For God so loved...

Sharing the good news with  the poor and helpless

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son... An offer beyond our understanding, especially because we (now that it is our turn) don't always love the people in the world. Often we speak (or think) words of judgement and critique: it's their own fault, wrong choices, bunch of criminals etc. etc. But God... how does He look at people?

Mobile contact center Teen Challenge Czech

It is not always easy to look at people through the eyes of God, and yet... this is what we need and want to learn. That is why at Traveling Light we support the work among the last, least and lost in society: the addicts, the alcoholics, the homeless and prostitutes. Humans beings like this man you see on the picture above, which was taken in Czech Republic.

Do you remember we helped Teen Challenge Czech Republic to purchase a coffee bus? Last week we received a news letter from our friends in Czech Republic with some photo's. The coffee bus (now called: the mobile contact center) regularly visits (once a week) the second largest city in Czech, Brno and newly, also Teplice, known for it's red-light district.

God knows him by name

The outreach team of Teen Challenge Czech is determined to find the least, the lost and the broken... they do find them in the strangest places. Like Petr, they found him during their street outreach in the underground channels of Brno. They would never have thought that in a distant corner there lies a man, who is ready to die in hopelessness. Through the Holy Spirit, they were able to find Petr and share the good news about Jesus with him. The following week he visited the mobile contact center and decided to come to the rehab program that night.

Sharing soup and the good news in the bus

Through this coffee bus ministry a number of people have already decided to enter the Teen Challenge program. So, you see that the gifts we donate reach people beyond our imagination. Every person that comes to the mobile contact center and receives soup, coffee, attention and love, is a person that God knows by name. A person He loves with a desperate and passionate love. Who knows, they are the future preachers, pastors, business men and artists of their nation! When they make the choice to go into one of the rehab centers, we celebrate! Petr has made that choice. That is the fruit of your generosity and prayers. 

And so we move on with our small scale, local projects. Jesus once said: I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent... We rejoice with heaven, because it is clear that every human life counts!

PS: the teller for the heater in the rehabilitation center at Teen Challenge Poland stands at 5,100 5,400 euro. We still need 1,600 euro.

Photo's Coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech

TC Director Petr Ministr and Jan: very happy with the bus

Well, here it is.... the mobile coffee bus of Teen Challenge Czech Republic. Your gifts made it possible to purchase and upgrade this camper. The outreach team of Teen Challenge Czech will go into the streets of Prague to connect and share the good news with the homeless, the addicts and the prostitutes.

Last week we visited the Teen Challenge center in Czech Republic. The men's rehabilitation home is just outside the city of Prague in a beautiful 12th century, former monastery. One of the buildings on the premises has recently been converted into a women's home. About eight women live there now in safety. Thank God! We were also pleasantly surprised to finally see the new coffee bus. Wow, what an eye catcher. This will certainly attract the attention of many people.

praying for the outreach work

Inside the coffee bus are two seating areas, a kitchen and bathroom and outside, under the awning, two tables and chairs will be placed as well. Enough room to invite people for coffee, a copy of the book The Cross and the Switchblade and counseling. By the way, we were visiting Prague to attend the annual Europe Teen Challenge Conference. Staff members, volunteers, students and graduates from more than thirty countries came together to connect and to be encouraged.

Curious crowd around the coffee bus

With a big, international group we walked around the coffee bus and prayed: that many people will be reached with the good news that a new life is possible in Jesus Christ. Such powerful and effective prayers. We were also happy to see our donations so effectively put to work. If you're ever in Prague, look for this bus!

The coffee bus project is a good example of a practical, small scale project that will have great impact. Who knows how many people in need will be reached this way. It is our desire to continue to sponsor these kind of projects and in this way to shine our light in dark corners all over Europe. More supporters means: more projects, more countries, more people.... Not necessarily bigger projects, but certainly more projects.

We were able to donate 6.500 euro towards this project

Thank you very much for your support. Please, tell your family, friends and co-workers about the work of Traveling Light. Show them our website or Facebook page. We would love to welcome new sponsors and good ideas. 

Within Europe make gifts payable to:
Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275
IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275
BIC: RABONL2U

Project coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech Republic

Petr Ministr

There are people who just love to help others, whenever something needs to be done... they always show up. Petr Ministr is such a person, he is the national director of Teen Challenge Czech Republic. We visited the residential center in Prague a few years ago, a place where many men have come to know the love and grace of Jesus and have been set free from a life of addiction. Teen Challenge Czech Republic also cares for women and children, has inner city out-reach projects and a ministry institute.

Teen Challenge residential center in Prague

On the picture to the left you can see the beautiful center in Prague, a centuries-old farm building that has been renovated with the help of volunteers from all over the world.

Quite regularly Petr takes a group of men on a short mission trip. Last winter, for example, they went to Israel where they built a protective fence around the women's center and did some other jobs as well. Our question for Petr, a few months back, was: and how can we help you?

It didn't take him long to reply... "We would like to have a bus for outreach purposes, so we can reach people on the street with coffee, warm soup and a meaningful conversation." Petr said he was inspired by the NoBucks bus, as it travels around Ireland. A coffee bus is basically the same as a coffee house, but it has wheels! It is a place where the homeless, the drug addicts and the prostitutes are welcome for coffee and where they can hear the good news that Jesus wants to set them FREE! By moving the bus from place to place, more desperate people can be reached.

All right, all right, maybe not that old...

Traveling Light wants to find such a bus for Teen Challenge Czech Republic. We want to raise at least 5,000 euro for the purchase of  such a bus. We are currently looking for a good, reliable second hand city bus which can be converted to a coffee bus. As Jan is a mechanic, he will be able to make sure the bus is safe and in good condition. His plan is to drive the bus to Czech Republic, which is a whole other adventure in itself. More about the logistics of this project in a future post...

Wouldn't it be great to join forces and bless Teen Challenge Czech Republic with a coffee bus? It would be such a practical gift, something they will be able to use for years to come. And what would be greater for Traveling Light then to donate a vehicle that will be used to bring people out of darkness into the light?!

We pray and hope you will join us in blessing Petr and his team. Your gifts (large and small) are greatly appreciated. You can send your gift to:

Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275 St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht, The Netherlands

IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275

BIC: RABONL2U