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Before I can continue with what is happening now, I need to go back to our beginning . God has been preparing us for what is happening today. In the Beginning… Pete and I met in Mallorca in 2006. At the time, we were both far from God. After I told him I would never get married or live in England, we ended up moving to England just four months later, bought a two-bedroom house, got married in 2007, and welcomed our first baby in 2008. Before we got married, we traveled to South Africa so I could introduce Pete to my family. While we were there, we stayed with my cousin, who asked us to watch some DVDs about creation and took us to a church service that impacted us deeply. I returned to faith, and Pete began his own journey with God. When we came back to Manaccan, we joined the Methodist Chapel, where we stayed for ten years, with a short period attending Light and Life in Helston, during which we were baptized. During this time, God gradually opened our hearts and minds to several important truths. One of these was that children are a blessing: “Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them”  (Psalm 127:5). I had initially planned to stop after our two daughters, but Pete felt unsure about taking any drastic measures, and so David came along. When I was just pregnant with David, God gave me Psalm 128. I knew he was going to be a boy. At that time, I was still working, and about two months before David’s birth (December 2011), during a church service, God spoke directly into my soul: “What are you going to do?”  It was a question about continuing to work. I cried a lot and eventually let it go. A little before this, Pete had left employment to become self-employed. This proved to be a real blessing, as he was home more often and available to help when needed, including being there for lunch during the day—a small but meaningful gift. "your children like olive plants all around your table." Psalm 128:3b Benjamin came along in 2015. After he was born I had a real conviction/realisation of keeping the children close. I was going to homeschool anyway, but it was more of a calling to be a strong family unit and enjoy being together as a family. Reuben was born in the Summer of 2016. We thought he was going to be a girl. Well, he turned out to be a boy, and his name means "behold a son" Stuff Over the years we spent a lot of time on boats. When we got to five children going out on boats was not particularly easy or pleasurable anymore. We were putting quite a bit of time and money into them. I lost the energy to go through all the rigmarole of preparing for a day on the water, so we almost stopped using the boats. Boats had been a really big part of Pete's life from a young age, but God was slowly helping him to let go.  It was the year of 2017 when Pete finally let go of the boats.  We took the RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) out and sold it. It is funny, the hold material things can have on you. What Pete had been struggling to get let go of actually brought him a sense of relief, like a burden lifted, once it had gone. Something we were to experience a bit later on also. In 2017, I became pregnant again. By this time, our two-bedroom house was starting to feel a bit cramped. Up to that point, we had made everything work by being extremely inventive. Pete had become a master shelf builder after countless requests of “Honey, can you please build a shelf here… and there?” We had experienced all sorts of sleeping arrangements over the years: downstairs on camping mattresses, the children sharing one bedroom while the other became a playroom, or a girl and boys sharing a room. At the time of Reuben’s birth, all the children were in bunk beds, Ben was in the cot, and Pete and I were on the floor in their bedroom. When I became pregnant, I longed for a proper bed. We had made it work, but it was starting to feel increasingly cramped. We began praying and asking God for guidance about whether to move or extend our home. Extending had always been on our minds. We went around in circles trying to decide on the best—or most affordable—option. We even tried very hard to find a local rental property. Eventually, after borrowing some extra money, Pete drew up plans for an extension, and we received planning permission. The ground was cleared, and the footings were about to be dug when… the neighbouring landowner suddenly claimed ownership of part of our garden. At first, this was incredibly frustrating, and we could not afford to enter into a legal battle. We are sure that this was God's doing, He had slammed the door shut on every attempt of ours to stay in that village! We had been spiritually restless, and felt that there must be more. Suddenly hope and expectation soared. God was going to move us. We dreamed of a big garden where the children could play, chickens and a veg garden. And a lively church where we could make friends with spend time with young families like ourselves. I was excited. We began packing, knowing we had to be ready for whenever God moved. We were looking at houses, but every property seemed to be snapped up so quickly. Finding rental accommodation with five children—and another on the way—was also very difficult, as most landlords rejected us. In December, we booked a Christmas holiday—the last one we would celebrate as a family before everything changed. We stayed in a lovely little cottage in Devon. About a week before we went, we visited a new church, which would become our new base. On the way, we looked at a property in Cusgarne, near Truro. We had seen this house at the beginning of our search, but at the time it was too expensive and too far away. A couple of months later, the property came up again, and this time the price had dropped. It was a huge house—we weren’t sure we could afford it, but we decided to look anyway. Through a series of events that were clearly God’s doing, we knew this was the right place for us. We phoned the agents to accept the property on the 22nd of December and moved in just three weeks later, on the 12th of January. It was an amazing time. And so our new life began: a new house, a new church, and soon, new friends. We were thrilled at what God had done for us. We were certain that God had blessed us with this wonderful home and was blessing Pete’s work. But was this blessing—or a lesson?

