Photo project passenger van Spetse Hoeve

We owe you a picture of the passenger van that men's rehabilitation center the Spetse Hoeve  (Teen Challenge Netherlands) purchased, thanks to your generous donations. Here it is!

Last year we raised 3,500 euro for project passenger van the Spetse Hoeve in the Netherlands. At first we started looking for a nine passenger van, but the prices were simply not within the budget. Finally they decided on this seven passenger Volkswagen in mint condition. A beauty, isn't it?

The goal of Teen Challenge Netherlands is to win people (not just addicts) for Jesus Christ and to help them to integrate with a local church. This goal is four-part:

• Reaching un-churched youth with the gospel
• Reaching people with life controlling problems (such as addictions)
• Reaching people where they are; building bridges between the street life and the churches
• Discipling (young) people in their desire to follow Jesus

Teen Challenge Netherlands has a men's rehabilitation home, the Spetse Hoeve, in Veerleveen  (Groningen) that offers space for 15 students/clients. Currently there are plans to open a women's home in the province of North-Holland.

On June 15th there will be another Open House at the Spetse Hoeve. So, if you are living not too far from there, you're very welcome to come and have a look at the work of Teen Challenge Netherlands.

If you know of any people struggling with addiction or having a desire to start youth ministry in their church, please send them the link to the Teen Challenge website. It contains a huge amount of information.

Background information project Casa Shalom, Italy

Communal kitchen in Maria's house

As promised some photo's and a bit of background information about the people behind project casa Shalom in Italy. We are currently raising 5,000 euro for this Christian Therapeutic Community in the hills of Tuscany. The money will be used for the renovation and upgrading of several buildings. The community can only exist thanks to donations and the sale of produce.

This past February we visited Comunita Brezzano (as it is officially named) upon request of Maria Meier. She is the director of the work and the people. Her long time staff member and helper is Boris, a Jewish tailor from Odessa.

Staff member Boris

Boris grew up in the Ukraine, became addicted to heroine en finally decided to make aliyah to Israel. But his problems came along, it didn't take him long to find heroin in Israel. He ended up in deep trouble and asked for asylum in Canada. Again, he tried to escape his problems.

Canada did send him back to Israel and there he came in contact with messianic believers and he got to know the Jewish Messiah. Through a pastor he ended up at Maria's place in Italy where he slowly received healing of his addiction, hurts and wounds.

Living room in casa Nuova

He has been living and working there for ten years now. He works the land, prunes the trees, sheers the sheep and lives in Casa Nuova where he is like a father to the new guys that come in.

Angelo was such a guy coming in. He was totally strung out on drugs and alcohol. His addiction was not only destroying him, but also his young family. He came to Maria through the mission-work of Cristo é la Risposta. Angelo grew up in Southern Italy, in Naples, and later moved to Tuscany.

Angelo

Thank God for a place like Comunita Brezzano, where he felt welcome. Through many trials and errors he is finally walking the road with God and he made a new start with his wife and children. He works part time for Maria in the community and he is an expert woodworker and carpenter.

At this moment Maria houses an abused woman from Macedonia and, again, a man from Israel. We mention this, just to show you that everyone with life controlling problems who is willing to change is welcome in Comunita Brezzano. A place where they will encounter the love of the heavenly Father.

Casa Shalom

Such small scale work often seems a drop in the ocean, yet... we met with the mother of Andrea (her only child) and to her Comunita Brezzano was an answered prayer. She got her son, who was lost, back! And that touches our heart deeply. 

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...

[Mattew 25:35]

Photo's project playground Tetovo, Macedonia

Material and man power

Traveling Light loves to sponsor small scale projects. We believe and know that with relatively little money effective and useful work can be done. The projects are well defined, the responsibility manageable and there is no overhead; all money goes to the projects. That is exactly what supporters need to hear, right?

Jordan looking so happy and proud

This past week a group of volunteers worked very hard to set up a playground in the city of Tetovo, Macedonia. We were able to help them with a gift of 1,000 euro. Jordan Stoilov initiated this project and he hopes that this kind of practical work will help in building better relationships with the inhabitants of the city. The majority of the people are Muslims of Albanian descent. The unemployment rate is sky high and the overall mood is grim. He shines his light!

The children can't wait

The photo's clearly show that the kids in the neighborhood could hardly wait for the playground to be finished. They hung around all day waiting for the guys to finish. At the Facebook page of The Bridge (the coffee house that Jordan opened last year) you can find many more photo's. Besides the establishing of a playground the team also renovated the steps that lead up to the bridge over the river. So, this part of town is going to look nicer and nicer.

This is being noticed by inhabitants as well as the city council. Please pray with us for more open doors for Jordan to do his outreach work.

Next month Jan and one of our volunteers (Krijn Donk) will fly to Macedonia for a few days, they will certainly visit Jordan.

