Ice skating fundraiser brings in €9,600 for Teen Challenge Moldova

Our ice skating fundraiser on Lake Weissensee in Austria on Friday, January 23rd, brought in a fantastic €9,600. This will be donated entirely to the Teen Challenge drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Falesti, Moldova.

On that day, Krijn Donk skated 200km in nine hours. A remarkable achievement, especially considering that two weeks earlier, he had fallen at an ice rink in the Netherlands and sustained a knee injury. Krijn reflects:

"It was a tough day with beautiful weather and fairly good ice. The temperature was -11C at the start. What I was most afraid of was that my knee wouldn't hold up to the 200km. But it didn't bother me; it didn't even swell! Praise the Lord, because prayers were made for that. Thank you all."

Two years ago, Krijn visited the Teen Challenge men's center in Moldova, having skated for them before. "The directors found such a skating event unimaginable, skating 200km in one day!" said Krijn.

"I was able to explain that God gives me the strength to do this and that He blesses each giver. And also that the amount of money they receive is a gift from God. They could confirm that and understood why I do such things."

Worldwide, there are approximately 1,400 Teen Challenge centers in 140 countries. Men and women with all kinds of life-threatening problems can go there and (often) get to know the Bible and the love and grace of Jesus Christ for the first time. The students often stay in the program for a year or longer. They cook, take care of vegetable gardens and animals, and study according to a curriculum.

Traveling Light supports dozens of these centers in Europe... with prayer, finances, and visits. We'd like to sincerely thank everyone for their contributions to this fundraising campaign. Without your support, it wouldn't have been possible. You've invested in transformed lives; never forget that.

We are always happy with your donations. Make them payable to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. You can also give by card or donate directly via our website!

Weissensee 2026 fundraiser for Teen Challenge Falesti, Moldova

January is always an exciting month for Traveling Light, because we have our biggest fundraising event of the year.

Depending on ice conditions, marathon ice skater Krijn Donk will skate on Lake Weissensee in Austria on Friday, January 23rd, or Monday, January 26th.

Krijn has been training for months for the 200 km (!) tour, just like he does every year.

He wants to raise funds with his athletic achievement for the Teen Challenge men's rehab home in Falesti, Moldova.

He has skated for them before, but that was years ago. The Teen Challenge home in Falesti is a Christian rehabilitation center for men who struggle with addictions and other life-threatening problems.

They can live there, work with their hands, and above all, have an encounter with the living God and start a new life!

Because this type of Christian ministry depends on donations, they strive for self-sufficiency as much as possible. For example, by growing their own vegetables and raising animals.

But of course, running such a house with 10-15 men always requires funding.

Moldova struggles with large numbers of alcohol and drug addicts, and there is always a need to expand the number of beds. To this end, a second floor was added to the existing house a few years ago with the help of a team from Teen Challenge in the Czech Republic.

Krijn, Cora, Jan, and Marja visited in December 2023. Now, two years later, the new floor has unfortunately not yet been officially opened.

As you can see in the pictures, much has been completed, but electricity has not yet been connected, and sanitary facilities need to be installed. This must be done by professionals (click on the photos to enlarge).

How wonderful it would be if the funds raised by "our" plumber Krijn Donk could be used to finally bring this project to a successful conclusion.

This year, Krijn will be skating for the 14th time in favor of one of Traveling Light's projects. This skating season, he has already completed over 4,000 laps on the 400-meter ice rink in the Netherlands, and he feels fit to take on this upcoming battle with the elements.

We are confident that a substantial amount will be raised again this year through sponsorship. This amount will be fully donated to the Teen Challenge Falesti project.

We hope you are willing to sponsor Krijn with an amount per kilometer, an amount for reaching the finish, or a general donation.

If you decide to participate, please send an email specifying your donation amount to krijncora@gmail.com.

You can send your donation in different ways:

• 💛By bank transfer to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention WEISSENSEE.
• 💳 Give by card
• 💡Donate directly via our website!
• 👉When in the USA, you can make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC Moldova.

We'll leave the ice skating up to Krijn, but we need your support to make this a successful campaign for Teen Challenge Moldova.

