In April of this year, Jan paid a short visit to Teen Challenge in Latvija. Up to now we have not supported a project or program in this country, although we have been in contact with people from Teen Challenge for a number of years.
In 2004, the construction of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for men in Latvija began. Construction stagnated in 2007 and it took a number of years before things were picked up again.
Today the center is running well and recently a second center has been opened and there are plans for a women's home. It is great to see how people, who once needed help themselves, now help others to get their lives back on track.
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| Nauris & Marina Gustsons |
Nauris Gustsons is such a person. In 2011, his addiction had become so serious that it destroyed everything and everyone around him. He thought that maybe a psychologist could help him, but it was through a person who had been in the program that he ended up at Teen Callenge where he began to read the Bible for the first time in his life.
He accepted the love and grace of Jesus Christ and slowly but surely his life changed. When he had successfully completed the program, he attended a one-year Ministry school. Then he returned to the Teen Challenge center to work there, he is currently a full-time staff member.
A year later he married Marina, who was working at the Bible school. They now have a beautiful daughter: Flavia.
Actually, that is in short what rehabilitation (the action of restoring someone) is. Helping someone to become clean can happen in any center ... but then what? How to become useful in society? How to live a meaningful life? We believe and know that the answers are truly in faith based programs!
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| Students at the center |
The two centers in Latvia receive support from several churches and they also try to generate funds through work projects: selling second-hand furniture and cutting down and selling firewood; great sustainability projects.
The students from the program ship the firewood to the local market to sell. They thereby use a truck that is already more than 25 years old.
Teen Challenge is currently saving for a larger and newer model truck with a little crane in the back. Around 20,000 euro will be needed to buy a newer model Mercedes truck. Are you willing to help them fulfill that dream? It will help them to continue their business and thus to run the program.
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| Jan (with Tom Bremer) visiting the center |
Maybe trucks are not your thing, but helping people is đŸ˜€Then, please consider making a donation.
When in Europe you can donate to St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U make sure to mention LATVIJA.
When in the USA you can donate to: Eastern Europe Outreach Inc, make sure to mention: LATVIJA.