mY tHoUgThS oN mOnAsTiC LiFe...

I opened the mount of oak blog and I noticed its title : "Monastic, Life-giving, Eco - community"...
It is in itself a prophetic definition of this place as there's not really an established community yet...so far, I'm the only one committed to live here on a long term basis... it has been an itinerant community of different groups of people who come and go... I still wait for those with the same desire to commit to live a monastic life together...

But what stuck out to me was the word "MONASTIC", which not many people might be aware of its meaning, and this rough meditation started... (sorry for the length and my limited english language)

"Monastic"... what does that mean to me ?

This will be simply my definition, or simple thoughts about it as I let my brain storm... It most probably will not sound as mystic as some people may see monasticism... so, I´m not a scholar either, so I apologise first of all for my ignorance and use of this term...

I used this term because I have a definition for myself, and that´s what I will try to explain...

 
When I think about monasteries I think about communities which emerged in times when the institutional church was going through some big crisis of identity, when its structures and institutionalisation were suffocating what Jesus intended the church to be (if ever Jesus intended the church to be as it became, an institution, or another religion)... 

After Peter said to Jesus that he is the Messiah, the Son of The Living God, Jesus replied : "on this rock (I'm sorry to say, but I don't think Jesus is referring here to Peter being the rock, but his declaration instead), I will build my church"...  "the church", in its original word "eklesia", means an assembly of people who govern themselves following Jesus´s teachings... 

Jesus is the one who gathers people around his teachings of self-governance and independence from the Roman Empire... Jesus, or The Spirit of God, is the only one that can build the ekklesia, gathering men and women who know deeply in their hearts that Jesus is the expected Messiah, The Son of the Living God who will set us all free from Empire and oppression and bring real Peace and renewal of the Earth... These men and women included prostitutes, physically and mentally disabled people, thieves, gays, business people, tax collectors, lepers, religious leaders and even politicians ... It seems easy today "to do churches", or "plant churches" like some calls it, but who knows who is the "Ekklesia" of the Living God... only God knows I guess... and I guess we will all be surprised when we finally have our eyes and consciousness fully open one day ...
Going back to Monasticism...In times when men and women felt far from being part of the "Ekklesia", far from being a simple fellowship of broken brothers and sisters, friends of the resurrected Messiah, Jesus, there was a movement to retreat from the world/system and its institutionalised "church", and simply get focused on GOD ALONE... Men and women in solitude or gathering around the teachings of Jesus to remember and re-collect what was essential and important in the message God has sent through Jesus.

Monasteries emerged ... 

These were probably men and women who were already involved in "church activities" and "successful ministries", but who were feeling far from the Source and the simplicity of the Gospel : " - to love God above all things and to love our neighbours as Jesus would " (interesting the word "neighbour" in portuguese means both "the one who is closer", or "the one who comes after us"... but I'll leave this meditation for another time)...

I went too far already in my introduction here, sorry about that...

I was reminded by God about why I wanted to live in a community in the countryside... it was not only because I love to live in/with nature; it was not only because I wanted to escape the world/system (Babylon) and find a refuge myself; it was not only because I wanted to live together with other people... 

I can´t say it in any other way: - I felt called to live this life this way...

For many years I desired to live like this, but the time was not the right one yet... when I came to this land I was going through a journey of deconstructing the concept of "church" together with my community in Lisbon... I really felt we were (and are) in such times, when the institutional church is too conformed to the system that should be resisting to, helping those who suffer from all its injustices... 

We need monastic communities to emerge again in Europe and all over the western world... both in the country and in cities... and I know it is happening already... we need voices in the desert calling out the Ekklesia to BE the Ekklesia...

We need to go out into "deserts" (where there's nothing to distract us) , to refocus on God ALONE and on what God called us to be in this world, at this time...
There is a need for places of prayer and devotion to God where people can stop their busy lives to hear the quiet voice that cries out inside of each one and keeps calling us to be who we're supposed to be... children of The Living God of Light and Love...

A sign that this is a real need in our days is that thousands of people are attracted daily to go to places like "Taize" (a modern day type of Monastery) to pray, or walk the "Camino de Santiago" ... even those who say they don´t believe in God...

In Europe, we not only killed God, but we killed the desire for people to belong to a spiritual community... Capitalism needs spirituality out of the way... It needs consumers, and preferably independent and lonely ones... those who value their freedom above anything else, including loving our neighbours or loving the Earth.

In my opinion, a monastic life should be a calling from God (either for life or for a season), it shouldn't be only for the "mystics", it shouldn't be a thing of the past, but it should be a reality today, it shouldn't be only for institutionalised monks or nuns, subjected to an official Order and obligatory vows and strict structures... (I believe the commitment to follow Jesus and looking after one another should be enough)
Here's my small brain storm on the word "Monastic"...

I noticed that most people who pass by here feel uncomfortable with some of the major aspects of a monastic life (again I remember that this is simply my ideas on a rough meditation)

These "stumbling blocks" are : REST, SOLITUDE & SILENCE.

A monastic life, in a way, it´s an act of resistance as it confronts the church and society lifestyles, which are often very BUSY, LONELY in the midst of crowds (different from solitude) and very NOISY... 

Let me go through some of these aspects individually:
REST...
It is important and healthy to work (which is also part of a monastic life, and it´s more acceptable), but we shouldn't let the work become overwhelming or stressful... 

work should be a blessing, and should never be done expecting anything as an exchange... we should work as a simple attitude of service and love (unfortunately some monasteries become businesses and loose the main focus of devotion to God)

I can tell you that, living on a farm in such a pioneer stage, work is something that never ends, we can constantly see things that need to be done... It is a discipline to stop working (and for some that's really hard)...
So, REST is the key to reach this discipline. A rest which does not make you feel guilty or lazy because there's so many things that need to be done... But a rest that tells us we are choosing the best part (see Martha and Mary's story with Jesus)... there should be times to work and times to stop working... because work will never end... I take this really seriously here...