What is the purpose of this blog? I have been thinking about starting a blog for quite some time. There are two things I feel deeply led to share here: what an amazing God we serve, and the journey He is leading us on. This blog is primarily a space to share our new life of living by faith. It is also a personal record—a reminder of where we have been and how faithfully He has guided us each step of the way. My prayer is that what is shared here will be inspiring and uplifting, and above all, that it will always point you to our Creator. “I will proclaim the name of the LORD.Oh, praise the greatness of our God!He is the Rock, His works are perfect,and all His ways are just.” Deuteronomy 32:3 & 4 I recently read a trilogy by a Jewish scribe, Y. M. Tikkun, which focuses on hearing the voice of God. We believe we are living in the last days—exciting or scary, depending on which voices we choose to listen to. There is so much noisy clamour trying to pull our focus away, and even seemingly good things can become distractions. I’ve noticed that when we spend too much time on YouTube or watching the news, it steals our shalom , our peace. But when we hear the Shepherd speaking to us, it brings peace and joy—even in the midst of the storm. Time spent reading our Bibles is far more uplifting and encouraging than giving attention to the latest conspiracy theories. And so, in these exciting times we are living in, I am grateful to be on this journey—listening to our Father’s voice as He leads us each step of the way. We have not been disappointed yet.

So we’ve been counting down the months, the weeks, and then the days. At the beginning, we went through a day of doubting whether Israel was actually going to happen. We worked through that and carried on. About two to three weeks ago, we had that feeling that the cloud was about to move (think Exodus), and that we needed to start preparing. But for what? My passport is still not in my hands, as the South African Embassy has shut its doors and seems reluctant to reopen them. On top of that, because of COVID-19, Israel’s borders are still closed. I started cleaning the caravan and, unbeknownst to us, dear friends of ours asked a farmer they know whether he would allow some campers on his farm for four to eight weeks. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John10:27 We also knew it was time to vacate our friends’ caravan that they had so willingly let us use. We have had an amazing time. Being in lockdown together for three months is, in many ways, a really scary prospect. Pete is a lot more easygoing than me, and I am definitely happier indoors, looking after children and preparing meals—and perhaps not as sociable as I could be. But God’s covering and grace lay over us like a comforting blanket, and we knew that He was with us. Our thirteen children (between the two families) played and played and played, day in and day out. We learned about animals and even saw some born. We helped where we could and shared the cooking. The boys spent a lot of time on bikes—some learning how to ride, some learning how to jump! My friend’s two oldest boys spent time with the littlies, built things for them, and let them get involved in what they were doing. Really special times. But then the cloud lifted—it was time to move on. We have the greatest respect for our friends, who have been sleeping in a small yurt for three months. I don’t know if we could have done that. It has been an amazing blessing to us, and we have truly learned and grown from this experience. So the question we had was, “How is God going to do this?”  The farmer whose land we are meant to go to will only be ready sometime after the 6th of July. We would also like to go and see friends and family down in Cornwall, which would leave a gap of about seven to ten days. Where would we stay? With everything opening up after COVID on the fourth of July, places are fully booked, and it’s not very easy putting up nine people for even a night. Interestingly enough, last year Pete had come across a five-berth caravan that was potentially for sale. He mentioned it to me, but it really wasn’t what we needed at the time. With the uncertainty around when we will go to Israel, Pete has been toying with the idea of buying the caravan, as we could all just fit into it and it would make life a whole lot easier. We do have a two-berth caravan, but that means we can only camp when we also have the bell tent. If we’re moving around, it becomes far more difficult with the amount of gear to set up and break down, and we can’t use standard camping pitches. So yesterday (Friday the 26th of July), we decided the best course of action would be to leave on Tuesday and head down to Cornwall for a few days, then slowly make our way up to the farm while visiting friends and family. Pete’s parents were willing to let us park the caravan on their drive, and it would be lovely for them to see the children after four months of lockdown. The caravan is also available—so all perfect. But as we talked after our meal, we realised that nothing was stopping us from going on Monday. More time in Cornwall, and our friends get to move back into their lovely warm caravan with sofas and beds. The most exciting thing is that packing now only takes a day, not weeks, and the caravan is so much easier to clean than a big house was. Job done. Father always amazes me with His timing and provision. The time is right to go, the country is starting to open up, and movement is now possible. There is also the provision of a caravan. And what a blessing it is to be able to go and visit friends again, to bless and encourage one another in these difficult times. It also gives me the opportunity to apply for my British citizenship. I can kick myself now—I should have done it years ago… Some highlights of our time here: A few days after our arrival the police turned up. That was a bit scary. We weren't quite sure what to expect. We just explained the situation to them, anThey were very understanding and very kind. One was a real fan of large families, and the other one’s parents had just returned from a Holy Land tour. They sent us on our way with their blessing. Behind one of the barns is the “orchard”—without any fruit trees! It’s a small triangular piece of land with trees on two sides. My friend bought a fire pit, an old steel tractor tyre, and we’ve spent several evenings there cooking on the fire or having a BBQ, roasting marshmallows as the flames flickered. It took me three weeks to get accustomed to our friends’ eating habits. Because they work so hard, they have snack time every morning at ten and always have pudding. I resisted snack time for weeks, but finally decided that if you can’t beat them, join them . It’s been years since we’ve had so much pudding and baking. I think both Pete’s body and mine are now in serious uproar about this—we need to get back to our limited-carb diet, or we might end up in wheelchairs… Our friends have chickens, ducks, geese, cats, goats, sheep, cattle, and