“The main work at Isola developed on two fronts. First, to form a small local community through neighborhood evangelism. Second, to carry out construction work. The work on the Fieni couple’s house needed to be finished. The first building looked like a cardboard box; due to lack of funds, it was built with improvised means—no foundation, no insulation, and a flat roof that leaked. Yet, that first construction served to welcome the first collaborators.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“It was my fourth semester at Bible school when Konrad Meyer, in charge of the practical work, asked me if I was ready to take on the task of finishing the construction of the new building at Isola del Gran Sasso—the mission’s new project—including installing the windows and doors.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“What an unforgettable experience. Many acquaintances and friends were present, along with the Carabinieri, local authorities, and even three priests. Brothers in faith came from all directions to join the celebration. The only complication arose when we chose the 10 virgins for the play—a problem we hadn’t anticipated. The five foolish ones refused to be foolish; they all wanted to be wise virgins. May the Lord grant them to be so in their spiritual lives as well.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“We organized the first children’s camp by the sea. We set up two tents. It was just a small group that filled our Volkswagen van. It took a lot of persuasion to gain the parents’ trust. I organized that camp with Alice Herzl. The second children’s camp was better. Two American missionaries, who worked with children in Rome, came to help us. Thanks to our connection with the community on Via Britannia in Rome, the number of children attending grew incredibly fast year after year. Our days by the sea were always very loved. Often, we traveled with two buses heading to Pineto. The number of children kept growing.”

‍
(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

‍

“Bill Standridge believed that Christian youth could get to know each other in camps like these. For me, this idea was a problem. At Isola, we were a bit like on display, and the priest had long spread rumors that men and women lived together at the Bible Institute. I wrote a letter to the mission leadership in Switzerland hoping they wouldn’t approve mixed camps. The answer was: ‘If these camps give young believers the chance to get to know each other, then we want to encourage you. Go ahead, we’ll pray for you!’ One thing was clear to me: if we ever organized these camps, it definitely wouldn’t be at the Bible Center in Isola.

In addition to the two pyramid tents we had bought in northern Germany, we bought some Spatz tents in Switzerland that I knew from my scouting days. Soon, we had gathered everything we needed. Then we started looking for a suitable spot for our camp and found one about a 10-minute drive above the village of Isola. [...]

The first youth camp in the mountains took place in two parts. The first 5 days on the Piana del Fiume and the other 5 days in the pine forest at Pescara. Later, we organized just one camp above the village of Isola because it wasn’t worth moving around. Around the campfire, unforgettable experiences of faith and camp life were shared. We were often amazed at what the Lord was able to do in just a few days.”

‍
(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

‍

“Pasquale Fieni and his wife Filomena were like parents to us. Pasquale was also like a walking Bible concordance. Whenever I needed it, I could ask him where to find certain Bible passages, and most of the time he could point me to the exact reference. A little girl, daughter of missionaries, who attended the funeral, came to me and said, ‘Giovanni, I want to go to heaven too.’ At that moment, in that rain and cold, I wished the same.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“I passed the baton and my duties to my successor and director, Stefano Standridge. We have known Stefano since he was a child. The son of missionaries Bill and Maria Teresa Standridge, he attended many camps for children and youth along with his sister and two brothers. Together with his wife Stefania, Stefano led the Institute for several years.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“Stefano Standridge proposed the Casa Castelli project just a few years after starting his role at Isola. Initially, it was about expanding the meeting room and building a gym. Casa Castelli turned into an ‘endless construction site.’ It could be compared to the Gran Sasso tunnel, which took 18 years to complete before its inauguration. [...] My daughter Damaris found an online offer that seemed perfect to us. There was a hotel in St. Gallen that needed a complete renovation. A workgroup made up of members from various churches gathered in St. Gallen to dismantle all the wardrobes and load them onto a truck along with several dozen chairs. The final bill matched the value of the volunteer work provided, so we didn’t have to pay anything else. Hansruedi Bärtschi arrived with a crane truck and took care of transporting the goods to Italy. Workgroups from the canton of Bern, Gargano, and the Rhine Valley did a huge job to complete the construction of Casa Castelli.”

‍(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

“We were on our way to Isola when our daughter Kathrin called us and told us about a severe earthquake that had hit L’Aquila. We were amazed at how quickly the first aid appeared on the highway. When we arrived in Isola, we were grateful to see that our buildings had not been damaged, despite the strong and repeated tremors. Some missionaries in L’Aquila told us how we could help. Hansruedi Bärtschi bought two caravans in the Bern area at very good prices, and we managed to buy another one nearby in Austria. We then prepared to transport essential supplies to L’Aquila. For the first trip, Simon Bürgi volunteered as the driver, and the caravan was received with deep gratitude by a couple who had lost everything because of the earthquake.”

(Excerpt from: “God’s Great Works at Isola” by Giovanni Krättli)

‍

“Il giorno dell’inaugurazione a detta del cuoco servimmo circa 820 pasti. Uno dei punti salienti della festa fu la visita della figlia e della nipote del fratello Pasquale Fieni dagli Stati Uniti.”

(Tratto da: “Le grandi opere di Dio a Isola” di Giovanni Krättli)

‍

‍

...Ciro Borgomastro is currently the president of the association. Joe Hunziker, together with his wife Stefania Trombacco (and the whole core staff), enthusiastically manage the various activities of the Center. Looking back, we know that God has worked powerfully over all these years and blessed the Isola Evangelical Center in every possible way.

‍

A lot of time has passed since those first camps with 20 kids. Today, we run over 20 camps (both summer and winter), allowing us to share His love with more than 3,000 souls.

‍