Apartment Hunting

Just to keep you updated on the adventure that is finding a home to live in.

Got an apartment in mind in San Antonio itself, very close to Eroski and near the Sunset strip (for those of you who know San An). I never thought that i'd live right in San An itself, but actually, as i'll be on my own i'd really appreciate the closeness to food shops, coffee shops and the hustle and bustle of life going on around you. It's on 6th floor too, and has a cool balcony with views of sunset and you do feel disconnected being high up, yet it's well easy to pop down and get amongst it in seconds. But she (the owner) has just put price up to €550 (any danger?), and i'm only going to go to €500.

Seen another place around the bay, and it's in a lovely area, pretty quiet with access to a pool and lovely roof terrace, but the downside is the kitchen. It's pretty pokey and extremly small, with no oven, and the living room has only a coffee table, and not much room for a table, esp one that can fit 4-8 people around. Hospitality is important for me, so not sure if this is the right place.

I really want a 2 bed place, so come the summer i can have someone, a volunteer for instance, come to live with me. That'll provide not only some company but some income too. This will mean more money going out during the first part of the year, but less come the summer.

Am back in the UK this Thursday, so need to make some decisions. I'd value your prayers for me at this important time.

Update

Today we are planning; dreaming; thinking; praying for the work of 24-7 Ibiza.

'If we always do what we've always done, we'll always have what we always had.' That's the quote currently knocking about in all of our heads.

We want to 'Fully' proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, and figuring out new ways to do this.

Another day to check what apartments are out there and to go looking at a few.

Am currently listening lots to Switchfoot and Jars of Clay.

Wished i was at the final ever Delirious? gig too. That would have been immense!

Flat Hunting

So, just bringing you up to speed with what i'm doing at the moment. I'm still living at the Anglican House in the mean time, until i find somewhere else more suitable. I need to find somewhere for the beginning of January.

Saw four different places yesterday that were to rent, all around the Bay in San Antonio. A mixture of bedsits and apartments. Am hoping for a 2 bed flat, close to the Heasleys, and not too far away from the hustle and bustle of San Antonio. Am learning new words in spanish too, as many of the people i ring can't speak English, so i'm just making it up as i go...which tends to make for some awkward moments. All good though.

Cinematic Orchestra

When i was in LDN a few weeks ago, a friend of mine treated me to a ticket to see the mighty Cinematic Orchestra and it was such a great gig. I wasn't dissapointed. I think there's about 7 or so members, and they are so musically talented like you've never heard or seen. They had an orchestra there too, which, as you might not have guessed, are not part of the main group - it's just their name.

Here's a link on Youtube to see one of there songs 'All that you give'. It's an awesome song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F1RVXfiWEE

They finished with thier amazing song 'All things to all men'. UK rapper Roots Manuva sings on it and he was the special guest that night! Flipping awesome!

Elderly Prayers

I've been wondering recently at why it seems, in my opinion, that all the really amazing prayer warriors are the elderly? How many times have you heard it said...'Old people are amazing at praying, really faithful. They have all the time in the world to pray, so let's get them on board.'

I've heard that many times, and sad to say that i've used that line myself too during the run up to some important work or event.

But i wonder what we can learn from the older, more wiser generation of prayer warriors? What drives them? What motivates them? Does prayer become easier as you get older? Are they answered quicker?

I just sense the call to prayer even deeper...I think i'd like to 'get on it' in prayer NOW, rather than when i'm 70!

Home

Tonight i will be living in my new, temporary 'home', just on the outskirts of San Antonio. I will be living in the downstairs annex of the Anglican Vicarage with a couple called Bob and Clare. They run the English speaking Church in Ibiza.

I finished all my packing today about 4pm and moved my stuff to my new abode. There are 2 bedrooms, a large living room, a small kitchen and a bathroom. It's just right and what i need.

It's strange being somewhere new, that isn't quite 'home' yet. I will be here until the first week of January, giving me both time to look for a place to live, and giving me time to save some money towards deposits and rent etc. I am hoping to obtain either an apartment or a studio flat somewhere around the bay in San Antonio. I really don't want to be so isolated as before, and much closer to the hustle and bustle that is San An.

I've been thinking alot about 'home' recently - not my home back in the UK (as i don't have one) but just the idea of having a place to call 'home'. Having responded to God's call to serve Him, i am learning to trust in God to provide for me the place that He wants me to live in.

My thoughts are that when it comes to following and serving God, you must learn to make your 'home' in God. This was a thought i had during the summer whilst living in community, but one that i've not explored deeper enough. Yet i sense God speaking to me about this whilst in this transition period. I think that one must know that ultimately, our home is in God and with God, and that He provides and gives us a place to live for a time that He sets. You see, when you know that your home is in God and with Him, the call to move becomes easier; you don't worry about owning somewhere; you learn to trust God when He asks you to move.

Ah, these are just thoughts as i begin a fresh part of this adventure.

It is exciting though.

---

View your other email accounts from your Hotmail inbox. Add them now.

Who will answer the Call to prayer?

Am hearing the Call to prayer ring in my ears...like I've never heard before. But it's a call to be part of an army; a military call. At least that is what i am hearing.

Your country DOES need you...and it needs you to pray like you've never prayed before!

I read this quote about the definition of the task of priestly intercession (from The Prophetic Intercessor by James W. Goll) and it's based from Isaiah 62:6-7

"An intercessor is one who reminds the Lord of promises and appointments not yet fulfilled."

"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem praise in the earth."

Isn't that amazing? We're to be God's secretary, reminding God to fulfil His Word to us. Wow! Are you hearing His call to prayer? For your country or for another country?

So i thought i'd take a picture of my new car! Brian and Tracy have given it to me and it's such a blessing.

Firstly, it's an Audi!

Secondly, it's pretty nippy...hence the expensive insurance! ouch!

Thirdly, it's Red!

But most of all it's a pair of Wheels for me to get around the Island, and that's great. I just need to buy a new battery now and get it taxed and i'm all sorted! Am just so amazed at God's awesome provision and His perfect timing too. He knows my needs exactly, and just last week i was praying that God would provide the finance that i need and over the past week i've seen God provide through some friends in a remarkable way. I just think God is awesome and i'm so thankful to Him for the way in which He provides.

