Greetings from Tbilisi, Georgia

Group lessons

A few weeks ago we announced project Teen Challenge Tbilisi, Georgia. We want to encourage and help the directors Blair & Althea Greive to continue and expand their work among the addicted and homeless. We want to do so (for now) by offering financial support.

We already received most of the 2,200 euro chunk that we promised them. For one thing, they will be able to employ an extra worker with that gift: Giorgi.

The work of Teen Challenge in Georgia has been established by Doug and Anna Boyle. They were also the ones that pioneered the work of Teen Challenge in Kazakhstan. It is wonderful to hear (and we have heard many exciting stories firsthand from Doug!) and see how they set up a center and program with such enthusiasm, energy and love. And sometimes (after several years) they hand it over to a next generation.

In the meantime in Georgia... Blair and Althea are running the home with that same enthusiasm, they have many plans for the future. One of the men that graduated the program last winter is Giorgi. He started to work at the center and helps guys that are in the same situation he was in, when he entered the program. Here is part of his testimony:

Giorgi

'My name is Giorgi, I am 34 years old. I was addicted to drugs and alcohol at age 14, my life had been completely destroyed and no one could help me. Then at age 32, I came into the program in despair and hopelessness. In the program I met Jesus and He helped me to be free from my addictions. With God's help, I finished the program and now I serve in this program as a worker. I have joy in my heart and hope for the best in each day.'

Well, that makes us really happy! Rescuing people out of darkness and bringing them into the light, so they can live the life that God had planned for them. There are thousands of men like Giorgi, who desperately need help and salvation. There are currently big plans to start a women's home as well. YES!

If you desire to support their work, please make your gift payable:

When in Europe: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U

When in the USA: You can send your donation for Teen Challenge Georgia directly HERE.

We are looking forward to receive your gifts. We still need 400 euro!

My Brother's Keeper conference in Bosnia

Camping with 250 men in Bosnia

As in previous years, Jan went to the My Brother's Keeper conference a few weeks ago, on behalf of Traveling Light.  Last year it was held in Serbia, this time in Bosnia. It is an annual inter-denominational conference for men (spiritual leaders, pastors etc.) from all Balkan nations.

Traveling Light has good contacts in many of these countries and through pastor Steve Telzerow from ICF in Ljubljana we again received an invitation to come. Such a conference is a great opportunity to learn more about the (historical) problems these nations are dealing with. Emotional, spiritual and social problems, often the result of a period of bloody war.

Sharing meals

Meeting people, building relationships, listening, talking, asking questions, praying... it all helps to learn to understand each other better. And that helps us to choose projects wisely. It is also very encouraging to see that various churches in that area are working on reconciliation through forgiveness and healing.

As in previous years a Traveling Light supporter and volunteer went with Jan: Henk Swijnenburg (yes, the one from the Weissensee skating event).

Building friendships between the nations

They first drove all the way to Slovenia where they spent the night at the Teen Challenge men's center. The next day they drove on to Bosnia. About 250 men came to the conference, men from former Yugoslavian countries.

They camped out in small tents for four days and nights. The days and evenings were filled with music, prayer, Biblestudies, teachings, sport, games and of course food and drinks. After the conference Jan and Henk spent some more time with the team from Teen Challenge in Slovenia and gave several Bible studies.

Always an encouraging word...

On their way back they stopped at the Teen Challenge men's home Gutes Land in Vilsbiburg, Germany. They were just in time for a huge BBQ. Jan shared the Word in the evening and the next morning.

After driving 4,500 km and meeting many people, we can say that this was yet another typical encouragement trip that we believe Traveling Light has a calling for!

We always travel at our own expense and so do the volunteers that come along. So, all donations that come in will go towards the projects. Currently we are fundraising for Teen Challenge in Georgia. If you like what we do and you have a heart for the kind of projects we support, please make your gift payable to:

When in Europe: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U

When in the USA: You can send your donation for Teen Challenge Georgia directly HERE.

Project la Rocca Ministries, Italy

Pastor Mark & Denien King

Project Teen Challenge Tbilisi, Georgia is going full throttle, we have already received more than 1,200 euro! This gives us great joy, thank you all. Besides the current project in Georgia we want to inform you about a project that is being organized by the youth of the Hoeksteen church in Etten-Leur and for which they will be traveling to Italy later this month.