Next one is SOLITUDE...
It is vital for a community to have fellowship with one another (the purpose of COMMunity, right?! something in COMMON which brings UNITY...), but we shouldn't let fellowship occupy ALL the time of our day (some people really like that)... we need time and space to be alone and to be with God (that scares some people as well), in order for our fellowship time to be of the best quality... Being always surrounded with other people, or any sort of "noise" is a way to avoid our inner self (sometimes our own emptiness), and to prevent God from leading us into the growth we're looking for. Being with our inner self should be part of a monastic living and our growth into God's likeness (both individually and as a body)... Of course, our relationship and fellowship with others confronts us with our inner self too (one of the best gifts of community, but also the most challenging sometimes)...

We need to set ourselves apart in order to process the actions and reactions that take place within us when we are confronted with others... our instant and human reaction is to always think it's the other people's fault... but it is not even about who's guilty or not... all confrontations are but opportunities for us to look at our inner self and allow God to show us what to do or change (and not just expect others to change)...

SOLITUDE is as vital as fellowship... I often say that if I don't have my time alone, I have nothing to give when I'm with other people...and I've proved this to be true in my life...so, I really take it seriously...
people look for company, that is understandable...but if we don't feel comfortable with our own company, we'll always have expectations that others cannot meet...

And last, SILENCE... which for some can be seen as lack of communication...
Some people need communication ALL the time... either for lack of self initiative, or because they're so uncomfortable with themselves that they cannot bear neither silence nor solitude... or maybe because they lack patience to let silence speak...
yes, silence also speaks...
I agree some things are to be communicated at the right time, and the right way... but if we communicate things only with our spontaneous emotions we may not transmit exactly what we want to say and this often leads to lots of misunderstandings...
If we allow silence to process the thoughts within us, we will have more discernment of when to communicate the right ideas or words...
I do agree though, that there are things (specially when it comes to issues between 2 people) that should be communicated and resolved as soon as possible (preferably with a mediator)... forgiveness should be the breath of every community life...

So, these are some aspects I have in mind when I think about a monastic life in community:
...Living together with a small group of people who know/desire  to appreciate and live in solitude, rest and silence...
...Living together with people with a loving and humble heart, ready to confront and be confronted in love... to forgive and be forgiven... being honest and transparent...
...Living together with people who seek above all else, to be devoted to God, who makes us One with each other... Ultimately,it is God who will show us the things we need to work on our lives, without judgment and with a lot of Love...
...Living together with people who are submissive to the basic structures and rhythms we need to function as a body ... yet, being aware that structures and rules are only a skeleton of the body and should not be what is seen... it should be something intrinsic in the life of the community...

There are other aspects about monastic life that come to  mind... The fact for instance, that we are not called to live ONLY inwardly but also outwardly focused... (either simultaneously or in specific seasons).What I mean is that the focus should be not only our individual and communal inner work, but also be open to work and serve outside of ourselves or our community... 

This makes me think about 3 other things that should be results of a monastic life ( not the life in itself, but fruits of it) , which are :
HOSPITALITY, TEACHING/LEARNING, SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE ( seek justice)...

whatever we have to give/offer to others, needs to come from a place where we have received ourselves : either in our individual work with God (solitude, rest, silence) or in our communal lives with one another...

We cannot offer HOSPITALITY when we lack hospitality within the community (if we don't love and care for one another), or if we don´t look after ourselves and welcome ourselves as we are...

We cannot TEACH/LEARN, if we don't receive it from God with an open heart to practice it in our own lives (again coming from solitude, rest and silence)... In the same way, we cannot TEACH/LEARN if we don't have humble and teachable hearts to learn from one another... that's one of the richest gifts of living in a community, that each single person has something special and unique to share with the others...

We cannot SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE unless we recognise in our own inner self that we too are vulnerable, and that Jesus is in those who are vulnerable... Not that "they" are less and "we" have something to offer that "they" don't have, but that WE are equals and  because we know when we are vulnerable we need other´s help, we can be compassionate with those who are vulnerable and it´s our time to help.
This realisation needs to be also present within the community... 

I know some monastic orders have a vow of poverty, but as I said earlier, I don´t think we need necessarily vows, but in this area, I think it is important to be committed to simple living, and using no more than a minimum wage from the country we chose to live in. We are aware that most part of the world´s problems is fruit of human´s greed for more than we need. If we all choose a simple lifestyle, there is plenty for everyone.

In all this (and I know it's getting way too long), my ultimate goal is to reach this balance, between my time of prayer and devotion, my time of work, my time of fellowship, my time of service and my time of rest... to reach a state when is not a matter of time given to one or other aspect, but that it is all one and the same : my life´s journey with God.
I want all this to be intrinsic in my life, as I cannot imagine it any other way... The way all this is put into practice may vary, but these are the essentials.

 I will have loads to chew on here myself...
I hope it does speak something to you too, and be free to comment about it...

It's been great to be alone here for the last couple of weeks and to have the time to rethink about all these things again...to have the time to write...and also to enjoy the company and take care of the animals, of the plants and of myself ...

Somehow the last few years on this place have been a bit busy for me... too many people coming and going, too many changes, too many "issues" to resolve, too many things to think about... And I realise I haven't got enough time for myself , even though some people think I retreat too much and I'm too quiet... but the truth is that I need lots of time alone and with God to be sane and to have something to give to others... I'm slow, and I easily get drained when there's too much action around me, or when people seem to demand action from me... maybe this is just me and my personality... and it is essential for each one to know themselves...