ponies/horses. We saw goats being born and learned how to milk them. The two geese are Toulouse geese—beautiful, but BIG. It took a while for Reuben and Faith to get used to them. The male is very protective of the female and not scared of anything. I did go through a phase of trying to stroke him… they do bite quite hard! We also saw ducks and chickens hatch, newborn kittens, the arrival of a birthday puppy, and our friend even took the girls horse riding. Really special times. Something that has been particularly lovely about this season is that Pete has been at home with us. We truly love having him around, and not having his work encroach on our family time has been such a gift. This is another area where God has blessed us. His business is now able to function without him needing to be involved in the day-to-day running, which means we can be free to go where Father calls us—without being completely penniless. We also managed a few excursions and met up with some of our Shabbat friends, which was such a blessing. We’ve really missed them. We used to see each other every two weeks, and sometimes every week. We are so thankful for, and blessed by, this journey of faith. Of course, some aspects are harder than others, but we are enjoying the freedom that this lifestyle affords—COVID aside. The children are wonderful and very adaptable, and our desire right now is to encourage those who need it, that their lives too may be re-ignited by our amazing God. Then shalt thou delight thyself in theLord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:14

It’s Sunday evening, the 25th of October. We’re in the cafeteria having dinner when the door leading to the offices opens. Nobody is paying much attention—until suddenly a loud voice announces, “We have an announcement to make: we are getting married.” Well, now everyone is paying attention, trying to work out exactly who is getting married to whom. The cafeteria erupts with joyful shouts and enthusiastic table-thumping as Thomas Smith and Cassie Bartell stand together, flushed with excitement. Nobody had any idea. Betrothal is a bit of a new concept to us. When we first began keeping the feasts, we were introduced to the Waller family, and one of the DVDs available is called Betrothed . We watched it with fascination. It was beautiful, and we loved the concept. But how does it actually work? To some, it might seem like an arranged marriage, or perhaps like committing to marry someone you don’t really know. We first had the pleasure of witnessing a betrothal just over two years ago. Our good friend’s daughter came to HaYovel for three months, and while she was here, a lovely young man realised that she was the one for him. What made it so beautiful was that she had no idea. His family came out, and together they prayed for confirmation from God, while the rest of his family—his parents and sisters—took time to get to know her better. HaYovel has very clear and careful guidelines about how men and women interact, as a way of protecting both parties. Hearts can be given too easily to the wrong person and then broken. That doesn’t mean people don’t talk to one another—rather, it means they don’t spend time alone together or become flirtatious. After he returned home, the young man phoned our friend—her father—and asked for her hand in marriage. She was told, and then given the opportunity to pray and seek Abba’s counsel for herself. On that Sabbath morning, God spoke clearly to their whole family, confirming that this was His will. It was beautiful to watch them begin to get to know one another when he later came over for two weeks. Never before had we witnessed such deep, genuine love between two people. They are now married and have since welcomed their first baby. And now, we have the opportunity to witness a betrothal first-hand. One of the most striking things about this one is that no one knew. Thomas had first had Cassie laid on his heart about five months earlier and had been earnestly seeking God about her—but she had no idea. He wasn’t making eye contact, hinting at his intentions, or telling his friends (although he did have one staff member praying for him). Once he was confident it was right, he contacted Cassie’s father to ask permission to seek her hand in marriage. After that permission was given, he asked for her hand. Thomas chose Cassie’s favourite place, Elon Moreh, for the proposal—the very spot where God promised Abraham that He would give the land to him and to his descendants. Interestingly enough, God had told Cassie a year earlier that she was going to marry him. But because she wasn’t particularly attracted to him at the time, she forgot about it—only to remember when her dad phoned to say that someone had asked for her hand in marriage, a man called Thomas Smith, and asked, “Do you know him?” WHY BETROTHAL? Betrothal is a picture of Messiah. When He sat at the table with His disciples at the last Passover, He said of the wine: Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:27 – 29 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s House are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. John 14:1-3 He is going away to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house—the Temple. We, His bride, remain here, and we must be ready for His return, which could be at any moment. When He comes, we will meet Him in the air and go to Jerusalem, where His Father’s house is located. And so, in most betrothals, we see the same imagery. A man asks for a woman, they enter into an unbreakable covenant, and then he leaves to prepare a place for her. Some couples even choose a window of a few days or a week in which he will return—because we “know neither the day nor the hour.” Cassie has given me permission to share their story with you, and I hope to draw you into the pure delight of a beautiful, God-ordained union. Generally, after the “yes” and before the betrothal ceremony, the couple spends time getting to know one another while writing their ketubah  and making practical arrangements—but always in company. You will usually find someone hovering in the background. Most couples also choose a “no touching” rule, which is really special. It reminds me of the verse in Song of Solomon that speaks of “not awakening love until the time is right.” We have watched Thomas and Cassie transition from two single people into a couple—now sitting together at meals, spending time outside on the picnic tables, and hanging out with other couples. This may not seem particularly significant, but up until this point, the men tend to spend time with the men, and the women with the women. What has been especially lovely is that there has been no awkwardness between them. They have transitioned so naturally into being together, and they simply seem to fit. THEIR CEREMONY It’s Tuesday morning. Some of the girls have stayed behind to help with decorations. Becca Waller is the head of decorations at HaYovel and always does an amazing job