Visit to Teen Challenge Albania

Earlier this month Jan and Merijn (from Atelier De Schor) visited Gesi & Blerina Hysenaj from Teen Challenge in Albania.

It was wonderful to spend a few days together and to catch up, listen, pray, and get around in Tirana.

Of course, they visited the rehabilitation center where men with addiction problems can live and follow the Teen Challenge program. A touch from God is something most of these men have never experienced before.

Running such a rehab center demands a lot. Sometimes men come in totally devastated and without hope and after a few days decide that they can handle life again and they leave... back into the city, back to their addictions. Some have been staying in the house for months and suddenly run away.

And fortunately, there are also men who do complete the program, they are baptized, join a church, and are often reunited with their families. We must always keep in mind: every life counts!

During Prayer for the Nations last Friday evening, Jan and Merijn showed photos and shared more about their visit. The proceeds from Twinkeltje and Atelier De Schor this month will go to the work of Teen Challenge in Albania.

Gesi would like to see an extension of the coffeehouse work, which is often the first place where addicts and homeless people come into contact with the gospel. There are churches that have indicated that they want to start a coffee house.

The photo shows Gesi talking through the bars to drug addicts in the basement of a hospital where there is a detox center. A special form of street evangelism!

If you would like to make a donation for his work, you can do so in different ways:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC ALBANIA
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention Teen Challenge Albania

At the beginning of Febrary we hope to meet Gesi & Blerina during a training/symposium "Best Practices for Running a Day and Evangelism Program" at Europe Teen Challenge in Portugal!

Project fruit trees Teen Challenge Lebanon

We are supporters of the construction of a faith based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Lebanon.

About two years ago, our friend Garo Margossian began the construction of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Beirut. Garo is the founder of the nonprofit organization No For Drugs (NFD), an organization dedicated to promoting drug prevention. They offer awareness campaigns, prison ministry, and legal aid.

NFD is part of Global Teen Challenge and we have known Garo for years from the Teen Challenge conferences in Europe.

The construction of the center is taking place in phases. Every time funds are available, the work continues.  The roof is on the building now, all windows and doors have been placed.

The center is expected to open this year!

Garo is good at thinking ahead 😀 He is currently raising funds to plant fruit trees around the house, preferably as soon as possible, so that when the house is occupied, harvesting can be done within a short time. 

Of course, in addition to purchasing young trees, an irrigation system is also needed. We believe with him that this is a nice investment that will pay for itself in years to come.

The plan, according to the project application, is to use part of the proceeds from the fruit sale to help the poor. With his team, Garo has been supporting 200 families since the country has been in a serious economic and financial crisis.

If you want to help, please choose one of the following ways:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC LEBANON
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC LEBANON