10 Years of Traveling Light!

Hooray! This month Traveling Light celebrates 10 years!

To be honest, back in April 2011 we had no idea where the establishment of our non-profit organisation would lead us all to.

It was a small beginning of a great commission: "Go into the world and make disciples of all nations."

And we have been able to do incredible things in the past years; far away and close to home! We cannot thank you enough for your help and support! Just to give a brief summary:

• Contacts in more than thirty countries in Europe.
• Received more than half a million euro in donations and that amount has been used almost entirely (only bank charges are deducted) to support hundreds of projects.
• Encouragement visits to many countries, cities, churches, organizations, and rehab centers.
• Twinkeltje Papendrecht, coffee house where God's love is tangible.
• Hundreds of prayer meetings and gatherings.
• Hundreds of speaking engagements, seminars, lectures, workshops etc. throughout Europe.
• Prison work
• Alpha course

Unfortunately, prison work has been paused for a year, as has international travels. But that is at the same time the reason why we have been able to do more close to home. We hope and trust you know that your gifts and prayers have a tremendous impact - on individuals, on families, on towns, cities, and countries.

We believe in changed lives. We all have been changed through a personal experience with the grace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to pass it on, and that does not stop at the border of our country.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." [Matthew 5:16]

GIFTS (large and small) are always welcome and can be directed at St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

Project expansion Teen Challenge, Albania

At the beginning of last year, the Teen Challenge rehabilitation center for drugs and alcohol addicts in Albania was officially opened. There are currently five men in the center!

Orges Hysenaj, the director and founder of Teen Challenge Albania, oversees a number of coffee houses in the country, where the troubled and addicted often have their first encounter with the Bible and God's love.

From there, they can sign up to follow the residential program, if they are really ready to start a new life.

At the moment there are several men who have indicated that they want to build a new life, so it is actually time to expand the number of beds.

It is Orges' desire and plan to change the room that they use as an office into a toilet and bathroom, so they can have another room in which to receive students, the capacity going up to 10 students!

Donations are currently being received for these building activities and for the purchase of two solar panels that can at provide hot water. It has been estimated that this will cost around 3,500 euro.

Will you help us again? If you have a heart for Albania and want to bring hope to the hopeless...  you can send a gift to IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht and make sure to mention ALBANIA.

👉When in the USA you can make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention: TC ALBANIA.

We recently posted a prayer for Albania on our YouTube channel, which you can use as inspiration to pray for the country!

Please, subscribe to our channel.

Project expansion Restart coffeehouse, Serbia

Last month we received an email from Udruženje Restart in Serbia. A Christian organization that works among homeless people and (former) addicts and supports them in their return to society.

With a team of volunteers initiator Boris Štrbac is committed to helping people on their way to start a new life. They do this through outreach, drugs prevention lessons at schools and prison work.

During the European Teen Challenge conference in Zeewolde (2019) we were finally able to catch up with Boris in person and following that meeting Traveling Light helped him with a donation for the opening of the coffee house in a new location in Novi Sad.

In the meantime, the coffee house is in full use, with weekly meetings that are well attended, as you can see in the photos. It's time for expansion :)

The back part of the building is currently not being used. They now have a plan to make the back of the building suitable for office space and rooms for individual counseling.

It will be quite a job, but they have a permit to start. They need funds for the following: knocking down the current wall, the building of a new wall, the purchase of windows and a door, wall and floor work, furniture, airco, and electrical work.

The main work will be done by a professional worker who is willing to do it as a donation, all other works will be done by members of Restart and the Church.  

So, Restart needs about 2,500 euro for materials, furniture, flooring etc. We hope you want to help with a donation, so they can begin this work soon!

GIFTS (large and small) are awelcome and can be directed at St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention RESTART.