So, I finally made it to Portugal, and my new home (hopefully) Castello Novo. Just when you thought it was safe to breath, however, I found myself in Castello Branco listening to the Visa Police saying that they can extend my visa 3 months (hurray!!!!) But only if I have a ticket saying I am leaving the countries included in the Shengen agreement, health insurance, and 70 euros. (Booo!) Well I’ll do some checking, but I think my health insurance is good up through July ’08, and though my money is shrinking I do have 70 euros (yea!) However, I do not have a ticket to go out of Shengen, nor am I sure of where out of Shengen I would like to go (Boo!) Once I have my new 90-day tourist visa, I can begin applying for a one year visa! (Yea!!!) But in order to do so, I would have to return to the states to apply for one there at the Portuguese consulate (Booo!)

This is the news I got on Friday. I had a difficult time, and weighed several options. After some prayer, journaling, and a few nights sleep waiting for Barbara to return from her weekend in Lisbon, I found myself sinking into a comfortable plan of flying to the states at the end of January to spend a month at the Ocala rainbow gathering, then travel around seeing friends while also finding some temp work to make some money while waiting for the visa to get approved (Yea!!!! See mom! See dad! Yea!!!) Then Barbara came home from Lisbon with some interesting news (Ohh…) She said that she has some American friends from back in the states who are living in Lisbon and are applying for their one year visa in the states by proxy, meaning they are not returning to the states to get it (yea!) So, I asked her,
“I will not have to return to the states?”
“I don’t know,” she said, “I will have to do some more checking.” (Booo!)”


So this is where I am now. There is a chance that I may be able to get a one-year visa. In order to do so, I first will get a 90-day tourist extension, and then I will contact friends at home who can help me stateside with whatever I may need to get a one-year non-working visa. So, I will be able to stay in Shengen with this visa, and can apply for another visa in Portugal at the end of that year, and then I can apply for a residency after two years. However, these first two visas at least, will be non-working visas. So, officially I will not be allowed to work with this sort of visa.

So far, I think this is a good direction for me right now. I will be busy as a volunteer under the association titled “white stone,” in English. I will be camping here on the land during the winter (my hammock is a fight every night, but still the most comfortable hammock I ever slept.) This is a quiet place for reflection yet not without plenty of comings and goings of locals, alternative Christians, hippies, and Jesus Freaks. Every day I find myself discipling and being discipled. It is also a place of connections. Barbara knows a lot of people all over the world who I would like to get to know if I don’t know them yet. Then there are the people from all over the world (but mainly Germany) who come here. If I work hard at it, I could possibly get a little handle on German and Portuguese by the end of the winter. There is plenty of care needed for the land. So far, I have been involved in bringing in drinking water from the spring, cleaning out another spring, digging drainage trenches, pruning orange trees of their wild and fruitless vines, and harvesting figs to name a few things. I can fill my time very easily with caring for the land. Then there are the projects I have for myself: such as some sewing projects, and all the books I hope to study. Actually, I could spend 8 hours a day alone, just getting into that and prayer, which Barbara encourages to make as the priority, only that she also encourages the learning to make a prayer out of every aspect of life, from study to, big land projects, to mundane chores. Today I was naming and considering an aspect of God for every scoop of dirt I shovelled out of the ground.

In the summer, I hope to hit the road lite, and tour Europe meeting squatters, punks, and people of the streets. I don’t know what sort of budget that will require, but I am sure by that time I will be out of whatever finances I need. So, what I also need are some good ideas of what I can do in ways of a travelling job, or perhaps there is a good cottage industry I can develop while I am on the land. As for normal every month expenses, they will be low, but some do exist. I will need to finance health insurance (hopefully a travellers insurance will suffice), visa taxes (I don’t know how much the yearly one will be but for the next three months it will be 70 euros.) I will be taking occasional trips this winter, like next weekend I am going to Portu to visit Barbara’s family and take a dip on the beach before it gets too cold. This summer, I will need regular food expenses, occasional moneys for travel and some youth hostels. Primarily, I am hoping that I can walk, hitchhike, couch surf, and assist others along the way. I think it would be cool if I found that most of my monetary outflow went to things like buying Warren that meal he got in Salamanca after not eating for a few days.


I am glad this is a short blog. I could say more, but I am coming to that part of the blog where I am asking for support from others. So far, God has continued to provide by other means thus making my financial needs small. I hope to see exactly what my spending habits have become in order to see what I am really doing, and what sort of money I will need to make or raise to maintain my present habits. In the meantime, I want to ask for prayer.

That I may know God, and find myself with a maturing intimacy, discipline, and obedient love toward Him necessary though for a greater end then this summer, yet still not short of needing a powerful summer of leaning on his strength in my weakness. So may this practically monastic winter be blessed with (often commonly elusive) great studies resulting in awesome personal times with our Father, Groom, and most Holy King, not falling short of acquiring a great apologetic to proclaim to this fallen and wicked generation. And may the cross be ever present in this experience.

That all may work out with visas, even so that I may not have to return to the states lest He truly wills it, but rather that I may find wisdom that follows in the best choices such as finding the right ticket to buy for the seemingly superfluous trip out of Shengen required at the end of January.

That I may discover a way to follow in Paul’s example. I would be happy to work hard from town to town, making tents, however, I am not seeing such work as a viable market. I am asking that the Lord may lead me into such a lucrative trade as will provide for my means in legal ways without compromising but rather even cultivating the higher calling of bringing the cross along with the knowledge of El Elohim to the disenfranchised whom even those of the church commonly despise in this present age.

Finally, that the Lord will continue to find favour for the community on the Mount of Oaks. May we be wise caretakers who are successful in keeping this place friendly to the traveller, the seeker, the locals, the pets, and the local plant and wildlife without making a single concession to compromise our primary friendship with Christ the Creator, and his cross.

Beloved, Thank you for your interest and your prayers.