My friend Helen leaves!

So it's with real sadness that i said goodbye to my friend Helen, who left on Sunday to make her journey back home to Germany. She's been serving God and 24-7 Ibiza for nearly 3 years, and she's just made such an impact upon this place. She's back safe and sound - how the car got her home, i'm not sure. Some prayer and some good mechanics maybe?

She packed her car up on Sunday, and i helped her, but as we all know, Helen is great at organising and packing, and squeezed all her stuff into the glovebox of her Peugeot. I was amazed that she managed to fit all her bags and shoes and nail painting thingys in her car...

I'm now on my own in Spanish and can't turn to Helen for assistance. All the Moroccan guys at Spanish are gutted that she's not around either ;) "Donde es Helen?" "Donde?"

Helen is a pilgrim, someone wanting to follow God and His call, and i wish her all the best as she seeks to live a life for God in Germany. I hope she comes back to visit and come clubbing, maybe to We Love...

E-mail update!

If anyone would like to receive my news via e-mail then do let me have your e-mail address and I'll add you to my list of lovely people. I usually try to send out news every couple of months or so. It includes stories and current things I'm facing plus some helpful prayer pointers!

Yo hablo espanyol!

Had my first Spanish lesson last night since June and boy, was it hard. My new teacher speaks way too fast, and i just couldn't keep up with her. I'm now in Level Two, and i can definitely sense the increase in difficulty. Everyone around me is speaking really good Spanish and I'm sat there just scratching my head.

But I've not giving up one little bit. I'm gonna stick it out and get on top of it all. I got asked to spell the word Portugese in Spanish - i was like, i can't even spell it in English let alone Spanish. Good times! This winter i want to really get on top of speaking Spanish!

PRAY PRAY PRAY

About a month ago, Brian (our 24-7 Ibiza leader) got stopped by the police in our 24-7 Ibiza van one night and was accused of being an illegal taxi. This was not good, as for one, we're so not a taxi service, even though we do take back drunks to their hotel, and two, it's a €6000 fine.

Jog on!

Brian and Tracy have been going to the Spanish authorities and also the British consulate, but have been met with no success. It looks like we (24-7 Ibiza) will have to pay this fine.

I'm not having that! This is just not acceptable. It's not fair, as we're not a taxi service that takes money - it's a free service - everyone knows this. We do it because we're being kind and offering a service that no one else does. It's a massive blow to everything we do and all that we stand for. We need to sort this as if we pay, we're owning up to being illegal and it could jeopardise our future work.

So - I'm asking if you could stand with us and pray about this pressing issue. We need a breakthrough, and we need the authorities to do a 180 degree about turn. This can only be done if we pray, pray and pray. Thanks.

Look how they shine...

WOW! I had to blog right away before going to sleep.

You know i live on a farm in Ibiza that's in the middle of nowhere, right? Well, before I hit the sack tonight, i thought I'd quickly pop up onto the roof to check out the night sky as it looked like it was going to be a clear sky.

Oh. My. Life!

I was not disappointed. I've never seen so many stars on display and to top it off, i saw 2 of the longest and most vivid shooting stars that I've ever seen! They were like rockets in the night sky. When I see the heavens and the stars twinkling, it's hard not to be in awe and wonder at creation, but more than that, at the Creator behind the amazing spectacle before my eyes. I don't stop at thinking how amazing the stars are; I keep going and think how amazing is God who created all that I see. The stars speak of something deeper...

Check out how Psalm 19 begins - how cool. (This is C.S. Lewis' favourite Psalm in the Bible btw).

'The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech of language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.'
Psalm 19:1-4

My conclusion tonight: God is awesome and most worthy to be praised!

Prayer Muscles

I want to grow bigger muscles. Spiritual muscles that is, as i have pretty decent guns already, as you must have already noticed ;-)

I was at the 24-7 conference recently, and this guy talked about us growing bigger muscles in certain areas of our lives. A verse that someone read out that instantly struck a chord with me is in Psalm 18:34 'He trains my hands for battle, my arms can bend a bow of bronze.' I really do want to enter into a new season of being trained in prayer, to do battle, to be stronger and fiercer and surer.

Alot of what i do for my work involves praying, so it seems right to learn and develop and grow in this very area. I'm quite excited.

Anthems!

These three are just a couple of the choons that you could hear in most clubs and bars this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd3KxitATVo
This is the MGMT 'Kids' remix by Ingrosso that every DJ smashed this summer and when it breaks down will put the biggest smile on your face! It also reminds me of a guy who lived with us called James, as he's an Indie-head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JZyChjUARE
This choon builds and builds and builds until it destroys you in the breakdown - loads of amazing energy: Sunset Terrace at Space - need i say more? It's called On:Off and it's by Cirez D, otherwise known as Eric Prydz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14Wwx_9vUL8
This reminds me of the dirty electro we heard in the backroom of Judgement Sundays @ Eden. We had some good times there. It takes a while to get into it, but it rocks...it's by Starkillers and called 'Bitch Ass Trick'.

The best T-Shirt?

During the summer i got given an amazing T-shirt by a really really great friend called David. He has worked in Ibiza in the West end for a couple of seasons now, and it's been a pleasure to develop such a great friendship.

Anyway, when he turned up at the prayer room at the start of this season, knocking on the door around 2am, he was wearing this t-shirt that he'd got from Topman of all places. He said he knew that I'd like it - and he wasn't wrong. It's got the words: 'If you don't get on with the Devil, Jesus will always take you back.' And it's got a picture of a woman (looking quite devilish) next to a Church and a sign saying 'All returns accepted, no questions asked'. He said that he wanted to give it to me, and a few weeks later, it was in my possession. It's now my favourite T-shirt ever!

How awesome is the message on this T-shirt? And the fact i got given it by someone i met in Ibiza is pretty cool. It's got The gospel all over it!!! The sign saying 'all returns accepted' reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son in the Bible, one of the greatest stories Jesus ever told. The youngest son takes his share of his inheritance and turns his back on his father and goes to a far off country (a modern day version might have Ibiza as the country) to spend all his money on wild living. After running out of money and his friends have left him, he decides to try to get a job feeding pigs, and is desperately hungry. He makes the decision to go home and face his father, worried that he might not be accepted. But the fathers heart is amazing, waiting and ready to accept back his rebellious son, with full forgiveness and in total grace. Jesus told this story to tell us what God the father is like, and it's a pretty awesome message!

