Saturday, April 27, 2013

Photo's Coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech

TC Director Petr Ministr and Jan: very happy with the bus

Well, here it is.... the mobile coffee bus of Teen Challenge Czech Republic. Your gifts made it possible to purchase and upgrade this camper. The outreach team of Teen Challenge Czech will go into the streets of Prague to connect and share the good news with the homeless, the addicts and the prostitutes.

Last week we visited the Teen Challenge center in Czech Republic. The men's rehabilitation home is just outside the city of Prague in a beautiful 12th century, former monastery. One of the buildings on the premises has recently been converted into a women's home. About eight women live there now in safety. Thank God! We were also pleasantly surprised to finally see the new coffee bus. Wow, what an eye catcher. This will certainly attract the attention of many people.

praying for the outreach work
Inside the coffee bus are two seating areas, a kitchen and bathroom and outside, under the awning, two tables and chairs will be placed as well. Enough room to invite people for coffee, a copy of the book The Cross and the Switchblade and counseling. By the way, we were visiting Prague to attend the annual Europe Teen Challenge Conference. Staff members, volunteers, students and graduates from more than thirty countries came together to connect and to be encouraged.

Curious crowd around the coffee bus
With a big, international group we walked around the coffee bus and prayed: that many people will be reached with the good news that a new life is possible in Jesus Christ. Such powerful and effective prayers. We were also happy to see our donations so effectively put to work. If you're ever in Prague, look for this bus!

The coffee bus project is a good example of a practical, small scale project that will have great impact. Who knows how many people in need will be reached this way. It is our desire to continue to sponsor these kind of projects and in this way to shine our light in dark corners all over Europe. More supporters means: more projects, more countries, more people.... Not necessarily bigger projects, but certainly more projects.

We were able to donate 6.500 euro towards this project
Thank you very much for your support. Please, tell your family, friends and co-workers about the work of Traveling Light. Show them our website or Facebook page. We would love to welcome new sponsors and good ideas. 

Within Europe make gifts payable to:
Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275
IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275
BIC: RABONL2U

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Project Playground Tetovo, Macedonia

Jordan, Vesna and Jakov Stoilovi

For our next project we will take you to Macedonia again. This time to a city in the north, called Tetovo, where Jordan Stoilovi lives with his wife Vesna and little son Jakov.

This past January we visited Jordan in his coffeehouse The Bridge. A place where people can come and talk, have coffee and follow Bible studies. The population in Tetovo is predominantly from Albanian descent and about 83% of the people are Muslim. In one of next blog posts we will share part of Jordan's testimony. He has an incredible story to tell!

The Bridge Center, Tetovo
Jordan desires to let the light of Jesus shine in his town and well in a very practical way. He wants to do so by cleaning up public parks and places in the city. Last year he did a project with the help of a team of volunteers from England; they painted a bridge and cleaned up the area around it. Just watch this film on Youtube, it is very inspiring! The painting of the bridge created a lot of curiosity among the locals, a great opportunity to make new friends, talk with people and pray with those in need.

Jordan's plan for this spring is to fix up a small park near that same bridge and to create a children's playground. He has received a permission from the municipality to place some tables and benches and toys there. He has asked for helping hands among his friends and he has even managed to raise some funds. Jordan still needs 1,000 euro for the realisation of this project. We would just love to help him out!

If all goes according to plan he will start this project in the second week of May. We won't be able to go there to help him, because we have planned a visit to Ludwigslust, Germany in the same week. We will however try to plan a visit very soon. For now, we can all offer our support by donating towards this project. We are looking forward to your gifts!