This is the At Home page of this site, where I'll tell you a bit more about myself and the background of the name Desert Garden. You can leave this "Desert part" of the site at all times and return to the guinea pig part, the "Garden", by clicking the lowest button on the left side of each page. My name is Katja, I was born in 1971, I live in Almere (Netherlands) and I'm a christian. Now, perhaps you're thinking, what difference does it make for a site on guinea pigs whether you're christian or not. And you're right, for most cavy sites this makes no difference at all. But for this one, it does . For my entire caviary and all animals in it have been consecrated to the God of the Bible. That means that I consider Him the true Owner of this caviary. Therefore, the caviary is meant to honor Him. He holds the lives of all animals in HIs hands, and as their Creator decides how many young guinea piglets will be born and how old each animal gets. Their names all stem from the Bible, reflecting either biblical ideas or concepts, or people in biblical stories. Desert Garden Through prayer God showed me that I should call my little caviary Desert Garden, for it was to be a garden in the desert. He showed me that this world is a dry, hot desert, with little rest and even less water for the people that haven't found the way to Him yet. The desert is not meant to be a form of punishment, but it's a natural consequence of God's absence. Wherever He is, there's life, growth, and green. Wherever He's not, there's drought and barrenness. It's lifeless. Fortunately you can travel through the desert and reach the Oasis, a place that shows something of the way life is truly meant to Be. A place where dusty desert dwellers can rest in the shadows, enjoying a glass of cool water en delicious refreshments, enveloped by the sweet scent of lovely flowers. A place where God is. A place, therefore, where there's life, growth and green. A place where people don't HAVE TO do anything, but are ALLOWED to do many things. A place where we are welcome, accepted, loved. Why am I telling this story about deserts and oases and thirsty, tired people? Because I feel my caviary may symbolize one of the Oasis' small-but-precious flower gardens. There's a beautiful passage in the Bible that I believe God directed me to when I was thinking and praying about a name for this caviary: Don't be afraid, wild animals; for the desert pastures are green, the trees are putting out their fruit, the fig tree and vine are giving full yield. Be glad, people of Tziyon! rejoice in ADONAI your God! For he is giving you the right amount of rain in the fall, he makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains - this is what he does first. This passage is from the book of Joel (chapter 2, verses 22-2 4). It talks about how everything will grow and bloom and bear fruit - I believe this includes my little guinea pigs. The caviary is meant to be a kind of garden, a micro Garden of Eden as it were. And that tiny garden in life's desert, that is Desert Garden. That is why I've created a page for every individual animal, with a nice picture, many different colour schemes and colourful backgrounds, and of course an explanation of each guinea pig's name. This way, each animal, each webpage, can be a small, unique flower meant for you to enjoy if on your travels through life's desert you should stumble into my part of the Oasis. So relax, enjoy and Be Welcome in my Desert Garden...   More about the desert                                  Back to Garden                                                               Alas, the Desert pages of this Christian cavy site are not yet entirely available in English either. I'll do my best to translate at least a number of pages the coming months. I'll keep you updated of which pages are translated, right here. For now, here's a quick Dutch - English glossary for the main menu structure of the Desert pages of this site: At Home Woestijn - Desert Oase - Oasis I've already translated a few pages, so I linked them. I'll keep you updated of which other pages are translated, by adding their links as well.