On the road again...

Awesome worship team from our hometown Papendrecht

It was in early spring that pastor Gerhard Lewerenz invited us to come and speak at a weekend conference in his church Fels in der Brandung, in Ludwigslust, Germany. We were free to choose a theme. It was not the first time we received such a request from him :)

As a Non-profit organisation we have a three-fold mission: to offer financial support, practical help and/or spiritual encouragement. Organizing Bible based workshops and seminars is definitely part of 'spiritual encouragement'. This time we left with a team of seven enthousiastic people from our home town Papendrecht for the 8-hour trip to Ludwigslust, in North Eastern Germany.  We choose FREEDOM as the theme for this conference. The scripture we used throughout the weekend was Galatians 5:1, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Sharing meals in the tent

'Standing firm' is not always as easy as it sounds. Not for new Believers (and there are always many in Ludwigslust) nor for mature Christians. Receiving freedom through faith in Jesus Christ is a promise, but maintaining that freedom is our responsibility. We had the opportunity to pray with many people, young and old, and many were healed from diseases and afflictions, but also delivered from negative thoughts, fear and worries. This was so awesome! And yes, the group of men from Afghanistan and Iran were there again. It was so wonderful to see them listen intensively to our Bible teaching.

Tyler (USA) was a great help with the sound system

Our worship team turned out to be such a blessing! Wow, we laughed, we danced, we sang until our throats were dry. It was a wonderful uplifting weekend, not just for all the visitors, but for us as well. We were encouraged and inspired... happy and thankful to see so many people hungry for God. What a blessing to be able to travel to the far corners of Europe and share the good news. Thank you for all your faithful prayers, because of that this trip went very well and the response of the people was great!

Update project coffee bus

The No-Bucks bus in Ireland

A few weeks ago we announced our new project: the purchase of a second hand city bus in good condition that will be used by Teen Challenge Czech Republic. For starters we are raising 5,000 euro towards this project.

The bus will be converted into a mobile coffee house. It is a great need they have at the moment, as they have lost their place for a coffee house in Prague. The director Petr Ministr wrote us:

"We would be very happy to have a moving coffee house, something like the "No Bucks coffee" TC Ireland uses. Our goal is to reach lost people in other parts of Czech republic. At the moment we have a stable team that works on the streets and is composed of workers, students from TC and volunteers from  churches. They do outreach ministry 3-4 times a week... We would like them to bring hope to those that are lost, by going and doing outreach ministry 2 days a week in various cities...."

sad situations

So far, about 2,100 euro came in. Thank you everyone, who gave towards this project. We have many people on the look out for a reliable bus, WE NEED A GOOD DEAL! This is for a very special work; the bus will provide a safe place for poor and homeless people, drugs- and alcohol addicts and prostitutes to go to and have some coffee, to have someone to talk to, to warm up and get clothed.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

[Matthew 25:34-36]

Open House Teen Challenge Netherlands

Cora Donk behind the book stand

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to attend an open house. Last Saturday we left early for the three hour drive to the Spetse Hoeve, Groningen, the men's home of Teen Challenge Netherlands. Some of Traveling Light's faithful supporters came along for this special day.

Teen Challenge graduates

It gave them, and many other visitors and supporters, a chance to see the men's home and it's surroundings. We enjoyed fresh coffee and homemade pies and a fantastic BBQ. It is not everyday that we have lamb sausage with couscous!

In the afternoon there was a church service in the barn where a band played on a wagon and we were seated among the tractors and hay stacks. There was time for testimonies from former students, some of them went through the program more than 10 years ago and are still clean today! Also a group of graduates received their diploma this Saturday. How awesome to hear their stories, from a life of destruction to a life with God!

Beautiful day at the men's center

We just love the work of Teen Challenge worldwide. Broken lives are being restored, wounds are being healed and new hope for the future is being ignited.

If you know of someone who desperately needs help with life controlling issues (such as addictions) and is WILLING to get help, please make sure to check if there is a Teen Challenge center in your country or area and let that person make the phone call that can save his or her life!

Special gift for Izhod Teen Challenge, Slovenia

Matjaz & Magdalena Horjak, directors of TC Slovenia

We love it when gifts keep coming in for our current project coffee bus Czech Republic AND also for other projects and people we love. This week we received a 500 euro gift for Izhod Teen Challenge, Slovenia.

We have transferred the money towards the work with the down and out, addicted and homeless people in Slovenia. As you all may know we have visited the men's home in Nova Vas on several occasions and we just LOVE what is happening there. A small group of men is able to live and work in the Dennis Griffith home. And while in the program they get introduced to the love of God the Father, the grace of Jesus Christ and the friendship with the Holy Spirit. That turns out to be life changing... for most of them that is the beginning of new life and new hope.

What a blessing to be able to bless them :)

Thank you.

Special gift for Israel

A few weeks ago we were able to donate 1775 euro for the soup kitchen in Netanya. But that is certainly not the last thing we want to do for Israel.

We received a special 500 euro gift for a project in Israel. Together with the generous giver we decided to donate the money to the women's home, Ark in the Negev, in Israel. Maybe you remember that we visited the women's home last year and were able to bless them with a donation. The women's home offers a safe place for women (and their children) who struggle with addictions and life controlling problems. While living in the Ark they hear about the good news that God loves them and that healing and salvation is possible through Yeshua.

