News items & prayer

'Go into the world...'

It is, again, time to share some news and prayer items with you all. The international network of Traveling Light is expanding and that means we are having more and more contact with people, organisations and churches who are working with the homeless, poor, addicted and sick. Lives are being transformed all over Europe. These workers refuse to be discouraged by the negative news the media keeps pouring out, they simply realize every human being counts!

We see it as our calling to support them in their work among the outcasts of society. We receive many positive comments from people, but we hope you realize we can only do this because of your gifts. So, please invest in our projects, so we can help even more people.

• This weekend we will visit the Agape Gemeinde in Lubeck, Germany. We have been invited to speak about the theme Reconciliation. Offering spiritual encouragement is also an essential part of the mission we have as Traveling Light. The Agape Gemeinde is a church we have not visited before, so please pray for a safe trip and a blessed and useful conference.
• Do you remember we donated 1,000 euro this last May for a playground in the city of Tetovo, Macedonia? In June Jan and one of our volunteers went to visit Jordan Stoilov, who took this initiative. It was clear that many children from the neighborhood used the playground and within just a few months the playground was in need of repairs and adjustments. A mission team from England came last week to fix things up. You can see the pictures here. We are planning to help Jordan with his coffeehouse The Bridge, this is one of the many projects on our waiting list.
• Another project on our waiting list is the purchase of a home in the Ukraine that will be converted into a rehabilitation home for women AND their children. Many women in the Ukraine refuse to go into rehab because they will have to be separated from their children. We are in contact with Teen Challenge and a Messianic congregation that wants to open a new home. We already have pictures of the house that is for sale. Coming up soon....
• Currently we are fundraising for Project heater Teen Challenge Poland. We have not yet received an answer to our challenge for a church, ministry or business who wants to take care of the fundraising (7,000 euro) for the second heater. Please, ask around in your church or group and email us at janandmarja@gmail.com. Please, pray with us that this amount will come in soon, because winter is coming. You can send your gift to RABO bank number 1185 82 275, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 and BIC: RABONL2. When in USA: send your gift to Eastern Europe Outreach and make sure to mention TC Poland, HEATER. THANKS!

Investing in human lives

New life, new beginning, new chance

The best and most trusted financial advice ever given to mankind, came from Jesus Himself. In Matthew 6:19-20 He says:

Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.

The heaters are HUGE

These words may be more than 2000 years old, but they are still very accurate and up-to-date. One look at news papers and television will confirm His words: our possesions and money are not safe on this earth. There is financial crisis, corruption, theft and inflation. Is that sad? Yes, of course! Is there a solution? Yes, of course! When we start to invest in eternal treasures, nothing or no one will be able to rob us. That is why Traveling Light loves to invest in human lives and we have so much fun doing that.

Janusz Górnicki, son of the colonel

Let's take a look at our current Project Heater Teen Challenge Poland. A new wood burner does not sound very spiritual or heavenly ;) but this heater warms the buildings where 52 Polish men are currently living. Men that have decided to start a new live, without addictions and destructive behavior.

Just try to imagine what that means for their parents, wives and children, for their families and co-workers, for the people in their street. A heater is just an iron object and it will eventually wear out and disappear. But the men in the program are fathers, sons, brothers and husbands... they are living there in a safe environment where they can begin a new life and they will get to know God. That is really the most important thing.

Dinig room at the Lekini center

There are many rehabs and programs that can help people off of drugs and alcohol. But what then? At Teen Challenge they teach their students that God has a plan and a purpose for their lives, a reason for living. Understanding and dis-covering THIS is what really changes a person's life. Janusz came in years ago as an addict and now he runs a rehab center in the south of Poland. That is possible, that is how things often develop. That is investing in human lives.

We still need 5,400 euro for this project, because winter is coming soon. Who wants to help us?

When in Europe: send your gift to RABO bank number 1185 82 275, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 and BIC: RABONL2U

When in USA: send your gift to Eastern Europe Outreach and make sure to mention TC Poland, HEATER

Don't forget to share this blog post through your social media. THANKS!

PS: Click on the pics to enlarge them.

Work week Italy

Beautiful place to chill

The mission of Traveling Light is three fold: to offer financial support, spiritual encouragement and also practical help. Sometimes that happens all at the same time :) as with our project Casa Shalom in Italy. This July we donated 5,000 euro to this therapeutic community in Tuscany and last week we went there with a group of nine people to work and to give Bible studies.

Team work week Italy

It was the first work week we organized as Traveling Light. We (Jan and Marja) drove in our car to Pisa. Along the way we visited the lady who translates my books into Italian and we were also invited to speak at an evangelical church in Genoa. Monday afternoon September 2nd we arrived at Pisa airport, meeting with Alen Grasinar. Alen is a Teen Challenge graduate from Slovenia. He overcame his heroine addiction and just finished the program and wanted to join us for this work week. He drove all the way from Ljublijana.

Lots of chainsaw work to be done

We picked up six other volunteers who flew in from Holland. Nine people + luggage + guitar + groceries in two cars.... needless to say we had a blast! We rented Casa Shalom for a week, a beautiful old Tuscan house in the mountains, only accessible through an unpaved winding road several miles long. We had a wonderful and intense week together. Every day the seven men disappeared into the woods to cut trees, saw blocks and split them into smaller parts.

Practical help

The guys worked like horses and they must have cut more than 5 m3 of wood which they stacked in the cellars of the women's and men's home. A huge job done, which really surprised and pleased the directors. They were very much impressed with the fact that our guys were willing to unconditionally sacrifice their time, money and labor to help Comunita Brezzano. We also picked kilo's and kilo's of raspberries. Maria makes jam and juice which she sells elsewhere.

Each evening at eight o'clock we would all gather at the peaceful patio for Bible study and talks. The directors (Maria and Boris) and the three men that are currently there for rehabilitation joined us. They were very thankful and enjoyed the time, attention and fun that we shared with them as a group.

Great bbq with the whole gang

We can really say that we were able to shine our light in the lives of these people. They asked us when we would come again :) As a group we also learned from each other. We hope to organize more trips like this in the future.

A big thank you to Alen, Andreas, Frank, Geert-Jan, Menno, Sjanna and Teun (aka Antonio) for their unlimited energy, humor and enthousiasm. The theme for this week was Giving it all. And that's what we all did. What we do for others, we do for the Lord!

The photo's of this work week can be viewed by clicking on this LINK.