Visit to TC Winiarczykowka, Poland

Last month we visited Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Poland. Janusz and Bogusia Gornicki run a home for the elderly, for broken people, and for those who cannot take care of themselves. The location is a former border patrol post.

Janusz came into Teen Challenge as an addict many years ago and went through the recovery program in Lekini. We were there in July of this year! He met his wife Bogusia and together with their two sons (Simeon and Jacob) they moved south. Little Jacob was just one week (!) old when they started this adventure.

An average of about twenty men live in Winiarczykowka. Some have a history of addiction, others have psychological problems and still others are at a loss.

It is moving to see how Janusz and Bogusia extend love to people who came to them completely devastated, lost, and often lonely. That is following in Jesus' footsteps!

It was great fun to be there again. We were received enthusiastically and spent the first hours catching up on everything. Fortunately, we had excellent help from our interpreter again: Monika Skowron.

We received an extensive tour in and around the center. The vegetable garden has grown enormously in recent years. A beautiful chicken coop has been built, a goat farm, beehives, and much more. Everything was made possible thanks to donations from friends and organizations such as Traveling Light. How wonderful is that?!

Maintaining the buildings and working on the land and with the animals is therapeutic for the men and a big part of their daytime activities.

On Sunday morning there was a church service where we could share an encouraging message from God's Word. Many men were prayed for, we all had a wonderful time!

The days flew by and we really enjoyed the conversations, praying together, hiking, and eating delicious food. Our visit was very encouraging for the men, the staff, Monika, and for ourselves!

The men had prepared a huge BBQ in honor of our visit. They couldn't wait to light the fire on Saturday 😁. We enjoyed their good care and felt truly appreciated.

This is exactly the kind of 'small-scale' (we think it is huge!) work with great social, emotional, and spiritual impact that Traveling Light is happy to support.

It is direct and loving assistance to hopeless, helpless, and lonely people. 👉We have great admiration for this program.

This beautiful work is largely made possible by donations. We have been supporting them regularly (also through the monthly projects in Twinkeltje) since 2014.

This kind of support goes way beyond just sending a one-time donation for a good cause. Friendships develop and we try to maintain those friendships as best as possible by keeping in regular contact and visiting them if possible.

We want to make them happy again with a donation for their daily needs, will you help us?

You can give in several ways. Please direct your gift to:

• St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U, and don't forget to mention: TC POLAND WINIARCZYKOWKA
• 💳 Give by card
• 👉When in the USA it is also possible to make a tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention: TC POLAND WINIARCZYKOWKA.

PS: Click on the photos to enlarge!

Year report, project of the month, and emergency fund

We have shared it on social media recently: 2021 was an excellent year for  Traveling Light. Significantly more (50%!) donations were received than in 2020, so we were able to support a large number of projects.

A short (financial) annual report can be found on our website. More than 119,000 euro in donations came in, compared to 77,800 the year before! A result for which we are extremely grateful. Without your help, supporting dozens of projects across Europe would not have been possible.

We are confident that you will continue to support us in 2022, no matter what happens in the world. Giving is a blessing. Giving makes rich!

The monthly project in Twinkeltje and De Schor is Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Poland. All proceeds from sales this month will go to this loving home for displaced and troubled people.

A number of people have asked whether we are raising funds for emergency aid for people in Ukraine.

Europe Teen Challenge (most of the rehab centers and shelters that we support are part of ETC) has opened an emergency fund. It is our prayer that all centers will be able to operate, such as Bertine House in Poltava (see photo, shelter mothers and children).

Within Ukraine, temporary shelter is also provided for refugees from Kiev and a number of other large cities.

Financial support will also go to the bordering countries where Teen Challenge centers offer refugees temporary shelter. So you can donate via ETC or via Traveling Light, clearly mention Ukraine.

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

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

2021 was a blessed year!

Just before Christmas, we would like to give you some project updates. Always nice to see how gifts are spent! 😀

We received photos from our Teen Challenge friends in Berdychiv, Ukraine.

Thanks to the help of Traveling Light, they were able to have the Volkswagen van repaired.

Can you tell they are happy?

We also got pictures from our Teen Challenge friends in Winiarczykowka, Poland. They have used our latest donation to buy a number of beehives, among other things.

A competition was organized in collaboration with several schools to see who could paint the boxes the most beautiful. They turned out very colorful.

