Saturday, October 17, 2015

Visit to Moldova

The Petersen's home
Last January we introduced Johannes & Charlotte Petersen for the first time on this blog. This Danish couple has been living and working among the poorest people in Moldova for over twenty years.

Last week Jan visited them on behalf of Traveling Light. It was our first trip to the poorest country of Europe.

Community living
Over the years Johannes & Charlotte lived in several different places in Moldova. Their home is a colorful trailer which has kept them mobile... fitting the name of their ministry: Pilgrims International!

They have planted several churches, a Teen Challenge rehabilitation home for men and a women's home which will be opened soon. They provide humanitarian aid and organize children's summer camps. On their website you can find more information.

Almost done, girl's room
For the first time in all these years they now, more or less, have a permanent lot where they have put down their mobile home; it is the piece of land where the Shelter is located... a home for girls and young women who haven been rescued from human trafficking.

the Shelter
Johannes & Charlotte truly share the pure Father heart of God with the people they help: the addicts, the poor, the lonely, the young girls (sometimes only twelve years old) that are offered up for sale by their parents, ending up in prostitution and human trafficking.

It is heartbreaking to see how much suffering there is. But it is also great to see that there are people who are not hesitant to obey the call of God's heart and humble themselves to help others.

Teen Challenge men's rehab
The gift we gave last August was used to buy a Frysian milk cow and two calves! That's a good deal :) At the Teen Challenge men's rehabilitation home they are now (if funding comes in) going to build a dairy kitchen which will enable them to process and sell the milk.

We are grateful for the gifts we received from you all for the beautiful but difficult work of Johannes and Charlotte in Moldova.
The new calves

They are letting their light shine in the darkest corner of Europe, and we certainly want to encourage them! It is great to see that much can be done with little money and that our gifts are being used wisely and practically.

Please, let us not forsake to do the will of God ... on earth as it is in heaven ....

Youth room in the church
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear. (Isaiah 58: 6-8).

[PS: Click on the pictures to enlarge!]

Gifts are ALWAYS welcome at IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht.