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If you read the name: Johann, what comes to mind?
Perhaps you would complete it by adding the last name of a famous composer of the 19th century!
But if you read: Johann and Casa Gran Sasso?

Perhaps this combination confuses you even more! Yet Johann Krättli, born in Azmoos in Switzerland in 1905, was among the first to see the Gran Sasso house completed in 1965!
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He probably 'saw' it on paper and in his mind before it even 'was' and then he saw it come to fruition before his eyes as students and collaborators of the Beatenberg Bible School were laying foundations and erecting walls. Johann's story is a story of redemption made up of “random” encounters: his boss's wife during his apprenticeship who intrigues him by asking him about his relationship with God, or the little book of train schedules forgotten in the seat that takes him to meet a hotelier in the village of Beatenberg, near Bern.

Just visiting their new train friend, Johann and his wife Lina, while walking, enter a building in the area, which later turns out to be the Beatenberg Bible School, and listen to a Bible study. Johann, convinced by the Holy Spirit, at that moment understood that he needed the forgiveness of sins freely offered on the cross by Jesus, and he believes!

From there, the sovereign hand of God led him to arrive in Isola, in 1960 at the invitation of Dr. Wasserzug, Director of the Beatenberg School, and to design Casa Gran Sasso, with the collaboration of his son Giovanni, who was first collaborator and then director of Isola for 25 years.
There is a significant episode in which Johann, his wife Lina, Dr. Wasserzug and Mrs. Neighbour, after having fixed the building perimeter of Casa Gran Sasso, pray and ask for God's blessing for the purpose and use of that house, to His glory!

¹ Lina and Johann Krättli in Isola
‍² The Krättli family with their sons and daughters-in-law (third on the left Giovanni, in front of Ruth and Damaris)
³ Johann standing first on the left in front of Casa Gran Sasso finished
⁴ Lina and Johann Krättli

Today we would like to tell Johann and the other 3 sisters in Christ, the great works that God has done through the hospitality offered by that house, we would like to tell him about hundreds, thousands of children and teenagers, young people and families who have slept on bunk beds, queued for the bathroom, walked corridors, enjoyed good food and fraternal communion in the dining room and in the cave, above all they meditated on the Word of God shared by the cameramen, in those very rooms, or listened to biblical studies that were key to their lives in the halls municipalities.

We would like to tell him how Casa Gran Sasso, built with a limited budget but more than enough to guarantee solidity to the construction, has withstood over time, even adverse events, and has been adequate and safe! We would like to tell him that today Casa Gran Sasso is growing! Which will continue to reach children, teenagers, young people and families and that, through a profound renovation, is making its spaces more efficient and growing in safety, capacity to accommodate and comfort! We would like to, but we can't! We cannot and it is not even necessary, because these dear brothers and sisters are with the Lord, their race is over, they are in the presence of the Lord, they see His Glory and are fully satisfied!

But we would like to say it to you, to all of us, who are responding with faith to Jesus' call to make disciples, the call to “see” God's plan of redemption come to fruition until his return! Casa Gran Sasso is growing, praying with us and donating for the funds necessary to complete the renovation, so that many can “see” Jesus and believe!

After 65 years of hospitality
the renovation project of Casa Gran Sasso begins!
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‍Our desire to make Jesus known is growing.
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‍Help us to increase our ability to welcome and host!

Isola Evangelical Center: Founded on the Rock in 1957

“Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice will be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the streams came, the winds blew and hit that house; but it didn't fall, because it was founded on rock.” (Gospel according to Matthew 7:24-25)

Why is it important?

Ciro Borgomastro - President

Originally from Manfredonia (FG), he has been living in London for years with his wife Maria Giovanna and 2 of their 5 adult children. He has been working with the Camp since 1997, and is in his third term as president of the Camp's association. He deeply loves the Ministry and the Word of God and is committed to ensuring that, through our activities, it is shared with accuracy to young and old guests. He puts passion and high expertise at the service of the Ministry in various areas of need; in this period with a special focus on the renovation project.

Why does Casa Gran Sasso need renovation?

Casa Gran Sasso, requires urgent intervention to adapt the structure to fire and accessibility regulations: escape routes, floor plans compartmentation and elimination of architectural barriers, these are the needs to which we must give an immediate and mandatory response. The rooms have to be larger according to the new regulations and en-suite bathrooms will be built. Spaces now unused will be redeveloped with the construction of multi-purpose rooms, and new rooms will be added to the attic floor to meet the growing demand for beds. The new spaces will be bright, functional and easy to maintain. To enhance energy efficiency, we will install a condensing boiler, heat pumps, and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, which will reduce energy consumption by at least 40%.

What personal memories do you have of that House?

For me, my wife and our children, House Gran Sasso was our second home, an oasis of peace where the presence of God was perceived in every detail. It was nice to wake up at dawn, admiring the top of the Gran Sasso and the ridgeline illuminated by the first sun, to enjoy the delicious breakfast which prepared us for the day in the Word, immersed in a silence full of beauty and full of fraternal love and great conversations, that gave rise to deep friendships.

