Project Heating System Teen Challenge Macedonia

Jonatan Vlaisavljevic, Director TC Macedonia 

The next project we would like to sponsor brings us, again, to a former Yugoslavian country: Macedonia. During the Europe Teen Challenge conference last April we met Jonatan Vlaisavljevic... yeah, try to pronounce that last name without hesitating.

Jonatan is the director of Teen Challenge Macedonia. Teen Challenge is a worldwide organisation of non-profit, faith-based drug and alcohol recovery programs (More info on Wikepedia)

Jonatan lives with his family in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. The house they live in has three floors: on the first floor is the Teen Challenge office, on the second floor their living quarters and the third floor can be used for re-entry purposes; that is for students who have completed a Teen Challenge program and are getting ready to get back into society. Currently, there is no residential program due to heavy financial crisis. However, they are still going full speed with what they have: Turning Point Ministry, day program, church services, teaching, evangelism etc. This way they can reach people who need help and often have never heard of the HOPE they can have in Jesus Christ. In Macedonia most people are either Muslim or belong to the Orthodox Church.

House/office/re-entry in Skopje

With the European winter fast approaching they need wood for their current heating system, but also a new heater, boiler and water drain system. The estimated cost will be around 2,500 euro. We love to offer help  by taking on these extra costs. We want to do this as an encouragement to Teen Challenge Macedonia, inspiring them to continue their much needed work among their country men. Do you want to help them too?

We are very happy to be in contact with a Christian community in Macedonia, a country that has a rich biblical history and significance. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2, And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

P: We are planning to go to the Teen Challenge European Fall Meeting in Slovakia, where we will have a chance to catch up with Jonatan on the latest happenings.

5,000 euro for coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech!

The coffee bus at Teen Challenge IRELAND

HOORAY! At the beginning of each month it is always fun to see new funds coming in, At Traveling Light we love the excitement of counting the blessings you've sent us... and yes, the 5,000 euro for project coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech Republic is in!

We are looking to purchase a second hand city bus in excellent condition that we will donate to Teen Challenge Czech Republic. The bus will be transformed into a mobile coffee house. Actually, Teen Challenge Ireland has such a bus and that inspired and motivated Petr Ministr (the director of TC Czech) to obtain one as well. The bus will be used for outreach purposes: to reach people on the street with coffee, warm soup and a meaningful conversation. 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.

We are still looking for a good bus and currently we do have an option to purchase one. We will keep you informed.

This project does not end with the purchase of a bus, of course,

• We need to take care of all customs forms and paper work
• the tank needs to be filled with diesel
• we need to drive it to the Czech Republic
• and the guys at Teen Challenge, Prague, will have to convert the bus into a coffee house

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped us to raise funds for this project! To be continued....

Fun support

You know what makes us very happy? Supporters that come up with surprising and creative ways to raise funds for Traveling Light. It is both inspiring and encouraging to see how gifts come our way.

Last weekend we were in Vriescheloo, which is all the way in the North-eastern corner of Holland, close to Veelerveen (Teen Challenge Netherlands). We combined a visit to Teen Challenge with a speaking engagement I (Marja) had at a women's function in that town. One of the ladies, Marrie Smit, had made some very beautiful flower arrangements which were auctioned off at the end of the day. The proceeds went to... Traveling Light. Isn't that awesome?

And another surprise...

This week we received an email from friends. They had set up a soccer-pool for the big game Feijenoord-Ajax. Somehow, no one was able to predict the outcome of the game, and they decided to give all the money to Traveling Light. Isn't that cool, or what? Thank you all very much.

Coming up:

• update on our project coffeebus TC Czech
• planned trip to Slowakia
• introducing TC Macedonia

Historic meetings in Israel

The new salon in the women's home

Traveling Light loves to be there when new ideas are being born, when projects are getting launched and when old dreams are being revived. It is at such moments that we have an opportunity to encourage, bless and inspire and often give a financial gift. In doing so we sow seeds in fertile ground and in due time we will see the fruit! Never forget that your gifts are so much more than money; they help to change lives, to build the Kingdom of God and to write history.

So it was with the women's home in Arad, Israel. Director of Teen Challenge Israel, Polly Sigulim, walked around with the dream for a women's home for years, but it took a long time before it came to pass. About three years ago she visited us in our home in Southern California and she shared her dream with us. When we heard her story we knew it would become a reality, one day. This past weekend we looked back at our meeting then, and realized... a lot has happened since she shared her dream with us.

Back porch with playground for kids

About a year ago the Ark in the Negev officially opened. A beautiful home where women (and their children) with life controlling problems are welcome to stay. Not for a few days, but for twelve months. The first year has been difficult for Polly and her staff and volunteers. Several women came and went, but they couldn't make the commitment to stick to the program. Some women even left the program after several months, to go back to their street life. Why? No one knows. But we DO know that God will send the right people at the right time and that the door at the Ark is open.

A gift from the USA made it possible to open up a real beauty salon at the Ark where the women can learn to become a hair dresser. Volunteer Barbara is a certified teacher.

New lounge set & bird cage!