for special occasions. Everyone else is busy planting trees. I went to help wherever I could and found myself folding napkins in the cafeteria. Cassie eventually wandered in and sat down, gently strumming her guitar. The only things she still needed to do before the ceremony were to get dressed and do her hair. The kitchen crew were hard at work preparing the food, while the young men—and the gator—were constantly coming and going, transporting chairs down to the betrothal site. At three o’clock, everyone gathered at the corner of the base, all beautifully dressed. Cassie looked radiant in her newly made dress. Havah Waller seems to excel at just about everything, including making clothes out of whatever happens to be on hand. This particular dress had once been a tablecloth that was no longer needed—and it was stunning. Shopping isn’t very easy during lockdown, and HaYovel has become wonderfully adept at improvisation. Once everyone had arrived, the couple led us down the road and across the vineyards to the chuppah , where the betrothal would take place. The weather had cooled slightly, and rain clouds were gathering on the horizon. This, of course, was a great blessing, as rain is a sign of God’s blessing on the Land. It was a wonderful afternoon. We sang worship songs and listened to several meaningful speakers. Something Tommy shared really spoke to me. He said that the time when a couple is separated is a season of intense longing. They are married in God’s eyes, yet they have chosen to be apart. This mirrors Mary and Joseph’s betrothal, and just as a betrothed couple longs for one another, so we should long for Messiah’s return. It should be a burning in our souls—one that makes us restless and unable to be truly content until He returns. After the speeches, both sets of parents phoned in to bless the couple. Thomas and Cassie then read from their ketubah —their wedding covenant—and sealed it with a glass of wine. After the ceremony, we all walked back to base, where tables had been set up outside and lavishly decorated. It was a feast: salmon and tagliatelle Alfredo, with sweet potato and salad. It was a superb meal. Towards the end of the meal, it began to spit with rain, so we all grabbed a chair and a fork and headed into the cafeteria, which had been tidied up after all the betrothal preparations that had taken place there. There is always so much work going on behind the scenes. Then it was time for dancing. The girls and the guys dance separately—unless they are married, of course. It’s such fun to watch: the girls with their graceful movements, and the guys with their high-energy dancing. Cassie and Thomas did dance together, but they used a tea towel, each holding one end. AFTER THE BETROTHAL Thomas and Cassie have chosen not to touch at all until their wedding day. They will remain at HaYovel until the 15th of November, after which Cassie will return to her home in Oklahoma and Thomas to his parents in Oregon, until their marriage in January. Being separated will be difficult, but it will also be a time of preparation and a building of anticipation—for the day when he comes to take her home.

It’s seven a.m. on Wednesday morning, and we are on the Mount of Blessing. The children are all sleeping peacefully in our snug caravan, while the early morning mists swirl around the mountaintop, caressing the vines. Quiet and peaceful, the busyness of the last two weeks fades from memory… We had resigned ourselves to the fact that Israel might not be a reality this year, and we decided that if that was God’s will for us, then that would be okay. We were really enjoying caravan life—spending more time with friends and making new ones. The farmer who so kindly let us stay on the field has nine children, and we were loving the opportunity to spend time with them and get to know them better. On Tuesday, the fourth of August, we spent the day with Pete’s parents when an email came through from HaYovel. They said they had been working on getting some volunteers out there and asked whether we were still interested in going, and what the news was regarding my passport. It had now been a year since I made my application, and the South African Embassy’s Home Affairs department was still closed due to COVID. I had briefly considered Pete going ahead with the three eldest children, but being so far away from the rest of us in such uncertain times didn’t feel right. So I emailed someone who had contacted me about my passport some time ago and started phoning every number I could find. A little while later, I received a phone call saying that my passport was ready for collection. That was exciting! The next step was working out how to get to London to pick it up. Our friends were willing to stay overnight to babysit, but there were a couple of complications with that. Driving up to London and back in one day with Havah also wasn’t going to work very well. Then, on Wednesday morning, a thought struck me: Let’s take all the children and show them some of London. Pete was out doing some electrical work for the farmer that morning, so I packed a change of clothes, pyjamas, and some snacks. When he returned, he managed to book two family rooms in a Premier Inn on the Thames, along with overnight parking close by for the van. Amazing—especially considering it was August, normally the busiest time of the year. COVID definitely has some advantages. And so, at half past two in the afternoon, we set off with a van full of very excited children. After a long drive, we ended up having dinner at a restaurant across from the Premier Inn. The government had just started a new scheme to help get the restaurant sector up and running again, and they covered forty percent of our food bill, which was very nice. The girls would have loved to spend more time enjoying the luxury of a hotel room, but time didn’t really allow for that. They managed a quick late-night bath, but it was nearing midnight, and we didn’t want to lose too much of the next day by sleeping in. After a cooked breakfast at the Inn, we went for a meandering walk, with our destination being 15 Whitehall at Trafalgar Square, where I could collect my passport. We walked through a quiet Covent Garden, where only a few stallholders had set up, passed along a street in Chinatown decorated with bright lanterns, and ended up at a rather lovely fountain with water spraying up all around it. By then everyone was getting hungry, so we found a little Italian restaurant and shared some pizza. At Trafalgar Square, I queued for about thirty minutes, and then I had my passport in my hand. What a relief after so many months of it weighing on my mind. God is good. After that, we walked to St James’s Park and celebrated with an ice cream. Pete decided it would be wise to start heading home to avoid the worst of the rush-hour traffic. We got back to the van and set off at half past three, finally arriving home at half past eleven that night after stopping for dinner. It was a lovely adventure to have