The project where the proceeds of Twinkeltje en de Schor will go this month is Pilgrims / Teen Challenge Moldova.

They will, as every year, deliver food and coal parcels to widows, the elderly, and the poor.

We can look back at a blessed year and we are very grateful for that. Just to name a few things:

• Thanks to your donations we have been able to support many projects
• We have been able to receive many guests in Twinkeltje on a weekly basis
• We gave an Alpha course for the first time in Twinkeltje and recently started a new group
• The baptism service at the end of September was one of the highlights of the year!
• We have received several international guests during a number of mission evenings

And so we could go on and on. Of course, this will all be specified in the 2021 annual report. If you want to send a year-end donation, please do so! You can:

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U, or
• 💳 Give by card

Project updates en lots of creativity

It's time to share some news about the use of your donations! Always nice of course 😁 First of all, we'll go to Belgium.

Last summer we sent a donation to the Teen Challenge rehab center in Charlerois, Maison Betser.

They used the money, among other things, to place a roof on the side of the center where all kinds of tools, firewood, and building materials can be stored. In the photo, you can see the first setup.

The proceeds from Twinkeltje and Atelier De Schor from September went to Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Poland. They used the gift to purchase beehives and a honey centrifuge/extractor.

The beehives will be decorated in collaboration with school children, a nice way to interact with the local community, and also a piece of education about the importance of balance in nature.

The project is called "Life Challenge" and our logo can also be found on the posters distributed locally to draw attention to this bee project.

The project for the month of October in Twinkeltje en de Schor is Bertine House in Poltava, Ukraine. A Teen Challenge shelter and rehab home for mothers and children.

Earlier this month one of our donors gave a workshop at her home where a group of ladies made beautiful autumn wreaths. The proceeds were for this project! And this week we organized a macramé workshop in Twinkeltje, the proceeds also benefit this project.

These creative meetings are not just a nice way to get together for a great evening and fellowship, but they also bring fun back in fundraising.

Donations for all our beautiful projects are always welcome. You can make us happy with your prayers and a financial gift anytime!

• Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U, or 
• 💳 Give by card

Project updates

It's always nice to get enthusiastic messages and photos about the projects we have recently supported. Good to see how donations are spent!

We are happy to share it with you ... and please, do spread the word 😀

In October last year, the proceeds from Twinkeltje went to Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Poland.

Janusz and Bogusia Gornicki run a home for the elderly, for broken people, and for those that cannot take care of themselves. They were looking for a project this winter that the men (as far as their health allows) could work on.

Our donation was used to build a goat stable. It is great to see the enthusiasm that they have shown in the work. They now have six goats in the stable and there will undoubtedly be little ones this spring!

Warm greetings from the residents and staff and a huge thank you for the beautiful gift.

In December, we also made a donation to Pilgrims International for food and fuel packages that they distributed among the poor in Moldova.

Our friends from Teen Challenge and Pilgrims delivered the packages with their 51 year old Steyer truck. They have visited about 500 homes and made people happy!

Thank you for your contributions.

In December we also gave a donation to Passage to Life in Greece for their street work in Athens. The money has been used to build a large tent on the roof of their building so that they can continue with meetings despite all the restrictions.

Very nice that we were able to help there as well with part of the necessary funds! Again, thank you all!

👉 In the meantime, we have also been able to donate 7,000 euro for the women's home in Ukraine and 2,500 euro for the opening of a coffee house in Radovish, Macedonia.

Isn't it encouraging that our support continues as usual ?!

All donations, large and small, for all our projects are always welcome and can be directed at St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U, stating the country or project you want to support.

Proceeds of secondhand shop go all over Europe

Last week we received a message from Poland and well from Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka. Janusz and Bogusia Gornicki are the directors of a home for the elderly which is located in a former border patrol post. 'We're painting the whole house,' Bogusia messaged.

👉The proceeds of our secondhand shop/coffee house Twinkeltje over the month of January went to the work of Teen Challenge in Winiarczykowka. They wanted to paint the house on the inside, which is the first time since they came to live there, 10 years ago.

'We are so happy with your gift,' Bogusia wrote, 'we were able to buy a lot of paint and now we can give the men a nice job. At the moment we are more or less confined to the house with these elderly people, so it is great to have such a beautiful project that we can all work on. They love it!'

