By CHE-CHE A. PANGILINAN

TAKE a break and get in touch with your soul.

The Peniel Prayer Mountain and Campsite is located at a 5 hectare land surrounded by a picturesque nature. The site is set at Barangay O’Donnel in Capas, so it captures a breathtaking view of the mountains.

The camp is a good place to start picking up your spirituality, and to even pack off, leave the buzz and earsplitting noise of vehicles in the city for a while. You will never regret it.

The beauty of nature surrounding Peniel will make any Christian become aware again of God’s splendor.

The name, Peniel, was derived from a passage in the Bible:

"So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘ It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’" (Genesis 32:30)

Thus, it also implies that this is an exceptional place to have an encounter with God.

Christian couple, Romy and Marilou Daeng, founded the place and had a very interesting experience prior to the establishment of Peniel. In the processing of their divorce in mid-1991, in California, when they have been through tough times that they began to accept Jesus in their lives.

Marilou was left alone in the house filled with expensive furnishings and facilities. Despite the luxury she alone possessed at that time, she almost ended her life.

Something was missing.

At that point, she felt a strong presence of a Supreme Being. It was the presence of God that suddenly filled her with inner peace. She felt complete, realizing that God was the answer to the emptiness she was feeling.

On the other hand, Romy who had so much hatred for Marilou, refused to talk about the conflict with friends. One day, their oldest daughter asked him to join her and her husband to a service in a church in California.

Crying throughout the service, he experienced the healing power of God.

A miracle to their friends, Romy and Marilou renewed their wedding vows in 1995, attended various seminars and became missionaries. They traveled and evangelized in countries like the Philippines and Thailand.

The couple came back here to the Philippines in 1997 and conducted outreach programs to continue their evangelization works. Through these missions, they realized that a certain place should be put up where people could rest and know God again.

Then they saw the beauty of Capas’ western mountains, where they planned to put up a Prayer Mountain that is now Mt. Peniel. They started building the place in November of 1998.

Now, the Prayer Mountain is complete with amenities such as three conference/multi-purpose halls and separate dormitories for men and women (complete with beddings). It has a Chapel with sound system (and fully air-conditioned), cottages for fellowship and relaxation, enclosed prayer cells, baptismal pool, sports facilities, souvenir and bookstores, and a canteen. The camp has 24-hours electricity, plus a standby generator, spacious and clean comfort rooms with showers, and running water.

Mt. Peniel can accommodate 500 people or more. Evangelical and other Christian groups could hold their fellowships, retreats, recollections, meetings and conferences here. Youth and family camps, weddings, and other functions can also be held in the place.

So, when life gets tough in the city, take time to reflect and find peace… at Mt. Peniel. (Next: My experience at Mt. Peniel)