We are very thankful for the work that is being done in Israel and we love to support this project!

News from the Ukraine

Future Onyfrievka men's home

Many of you will remember our very first project: raising funds for the purchase of a building in Onyfrievka, Ukraine which would be used for a men's rehab home.

There was 10.000 euro needed to purchase the building, not a large amount, but to us it was enormous. We had never done such a thing! But the gifts started coming in and in a short time we were able to donate the money to the Ukraine. But then... the real challenge began.

There were some problems with the paper work. It took months and months to get the official paperwork in order. In the meantime we kept praying that everything would work out fine and we did not worry about it. Last week we received news from Sergey & Mariana Glushko in Kiev that all the necessary papers are there and the building can be purchased. Hooray!

Now, we would really love to go and visit the place...

New board member Traveling Light

Cora Donk

We have several news items and announcements for you, so let's start with the one closest to home...

We are happy to introduce our new board member Cora Donk. Remember her from the Queensday fundraiser? She was the one organizing that event while we were traveling somewhere in Southern Europe. She brought together a group of volunteers to help her with the yard sale, she had some flyers printed and spoke to everyone who had ears to listen. Cora is someone who does more than thinking, she knows how to act, and that is just what we need.

We have known Cora for more than thirty years and over the last ten years we have organized many events together, in the church we attended. Besides her organisational talent, she is also a fervent prayer partner... she knows how to ask boldy :) Together with her husband Krijn Donk they have a heart for Traveling Light.

The work of Traveling Light is growing, which is awesome. This means more projects, more donations, more contatcs. It is good to share those responsibilities with people who are willing to think and pray with us.

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

1,500 euro for soup kitchen Israel comes in!

Food distribution in Netanya

Hooray! Thanks to your generosity and prayers we are able to make many people happy this week, and that is something we just LOVE to do at Traveling Light.

The 1,500 euro for the soup kitchen in Netanya, Israel came in! Yes, that fast :) Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who gave towards this project. It is just amazing what we can do together in such a simple way. The money will be used for the purchase of promotional t-shirts for the soup kitchen. The t-shirts will be sold as souvenirs to volunteers, visitors and supporters and that will bring in some extra cash. Cash that is necessary to keep the soup kitchen and food bank running, as more and more people are making use of this service. Part of the money will also be used for the organizing of a special dinner to honor a group of Holocaust survivors. In October we will be visiting Israel again and we will share an update and photo's.

Jan and Marjan

Besides that, we have donated 280 euro towards dental work for one of the guys in the Teen Challenge program in Slovenia. What a blessing that will be for Marjan, who has lived without front teeth for years.  We will share his new smile as soon as we have a picture available. His dentist appointment is later on this month.... so, please be patient :)

Isn't it fun and rewarding to bless other people this way? We can only hope you are enjoying this as much as we do.

The generous soul will be made rich,

And he who waters will also be watered himself

[Proverbs 11:25]

News & prayer

The guys at the men's center in Novi Sad, Serbia

Many people are enjoying a good vacation right now. Even in Holland the sun finally came through! Summer or not, the work at Traveling Light keeps going. We would like to share some refreshing news items with you:

• Did you know that, apart from the gift of 4,500 euro, we donated more than 1,500 euro to Teen Challenge Serbia during the 2nd quarter of 2012 through our project Stepping up 4 Serbia. We recently received a long e-mail from Sasa Ivanovic, the director, here's a snippet: "Thank you for your gift of 4.500 Euro's, it came in last moment, but right moment (God is never late :)), so we could pay our heating and electricity bills. This was so important for TC Serbia ministry because there was great threat that our centers were cut off from heating and electricity and, of course, we wouldn't be able to continue this important ministry. I want to thank TRAVELING LIGHT and all good people and supporters who helped TC Serbia to continue its work and keep 21 boys and 9 girls who are currently in both of our centers, Men's and Women's, where they are receiving help, love and care, discipleship and training that hopefully one day they become Christ disciples who will be another Traveling light in country of Serbia sharing great message of the Gospel of Jesus..." Gifts are still pouring in for Serbia, so we will continue to support them on a monthly basis. Please pray for the staff and students there and for more support from churches, businesses and individuals in Serbia.
• Did you know that we are receiving general gifts from Teen Challenge centers all over Europe? As you may remember at some point we helped Teen Challenge Slovenia with finances so they could buy a chainsaw. Now they can make some money chopping down trees. How awesome to see that they have blessed Traveling Light with a gift! This reminds us of the first believers in the book of Acts. They shared their belongings/income and if someone was in need they would help him. If you never invest your money in the lives of others, how are you going to get a return in due time??
• Talking about money, did you know that we were able to give away nearly 20,000 euro in the first seven months of 2012? How wonderful is that?! Thank you very much for your generosity. Let's pray that more and more supporters will join our efforts.
• We still need 120 euro for the dental work on Marjan's teeth (Teen Challenge Slovenia). If you want to see him smile, please give a small gift today.
• We have a Facebook page, it is mainly in Dutch, because most of our supporters are in Holland (and that is changing rapidly!!), but if you hit the LIKE button we will make it a bi-langual page :)