Well, back in January we had no idea how our donation fro them would be put to use. But we are very glad to hear that the timing was perfect. For sure, the home will look wonderful when all the work is done.

👉The proceeds of Twinkeltje over February went to the work of Brian Slater and Abundant Bread of Salvation in Israel. Thank you all, on behalf of Brian.

Brian also works a lot with the elderly in his food bank and soup kitchen and he has to take the necessary measures nowadays. But the work in Netanya continues. Watch the video of his adopt-a-holocaust-survivor program HERE.

👉The proceeds of Twinkeltje over March went to the work of Teen Challenge among the homeless and addicted in Slovakia.

We (Jan and Marja) were scheduled to visit there last week, among other things for the presentation of the Slovak edition of Marja's book 'My Neighbor's House' which is now available on Kindle. All events and meetings have been postponed.

Twinkeltje (like other shops) is open on Saturday afternoon, albeit under the currently applicable rules. There is no coffee table, but shopping is always possible, we have good stuff!

👉The project in Twinkeltje for April is the Teen Challenge juvenile home in Kazakhstan.

GIFTS (large and small) for all our projects are always welcome and can be directed at St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

Activities and project news

The center in Yerevan is already in use

The Weissensee fundraiser 2020 for Teen Challenge Armenia has kicked off. If you want to sponsor the ice skaters, read HERE how you can become a part of this great effort to bring hope to the hopeless!

We hope and pray we can raise a solid donation for the renovation of the recently opened drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Yerevan.

Full house at Winiarczykowka, Poland

This month, the proceeds in Twinkeltje will go towards the work of Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka, Poland. This center, located in a former border post, offers a safe home to the elderly. So come visit us in Twinkeltje on Saturday (Korenbloemstraat 20, Papendrecht) for a cup of coffee or a nice bowl of soup and who knows, maybe we have something nice for you in the store.

Last weekend we had Maria Meier from Italy visiting us. She runs Comunita Brezzano, a Christian therapeutic community in Tuscany. On Friday we organized a mission night in Twinkeltje.

Mission night Italy in Twinkeltje

We had a nice dinner together, then Maria shared her heart. We showed pictures of our most recent visit (workweek 2019), we prayed and sang many songs together. It was a very encouraging evening. The offering we collected turned out to be 1200 euro (!), which will all go toward Comunita Brezzano. Thank you, on behalf of Maria.

This coming Friday night we are hosting Prayer for the Nations (every third Friday of the month) in Twinkeltje. We always pray for the nations of Europe, for Israel and the Middle East, for current projects and we share news. This Friday we will have Marek Deicmanis from Latvia visiting. So come and join us! Coffee and tea will be ready from 19:30 hours.

The next project is in ... Belarus, more about that soon..

GIFTS (large and small) are always welcome and can be directed at St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht, IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

Events & year report 2017

Free market Kingsday 2018

On April 27th we celebrate King's Day in The Netherlands, it is the birthday of our king Willem Alexander van Oranje. It is a public holiday with lots of festivities going on everywhere.  Our stall at the free market was busy all day long. Thank you to everyone who came by for a visit. We sold secondhand stuff for 300 euro.

That amount will be fully added to the revenue of our 2nd hand shop Twinkeltje this month. The project of the month is Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka, Poland. This is a home where the elderly and lonely can live safely and work on the farm.

Making cupcakes

Earlier this week we were pleasantly surprised by a gift of 250 euro from our church the Hoeksteen in Etten-Leur. The children made cupcakes and sold them last Sunday. This amount will fully benefit the work of Brian Slater in Israel. His organization Abundant Bread of Salvation helps the elderly, single people and immigrants in Netanya.

Last week Jan visited the rehabilitation centers of Teen Challenge in Latvia. Wonderful work is being done there! The adventure continues, more about this on our blog soon.

Our annual (financial) report 2017 is short and simple... and in in Dutch only (sorry). But we can quickly share the results: 12 countries visited and over 58,000 euro donated to more than 25 small-scale projects. Yes! Click HERE for the annual report.

Gifts (large & small) for the various projects are always welcome! We are currently collecting funds for project church kitchen Navazi in Georgia. Make your gifts payable to IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht.

European spring tour 2017 (2)

Winiarczykowka house

On to Poland we went! This part of the trip was a 700 km drive from Potsdam to southern Poland. We had promised to visit Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka.