This story is relevant more than ever today. Jesus - the exact representation of God - is ready to welcome back anyone who has gone and danced with the Devil, no questions asked. Fact!

Rest

I am now at my Mums house in Lincoln. It's lovely to rest, to have a full English/Roast dinner and to recharge the batteries. I'm hoping to see a couple of mates here and there, but mainly to just chill before heading home on Friday. I wish it was longer, but I'm glad of the time.

At the moment i am gathering as many books on prayer as possible. I feel that over the summer I begun to hit a level of prayer that was effective, yet somehow i knew that there's so much further to go. To be fair, one of the main activities that we do over the summer is prayer. We pray for individual needs, for the broken and the hurting, and also for the holiday makers that we meet. Deep down I know that there is so much more i need to learn and grow when it comes to prayer. I mean i feel I only at the tip of the iceberg. There are times that i pray for someone or something and then end up hitting a dead end. I can pray for someone's addiction, yet i want to see them set free. I know prayer can do this....

The term 'spiritual warfare' is constantly batted about in Churches, yet to be truthful, i don't know much about the subject. I traditionally thought that this specialist area was assigned to Church members who tended to lead extremely serious, yet boring and dull lives. Now I'm thinking about this all myself and in desperate need to find fresh teaching and i have a heart to learn more.

24-7 Rocks Amsterdam

I had the opportunity to be in Amsterdam this weekend as part of the 24-7 Prayer gathering. The meeting wasn't that large, yet many different nations were represented there, with Germany, Scandinavia, The Balkans, and Essex among the main groups! It was an excellent weekend, and i loved hearing some of the things going on in Europe and listening to some excellent talks inspiring us to renew our love for God and the call to pray.

It's so clear that 24-7 isn't about a vision, or a mission statement, or about buildings, or results but about people. What i love most of all about the 24-7 movement is the friendship i have with such great people. Doing what i do in Ibiza means I've had the privilege to meet some fantastic people over the past 18 months, and it was great reconnecting with many of them and catching up with them. It brings such life and renews faith in what I'm called to do. People are so supportive of Ibiza, in particular the Irish lot and the Boiler room in Standford-le-hope. What lovely people they all are! I love you guys. Thanks for the amazing Ethiopian that we shared...yum!

The highlight of the weekend was the Auction on the last day. T-shirts were designed and donated and sold to raise money for 2 couples to bless them in their work. I think about €2500 was donated. The giving and generosity during the sale of a special knitted t-shirt (made by Peggy from Standford) was remarkable. Who says being generous isn't fun? Good times!

I Heart Amsterdam

The picture above is of the motto that the city of Amsterdam have adopted since 2005. These huge monuments are scattered throughout the city and represent the pride and confidence the locals have in their beautiful city.

During a seminar whilst attending the 24-7 Prayer conference I heard a guy mention that it's interesting that the words in red is the name God uses in Exodus to tell his name to Moses....'I am'. How cool is that? All over the great city of Amsterdam is Gods name. In a city with such a 'dark' reputation, we see Gods name right in the centre of it all.

I loved being in such a beautiful city. When i wasn't in meetings, i got to enjoy seeing the sights, the canals, the restaurants that serve every type of food, the people from every corner of the globe, and the buzz. One evening we did walk through the red light district as i wanted to see it firsthand. It was both shocking and sad, to see people literally 'on sale'. But apart from that, the city was such a fantastic place.

24-7 Euro Gathering in Amsterdam

This weekend I'll be in Amsterdam for the annual 24-7 Prayer Gathering. I'm well looking forward to being there and seeing lots of friends and hearing some great talks and hopefully being encouraged. Am feeling really knackered after a busy summer season and i hope to enter a time of rest; rest for my soul. I read in Matthew 11 about Jesus giving rest for the soul. The Message puts it in such a beautiful way: 'Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest...learn the unforced rhythms of grace.' Wow!

The theme for this year is taken from Phillipians 4: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.' I love this bit of scripture so so much, and can't wait to hear more.

The Prayer Wall

Here are some photos of loads of prayers in our Prayer room at the Centre. As you can see, the prayer wall is full of prayers written by workers and holiday makers alike. We have the wall split into sections; prayers for health and protection; for family and friends; for work and finance; direction and future and for everything else.

Whenever we are out and about on the streets and we take a prayer request from someone, we immediately pray for it before putting it up on the wall. It's great to see the wall so full. Quite often workers pop their heads in and read all the prayers and sometime end up writing one themselves. I can't tell you how great it is to see people connect to God in this simple way. Awesome!

The Highest and The Greatest

I love this song by Tim Hughes, and I'm learning it - hoping that i won't kill it - which i usually do to decent songs! The lyrics are awesome and i think they are totally appropriate to the place that I work in. Young people from all nations gather here in Ibiza to worship, and it'd be amazing to see people lifting up the name of Jesus. It's an amazing cry to all the nations to bow down to God. I do hope that one day people here in Ibiza will cry to God 'You are the greatest'.

Verse 1
Wake ev'ry heart and ev'ry tongue
To sing the new eternal song
And crown Him King of Glory now
Confess Him Lord of all

Chorus
You are the highest
You are the greatest
You are the Lord of all
Angels will worship
Nations will bow down
To the Lord of all

Verse 2

A day will come when all will sing
And glorify our matchless King
Your Name unrivaled stands alone
You are the Lord of all

Oh let ev'ry heart
Let ev'ry tongue
Sing of Your Name
Sing of Your Name
Let ev'ry heart
Let ev'ry tongue
Sing sing sing

Lifting you high, higher and higher

Space Closing Fiesta!

Space Closing was great today. It's the party that officially ends the clubbing season here in Ibiza. Not only does Space hold about 3000 people, but they open the car park at the back that holds at least another 5000 or so.