Projects of the month, pop-up café, and PIP25

The project of May in Twinkeltje and de Schor was the work of Brian Slater and Abundant Bread of Salvation in Israel. He manages a food bank, clothing distribution, and soup kitchen in Netanya, has set up a Holocaust Survivor Adoption Program, and regularly organizes outings for the elderly.

Brian was with us in the Netherlands from May 7-18. He stayed in the guest house of Krijn & Cora and spoke about his work during a mission evening in Twinkeltje. We went by bicycle to Dordrecht (with the waterbus!) and then visited Chantal in de Schor.

Brian was invited to speak in various congregations, including the Hoeksteen in Etten-Leur. What a blessing that was. Lots of conversations and prayers. The offering yielded a considerable amount!

He also visited Texel, Gorinchem, and the Kngdm conference in Almere, where he met worship leader Paul Wilbur. We concluded with a BBQ at our place (Jan and Marja) in the garden.

The proceeds from sales in Twinkeltje and de Schor, offerings, speaker fee, and specified donations came to 3,800 euros. That all goes to Abundant Bread of Salvation. Thank you very much for that. How wonderful to be able to bless Israel together!

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The project in both stores for June is the work of Teen Challenge in Slovenija. The drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for men in Nova Vas is close to our hearts.

From the very beginning, we have been involved in the work that was set up by Matjaz & Magdalena Horjak. Jan visits there every year. The sales in Twinkeltje and de Schor this month are for this purpose. In the meantime, it is still possible to make a donation for the Teen Challenge Armenia project.

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This Friday evening June 6th, is shopping night again in the Schor + pop-up café. Come by between 19:00-21:00 hrs. for coffee and pastries and nice conversations, of course!

The vintage store is open every Friday from 10:00-16:00 hrs. In addition, a once-a-month shopping night. The proceeds always go to Traveling Light. And this month it is for the Slovenija project.

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On Saturday June 7th, eight churches are organizing PIP25 in Papendrecht. A Pentecost event on the market square, how great is that? There are activities for all ages, music, food trucks, and various booths.

De Schor will be there with a booth full of nice vintage items and Twinkeltje has a booth with beautiful second-hand baby and children's clothing, toys, and books. The proceeds will go to the Slovenija project.

We also have a prayer chair where you can sit if you want to be prayed for. PIP25 starts at 3:00 PM and lasts until approximately 9:00 PM. Will we see you?

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Donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways. Please take note:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Meanwhile in the Czech Republic, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan + earthquake disaster relief

Of course, we are always happy when our faithful supporters and donors come up with ideas to raise funds for a special project. Alex and Arjanne Roorda recently did that.

In March, they both turned 60 and celebrated that with family and friends. In addition to presents, they also received money, and they wanted to donate that to the children's and youth work of Teen Challenge in Prague, Czech Republic. More than 800 euros in donations came in!

We rounded that up and transferred 1,000 euros. The enthusiastic team of Teen Challenge in Žižkov organizes all kinds of activities and events for children and youth aged 3-20 every day.

Most children come from family situations with all kinds of problems. At the children's and youth center, they find love, acceptance, and hope for the future. Many hear about Jesus for the first time.

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Meanwhile, in Lebanon... It is clear that the situation in the country, and certainly in and around Beirut, is extremely precarious and vulnerable. Nevertheless, Garo Margossian was able to officially open the Teen Challenge rehab center. The first students have arrived.

We hope to meet Garo next month at the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Albania, so that we can catch up.

Donations to run the center and for Garo to come to the conference are very much needed. Everything is welcome!

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It seems long ago that Krijn Donk raised almost 9,000 euros for the youth center of Teen Challenge in Kazakhstan, back in January with his ice skating fundraiser. A passenger van has now been purchased that has 11 seats! It replaces the 20-year old van that has served them all this time.

They are very happy with the new van and that thanks to your sponsorship for Krijn. It's great to be able to support the Christian program there from the Netherlands.

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And then something completely different: If you are in Europe and want to make a donation for emergency aid after the severe earthquake in Myanmar through a Christian organization, you can do so via Samaritan's Purse. We also donated through them after the earthquake in Turkey in 2023.

This organization of Franklin Graham, with a department in Germany we are in good contact with, is always one of the first at the scene of the disaster with a field hospital and God's love. In general, we 'limit' the support of Traveling Light to projects in countries within Europe. That is why we refer to the above link in this case if you want to donate. If, however, you still prefer to do it through Traveling Light, it is possible. We will, of course, pass it on to them. Please clearly state: EARTHQUAKE.