We have mentioned this special home quite often on this blog. It is a former border post where now homeless elderly people are offered a safe and warm place. Currently, more than 20 men are living there.

Catching up and praying

We received a very warm welcome. Four men had even given up their own beds for the night, so we could sleep! Janusz and Bogusia Gornicki cooked a delicious meal for us and with Kaja's help (our interpreter) we were able to listen to their wishes, dreams and ideas, talk about daily needs and happenings and, of course, pray very personally for them.

Wow, their gratitude towards Traveling Light for all the times we were able to help with a gift is huge, almost embarrassing really. We could make them happy again with the news that the month of April in our second hand shop Twinkelje has brought in almost 1,300 euro, an amount that goes entirely to their work in Winiarczykowka.

Praying together is powerful

They immediately came up with list of things they wanted to use that money for, including buying a few new couches for the chapel and setting up a mud room for all work wear and shoes.

The next day, Jan spoke during the morning chapel time and we had the opportunity to pray with almost everyone, often for the recovery of physical conditions. In the picture you will see Jim & Lynda in action.

Through people from the Hoeksteen church in Etten-Leur we received reading glasses to give away and boxes of vegetable seeds. They were very happy with these gifts! Thank you very much for that.

Super nice storage room

We were furthermore given a tour of the house, the vegetable garden, the new greenhouse and the place where the new purification plant was placed. We also saw the new storage room, they were able to purchase the professional storage racks thanks to a gift from Traveling Light.

Chapel time

Such a visit (although short) is an encouragement for the workers, the volunteers (trainee and interpreter) and the men who live there since they rarely receive international visitors. It is certainly an encouragement for us as well.

How wonderful to see that all gifts are spent so well. We just love to share that with you all.

Well, on to Slovakia!

PS: Click on the pictures for an enlargement

Gifts (large and small) for the various projects are always welcome! St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.

Project renovation kitchen Winiarczykowka, Poland

Greetings from Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka

A while ago we received a message from our Teen Challenge friends in Southern Poland. They had a visit from a government inspector. They received notice that they had to adapt the kitchen to modern requirements and to the number of residents, in order to keep the center open.

The kitchen was closed immediately until further notice. Well, what do you do with 17 residents and a number of staff members depending on that kitchen for the daily preparation of food?

The team and residents of Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka in Southern Poland are no strangers to Traveling Light. We have visited the residential home several times. We also have been able to help them quite a number of times with several projects, thanks to your generosity.

The center (which houses some men with addiction problems, but mostly elderly people that are not receiving care elsewhere) is run by volunteers and can only exist thanks to donations.

There is no fund for unexpected expenses like the renovation of a kitchen area. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to immediately come to the rescue in such distress. And besides that, we have a lot of projects on our waiting list.

Anyway, after much talk, paper work and prayers, they have begun the renovation and remodeling of the kitchen. It is quite a project. In order to make the kitchen large enough two rooms must be merged, the laundry room must be moved, and an additional bathroom will be constructed at street level for the disabled residents.

Creative fundraising has taken on another level. The team is selling handmade items at markets and fairs and they have been contacting churches and donors for help. We would like to see this frantic episode come to a peaceful ending with government and residents being satisfied. So, we must help!

If you have a heart for renovations and/or care for the elderly :-) then please send your donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention KITCHEN WINIARCZYKOWKA.

Greetings from Winiarczykowka, Poland

Staff and  residents at Winiarczykowka

One of the nicest things about our small scale projects is perhaps the feedback we are getting. We often receive pictures, emails, Facebook messages and newsletters containing friendly greetings and words of gratitude. It's so good to see that donations are spent well!

Do you remember project renovation rooms Winiarczykowka, Poland? In memory of our American friend Rick Biddle (who passed away in October 2015 at the blessed age of 88) family and friends of Rick donated more than $ 500 for the benefit of Traveling Light.

New furniture arrived!

We were able to double that gift and transferred 1,000 euro for the renovation of bedrooms in the Teen Challenge crisis and rehabilitation home that Janusz & Bogusia Górnicki are running. A very special house, because they offer a warm and safe place to the elderly who have no place to go.

They had some new beds, wardrobes and bedside tables made (visit their website!) by a local carpenter, who has also employed one of the younger men who went through the rehabilitation program.

And look what a beautiful plaques (click on the photos to enlarge) they have made in memory of Rick, who had a warm heart for he work of Teen Challenge. This is also a very nice idea in case you want to make a special donation as a church, school, business or family. They will make such a cool plaque just for you!