These are some of the DJs we saw - firstly Sneaky Sound System, who seems to be making a big name for himself (really filthy big beat music), then a live set from Pendulum, both outside and the latter one in the heavy rain - but we got handed some rain coats at the entrance - which were much appreciated. It was funny dancing in the rain. We then headed indoors to the Sunset terrace and stayed there for ages. It has such a great atmosphere, and the vibe is amazing.

Back outside to see Wally Lopez before heading to see Tom Novy smash the sunset terrace. He plays such groovy, uplifting tech-house, the kind that makes you smile and put your hands in the air. The more i hear House music, the more i like it with melody; need it to be uplifting and with vocals thrown in for good measure. Best choons today were 'Open your eys' by Snow Patrol and 'You've got the love' by The Source. Awesome choons. He finished with 'With or without you' by U2. Yes!

We missed loads of other DJs as we had to be back, but it was great to get to the closing party of the year. It really is the party to finish on and celebrate such a great summer.

Last night of Streetwork

On Friday night we walked the streets of the West End for one final time. Helen had a great idea to buy some pick 'n' mix sweets and we walked about handing them to workers, which they loved. I was up for going out to 'Wonderland' @ Eden as Faithless were playing but i was just not up to it. Feelings of tiredness and the emotions of the season winding up and saying goodbye to some special people meant that all i wanted was to get some rest.

Having had some rest yesterday, and spending some quality time with God, I'm feeling much fresher, which is just as well as today we're heading down to Space for the Closing Fiesta! We need to be in before 1pm, which is always wierd to be in a club for that time, but it means cheaper entry. I just hope that it doesn't rain, as much of it will be outside and the weather has been pony lately! The line-up is unbelievable - as always - and I'm well looking forward to having a boogie. Am hoping to bump into loads of worker friends and enjoy the day together.

Dancing to a different beat - Part One

I am dancing to a different beat.

Of course, we are all listening to the same DJ and the same beats, yet at a deeper level we are dancing to a completely different beat. When i say we, i mean Christians.

What i mean by that is this: when it comes to clubbing i think that Christians are to be set apart and to be radically different - so much so that it makes people think and stirs questions in them. So much so that it enables people to connect with what it is Christians are celebrating when they go out to a club and go dancing. So much so that our lives are a witness to those around us and a testimony to something far greater than the night itself .

At the start of the summer, we got to know a guy who was a friend of one of the workers. He was here for a few weeks and we ended up bumping into him a few times. Whilst out with us in a club, he didn't drink like he usually does, and he ended up having a great night. He put it down to being with us and around us. We loved the night, the music and the atmosphere, and i think it was a huge witness for him to see similar people just having the best time without the need to be on some form of drug. That night he promised himself that he wouldn't head out the following weekend and get smashed like he usually does.

Encouragement

The last two nights we've had three separate holiday makers call us over to simply say 'thank you'. One girl said that last year one of our team had talked her out of taking drugs, and she's not touched them since, and that her mum wants to financially support our work because of the impact it has made. Cool!

Another guy said that he too was in a mess on drugs and that after being helped to get home last year, he decided to not do them again and hasn't! How cool!

As we end another season, it's great to hear this encouragement and to know that behind all that we do God is at work and changing people on a deeper level.

Awesome Weekend!!!

Sunday just gone was awesome as we got to baptise Christine! She lives with us and has taken a work break to give 6 months to the work of 24-7 Ibiza. I think someone threw the idea out about getting baptised and along with lots of encouragement and maybe a dash of good-pressure, she decided nothing would be better than to get baptised whilst serving God in Ibiza.

What made the day really special for me was the company. Some of our best friends who live and work here for the summer agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly, to come along and witness this strange Christian tradition done Ibiza style.

Our guests came around our house for food first (which always helps) and then we all piled down to a beach to dunk Christine under the sea. It was a really great day, and they were all pleasantly surprised by the whole symbolic act of Christine publicly declaring her belief in Jesus.

There's nothing more exciting then baptising someone here in Ibiza. I wonder who'll be next?

Final Team

At present we have 5 people here who make up our 7th and final summer mission team. Cue the cheesy, emotional music and the tears in the eyes. I can't quite believe that the final team is here and going on Friday! Basically i don't want them to leave.

This team have been flipping great! I told them that last night, but they think i say it to all the teams. I kind of do...but this team are great, and one reason i told them that is because they danced for nearly 8 hours in Space last night - good effort troops!

But the other reason i told them that they're great is that i feel that we've hit a level of intimacy and worship in our prayer room that we've not had all summer. If you've been out on a team and are reading this, it's because of you and all the prayers you've sown - so you can give yourself a pat on the back and take a 'well done' from me for good measure!

Just to give you a fuller picture of what i do, before we begin our streetwork at night we gather together (around 11:30pm) to pray and sing and read scripture - basically breath God in. The prayer and worship times have been on another level! Another level i say again with a shout! It's like God's presence is being poured out in a new way and we're worshipping God with new voices. It's unreal! But you know what's even better? We don't stay in our prayer room - we go out and breath God out, and his presence spills out to the people we talk to and help. I got to pray at least 3 times last week for complete random strangers about various things. It's so exciting!

Tonight I'm supposed to be on a night off, but sack that - I'm getting on it in prayer and am looking forward to seeing people touched by God's presence!

Gods PR

Here in Ibiza, most bars and clubs employ several people to act as PRs - in other words their job is to try to persuade you to go into the bar and buy some drinks, offering all sorts of drink deals and selling their bar as the best place to dance in.

The other night, someone said that we are PRs of God, and in a sense, she was totally right. We are not based at a particular bar trying to get people in (which makes me think of Church), and we don't have any alcohol to give, but we do offer many other things. One of the main things that we offer and which is such a witness, is a free lift to either the medical centre or to the hotel to people who end up getting into a drunken state whilst drinking in the West end. We also offer prayer, either by asking them to write it on a prayer request card which we'll pray for later, or usually we offer prayer right there and then on the street (which is by far the more exciting method).

So in a sense we are God's representatives, which on one hand is such a huge responsibility, yet on the other hand fills me with such excitement. What an opportunity to be a witness to the many people who come here on holiday? To be His voice, His hands and feet as we walk about. To share our story, to pray, to talk about faith and belief and life and death.

