 |
The work of our Sisters at De Gaarde in the Netherlands is one of the hundreds of ways in which Medical Mission Sisters around the world try to be a healing presence to those in need today. August 1st marked the 5th anniversary of the founding of De Gaarde ("The Garden"), our environment and spirituality ministry in Udenhout, The Netherlands. Sister Elly Verrijt and Sister Barbara Terlau both live and work at De Gaarde. Sister Elly, founder of this ministry, reflects on the past 5 years:
A Place of Hope and Trust "Over the years, De Gaarde has become a place where the real questions about life can be asked. We put into practice ecological spirituality and an eco-friendly lifestyle. This is realized in the activities and programs that have been developed over the past years. Many people have found inspiration here, and more and more people have joined the circle to help in this process… "A vision of hope and trust has grown. In the beginning, my focus of Earth-healing was very much awareness-raising about the critical situation the Earth is in. Now I see that the core of our mission here is: to help people to discover their inner light and power. They begin to experience how wide their vision becomes if they become attuned to the Life force that is in everything.
"What people nowadays seem to need most is a vision of hope grounded in the process of the Evolution of Life. Then we do not lose hope or tell ourselves we are powerless. In the daily meditations and moments of life, we continue to search for the sources of trust in Life itself. It turns out to be a name for God that can be grasped by many. "De Gaarde has become a spiritual center and the image I often use is that De Gaarde is a House of Life, with a roof reaching in outer space and walls that embrace the Earth. "We found a balanced vision here: yes, the situation is dangerous and critical for the Earth community, the humans included. Yet we are not without power. "A new time is breaking through: an ecological time. A new harmony between the human and the rest of the Earth community is growing."
home
|
|
|
||||||||
