In April we visited the
Europe Teen Challenge conference in Zeewolde (Netherlands) where about 450 people from more than 40 countries were present. For us such conferences are always a wonderful opportunity to catch up with the people behind the projects we support.
For example, we sat around the table with the staff of
Mission Return from
Belarus. We have helped them several times with finances for the expansion and renovation of an
old school building in Baranovichi in which a shelter for homeless people, classrooms for people in rehabilitation and a crisis shelter for women are located.
Renovation and building work is still going on at the 2nd floor in the left wing. The women's shelter, also known as the 'Overnight Home' is on the first floor.
Since the opening (2016) 16 women and 18 children have found safety and a new start through the shelter.
One of these women is Anna (29). She was addicted to alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes and had sexual disorders in her life. Anna has 4 children from her first two marriages and is now married for the third time. Her ex husbands took her children away from her through the court. They mocked her when she was drunk and put it on the internet.
Anna was very depressed and started looking for a way out. She understood that she would soon lose her children and asked around for help. She was advised to seek help from Christians. Deep in her depression Anna came to the crisis relief center early this year and immediately agreed to go to the rehabilitation program in
Kukovo.
There, Anna received prayer, she repented and received freedom from her addictions. She is now visiting a church and has found work. Thanks to the prayers, she has also been reunited with 3 of her children.
Anna's story is one of the many stories we heard. How wonderful that there is a place for first contacts, a place that helps women to move on to one of the Christian rehabilitation centers elsewhere in the country and get free! Those first encounters and conversations, that
first sign of hope ... it is often the beginning of change.
The proceeds from our secondhand store / coffeehouse Twinkeltje over March went towards the work of Mission return in Belarus.
👉 Your cheerful donations for all our awesome projects are always welcome at IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht.