I'm finally having time to do things I wanted to do for so long... like taking more time to meditate and write... like organising my stuff that was still in boxes since I left Lisbon 3 years ago... like replying to the long e.mail list I have (I'm still working on that)... and above all, I'm enjoying simple things like watching the sun set, reading a book, watching the animals, swimming under the hot summer sun... I was doing all these things to some extent, but there is a degree of contemplation that I was missing... I´m still working but it feels like a holiday...

I do love when people are around , don't get me wrong... but I needed this time to refocus myself...
There was only one guy here this week (he leaves after tomorrow), and I felt a bit sorry for him when he said it is too quiet for him... he walked the "camino de Santiago", but in the end of each day he always had lots of people to chat with... we had to laugh noticing how people are different... here am I, so thankful for the quietness, and this guy is stressing out because of it... 

I'm also really grateful for having so many beautiful people passing by (some for longer or more often than others)... I love serving others and I've been served as well... I've received and learned a lot from all...

Now I really feel God is leading me to contemplate the "vision" for this place again ...I don't want to claim I have it all figured out, but I'll only speak about the glimpses I've had so far... I might be totally wrong as well...

When I wrote the description of this "not yet" community, I wrote it in faith, as what I've seen in the spirit, and not what I see at the moment...
It's a bit like what I'm doing now with the permaculture design of the land... I first designed the land as it is, and now I'll put the layers on top of it as I want it to look in the future...
It might be confusing for some, but I chose to live by faith anyway...

I believe in the God who calls out things which are not yet, as if they were...
And I love this God... sometimes I think God has too crazy ideas... but anyway, I trust ...
That's why I'm here doing what I'm doing... being who I'm called to be...

I recently asked people to pray for more faith in my life... so I want to thank all those who did pray...it seems to be working.

I finish now, with some words my good friend Andy
shared with me this morning...

"PEACEFUL IS THE ONE WHO'S NOT CONCERNED
WITH HAVING MORE OR LESS...
UNBONDED BY NAME AND FAME,
SHE'S FREE FROM SORROW
FROM THE WORLD
AND FROM HERSELF"
(Rumi)

A Monastic life should lead us to this kind of peaceful life...
A peace that doesn't depend neither on our circumstances, nor the environment or the people surrounding us...
A Peace that comes in our inner self and it's given by God alone...

BE PEACEFUL...

hOmE : a pLacE oF VuLnErAbiLiTy aNd gRaCe...

Home and family...

I have many dear friends, people I love, admire and appreciate, and I have a lot of people I know... weirdly, because of my blog and my life at Mount of Oaks now, there are probably even more people who know about me...

But feeling totally at Home or having a Family is something very precious and more seldom to have...

I noticed that throughout my pilgrimage I've been receiving the gift of different families and homes... as if in seasons... I'm really thankful for those... My relationship with my natural family has always been a bit odd... I've always been quiet and introverted... I never learned how to speak or share my heart, and that was not encouraged either...  speaking and sharing important things of the heart has never been a common thing in my family... we all get along fine, but my feeling was that we never really got to know one another on a deeper level... conversations were often superficial, or task orientated, or around the TV... (yes, that might be one of the main problems why most families today don't know how to speak with one another anymore)...

I never knew how to ask good questions, and I never felt comfortable asking personal questions as I think it´s none of my business... When people want to share, I´m a very good listener, but I would never ask if a sensitive subject is in the air...

It is a hard learning process, to know how to speak, share our hearts and communicate clearly... I found writing to help me process my own feelings and thoughts...

I also observed that there are not so many people willing to listen,  and that discourages me from speaking about myself... most people are extroverts, so they love to 

speak... sometimes to avoid more "serious" conversations or feel the space of silence... we speak about the weather, the dogs, the cats, the children, politics, Tv, any gossip in the family or circle of friends, etc... always trying to avoid speaking about ourselves and what really matters in our lives...

I remember when I first learnt how to speak and share my heart... I realized that that is what makes me feel at home and part of a family... This was 12 years ago (I was 22 then... a bit late to learn how to speak hey?)... I was in Angola in the spiritual NGO I was living with... There were around 30 people at that stage... people wanted to know me, they wanted to hear my stories, they would ask lots of questions... and I realised I didn't know how to express myself very well... I've always been a thinker, so I never needed to explain myself to... myself...

I would write a lot, but I would never share as well... or only with one or two friends occasionally...

Anyway, I don't want to go too much out of track here...

What I wanted to say was that it was here that I first found a place I could share my heart... first, I knew there was LOVE and Grace... they were for me the first real followers of Jesus I met, they knew God´s unconditional Love in their personal lives,so they were able to give that to others like me... 

There I was in a place I could be vulnerable... I shared the worst  things I did in my life, I was listened to, I was understood, people were compassionate and showed me grace and acceptance as I never felt before... This must be what "confession" is all about in the catholic church, but I never understood why people had to do it to a priest and not to each other...

But years passed by, I came to Portugal, communication with that family faded and physical distance made it hard to keep up being the same... I kept communicating, and I still keep in contact with some...most of them I keep in my heart in a very special place...

In Portugal I was some years in another community but it was not really the same, even though I became really close with a few people who lived there... I stayed nearly 5 years in this community and then I felt it was time to move and became part of another family... Some I referred to in some of my posts... specially the Borden's, Ben and Jasmin... There were others, but these are the ones I could share my heart with and be vulnerable...

And again I moved... and again communication started to fade... The reason for moving on was never a "bad" one, it´s just like that when we follow the Spirit... We are led to places for certain times and then the Spirit blows and we follow... And that has nothing to do with lack of commitment, on the contrary, it is a commitment to follow the Spirit... Actually, there is nothing more painful than when I feel I have to leave another family... but when The Wind blows, I follow... Maybe that's why Jesus said something like this to His disciples: "if you leave your home and family because of me and my Kingdom...I will give you a hundred times more homes and families..."

