Special gift for Israel

A few weeks ago we were able to donate 1775 euro for the soup kitchen in Netanya. But that is certainly not the last thing we want to do for Israel.

We received a special 500 euro gift for a project in Israel. Together with the generous giver we decided to donate the money to the women's home, Ark in the Negev, in Israel. Maybe you remember that we visited the women's home last year and were able to bless them with a donation. The women's home offers a safe place for women (and their children) who struggle with addictions and life controlling problems. While living in the Ark they hear about the good news that God loves them and that healing and salvation is possible through Yeshua.

We are very thankful for the work that is being done in Israel and we love to support this project!

News from the Ukraine

Future Onyfrievka men's home

Many of you will remember our very first project: raising funds for the purchase of a building in Onyfrievka, Ukraine which would be used for a men's rehab home.

There was 10.000 euro needed to purchase the building, not a large amount, but to us it was enormous. We had never done such a thing! But the gifts started coming in and in a short time we were able to donate the money to the Ukraine. But then... the real challenge began.

There were some problems with the paper work. It took months and months to get the official paperwork in order. In the meantime we kept praying that everything would work out fine and we did not worry about it. Last week we received news from Sergey & Mariana Glushko in Kiev that all the necessary papers are there and the building can be purchased. Hooray!

Now, we would really love to go and visit the place...

New board member Traveling Light

Cora Donk

We have several news items and announcements for you, so let's start with the one closest to home...

We are happy to introduce our new board member Cora Donk. Remember her from the Queensday fundraiser? She was the one organizing that event while we were traveling somewhere in Southern Europe. She brought together a group of volunteers to help her with the yard sale, she had some flyers printed and spoke to everyone who had ears to listen. Cora is someone who does more than thinking, she knows how to act, and that is just what we need.

We have known Cora for more than thirty years and over the last ten years we have organized many events together, in the church we attended. Besides her organisational talent, she is also a fervent prayer partner... she knows how to ask boldy :) Together with her husband Krijn Donk they have a heart for Traveling Light.

The work of Traveling Light is growing, which is awesome. This means more projects, more donations, more contatcs. It is good to share those responsibilities with people who are willing to think and pray with us.

Project coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech Republic

Petr Ministr

There are people who just love to help others, whenever something needs to be done... they always show up. Petr Ministr is such a person, he is the national director of Teen Challenge Czech Republic. We visited the residential center in Prague a few years ago, a place where many men have come to know the love and grace of Jesus and have been set free from a life of addiction. Teen Challenge Czech Republic also cares for women and children, has inner city out-reach projects and a ministry institute.

Teen Challenge residential center in Prague

On the picture to the left you can see the beautiful center in Prague, a centuries-old farm building that has been renovated with the help of volunteers from all over the world.

Quite regularly Petr takes a group of men on a short mission trip. Last winter, for example, they went to Israel where they built a protective fence around the women's center and did some other jobs as well. Our question for Petr, a few months back, was: and how can we help you?

It didn't take him long to reply... "We would like to have a bus for outreach purposes, so we can reach people on the street with coffee, warm soup and a meaningful conversation." Petr said he was inspired by the NoBucks bus, as it travels around Ireland. A coffee bus is basically the same as a coffee house, but it has wheels! It is a place where the homeless, the drug addicts and the prostitutes are welcome for coffee and where they can hear the good news that Jesus wants to set them FREE! By moving the bus from place to place, more desperate people can be reached.

All right, all right, maybe not that old...

Traveling Light wants to find such a bus for Teen Challenge Czech Republic. We want to raise at least 5,000 euro for the purchase of  such a bus. We are currently looking for a good, reliable second hand city bus which can be converted to a coffee bus. As Jan is a mechanic, he will be able to make sure the bus is safe and in good condition. His plan is to drive the bus to Czech Republic, which is a whole other adventure in itself. More about the logistics of this project in a future post...

Wouldn't it be great to join forces and bless Teen Challenge Czech Republic with a coffee bus? It would be such a practical gift, something they will be able to use for years to come. And what would be greater for Traveling Light then to donate a vehicle that will be used to bring people out of darkness into the light?!

We pray and hope you will join us in blessing Petr and his team. Your gifts (large and small) are greatly appreciated. You can send your gift to:

Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275 St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht, The Netherlands

IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275

BIC: RABONL2U

1,500 euro for soup kitchen Israel comes in!

Food distribution in Netanya

Hooray! Thanks to your generosity and prayers we are able to make many people happy this week, and that is something we just LOVE to do at Traveling Light.

The 1,500 euro for the soup kitchen in Netanya, Israel came in! Yes, that fast :) Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who gave towards this project. It is just amazing what we can do together in such a simple way. The money will be used for the purchase of promotional t-shirts for the soup kitchen. The t-shirts will be sold as souvenirs to volunteers, visitors and supporters and that will bring in some extra cash. Cash that is necessary to keep the soup kitchen and food bank running, as more and more people are making use of this service. Part of the money will also be used for the organizing of a special dinner to honor a group of Holocaust survivors. In October we will be visiting Israel again and we will share an update and photo's.

Jan and Marjan

Besides that, we have donated 280 euro towards dental work for one of the guys in the Teen Challenge program in Slovenia. What a blessing that will be for Marjan, who has lived without front teeth for years.  We will share his new smile as soon as we have a picture available. His dentist appointment is later on this month.... so, please be patient :)

Isn't it fun and rewarding to bless other people this way? We can only hope you are enjoying this as much as we do.

The generous soul will be made rich,

And he who waters will also be watered himself

[Proverbs 11:25]