Sponsoring summer camp Ukraine

A few weeks ago we announced our project summer camp Ukraine 2012 on this blog. Each year the camp is being organized by Teen Challenge Ukraine in cooperation with a Messianic Jewish congregation. A gift of 20 euro (about $25) was enough to pay for one person to attend the summer camp.

We are delighted to announce that we were able to donate 240 euro towards this camp. It may not seem like a large amount according to western standards, but when converted to human lives.... it means that, thanks to your help and generosity, we were able to pay for 12 people to attend summer camp.

Most of them are men and women who are currently living in Christian drugs- and alcohol rehabilitation homes all over the Ukraine. They have never been on vacation before and having fun and fellowship is a real blessing for them.

The photo's show how much fun they are having this week and how the love of Christ is able to change any man or woman! Maybe this was not a grand, earth chattering project, but it was certainly one with eternal impact. Wow, just seeing these pictures makes us very happy. Thank you so much for helping us.

PS: In August there will be another summer camp in Ukraine, so it is still possible to donate. Please make your gift payable to:

St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht, The Netherlands
Rabobank nr. 1185 82 275
IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275
BIC: RABONL2U
Make sure to mention: UKRAINE SUMMER CAMP

TC Netherlands, De Spetse Hoeve

Information stand Teen Challenge Netherlands

Traveling Light offers more than financial support to ministries in need. We will also try to offer practical help, but most of all spiritual encouragement. 

A few weeks back we celebrated Pentecost, which is a public holiday in Holland, with more than 50.000 people during a four day festival. We took turns volunteering at the Teen Challenge stand, which could be found in the world expo tent where hundreds of non-profits and organisations presented their work. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people came by to ask information, to pick up the news letter from Teen Challenge Netherlands or just to share their testimony. Many young people asked interesting questions, like: 'can I get addicted to my phone or the internet?' and 'How do I know when I am addicted?' etc.

Jan talks with a young boy about the danger of addiction

The questions were not only about alcohol and drugs, but often about gaming, chatting and messaging. We had many good conversations, sometimes quite moving... as with the little boy you see in the picture.

Saturday September 8th, 2012 the Spetse Hoeve is organizing an open house. Everyone is welcome. From 11 am until 5 pm you will be able to see the property, to enjoy a good bbq, to browse our info stand and sales stands and talk with many friends and supporters. There will be games for kids as well, so bring the family!

It would be great if we were able to hand them a cheque for 3,500 euro for the purchase of a new (second hand) passenger van. We still need about 2,000 euro to reach that goal. We have received the question why De Spetse Hoeve doesn't get more financial support from the government. Well, the answer is simple: because evangelism & dicipleship is part of their program, the government cannot support it. They do get a subsidized amount per student, but that is not enough to keep the program running., so please help!

Result of your gifts

Last April Traveling Light was able to donate 2,500 euro to Teen Challenge Ukraine. The money was used for the organization of their annual conference in Kiev. Leaders, staff, students, volunteers, pastors and counselors... anyone connected with Christian rehabilitation programs was welcome. About 200 people from Ukraine, Russia, Kazachstan, USA and Holland (that was us!) attended the conference. How awesome that we were able to support this important work.

The Teen Challenge team made a short video about the conference, so you all can see what your donations have accomplished. Thank you very much everyone for your faithful support and prayers.

News & Prayer

Poster Serbia Conference

Next week Jan is planning to go to Slovenia and Serbia. Pastor Steve Telzerow from Ljublijana invited him to come to the My Brother's Keeper Conference which will be held in Serbia this year. Hundreds of men from all former Yugoslavian countries will come together for prayer, forgiveness and reconciliation.  This will certainly be an interesting event. Please, pray for a safe journey, but most of all that people will be touched by the love of God. We found a short message on Youtube about the upcoming conference, by  Nik Vujičić. You will find it at the end of this post, click to watch.

Last week there was a nice article in our local newspaper about  Teen Challenge Serbia and our efforts to help them. You can find the article HERE, try Google translate and see if you can make sense of it :) We hope that local media coverage like this will bring in new supporters!

Bible study group at summer camp

From June 25-29 2012, Teen Challenge Ukraine, together with a local Jewish Messianic Congregation, organizes their annual summer camp for people from rehab centers all over Ukraine. Men, women, children, everyone is welcome. For many of them it will be the first time to go on a summer camp and have fun. They offer Bible studies, music, games, sports and good, safe fellowship. Let us pray that many hearts will be touched during this week and that many wounds from the past will be healed. For a gift of $25 you can send one person to the summer camp where they will have the time of their life.You can send your donation to:

Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275 St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht, the Netherlands

IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275

BIC: RABONL2U

For those in the USA, you can donate HERE.

