Dream a Little Dream with Me
Donation protected
Len’s and Nancy’s Baja Road Retreat Story
Fr. Len Schreiner, and his wife, Nancy Trottner, moved to Northern New Mexico in May 2018 to realize a dream: establishing a private, interspiritual retreat setting for small groups and guests from all faith traditions. Victor Nelson and David Dunn, two of Len and Nancy’s close friends and colleagues, invite you to share in their dream by supporting their “Dream a Little Dream With Me” campaign. Here, in their own words, is the story of this past year’s most challenging adventure.
We opened our spacious Pueblo style home to guests (Airbnb and others) who sought quiet, rest, and peace. Many of these guests joined us in our morning meditation. Many of these same guests also benefited from the Reiki and energy work that Nancy provided. We often found ourselves engaged in personal conversations with our guests and even provided spiritual guidance for some. To date, 185 guests have enjoyed Baja Road Retreat. Those who have retreated with us, have been from all around the U.S. as well as international guests from Berlin, Paris, and India!”
The Leak in the Dam
In January of this year we discovered that the slab on which our retreat house was built had been cracking. The original builders had failed to adequately stabilize the clay soil beneath. The leaking water pipes and serious structural damage in several areas of the house demanded serious troubleshooting and evaluation. Sinking and heaving was taking place beneath our feet.
The plumbers and engineers recommended a complete re-plumbing, restoration of nine rooms and redesign of the outdoor drainage system to prevent future damage. They alerted us that a major reconstruction project like this was expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars! Facing costs like these was simply overwhelming . . . and our dream for a retreat center began to fade.
The Dream is Restored and Renewed
As word spread about this predicament, a benefactor came forward with an offer to help. This generosity allowed Nancy and Len to take a “leap of faith” and hire plumbing and restoration contractors. There is good news. With a sigh of relief, Phase One and Phase Two (re-plumbing and structural restoration) are complete. But we had to close Baja Road Retreat during this major reconstruction. And while we've been able to cover most of the costs so far, it still looks and feels like a construction zone. So a Phase Three remains.
Ready, Set, Go for Guests—Our Phase Three $10,000 GoFundMe Goal
We need to ready our retreat house to welcome guests into a comfortable and inviting space. GoFundMe donations will allow us to re-open our retreat space. Important tasks include:
• Minor repairs in neglected areas
• 60+ hours painting the restored drywall
• Lots of deep cleaning throughout the whole house, plus…
• Design and construction of an effective outside drainage system to prevent future foundation problems
Help the Dream Grow!
If we exceed our $10,000 goal, we’ll shift gears into a Phase Four. We’re blessed to have five acres in such a beautiful setting to share with others! We'd love to build a private hermitage on our property, designed for contemplative time such as meditation, prayer and writing. Your generosity helps us share our living dream with you! We hope you'll become guests and make Baja Road Retreat a regular place to relax and regroup!
Come to the Quiet!
Baja Road Retreat is an ideal place to rest, reflect, restore and find peace in silence, under star-lit skies, in the Land of Enchantment. Our interspiritual retreat house includes a guest room and private bath, living room space, kitchen use, a 2,000 volume spiritual library, and meditation chapel. Our five acres include a rock garden, hummingbirds, friendly wildlife, and a nearby walking trail with views of the Pecos Valley. We hope to create a few gentle paths with interspiritual stations, for use in walking meditation and reflection.
We’re thirty minutes from Santa Fe, ninety minutes from Albuquerque, two hours from Taos and less than six hours from Denver.
Inspired and Grateful
“I came to rest and reflect on my travels . . . How changed I feel, ensnared by you both and this land. I have seen many retreats and artist colonies and Baja Retreat is a place where one can feel at home. Every morning I joined the two of you and your neighbors in meditation. I am inspired and grateful.” ~ Michael M. writer, teacher, traveler
Fr. Len Schreiner, and his wife, Nancy Trottner, moved to Northern New Mexico in May 2018 to realize a dream: establishing a private, interspiritual retreat setting for small groups and guests from all faith traditions. Victor Nelson and David Dunn, two of Len and Nancy’s close friends and colleagues, invite you to share in their dream by supporting their “Dream a Little Dream With Me” campaign. Here, in their own words, is the story of this past year’s most challenging adventure.
We opened our spacious Pueblo style home to guests (Airbnb and others) who sought quiet, rest, and peace. Many of these guests joined us in our morning meditation. Many of these same guests also benefited from the Reiki and energy work that Nancy provided. We often found ourselves engaged in personal conversations with our guests and even provided spiritual guidance for some. To date, 185 guests have enjoyed Baja Road Retreat. Those who have retreated with us, have been from all around the U.S. as well as international guests from Berlin, Paris, and India!”
The Leak in the Dam
In January of this year we discovered that the slab on which our retreat house was built had been cracking. The original builders had failed to adequately stabilize the clay soil beneath. The leaking water pipes and serious structural damage in several areas of the house demanded serious troubleshooting and evaluation. Sinking and heaving was taking place beneath our feet.
The plumbers and engineers recommended a complete re-plumbing, restoration of nine rooms and redesign of the outdoor drainage system to prevent future damage. They alerted us that a major reconstruction project like this was expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars! Facing costs like these was simply overwhelming . . . and our dream for a retreat center began to fade.
The Dream is Restored and Renewed
As word spread about this predicament, a benefactor came forward with an offer to help. This generosity allowed Nancy and Len to take a “leap of faith” and hire plumbing and restoration contractors. There is good news. With a sigh of relief, Phase One and Phase Two (re-plumbing and structural restoration) are complete. But we had to close Baja Road Retreat during this major reconstruction. And while we've been able to cover most of the costs so far, it still looks and feels like a construction zone. So a Phase Three remains.
Ready, Set, Go for Guests—Our Phase Three $10,000 GoFundMe Goal
We need to ready our retreat house to welcome guests into a comfortable and inviting space. GoFundMe donations will allow us to re-open our retreat space. Important tasks include:
• Minor repairs in neglected areas
• 60+ hours painting the restored drywall
• Lots of deep cleaning throughout the whole house, plus…
• Design and construction of an effective outside drainage system to prevent future foundation problems
Help the Dream Grow!
If we exceed our $10,000 goal, we’ll shift gears into a Phase Four. We’re blessed to have five acres in such a beautiful setting to share with others! We'd love to build a private hermitage on our property, designed for contemplative time such as meditation, prayer and writing. Your generosity helps us share our living dream with you! We hope you'll become guests and make Baja Road Retreat a regular place to relax and regroup!
Come to the Quiet!
Baja Road Retreat is an ideal place to rest, reflect, restore and find peace in silence, under star-lit skies, in the Land of Enchantment. Our interspiritual retreat house includes a guest room and private bath, living room space, kitchen use, a 2,000 volume spiritual library, and meditation chapel. Our five acres include a rock garden, hummingbirds, friendly wildlife, and a nearby walking trail with views of the Pecos Valley. We hope to create a few gentle paths with interspiritual stations, for use in walking meditation and reflection.
We’re thirty minutes from Santa Fe, ninety minutes from Albuquerque, two hours from Taos and less than six hours from Denver.
Inspired and Grateful
“I came to rest and reflect on my travels . . . How changed I feel, ensnared by you both and this land. I have seen many retreats and artist colonies and Baja Retreat is a place where one can feel at home. Every morning I joined the two of you and your neighbors in meditation. I am inspired and grateful.” ~ Michael M. writer, teacher, traveler
Fundraising team (3)
Len Schreiner
Organizer
Rowe, NM
Nancy Trottner
Team member
David Dunn
Team member
