The Restory Retreat Centre

At the beginning of August this year, Matilda and I attended the last of our Living School Symposiums in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With that the formal part of our two year program, run by the Center for Action and Contemplation, officially came to an end. The readings of the Christian mystics old and new, the introduction to bright minds, high thought, humble lives, honest searching, different ways of knowing, an unfathomable great and delicately small God, us as wondrous and limited, the discussions and the work on our “integration project” became such a big part of our lives that it is very difficult to imagine a time without it. But the Living School was never intended to be a purpose or goal in itself. It is a doorway into a new way of looking and living and for that reason we enter this new phase of our lives with excitement and anticipation. Looking back and taking stock of the past two years, what were some of the discoveries we’ve made? We have discovered –...

We’ve just completed the first unit of our Living School program. Not the easiest of entries I might say. It’s like learning a new language while reading St Bonaventure (1259), The Cloud of Unknowing (late 1300’s) and Teresa of Avila (1577). “It sounds quite boring” you might think. “Being busy with all that old stuff of ancient dead people long forgotten. Their thoughts and words are of no use for us living in the 21 st century; merely the eccentric interest of a few nerds busy naval gazing. There are such a large number of recent exciting authors and books. Why not stick to them? ” I am totally with you on the exciting recent authors and publications. But we are only now discovering the value of the long dead and buried for our survival and for daily living. I experienced it in a very concrete manner again this past week. My brother-in-law William, a budding bee keeper, earlier this year, placed two bee hives close to our vegetable patch. The bees’ presence and cons...

Kateri Tekakwitha We had the pleasure of staying at the Madonna Retreat Center while attending the Living School Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico this year. We loved our spacious and neat room with a marvelous view over the Rio Grande River, with Albuquerque town across from the river and the Sandia mountains as an imposing backdrop. We loved the quiet and the friendly and helpful staff at the center. We loved walking to the nearest bus stop on Cours Avenue and taking the bus in to the Old Town and then walking along the narrow streets to the Albuquerque Hotel where the Symposium was held. We loved all of Albuquerque. What struck and impressed us was the strong influence of the Pueblo people in the architecture and culture of the city. Our very first visit to the US could not have been to a more exceptional place. Since being back home in South Africa, I often find myself missing Albuquerque. I recall the coyotes calling at night in the open space down by the river and...

Note: Matilda and I attended our first Living School Symposium from 24 - 26 August in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was the official beginning of our 2 year program at the Center for Action and Contemplation's Living School. We arrived back in SA on Wednesday evening but were so tired and disoriented after our 40 hour return journey that we had to stay over in Johannesburg for a day before undertaking the 4 hour trip back home. On Friday night we finally arrived back here in the Balele mountains. It is all so much - the whole process, our marathon trips, America, the people, our peer group where most of our work and study will be done, the Symposium. I am filled to the brim and do not know what to do with it. I would love to dump it all in one go onto everyone asking, "And so,how was it?" I just can't. Just as it is impossible to pass Table Mountain through a funnel down a little bird's throat. And besides, as Richard Rohr said at the symposium, ...

  Never talk away the magic.                                                             Danish saying “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”                                                         Roald Dahl Matilda has her sunbird (See Les...

Photo by Matilda Angus An update is long due on where we are on Adventure: Living School. (See The Living School  and The road to Gaza ). We left off in The road to Gaza  where we applied for financial assistance for tuition at the Living School and were awaiting their decision. We have made it out for ourselves that should we be awarded less than 100% it would be impossible for us to accept the invitation to be part of the 2016 intake. Then the email arrived. Matilda and George, The scholarship committee met and congratulations you have been awarded $3600 each in tuition assistance for the Living School ...Welcome to the Living School. All the Best, Tom 100% Tuition assistance. For the both of us. We couldn't be more surprised. Then elated. Then scared. But we knew without a doubt that there was no turning back from this huge door that has swung open for us. So here we are, filling in the online application forms for our American visas and sco...