Project support Farsi speaking Christians, Turkey

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know we have written several times about the work of 222 Ministries and Pearl of Persia in Iran and also among the often forgotten Christian refugees in central Turkey.

Lazarus & Maggie Leghnazar are the founders of 222 Ministries and Maggie has been a tremendous help for us when we were publishing the Farsi edition of Marja's book Grace of Giving here in the Netherlands. Stella Saghian (pictured) has been our contact for several years.

Many Farsi-speaking Christians have become refugees because of conflict or have been persecuted for their faith. Christian refugees are especially vulnerable. Healthcare and employment issues are the major challenges they face. For most people, the church is the place of hope and comfort. With the help of 222 Ministries, (house)churches for Farsi speaking believers have been planted in about 14 different cities in Turkey.

Unfortunately, the current measures make it difficult or impossible to get together. 222 Ministries has started offering limited quantities of hygiene products, but more support is urgently needed for the months ahead.

You can help the Farsi speaking Christians in Turkey by sending your precious gift to St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention: 222 MINISTRIES. Or (if you are in the USA for example) you can donate directly through their website.

You can also support the work of 222 Ministries by ordering a copy (or several copies) of the Farsi edition of Marja's book Grace of Giving from their website and give it to someone in your area who speaks Farsi.

Sponsor a Christmas package

A real Christmas celebration for children

Many people will receive Christmas gifts or a Christmas package this month, but it is much more fun to give one (or more) away! Traveling Light offers the opportunity to make people happy with a Christmas package.

We have chosen two completely different initiatives, but the idea behind them is the same ... letting people know that they are not forgotten and that Jesus came to earth for us all!

Last year's Operation Christmas Joy

Operation Christmas Joy is an initiative of 222 Ministries and Pearl of Persia. This month they want to bring hope to the forgotten Christian refugees in central Turkey. Many of these Christians have become refugees as a result of conflicts and/or have been persecuted for their faith. Living in Turkey, they receive no support and they have no right to work.

With their Christmas campaign for children, 222 ministries wants to meet practical needs (warm clothing) and bring an atmosphere of joy and celebration to victims of persecution and war.

That face tells a story

The care that their teams have shown to the children in the past has encouraged many parents to rebuild their broken communities.

Last year, the Christmas Joy initiative reached more than 1500 children in 20 cities in Turkey. Packages were handed out with toys and warm clothing (temperatures can drop below -25 ° C). There was a Christmas message and also a party where children had the chance to have fun.

The price of a package is 35 euro. You can transfer that amount or a multiple thereof to St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention 222 CHRISTMAS.

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Alexander (left) on board of a vessel

And then a bit closer to home ... Seafarer's evangelist Alexander Eberson plans to hand out some three hundred Christmas packages to the sailors in the ports of Terneuzen and Ghent. He wrote us:

"The month of December is a good month to evangelize. The sailors are very open for the good news around Christmas time, when they are far from home. Every year around Christmas I make the crew of different vessels happy with a Christmas gift. "

Christmas package

The price of a package is 6 euro. The sailors will receive a warm hat and socks, shower gel, candy, the Gospel of John and a notebook. You can transfer that amount or a multiple thereof to St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention SAILORS CHRISTMAS.

We look forward to your gifts this month! Thank you so much.

Photo's Operation Love Splash

Music parade in the camp

A few weeks ago a team of volunteers from 222Ministries, Pearl of Persia and Traveling Light visited the Syrian-Kurdish refugee camp in Suruc, Turkey.

The goal of Operation Love Splash was to share Gods love with people in need! We will show some photo's on this blog [click on the pictures to enlarge] as well as some comments made by team members and people in the camp...

Attentive listeners...

"... the great music parade throughout the camp. This was to invite people for the meeting, it was fantastic... all men, women and children came out of their tents and followed us and the music. I saw it as an immense army of peace... "

Sharing the joy

The team had all kinds of fun, creative activities prepared in the smaller tent where the women and children could join in. In the big tent there was music, story telling and showing of Bible movies... which everyone loved!