From July 22-28 a group of about twenty young people (age 12-25) will travel to Northern Italy. They will go and help to fix up and repair the building/grounds of La Rocca Ministries in Asti. La Rocca is the evangelical church that pastor Marc and Denien King have planted many years ago. The church meets in an industrial building, which they own (see picture below).

Building of La Rocca Ministries, Asti

Pastor Marc and Denien definitely have a heart for the weak, the homeless, the poor, the immigrants... well you name it. For anyone who cannot survive without an extra portion of loving care and support. They are always busy with food and clothes distribution. They organize great meals and help people find housing and work where needed.

We (Jan and Marja) have visited the King family on several occasions, while traveling through Italy. They are very hospitable and open their home for anyone passing by.

The Hoeksteen youth group wants to let its light shine in a practical way, and of course we want to encourage and support them. They're all busy collecting funds for the trip, which is their own responsibility.

The Youth group of the Hoeksteen church

La Rocca also needs an amount of money for tools, paint, building- and other materials, needed for the task. The youth group will work together with the folks from La Rocca. Together they can and will succeed in fixing up the building within several days.

The Hoeksteen youth group has taken the lead in organizing this mission trip. Traveling Light wants to help them collect donations which will be sent directly to La Rocca Ministries. All building materials and other necessities can be purchased locally which will give a boost to businesses in the area.

If you want to encourage this group youngsters and bless our fellow believers in Italy, you can send your donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. make sure to mention: LA ROCCA.

Project Teen Challenge Tbilisi, Georgia

Over the past few years Traveling Light has established contacts, built friendships and supported projects in fifteen (!) nations. This fantastic growth and expansion has been made possible through your prayers and donations. Today we want to invite you to a new country on our list: Georgia.

Blair & Althea Greive

Georgia is situated at the frontier between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. So, whom have we connected with in that area? We are pleased to introduce Blair & Althea Greive. This dear couple has international roots: Blair was born in Australia and Althea in South Africa. We met Blair at a conference in Prague in 2013 and with Althea we had a great time at a conference in Italy, last April.

Together with their two sons they moved to Kazakhstan in 2003 where they worked at a Teen Challenge center home for years. After going back to Australia for a while they moved to Tbilisi, Georgia in 2013 where a new adventure started. They are running a rehab home for men with addictions and other life controlling problems.

It is always inspiring and encouraging to meet young people who are willing to settle in a country that is 'unknown' to them, and to offer a helping hand, to be a shining light...

Teen Challenge center Tbilisi, Georgia

Blair and Althea are already feeling at home in Tbilisi. They are thankful for the men they were able to help last year. It is very encouraging to see how men, through the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, receive new life after many years of addiction, crime and homelessness. When they are reunited with their families it brings even more joy.

Blair and Althea recognize there is a huge need in this nation and they have a desire to expand their work. Giorgi, one of the guys that has graduated their program, wants to stay on as a worker. An extra helping hand means that more men can be welcomed in the rehab home.

The men's center

The work in Tbilisi is small scale and very direct: getting people off of the streets, sharing God's love with them, taking time to talk and pray, feeding and sheltering them. Helping people to be healed and restored. Such great work!

Traveling Light wants to encourage Blair & Althea to expand their work. A worker receives 300 Lari per month (124 euro). There are currently no funds to pay someone. We would love to help them and raise 2,200 euro which will make it possible to hire Giorgi for at least the next one and a half year. In this way we are investing in human lives, yes, even in the far corners of Europe. Will you join our effort?

PS: In a next blog post we will share Giorgi's story.

Visit to Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka, Poland

Sharing the joy!

A few weeks ago we (Jan and Marja) visited Janusz & Bogusia Gornicki in Poland. At the end of 2010 they opened a rehabilitation and crisis center for addicted and homeless (elderly) people in the south of Poland.

A wonderful story of grace and restoration when you realize Janusz came into Teen Challenge years ago as an addict and went through the recovery program in Lekini. He met his wife Bogusia and together with their two small children they moved south. Little Jacob was just one week (!) old when they started this adventure.

