Project Ljubljana, Slovenia

As we are nearing the end of 2011, we would like to introduce you to Steve and Barbara Telzerow, the people behind our next project. They are the pastors of the International Christian Fellowship (ICF) in Ljubljana, Slovenia and faithful supporters of Teen Challenge Izhod, Slovenia.

We have met them on several occasions over the past few years and visited their church. The International Christian Fellowship or Mednarodna krščanska skupnost (hey, try to pronounce that without hesitating) was born about 13 years ago in a prayer meeting and currently meets in a rental building in Ljubljana. Although the church is small, they have a great vision for the future of Slovenia. Last year they organized a nationwide outreach with evangelist Nick Vujicic. Nearly 17.000 people attended the events in that week. Many churches came together and worked in unity. Our friends Matjaz & Magdalena Horjak were hosts of the event in the city of Koper and we were just thrilled to hear their stories and we agreed with them that this had to be the first of many events to come. Slovenia 4 Jesus, yes! We just love it when people have a heart for evangelism. Together we can reach a person, a street, a town, a country... yes, the whole world, with the Good News.

The idea began to grow to sow our seeds into the ministry of ICF. When we e-mailed pastor Steve to ask if he had any needs we could help him with, he was greatly surprised. He wrote: “Thank you so much for your letter. It was extremely encouraging to receive. I deeply appreciate you asking about our needs. It has come as a great surprise. I am very rarely asked that question. Thank You.”

Well, being an encouragement to believers; that is certainly our goal! To make a long story short; we desire to raise € 2,500 for Steve and Barbara and ICF. The money will be used to purchase heating fuel for their house, to pay the expenses of a women’s conference they recently helped organize and to support a children’s bible club among gypsy children, which is really exciting. Hey, wouldn’t it be great to be a part of revival in Slovenia? Let’s sow our seed in fertile soil. Let's encourage one another.

For more on the event with Nick,see also: http://nickvujicic.si/odmevi.html

2,500 euro for The Spetse Hoeve, Holland!

Hooray, we're celebrating again here at Traveling Light. We have reached another goal: 2,500 euro's for Teen Challenge The Spetse Hoeve in Groningen came in, thanks to the faithful and often surprising donations from our supporters.

Thank you very much; we are very grateful for all of you who helped us to reach this goal, one way or another... whether through your prayers, your encouraging words or your donations. The money will be used to bring the fire safety system in the old farm up to code. We are happy to help 'm pay the bill :)

Things are going very well at Teen Challenge, the Spetse Hoeve. Seven men graduated last summer and there are currently 13 men in the program, all being set free from addictions and becoming disciples of Jesus Christ!

New website Ark in the Negev

One of the projects in Israel we have sponsored and will continue to sponsor and pray for is the recently opened women's home, Ark in the Negev, in Arad. It operates under the flag of Teen Challenge and we are so honored to be able to introduce this ministry to our supporters in Holland and beyond.

When Polly Sigulim told us a few years ago about her dream to open a center for abused and addicted women (and their children) in Israel, we were thrilled. It took her a lot of work and patience before the center became a reality. We here at Traveling Light are excited that we were able to sow our seed into this ministry and we can only hope and pray we will have many more opportunities to give and so be part of this wonderful work in Israel. We can only do this with the help of your faithful donations, for which we are truly grateful.

You know what is so cool about being part of the Teen Challenge family? We can help each other, worldwide. One of these weeks a team from Teen Challenge Czech Republic will go to the center in Israel for some maintenance and repairs. Is that a blessing for the ladies or what?!

The center has now a web site too, please feel free to check it out at Ark in the Negev.

PS: The gifts thermometer for our project The Spetse Hoeve, Teen Challenge Netherlands has risen to 2,400 euros, only 100 more to go and together we have reached another goal! Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who gave.

Greetings from Slovenia

Staff member Dejan & a student happy with the saw!

About a month ago Traveling Light donated 2,250 euro's (about 3,000 dollars) to Teen Challenge Izhod, Slovenia. The money was needed to purchase firewood and a chainsaw in preparation for the coming winter.

Last week we received a thank you note from Matjaz and Magdalena Horjak as well as some photo's. We just LOVE to share it on this blog, so you all know where the money goes. And besides that... who doesn't want to see such happy faces?

Dear friends,

You, who have donated your financial gifts to TC ministry in Slovenia through Travelling Light thank you sooo much! We really appreciate your help, which enabled us to get wood for the whole winter and a chainsaw to cut it. Thank you for being a part of a ministry which helps to restore broken lifes. Thanks to you we will enjoy a warm winter. :-) We are truly overwhelmed by your compassion and a heart to give. 

Truck load of firewood

May God bless you abundantly in all areas of your life!

In His love 

Matjaž & Magdalena Horjak + TC team

Update project Spetse Hoeve

We barely announced our new project The Spetse Hoeve, Groningen, or donations started rolling in :) Wow, the gifts thermometer rose to 2,050 euro's in just a few days, that is so awesome.

Our goal is to raise 2,500 euro's needed to pay the recent fire safety bill that was presented after inspection. They will need to purchase new fire extinguishers, fire alarms, camera's and cables, an AID and some other emergency equipment.

Together with Stephan Barendse, the director of the Spetse Hoeve and Teen Challenge Holland, we also came up with a way to bless the guys in the program personally. Each time a student enters the program they receive a pocket New Testament. For many that is the first time they read the good news. After a few months in the program the men receive their own Bible. A good quality Bible costs around 50 euro's. If the Lord puts it on your heart to purchase a Bible for one of the students in the program, you can do so by sending a special gift of 50 euro's to Traveling Light. Make sure you mention 'Spetse Hoeve Bible'. 

