September activities

Many of you are probably still enjoying the last days of the summer holidays. Nevertheless, we would like to look ahead to September; there are some great things on the agenda!

Thursday, September 3

On Thursday, September 3, we would like to participate again in the Lukassen & Boer Run with an enthusiastic group of walkers and runners, to raise funds for our projects.

During the event, you will run a maximum of two (if you are under 15) or a maximum of four (if you are 15 or older) laps, through Sportpark Oostpolder in Papendrecht. A lap is approximately 2.5 kilometers long. You can run or walk. Each lap earns 2 euros. The youth start at 18:30 and the adults at 19:30.

Saturday, September 5

The weekend of September 4-6, we (Jan and Marja) will be visiting Teen Challenge Neubruch in Germany. On Saturday, they will host their annual Friends Day, an open house where former clients, interested parties, and sponsors are welcome. Since we were able to make a donation a few months ago for the renovation of the barn into a meeting center, we thought it would be good to pay them a visit.

We will probably share some photos and a short report of the encouraging visit soon after.

Thursday, September 10

On Thursday, September 10, we are organizing another mission evening at Twinkeltje. This time, we have visitors from Lithuania. Willem Jan van Dijk will be coming to tell us how he ended up in Ireland from Putten and later in Lithuania, where he founded the Vilties Inkaras (Anchor of Hope) foundation.

Willem Jan has visited Twinkeltje before, and this time promises to be another inspiring evening. We look forward to your arrival. Doors open with coffee and tea from 7:30 PM. The presentation starts at 8:00 PM.

WELCOME!

Thursday, September 24

On Thursday, September 24, we are organizing another Israel evening at Twinkeltje, located at Korenbloemstraat 20 in Papendrecht.

The doors will be open from 18:30 to 21:00. Interested parties are invited to come and enjoy shopping and meeting each other.

There will be a variety of products from Israel for sale, such as cosmetics, jewelry, tea, jam, wine, and books.

Feel free to bring someone along and come enjoy some shopping.

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When we speak in churches, congregations, and at conferences, we always bring the Traveling Light banner and our book table, which features brochures and informational material alongside Marja's books.

Marja's newest book (Dutch language) will be released in September: 'De Dubbele Schat: Ontdek de rijkdom van wet én genade' (The Double Treasure: Discover the richness of law and grace). In this new book, it is explained how law and grace do not exclude one another, but rather complement and deepen one another.

Central to this is Jesus’ teaching on the “double treasure”: the old treasure of Moses and the prophets, and the new treasure of the Kingdom of God (Matt. 13:52). The message in the book is also a call for greater unity between Evangelical and Reformed believers.

👉The book can already be ordered from Uitgeverij Scholten for €17.95. We are looking forward to receive your comments!

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Donations, large or small, for the projects Traveling Light supports are always welcome. You can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TRAVELING LIGHT.

Project Extra Rooms at 'Mission Return' overnight home, Belarus

It has been a while since we gave an update on the work of Teen Challenge (Mission Return) in Baranovichi, Belarus.

Christian aid for the homeless and addicted continues to expand in Belarus, praise God. The Pentecostal church has 15 rehab centers spread across the country alone, 10 of them belong to Mission Return.

The 'Overnight Home' in Baranovichi has existed since 2012. It started as a night shelter for the homeless, but now it is much more than that.

People can stay there 24/7, receive three meals a day, be helped with arranging documents, and receive support in finding work. There is a crisis shelter, a women's shelter, and a workshop.

Many of those who come are disabled, so they also receive help with visiting clinics, arranging documents, and applying for benefits.

Additionally, during their stay at the shelter, people constantly hear the Word of God and also attend church. The building that the municipality donated for this project is very large (an old school building). When we visited in 2015, the building had only been partially put into use.

Over the years, we have been able to help them with various donations, and now, in 2026, it all looks beautiful!

In 2023, we helped them with part of the finances for renewing the facade. Everything is freshly painted, and attention is also being paid to the gardens surrounding the building.

In one of the building's wings, there are still some rooms with a separate entrance that need to be renovated.

The idea is to turn these into spaces where people can go for a cup of tea/coffee and a sandwich, a chat with a staff member, wash their clothes, or receive second-hand clothing.

This project concerns homeless people/addicts who are not yet ready to live in the Overnight Home or to go to rehab. Such a space would serve as a coffeehouse: a place for conversation, advice, prayer, and asking questions. Often, change and the desire for a new beginning start there.

To realize these plans, several rooms and hallways must be renovated, and the leaking roof must be repaired. The intention is for the work to be carried out voluntarily by brothers and sisters from the local church. Money is only needed for materials.

Sergey & Kristina Tsupa are our English-speaking contacts regarding 'Mission Return's work in Belarus. Sergey is the director of the Overnight Home.

If you have a heart for the broken and for spreading the gospel in countries of Europe, please invest in the work of Teen Challenge in Belarus.

You can send a donation in different ways:

💛Send your financial gift to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention: TC MISSION RETURN.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

🔔When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC MISSION RETURN.