with the children, and they were all brilliant. Friday the seventh of August was preparation day for Shabbat, and it was going to be a busy weekend. We were hosting a gathering on Saturday, and because the field lends itself so well to welcoming many people, we were excited to invite some extra friends who normally wouldn’t be able to join us. The five families we usually meet with already more than fill a house on their own. This time, one of our regular families’ siblings were joining us, and their parents were camping with us for two days. We also invited the farmer and his lovely family. It was shaping up to be a truly wonderful time. On Sunday the ninth, we headed to Pete’s parents’ place for the afternoon to say hello and to pick up all our clothes and bags for Israel—just to be prepared. On Monday, we got the news… we had been approved to go to Israel. Permission had been granted by the Israeli government for fifty volunteers to enter, at a time when even Jewish businessmen were unable to do so. We were completely overwhelmed that we had been chosen, especially as some of our children wouldn’t be a great deal of help with harvesting. But after HaYovel sent out the email explaining that fifty people had been granted access and that they were looking for volunteers who could stay for the full three months, the number of people who replied came to exactly  fifty—and we were among them! On Monday afternoon, we visited the farmer and his family and arranged for their six eldest children to come and camp with us the following day. Tuesday and Wednesday were taken up looking after thirteen children… They built a campfire, picked blackberries, and made a pie. They were also very helpful ferrying water. We hadn’t fully appreciated just how much water we used until we had to collect it every single day. On Thursday, Pete’s dad came over to see our camp before we moved on and brought us some pasties. Unfortunately, his mum wasn’t feeling well, so she had to stay at home. I also had my last appointment with the chiropractor and did some shopping on the way back for essentials like colouring books and activity books, to help keep the children occupied on the plane and during our two-week quarantine. Later that evening, I took the girls to Tesco, where we filled two trolleys with all kinds of snacks—anything to help keep seven children happy in a static caravan for two whole weeks. Friday was a very busy day. Our friends were celebrating a Bar Mitzvah for their son and asked if they could mark the occasion with us in the field. It was originally planned as a large celebration, but for various reasons it became a smaller ceremony on Friday night. They stayed over, and on Saturday we invited our group of friends to gather with us to celebrate and say lehitra’ot —see you later. The miracle in all of this was that rain had been forecast for the entire weekend. Pete was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to pack up in the dry, and he even took the bell tent down on Thursday while the weather was still good. But God is good—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were all dry. That meant we could fully enjoy our final weekend in the UK, fellowshipping with our friends. Sunday was the only day we needed to break camp. Our friends very kindly came and collected all the children except Havah and Anya, which gave us the entire day to focus on packing up. Up until the middle of the week, we still didn’t know what we were going to do with the caravans. Then Pete spoke to the farmer, who turned out to have a self-storage yard where he kept caravans. God is so good—another mighty blessing. We joined our friends for fish and chips at their house after dropping the caravans off at the yard. They also let us all have a proper shower, so that we could be fresh for our long drive to London. Monday morning started with a bang. We packed the last few things, got the children dressed, drove into Bodmin to pick up a few bits and pieces, and eventually headed for London. The drive up was good, but we had a surprise when we arrived at the long-stay car park. They didn’t accept vans—even though the company we booked through knew exactly what type of vehicle we needed parking for. Thankfully, they were willing to accept more money, and we were able to park up and head for the terminal. We grabbed something to eat at a restaurant in the terminal. After finishing, we checked which gate we needed—and realised it was closing. You should have seen us run. I haven’t moved that fast in a very long time. We were the last to board and very grateful to finally sit down. We were required to wear our masks for the entire flight, except when eating our rather meagre meal: a bread roll with one piece of tomato and one slice of cheese. COVID has certainly affected the quality of airline food. That’s an observation, not a complaint. We were simply so thankful to finally be on our way that none of it mattered in the slightest. Our stopover was in Turkey at two in the morning. We made our way to the boarding gate in good time—keen not to repeat our previous mistake—and sat in a waiting room full of Israelis. They were very thorough, carefully checking that we had all the correct documentation to enter Israel. This final leg of the journey was only one hour and forty minutes long, and some of us managed to get a little sleep as we entered the Holy Land. But our journey wasn’t over yet. We were the last to leave the plane, partly because we were seated at the back and partly to make sure we had all our belongings. We then made our way to passport control, where I think we waited for around two hours. A very unofficial-looking Israeli took our stack of passports and disappeared into the unknown. After multiple bathroom trips and many attempts to keep the little ones occupied, a long-haired lady finally returned with our passports, and we were allowed to enter Israel. Thankfully, the two HaYovel staff who had come to pick us up hadn’t given up hope and were waiting for us in the car park. We left just as the sun was rising, looking forward to putting our feet on the mountain and breathing in the air. And so begins the most exciting adventure of our lives, here on the Mount of Blessing, in the region where—along with Judea—around eighty percent of the Bible was written or where its events took place. The mountains of Samaria, where God promised through the prophets that He would re-establish His chosen people, that they would once again plant vines, and that foreigners would be their herdsmen and vinedressers. This is the land God told Abraham He would give to his descendants forever. The land where the Anointed One—the Messiah—will reign forever from the throne of David in Jerusalem, the place He has chosen to put His Name forever. May His Kingdom come—soon—on earth…