Visit Netanya, Israel

During our stay in Israel we not only visited the women's home in Arad, but the new food pantry in Netanya as well. We also volunteered at the existing soup kitchen in Netanya, which takes place every Monday at Beit-Asaph Congregation. When they open their doors many people (some elderly, some single moms, some low income) can come in for a free hot meal, groceries and clothes. Below are some pics we took:

Collecting donated food for the soup kitchen

Lunch with Brian Slater and the volunteers of that day

Sorting, folding and displaying 2-hand clothes

New, to be opened, food pantry in Netanya

Presenting the cheque from Traveling Light

Many thanks, also from Brian Slater, for giving generously for this project. Oh yes, there is another cool photo we want to share with you... in the soup kitchen and food pantry there is always a book table with bibles and other mateial. Since it is forbidden in Israel to evangelize to Jewish/Muslim people, there is a sign at the book table that says 'free to take'. In that way material is not being hand out, but people take it home by choice and that is okay! We found some beautiful bibles there, like this one:

Old and New Testament in Hebrew and Arabic!

While Jan served the people their meal, I had the opportunity to pray with several older people for physical ailments. So much joy was released that two elderly ladies started to shout and sing. It was awesome, God is so good!

Project Spetse Hoeve, Groningen

In the first months since the founding of our non profit organisation, we have been able to financially, practically and/or spiritually support projects/churches in Ukraine, Germany, Israel and Slovenia. It is our goal to stay in contact with the people behind these projects as much as we can.

Stephan & Marianne Barendse

The next project we would like to introduce to you is one in our own country, Holland! As some of you may know, we have good contacts with Stephan and Marianne Barendse from the Spetse Hoeve. A home where men with all kinds of life controlling problems are welcome. The Spetse Hoeve operates under the flag of Teen Challenge and they offer personal as well as group studies and work projects. Stephan & Marianne exchanged their city life in the heart of Amsterdam for a life in rural Groningen, the north eastern corner of Holland. We greatly admire their choice and courage. The Spetse Hoeve has a wood workshop, a vegetable garden, a green house, a  second hand store and a bicycle repair shop.

Teen Challenge Spetse Hoeve

While we were in Israel we had a pleasant talk via Skype with Stephan, the director of Teen Challenge Netherlands, and a few things surfaced that are of interest for our organisation. After a recent visit from the fire department the Spetse Hoeve received a list of things to do in order to keep up with the current regulations. They will need to purchase new fire extinguishers, fire alarms, camera's and cables, an AID and some other emergency equipment. A hefty bill of 6000 euro's! The day Stephan contacted us through Skype was a good day, because they had just received a 3500 euro gift from World Challenge. So... where does that put us? We believe we can raise the other 2,500 euro needed to pay this fire safety bill. We hope you will believe with us.

Is there a better investment than the investment in human lives? What it it were your brother, son, father or husband who needed the help of a rehabilitation program like Teen Challenge? Every life is important, every life counts, every life is valuable. Men's lives will be forever changed in the Spetse Hoeve, and so their families will be forever changed. There is no greater joy!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[Matthew 6:19-21]

2,250 euro for Teen Challenge, Slovenia!

It's time to celebrate again here at Traveling Light. Oh, how we love to bring good news: the 2,250 euro (3,000 dollars) for Teen Challenge Izhod, Slovenia came in, thanks to your generosity.

The money will mainly be used to purchase a good chainsaw as well as heating fuel for the coming winter. It is just awesome that we are able to help our friends in Slovenia in this simple and practical way. Let's pray that this coming winter there will be homeless and addicted men who decide to seriously turn away from the lifestyle that is slowly destroying their future and that they will enter through the doors of Teen Challenge.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made this possible!

Visit to Arad, Israel

Women's home Ark of the Negev

While on vacation in Israel, we visited the women's home, Ark in the Negev, In Arad, Israel. Our organisation has been able to donate 1,500 euro's (7,500 NIS) towards this project in Israel and we were honored to visit the house last weekend.

Arad is a desert town, high above the Dead Sea, not too far from Be'er Sheeva. The house is tucked away in a quiet street overlooking the Negev desert. We met with several of the volunteers who are living there at the moment and who will be functioning as house mothers once the first guests will arrive. How wonderful it is to be able to provide a safe house for women and children!

New patio furniture

We were shown around the house, which looks cute as a button. All walls are freshly painted, the rooms clean and orderly with new beds and furniture (a gift from Operation Blessing, the 700 club). Others donated a washing machine and some potted plants for the front yard. 

We shared a wonderful meal together and talked and talked.... We also prayed together for the future of this house and everyone who will enter through the doors. And you know what was so great about the meal we had? Here we were, Jew, Arab and Christian, all with different backgrounds, but united in the name of Jesus!

PS: the gifts thermometer for Teen Challenge Izhod, Slovenia has risen to 2,100 euro's!

Update on Slovenia project

Last Monday we announced our new project: Teen Challenge Izhod, Slovenia. We will be raising 3,000 dollars (or approx. 2,250 euro's)  for the men's center in Nova Vas. They will need this for heating fuel and the purchase of a chain saw (600 euro's).

The gifts thermometer rose this week from zero to 1,300 euro's, which is awesome! We transferred the money for the chain saw, so they can get to work, chopping trees,  before winter comes. Thanks everyone, for helping others, your gifts are greatly appreciated.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

[2 Corinthians 9:7]