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Donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Activities and speaking engagements

As most of you probably know by now,  Traveling Light is not just active throughout Europe but also on many fronts in the Netherlands. This is all possible thanks to the voluntary efforts of lovely people!

For example: Krijn and Cora are responsible for the coffee house work in Twinkeltje and the prison ministry, Chantal provides enormous support in fundraising in her vintage shop de Schor, and Jan and Marja encourage through preaching and teaching and maintain international contacts. This is what is on the calendar for the coming weeks:

FRIDAY March 28

Jan will speak at a campfire evening of the Dutch Reformed Church in Klundert. This event is for men only! Walk-in from 20:15 and starts at 20:30. Location: Loods bij Maarten v.d. Werken (entrance via Hilsepoort 7-9). Admission is free.

SATURDAY March 29

Members of the city council Papendrecht will visit Twinkeltje. They would like to talk with us about the impact of the coffee house/second-hand shop on the residents of Papendrecht and the surrounding area.

MONDAY March 31

Bible study evening in de Schor. It has been a year now, that we have been meeting weekly for the 'Group studies for New Life' as provided by Teen Challenge.

FRIDAY April 4

Shopping evening and cozy pop-up café in de Schor. You are most welcome between 19:00 - 21:00 for  coffee, cake, and conversation. The proceeds will go to Traveling Light, as always.

SATURDAY April 5

Marja will speak, and also present the Portuguese edition of her book 'Grace of Giving', in Comunidade Crista em Amsterdam, a Brazilian church.

SUNDAY April 6

Jan will speak in the Free Evangelical Church De Ark in Gorinchem. Service starts at 10:00 AM.

WEDNESDAY April 9

Mission evening Lithuania in Twinkeltje with guest Willem van Dijk. He will talk about his work among the poor and addicted in Lithuania. It promises to be an inspiring evening again! Door is open at 19:30. The Presentation starts at 20:00.

In May, Brian Slater from Abundant Bread of Salvation in Israel will visit. We will also organize a mission evening in which he will talk about his work. The final dates will follow.

In the meantime, we are still fundraising for the work of Teen Challenge in Belgium and Iceland.

Donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Ice skating fundraiser brings in 9,000 euro for juvenile home Teen Challenge Kazakhstan

It has been a week since Krijn Donk crossed the finish line on the Weissensee in Austria after skating 200 km! He did this as a fundraiser for the juvenile home of Teen Challenge in Kazakhstan.

Looking back on the long tour, Krijn says: "It is always a tough day when you skate such a distance. After having had quite a few tumbles on the ice, I am grateful to God that I came out of the battle unscratched despite muscle pain in my back and legs."

Crossing the finish line unharmed and in one piece is indeed something to be thankful for. Many followed his efforts via webcam and live tracking and cheered him on after every completed lap of 12.5 km.

"The first 100 km went great, I did it in 3.41 hours. Onwards to the 150 km marker was really tough and the last 50 km were pure suffering. The ice was very good at the beginning of the day but with higher temperatures in the afternoon, it became more and more difficult to get through the ice. I felt pain in my whole body.

I am therefore very happy with the results: a total skating time of 8.04 hours, 26th of all riders finished, and €9,000 in sponsorship funds!"

What a great result indeed. Many thanks to all sponsors, also on behalf of the Teen Challenge team in Kazakhstan. The money will be used to purchase a new passenger van. As soon as we have photos, we will let you know.

Did you know that donations are always welcome? You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Weissensee fundraiser for Teen Challenge juvenile home, Kazakhstan

It's January again, the month of our biggest fundraising campaign of the year.

Krijn Donk has signed up for speed ice skating on the Weissensee in Austria on January 28, a 200 km tour! Like every year, he wants to raise money for a nice project. This time it will be: the juvenile home of Teen Challenge in Kazakhstan.

Krijn has been training relentlessly for the 200 km. Last summer he suffered from a heart rhythm disorder and then he had a cardioversion, twice. He is now fit again, for which he is very grateful to the Lord!

👉 Of course we hope that you will sponsor his fundraising campaign.