The center is at the Polish/Slovak border

And now, only a few years later, the center in Winiarczykowka is fully operating. About 10-12 men/women live there and daily receive prayer, counseling, encouragement, a warm bed, food and clothing. This center is special because it also houses elderly people who were homeless and/or totally alone. 

It is so encouraging to see how Janusz and Bogusia, their staff and volunteers give love to people who came in hopeless, helpless and lonely. This is the life and lessons of Jesus in practical day-to-day life. No theology needed...

Visiting the beautiful city of Krakow

We were received with such hospitality and warmness, that it overwhelmed us. We really had time to share Gods word, to pray and talk with people en to make the men laugh :) And yes, we made a visit to the historic city of Krakow and also a beautiful hike through the surrounding countryside.

We were able, thanks to your donations, to transfer 4,000 euros for project sewage treatment plant. Please pray with them for a fast release of paperwork and necessary permits and for favor with the local government agencies and officials AND for the rest of the funds to come in.

Folkloric patterns

Bogusia helps the men and women in the center to discover and develop their creative talents. They make and sell all kinds of cool and colorful gadgets at local markets and in churches to help raise the necessary funds  to run the center.

Especially and exclusively for the supporters of Traveling Light Bogusia and her crew made book marks with local folkloric designs and patterns as a way of saying thanks for your prayers and financial support. Send us an email and we will send you one of these handmade articles.

This is exactly the kind of small scale work that Traveling Light loves to support and endorse. It is direct, practical help and loving care for people who are helpless, lonely and homeless. Extending grace to those that have been rejected by society and are regarded as hopeless cases. We have great admiration for this work!

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Happy gang in Winiarczykowka

• Click on the photo's for a bigger picture
• Check out Bogusia's blog
• We already have received more than 1,000 euros for follow-up project chapel Teen Challenge, Slovakia
• We donated 1,200 euro (enough for 75 people) towards project sponsoring summer camp Ukraine.

Thank you very much everyone.

Follow-up project chapel Teen Challenge Slovakia

Traditional wooden beams for the roof

This past April we visited Teen Challenge Slovakia again, this time together with volunteers Jim & Lynda Hayes from our church De Hoeksteen. We visited the men's drugs- and alcohol rehabilitation center in Sered and the children's home in Hlohovec, where children and teenagers are living who can no longer live at home.

Last year we were able to help Teen Challenge twice with a donation towards the construction of the David Wilkerson Memorial chapel at the grounds of the men's home in Sered. It is very inspiring to see how this building is taking shape. Every euro is being used twice :)

Part of the work is being done by the men in the program. Some of them have never worked in construction before and they are excited to see this happening, while recovering from drugs- and alcohol addiction. They are building their spiritual house (as our bodies are the temple of God) as well as a physical house of prayer.

The Teen Challenge men are helping

In the meantime the roof construction is being completed, all in traditional architectural style. The construction of the chapel has drawn the attention of the people in the neighborhood and even of the mayor of Sered, who comes by regularly for a visit and coffee.  The chapel will be used by the men in the Teen Challenge center for regular prayer-and church services and other activities of a spiritual nature. It will also provide ministry for the people in the surrounding area.

We are very happy with the way director Stanislav Kunak is managing this project. That is why we would like to help again with a gift of 2,000 euro. There is still a lot of work to be done before the outside of the chapel is finished and then the work on the inside will start (floors, ceilings, window, doors, electricity etc.)

It's going to be beautiful!

If you love such small scale building projects, executed by local craftsmen and the men who are in the Teen Challenge program, you can show support by sending a donation to: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U

We are looking forward to your support!

• Click on the photo's for a bigger view
• Sponsoring summer camp Ukraine is still open!
• We just returned form a visit to Winiarczykowka Teen Challenge in Poland. More about that in an upcoming blog post.

PS: we always travel on our own expense, all donations go towards the projects.

Sponsoring summer camp Berdichev, Ukraine

Celebrating together as one!

As in previous years, next month Teen Challenge Ukraine and the Jewish Messianic congregation of pastor Sergey Romanenko are organizing a summer camp again. They are expecting about two hundred participants in Berdychiv.

