From the classroom to the wilderness of Wales. The events of 2020 have caused great changes across our world and for many our everyday lives have been completely changed. Going from steady careers in teaching and joinery, to living on the road has been like riding a rollercoaster without a known destination. We realised that this path was spiritually guided, and many life lessons have been learnt along the way. The call came one day in my classroom full of reception aged children. The world was changing, and fear was surrounding everyone. The scripture, many are called but few are chosen, stood out to me at this time. I knew to follow this path would mean giving up everything I held dear to me, career, friends, children’s stability, home, and comfortable living but I believed the scriptures and that we must have a change of heart to create a good and peaceful world for our children. With the futures of my class of children at the forefront of my mind, the decision was made instantly to leave my teaching position and follow the spiritual calling I had received. In February 2020 a vision was received to go to Mount Zion, this vision was shared with my colleagues before my departure. We followed the calling to Wales and later discovered that the land we had been led to was called Mount Zion. We have experienced many signs and wonders over the past three years, which has given us the faith to believe that a safe path has been set out before us.
Before lockdown I worked as a church safeguarding officer and my role was to ensure that the church looked after the poor and oppressed: “Love Thy neighbour.” In the coldest time of winter 2021 I realised that not all churches followed God’s vision of sharing and caring for the welfare of others. Upon arriving in the mountains of West Wales, we parked our caravan outside a church, which denomination I had served for many years. Within 20 minutes, the ‘church owners’ called the police and told us to go. All this in freezing weather and with a 10-year-old child with us. At that moment I realised it was not the church buildings but the individual condition of their heart towards others that would change this world to one of peace and harmony.
On our journey we have met many different people, from varying cultural and economic backgrounds. Becoming stranded in unfamiliar surroundings really tested both our own characters and those who we met along the way. Many people came to help us in the form of supplying food, warmth, and useful knowledge, although at times we encountered individuals who had hardened hearts towards people in unfortunate situations. Our journey has highlighted a constant battle between good and evil within the human heart.
Be that change you want to see in the world, even if the world says you can’t! Upon discovering the true reality of the institutions that I had served, I felt called by God to open a well-being sanctuary, where people from all backgrounds could come and just be at peace in nature, surrounded by like-minded, caring people. Isolation was a threat to life that was overlooked in my opinion, and as a result we now have growing concerns regarding mental health of both adults and children. Our aim at Restoring Eden is to help people recover from the events of the past two years by focusing on healing the body, mind, and spirit. Human beings are not designed to be locked away from their natural surroundings and need to heal from the natural vibrations which are projected out through nature. We have much to learn from the natural world around us. The advancement of industrialisation and technology has destroyed natural habitats and ecosystems which we need to sustain our earth and the creatures that live on earth with us. We have a collective responsibility to follow the circle of life, where we never take more than we give. For many years humanity has taken from nature at a rate which exceeds what we give back, hence the imbalance of harmony we are witnessing in the world today. It’s time to break down all barriers and unite in brotherly love towards one another.
Restoring the earth back to Eden. Humanity, it’s time to pull together and give back to nature. This can be done in many ways, for example by reducing our carbon footprint by harnessing rainwater, growing organic food, natural waste management, renewable energy alternatives and developing peaceful, harmonious relationships between ourselves and others. When all the divisions, borders and differences are removed we are all the same underneath and governed by the laws of love and free will. May God wake up each spirit to learn to love and protect others through these times of Biblical tribulation.