I'm having similar feelings at the moment...

 

This time is a bit different, as I have already been at the land for 2 and a half years...  here it's very seasonal, and people come and go more often... I'm the only one staying on a more permanent basis... During all this time, and even before that, God was preparing a family for me... I shared a bit about them in this post.
It all started in 2005 when I made my 6 month trip in Europe, another call from The Spirit... I met Emma in UK (since then she became my best friend and prayer partner) , then Juran in Germany, then Anne, Jonathan and Mathias in Freakstock and then Hernhut ... Another nice post about it here ...

To these, God joined Lyna whom we all met in Israel/Palestine and was living here in the land last year to give birth to her child Nolan... the family is extending, by birth and marriage ... Mathias got married with Nora and Juran with Ulli...
Of course this family has many others with whom we relate with in our local communities and network of relationships... but these are the ones I know I can be vulnerable with and share all of my heart... I'll add here Andy and Vonny whom I met recently but immediately became family (this happens too)... and of course Marcia, who just arrived from her 6 month trip in Mexico...Edna, my natural sister is becoming more and more part of my family too.

With all these I've shared the most precious  moments... laughing, crying, confessing my mistakes, praying and being prayed for, forgiving and asking forgiveness, confronting and being confronted, travelling with, working with, having fun, dreaming about ther future, sharing...

Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts for today... about family (I realize I share about this a lot actually)... about the importance of having a small group of friends with whom we can be vulnerable and find the most precious of gifts, GRACE ... ones who accept you just the way you are, no matter which state you're in at the moment... ones to journey with and grow spiritually into maturity...
Sometimes, family is close... but that doesn't always happen... family is in the heart, and it's spiritual...

I'm really grateful for all sorts of ways of communicating that enable me to be in touch with this spreadout family... e.mails, skype, and mostly the many opportunities we've been having to meet in all sorts of places to be together in the last 4 years... I'm thankful for the constant prayers and encouraging words on the right times...

This is true richness !!!

I'm grateful to God for all those who have become family for me in every different season... I'm grateful for God's faithfulness and care, which became real to me through all these beautiful brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers...
Thank you all...

ComE 2 mE all tHosE wHo aRe tHirSty...

" - Come to me, all you who are tired and burdened, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Jesus)

I write this after many feed-backs I've been receiving since we came on the news...

(you can check this link where there is the "Lusa" news agency article and the Tv report that passed on the news... and I will add the video at the bottom of this post)

It seems like people are thirsty and longing for REST... rest for their tiring souls, rest from a crazy life, rest from bad news...

" God, what are you up to?"
I don't really know and I surely didn´t plan any of this before coming here... I have a little concern...I do hope people will not see me or this place as some extraordinary thing... I'm not any different than anyone else... this place is not any different than any other... It´s beautiful, restful, yes, as Nature is when we don´t destroy it...

Maybe it simply mirrors people's desires and expectations... people's longings from the depths of their hearts... people are tired of living life as they are living... life lost its natural meaning... people are starting to question,and this is so good because a lot of people have been sleeping or not wanting to see where this crazy capitalist system is leading all of us and our planet - to complete exhaustion...

Maybe that is the reason people immediately resonate when they see what they were longing for without knowing... they might be realizing that they are not crazy, that they are not alone, and that it is possible to live differently...

And it´s a bit like the parable Jesus shared about the sower who spreads seeds all around... some fall on rocks, others on thorns, others on the side of the road and others on good healthy soil...

I know a lot of these people who get super excited really quickly

will not stay excited for too long... some might try to leave everything behind and buy land and live off-grid, but we need to be prepared, like good soil, otherwise we might not handle the difficulties that this lifestyle also has... But I know that some of these seeds are falling on good ground and will produce a lot of fruit in the future...

May more choose to leave this unjust system and create new ones, locally, organically and co-operatively... Together we can do it... Together we are many...

 

I recently finished this book, Jesus for President , by Shane Claiborne, an ordinary radical who stands for Jesus' Kingdom on earth in a country (USA) where Christianity went so off track... he compares this time with Jesus' time, when the Israelis were living under The Roman empire's occupation...

Today we may think we're not under any imperial occupation or domination, but if we are honest, we realise we are living in a kind of slavery, under the Empire of money...
Money is ruling people's lives, and we can't imagine life without money anymore... well, some people in Brazil are already proving that we don't really need money ( check this link to know what I mean)....

Often we forget that we are the Government... Instead of simply complaining about our Governments, let us be the Government and be the difference... Shane was sharing how he and his community collect money from all in order to pay the medical bills of those who need and cannot afford... That's the power of community... today I'm in need, tomorrow it's you, and I can give...

there is much we lost when we stopped living in community...
I was visiting some old ladies from the village yesterday and they were saying how their children and grandchildren are all in the cities, working for money and buying flats in buildings... while they have land they cannot work anymore (one of them was 92 years old)...

 all that is left for them is to sell these lands (or their heirs would do it anyway once they die)... their children and grandchildren just want the money, this is sad...

So, I urge, especially the portuguese, to come back to the countryside...for I know most of those who are living now in the cities have their grandparents in some village, and they have their roots in the countryside...

The countryside is being desertified... it needs to be populated again, it needs life again, it needs to be cared for again...

We need people to come and love this lands, this culture, these old people, before big corporations and chemical agriculture takes over to exploit the land and people...

We have such a lovely, pleasant and diverse country... we still keep the authenticity that most of the northern european countries lost a long time ago...

And you know what is happening?!! Most of these lands all over Portugal, most of the farms that our parents and grandparents, and great-grandparents built up, are being abandoned, or bought by foreigners...

