Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Soup week

This week we are taking a leaf out of the 217 boiler room book and having a soup week. The idea is that you eat simple.

So for me that means porridge for breakfast, fruit at lunch time and then we all gather to eat soup and home made bread for tea. The thinking behind it for us is that we wanted to spend 5 days being very focussed about the way forward for 24-7ibiza here on the island, so not only are we eating simply we are also spending a lot more time in prayer this week.

We have a very good summer rhythm and know how to make it work yet we feel there has to be more. We met so many people in the summer who needed a break from life in the madness, we also know a lot of people around the planet who need a space to recuperate and get some feeding, we would also like to have somewhere to train people. We would love to run a 3 - 6 month winter training course.

We need a farm, a finca and that is what we are praying about this week. It's a big ask and poses a number of questions. Let's forget about finance, because where ever we live will need to be big and it will take a miracle.

The thinking behind a farm is that if someone is needing a break from life you don't just want them sitting around thinking to much, they need jobs to do, to keep them occupied.

When I first became a christian my life was in quite a mess, the only way I made it was to get out of my existing situation and make a clean break whilst I developed a healthier lifestyle. I see this with a lot of guys like myself.

We also are really drawn to the concept of community living, but how does a group of christians live in a farm in the hills without looking like a cult? People already think we are weird.

It needs to be near San Antonio, it needs to be quiet, it needs a well, it needs land, it needs outbuildings, it needs to be big, it needs to be a place of healing.

A few other thoughts, if a community grows everybody can't live together, how do you work that one out? Farm dwellers and town dwellers need to feel connected.

The idea of living with others doesn't freak Tracy and I out too much, we have actually only had a couple of weeks with just the 4 of us together since May we have had various people staying with us since then.

This all require a broadening of focus you can't stop thinking about what we are already doing, I don't want this new adventure to be to the detriment of our existing work. It's just another layer of our work here that is starting to come to the fore.

So this is why we are having a simple soup filled week, if you are the praying kind please pray for us.

Just listen to a great talk by Pete Greig he quoted Joy Dawson saying "anything not born in prayer is born in pride" a great quote for our next stage. Listen to Pete's talk HERE

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting fast and great questions. I pray God answers them clearly... Love xc

Anonymous said...

Farms are important: went to visit a Christian community farm in Dorset straight after the International Gathering. Good balance between work, prayer and hospitality (around produce grown/reared on site.

We will be praying for you this week.

Mimosa said...

Sounds great! We will pray!
Mimosa

Hannah said...

Maybe an animal farm? The work could be to rear small farm animals and allow the public round so children can see. Like a mini-zoo.

You could sell eggs and live chickens so other people could produce their own eggs. You could make and sell homemade bread and home grown produce. It could be a self sufficiency demonstration.

If it was open to the public you would be less likely to suffer communal fall-outs!

Just an idea :)

Brian said...

I like animals, we would want it to be as open as possible so that would help Hannah