I love it when the Bible comes alive. As we were preparing to move to the “Field” in Padstow, our friend—who was towing one of the caravans for us—asked me how I was finding the Wilderness. Slightly taken aback, I replied that it didn’t feel like we were in the Wilderness. But even as I was saying it, I felt that I needed to spend some time pondering that thought. I am YHVH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery/bondage. Exodus 20:2 God took His people out of Egypt, a land full of pagan idolatry. It was 400 years after Joseph (Genesis 15:12–14), and I suspect that God was no longer followed in the same way Abraham had followed Him. To draw His people close again, He took them out of that land—away from all the idols—and met with them. He gave them His righteous instructions, that they might be His treasured possession among all peoples, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5–6). Wow—what a God, to desire that for His people. I think I have always viewed the wilderness experience as something of a drudgery. Just listen to the complaining: “No water… the food was better in Egypt… we want to go back… it was better there.” In many ways, the first wilderness experience probably was  worse in their eyes. Yes, in Egypt they were slaves, but they had food, they knew where their water was coming from, and they stayed in one place. Life was hard, but it was predictable— comfortable pain . And so, in many ways, our friend’s comment resonated deeply with us and caused us to look at this journey with fresh eyes. Yes, we have been released from bondage. Suddenly there are no big bills to worry about. Our clothes and belongings have been reduced to a minimum, and that alone makes us feel lighter. God has also miraculously set Pete free from the “daily grind” while still providing an income. On the other hand, we are now nomadic, with no safety net. Dependent on God’s direction and provision, we must wait on Him for instructions—when to move and how. The question is this: do we learn from the Israelites’ mistakes? Will we see each stripping away as a blessing? Will we stand at Mount Sinai, washed and dressed in our best, ready to hear and obey ? Or will the demand to stand there without our “worldly comforts” be too much for us? Will Egypt continue to call us back to the cucumbers and melons? I asked the children in the van on the way up what the one thing is that you must never  do in the wilderness. You guessed it: COMPLAIN! So we are choosing to embrace whatever God sends our way and to make the best of it, trusting that He will lead us to our destination—hopefully as more mature followers—while learning to be joyful in all things. And after pondering this journey, I think all of us, including the children, would not give up a single part of it. It is a joy and a delight to be led by the Cloud of His Presence. In one motion, He has stripped us of our desire for houses, holidays, and empty treasures. These things suddenly have no value to us. We desire only to walk in the way He directs—whether that is Israel, or a caravan (or two) in a field. And we couldn’t be happier. So our vision for this particular leg of the journey is to focus on our children. The last three and a half months have been very busy—amazing, and full of lessons—but now it’s time to hunker down, put a few things right, and simply enjoy being parents. UPDATE So we have been here for three and a half weeks now, and it’s amazing. We are living in two touring caravans: a small one for the two girls, and a larger one that houses Pete, myself, and the three smallest children. The two older boys have a pod in the awning. It’s much easier than having all the children sleeping in one caravan, which we did for a week or so while we were at Pete’s parents’. Nine people in a five-berth caravan… Both caravans have an awning, and there’s a tarp stretched between them so we can sit in the shade and have shelter from the rain. Pete also put up a composting toilet to save on emptying the toilet cassettes. Until now, we’ve either eaten inside at the table or outside on camping chairs, which isn’t very easy for the little ones. When we were out the other day, we spotted some large pallets, and now we have a table again. I think the greatest adventure is the laundry. I said to Pete that if we were going to camp like this for an unknown length of time, then I needed a washing machine. So we bought a small portable twin tub. At first, doing the laundry took hours . It only takes 3.5 kg per load. I think I’m getting into a good rhythm now—getting enough water ready for the next day, and generally managing two loads (sometimes three) in the same water before draining it and adding rinse water. If you use the water too many times, the clothes start to smell like a dog blanket. Ah, water. There’s a tap at the top of the field, and we have four water barrels. Laundry uses quite a lot of water, so the children make frequent trips to the tap to fill them up. We’ve developed a really good siphoning system to get water out of the barrels into buckets for various uses—laundry, washing up, and filling the water filter. The caravans also draw from the barrels, so we do have hot water and showers. But you don’t really realise how precious water is until you have to go and fetch it yourself. There’s a song in South Africa about children not playing in the water because the elders want to drink it—I think I understand that now. Cooking is also quite interesting. I found an easy spelt bread recipe, so I can make a reasonably simple loaf and get it cooked in my very strange caravan gas oven. Thanks to my time in Devon in the static, it’s not a complete shock to the system. Pete also treated me to a cast-iron gas hob with two rings. It sits on a table in the awning, so I don’t have to cook inside. We had a chuckle the other day—I always wanted one of those big range cookers with six hobs and multiple ovens. Now I have two ovens, two grills, and ten gas rings! We thought our time here would be very quiet—time to find our rhythm again, spend time together in God’s Word, and relax. God had other plans. We’ve barely had a quiet moment and have had a steady stream of visitors. I had to do a bit of heart work, as I can be rather precious about my own space. And so far, it’s been wonderful. We’ve looked after our friends’ three boys for a few days, as well as hosting a couple of surprise visitors. One day we had twelve children! I’m really looking forward to seeing how God is going to use this time. If we only have one month here, I think it’s going to fly by. So we are praying for many miracles right now—praying that my passport will arrive, and that Israel’s borders will open so we can go and help with the harvest. Because HaYovel is unable to operate, the grapes are ripening on the vines with only a few staff onsite to harvest them. The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Please pray that God will send the labourers. We are longing to be in the land and do what we can to help. Even if all we did was harvest grapes—without tours or sightseeing—it would be such a blessing. It’s where we want to be. So we are expecting exciting times ahead!