I LOVE IT!

Formentera = Paradise

I've just had two very good friends called Tim and Nick stay with me for a long weekend we've had such a great time. Both the guys have been to Ibiza several times before and have both been involved in 24-7 Ibiza in some way or another.

Since I've been coming to Ibiza, I've wanted to visit the small sister Island of Formentera that lies about 20 miles to the south of Ibiza. We had talked about going last summer, but never got the chance, so we made an extra effort to get across. It's a very small island, with not alot of people living there, but the idea is to lie on the secluded beaches and not to interact with people. It's definitely the playground of the rich and famous, judging by the amount and size of the yachts on show.

The sea was the clearest I've ever swam in, and it felt like paradise to lie on the sand and get totally rested. When you have your best friends around and you are in such a beautiful place, it's hard not to feel so blessed.

Maiden Voyage!

Our wheelchair saw some action last night. We found a guy that needed taking home, and as Ibiza Rocks hotel was around the corner, we wheeled him back. I was fairly pleased with my wheelchair skills! All joking aside, it's such a blessing not to have to carry someone across your shoulders, as it just does your back in. We just need to get a flag for it now...preferably with our 24-7 Ibiza logo on it.

Breathing!

The last few nights out on the streets has been so exciting. Every time that i go out, there are opportunities to witness, to share God's love and to pray for people. But this all happens because we get a chance to breathe God in and to be filled up in our prayer room.

Last week some holiday makers that i met and prayed for last summer came back for 2 weeks of Ibiza madness, and it's been great to have them around. They are our biggest fans, and each night we've bumped into them drinking at their favourite bar, they've written prayer requests for themselves and for their loved ones.

One of them even wanted to pray for us whilst out on the street, so we all got in a huddle and he prayed protection over us. It was a genuine and heartfelt prayer that rocked! We all met up with them and had a drink to say good bye before they got their flight. They'll be missed, and i hope to see them again.

Publish his glory!

I read this yesterday and thought it was really appropriate for our work here in Ibiza. It's from 1 Chronicles 16: 23-29

"Sing to God, everyone and everything!
Get out his salvation news every day!
Publish his glory among the godless nations,
his wonders to all races and religions.
And why? Because God is great - well worth praising!
No god or goddess comes close in honour.
All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,
but God made the cosmos!
Splendor and majesty flow out of him,
strength and joy fill his place".

Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,
in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!
Shout Bravo! to his famous Name,
lift high an offering and enter his presence!
Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness".

What struck me is that in a sense we are publishing God's glory here in San An, and we're also getting God's salvation news out and about on the streets. It's gets me thinking too about some of the gods that are worshipped here in Ibiza, and that they don't even come close to the God who made the cosmos. This scripture fueled my prayer time last night.

The Best Weekend in the World...EVER

So here is my best weekend EVER.

On Friday, Jud, James, Christine and I all piled down to The Ibiza Rocks Hotel and caught the Radio 1 weekend happening there. Pete Tong did his Essential Selection show live from there, and Vernon Kay was the host with the most. We saw acts like Florence and The Machine (she sang 'You've got the Love' - amazing), we saw DJ's Deadmau5, David Guetta, Eric Prydz and of course, Mr Pete Tong himself. It was great fun, standing in the sun, in the coolest hotel and bumping into many worker mates that we knew.

Straight after, i was treated to a curry at The Curry Club. We rested our broken bodies and ate some great food. Then the bombshell - i was being treated to a ticket to Radio 1 and Cream at Privilege the following night. I had several freshly born kittens right there and then! Amazing. How generous of Jud and Christine to do that. Thanks girls!

Saturday started with a trip to Aqua Mar (the Water Park) where we slid all day long down some crazy slides. I got sunburnt. Badly. Must have been the slides.

Then, onto the biggest club in the world to see DJs like Eric Prydz, 2ManyDJs and Zane Lowe. The main room is like an air hanger and can fit around 10,000 people. It was pretty packed with great music. But you know who smashed it for me? Laidback Luke. He was awesome: smiley, happy, hands in the air and playing some filthy beats. Best choon: 'Tonight's going to be a good night, i can feel it' - not sure by who, but that summed up not just a great night with wonderful people but a great weekend.

Btw...i do work too...honest.

Fruitfulness!

So i was chilling out the other day whilst sitting under one of our Fig trees. It's one of my favourite places to think and to journal and above all to reflect. I actually took a picture of this tree a few months ago. It was bare, ugly and didn't have much life to it whatsoever. Yet check these pictures out! I sit under a different tree, surely? This tree is full of life, large green leaves everywhere and now loaded with fruit. The fruit is not ripe yet, but in a month or two we'll harvest the figs.

One thing strikes me - if you were to look at the surrounding area you'd see that it is extremely dry and there's no water around. The land is unforgiving. Yet there is life in this tree. It seems a fig tree can grow in the harshest of conditions. How true of my life. At times i feel dry, lacking water and lacking in life, yet life is there, with the promise of fruit to come. How exciting!

Prayers of Faith

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" Jas 5:16

Last night we started the evening by praying that God would intervene in people's situations whilst here on holiday. We raised our faith as we reminded ourselves that God is at work here and can put a stop to situations before they even arise. This is what we're prayed for:

That God would stop someone from wanting drugs
That God would intervene with someone feeling pressured to have sex
That God would keep friends loyal and that people would not leave friends behind and on their own
That God would give people sense when they buy alcohol and that people would stop when they've hit their limit
That God would put a halt to men wanting sex with prostitutes

You know what? We've coined the phrase 'Messy Wednesday's' as Wednesday's involve lots of projectile vomiting. The reason for this is for hotel change-overs, so we find that most people that we help have just arrived on Wed night/Thurs morning, but they've been drinking from the moment they left their house, on the way to the airport, at the airport, on the flight and then once here they are straight out into the West End.

Last night was different. It wasn't so messy. We helped one person get back to their hotel. Usually we find ourselves involved with several groups of people needing help. I believe it's down to our prayers. God is intervening and answering our prayers of faith. He is at work and most of the time we don't even notice.

