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Thursday, December 24, 2020

Family Retreat Center 2020 Update

 It started with a dream, morphed into a vision, and now a functioning reality.

 For over 30 years, our Camp Treasure Island was a place where hundreds of young people and families met on a lone island getaway from routine life. A place where campers met others, and together, learned to live-out the teachings taught in Scriptures.  During those years of camping, hundreds of friendships were formed, and many developed into marriages.  Countless committed themselves to Christ during these camping experiences and now are key leaders and pastors in our area churches.


When Treasure Island was sold, primarily due to complicated logistics and costs, a “vacuum” formed in the communal connections between our fellowshipping churches. Treasure Island, for so many years, had connected folks at so many valuable levels.

I began to share a dream of once again, developing a getaway with easier access than we had to the Island. A place where believers and friends could meet for days in an isolated place tucked back in nature. Instillations where we could meet, share, teach, and learn to live Christ’s teachings.

 Step number one was to persuade our church leaders and Christian business folks the importance of this project. Their feedback was valuable. That stared the process that developed into a vision.

 After 14,000 blocks laid, 30.8 tons of cement poured, thousands of man hours, wood, tile, plumbing doors windows, AC units, and over 25,000 miles driving to and from the Retreat construction, we are close to finishing phase one. This is has been a challenging construction because of distance, poor roads, and electrical power sources which are from our two generators, solar panels and a 500 watt wind turbine.
 Presently we are off grid. Hopefully conventional power should arrive in this area of the bush in 2021.
Though construction continues toward phase two, the Family Retreat Center is already in use. We have sponsored several men’s events, an area church leaders symposium, a small family retreat with nine young families, a Father’s Day together (Just dads and their children, no Moms) and many family getaways. 

Though construction continues toward phase two, the Family Retreat Center is already in use. We have sponsored several men’s events, an area church leaders symposium, a small family retreat with nine young families, a Father’s Day together (Just dads and their children, no Moms) and many family getaways. 



To see this dream, communicate this vision, and now touch this reality is so exciting!

 2020 has also been a difficult year for many of our brethren and friends. Transferring our meetings to online formats has been a new experience for both the production teams as well as participation via our communication devises. Illness and the loss of precious lives have hit each of our area churches. Though prayer does not take away the pain, God does guide us through the darkness. Pray for the churches that meet in Remanso, Vila Eduardo, São Gonçalo, Juazeiro,  Sobradinho, Novo Horizonte, Casa Nova and our newest work in Gurarapes.

 We thank you for your continued support.  Tim and Vicki Reiner

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