The camp will be organized for men and women who are in drugs- and alcohol rehabilitation centers all over Ukraine. But also volunteers, workers, leaders, pastors, church members, children and family members are very much welcome. A joyful happening... despite the trouble currently going on in Ukraine.

Bible study

A mid week camping out, playing games, laughing, Bible study, music, food and just plain fun... too much to mention. Most of these people have never been on vacation (which can be hard to imagine if you're from a different country) and never played any games as children. Some of them have been homeless on the streets ever since they were little.

The camp will be held from June 23-27 and participation costs 16 euro (about $ 25) per person. This is a great opportunity if you want to make someone in Ukraine very happy... Financial difficulties will stop people from signing up, but for 16 euro you will make it possible for one person to go to this summer camp in Berdichev. That's awesome, isn't it? So, if you have it on your heart to help, please send 16 euro (or a multiplication) to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U

Time for groups study

Traveling Light has good contacts with the organizers of this camp in Ukraine and we would love to help them to shine their light  in difficult situations. 

Sponsoring the summer camp is a very direct and practical way to support believers in the Ukraine from where you are!

Photo's: Victoria Moore

Support is so much more than giving a donation

Children of Saraj church in Skopje

Traveling Light supports mostly small scale projects that have been set up by local people. This also means we will always do our best to build personal relationships with the people requesting our help.

Offering help doesn't stop with a financial gift, this is actually where the projects starts.

If you have been reading this weblog for a while, you must have noticed that we try to stay in contact with the people behind the projects and that sometimes we are able to do follow-up projects; which is a great way to build long-term relationships. It also happens that we receive specified gifts from supporters who have a certain project or country on their hearts.

Making gifts for mothers day

We recently received a gift for the work of Sokrat & Lena Apostolovski among the Roma children in Skopje, Macedonia. We visited them again this past February. We love to see how they encourage the children to use their creative talents! Doing arts & crafts together may be normal for most of us and our children, but this is certainly not the case everywhere.

We also received a gift for the work in the rehabilitation home of Teen Challenge in Slovenia. We were there last month for a visit. In the picture you see us with Marjan, do you remember Marjan? He is doing well, he has a job, an apartment and he volunteers at the Dennis Griffith House in Nova Vas.

Posing for the weblog :)

We regularly receive photo's, cards, news letters, thank you notes and emails from all corners of Europe... but also requests for help. We currently have 10 projects on a waiting list! We can only promise them help if you decide to support and continue to support us.

If you still want to give a donation for project sewage treatment plant Teen Challenge in Poland, please send your donation as soon as possible to:

When in EUROPE: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U

When in USA: Eastern Europe Outreach, make sure to mention: TC Poland Winiarczykowka

Amazing grace, unending love

Men @ work in Teen Challenge Slovenia

When we talk with supporters and people interested in becoming sponsors of Traveling Light, we have noticed that it is not always clear to them what the work with addicts and homeless people really is all about.

Many of the projects we sponsor are part of the ministry of Teen Challenge and have to do with small scale rehabilitation homes for people with life controlling problems.

Last month we visited the men's home of Teen Challenge in Slovenia, and they gave this presentation. Turn up the volume and have a look for yourself!

Later this month we will be going to Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Poland for a few days visit!

Great kick-off project sewage treatment plant, Poland

Yes, this is what really makes us happy here at Traveling Light: within a week almost 2,500 euro came in for project sewage treatment plant, Poland.

What a great and quick response to our appeal for help. The proceeds of the Rabobank Clubkasrun and the free market at Kingsday are included in this.

In the picture on the left you can see the men at the Teen Challenge rehabilitation & crisis center in Winiarczykowka working to improve the property around the house. We sincerely hope to be able to visit Poland later this year; we're looking into possibilities to go with one or two of our volunteers.

We mentioned it on our Facebook page last week (By the way: you can access our FB page even if you do not have an account): to love the unloved, that is giving heed to the call of Jesus.

Showing love to the downcast, poor, addicted and lonely people of this world. And more than love: HOPE.

Because of your faithful (and sometimes surprising) support we are able to say YES to these wonderful projects... and to be honest, we have a waiting list right now. So, if you have a heart for this work in Poland, please send us your donation asap:

When in EUROPE: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U

When in USA: Eastern Europe Outreach, make sure to mention: TC Poland Winiarczykowka