"Time marches on, never ending"

Much has happened over the past 6 or so weeks and i've not really had the time nor the inspiration to keep up with blogging. I love keeping my journal which includes everything that goes on in my life, but this blog is different.

I want to fill you in on some of the things that i've been doing over the past 2 months, so hopefully there'll be loads of posts with some interesting pictures to go with them.

Please bear with me as i think of interesting, fun and insightful posts that shed more light on my life here in Ibiza.

Team 2 of Summer '09

We've got a full house at the moment, with three summer volunteers living with us, and an extra special guest called Simeon - who is here for about three weeks. Great to have him here with us. Sunday just gone, we had a large community meal, and invited some workers up to the farm. It was a great meal, and we had some good laughs.

We've got a team from Northern Ireland with us at the moment, and after a good first week with them out on the Streets at night, we had a cracking weekend, and took the team to Pacha - which they all loved. It was to a 'Defected' night, and The Shapeshifters DJed. Many won't know nor care who they are, but if you want to know - they smashed it (played some amazing choons and created an immense atmosphere in the club)!

If Carlsberg did mission teams....

(Sorry for such long Blog-silence btw).

'God is a DJ' Article in Mixmag

The work of 24-7 Ibiza was recently featured in the latest (May 09) edition of Mixmag - the worlds biggest dance music and clubbing magazine. When i was contacted to talk about our work, i was really excited at the thought of us getting in such a high profile magazine (I've been a fan for many years). What a great way to reach thousands of clubbers who head out to Ibiza for their annual pilgrimage with a completely different kind of message and work.

However, having read the article, I'm completely gutted! What she's written about our work is true, but it's the two comments that were written about our work that suck. I know that it makes for good reading, but it completely guts me.

This is what a DJ called Oliver Lang (resident at Bora Bora) commented about us:

"I wholeheartedly support anyone who tries to help someone else, but i don't think it's the job of a religious group to go out to Ibiza and look after ravers in a state. That's the job of the police, ambulance crews and the clubs. I mean, what a perfect opportunity to convert someone to Christianity when they're a bit off their heads. Everyone seems to look after each other in Ibiza anyway. That's the religion of Ibiza, in my opinion, with or without these people."

Simon Morrison further comments, referring to us as 'God Botherers'.

"In clubs, people are vulnerable because of drink and drugs, which disables some people mentally on a temporary basis. That's why it's a good hunting ground for Christians. The main intention is not to care, but to convert, which i think is wrong."

I can't believe we've been totally stabbed in the back like this by the author of the article. These two people have, as far as i can tell, never met us, and once again they reinforce the classic stereotype of Christians - only out to convert and change people by force - bashing them with our Bibles. If they were to actually meet us and see what we do and how we do it, i think they'd quickly take back those comments. I really want to go down to Bora Bora - where we went several times last summer - and chat to Oliver Lang and ask why he wrote that about us having never met us.

I wonder what all the workers in the Westend - who know us - would say? What would their response be to our work? As if we'd actually abuse our position to try to convert someone in a vulnerable state. We actually protect them, get them to hospital, make sure they get back to their hotel safe and sound. I don't see the police nor the ambulance and definitely not the clubs doing any of that. Fact! Our intention is to care, to love and above all to serve. And if someone would ever want to talk to us about our faith whilst we're helping them, we'd most likely tell them to meet us the next day. Most of the time they never do. Can you tell I'm slightly peeved?

Let the Streetwork begin

Tonight will be the second night that i've been out in the West End this summer so far, with the first last night. It's great to finally be back doing what i love.

This week we are getting out each night for 2 hours. When out on the streets we meet and chat to PRs and workers, both old and new for an hour, and when we stay back in the Centre we pray for the next hour. It's really great bumping into so many familiar faces and people that I've gotten to know over the last few summers, and I'm pleasantly surprised just how many are back again, but even more shocked to hear they never left and were here all winter. How did i miss them in such a small place?

With the season having only just begun, it's not that busy with tourists, clubbers and revellers yet. But give it a few weeks and the streets'll be totally heaving. I wonder when we'll be called to take a drunk home? Any guesses? I reckon there'll be one in May!

The Prayer Team

I cannot believe that the summer madness is about to begin here in Ibiza. I don't feel well prepared nor equipped for anything that lies ahead, so it's with a huge sigh of relief that we have a Prayer team here for 6 days to help us get ready.

I feel that i have 1001 things to do still and we open our Centre this coming Monday, and on top of being behind, I don't feel mentally nor spiritually prepared.

Yet having these fantastic people here to pray and work has been such a huge blessing for me. They've been an immense team, and have already made an impact that i believe will last for a much longer time than they can imagine. Not only have they physically worked up on the farm, but have also shared their prayers and thoughts and words of encouragement with us.

Having them around has brought strength of purpose and encouragement to me and i think i can now put the key in the ignition and start the engine!

Our Onions are Spring Onions!

Coming along nicely...

Our Potatos!

Check these out! They are growing everso well. I'm really pleased that all our hard effort is paying off. They are simply bursting with life! Bring on the harvest!

Famous Quotes

I'm putting together some famous quotes from a completely broad spectrum, to use in our 24-7 Centre. Do you have a favourite quote? Any inspirational gems for us to use? Message me on here....

How about this one: "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." Any guesses?

Old to New

My new trainers, a gift from Freddy and Agneta...so lovely of them! My old pair were...well...dead! They are white, think they'll get dirty quickly, but i don't care really! New shoes!!!!! Thank you guys!

Onions!

Coming along nicely!

We have life!

So check out our potatoes. At least i think they are the plant of the potato. Am i right? They seem to be spaced equally apart and if i remember, Helen planted them like that. I'm so excited! My friend Ruth (who is here for 10 days) helped with the farm chores. We chopped wood (Ruth's first time using an axe) and we watered the plants and veg.

Our crops are growing!

The Onion Cam

Keep updated on how well we're doing with growing onions. I'll post a photo every few weeks with their progress. Here's the onions after about 4 weeks of TLC. They were just small seedlings when we planted them, and now look at them. Spring onion anyone?

Joint 30th birthday invitation

Hola Amigos!