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Isaiah 43:18 & 19 I was almost seven months pregnant when we moved. I remember asking God if we could please move before she was due—I didn’t want to relocate with a newborn. One of the first things we wanted to do when we arrived was to get established in our new church. The very first sermon we heard was titled “There Is Always More.”  It felt prophetic. We also joined the church homeschooling group, which I loved. We met up with homeschooling friends during the week and shared many fun times together. We were invited to a birthday party by one of the families we had connected with before coming to the church. That evening, we found ourselves sitting next to and chatting with a lovely couple we had not met before. The mother was a midwife, and God orchestrated it so that she was on call when I went into labour. It was a very special time, and a strong bond was formed. The father was also heavily involved in the homeschooling group, so we began seeing quite a lot of them. As we spent more time together, they shared some thought-provoking insights about the Bible—what Yeshua (Jesus) really came to do, and the relevance of the Old Testament laws. I have always had a deep love for God’s Word and enjoy a good biblical discussion, so this immediately captured my interest. Pete and I initially set out to disprove what he was saying, but to our astonishment, he was right. When tested against Scripture, we could not dispute it. A whole new world opened up to us. We began to delve deeply into God’s Word, pondering and discussing Scripture at every opportunity. We started keeping the Saturday Sabbath and exploring the biblical feasts. It took time to adjust, as Saturdays had previously been very busy days at home. For a season, we continued attending our church while learning how to live out our renewed faith. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 God brought us together with four other families. At first, we met only occasionally, but over time it grew into meeting every second week in one another’s homes. Together, we learned about the biblical feasts, the significance of the menorah (lampstand), and the shofar (ram’s horn). We began to realise that our Messiah (Christ) was, in fact, a very Jewish man—one who kept the Saturday Sabbath, observed all the biblical commandments, and celebrated all the biblical feasts during His time on earth. We also came to understand that He calls us to be His disciples, to live our lives as He lived. Alongside this, we learned more about our Jewish brethren and the ways in which they have been persecuted, often under the banner of “Christianity.” And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 It was now the autumn of 2018. There are three autumn feasts, and at that time we didn’t really know how to observe the first two. Pete still went to work, and we simply acknowledged them, reading whatever we could to gain a better understanding of their meaning. As our group continued to bond, we decided to go away together for the third autumn feast, Sukkot (Tabernacles). This became a turning point in our lives. We were heading to a campsite to celebrate Sukkot, leaving on the Sunday after church. There was a lady speaking there who had a real heart for Israel, and we were eager to hear her share. Sukkot is a joyful festival, and halfway through the church service that Sunday, a friend stood up and brought a message that carried such joy that everyone rose to their feet and began to dance. It was amazing. It also turned out to be our final service at that church, as we sensed that God had gently closed that chapter for us. It was a beautiful send-off. The year 2019 was good, but also conflicting. God had blessed us with a house and garden, yet in many ways it created work that felt distracting. Work is good—but it needs to be the right kind of work, work given by God for a purpose, to further His Kingdom. Everything we were doing was “good,” but it was mostly for ourselves. We were sure that God had brought us there, brought us together with these other families, and drawn us deeper in our faith. And yet, there was a constant sense that there was more . We wanted to be truly content in the place where God had put us. The big house, the huge garden, the chickens, the vegetable patch—it all felt like a dream, and we had believed it was God’s blessing. Over time, however, it began to feel hollow and slowly turned into a burden. During this season, Pete’s business was also growing. He had already taken on an apprentice, but the workload continued to increase, making expansion necessary. While it was a blessing that he was home more to handle paperwork, he was often tied to the computer or on the phone with customers. Despite the outward signs of success, he too felt unfulfilled. That year also brought an increasing focus on Israel and God’s holy mountain. Israel—and its importance in our lives—was becoming ever more apparent. We began to yearn for something more. By the end of 2019, I sensed that a change was coming, that something exciting was going to happen in 2020. Havah was born in November. Havah  is Eve’s name in Hebrew and means “living one.” Before I became pregnant, the children were unanimous that the new baby had to be a girl—Faith needed a sister. God is good, and He gave us a sister for Faith. Not long after Havah’s birth, Pete and I both felt that he needed to go to Israel with HaYovel, a Christian organisation that serves Jewish farmers on the mountains of Samaria and beyond. Each winter they run a men-only pruning trip, where volunteers help prune grapevines for the farmers. Pete had considered going the year before, but none of the men we fellowship with were able to go, so he didn’t. This year was the same—no one else could go—but we knew the timing was right. He signed up and booked his flights. He