Memory and thank you plaques

Janusz & Bogusia Gornicki always have a long list of projects in and around the house (such as expansion vegetable garden, building a shed, shelves and industrial refrigerator in the storage space, wheelchair bus, setting up a charity shop etc. etc.). These projects can only be implemented when donations come in, because they receive no government funding.

As far as we are concerned, money donated to Traveling Light will reach its destination and will be used for the selected project!

General and specified gifts are always welcome at St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. We will do our best to ensure reliable feedback!

Project renovation rooms Winiarczykowka, Poland

A few years back, with the Biddles in Ventura

A few weeks ago our American friend Rick Biddle passed away at the blessed age of 88 years. We met Rick back in 1989, during our first trip to Baja California in Mexico. Rick and his wife Helen were our American parents.

In the USA it is customary to make donations in memory of the deceased. Sometimes this money is used to pay for the funeral, sometimes it's for the family left behind and sometimes it is for a good cause. Family and friends of Rick donated over $500 for the benefit of Traveling Light.

Time for prayer and conversation

We want to use this gift as a start-up for a new project in Winiarczykowka, Poland. Yes, again that difficult name :) Early September we were visiting the crisis and rehabilitation home there. A very special home, because they also offer a warm and safe place for elderly people who are left alone in the world.

The residents work in the vegetable garden, are engaged in constructing a chicken coop, cook meals and do the cleaning. Recently the new sewage treatment plant was installed. We were able to help them with a substantial gift for this.

At work in the vegetable garden

Janusz & Bogusia Górnicki, who run this house, have a long list of projects and prospects, including the renovation of a number of bedrooms and expansion with a number of beds (for the cold winter is coming up again). Wouldn't  it be nice if we could double the memorial gift in honor of Rick Biddle?

If you have a heart for the elderly, please send your donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention ROOMS WINIARCZYKOWKA.

Simple bed rooms

The money will be used to refurbish a number of rooms, to expand the bedroom capacity (more beds) and to buy some furniture. Most rooms have only beds and a cupboard, not much luxury ....

Thank you in advance for your help. We will send all donations straight to this project. No gimmicks, no games, no waste.

What you do for others, you do for God! It's that simple :)

News and activities

hard working crew in Berdychiv

Recently we were able to donate a good amount for the construction of a barn on the grounds of the Teen Challenge rehabilitation houses in Berdychiv, Ukraine.

Well, they didn't wait a single day to start their building project. Immediately materials were purchased and the men got to work. 

happy pastor Sergey Rmanenko

As in many Eastern European countries, the new barn is being built around the old barn. When all is finished, the old building will be demolished. During this construction time the existing space can still be used.

At Teen Challenge Winiarczykowka, Poland they are working hard as well. After many months of paperwork and bureaucracy finally a beginning has been made with the installation of the new water treatment system.

Arrival of the new tank

In early September we were visiting Janusz & Bogusia Górnicki in Poland and they showed us the piles of paperwork they had to go through before they received the license for the new plant.

The new system is very modern and will save them money on a monthly basis. Money that is now being spent on draining the old system.

residents and staff at Winiarczykowka

This Friday October 16 we will come together again for our monthly Prayer for the Nations. During these evenings we proclaim God's word on the countries of Europe and the Mediterranean. Especially now with the refugee situation is good to come together, listen to God's voice and pray!

Maybe you cannot be with us in person, but we are calling for churches, ministries, organizations and families to do the same. Join us in prayer for the nations as the Spirit leads you!

[Click on the photo's to enlarge!]

Mara Kreukniet from Sliedrecht was one of our first donors. Back in 2011 she came up with a cup cake fundraiser for the benefit of Traveling Light.

Mara in her museum

Recently she opened a small museum in the pantry of her parents' home with the theme "then and now." The entry fee for all friends, family members and neighbors was 50 cents and she decided to give all proceeds to Traveling Light. Well, such lovely people and creative ideas make us very happy! Thanks Mara!

For your agenda: our first winter fair 2015 which we want to organize on Saturday, December 12th. It will be an afternoon for donors and other interested parties with campfire, hot apple pie, coffee, Christmas market with fun stuff, workshops, pea soup ... too much to mention. Keep an eye on this blog and our FB page for more information.