OM Forterocca: "UPON THIS ROCK!"

Italy | Debbie Meroff

Waking up to the sound of cow bells and the sight of sunlight streaming into the valley from the Italian Alps isn’t a bad way to start the day. Not that Sergio and Anna Gastaldo-Brac don’t also get their share of rain and snow. But one thing that never changes is their consciousness of the spiritual heritage of their valley, and their conviction that God is doing a new thing.
The mountainous northwest of Italy occupies a special place in Christian history. Long before the Reformation swept Europe, a group of people called the Waldensians fled here to escape persecution. Their faithful commitment to study, preach and even translate the Bible into the language of the common people had brought down the wrath of the Church of Rome. For three centuries they lived in hiding. In his sonnet, “On the Late Massacre in Piedmont,” John Milton lamented the brutal torture and death of thousands of Waldensian men, women and children in 1655:
Avenge O Lord thy slaughter'd Saints, whose bones
Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold,
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old….

Much later, during World War II, the Waldensians saved the lives of many Jews by hiding them in their mountain valley. Anna Gastaldo-Brac’s own family experienced tragedy in nearby Turin, when her father and grandfather were shot by the Nazis. The Bible that her father was holding--a bullet scoring its pages—remains as evidence.

It was while visiting the historic Waldensian area in the year 2000 that Sergio and Anna found the land they were looking for. During their years on OM ships and as leaders of OM Italy, they had seen the need to help churches grow their missionary vision. The church was also struggling with how to handle the younger generation and needed a place where they could be trained. The couples’ first thought when they saw the derelict army barracks nestled in the mountains of Bobbio Pellice was, “this is a mission impossible!” But when the property was auctioned in 2002 they prayerfully put in a bid—and won. By March ’04 they had enough money to start building. The goal was to have the facility finished by the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin; however, a new bank director’s unwillingness to back the project caused all work to stop for about eighteen months. Building finally resumed in ’07 and in March 2008, Forterocca opened its doors to the first visitors.

“Forterocca,” which refers to God as our Fortress or Stronghold, offers quality accommodation for 147 persons with the possibility of expanding to 200. 25 beds are suitable for disabled persons (or, as Italians prefer to put it, the “differently abled.”) Dining room and kitchen facilities have yet to be finished and a 240-seat auditorium is also in the works, though several conference rooms are already available.

Church groups and others that have used the facility are enthusiastically re-booking for future events, but the Gastaldo-Bracs know it will take some time before the centre is continually filled. Meanwhile they are trusting God each day to meet payments, doing much of the work themselves from manning reception, cleaning rooms and caring for the grounds.

As for the future, they say, anything is possible! The scenic valley holds exciting marketing potential for Christian tourism, and sharing the premises with other missions is also an option. The Gastaldo-Bracs intend OM to receive any profits. But they would love to have an OM Global Action team based in Forterocca; people coming from all over the world with minimum support, helping to run the place while reaching out to Italy’s growing population of Chinese, Filipinos, Albanians, and Africans (Islam is now the country’s second leading religion!). OM’s anticipated registration as a religious body will not only make it financially easier for Italians to work for OM, but allow missionary visas for non-nationals.

Sergio is convinced that the valley would make an ideal base for OM SportsLink. The area is already a big sporting attraction: an annual average of 21,000 from Britain alone use Turin Airport on their way to winter holidays. The Ice Palace built for the 2006 Winter Olympics is just down the road from Forterocca, and is used for international ice skating and hockey events. Hiking and mountain biking are major summer activities on the surrounding Alps. Representatives from SportsLink’s new partner, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, have already visited Forterocca and more talks are expected this autumn. If the facility does become a sports ministry training base, part of the basement could be finished as a fitness centre.

“We have to wait and see how God wants things to develop,” Sergio asserts. “But we welcome people with fresh vision and ideas!”

The evangelical church of Italy has given warm support to OM’s new initiative in the “Valley of Light.” The rest of the world needs to join these believers in asking God to provide the finances needed to finish the project and repay loans. The Gastaldo-Bracs are also looking for an experienced manager to take the project into the future.

But most of all, they are praying that the rocks of Forterocca—surrounded by peaks once stained by the blood of the martyrs--will be the foundation for transformed lives, and a revitalized witness in Italy.

Credit: Debbie Meroff
© 2008 Debbie Meroff