Fixed hour prayer

Sat. Aug. 28th
Every day the rhythm of life here revolves around the communal prayer that is the heart of Taize. It is unbelievable to gather with 7000 people kneeling on a simple floor of a church and singing scripture passages and then reflecting in silence together three times a day.
Every time there has been something that has spoken to me. Rob’s revelation was that “if you don’t deal with your baggage before you come it will be an even bigger burden as you try and travel.” This is said both spiritually and practiacally as we pack and re-pack our bags to try and get rid of excess luggage to which I reply “back off, I just sold everything I owned to do this I’m allowed to carry too many bobby pins. They’ll be lost by the end of the week don’t you worry!”
Then there is the study of the prodigal son. We are both relating to the younger son because we have left our life and wonder if we are squandering our birthright. Yet, I am mostly relating to the older son in the story. The one who has always done the right thing, obeying the letter of the law but not being “home” with the father but rather feeling like one who is a worker operating out of duty. It hit me what a spirit of love the prodigal has towards his home when he returns from wasting his inheritance and how the older son did not recognize what he had. I feel these thoughts in the silences as I sit in the services at Taize and then the voices begin to sing:

Let all who are thirsty come,
Let all who thirst receive
The waters of life
Freely.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus,
Amen, come Lord Jesus

Amen.

Kids Camp at Olinda

Fri. Aug. 27th

Little did we know we set up camp in the wrong spot. Friday to Sunday had us landed in the beautiful village of Olinda just a five minute walk from Taize. We packed up our luggage and made another treck past horses (Cameron was in his element) and fields of lavender (Kathryn was in hers) and Simeon had old stone walls to climb so all the children were joyous despite their time-zone suffering.
Olinda was exactly what we needed to recuperate. They had a park for each of our children’s age groups and programs for each of the kids in the mornings. They also had a drama and bible study of the prodigal son story in the afternoon.

While the kids had their program in the mornings we had a teaching around the prodigal son story as well and then a group time with parents who also spoke English. Our group leaders were Andrew and Anna from England with Brigitta and Aiden their children. Brigitta became Kathryn’s “best best best best friend” [Emphasis hers] and Simeon and Aiden spent most of their shared time arguing about who was bigger.

Olinda has an incredible chapel in the cellar of the home they had us staying in (Yes, a week without a tent;) And we met a most amazing family from France as well.
So thankful to finally feel like I am able to breathe.

Chocolate for Breakfast

Thurs. Aug. 26th
If there has ever been living proof that the feeding of the 5000 was possible it seems that Taize has made it a mandate to show that it can be done. For some reason the adult section did not enjoy our young Cameron waking them all up at 6:30 with his jet-lagged “hellooo” and informed us that there is a “family” village ten minutes up the road. Before we decided to relocate we had the Taize breakfast which is the same everyday. It consists of a hot-dog bun sized crusty bun, more like a baguette really, two pieces of chocolate, a stick of butter and hot chocolate.
“Chocolate for Breakfast mommy?” my children’s eyes sparkle.

Don't freak out. we are telling stories that have happened a few weeks ago. we are currently in spain. Hopefully it will all make sense soon.