Around Europe!

Before you go on vacation (perhaps), here is an update on the recent and upcoming encouragement visits that form the heart of Traveling Light.

Early June, we visited Teen Challenge Belgium in Charleroi. Frédéric and Natacha Hensgens (the directors) organized a brocante market to raise funds for their streetwork and their residential program at Maison Betser, where five guests are currently staying.

Three of them have served prison sentences and can reintegrate here. Frédéric is involved with Belgian prisons as a chaplain and thus comes into contact with men and women who need a place to rebuild their lives.

Two other guests have addiction issues and can also work on those at Maison Betser.

We were able to help by welcoming visitors. It was very good and encouraging to see each other again, and to stay the night and enjoy a delicious breakfast together!

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On Tuesday, June 9, Jan set off on his motorcycle towards Teen Challenge Slovenia. Together with staff and students from the drug and alcohol rehab center there, they traveled by van to Croatia for Čuvar Brata Svoga, also known as the 'My Brother's Keeper' conference.

It was already the twelfth time that Jan participated, on behalf of  Traveling Light. It is a four-day outdoors conference for men from all Balkan countries where reconciliation, forgiveness, unity, and spiritual growth are key topics.

For Jan (and therefore Traveling Light), it is also always a wonderful opportunity to meet friends from all Balkan countries, catch up, and maintain and strengthen contacts.

After the four-day conference, Jan stayed an extra day at the TC center in Slovenia to teach during chapel services and spend time with the men.

👉Watch the fun short video of the conference HERE.

On the way back, Jan visited Dirk and Meike Hellmann, former directors of Teen Challenge Gutes Land in Germany. Dirk has been ill for years and is mostly housebound. They are always thrilled to receive visitors.

Upon arriving home, it turned out Jan had lost his passport, wallet, and phone, so (among other things) we don't have many photos 😢

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This week we will be driving to Teen Challenge in Lithuania. See the photo of last year's tent meeting. We have been invited again this year to give a seminar in the rehab centers there, as well as to speak at the church in Kaunas on Sunday. The theme for all sessions this weekend is 'The meaning and purpose of life.'

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As you can read, it is a busy month in terms of travel and visits. In Papendrecht, you are of course always very welcome at our shops Twinkeltje or De Schor. This month's project is the work of Teen Challenge in Berdichev, Ukraine.

We take care of all travel expenses, but... if you have a heart for the projects we support, you can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TRAVELING LIGHT.

Meetings at the Europe Teen Challenge Conference in Albania

In our previous news post, we already mentioned the meetings we had during the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Albania earlier this month. We would like to go back to that, briefly. Especially because those meetings are so important in the support and encouragement we provide.

On behalf of Traveling Light, we maintain international contacts in more than thirty countries in Europe. We do this via email, social media, and (preferably) in person.

Meetings are precious, like with Orges & Blerina Hysenaj, the directors of the Teen Challenge program in Albania. We have known them for years and have a good relationship.

They now run two rehab centers, a church, and a coffee house. Furthermore, they also organize special evenings for family members of the men who are in rehab.

Last week, they held a baptism celebration. What a wonderful fruit of their work. Yes, it is God who changes people's lives, but that does not happen automatically. He makes use of believers who share the gospel with those who have never heard it! We are grateful for what God is doing in Albania!

Furthermore, we had time to catch up with Sergey & Irina Romanenko from Ukraine. They are the directors of the rehab centers in Berdychiv.

Together with one of their daughters and their daughter-in-law, they spent twenty (!) hours on a Flixbus to Warsaw to catch a plane to Tirana from there.

Despite the tragedy of the ongoing war, they remain in high spirits and trust that better times will come. The rehab centers are full, and there is an enormous amount of work to be done, especially among soldiers returning from the front traumatized (and addicted).

They have made a beautiful promotional video about their work. Watch it via this LINK. We have been supporting that work for years. 👉The work in Berdychiv will be the project of the month for June in our secondhand stores Twinkeltje and de Schor.

It was also nice to catch up with Niklas & Heidi Furu, the directors of Teen Challenge Finland. A visit to them has been on our to-do list for a while! It is amazing what they are doing in terms of street and coffee house work and evangelism to reach people with the gospel.

And of course, we spent time with Kuanish & Mada Akkuzova, the directors of Teen Challenge Georgia. It is always good to hear what is going on there. We were there for a week, last September.