Repairing the steps to the bridge

Thank you very much for your gifts. It is awesome to see how fast this project became a reality. If you know any people, churches or businesses who would like to sponsor projects like this, please tell them about Traveling Light... we are always welcoming new supporters.

Spread the news!

Project Casa Shalom, Italy

Maria Meier

We are happy to introduce you to Maria Meier, a widow of German descent, who has lived in Italy for years. This past February we visited her in the mountains of Tuscany and we were very much impressed with the work she does. She gave up her life to help those in need. Her house is truly a refuge!

Maria helps people with life controlling problems, whether addictions, mental, social or psychological disorders. It is possible to come to this Christian therapeutic community (Comunita Brezzano, a Swiss non-profit) for a short or long term stay and work on the land. The sheep, chickens, olive trees, vegetable garden, grape vines and maintenance of the houses and grounds provide enough work to stay busy. The group is small, most of the time no more than 3 or 4 people.

This community is a member of the Evangelical Alliance in Italy and the Association of Christian Life Support in Switzerland. They are also connected with the Messianic movement. Maria has a big heart for the Jewish people and she regularly receives people in need, from Israel, into her community. When we visited many languages were spoken (Italian, German, English, Hebrew and Russian).

Marmalade kitchen

The rehabilitation work in this community, three homes, is being financed through donations. Maria lives with her two grown children in one house. This is also the communal kitchen and the place where she shelters troubled women. Next to this house a new small building is being constructed: a marmalade kitchen. The sale of biological jam brings in some money, but the production has to comply with European Hygiene standards. So, a separate work and bottling kitchen is being erected.

Casa Shalom

Another home is Casa Nuova, a little bit further up in the mountains. Staff member Boris lives and works there and shelters men with various problems. The third house is called Casa Shalom. This house is even higher on a hill and it is rented out as a guesthouse to families and church groups. This brings in some income as well. All three houses are old, authentic Tuscan homes, beautiful of course, but always in need of maintenance, renovation and upgrading according to European safety standards.

Currently they are working on finishing the marmalade kitchen and on upgrading Casa Shalom. Quite a financial burden. We believe it will bless and encourage Maria when we help her with a gift of 5,000 euro. Are you willing to help too?

PS: In one of the following blog posts we will share some more photo's and testimonies.

News & prayer

It is time again for some news, updates and prayer points. Read along and, please, tell others about us. Share, Like, Tweet and Favor our blog posts. With your help we can do so much more.

Jordan Stoilov

Hooray! The 1,000 euro for Project Playground Tetovo, Macedonia, came in. This means Jordan Stoilov can continue to plan this event (with the help of the evangelical church in Shtip). We will keep email contact with him and as soon as there is any news or pictures we will share it on this weblog. Please pray for Jordan that he may experience the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And in the meantime: thank you all for your gifts. Oh yes; Jan and one of our volunteers (Krijn Donk) are planning to visit Jordan some time in June.

Waiting for the sun :)

The flea market sales on April 30th (Queens, or should I now say Kingsday in the Netherlands) were good for a total of 625 euro, all for Traveling Light. Awesome! It was a wonderful day, lots of fun, and thanks to a group of faithful and hard working volunteers we were able to sell lots of stuff and tell many people about the work of Traveling Light. Please, continue to pray for new supporters.

At Teen Challenge Sered, Slovakia

Last week we made a short trip around Europe. After the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Prague we visited Teen Challenge Slovakia. They are working hard on constructing the prayer chapel, which will be named the David Wilkerson Memorial Chapel. Did you all know that David's mother was born in Slovakia? What a tribute. She probably never expected the calling of her son to turn into a worldwide network of christian rehabilitation programs... yes, even in her country of birth Slovakia! We'll show some more pictures on this blog soon.

Comunita Brezzano, Italy

Our next project will be in Italy. We will share a bit about the work of Maria Meier, a widow who lives in Comunita Brezzano, where she offers a home and help for people with life threatening problems, especially people from Israel.We visited her last February and we were impressed with the hard work and love she shows the people that the Lord sends her. She offers amazing practical help. Well.... more about that in our next post.

If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight..... [Isaiah 58:10, The Message]

Photo's Coffee bus Teen Challenge Czech

TC Director Petr Ministr and Jan: very happy with the bus

Well, here it is.... the mobile coffee bus of Teen Challenge Czech Republic. Your gifts made it possible to purchase and upgrade this camper. The outreach team of Teen Challenge Czech will go into the streets of Prague to connect and share the good news with the homeless, the addicts and the prostitutes.