Make sure to mention: Ukraine summer camp

Last week we heard that the two mini vans that belong to Teen Challenge, the Spetse Hoeve in Groningen (Netherlands) broke down. Ouch! That makes our Project Passenger Van all the more urgent. There simply is no extra money to pay for new vans. That is why they have asked for our help. The gifts thermometer currently stands at 1,300 euro. We want to bless them with a gift of 3,500 euro. Without your faithful and generous support we cannot do this.

New beds for Teen Challenge Slovenia

Dejan & Renata

This past April we visited Teen Challenge Slovenia, we went to see the Dennis Griffith House in Nova Vas, a residential program for men with life controlling issues. When the house opened in October 2010 they received some military cots along with blankets from the Red Cross, which was great. But as time passed, some of the cots fell apart and the guys were in need of new beds. Staff member Dejan, who used to struggle with addiction himself, contacted his family. His father and brother own and operate a small wood work shop in the Slovenian Alps.

By the way, if you take a look at the picture of Dejan and his wife Renata and daughter Bianca, it is hard to believe that at some point he had lost hope. It is hard to believe that most people did not believe he had a future. He is living proof that with God all things are possible! His life is one of the many reasons why we sponsor Teen Challenge programs. Each human life is precious and it gives us great joy to see lives restored.

Jan & Dejan at the wood workshop

Anyway, Dejan's dad and brother made new beds for the Dennis Griffith House. We drove up to the mountain village where they live to visit them and to see the work shop. The beds are custom made, beautiful old fashioned quality that is hard to find nowadays. They will last a long time, no doubt. We decided to help Teen Challenge Slovenia to pay the bill for the new beds. They were 650 euro short of the total bill. We have donated that amount last week. Thank you everyone for your faithful gifts. By the way, Jan is planning to go to Slovenia again later this month.

Dorm room with the new beds!

We just LOVE practical projects such as this one. It is even better when local businesses can benefit as well. The men in the program (who sometimes slept on the streets for years) are happy with the new beds and Dejan's family did a great job.

Don't forget our current projects:
* We need 3,500 euro for the purchase of a passenger van for Teen Challenge Netherlands
* For 20 euro (25 dollar) you can send someone in Ukraine to summer camp

Project summer camp Ukraine 2012

Bible studies for new believers

Greetings from Sergey and Mariana Glushko from Teen Challenge Ukraine. Last month, when we were at their house in Kiev, they asked us if we were willing to help them raise finances for their summer camp 2012.

Each year they organize a summer camp for people from rehabilitation centers all over Ukraine. Staff and students alike will be able to enjoy a week of fun, camping, friendship, Bible study, games and music. The cost to go on this summer camp is about 20 euro (or $25) per person, for the whole week! 

Games and fun!

We looked at the photo's from last year's camp and were touched... what an opportunity for men and women from all walks of life to come together and experience fellowship. Most of them have never been on vacation, have never been to a summer camp and have never played games. Of course we want to help!

The camp is for people who are in drugs and alcohol rehabilitation, who have already, seriously decided to start a new life. This summer camp will be the time of their life. For 20 euro (25 dollar) you can send one person to the upcoming summer camp. Just imagine how much joy that will bring! If you want to help, please send in your gift as soon as possible, the camp will be from June 25-29 2012.

Feeding more than 170 people

You can send your donation to

Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275 St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht, the Netherlands

IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275

BIC: RABONL2U

For those of you in the USA, you can donate HERE.

Make sure to mention: Ukraine summer camp

You can read more on the Facebook page.

By the way, make sure to watch this short video about last year's camp. It is spoken in Russian, sorry, no translation available. But just looking at the film will give you a pretty good idea about this camp. Click on the little red video picture for the film to start.

We just LOVE this initiative! We hope you love it too.

Project Passenger Van for the Spetse Hoeve

Residential program the Spetse Hoeve, Groningen

For our next project we will stay in Holland. You probably remember we donated 2,500 euro last year for a new fire safety installation at the Spetse Hoeve in Groningen, The Netherlands. The Spetse Hoeve is a men's rehabilitation home from Teen Challenge. At that time you overwhelmed us with gifts, so we are not hesitant to ask again :)

At the moment the guys at the Spetse Hoeve have some financial challenges. First of all they discovered termites in the farm, it will cost a few thousand euro's to get rid of these insects. Second, they are in dire need of a new (second hand) nine person passenger van. Jan is helping them to find one online, we expect the cost to be around 7,000 euro. That money is simply not available, so we decided to give 'm an helping hand. We want  to raise 3,500 euro towards the purchase of this van. We hope and pray you will help us!