And furthermore:

• Teen Challenge Iceland will soon open its first women's house.
• Teen Challenge Romania recently opened a new rehab center in Baia Mare.
• Teen Challenge Sweden has a chance to open a rehab in northern Sweden.
• Teen Challenge Denmark is going to open a location in Roskilde.

We hope to visit the Teen Challenge programs in Belgium, Slovenia, and Lithuania in June. As you can see... there is a lot going on! That requires prayer, work, finances, and good relationships.

How wonderful that we can continue to support the life-changing ministries in so many countries, thanks to your generous donations.

If you have a heart for the supporting work we do, you can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TRAVELING LIGHT.

Project community center Teen Challenge Neubruch, Germany

Earlier this month, we participated in the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Albania. We spoke with many people there once again and also received updates on various current projects.

For instance, Teen Challenge Germany had the opportunity in the director's meeting (and later during the main program) to present their plans for the expansion of the Neubruch center in Sonneborn.

Teen Challenge Germany operates drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in various locations throughout the country, and is also active in prevention and street outreach work, with the help of volunteers.

Teen Challenge Neubruch is such a residential center where people find new perspectives, experience community, and where staff feel supported and appreciated.

Every day, workers dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to people struggling—youth, families, and people dealing with addiction, crises, and hopelessness. Staff and volunteers listen, support, encourage, and take responsibility. This work deserves not only gratitude but also supportive spaces where training, rest, and community are possible.

To this end, TC Germany intends to convert an existing barn (see photo) on the Neubruch grounds, currently used as storage space, into a training and meeting center. It will be a beautiful place where Teen Challenge workers and volunteers from Germany and other European countries can attend training sessions, but also unwind for a few days. The intention is to also create apartments within the barn for this purpose.

It is a substantial renovation project, but the demand for such a meeting and community place is high. During this latest international conference, we noticed once again how great the need is for fellowship, catching up, attending training and topical studies, praying together, and listening to each other's stories, etc.

Teen Challenge Germany is largely dependent on donations. We are incredibly grateful for the work they do and would like to support them in this construction project.

If you have a heart for this work, you can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC GERMANY

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC GERMANY NEUBRUCH

Activities and updates

The month is flying by; time for a few updates!

This coming Monday, we hope to be present with a booth at the King's Day flea market in Papendrecht again. It is always a really fun event, and not just for Papendrecht residents, mind you. Visitors from the entire surrounding area come to the flea market!

We will be providing coffee and tea again, so come and join us. The proceeds from the sales go to humanitarian aid in Beirut, Lebanon.

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Next week, we (Jan, Marja, Krijn, Cora) are going to the annual Europe Teen Challenge conference, which is being held in Albania again, like last year. We always look forward to meeting everyone again and catching up. We are curious to hear the stories of hope and progress in the various rehab centers and coffee houses.

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The proceeds from Twinkeltje and De Schor for April will go to Brian Slater's work with Abundant Bread of Salvation in Israel. We will let you know the total amount later. Of course, we will add specified donations to this total as well.

The project in both shops for the month of May is the work of Jordan & Vesna Stoilovi at The Bridge coffee house in Tetovo, Macedonia.

The community center is a beautiful meeting place where people come together for coffee, Bible study, Alpha, church services, etc. Meaningful conversations take place between people with different backgrounds and cultures.

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We have updated the Traveling Light website again, now including an 'Academy' tab. We have been teaching and preaching in the Netherlands as well as in Europe, for years, but never mentioned it on our website. In recent weeks, we have shared lessons from God's Word in various churches and group settings.

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We are thankful for your donations. Make them payable to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. You can also give by card or donate directly via our website! When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention Traveling Light or which Teen Challenge center you want to support.

Visit to Teen Challenge Romania

Last month, we (Jan and Marja) were in Romania, attending the annual Europe Teen Challenge leadership conference, which was held in Cluj this year.

This city is located in northwestern Romania, in the Transylvanian region.

The fall conference is always a great opportunity to meet TC leaders from all over Europe, to relax, and to be inspired and encouraged. We had a fantastic time.

We stayed in a beautiful hotel, outside the city, offering extensive wellness and spa facilities. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had many wonderful conversations in the warm pool under the stars!

Friday was filled with teaching and worship. Saturday was excursion day. We first visited the wood workshop WeBecome, founded by graduates who completed the Teen Challenge program.

They design and make furniture for restaurants and businesses, but also create beautiful, small products. Check out their website. All proceeds go towards Teen Challenge.

And on we went. We visited the plot of land recently purchased by the Teen Challenge team in Cluj. The plan is to develop a complete TC campus there: a rehab center, a bistro, a wood factory, and much more.

We prayed together about the land and building plans, declaring that many people will find freedom in Christ at this location.

The bus then took us to the current TC men's center, a beautiful house in the heart of the city. We received a warm welcome, and the men provided a fantastic hamburger lunch for all of us.

We were personally deeply encouraged by conversations with young men who were in rehab (in Bucharest) when we were there in September 2024. Many still remember how we prayed with them and spoke prophetic words over them.

It was heartwarming to see and hear that they are doing well and that they are now volunteering for Teen Challenge and remaining involved, sometimes even as staff members.

It's so wonderful to hear time and again how much the visits, which we make on behalf of Traveling Light, are appreciated. It is valuable feedback for us.

We also had the opportunity to meet with and pray for Pastor Adrian and Sidonia Tamas of the Betel Centru Evangelical Church in Cluj. It's encouraging to hear how God is working among young people in Cluj! So many are coming to faith.

Each time we are in Romania, we meet with people who remember the humanitarian aid that used to come from the Netherlands, sometimes decades ago. Many Dutch churches and organizations have been involved in the social (and spiritual) development of Romania for years, and that is now truly bearing fruit.

Donations, large or small, for all the projects we support are always welcome. You can give in various ways:

Make a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. You can also give by card or donate directly via our website!

ETC conference and mission evening

We have just returned from Albania, where we, together with Krijn and Cora, participated in the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Durrës. You can see us in the picture with Adrian Pasterkamp, who always plays a major role in the organization of the ETC conferences.

We had wonderful meetings, and especially during the meals we were able to catch up with the leaders of the various Teen Challenge drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and coffee houses in Armenia, Georgia, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Moldova, Ukraine, and many more countries!

The conference consists of preaching, worship, project updates, and prayers. And of course there is plenty of opportunity to talk with each other and catch up in a relaxed way. The location on the coast and the beautiful hotel were ideal for this.

The theme of the conference was 'Generations' and Marja was also invited to speak on Saturday morning. This practical and inspiring message can be viewed/listened to on YouTube via this link.

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In the coming days, we will have a visit from our friend Brian Slater from Israel. We have been writing about his work with 'Abundant Bread of Salvation' since 2011. He runs a food bank, clothing distribution, and soup kitchen in Netanya, has set up a Holocaust Survivor Adoption Program, and regularly organizes outings for the elderly.

This Friday we will organize a Mission Evening in Twinkeltje (Korenbloemstraat 20 in Papendrecht) where Brian will talk about his work. Walk-in with coffee and tea from 19:30 and start at 20:00. Admission is free, we will hold a collection for Brian. Feel free to bring someone!

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Donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways. Please take note:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Activities and travels

A few weeks ago we announced the visit of members of the city council (Christian political party) to our store/coffeehouse On Saturday March 29th, we had a pleasant meeting in Twinkeltje.

We were able to share a lot about the ins and outs of running the coffeehouse, impact in the area and the town, activities, collaboration with other organisations, and the proceeds for projects throughout Europe.

We are very grateful for the sincere interest they showed in our work in Papendrecht and beyond. If you like it, you can watch the video that the SGP has posted on their channel HERE (Use the settings button to generate subtitles in your language).

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This Saturday is Kingsday in the Netherlands. We will be present again with a booth at the flea market in Papendrecht. That is always a very pleasant event, and not only for Papendrecht residents. Visitors from all over the area come to the flea market!

We will provide coffee, so come by and let's have a nice chat. The proceeds from the sales will go to Teen Challenge Lebanon.

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Next week we (Jan, Marja, Krijn, Cora) will attend the annual Europe Teen Challenge conference, which will be held in Albania this year. We always look forward to meeting everyone again and catching up.

We have been able to support so many Teen Challenge programs with a visits or donations this past year, so we are curious about the stories and progress in the various rehab centers and coffee houses.

When we return, Brian Slater from Abundant Bread of Salvation in Israel will visit us. More about that later.

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Donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways. Please take note:

Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Visit to Teen Challenge, Albania

First of all, we would like to wish you all a blessed 2025!

An update on the Christmas package campaigns will be coming up, but first this...

At the end of November, we (Jan and Marja) were in Albania, where we participated in the Europe Teen Challenge leadership conference in Dürres.

Several people from Global Teen Challenge were present as were directors of Teen Challenge rehab programs and centers from more than twenty European countries. Orges & Blerina Hysenaj, the directors of TC Albania, provided a great welcome and a blessed stay.

During such a conference, updates are given about the various rehabilitation centers. There is room to pray with and for each other, to meet each other, and several seminars were given about the challenges of this time and age. [Click on the photos to enlarge]

Think of other/new types of addictions such as vaping and gaming, additional problems such as self-mutilation (cutting) and trafficking, and the fact that the age at which addiction occurs is getting younger.

We have talked with everyone as much as possible 😀 and we also visited the Christian rehab center STREHA near Tirana with the entire group. A fairly small farmhouse where 14(!) men are currently staying, don't ask us how.

It is great to hear and see how lives are completely changed and how the parents and family members are also affected by this. They often have a Muslim background and now see with their own eyes that Jesus is truly the Healer and Savior!

Every month Gesi & Blerina organize a meeting with the parents and families. They share the Gospel, pray and worship together. They cry together, lift each other up, and remind each other that Jesus is alive and able to change the lives of their sons, husbands, and brothers – and their own lives too because they need Jesus as well.

Because the house is now far too small to accommodate everyone who comes for help, a piece of land was purchased last year where a new rehab center will be built in the near future! But that will take some time (and quite some funds). We will keep you informed.

Among the men currently staying in Streha, there is a lot of creative talent. They paint pieces of wood and put scriptures on them. We all received such a work of art.

We want to continue to support the work of Teen Challenge Albania in order to change the city and its surroundings, 'one person at a time' so to speak. Will you help?

You can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC ALBANIA.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC ALBANIA

Project updates, news, and travels

A quick update on projects, travels, and news.

We were able to send a donation to Teen Challenge in Lebanon. Due to the ongoing war with Hezbollah, many people in South Lebanon, as well as in Northern Israel, have been driven from their homes.

Garo Margossian offers humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine, etc.) where possible. He has already received the funds, for which we are grateful.

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We will be in Albania in the coming days for the Europe Teen Challenge (ETC) leadership conference in which directors from most European countries participate.

Every year it offers a great opportunity to meet each other, catch up, and receive updates about the projects we have sponsored.

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Our dear friends Alex & Janet, who met in our coffeehouse Twinkeltje and got married recently, love flea markets. They regularly have a booth or participate in car boot sales with all kinds of nice stuff.

The proceeds will go to the projects of Traveling Light. We are very thankful for their help of course!

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Atelier de Schor will be holding shopping nights on November 22 and 29th. The store is full of Christmas decorations, so cozy. There will also be a pop-up café for coffee, chocolate and tea during those evenings.

In December, in addition to the (normal) Fridays, they will also be open on Saturdays. So much nice (Christmas) stuff, you don't want to miss that. And of course the proceeds will also go to Traveling Light.

Come and enjoy shopping that supports the projects of Traveling Light in this way.

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Two weeks ago we (Marja and Jan) were in Solingen, Germany for a meeting with team members of the 'Alabaster Jar' project from Berlin.

A project under the flag of Samaritan's Purse that offers help to girls and women caught in prostitution. More about that soon!

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Donations, large and small, are always welcome. You can send your gift in different ways:

💛Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention country/project/general.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Travel and project updates

Oh, how quickly time flies. It seems like only a while ago that we were in Iceland. But Jan has now also been to Germany, Slovenija, and Croatia... on his motorcycle this time.

On June 18th, he left after work heading for Slovenija. Together with the staff and students from the drug and alcohol rehab center of Teen Challenge, they drove in a van to Croatia for Čuvar Brata Svoga or the 'My Brother's Keeper' conference.

It was already the eleventh time that Traveling Light participated in this conference. It is an active weekend for men from all Balkan countries (former Yugoslavia) in which reconciliation, forgiveness, unity, and spiritual growth are central themes.

Also this year, a number of men from the TC program in Slovenija surrendered their lives to Jesus! 💓 Reason for great gratitude and joy, of course!

After the conference, Jan stayed, as usual, an extra day at the TC center in Slovenija to teach the Bible, pray with the men, work on cars, and receive prayer!