"It was so awesome to see that also the men rejoiced and clapped their hands and walked with us..."

Making jewelry

During a cross stitch project many women made emblems for the freedom fighters in Kobani. The teenage girls loved to make their own jewelry. At the end of the week everyone in that particular camp was invited to write their experiences on a piece of paper.

Sharing the pain

"Many people told us about trauma's and endless family tragedies because of IS... some could even come to forgiveness. We also prayed for people with diabetes, deaf- and muteness, handicaps and all kind of diseases."

Thanks to your donations we were able to purchase a beamer, sound system, speakers, microphones and arts & crafts materials. We left everything in the camp in the hope and trust that more volunteer teams will come and go.

So many children

There is so much more to share, but this blog is not the best place to do so. One thing is very clear though: our light shines brightest in the deepest darkness!

Maybe it is best to capture the whole operation in the words of one of the mothers in the camp (translated):

"This was the most beautiful week in my entire life.

Thank you for coming!"

Preparations operation Love Splash, Turkey

Greetings from the children in the refugee camp

A few weeks ago we announced it: Operation Love Splash in Syrian/Kurdish refugee camp in Suruc, Turkey.

A small team of volunteers will visit the refugee camp this month. The trip is being organized by Pearl of Persia (a daughter from non profit organization 222 Ministries). The team consists of children's workers, teachers , doctors and more.

The camp has a huge tent for activities

They will let their light shine by sharing Gods love, especially with the children, and encouraging believers. They will do so through sports, games, music, teaching, prayer etc.

The good news is that 222 Ministries is doing incredible work among the refugees. Apart from humanitarian aid (they are feeding thousands of people each day!) they also provide spiritual help. Peopel are so open to Gods love! Maybe you won't hear this on the news, but many good things are happening in the camp, despite the overwhelming trouble these people are in.

Kitchen in the camp

The photo's we are placing are taken with a cell phone during a Skype session... so the quality is not so super, but the main goal is to give you an impression of God's work among the refugees.

We have received quite a bunch of donations, but much more is needed to continue this kind of work. We will do our best to help where we can!

This coming Saturday, April 11th, we will hold our very first Spring Fair in Papendrecht [click on the picture to enlarge] for family, friends and supporters. So, come and join us! We have lots of 2nd hand cool stuff for sale and coffee and cookies and pie. All proceeds will go to Operation Love Splash.

Make sure to watch this film. The men are crying out to Jesus to open eyes, ears and hearts!

Stop worrying yourself sick in front of your tv, you can do something! Make your gift payable to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention: LOVE SPLASH. Of course you can send a donation straight to 222 Ministries as well, make sure to mention: PEARL OF PERSIA-LOVE SPLASH

Operation Love Splash, Turkey

Kurdish children in Suruc

More than 200.000 refugees have fled the Kobani region in Syria in the past months. Many of them are now living in refugee camps around the city of Suruc in southern Turkey.

Roughly half of these refugees are children, most of them twelve years and younger.

Is there something we can do to help, many people wonder. The answer is YES! There are several organisations who have access to the refugee camps. One of these organisations is, for example, 222 Ministries. They have an office in The Netherlands as well.

222 Ministries is an organisation that saw it's beginning at the end of the eighties. They invest in growing up Christian leaders in Iran, but they also give humanitarian aid in other countries,  working together with other organisations such as Pearl of Persia.

A small Pearl of Persia team is currently preparing for a trip to Suruc and Traveling Light has become involved as well. The team will be doing all kinds of activities with children and women. They wants to bring a splash of love to the refugee camp, showing the brokenhearted that God has not forgotten them.

Funds are needed for: note books, coloring books, pens and pencils, markers, toys, movies, a beamer, toiletries, sound system etc. etc.

The team has named this plan Operation Love Splash... they see it as a love invasion of games, fun, prayer and care. Well, that's exactly what we like to call 'letting your light shine in dark places!' Traveling Light wants to support this operation by raising at least 3,000 euro, so all materials can be purchased and the team will be able to start the long journey.

Make your gift payable to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention: LOVE SPLASH. Make sure to watch this short Youtube film.