Executive Summary

"But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain" And it will be said: " Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." For this is what the high and lofty One says, He who lives for ever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isa 57:13b - 16

Our hearts' desire is to serve all Christian leaders, with a specific focus on those with a broken and contrite heart and spirit. By facilitating processes through which mature Christians can get to a position of rest and restoration, to remove obstacles that block growth in their calling and relationship with God. Thus " to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Beulah Christian Retreat is the land from where this vision was launched. It is a place of refuge, on a mountain in the countryside. his home offers a panoramic view over the towns of Paarl and Wellington in the Western Cape, South Africa. Farms and forests, with hiking trails and water streams surround the premise. This tranquil mountain haven is a unique setting to spend time with our Creator. It is more than a guesthouse, but rather a return to your home, the house of your Father, where you are nurtured, understood and feel safe in the presence of God.

Visitors can be categorised into the following groups:

• Christians who want to grow in their relationship with God, need a quiet place to rest and strengthen their abiding relationship with God (John 15)
• Broken souls who are in dire straits to get answers to, and solutions for, their crises in life. (Jer 31:25)
• Leaders in ministry that needs rest and restoration; time-out from daily responsibilities.
• Small groups on week-end retreats, planning sessions and prayer meetings.

Beulah Retreat was established in 1991 and was taken over by the current management, Jacques and Hanneke Truter in February 2000. Beulah Christian Trust is the managing body and a 51% shareholder in the property.

The retreat offers the following:

• Full-board accommodation in 4 bedroom house
• Private 2 bedroom cottage
• Two bedroom "Store House"
• Air conditioned conference facilities for up to 45 people

The emphasis of all operational activities is to address the specific needs of every individual, through serving them physically and spiritually. Our goal is for visitors to leave here enriched spiritually and challenged for growth in their relationship with our Creator. On the spiritual side, personal guidance is available. Programmes are presented in the areas of Purpose in Life, Emotional Healing, Character Development, Transformation in the Workplace, Growing Kids God's Way and Intimacy with God

Beulah Retreat is marketed in the Christian communities and structures nationally. It was visited by + 500 people in the past year. It is marketed as a place of rest and restoration, where every individual can experience that he/she is "too valuable to lose" in God's eyes.

The economic circumstance of some people in need prevents them from visiting this facility or to participate in programmes. Our goal is therefore to generate enough income through various resources, to sow into the lives of the needy. The biggest focus is to address the needs of missionaries and people in full-time ministry.

We have realized that we can not fulfill this calling unless we move within and together with the bigger body. We need a team of individuals to partner with us, to assist us in his/her area of gifting. Partnerships are for instance needed in the areas of funding, resources in maintaining the facilities, workers, strategic alliances, library material, intercession and marketing.

In the same way we would like to support each partner in his/her calling.

We therefore invite you to come in contact with us. We are looking forward to receive any form of encouragement, news, guidance or just a prayer.

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Vision and Mission

Call
"Tend to My sheep; they are too valuable to lose"

Vision
To glorify the Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through all our activities.

Our mission is to be catalysts of growth for Christians to a position of rest in their Godly relationship and restoration in their calling.

This entails the following:

• Facilities: Accommodation in an exquisite and safe environment where a person’s awareness and focus on God can be maximized.
• Guidance: Personal guidance in healing for body, soul and spirit.
• Prayer:Intimacy with God and intercession to establish spiritual places of refuge and houses of prayer
• Care: Personal care for their needs and areas of hurt, to make them realize that they are too valuable to lose from God’s perspective. To revitalize them in spirit and soul to walk in their calling.
• Teaching: Growth in Godly purpose to enhance their personal relationship with God and their position in the Body.
• To contribute to God’s greater purpose for His Kingdom.(Isa 57)
• To overcome physical and spiritual boundaries to be able to serve the body of Christ within their environment, with special focus on uplifting leaders to move in their callings.
• To partner withhealing and care organizations internationally to move united in the fullness of one body and optimize resources.
• To create capacity by duplicating operations in other geographical areas and mission fields abroad.
• To empower individuals and ministries to serve as mobile teams in all the geographic and demographic areas locally and abroad to bring about healing and restoration.
• Building networks and relationships with ministries nationally and internationally.
• To stay in season and unity with the direction and focus of God’s master plan for the world, for these times.