On the way home, Jan stopped by the former Teen Challenge rehab center Gutes Land in Germany. We have visited there many times over the years. It is our prayer that the farm will be used for this purpose again.

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Thanks to your fantastic support, we have now been able to transfer generous donations to:

• CIC MIssion guesthouse in Georgia (4,000 euro)
• Outreach and coffee house work The Bridge in Macedonia (2,000 euro)
• International rehab center Teen Challenge in Georgia (4,000 euro) and
• The work of Roma Ministry International and YWAM in Bulgaria (1,500 euro)

We sometimes call that a tour of Europe 😁 How wonderful it is to be part of the great commission that Jesus gave us: Go, and make disciples of ALL nations!

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For the month of July, the project in our secondhand and vintage shops is the work of Teen Challenge in Iceland. We are closed in August!

The next projects we want to support are the TOV house in the Netherlands, the work of Teen Challenge in Kazakhstan and in Berdichev, Ukraine. More about that soon.

We are always happy with your donations to support all these wonderful projects and programs. You can send a donation in different ways:

• 💛Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention which project or country
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉You can also donate directly via our website!
• 👉When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention which Teen Challenge center in Europe you want to support.

Traveling... where to and why

A non-profit called Traveling Light is on the road, a lot 😀. In recent weeks we have been to Italy and Poland.

👉Our mission is threefold, namely to provide practical help, financial support, and spiritual encouragement to ministries in need all over Europe.

We travel (always at our own expense, of course, your donations go entirely to the intended projects) to visit and encourage people, to participate in theme conferences, and to roll up our sleeves when needed.

Last week we (Jan, Marja, Krijn and Cora) visited the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Warsaw, Poland. About 250 people from more than 30 countries were present.

Participants are all involved, in some way or another, in running a faith-based drug and alcohol rehab center, a coffee house, a shelter, or some other program that helps people to find Christ. They can be a leader, volunteer, supporter, or former student (ex-addict).

For us it is always a wonderful opportunity to meet so many people, the Traveling Light network is enormous. That is also the special thing behind all the projects we support... we know the people personally!

At some point, the participants were asked who had been blessed by the help of Traveling Light and more than half of all hands went up. Amazing, right?!

During the many trips we make, we can always provide spiritual encouragement, also at an international conference like this.

Marja was asked to open the board meeting with a devotional time on Thursday and on Saturday Jan and Marja gave a presentation in the large conference hall.

We also took a lot of time to pray with people,  think together, and brainstorm about ideas and initiatives.

The first photo is from an encouraging session with our friends Sergey and Irina Romanenko from Ukraine with translation assistance from our friend Jenja Buzinovskaya from Kazakhstan.

Of course, we were also present with our book table, special this time because a Polish translation was available of Marja's book 'Spirit of Truth.' A meeting with the translator and editor was also arranged.

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The week before the trip to Poland we were in Italy for a work week in Comunita Brezzano in Tuscany. For more than 10 years we have been there every year to chop wood for the winter.

This time we helped with cleaning out existing ditches and digging new ditches for better water drainage. The six of us stayed in Casa Shalom and the Swiss team stayed in Casa Nuova.

It was hard work, but we really enjoyed this time together as a team. It is wonderful to give others a helping hand.

After the death of our friend Maria Meier (who ran this Christian therapeutic residential community for many years), it has been quite difficult to pick up the thread again.

The community is no longer a rehab, but more of a place where people can relax and find peace, a retreat center. Due to the good connections with Messianic congregations in Israel, the community has already been able to provide retreat time to various congregation leaders and their families.

In addition to the hard work, we enjoyed peace, beautiful scenery, good food, playing games, many conversations, and relaxing reading time. Worth repeating as far as we are concerned.

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Speaking of Israel, the project of the month in our shop/coffee house Twinkeltje and Atelier de Schor in April was the work of Brian Slater and Abundant Bread of Salvation. We were able to donate 1,800 euro! Thank you all. We were also able to transfer 4,000 euro for support of the work of Teen Challenge in Slovenija. The next project is the work of Teen Challenge in Georgia, more about that soon.

We can always use your donations to support all these wonderful projects and programs. You can send a donation in different ways:

• 💛Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention which project or country
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉You can also donate directly via our website!
• 👉When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention which Teen Challenge center you want to support.