh was in Algarve visiting his mom and Carly was in Lisbon with her family...Jared was also back there, Julia and little Anna came from Germany with Birger...Hajo and his sister Monique also came from Germany but left the day after we arrived...Darek from Czech Republic was there since the beginning of December... and Emmanuel came from Sweden with 2 other friends...
It was a nice group from "the big family" :-) ...

It was raining most of the time and the roof of my house was broken in some parts, so I had to fix it a bit to stop some rain to drop inside... But it felt so good to be back in my little cozy hut... I'm looking forward to start building it soon ...
I didn't do much the 3 days I was there cuz I only stayed in the "arriving" feeling and didn't get time to "settle"... but it was nice to chat with most of them in different times... most part of the days I hardly left my house cuz people would come by and we'd just stay in nice conversations...

Nobody had great plans to celebrate the New Year, we were all feeling like having a nice and relaxed evening in each other's company... and that's what we did... Birger though, got excited for some fire show, so they all brought the fire equipment out and we had a nice time watching them...














After a nice show we didn't stay up so late, because we had a loooong ride next day...

Me and Emma were still wondering how would we get to Berlin to meet another part of our family, nearby Berlin... we thought about hitch-hiking, but I'm glad Julia came up with another idea...

We could drive her car and drop Birger in Karlsruhe, and she could get the ride Birger would take... it all worked fine for all of us...

So, in one and a half day we drove around 1800 Km from the land in Portugal to Biesenthal, north Berlin...with minnus 12 degrees...Brrrr!!!

But it was definitely worth it... we were again with family...

a special one this one...our "nomadic family"... we all met different times in different places...we travelled together... we share dreams together...
we pray for one another...we encourage one another in hard times and celebrate in good times..
.we support one another in our lives, passions and dreams...
we cry and laugh with one another...
And this was another time like this...
It was nice to hear how is everyone doing at the moment, what each one is involved in... what are some of our dreams and expectations... what are our dreams...
what are our pains and struggles... and from listening to one another, we pray...
and God reveals Himself in our midst, around us and inside each one of us...

what a precious thing it is , to belong to a FAMILY ...

After 5 days I came back to Portugal...it's time to come back to the Land, and I'm really looking forward for this new season...
But I'm not there yet... I'm also with my family, here in Algarve, where my sister Edna lives now with Paulo, Pamela, the twins Joshua and Nelson, Rute, Paulo's sister in law, and Mafalda her daughter...
I went this morning to a service where I also met Sarita, with whom I lived in Lisbon, Rodrigo, Zeza, Rafa and Rania, a beautiful family who is also my family...

It was nice to be away all this time...the longest in these last 2 years...it was nice to be without responsibilities for a while... without the need of thinking about what needs to be done... but this was a time also to gain perspective and see more what it's ahead of us in this new season...
As I said, I'm excited to start building my house, I guess after 2 years it's time to care for my own shelter, my nest... But I heard the prayer shelter was also destroyed with the storms, so I would like to build that first... For me it is a priority for us to have a place to be with God, The Bigness... a place to retreat... a place to shelter... a place to hide... a place to "date" with God...
I'll see...

We also hope to have less visitors this next months till the permaculture course in March (check out on the new blog if you're interested), so we can also have more time for ourselves and for one another... to grow closer as a family who are living at this physical place at this moment...

I feel so rich to have such a varied and beautiful family spread all over the world...
Some people spend their whole lives storing money and possessions in order to feel rich and secure... and they spend so much of their time "making" money, that they end up not having time for family... we can see a lot of that on Christmas time... people spending lots of money in presents, but not really spending their time with those who are close to them...
Sometimes TV takes the place of family and consumes all the time people could have together... How sad is that ?!!! anyway, I don't want to develop this here...

As for me, I want to keep storing those I love in my heart... where my family is... that's what makes me feel rich and secure...I know I'll never feel alone... That is for me, to be rich...
I feel so blessed !!!
Thank you God...

I feel tired though, from all the travelling and constant being with people around...I'm looking forward to accept Jesus' invitation when He says : " Come to me, all those who are tired...and I will give you REST" ... I need to get back to my shantii rhythm again... with my quiet and solitude times ... all we need is balance !!! There is time for everything !!!

and here is just a funny contrast...showing how fast were the changes lately...
here's me in minus 14 degrees in Biesenthal...

and me with 12 positive in Algarve...

eh, eh, eh...I definitely prefer the warmth...