I have nothing against foreigners, I don't really care about nationalities, but it's a shame that portuguese people are still so trapped in the illusion of money and greed...

a friend of mine, Marcia, who lived here and is coming back soon after some time in Mexico, wrote a nice article (in portuguese) about "Making Greed history", in order to make poverty history...

Most of the people that pass by the Mount of Oaks are foreigners... Even this blog I write in english, not because I think it's "cool", but because most of the people who read it are foreigners...

All those who come to visit love Póvoa de Atalaia and other villages around, and how simply people still leave... How "remote" it is for most of them (even though I know it´s not remote at all)... 

I had many visitors who never ate a fruit out of a tree in their entire lives... who are amazed with the old people who still live their lives in the land, instead of being locked and forgotten in old-people's homes... 
Aren't we so privileged ?!

I hope finally portuguese are waking up, and I hope it's not too late for some to change... it is not impossible ! 

that's probably what attracted so many people to the news about Mount of Oaks...

 
We might not have any money, but we have a richness that no money can buy... and I hope we don't fall into the illusion of wanting to be like the so-called "rich" nations... going after the illusion of the "american dream", the "big mac" and a "Coca-cola", sitting in front of a big Tv screen watching the days pass by...

We are the ones who choose to be... "but farming is so hard work", some may argue, and yes, it´s true... But when we are doing what we love and giving us life, it feels good to feel tired... And another important thing... we are working for the land, for us and for those who will come to benefit from its abundance... We are not working for corporations who will just use their profits to enslave people and exploit land... Can you see the big difference ?

working is not a bad thing... it's healthy and it's a blessing... It´s empowering...

I was watching some people the other day also making vegetable gardens in the centre of Lisbon, or others who lost their jobs in factories going back to their lands to farm...

this is it !!! 

I hope more follow these examples...

I hope people don't just cross their arms and complain about life...

It is our choice in the end...

And our choices will affect other people's lives as well... 

we are but "ordinary radicals"... and YOU can be one as well... 

tHe wOrLd iS dEsPeRaTe 4 hOpE...

The country is desperate to hear something hopeful...
"All the news is about catastrophes, unemployment, factories closing down, the economic "crisis", blood, blood and more blood...people need to know that there's something good going on and it´s not all bad..."...

That's what the Tv journalist told me when I was still considering twhether or not to accept an interview... I really don´t like Tv.


I asked something else before:
"what makes this place good news?" and she immediately said:

" because it will show people a different way to live life"... I looked at Ton and said : "fair enough! We can do this."

We simply had a good conversation and she asked very good questions to me, Ton and Daniel...
I spoke mainly about how God made a miracle to buy this place, and how we wish it to be a place of rest, prayer, work and fellowship...how we are to be more responsible in the way we use our natural resources, how we should all live more simply so that everyone in the world can have the essentials to live life...

I don't really remember what I said when they were filming because we spoke a lot before...
Ton spoke about his time in India and how he came to realize that the best way to fight poverty is if every individual would change their heart and consequently their lifestyle, living more simply... he said that everyone should realize that all other fellow human beings are our brother and sister, and actually, all other people are like us, that we should see human kind as one...
Like I said, he also reinforced that if we would all live more simply there would be enough for everyone... he also said that NGOs like UNICEF are a joke, and very impotent to solve the problem of poverty, but I'm not sure they will broadcast that...

Daniel spoke about his desire to live with nature and learn more about sustainable living in order to do something good back in his home country, Zimbabwe... he mentioned that he loved the lifestyle in the countryside because he finds more time for himself and more silence...the journalist was amazed when she asked him his age and he said 23... she was expecting him to be around 30 years old, and I'm sure it was not by the way he looks, but because he shares so much wisdom for a 23 year old man...

In the end we were all content, and I do hope and pray that the Spirit of God would touch hearts while people watch the national news today...

May it be like a "voice in the wilderness" calling out people to consider their lifestyle and hopefully to change... that is the real hope... we shouldn't expect hope to come from the outside, it cannot be promised by any human Government, but it has to come from within each one's heart... a choice of/for LIFE...

people are looking for heros to come and save them... American's are longing for Obama to solve all their problems... But the Hero we need has already come, more than 2000 years ago... And we still reject and ignore Jesus and his radical message, as he was rejected then... Jesus came to speak of another way to live, closer to land, in another Kingdom that is not human or material, a kingdom of Justice and of Love and with another kind of richness, that we cannot grasp yet.

I leave you with a passage to meditate from the apostle Paul to a community of christians that was formed in the metropole city of Corinth, previously Greek but at the time a colony of the Roman Empire (chapter 1, verses 19-31):

19 For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

20 Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ...25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are..."

We might be seen as foolish...
We might be seen to fail...
We might be weak...
We are not perfect...
We might be seen as "the scum of the earth"...
We might be seen as losers and failures...
We might be seen as poor...
but we are happy !!! and blessed !!!

What is happening at Mount of Oaks it´s not because we're extraordinary people or because we're doing extraordinary things... We are but ordinary people... it is only and solely because God was foolish enough to call us for a task such as this, and we were foolish enough to respond ...

Paul continues...
"...so that no one may boast before God.  It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let those who boast, boast in the Lord."

--------------------

AS I WAS FINISHING THIS POST, I GOT A CALL FROM MY SISTER SAYING THAT MY GRANDMOTHER DIED...

I just want to add an homage to this woman, Judite, who lived 95 years. She was a farmer, a pioneer, she rarely got sick... she was tough... I would spend part of the summer holidays with her, my grandfather, my uncle and aunt and their 2 sons, in a small village in the centre of Portugal called "Vale de Açores". I would help her pick grapes for eating and make wine, she always had an amazing vegetable garden and animals like chikens, rabbits and a pig...my grandfather would kill the pig with the other man from the village who were all family... she would make all the "enchidos" (chorizos and many other similar things)... I learned a lot about community and simple living in that village with the "Rosa" and "Simões" families... I know she was not the easiest person to deal with, but I admired her for what she handled in life...