As for the project... Last summer Krijn and Cora visited Maxim and Evgenia (Jenja) Buzinovskiyi in Almaty. The couple cares for teenagers who, for whatever reason, cannot live at home or do not have a home. They also have three children of their own.

The teenagers learn what it is like to live together as a family. They get to know God and the Bible and are given important lessons for their later lives.

In 2016, the proceeds from the Weissensee campaign also went to the juvenile home in Kazakhstan. Click here to read that message. Back then, the Traveling Light ice skating team raised money for a kitchen which is still being used gratefully!

Last summer, they had technical problems with their 20-year-old passenger van and they have been living without the van for two months now. Quite a difficult situation, we are sure you understand. They have been saving for a new van for a while, but they aren't there yet. We also made a donation towards that fund in October.

The men from the nearby Teen Challenge drug and alcohol rehabilitation center have removed the engine from the van, they hope to be able to get it working again, but so far without good results... It is really time for a new(er) van!

Krijn would like to raise funds for this. It is possible to sponsor him individually with an amount per kilometer, with an amount for reaching the finish, or with a general amount

👉If you decide to participate, send an email stating the amount you want to give to krijncora@gmail.com. We then keep track of the pledges, which is always exciting!

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention TC KAZAKHSTAN YOUTH
• Give by card
• Give directly through our website
• When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC KAZAKHSTAN YOUTH

Project and travel updates

September went by so quickly, have you experienced that as well? So, let's take time for some updates.

The September proceeds in our secondhand shops Twinkeltje and De Schor, together with several specified donations, were almost 2,000 euros.

We will double that amount and transfer a love gift of 4,000 euros to benefit the work of Teen Challenge in the rehab houses in Berdichev, Ukraine. A huge thanks to everyone who made this possible.

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In August we donated 3,000 euros to Teen Challenge in Iceland for their outreach and coffee house work among addicts and homeless people. They had been saving up for a long time for a 7-seater car with which they could pick up these people to take them to church and Group Studies, among other things.

And yes, we received a message that a car could be purchased thanks in part to this gift! Very nice.

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Last week we (Jan and Marja) visited Teen Challenge in Bucharest, Romania. A report about that visit with some more photos will follow soon. It was very encouraging, both for them and for us!

We stayed in the rehab center for men and also visited the women's house and the church.

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The project for October in Twinkeltje and the Schor is the work of Teen Challenge in Lebanon. Due to the ongoing war with Hezbollah, many people in South Lebanon, as in Northern Israel, have been driven from their homes. Garo Margossian of Teen Challenge offers humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine, etc.) where possible.

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Donations, large and small, are always welcome. You can send your gift in different ways:

💛Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention country/project or general.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Press, projects, and activities

Hopefully, you all had a nice summer vacation time, wherever you went and whatever you did.

Our friends Krijn and Cora Donk have been in Kazakhstan and visited the juvenile home of Teen Challenge, the rehab centers and the church in Almaty. Of course, we will share more about that in an upcoming post.

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On Thursday, September 5th, we will partake in the 'Lukassen & Boer sponsor run' again (as we do each year) with an enthusiastic group of hikers and runners. This event will bring in cash for Traveling Light.

During the event you run a maximum of two (if you are younger than 15 years old) or a maximum of four (if you are 15 years old or older) rounds through sports park Oostpolder in Papendrecht. One round is about 2.5 kilometers long. You can run or walk. Each round you run is good for 2 euros.

The youth will start at 6:30 PM and the adults at 7:30 PM. Start at AV Passaat's athletics track, Andoornlaan 38. Hopefully, we'll see you there. We have entrance cards!

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A comprehensive and favorable article about the missionary work of Traveling Light appeared in the VVP Magazine (the magazine of AG Churches in Belgium). It is great that we can also (hopefully) become better known in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium in this way.

We are always grateful for opportunities to tell a little more about our work. We would also like to come to your church by invitation, to inspire you!

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We are still raising money for the prison work in Albania. If you would like to make a donation for that, you can always do so!

The project for our shops/coffee house Twinkeltje and the Schor in September is the work of our friends Sergey & Irina Romanenko from Teen Challenge. All proceeds will go towards their work. It is amazing what they and their team are doing in these difficult times among addicts and traumatized people in Berdichev, Ukraine.