Last year we were able to donate 1,500 euro for the purchase of a lounge set and the repair of the porch cover. No earth shaking gift, maybe not even worth mentioning; but we can say that the money has been used wisely and reaches much further than we can ever imagine. Last weekend we were seated on the new chairs, in the shade, and met with the pastor of a Messianic congregation and a group of Christian Arabs from Nazareth. Together with Polly they are working on a project to improve education among Bedouin tribes in the Negev area. We will share more about this in the near future. When we heard them talk and when we prayed together, we just knew it... something new is being born here. The Holy Spirit is moving and gathering His workers from among all peoples and nations to begin a work that will make history. Dear friends, this is so exciting! This is exactly what we love to be a part of, and through your gifts and prayers you can be part of it too.

Practical help & spiritual encouragement go hand in hand

Jan did several small repairs around the house and on the cars. In the meantime I brainstormed with Polly about some creative ideas that could bring in some money for the Ark. No doubt we will be able to take on a project or two for the Ark. So, keep an eye on this blog.

News items & prayer

Enjoying the shade

Shalom! Greetings from Israel. We are enjoying a shady afternoon on the porch in kibutz Metzer where we are staying with our friends Nahum & Nomi. We can't think of a more enjoyable place right now for relaxation and a little work ;) From here, we just love to share the following news and prayer items with you:

Prayer meeting with Brian & the volunteers

• Yesterday we spent the whole day at the food bank in Netanya, Israel, where we volunteered with Brian Slater. Last year we were able to donate 3,000 euro for the set up of this new food bank. Remember Mara, the little blond 5-year old who baked and sold muffins for this project? Now, we have seen with our own eyes how the new food bank operates, thanks to Brian's hard word, the help of many volunteers and the gifts you provided. The people were lining up outside long before the food bank opened. Brian lets 5 people in at the same time, after they show their welfare ID cards. Then he talks with each person, blesses and comforts them and shares a joke. He truly makes everyone feel comfortable and loved. He uses many languages: Hebrew, Russian, English, Yiddish. Spanish etc. In the meantime we packed hundreds of bags with dry foods and had time to talk with the people, hug them and even pray with Aleksander, who was very said and missed his wife who passed away recently. In the evening we prayed with the whole team for the work being done among these, often poor and lonely, people of Netanya. The group of volunteers that day came from Holland, USA, Uzbekistan, Romania, Cuba  and Norway. Next week we will go and help in the soup kitchen.
• During the 3rd quarter of 2012 we were able to donate (as in the 2nd quarter) more than 1,500 euro towards our project Stepping up 4 Serbia, wow! That is awesome. We recently received a newsletter from Teen Challenge Serbia with two testimonies of changed lives. The work goes on, despite the difficult times. The directors Sasa & Svetlana Ivanovic are very thankful for the help they are getting from Traveling Light. "We feel we can finally see the light at the end of a dark tunnel. God has not forgotten us...", Sasa wrote in a recent email. We hope to meet up with them again at the end of November, during the Teen Challenge Fall leaderships Conference in Slowakia.
• The 5,000 euro for our project Coffee Bus TC Czech Republic is almost in. We have set our eyes on several really GOOD second hand buses, which are must cheaper when purchased in Germany. We are looking for contacts in Germany who can handle the necessary paper work to export such a bus to Czech Republic.
• For our next project we will take you to Macedonia! A country (region) with a strong biblical history. Nowadays a third of the population is muslim and two third Macedonian orthodox. Evangelical christians make up 0,5% of the population. Needless to say this is fertile ground for sharing the good news. We will share more about this, soon!

Practical things to pray for: a spiritual breakthrough at Teen Challenge Serbia, protection for Brian and his family, the purchase of a good bus for TC Czech, wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit in choosing our next projects, more supporters for Traveling Light!

Shared joy is double joy

Marjan showing his new teeth

Now, this is definitely something that makes us really happy... and we hope it will do the same for you! Marjan shows his brand new teeth.

Do you remember that a few months ago we asked for your help, on behalf of one of the graduates in Teen Challenge, Slovenia? Project Teeth for Marjan is one of those things we just LOVE to do at Traveling Light: paying attention to individual people. After a bizarre life of addiction, homelessness and crime Marjan ended up at the doorstep of Teen Challenge, more dead than alive. Eighteen months he stayed in the program at the Dennis Griffith house in Nova Vas, Slovenia where he learned to live, to hope and to dream all over again.

So proud, so happy...

After his graduation from the program, Teen Challenge helped him to go back to work. It was his desire to go to the dentist for some major dental work. Well, we can say that appointment has changed him to the point where we hardly recognized him (look at the old picture one more time to see the difference). In this simple manner we have been able to help someone, who has been rescued from the pit by God, restore his dignity. Part of the bill has been paid by the other men in the program (YEAH!) and the rest, we were able to donate thanks to your gifts. A HEARTFELT THANKS to all of you, on behalf of Marjan.

Helping one person on a world wide scale of pain and suffering... does that make a difference? Yes, it does! Just imagine him being your son, brother,husband, friend or father...

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents [Luke 15:10] 

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.