|
Beloved Dayu, Evert has meant a lot to me. His presence in itself felt pleasant. With Evert I could always just ‘be'. Be myself. Then I could let go of all my resistance, sadness or anger. I learned this during a process of regular talks. At last, after a long time, I felt at ease with myself and ‘I drew a smile around my heart'. Partly because of Evert, I learned to let go, let go of old patterns, let go of all ‘security'. After all, the only security is inside yourself… Evert has taught me to love myself, to take good care of myself and above all to be kind to myself. For that didn't used to be normal and natural for me. I used to blame myself for everything, I didn't know what I felt and every day was a struggle… especially with myself! Evert taught me about the little girl inside myself, that it was time I started to love her. He had a beautiful sentence for this: ‘Only when you stop trying to change the past, then you can go on…' This really helped me tremendously. For a long time I found it hard to turn the switch. I was very much stuck in old thoughts… But one day I just knew my attitude to life had changed, it was just there all of a sudden, positive thoughts! But also conscious with myself to no longer reproach myself or others and above all to have no expectations because that only led to disappointments. I also learned to be happy with what I was given and to no longer expect anything more. I was happy with myself and at last I could leave a lot of old hurt behind me. Because of this, my contacts with people improved a lot. Because I took a step back, people started coming to me. This meant I ended up having a very nice relationship with my mother after all, for two years, even though she has sadly enough passed away. But those two years are very precious to me. Evert presented me with a mirror. At first I found that very difficult and I had a lot of resistance, but gradually I started to like seeing myself more and more. At last I could just ‘be'! I was more than satisfied with myself, I no longer made such great demands upon myself and that was a great relief! Evert has always believed in me, with his boundless faith and love. With him I felt a warmth that I had never in my whole life felt before. There was no longer any need to put on a front. There was no need to be different than who I was. With him I could learn what life was about and to handle it like a ‘game'. Not so heavy-going any more and after a setback just go for it again. I learned that it didn't affect me any more. I didn't make myself sick any more… It's actually difficult to put into words what Evert has meant to me. He has brought about a world of difference for me, he has taught me to think 180 degrees differently… but according to him he was just on the sidelines… that's what makes him such a great man!! Chantal Drost-Kremer March 2009 Dear Evert, Thank you very much for “being” in this beautiful and inspiring place. With a lot of love we dedicated our energy and attention to brightening up (!) the garden furniture. It feels good to do our bit towards the building up of Pantai Mas. We wish you, all of you, all the luck for the future. Warm greetings, Menno and Nienke
We got the message “Travelers”. With these words Evert welcomed us when we arrived in Pantai Mas. We were quite exhausted and looking wild after an adventurous, but tiring trip in Java. Pantai Mas was the perfect place to recover our strength. We enjoyed the delicious meals, our tastefully decorated room, the view over the ocean, the early-morning jogging in the nearby woods and last but not least the good company. We had looked for something different in Bali, a place where we could feel welcome and free. Pantai Mas is definitely not an average hotel. We started by booking only two days, but we stayed much longer. It was difficult to say goodbye to the extraordinary couple Evert and Dayu, their friendly staff, the blind monk who is an expert in massaging, and the other visitors we had a cheerful time with, especially when we went snorkelling and diving under Evert's supervision. “I can recommend a good book”, Evert said to us when we were about to leave. 'Conversations with God', written by Neale Donald Walsch. Two days later we saw an announcement in a café in Ubud: the film ‘Conversations with God' would be shown the following evening. The film was a bit over the top, but we got the message. Theo and Jolan The Netherlands Dear Evert, Dayu and everyone else, Back in Holland everyone is busy working again, still filled with memories. Four days Pantai Mas. Of course that is much too short. To get to know the place, also much too short. I experienced this introduction as short but intense and above all peculiar. As if more happened than I could be aware of. I really have to come back. When you arrive it's as if you step into a brochure for a tropical paradise. In the corner of your eye a glass of fruit juice is on its way to someone who is already relaxing and enjoying sun, water, flowers, care and attention. It's the care and attention that you notice, it radiates in everything. Traditional offerings are done from the Hindu religion to keep everything in balance and harmony, out of love and dedication for humans and nature, for the surroundings, the accomodations, the food, so that as a visitor you feel welcome. There is room here for encounters, meditation, reflection, contemplation, letting go or inspiration and there are activities to support this. The staff and residents of Pantai Mas form a family; an interaction of giving and receiving is created between them and the guests. Especially this is what I experienced as an added value, as something special. Also, for me, Pantai Mas has something vulnerable, especially in the person of Binter, he made a big impression. Lots of love for everything and everyone, Niesje Albus 2009 September Dear Dayu and Evert, 15 September ‘09 |
Every ”coincidental” encounter
|
Copyright © 2009-2011 Pantai Mas, all rights reserved