The Portugal Years: Acampamento Palavra de Vida (Camp Word of Life) I

When Word of Life USA began to work in Portugal, one of the long-term goals was to build a camp that would double in winter as a Bible Institute. Finding the right property took patience and time. In 1981, we bought a  property from which we could see the Atlantic Ocean and the village of Ericeira. It was a place of possibilities, pine trees, fresh air and little else. And the work began.

Little by little the property began to take shape. Trees fell; walkways were constructed. In the distance is the village of Ericeira.

Buildings started to sprout in the sandy soil. This is one of the dormitories.

The dining area has a fireplace and a full-sized kitchen where the cooks and helpers prepared some wonderful meals. Below the dining room is a room for singing and teaching.

In the background you can see the apartments where staff lived in the summer. They also served as a place for visitors to stay. If you look carefully, you will see the soccer field. You really can’t have a camp without a soccer field in Portugal! Eventually, a grounds man would work on making the place beautiful He planted fruit trees and made repairs.

A few years ago a plane flew over the campground. Can you recognize some of the buildings that you saw being build in the above pictures?