What aspect encourages you the most in this project?

What excites me most is to see the Mission of the Camp — “To make Jesus known... through hospitality and the study of the Bible” — come to life in renewed environments where the study of the Word of God, rest, and friendship merge. What a joy to imagine children, teenagers, young adults, families, and the elderly enjoying completely renovated rooms, a new expanded attic, and more beds—all achieved with energy efficiency and sustainability, transforming this project into a concrete promise of greater communion and ministry possibilities for the entire Italian church and beyond.

Why donate to this project?

Donating to Casa Gran Sasso means donating to the work of the Lord, investing in a place of encounter, growth and service that marks the lives of so many people. Every contribution will be multiplied in Christian hospitality, so that more people can experience God's love.

Joe Hunziker - General Director

A native of Zürich, Joe has lived in Italy for over 30 years. He first began collaborating with Camp Isola in 1995 and, together with his wife Stefania, has been leading the camp since 2009. They are the parents of three adult children.Joe is passionate about sharing the Word of God with staff and guests—a purpose that underpins all camp activities. He has provided visionary leadership and structure to the ministry, fostering growth and encouraging the involvement of many brothers and sisters in the Lord's work at Isola.Currently, beside the leading the Camp, he and the president are concentrating their efforts on managing the renovation project with maximum efficiency.

Why does Casa Gran Sasso need renovation?

I’d like to highlight an aspect already mentioned by Ciro, the Gran Sasso House project is a renovation project, not a new building. Although the Gran Sasso House is more than sixty years old, it does not require structural interventions. It was built very well, it was subjected to structural integrity tests and it passed them all brilliantly, for this reason we are convinced that adapting it to current regulations and to the growth in demand of beds is the right choice.

What personal memories do you have of that house?

I have fond memories of two specific places: the old ground-floor phone booth (from the pre-cell phone era!) where I watched children emerge happy after calling parents, or sometimes homesick and in tears; and the attic, where we found historic objects that connect us to faithful staff of the past. One treasure was the bell used by founder Pasquale Fieni to call the valley to Sunday morning worship. Now mounted above our well, it reminds us of the camp's humble origins.

What aspect encourages you the most in this project?

What encourages me most is the beautiful collaboration we are enjoying among the Camp family of believers making this project happen. This detailed plan improves every day thanks to the many who offer their skills, talents, and time. I am truly encouraged that we are doing all we can to create a more useful, innovative, and welcoming structure to serve our guests better.

Why donate to this project?

I firmly believe this project will have eternal repercussions in the lives of thousands of children, teenagers, young adults, and families! The work that has been done in this house for over 60 years—and which we pray will continue for many more—is of inestimable value because it produces eternal fruit.That fruit is a changed heart, wrought by the Gospel through God's power alone. This is nothing short of extraordinary! To give to this project is to make a spiritual investment. It is the opportunity to host campers who, within those rooms, under that roof, will hear the Word of God and have their lives and eternal destinies changed forever.

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We ask for your prayers for wisdom in planning, timeliness in construction, full funding, safety for all workers, and unity for everyone involved.

Ciro Borgomastro - President

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We pray that Casa Gran Sasso will indeed grow, but more importantly, that God's kingdom will grow through it. May this facility be used to its fullest potential so that our guests can experience the Kingdom of God in all its dimensions.

Joe Hunziker - General Director

Raised

$ 211'364'07

Project cost

$ 1’155’000

Contact us to learn more about the renovation project “Casa Gran Sasso Grows!”

Fill out the request form and choose between:

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1) a visit to the church by one of our employees

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2) receive informational material (postcards and poster)

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3) informational call on a videoconferencing platform

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You will receive updates on the Casa Gran Sasso Cresce project!

August 2025

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Gran Sasso House Renovation Project

BEGINS:

SEPTEMBER 2025

ENDS:

MARCH 2026

Construction progress

25%

See that one What can't be seen...

Isola Evangelical Center: Founded on the Rock in 1957

Much more

Up to 99 beds

Why is it important?

Our Mascots

How to donate

Donate through our affiliated Church
in Ainger NC:

Donate with Credit Card

Contact us to learn more about the renovation project “Casa Gran Sasso Grows!”

Gran Sasso House Renovation Project

BEGINS:

SEPTEMBER 2025

ENDS:

MARCH 2026

Construction progress

25%

See that one What can't be seen...

Isola Evangelical Center: Founded on the Rock in 1957

Much more

Up to 99 beds

Why is it important?

Our Mascots

How to donate

Donate through our affiliated Church in Ainger NC:

Donate with Credit Card

Contact us to learn more about the renovation project “Casa Gran Sasso Grows!”

Newsletter Special Edition

Sign up to the project's Newsletter

Donate through our affiliated Church
in Ainger NC: