Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Road trip Germany and Poland (1)

Posing in front of the moving van of Casa Bet-El
Just like last year, we made a tour of Europe in early May with Jim & Lynda Hayes. On our way to Krakow in Poland, where the Europe Teen Challenge conference was held, we visited several people and places ... and each and every one of them was so special.

Last year we visited Casa Bet-El (nice website by the way) in Berlin, Germany for the first time. Casa Bet-El is a christian rehab for men with addiction problems.

The A-team :)
We were very impressed by the wonderful (and difficult) work that Vito and Anna Katrin Franceschin and their team are doing there. We kept in touch and were invited to spend a few days with them.

Community living means doing life together: eating and cleaning up, barbecuing and exercising. But also praying with and for each other. Of course there were some technical problems for Jan to solve. He doesn't go anywhere without his  toolbox!

During breakfast Vito shared how God saved him years ago from a life of drug use, trafficking and crime. Quite a bizarre story and at the same time the motivational factor to do this work (Vito and Anna Kathrin live from donations).

Lunch at Casa Bet-El
We furthermore had the opportunity to teach from the Bible and to have many personal conversations with the staff and men in the program. We had a powerful evening of worship in which God's Spirit was present with deliverance, healing, restoration and comfort.

Casa Bet-El has revenue from El Rastro, a second-hand store in Berlin, and from a moving business. With the truck (see the photo above) staff and residents go around town to pick up stuff, move furniture and clean out homes.

By the way, the truck needs to be replaced with a new one. If you are called to help with that, donations are always welcome. Make sure to designate your gift CASA BETEL. We will make sure your gift gets to them!

Jan shares encouraging words with the Nehemiah Gemeinde
This visit was a huge encouragement for all of us. As always, we go out to give (funds, love, time, fellowship, words of the Spirit etc.) and we end up receiving blessings in return.

On Sunday afternoon we were also guests at the Nehemiah Gemeinde in Potsdam. We have known them for years and it is always good to see old acquaintances and meet new people in this church.

Jan shared an encouraging word and we were blessed with a generous gift for one of the projects of Traveling Light.

Tuesday morning we left for Wroclaw, Poland. More about that in the next blog!

Gifts (large and small) for the various projects are always welcome! St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

PS: Click on the photos for an enlargement.

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