for the english speakers/ readers

here you have the translated version of the last blog

thank you lianne

The renovation of the hostel is done.
The cleaning is finished, too.
Everyone who came to help out, thank you so much
It really is an progression for the pilgrims.
when it’s cold, we can just turn the heat up a bit, and the showers are fantastic too.
Some people came to Monjardin and helped with cleaning.
Which also has been much appreciated.

Marijn and Marijke (head of the organisation) and Alie Bulten (my colleage for this season) have come to Monjardin on March the 23rd. The first week they were here, we were still busy getting the hostel ready for the pilgrims.



We have a house now in Estella, where Alie and I live.
Every now and then extra volunteers will stay there too, when there won’t be enough space in the hostel, or when the dividing of the rooms won’t work out.
I myself have a room on the first floor (ground floor) of the house.
On the second floor (eh, first floor, for some among us) there’s the kitchen, the living room and an extra scullery(?) where we can do the laundry and let it dry.

On the top floor are three bedrooms
One for Alie, with her own bathroom (but she’s already made it available for guests)
Then there are two smaller bedrooms for volunteers, or for when Alie or I will have guests staying over.

The view from the balcony is amazing.
We look at the west, so we can see the sun go down over the mountains.

Now the hostel is open again.
In general it hasn’t been very busy yet.
a few weeks ago we have had about 10 pilgrims a day.
We did have some really cool conversations though.

For example there was this family from Germany
They told us that, three years ago, the son of that family passed away.
Now they walked every year in the week of easter a part of the camino, in remembrance of the son. Who had namely passed away in the week of easter.
Every single of of them had their own bond with the son, and could process that in their own way. They actually walked a few hundred meters away from each other. In the evening they were really comforted by the meditation.

Some days later there was a man who had witnessed the same meditation.
He wrote in our guestbook, that for the first time in his life he had “had contact with God.”

Often we ourselves don’t notice whether people really have been touched by what they experience in the hostel, and then it’s really cool to find out by for example the guestbook.

Anne has come to visit several times.
It is quite special, how we can be involved in each other’s lives.
She has got quite an intense job too.
Anne workt for the organisation(?) Timon, and accompanies supports youth in their family situation.


In the evening Anne and I try to Skype, which isn’t always easy now it’s high season.
We both have an intense life.

I would like to ask you to pray for our future.

The first volunteers were a couple from Hungary.
They have been in the hostel for ten days.
Now there is a young woman named Sarah, from the States, who wants to start a hostel in Santiago de Compostelle with some friends of mine.
Faith and Nate have worked in the Shelter in Amsterdam in 1997, and now they lead the team that wants to start a hostel in Santiago (not connected to Oasis trails.)

There also is a retired couple now.
Theo loves tidying up, so I’ve estimated his skills in it much higher than mine.
I have eagerly made use of that, with great success. The attic and the cellar are now ready to prepare food on the floor, and to eat from the floor. You can also now actually find your food. Maartje has spent many hours i the kitchen these days. Both of them speak French, and the Lord has used that, to fill our house with French people. Very gezellig.

So, above the pilgrim rooms is an attic.
Theo and I have made an extra place to spend the night for when I will spend the night at the hostel. We had to lay extra electricity wires, and I had to level the floor to be able to place a bed on it. There also is an extra desk now, for when one of us needs a quiet (separated) working place.

The wine cellar behind the pilgrim rooms has been rebuilt into a place to create and fix things, workshop-like. The storage room is now entirely dedicated to food.

I myself am still doing many odd jobs
In a building like ours, you can always find something to do, and you have to leave things just as they are.

The village is also more and more coming to life.
People know who I am, and there already is more contact.
We have also had positive contacts with the other hostel.
Which also is an answer on prayer.

Navarra is also very beautiful now.
Very different.
I had put up a thermometer in the sun in the front of the building.
One day it showed it was a 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 F), in the sun and out of the wind, mind you. The next say it snowed in Monjardin.
Also a few weeks ago, Anna was here
The first day we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine, and the next day we went to Urbasa by car, to the north. They were clearing snow, there was 30cm of snow (about 12 inches) I think Urbasa has an altitude of max. 1000 meter (0.6 miles)

Life here remains hectic and variable, often we don’t know in the morning how the evening will go. Alie and I really appreciate that. We have dealt with this more often in our lives, and can live well with it. At the moment we’re busy trying to plan as much as possible. Which is really funny. It definitely isn’t my strongest point.

Today I have a day on which I have put fixing things and other tasks aside, for the first time. Volunteers are cleaning up now, and I am going to send you an update. Sorry for the long radio silence. It has been very busy. Alie and I had made a new schedule, in which we planned in time to do these kind of jobs. Not. Honestly, it is a matter of going on from 8:00 in the morning till 22:00 in the evening, and then I really need the siesta in the afternoon to be able to stay on my feet.


We have been short of staff for a while.
Alie hadn’t been well for some weeks, too.
Now she’s working again, but her ankle is still painful.

I also had to go to the Netherlands because an aunt had passed away.

All these things led to extra work pressure on the team.
It all went very well, but it definitely was hard work.

So now we hope (like we did before) to get and keep a bit more control on our schedule. We’re hoping to be able to do some extra cleaning tasks, and pick up our jobs and tasks behind the screens. They really have been piling up. It is important to stay focussed on the ministry. With all the hustle we would quickly forget.


The hostel is now full every day.
The meals are also popular.
The pilgrims are quite positive about the fresh vegetables and the good meals.
Our breakfast is much appreciated too.
At many places they get fries as a meal, and a piece of french bread as a breakfast.
We definitely do a bit more than that.

These last few months I haven’t had time for Skyping in general.
Some of you have asked for this
I hope to pick it up again soon.
The siesta from 13:30 till 15:30 would be the best time for that.
Just let me know my email, when would be convenient for you.

My pictures are on my picasa website again
http://picasaweb.google.com/haralddavidse

I hopre you’re up to date again from how it’s going here
The work is very intense, and I can entirely throw myself into is
Which is fun, but tiring too.
Now we hopefully have arrived at a quieter time.

Greetings,

Harald