Recently, many have successfully completed the rehabilitation program and that is always a reason to celebrate. More about that in one of the next blog posts.

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Donations, large and small, are always welcome. You can send your gift in different ways:

💛Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention country/project/general.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Ice skating fundraiser brings in 8,800 euro for TC women's home Romania

A shout-out to our ice skaters! Both Albert and Krijn completed the 200 km ride on the Weissensee last week.

We can all look back with thankful hearts to their fundraiser that brought in eighty-eight hundred euros for the Teen Challenge women's rehab home 'House of Joy' in Romania.

The center offers a safe place for women who struggle with addictions, homelessness, prostitution etc. and it offers the opportunity to start a new life!

Albert van de Graaf and Krijn Donk rode the grueling tour on the Weissensee in Austria on January 26 and 30 respectively. The 200 km ice skating tour wasn't an easy task, both skaters encountered a lot of hardships during the day due to falls and deteriorating ice as a result of temperatures just above zero.

After several hours, the ice turned into a slush in which the skaters found themselves stuck. Cracks were no longer visible and that, in addition to fatigue, was the reason for the many falls. Both men really wanted to finish the tour and not disappoint their sponsors and they eventually reached the finish line in one piece!

The support for their campaign was overwhelming and the amount of 8,800 euros will entirely benefit the Teen Challenge women's center 'House of Joy' in Romania.

Funds are needed for maintenance and expansion work, such as installing outdoor lighting, creating additional parking spaces for visitors and workers, expanding sanitary facilities, and completing the classroom and studio in the backyard.

On behalf of Traveling Light, the skaters would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way to this successful fundraiser. We will keep you informed about the work on the women's house through this blog.

By the way, donations are always welcome, for we have many projects on our waiting list that need sponsoring. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.

💳 Give by card

👉You can also donate directly via our website!

Project updates and activities

Kind regards from our Teen Challenge friends in Berdychiv, Ukraine.

On November 3rd, we wrote a message about the daily happenings in the various rehab centers there (you can read that message HERE).

We were able to send them a nice gift of 5,000 euros that will be used, among other things, for repairs and maintenance of the houses. Something that had been planned for some time, was repairs and renovation of the boiler room.

Thanks to your generous donations, they have been able to purchase materials and work can resume (always a useful part of the rehabilitation process, by the way).

Just before the end of the year, we were able to transfer another gift of 5,000 euros (THANK YOU!!!). This time for the purchase of a house that will serve as a home for staff, visitors, and volunteers. More news about that soon!

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Also warm greetings from Moldova. Our friends from Pilgrims and Teen Challenge organized their winter aid campaign for the 19th time.

The fuel and food packages meet a huge need, each package contains approximately 12 to 13 kilos of food!

The men set off again with the Steyer truck to distribute the packages. Thanks to your donations, we were able to bless them with a gift of 3,000 euros for this project. Thank you.

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We also received a newsletter and photos from Port Evangelist Alexander Eberson. We were also able to transfer a nice gift of 2,000 euros to his organization Living Water.

Especially during December, he visited many sailors on seafaring vessels in the ports of Ghent and Terneuzen... the men are often away from home for a long time. He handed out Christmas packages, was allowed to pray with crew members, read the Bible, and had many conversations.

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On Wednesday, January 24th, we will organize another mission evening in Twinkeltje. We are looking forward to have a visitor from Lithuania... a Dutchman, that will be. Willem Vandijk will tell his story of how he ended up from Holland in Ireland and later on in Lithuania, where he founded the Vilties Inkaras (Anchor of Hope) non-profit foundation.

It promises to be an inspiring evening. We look forward to your arrival. Entry from 7:30 PM. WELCOME!

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Project coffeehouse work Teen Challenge Albania is still a current project for fundraising and of course the Weissensee fundraiser for the women's house in Romania is up and running. So, you see, plenty to do and give away 😁.

PS: Click on the photos if you want to see larger ones!

Your donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
• 💳 Give by card

Weissensee fundraiser for Teen Challenge women's home, Romania

It's January again, the month of our most exciting fundraising campaign of the year.