I will not forget the expression in her eyes when I last saw her... We were speaking about gardening and planting potatoes (which she did a few months before she died), when she looked me in the eyes and said :

" You know what my child?! I just love gardening!"

Here is her beautiful sun wrinkled face glimmering with joy...

these words kept ringing in my heart since then... she lived most of her life gardening... my mum said that I got the "bug" of gardening from her... Bem Haja Avó Judite, boa viagem !

I know one day we'll meet again...

There is life after death, but there is also life before we die... It´s up to us to live it and allow others to live it as well...

oFf tHeY gO...

The Jones family is back on the road with their super cool truck...
we all had an amazing time together while they were here... They're a great family, and a great model for those who think that living on the road is just for singles or couples without children...

I guess the size of the vehicle has to be according to the size of the family...In their case, Andrew and Debbie have 5 children travelling with them and they love it... I guess introverts need to find their way to escape the constant presence of others, and they seem to find their way...

They're homeschooling while they travel, so they are getting the best education... imagine the many other things they will learn from this experience... meeting all sorts of people, travelling through many different countries, etc...

Andrew and Debbie don't know yet when or where or if they will stop living on the road...I'll keep track of their journey on Andrew´s blog, I'm sure it will be worth reading ...

Debbie was telling me how they are often kicked out of the places they stop, just because they are BIG, meaning, they take a lot of space, therefore they need places like Mount of Oaks to feel free and comfortable... And what a privilege for me to host them as they are such a lovely and joyful family...  They were saying in some places people were afraid of them and we were wondering what frightens people today... Difference has always frightened people... Since a young age I felt inclined to belong to more alternative urban sub-cultures, so I know exactly how that feels... There are lots of hippies and rainbow people living in trucks and people are often suspicious about them... until they get to meet them and realise they are all about Love, Nature and Justice...  

In rare cases, because people are always a surprise, being too joyful and happy can be frightful for some... strange isn´t it?! I guess it reflects the kind of programming we are raised in these days... being too much out of the "normal" patterns of the world can be very frightening... people think they are gypsies, which brings a whole other set of prejudices, because in people's minds it's assumed that gypsies are "bad" people, which I totally disagree... again, the human tendency to generalize and label people in all shapes and forms...of course there are exceptions, like in every family, tribe, culture or nation…

Some people are afraid of those who live freely, and fear here can be mixed with jealousy... it can either attract people, or really push them away, as many people think they need boundaries and rules to feel secure... most people today, at least in the so called "developed" countries, are control freaks, so freedom is often associated to "anarchy" (which again has a bad connotation in people's minds)...In my opinion Anarchy would be the best in an ideal world where everyone would be responsible, loving each other and respecting all differences... Wasn´t that the model that Jesus presented to his followers? I believe that was the main reason the Romans hated christians so much... First they wouldn´t recognise the Emperor as the "Son of God" and "Lord", then they would live in communities who would share all things with each other and therefore depend less from the Roman system...

 
Anyway, I'll not start with my philosophies again... 

I had great times chatting about many interesting subjects both with Debbie and Andrew...and lots of fun with the girls...Sam is a bit more quiet, but seems to have a great heart...while here he was busy organizing a summer trip with his friends on the "Camino de Santiago"...

O.k, enough of text, here are some more pictures from the last days

the "littleskinnykiwis" after their father, the "tallskinnykiwi" (it´s the name of Andrew´s blog), ready to plant a kiwi tree on the Mount of Oaks...we named it "tinnyskinnykiwi"

strong Hanna...

T.J. stepping it very carefully...

And Abigail came to help with the water...Good job girls!!! I will always remember you here ...

time for good-bye's ... I 'd better say, "see you next time"...I do hope...

Mr.Jones is ready to drive!!!

And Debbie is making sure everything is in place inside...she can't wait to improve the truck and make it more practical and more beautiful...she's an artist, she can't help it ! And a wonderful mum !

T.J. showing me the girl's room !!!

Off they went... next stop will be in Lisbon, to visit the Hurst's, the Uhler's, and the rest of the crew there...

Next time they will know the way to reach the land... this time was a quick visit so they stayed behind the land...

wE sEem 2 b "gOoD nEwS"..

Just before the permaculture course started, I had a call from a girl from Covilha (a city 30Km from here)... she was a journalist of a local newspaper and she read about us on a local blog ...
That was funny I thought...

She came and asked us lots of questions... it was while Simone and her friends from Berlin were here...
Soon after she published her article...Maren and Emma went to buy vegetables at our neighbours Maria and her husband, Casimiro, and they were all excited showing them the newspaper... it was a first page, with a big picture and a title with big letters saying "Alternative Christians in Povoa de Atalaia"...

inside there was a 2 page article...among other things, she mentioned our alternative lifestyle, our many visitors from all over the world, the story of the land and how I end up here, our aim to be a monastic community reaching a balance between prayer, fellowship, work and rest, our good relationships with the village people and the permaculture course... It was actually great, and it gave the credits to God and the way we try to live with and for God...

I also thought the title was funny (a bit dramatic I would say), even though I made it clear that we don't identify with any kind of labels... Oh well, I guess it's a human tendency to label others, either to divide or to distinguish one group from the others... I don't think we're much different than many other people... Anyway, it didn't bother me so much... I don't like to call this community a "Christian community", first because not all of us consider ourselves "christians", and then because of the misconception the word "christian" so often carries...
But if other people call us "christians" I hope it's because they see something of Christ in us... and that is the best compliment I can ever get actually...

