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...

Moving House

Tonight I moved 2 car loads of my stuff up to the Finca. The roads were really quiet and although at night the bumpy roads up the hill aren't great, I managed with a full cargo. I'm really pleased with my room, and the house in general. I cannot wait to get into our kitchen. There's a bread oven, an open fireplace and lots of seating area. I'm sure that'll become the place we all want to hang out in during the colder winter nights.

God is totally providing us with all that we need too. People are really supported this new phase in soo many ways, but particularly people feel like that if they cannot physically come out to help us move, they want to give financially. We are being totally blessed as there are several key things that we need to really make this Finca our home.

For me, the main thing we need is a decent second-hand 4 x 4. The road up to the Finca at present is dreadful, and i know the car that Helen and i share is about to give up the ghost. If you have an old 4 x 4 kicking about and not being put to good use, then I'd love to hear from you!

God's answer to prayer

Over the last 6 weeks i have been praying alot about finding a solution to our housing situation. As many of you know, Helen and i live together in a rented house, which we began in April of last year. You might also have heard of our 'Finca' that we're moving into this Wednesday 14th January. If not, where have you been?

The 4 of us signed the contract to the 'Finca' at the start of December knowing that there was a level of risk to our commitment, namely the fact that Helen and i were signed up for a whole year on our current location. I suppose it was our step of faith! The risk for me meant moving into a new place with new rent and still honouring the contract to my old house. This would have been totally impossible.

But today i received the best news! Someone is going to be moving into mine and Helen's house and wants to be in THIS Thursday (15th January)! Talk about perfect timing!?! I mean, there have been times that i've been very stressed and worried about this situation - but once again i've been humbly reminded that God is my provider and knows the right time to remind me of that! I'm so happy and so thankful. I have no words right now of just how thankful i am for God's provision.

Work, Rest and Play

Everyone!
I'm so excited! Tonight, about 40 or so friends and church members are gathering to hear about my adventures in Ibiza! How cool is that???

I know I'm going to get emotional about talking about all that God is doing on the little yet significant Island called Ibiza. I've got a slide show too - never done that before - and it contains photos, videos and information about 24-7 Ibiza's work on the Island.

The structure of the evening is 'Work, Rest, and Play'. I might have to get a Mars bar to use as a little illustration. God's been speaking to me alot about the whole of life - how in everything, He is a part of it. His presence is just as much with me when I'm out dancing in a club as when I'm praying in our prayer room and when I'm picking someone up off the street who is covered in sick .It's hard to imagine yet i totally believe it.

I'll let you know how it goes.

'Give us today our daily bread'

It's both tough and exciting living by faith...however, I'm still trying to work it out. How does one live by faith? I think it means believing and trusting in God and His Word that He provides for us in every way. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews that 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.'

This Wednesday I'm gathering all my friends together to share all the great stories of the summer. That's the main reason for the night, to allow people a glimpse into my roller-coaster life that living and working in Ibiza brings. I know that at some point in the evening I'm going to ask people to consider 'investing in me' (to use my friend Brian Heasley's words).

My house mate Helen and I need to raise a staggering €2600 to pay our landlord so as we can move to the farm. We're going to move anyway, but it means that we'll both have to pay 2 lots of rent each month. YIKES! As it is, i don't receive enough to get by at the moment...and you know what? - at present, I cannot 'see' where the money will come from, apart from God's amazing kindness. At times I'm most definitely NOT certain, yet today, i believe.

My prayer is 'God, please provide us with our daily bread.'

'Chez Bruce'

So i am preparing for this coming Wednesday night's event at my Church here in Notting Hill, London. The main reason for the event is to communicate to my Church family and to my friends all of what i am doing with 24-7Ibiza.

Am planning my very simple yet tasty menu of Soup and Bread. I love baking bread and i just found out that my Church receives literally bags of fresh bread from this unbelievably posh little food shop in the heart of Notting Hill. Although i was looking forward to all the baking, it does make it cheaper and takes the pressure off getting it all done. Basically - RESULT!

Am going to make a Leek and Potato Soup. What more does one need on a cold (and it is bitterly cold) Winter's night here in London town? It's a Nigel Slater recipe too - from my friend Ruthage, and although I've not made it before, I'm relishing the opportunity to make it a good 'un. Love that man Nigel...

The evening will include a video clip of our work from You Tube, some pictures of the 24-7 team and our work, and of course stories of the summer's work and my hopes for the New Year. It's going to be a great night!