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Strategy

Short Term

• Obtain buildings and land from where to launch the vision
• Establish hospitality ministry with guestrooms and lecture facilities
• Create a peaceful environment, "house of God", to focus on God through nature, health and care
• All activities and facilities are cost effective
• Launch programme to create financial independence
• Network with Christian leaders in business and ministry to support them in their callings
• Intercession for the fulfillment of God’s vision
• Build a workforce

Medium Term

• Develop and/or incorporate training programmes
• Library with books, video and audio material
• Personal and spiritual guidance programme
• Availability of physical and spiritual healthcare facilities and programmes
• Personal and spiritual guidance programme
• Availability of physical and spiritual healthcare facilities and programmes
• Personal and corporate intercession for spiritual release of leaders
• Personal development and growth of personnel through discipleship process
• Facilitate a process/programme to bring leaders in for times of restoration, with special focus on missionaries
• To be self-sustaining in supplies for guesthouse and incorporate this diversification of activities into the healing programme

Long term

• Create a network of individuals and organizations that can enhance their calling through this vision through partnerships
• Establish a full-time workforce, remunerated for their contribution.
• Communication and co-operation with national and international organizations to establish networks to share resources
• Mobile teams to serve in care ministries in the workplace and missionary field
• Support and serve other ministries financially and physically internationally
• Multiplication of this vision to more facilities to create a network internationally.

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How Beulah started

Val Ruger and Margy Blackshaw established Beulah Christian Retreat in 1991. The reason for its foundation was to establish a place of rest for Christians. The emphasis was on rest and quiet/silent retreat.

In 1998 Jacques and Hanneke Truter was called by the Lord to open a place of refuge and restoration for Christians experiencing spiritual brokenness. The call was awakened through seeing the hurt and suffering of leaders in ministry and missions and the inability of the church to look after their wounded. In a book by the name of Too Valuable to Lose, about Mission attrition, they found the reference to Beulah Retreat. The previous owners have never heard about this publication; they did not know how Beulah’s information was taken up as a reference and their own vision did not focus on missions or leaders.

Jacques Truter’s Journal Entries

25 May 1999
I visited Beulah Farm in Wellington. During my quiet time, I got scripture "abide in Me and I in you" John 15. When I walked into the house, on the retreat, there was a banner with the same scripture written on it.

27 July 1999
Attended a lecture in Bloemfontein and one of the delegates gave scripture from Isa 62 "Your land is Beulah".

24 October 1999
Sermon at Logos Church - Willy Crew: The Lord calls us to move from the desert into the promised land and take control of our city and take possession of our land. I wrote in my journal: "Lord what is my land?" Andre spend the weekend at Beulah and had the same experience as mine (see 25 May) He also received the scripture "Abide in Me and I in you " and it was confirmed in exactly the same manner. He asked what Beulah meant and I then remembered the scripture from Isa 62. "Your land is Beulah ". Lord is this the answer to my earlier question?

8 November 1999
"Go and buy the land" Jeremiah 30

15 November 1999
"Go up the mountain" We offered a Letter of Intent to the sellers of Beulah today.

10 December 1999
Our proposal was accepted today as per the Letter of Intent. We do not have the finances and we need to sell our house. The house has already been in the market for longer than a year and we have received no offers. The Beulah sales contract determines that we must confirm our resources of finance by 14 January 2000 and move onto Beulah by February 1st 2000.

16 December 1999
A cash offer was made on our house to be occupied from 1 February 2000. The selling price was the price that was confirmed by the Holy Spirit a year ago. Praise and blessing to You Lord

13 January 2000
The bank approves the loan a day before the agreement cut-off date.

The sign on the entrance gate of Beulah reads: Isa 62:4b: "Land owned and protected by the Lord". This land belongs to the Lord but it is up to us to react to these promises.

He requires stewardship from every Christian and action on His promises (1 Thess. 5:20). This is a land of healing and restoration and that is the redemptive purpose that we want to establish through the Lord’s power and grace.

This valley is a place of Christian heritage. In this valley the Lord has poured out His Spirit in the late 1800's and early 1900's, through the obedience of a man named Andrew Murray. From this town missionaries have gone forth throughout the world. It is a land with a remnant that must rise again. The banner of the Lord must again span this land.

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