As for "liberals", she probably meant that we are open minded and not fundamentalists or traditionalists... that pleased me as well... the word itself might come from "liberty", or freedom (as in portuguese is the same word, "liberdade")... If that is so, it's nice to realise that others see us as followers of Christ (even though you wouldn't see that in a few hours), who proclaim freedom for all...
Isn't that the "Good News" ?!

As Jesus said : " The Spirit of The Lord is on me,
because God has anointed me
to proclaim GOOD NEWS to the poor,
God has sent me to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the Year of the Lord's favour."

Later on, after Jesus resurrected from death, He said to His disciples:
"Go into all the world and speak about the GOOD NEWS to all Creation."
The Good News is not just about "eternal life", but it often comes with a call to "change your way of thinking", or change the way you live your life, because there is life, even before death...
I hope this is what we're doing... proclaiming the Good News of Freedom to all Creation (with or without words)...and Creation includes not only humans, but animals, plants, the stars, the sea, the birds... I love brother Francis of Assisi and how he took these words literally... 

I love what the apostle Paul said to the Romans once :
"All Creation is waiting in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the Creation was subjected to frustration... in hope that the Creation itself will be LIBERATED from its bondage to decay and brought into the FREEDOM and glory of the children of God."

Again, the GOOD NEWS brings FREEDOM for all... when we live in freedom, we change those around us, we change all nature around us... that's something we heard in the permaculture course as well... if we care for people, they will care for the earth... it's interconnected...

...freedom is not about doing whatever we want, but about living free from all that entangles us... it is to be who we were created to be... this for me it's FREEDOM...

Sorry if I'm "preaching" too much here, but I woke up inspired...
I was also reading a meditation from Henri Nouwen for today...curiously about FREEDOM:
"When you are interiorly free you call others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands, requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of us. But when we meet a truly free person, there are no expectations, only an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover our own freedom.
Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be."

Maybe that's what attracted this journalist to come here and see... and maybe that's what people see as "good news" about us...
Few days after she published her article, I got another phone call, this time from a guy from the Lusa agency (the main news agency in Portugal who distributes news to all the media)... he wanted to come as well...so he did, with 2 other photographers (who took these pictures), and now the news are spreading like crazy in all sorts of newspapers and internet...

Another journalist is coming next week from Porto, and a guy also called from Lisbon and came to visit... he only stayed a few hours because he couldn't speak with anyone else...There were only the Jones family and they don´t speak english unfortunately as they are only passing by... he was so used to Lisbon´s constant stimulation and entertainment that he couldnt be on his own... I told him we go to bed early, so when we did, he couldn't stand the "silence" and went back to Lisbon... he kept saying that this place is magic, and he couldn't understand why so many people would come here when we have so little comfort (in his point of view)... I asked him "What is comfort for you?"

All this triggered my mind to think about all that I'm writing now...
- what is it that these people see in this place that makes it good news, or a place to come and see ?
- what are they really looking for ?

At least, among so many other things published in the normal media, which mainly bring fear and hopelessness (like the financial "crisis" that everyone speaks about now), there is a search for something that is good and positive...

If we'd be more aware, and maybe getting information from other sources than the normal media, we'd realise that there are many good things in this world, that there's hope, and true Love does exist among people (which has nothing to do with what is portrayed in  movies or soap operas) 

maybe people are hungry and thirsty for something that connects with their hearts, something that their souls long for... Maybe places like this are an oasis for people's souls... it shows to people that it is possible to live a different life, that it is possible to be content, and happy with little... that comfort is not only about material things...

Jesus also said ( he actually said a lot of cool things, didn't He?) :
" look at the birds of the air, they don't sow or reap or store in barns, and yet God feeds them... see how the flowers of the fields grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these... seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Have you noticed the birds ? They don't seem stressed nor worried... I often see them playing and singing... Even their nests, even though wonderfully made, they do not last long... and they don't seem to care about that either...
Maybe the problem for many people is that we never get content, nor thankful for what we have...we are bombarded by all sorts of advertisement which tell us "you need this, you need that, go and buy, you are a looser, go and buy, you are ugly, go and buy, you are miserable, go and buy, your neighbour has a nicer car, go and get a better one, you are out of fashion, go and buy..."

The truth is that we don't need most of the stuff we buy to be happy ...
After  9/11, the message of president Bush to the Americans was " Go and buy stuff"... Great advice! Ridiculous !

I recently watched a dvd during the permaculture course about
the power of community , how Cuba survived peak oil... I was amazed how they changed the whole country´s lifestyle after realising they couldn't keep up living as they used to anymore...mainly because of the USA embargo and after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990...
" Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. "
Every plot of land was turned into food gardens...doctors, lawyers, engineers were learning how to farm...there were no more chemical pesticides or fertilizers (thankfully), so they had to plant all things organically and without machinery... And what happened ?!!
They end up producing 80% of all they consume...everything is produced locally cuz transport was scarce... cars were replaced by bikes and health improved considerably... universities multiplied, from 8 (I guess) to 50, cuz it needed to be local... every neighbourhood has a local market with local food...

What an example !!!

So, let´s stop and think when we hear about the "crisis" ... it might be a good thing... maybe it is the best thing we need at the moment... to wake us all up !!! To make us think more globally and act more locally... to see the power of community restored... to see our values being reshaped ... to stop living in fear and start to live life as it should be lived ... it is possible for all humankind to have their basic needs met... and those who say this is "utopia", are the same who want you to live in fear... there is much in the world for everyone, but some want it all for themselves... "there is enough for everyone´s need, not enough for everyone´s greed"

The rural areas in Portugal are being abandoned by young people...most going to the main cities or abroad to work for money... Land is not more expensive than a flat in the city, but still, people get hooked on credits to buy a cement box...
the old people of today will eventually die, and the land will be sold by their heirs...
The Portuguese government and the EU have no interest to support or encourage farming in Portugal, as their only interest is to fill our country with eucalyptus for the paper industry (even knowing that this monoculture will dry our soil in the near future)... Our Government gives subsidies for those who don't cultivate their land (strange isn't it?), it gives subsidies for those who uproot fruit trees... They invest loads of money to advertise things like "Come, join the army !!!" , but I never saw so much effort in what comes to encourage young people to come to the countryside and farm...