You're all invited to attend my joint 30th birthday bash with my twin sister Nicole, on Sat 18th April at The South London Pacific, Kennington, London. Nicole is my extra special VIP, so please come along and meet her! My good friends behind the Sambalanco Soundsystem are hosting the party as a one off special, so please make it even more special by coming along if you're around. It's set to be a road block! Quote 'Bruces Bonus' and you'll get in for £2! Job done!

Check out Facebook for more details by searching 'Sambalanco'.

Cala Comte Sunset

Yesterday, Helen and her two friends and I all went in search of a sunset. We drove to Cala Comte and were not disappointed. We were treated to one of creations amazing spectacles, with not a cloud in sight and just a simply breathtaking sun service.

It reminded me about what Ibiza is all about; the magic, the beauty of creation, even the search of meaning too. I know that sounds clique, but watching something as beautiful as a sunset just stirs you inside, and makes you think about the world, life and your own purpose in it all; the question of why am i here?

On the other hand, I'm also very much looking forward to sitting with thousands of other sun-worshippers, drinking in creation and feeling the excitment of life once more. Bring on summer '09!

Fig Trees

We are so lucky to have a number of beautiful Fig trees on our land, and none more so than this fine specimen. Although this tree looks empty and bare, there's the tiniest hint of the fruit to come. From looking at it, you wouldn't think that life could come from such a tree, being so gnarly and grey and old. It looks weary, and completely messy. Branches hang everywhere and grow in a thousand directions.

Yet as an observer, i only see the outside. I wonder about its roots. Are they healthy? But the big question is: will this tree bear much fruit, and good fruit at that?

I feel a bit like this tree. All messy and a little empty. Yet i hope...

Keeper of the Bee

Today Helen and I were invited to attend a 'gathering' of Bee Keepers by our friend and Spanish teacher, Solveig. I got my first ever 'taste' of Bee Keeping, and i was a tad excited about it. We were lent all the right protective clothing and head gear, but in the back of my mind i had to believe that the Bees wouldn't sting me. This belief was tested big time, as at one point i must have had at least 200 Bees on my head. At first i was none the wiser, as they were all around the back of my head gear, and it was only until a few experienced professionals gave me some assistance. The only gutting part of the day is not tasting any honey. But after seeing the TLC that is put into the process, i think it'd be wrong not to buy some.

Throughout the day i was listening and picking up some Spanish words and phrases and being given the odd lesson by some helpful Spanish speakers. I really think my understanding of the language is growing. Maybe this time next year I'll be on the way to fluency? And keeping some Bees?

Planting

Today, the four of us set to work on a corner of our land and planted 4 rows of Spuds! It took us the best part of the morning to dig - in the rain i might add, and after some back breaking digging, we put down two lots of manure (very smelly), and then laid the precious seedlings to rest and covered them over.

We now have to let nature do its thing. There's nothing more we can do apart from help to water the crops, and some prayer. We're not sure when they'll sprout or when we can harvest them. It's all very nerve-biting and exciting all at the same time.

Pictures of our farming endeavors will come soon - i promise!

The Elements

Water. We need it. Desperately! Not for drinking, but for the land. Our cisterns are pretty empty - so we're really wanting it to rain. Lots. (I wonder how people who have NO water cope - not even fresh water to drink).

Sun. We need it. Not as desperate, as it's sunny most days here, but we're still very dependant on the sun for our power. If we can get through the day and night without switching to the generator, then it's been a good day.

So we need it to be sunny during the day and for it to rain at night. Ummmmm....that's a big ask. Is it possible?

Finding Caves

The six of us thought it was high time that we explored some more unmarked territory around our land, so out we all popped for a wee walk. However, it quickly turned from a ramble in the countryside to a proper trek, at times scrambling up hills and over huge boulders. To be more precise, our mission was to find some caves that are apparently dotted around our land. Sadly, we never found any, but we have on good word from our landlady that they are out there. So the search continues...

Planting Seedlings

We now have 5 rows of freshly planted Onion seedlings! At one point today all 6 of us set about the task of digging and planting our Onion seedlings in the hope that in a few months, with the help of some lovely sunshine and water, we'll be harvesting a crop.

I'd never have thought that I'd be actually thinking about things like irrigation, seedlings, and fertiliser. Yet today we went to buy some Sheep's manure to help the growing process. I feel such a learner, yet we're managing to get by. When i was asked a question today, my answer was either, 'i don't know', or 'I'm not sure'.

I hope our hard work pays off. I'll put up a photo of our lovely handiwork.

The Bread Oven

Having cleaned the Bread oven a few weeks ago, i decided today it was time to see how it worked and to see what i could do with it. Well, the only word i have is 'awesome'!!! I gathered loads of little branches and the like and lit a small fire in the middle of the oven. It's a huge oven - i actually got in it when i was cleaning it - it's that big! I then began to add branches to really get it going.

As you can see in the pictures, we got the fire roaring and it looked so cool. At one point fire was leaping out of the front and up the chimney. Had Pepe not been there i might have thought I'd let it get out of control - but he assured us that it was normal. Pepe is friends with our landlord and is being such a legend - always helping and fixing things.

I think the temperature must have been at least 300 degrees. Apparently it keeps its temperature for a few hours, and you can cook meat/veg or bread - anything in fact. I hadn't actually prepared any dough or food to cook but at least it's now ready to use.

Rosemary

Rosemary grows EVERYWHERE in Ibiza. Every valley and hill and cliff is covered in it. It seems to have completely gotten out of control, and best of all - it's all over our land. It's great to just pop out and go and pick some to go with your food, or bash up in a pestle and mortar to go on some spuds. Love it!

Bob and Claire came round this lunchtime - they run the Anglican Church here in Ibiza. They both used to live and work as missionaries in Mexico for many years and Bob is a qualified expert in agriculture and farming, so we picked his brain all day! It's actually one of the reasons we invited them round, that and that they're awesome people! He's helping us identify the best areas to plough and plant; what is what when it comes to spotting trees and veg, and how best to tackle irrigation. I'll keep you posted on how the farming goes.

