Monday, November 4, 2013

For God so loved...

Sharing the good news with  the poor and helpless
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son... An offer beyond our understanding, especially because we (now that it is our turn) don't always love the people in the world. Often we speak (or think) words of judgement and critique: it's their own fault, wrong choices, bunch of criminals etc. etc. But God... how does He look at people?

Mobile contact center Teen Challenge Czech
It is not always easy to look at people through the eyes of God, and yet... this is what we need and want to learn. That is why at Traveling Light we support the work among the last, least and lost in society: the addicts, the alcoholics, the homeless and prostitutes. Humans beings like this man you see on the picture above, which was taken in Czech Republic.

Do you remember we helped Teen Challenge Czech Republic to purchase a coffee bus? Last week we received a news letter from our friends in Czech Republic with some photo's. The coffee bus (now called: the mobile contact center) regularly visits (once a week) the second largest city in Czech, Brno and newly, also Teplice, known for it's red-light district.

God knows him by name
The outreach team of Teen Challenge Czech is determined to find the least, the lost and the broken... they do find them in the strangest places. Like Petr, they found him during their street outreach in the underground channels of Brno. They would never have thought that in a distant corner there lies a man, who is ready to die in hopelessness. Through the Holy Spirit, they were able to find Petr and share the good news about Jesus with him. The following week he visited the mobile contact center and decided to come to the rehab program that night.

Sharing soup and the good news in the bus
Through this coffee bus ministry a number of people have already decided to enter the Teen Challenge program. So, you see that the gifts we donate reach people beyond our imagination. Every person that comes to the mobile contact center and receives soup, coffee, attention and love, is a person that God knows by name. A person He loves with a desperate and passionate love. Who knows, they are the future preachers, pastors, business men and artists of their nation! When they make the choice to go into one of the rehab centers, we celebrate! Petr has made that choice. That is the fruit of your generosity and prayers. 

And so we move on with our small scale, local projects. Jesus once said: I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent... We rejoice with heaven, because it is clear that every human life counts!

PS: the teller for the heater in the rehabilitation center at Teen Challenge Poland stands at 5,100 5,400 euro. We still need 1,600 euro.