Where are we going ?!! where do we want to go ?!!
What kind of life do we want to live ?!!! What kind of future do we want our children and grandchildren to have ?!!! Do we think diplomas will feed their stomachs?!! Or do we want them to spend their lives in and out of the universities... And when they come out there are no jobs...

Being a farmer these days is the same as being a loser, but everyone likes to eat...
Being a doctor gives someone a good status, but no one really wants to get sick...it doesn't make sense to me...
I don't mean we don't need doctors, but we need them as much as we need farmers... And there are many ways to heal besides what we are offered by hospitals and pharmacies...

If we look at a tribal group, probably there are a few doctors/healers and some apprentices while the rest of the tribe are housewives, farmers, hunters or shepherds, builders, fishermen, etc...

Anyway, I don't know if I'm too off track now ...and I definitely made this post way too long... sorry about that !!!
I will finish with one more thought :
Sometimes what we need is not that our circumstances change, but maybe we need to look at those circumstances in a different way...
and the problem might become the solution !!! (one more permaculture principle)

Let us think and meditate about this...
if you think it's worth it ...

As I was typing this post, Debbie came to me saying that there was a portuguese family who wanted to see me...they read in a newspaper about the land and just came to visit... I had to laugh !!! On the way to the kitchen I was telling Debbie what I was writing about ... this family, Manuela, Antonio and Hugo ( their younger son), came all the way from Marco de Canavezes, up in the north, probably more than 3 hours drive...
People are attracted by Good News... like many went to John the Baptist, a lunatic of the time, living by the river Jordan, dressed in camel clothes, whose food was nothing more than locusts and honey...
I'm far from comparing myself with John the Baptist (I´m a fan though), but I wonder if the same Spirit is upon this place and in many other places like this throughout the world... the same Spirit that calls out people to change the way they are living and follow God in their hearts...the same Spirit who was upon Jesus to proclaim Good News of freedom... The same Spirit who descended upon Jesus' disciples to enable them to do the same works He did on earth, and glorify God in Heaven...
The same Spirit who says "Come! All who are tired, thirsty, hungry... Come, and I will give you rest...Come and I will quench your thirst...you'll not feel hungry anymore... Come, and you will be satisfied !!! "

For those who have ears to hear, and eyes to read... Come !!!
Not necessarily to this place, or any other place, but to The Spirit that calls you to FREEDOM...

cOmiNg aNd gOinG...

O.k, I promised I'd be back to you soon, so here I am...
day by day, we're less and less people on the land...signs of a new season...

some go, others come...right after the permaculture course was finished, most people left...
Chris, Amelie, baby Shiloh and Maren went to Holland in a rented car...Dane and Jillie went to Lisbon to spend Easter with Dane's family...Jared and Steffi went to Germany...
Me, Ton, Daniel and Emma were left, but not alone...

Brother Tom and Hannah arrived to stay for a week...  Another Hannah, Ton's friend, from New Zealand also came to stay for a week...
The Borden´s, Byron, Lisa and Heather came on Tuesday, and Colin came the next day with Christian from Lisbon... Only Jesse and Trevor were missing... It was so nice to see them here, even though it was so short (2 days)... we all seemed so exhausted for different reasons...

Ulli and Juran also came for the weekend after, along with my sister Edna, with Pamela and the twins...
Like I said, some go , some come...
But soon after, all these left as well...

I went to take Emma to Faro (Algarve)...the initial plan was for her to visit Edna, Paulo and the kids there, but as Edna went to the land instead, I drove anyway... It was a long but nice journey and we ended up in a nice place at the sea...Oh, how I miss the sea...

On the way back I slept in the middle of the journey because I was tired... it's nice to have this van and just park anywhere to sleep...

As I arrived, Juran was on his way to the mass with Ulli, so I went with them...it was nice...

When we arrived back in the land, I just had time to get to my hut when suddenly I heard a voice calling : "Hello!!! Hello!!!"... I couldn't really discern the accent...I went outside and there was a man from the village together with Andrew Jones, whom I was expecting in a week... the man was trying to explain to me that they couldn't get in the land with the bus they brought so I went with them to see... 

they were parked 10 minutes behind the land...
only when I saw the kind of "van" they were traveling with I understood why they were having so much trouble... 
It's huuuuuge... and beautiful...
It was so nice to see them all... Debbie, Andrew s wife, Sam, Elizabeth, Abigail, Hannah and Tamara...Yes, 7 of them ...tall and skinny...

I'm having great times with them...It's nice to have a family around...and they are all funny characters...

Nono, joins the circus as well...
And as it has been raining all week, we're taking lots of time to rest, read, chat, play cards (lots of times), make crafts, especially Debbie... She got all excited to see our big bus full of fabrics to play with... she 's not only an amazing mum, but an amazing person ...

Here's Debbie showing Abigail and Tamara how to make certain stitches on the beautiful vest she was making for Tamara...

I still have more news...but I leave it for another time...we seem to be "Good news"... you'll understand later...

aBoUt tHe pErMaCuLtuRe cOuRsE...

I have loads of things to share with you, but for now I'll simply post a link for our new blog where I just wrote about the permaculture course...
I cannot stand so long online to write more in one day...I'm here more than 3 hours now ... sorry about that :-)

Andrew Jones and his family are here at the moment too, so I'm sure you can find something in his well known blog tallskinnykiwi

But I'll get back to you soon...