The White Island

I've started reading a great book by Stephen Armstrong called 'The White Island'. Did you know the name 'White Island' comes not from the drug but from the mineral salt? Ibiza, at one time, was the largest salt producer in the whole of the Mediterranean. As trade and exports increased between empires, a way of feeding the thousands of sailors was required, and thus the method of salting fish became the most popular way of preserving the fish. From our farm you can see the salt flats in Salines, and for many centuries Ibiza made vast amounts of income from the precious mineral.


The book also traces Ibiza's history right back to The Phoenicians. It unpacks the reasons why the Island has always had such a magical pull to such a vast array of bohemians, hippies and pleasure-seekers.

I've just started reading it but hope to learn as much as i can about the Island that i live on.

The Alpha Course

Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant?

What would your answer be?

I think The Alpha Course is such an excellent introduction into the Christian faith. It's intention is to allow people to learn more about Christianity in a non-threatening environment. Each week you listen to someone talk about various different topics.

I went on an Alpha course once when i was about 19, accompanying my big Sister. But now I've just completed Week 2 of helping to run an Alpha Course that the Anglican Church began. It's been such a breath of fresh air for me, helping breath life into my own faith and the questions that surround it. I'm helping lead the discussions for a small group of young people and they have some great thoughts and questions. So far we've discussed 'Who is Jesus?' and 'Why did Jesus Die?' Am really loving being involved in this.

The Peugeot is nearly dead!!!

The road up to our farm is so bad that the exhaust came off the Peugeot about 3/4 of the way up the hill. So we tied a rope around it and i followed behind running and lifting it off of the ground. Talk about nightmare.

We're going to get our path sorted as we know someone who knows someone who can do it for us for a fee. There are large potholes and huge indents which take it's toll on our vehicles. Helen and i are praying for a 4 x 4. At present we're looking into which is the most economical and value for money. We'd love a pick-up, but any old second-hand 4 x 4 will do.

Chainsaw King!

With all our internal heating coming via our wood burner and the open fireplace, we thought we needed to invest in some decent wood cutting equipment. And guess what? I'm getting to grips - literally, with how to use a chainsaw. It's great fun, but also very scary. But i am feeling like i'm mastering the art...

So this past two weeks we've been seeking out fallen trees on our land, cutting them up and collecting and storing the wood, and it's such a pleasure to heat the house by lighting fires...but i feel i'm constantly smelling of smoke.

Day Sixteen on the Finca!

So we've been at the Farm for over two weeks now...and it's going really well. It is such a blessing to now be connected to the outside world with the installation of the Internet! To be honest I've liked the time away from it all...

We've just said good-bye to two of the most fantastic, generous, gorgeous and funny people that you'd ever have the honour of meeting. They're called Robb and Sally and they came on Tuesday for a few nights to hang out and see our place. They're good friends with Brian and Tracy, but now i get to call them friends. They also came for some rest and relaxation too too, which i think they got, being as far away from any desk and office as you can on our hill. They are a constant source of blessing to us all, and i hope they visit again for more fun and laughs.

Today was full of searching out for fallen trees, cutting, chain-sawing, dragging and axing. It was great fun, and we have tons of wood to keep us going for at least a week or two. The day finished with a meal together and then we made our way home.

This place really does feel like home for me. I feel like I'm still settling though, and i know it'll take time to adjust. But it's so much fun!

Silence

Sorry for the lack of blogging. We still have no telephone line nor internet connection. We're still waiting, and as some of you know, things can take ages to happen here.

So i'm at the Centre at the mo, and hope to come down over the weekend and share some more of our adventure about all living together. My latest news is that i'm a bit of a pro at using our new chainsaw! It's such good fun...
Brian is the axe-man and i'm the chain-boy...but i've told Brian i'm not too happy with that name that he gave me!!! It sounds a bit wrong if you ask me.

Day 3 on the Finca

We are now all in our new home and our 3 guests from Northern Ireland went home this morning. It was great having them to stay, mainly to help us with all the moving and shifting and to join us in drinking a few bottles of Rioja. The last 2 nights we´ve just sat round the fire telling stories and having a laugh.

I haven´t showered since Wednesday (i´m a bit smelly), as the boiler heats by solar power, and it´s not really giving us the hot water we need. I couldn´t face a cold shower! I´m dreaming of those huge bath tubs that you heat by putting some hot coals underneath. We might have to share the water!

The laughter stopped abruptly this afternoon when our solar power equipment sounded an alarm to tell us we were out of power. No way!? Just so you know, we have no other source of electricity apart from an oil-powered generator, which we haven´t filled yet. But we really didn´t think that we´d need to use that on our third day! We were told solar power is fine even on a cloudy day and it stores up electricity too. At least we have a fire - our only source of heat. I reckon we´ll all struggle tonight with no electric blankets nor any water at all as it gets pumped from our well! Can this be any funnier?

Tracy rang our landlady, who until tonight i thought was a legend. Yet she´s not really that helpful - and with no water whatsoever (the water is from the land and is pumped up - needing power), no electricity...i´m thinking she´s not my favourite person

It´s an incredibly exciting time for me, even though we have these little problems.
We have bread, we have wine, we have a fire, and we´re together. That´s good with me!

Jackanory

I love stories. Whether they be funny, sad, inspiring, painful or even romantic. My favourite usually involve swords and fighting and saving people and defeating evil, and of course, kissing the girl that's just been saved. Or maybe they are just in my head.

Now, I wouldn't consider myself to be a great storyteller; I'm not a great communicator nor have the confidence to make any up. Last night three friends come over from Northern Ireland to help us move and join in our adventure. To be honest, they are Brian and Tracy's friends, but now they're mine too! 3 guys called Stevie, Brian and Chris. They were all telling funny stories of their travels and adventures and we were laughing long and hard. Truth be told, we were all drinking Rioja and were on our fourth bottle...

But i have a story. It's of life, risk, faithfulness, stress, excitment, and above all adventure. The main character is God, and he takes the star role, saving me at the last minute! No swords - thankfully. I'll post it on here so you get to read it.

It'll be the kind of story we tell each other whilst sitting round the fire in our new house, years from now. We'll tell it to each other when we're finding life hard. I'll remind myself of it when I'm trusting in God to meet my needs in a time of worry. Do me a favour? Please remind me of it in a few months...