was going for two weeks, from the end of January. Among the wives of men who go on a pruning trip, it’s often said that they never come back the same. I knew this was exactly what we needed. Around this time, we began to feel that the house, the business, and all the excess possessions surrounding us had become more of a snare than a blessing. In February, I started selling anything I could think of—mostly books at first. I felt a deep need to be unburdened by the things we had accumulated over the years. …Behold, I am doing a new thing… It was hard to think about Pete being away for two weeks. Yet I was absolutely certain that it was necessary for him to go, and that nothing would stand in the way. One of my very special friends lent me her daughter for a few days before Pete returned. It was a truly blessed time and helped me more than I can express. Pete had a very blessed time in Israel. The pruning carried deep meaning, especially when we reflect on Jesus’ words about pruning and abiding in the vine. Perhaps Pete will share a post about his time there sometime soon. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; Isaiah 61:5 When Pete returned on the 11th of February, we had so much to talk about. After only a few days in Israel, he felt a burning conviction that we needed to be involved in the work there. He couldn’t sleep and knew he had to speak to someone about it. Before coming home, he spoke with the HaYovel leadership. Our hearts carried a deep desire to somehow be part of the redemption process unfolding there. After prayerful consideration, they decided to extend us an invitation for four months, after which we would discern God’s leading. Now we had to decide how to prepare. We knew we couldn’t stay in our house while trying to save up to go. The only way forward was to sell what we could and give up the house entirely. All of the children were in agreement—God had been preparing us for this. We would need a miracle. We wanted to be out as soon as possible, but how were we going to get rid of everything? We had chickens that needed new homes, tools, furniture, and plenty of accumulated “stuff.” Miracles in the Everyday Not long after, I had a conversation with a newly married friend. They were in the process of buying a house and were living in a static caravan, so I asked if they needed any furniture. She did, which felt like a wonderful start. A few days later, Pete spoke with a friend who had recently moved into a bigger house. That very morning, they had been talking about our chicken setup and were about to go out and buy everything they needed. They also needed a larger dining table and many other items we were hoping to re-home. The following week, they all came over and walked through the house, choosing what they needed. It was incredible—such a huge weight lifted from our shoulders. We began moving things into their new homes. God had also provided a trailer. Pete had agreed to buy it when his dad purchased a lawnmower. At the time, Pete felt uneasy about spending the money, but it turned out to be such a Godsend. There is no way he could have done all that needed to be done without it. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 It was also around this time that the Covid situation was beginning to loom. Although we didn’t pay much attention to it at first, we felt a strong urgency to get as much done as possible. We arranged to stay at a campsite on the Lizard, where Pete could continue working and we could save every penny. Then, one by one, places began shutting down, and we were told to stay at home. Pete made almost daily trips to his parents’ place, where we had put up a shed to store the things we wanted to keep. Despite everything, we were doing really well. With about two weeks to go, we had almost completely emptied the house. Just before lockdown, we went to charity shops and bought everyone a suitcase. We were sleeping on mattresses on the floor and living out of those suitcases. Pete methodically painted the rooms and cleared out the workshop and garage. Then the dump closed. And when Pete called the campsite to confirm that we could still go, they told us they could no longer take us. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 6:23 Because God’s hand was so clearly upon this, we knew He had the perfect place for us, so we kept pushing on every available door. Yet, one by one, they all seemed to slam shut. With just a week left before we had to leave, we were beginning to get concerned… and then, on the Sunday before our departure, a friend of mine living on a smallholding in Devon offered to take us in. Funnily enough, at the very start of our move, she had written to say we could come for a week if we got stuck. At the time, we thought it would be lovely—but we weren’t sure how it would work. God had clearly given her a verse “for such a time as this.” The amazing thing is that they were living in a static caravan while renovating their farmhouse. To make room for us, they decided to vacate their lovely static caravan and move into a camping yurt—uninsulated and basic. We had planned to camp ourselves, but there wasn’t enough flat ground for a tent, and she knows I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to the cold! Their generosity and heart completely blew us away. After we arrived, we were blessed with amazing weather, though the nights were very cold with heavy frosts. And through it all, they never grumbled once. Truly remarkable people. So, on the 11th of April 2020, we left our home, ready to go wherever God leads us. And, God willing, we will be in Israel on the 1st of July. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. Deuteronomy 32: 3 & 4 P.S. It was quite difficult fitting 2 years into one post. If anyone has any questions feel free to drop us a line (on the blog) and we will reply or write another post.