Albert van de Graaf (Bleskensgraaf) and Krijn Donk (Papendrecht) have signed up for speed ice skating on respectively January 30 and 26,  on the Weissensee in Austria. They are planning to go for 200 km!

The skaters want to raise money with their performance for a great project: House of Joy, the Teen Challenge rehabilitation center for women with life controlling problems, just outside Bucharest in Romania.

👉They obviously hope that you will sponsor their fundraising campaign.

House of Joy opened up in 2015 (we visited in 2017). The home can accommodate nine women and four 'interns', which are women who have completed the rehabilitation program and stay on as volunteers to help.

The women who come to Teen Challenge have often struggled with life-threatening problems, such as drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, crime, homelessness, and physical and psychological challenges, for a long time.

In House of Joy they not only find a safe place to live, but for many, it is also the first time they are introduced to the love and grace 💗of Jesus Christ.

House of Joy continues to exist thanks to donations from loyal donors. Funds for daily operations are always needed, but several things have been on their wish list for a while.

Practical things in and around the house, that benefit living and working conditions, such as:

• the construction of two official parking spaces at the house (for the workers)
• the renewal and expansion of sanitary facilities
• installing outdoor lighting and
• finishing the rooftops of the two container units in the back yard that serve as classroom and studio, and a canopy and seating area all around.

Albert and Krijn want to raise the necessary funds to make these home improvements a reality. It is possible to sponsor them individually with an amount per kilometer, with an amount for reaching the finish, or with a general amount

👉If you decide to participate, send an email stating the amount you want to give to krijncora@gmail.com. We then keep track of the pledges, which is always exciting!

You can also send a donation directly:

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

🠈Georgiana Dragan-Moldoveanu is the director of House of Joy. Georgiana grew up in a violent environment, with an alcoholic father. Although she was an incredibly smart student, as a teenager she started to look for love and acceptance in the wrong places. At the age of 20 she started to use heroin.

From being an incredible student with a career ahead, she ended up sleeping on the streets, stealing, begging, and even selling her body for money. In 2009, she ended up in detox, completely hopeless, to the point of having her leg amputated due to heroin injections. That was the moment she cried out to God for help. 

After she regained her life and went through a rehab program, God planted in her heart a strong desire to help other women going through the pain of addiction, trauma, and abuse. In 2014, she was blessed to marry the love of her life, Mihai, a former rocker who had an interest in satanism.

WE BELIEVE AND INVEST IN CHANGED LIVES! WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US.

Project updates and activity news

It's time again for an update on projects and activities. We will write a separate post about our trip to Winiarczykowka, Poland, soon.

In May, we reported on Issacar's follow-up project in Rivoli, Italy. The Christian Evangelical Community is building a multi-functional facility where weekly services, food distribution, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, and other activities will all take place.

We sent them a donation (4,000 euro) to stimulate the progress of the construction. We received some photos showing that a lot of building materials have been purchased again. The walls and roof are almost done.

Thank you very much on behalf of pastor Filippo Felice and the congregation for the encouragement. We hope to visit again later this year!

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We were also able to give a donation (1,500 euro) for the Vacation Bible School activities in our town.

In August they celebrated their 45th anniversary in a playground in Papendrecht. What a party that was. Many children (and their parents) came to see it. We enjoyed coffee and talked to a number of people from the organizing committee.

They were very happy with all the support they received from churches, organizations, businesses, and volunteers. They are now looking forward to the activities that will take place during the autumn holidays.

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On Thursday, September 7, we will partake in the 'Lukassen & Boer sponsor run' again (as we do each year) with an enthusiastic group of hikers and runners. This event will bring in cash for Traveling Light.

During the event you run a maximum of two (if you are younger than 15 years old) or a maximum of four (if you are 15 years old or older) rounds through sports park Oostpolder. |One round is about 2.5 kilometers long. You can run or walk. Each round you run is good for 2 euro.

The youth will start at 6:30 PM and the adults at 7:30 PM. Start at AV Passaat's athletics track, Andoornlaan 38. Hopefully, we'll see you there. We have entrance cards!

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Saturday September 9th, we will organize another baptism party at river the Lek. This time we have six people (including those from the Alpha course) who want to be baptized.

Yes, obeying the command to go out into the world, share the gospel AND baptize people! We all enjoy doing it.

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Your donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
• 💳 Give by card