So this place, in the mountains...

So this place, in the mountains...

It was called El Refugio, a cluster of wooden buildings on the side of a hill in a breathy, sighingly fragrant forest. A forest of oaks and pines and assorted trailing things. Of birdsong and wildflowers and creepy clouds sneaking through the valleys. Of stars blazing out of the night heavens..

People go there for help of all kinds - physical, mental, spiritual. Some stay a long time. Some just a few weeks. Many come and go. Most do not go away unchanged.

I was lucky enough to spend 10 days there, living with the family at the centre of this community. I spent a lot of time listening, trying to find out how it all worked, hearing stories (as much as I could understand), playing with kids, walking, thinking, washing up... I even went to school a couple of times with little Ester.

I felt like truth and goodness were very much alive there, but also that there was a very real battle for these, which was raging behind the scenes.

I left with much to reflect on.