Jan at work on one of the vans

Check out the website of the Spetse Hoeve and see if you can use Google translate if you want to learn more about the work on the farm. Men from all kind of backgrounds and situations are living and working there, while they overcome their addictions. Most of all: they will get to know the love of the Heavenly Father! The change in their lives has a powerful and healing effect on their families as well, which is awesome of course.

If you like to give towards this project, please send your donation to:
Traveling Light, Papendrecht, the Netherlands

Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275

IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275

BIC: RABONL2U

4,500 euro for Raskrsce Teen Challenge, Serbia!

11 women are living in this beautiful home

Hooray, hooray! The 4,500 euro for Raskrsce Teen Challenge, Serbia came in. We are delighted and honored to be able to support this ministry in Serbia. They are currently struggling financially, and with this gift we want to help them to pay off some of the bills. In the meantime they are looking for sponsors and for new ways to generate some income.

Living room in the women's house

Besides the donations for this one time gift we still receive emails from people (from different countries!) who want to be a temporary sponsor on a monthly basis. Originally we had the plan to look for 50 sponsors donating $100 a month. But it turned out this amount is too high for many people. Some want to help with 30, 50 or 70 dollars, which is awesome of course! So, we have decided that every amount for monthly sponsorship is welcome. After all it is not for us to decide how much you will give, that's between the Lord and yourselves :)

So, the teller on the top of this weblog is gone, we will keep you updated through this blog on what's going on. And who knows, we will get more than 50 sponsors. Send us an email if you still want to help. We will collect the donations and send Raskrsce Teen Challenge a monthly gift as long as support keeps coming in. THANK YOU all for your support and prayers! You can make your prayers practical by printing a map of Serbia, of the Novi Sad area, and ask the Lord for our Christian family to expand! 

PS: We still need 650 euro for the new beds in the men's home in Slovenia, we'll post some more on that soon. Our next project will be Teen Challenge Netherlands, they are in desperate need of a 9 passenger van. More on that in our next post. The coming days we will be at the Transformation Conference in Ludwigslust, Germany, where we will give workshops on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. A report will follow when we get back.

Visit to Gutes Land, Germany

Bright colors in the after care house

We owe you a few photo's from our recent visit to Teen Challenge Gutes Land, Germany. From Novi Sad, Serbia, it was almost 1000 km to Vilsbiburg... a beautiful drive past Budapest and Vienna into Germany.

We were welcomed warmly in Gutes Land. Sunday morning we went to church in Landshut. In the afternoon Meike showed us the new after care house that they are currently building and we took some photo's. At the moment there are three men in the program who are almost ready to graduate. They are preparing to take the next step: independent living, but still having the safety of Teen Challenge nearby. The guys already picked their rooms :) The 5.000 euro we were able to donate is being used to further complete the construction of this house. The men are really looking forward to have their own beautiful room in a safe environment!

Professional workmanship

In the evening we had time to talk and catch up on the latest happenings. We played board games with the men, Jan went for a run with Dirk and later that night we took some time to pray with each other and bless each other. As always we noticed how demanding, yet rewarding, the work in a rehabilitation home can be. Both staff and students need encouragement, all the time. We are always happy to bring some!

Monday morning, before we were heading back home to Holland, Jan shared a word from the Bible and we had the chance to pray with each man personally. That was very special, because we prayed in different languages: German, English, Dutch. They were short and simple prayers. But you know, sometimes we don't need a

Bible study under the sun!

lot of words, sometimes a hug says it all!

Queensday Fundraiser

Happy faces at the Traveling Light booth

Every year on April 30th Holland celebrates the birthday of Queen Beatrix with all kinds of festivities. Every city and town has a free market, kind of like a yard sale, where people can buy and sell stuff.

Our friend and faithful supporter Cora Donk had the idea to have a sale for the benefit of Traveling Light. While we were traveling and visiting various projects in Southern Europe, she brought together a team of family, friends and neighbors to help her. As you can see in the pictures it was a beautiful and colorful day; orange is the color of our royal family. Red, white and blue the colors of our flag.

Erica behind the booth

Together they raised 330 euro for Traveling Light and it needs no further explanation that we are really thankful for such supporters. They talked to hundreds of people, handed out flyers, received donations and sold most of the second hand goods in their booth. We really want to thank:

• Cora Donk for organizing this event,
• Ton Swart, for printing flyers
• Erica Swart for running the booth all day
• Catharina & Zita for lending us a clothes rack
• Krijn Donk for raising the amount to 400 euro!
• Everyone for donating stuff and for visiting the booth

All the proceeds will go towards our current project: Raskrsce Teen Challenge, Serbia. For various reasons they got behind on paying some of the bills and we offered to help them to pay the utility bills of the men's and women's center, so the centers can stay open.