Sometimes the work God begins in our hearts doesn’t unfold all at once.
Sometimes it takes years of quiet faithfulness, waiting, and trust.
For Nuno and Gila, that journey began nearly nine years ago.
They were living and working in the Middle East when they felt a clear calling to return home to Portugal and share the love of Jesus with people in their own country. It was a step of obedience, one that required leaving behind what was familiar and stepping into the unknown.
But even then, there was something more stirring beneath the surface.
They carried a vision.
A place of rest.
A place of healing.
A place where people could encounter God in a real and personal way.
At the time, they believed it might look like a farm or retreat center. But after searching and praying, they realized it wasn’t time yet.
So instead, they started with what they had.
They opened their home.
For the past eight years, their home in northern Portugal has been a place of gathering. A place where people come to pray, to worship, to ask questions, and to grow.
That space became A Casa; a church that meets not in a building, but in a home filled with life, conversation, and community.
Week after week, year after year, Nuno and Gila have faithfully created a space where people feel seen, welcomed, and known.
And now, that small beginning is beginning to grow.
As their community expands, they are preparing to move into a new space closer to the city center, making room for more people, more connection, and multiplication.
But even in the midst of that growth, something unexpected happened.
The vision came back.
Last year, the same dream that had been placed on their hearts in 2017 resurfaced; clearer, stronger, and more timely than ever.
A retreat center.
A place of rest.
A place where people could step away from the noise of life and encounter God.
After prayer and discernment, they found a property not far from their home – land that felt exactly right for what God was calling them to build.
They stepped forward in faith.
They created a nonprofit.
They named it PEACE.
And at the end of January, through generous donations and significant personal sacrifice, they were able to purchase the property.
They are calling this place EDEN.
A place full of life.
A place of restoration.
A place where people can come and rest in the presence of God and hear His voice.
EDEN will be more than a retreat center. It will be an extension of everything that has already been happening in their home over the past eight years—just on a larger scale.
They envision:
It is a vision not just for individuals, but for an entire community.
A place that blesses, restores, and brings life.
While the property has been secured, the journey is just beginning.
To complete the purchase, Nuno and Gila took on a $300,000 bank loan, using their own home as collateral. Each month carries a $2,000 commitment, alongside ongoing costs for preparing the land, designing the space, and eventually building the facilities.
This is the weight of obedience.
And the beauty of it too.
Because they didn’t wait until everything was certain.
They said yes first.
At Tying Vines, we are honored to partner with leaders like Nuno and Gila—people who quietly and faithfully build spaces where lives are changed.
EDEN is still being formed.
Still being built.
Still growing.
And you have the opportunity to be part of it.
Whether through:
Every gift is a seed.
A seed of rest.
A seed of healing.
A seed of transformation.
Give today to support EDEN and be part of what God is building in Portugal through Tying Vines.
Because sometimes the most powerful places in the world start in a home…
and grow into something that changes lives for generations.
The School of Peace provides Gaza refugee children with education, daily meals and a safe space to heal, helping restore
The School of Peace provides Gaza refugee children with education, daily meals and a safe space to heal, helping restore
The School of Peace provides Gaza refugee children with education, daily meals and a safe space to heal, helping restore