Last week we visited the Teen Challenge center in Czech Republic. The men's rehabilitation home is just outside the city of Prague in a beautiful 12th century, former monastery. One of the buildings on the premises has recently been converted into a women's home. About eight women live there now in safety. Thank God! We were also pleasantly surprised to finally see the new coffee bus. Wow, what an eye catcher. This will certainly attract the attention of many people.

praying for the outreach work

Inside the coffee bus are two seating areas, a kitchen and bathroom and outside, under the awning, two tables and chairs will be placed as well. Enough room to invite people for coffee, a copy of the book The Cross and the Switchblade and counseling. By the way, we were visiting Prague to attend the annual Europe Teen Challenge Conference. Staff members, volunteers, students and graduates from more than thirty countries came together to connect and to be encouraged.

Curious crowd around the coffee bus

With a big, international group we walked around the coffee bus and prayed: that many people will be reached with the good news that a new life is possible in Jesus Christ. Such powerful and effective prayers. We were also happy to see our donations so effectively put to work. If you're ever in Prague, look for this bus!

The coffee bus project is a good example of a practical, small scale project that will have great impact. Who knows how many people in need will be reached this way. It is our desire to continue to sponsor these kind of projects and in this way to shine our light in dark corners all over Europe. More supporters means: more projects, more countries, more people.... Not necessarily bigger projects, but certainly more projects.

We were able to donate 6.500 euro towards this project

Thank you very much for your support. Please, tell your family, friends and co-workers about the work of Traveling Light. Show them our website or Facebook page. We would love to welcome new sponsors and good ideas. 

Within Europe make gifts payable to:
Rabo bank nr. 1185 82 275
IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275
BIC: RABONL2U

Project Playground Tetovo, Macedonia

Jordan, Vesna and Jakov Stoilovi

For our next project we will take you to Macedonia again. This time to a city in the north, called Tetovo, where Jordan Stoilovi lives with his wife Vesna and little son Jakov.

This past January we visited Jordan in his coffeehouse The Bridge. A place where people can come and talk, have coffee and follow Bible studies. The population in Tetovo is predominantly from Albanian descent and about 83% of the people are Muslim. In one of next blog posts we will share part of Jordan's testimony. He has an incredible story to tell!

The Bridge Center, Tetovo

Jordan desires to let the light of Jesus shine in his town and well in a very practical way. He wants to do so by cleaning up public parks and places in the city. Last year he did a project with the help of a team of volunteers from England; they painted a bridge and cleaned up the area around it. Just watch this film on Youtube, it is very inspiring! The painting of the bridge created a lot of curiosity among the locals, a great opportunity to make new friends, talk with people and pray with those in need.

Jordan's plan for this spring is to fix up a small park near that same bridge and to create a children's playground. He has received a permission from the municipality to place some tables and benches and toys there. He has asked for helping hands among his friends and he has even managed to raise some funds. Jordan still needs 1,000 euro for the realisation of this project. We would just love to help him out!

If all goes according to plan he will start this project in the second week of May. We won't be able to go there to help him, because we have planned a visit to Ludwigslust, Germany in the same week. We will however try to plan a visit very soon. For now, we can all offer our support by donating towards this project. We are looking forward to your gifts!

Start construction chapel Teen Challenge Slovakia

Construction prayer chapel has started!

A few months ago we donated 2,500 euro to Teen Challenge Slovakia. That money was  designated for the building of a chapel at the Teen Challenge grounds in Sered, where there is a men's rehabilitation home.

Well, they have made a start with the construction. Teen Challenge Slovakia opened a special page on Facebook where you can follow the building process (even if you don't have a FB account). They have already posted several great photo's showing the preparations, for example the removing of an old structure. By the way, the chapel will be called David Wilkerson Chapel, after the founder of Teen Challenge.

You can help and encourage the guys by visiting the David Wilkerson Chapel Page, and if you have a Facebook account you can leave a comment and clicki on LIKE of course. The construction of the chapel is a great work project: the guys in the program are helping! We hope to support them again, later on in this construction process, with a financial gift, so keep an eye on this weblog as well.

Isn't it wonderful to see how our gifts are being used? Once the chapel is finished, you will all be able to say: 'wow, I contributed to the realization of this prayer house...'

PS: we are about halfway our desired goal for Project VW Sharan Europe Teen Challenge. We want to get them going (literally) as well!

Thank you note from Israel

Every now and then we post thank you notes on this weblog. We receive all kinds of cards, emails and Facebook notes from the people behind the projects we sponsor. We love to share their thankfulness with you of course, because we believe that after donating to a project it is nice and encouraging to get positive feedback.

So, here's a note from pastor Israel Pochtar from Ashdod, Israel. Thanks to your quick response we were able to donate 2,000 euro for their sister congregation in Kiryat Gat. They had major damage to their building after someone threw a molotov cocktail inside.

Shalom

I was touched by your generosity, thank you and to your organisation for this support.

Your gift and prayers are helping us to continue share the word with people of Israel even in the middle of difficulties that we face now.

Blessings

This is how simple and direct we can offer a helping hand, and this is how sinple and direct we want to keep it.

Project VW Sharan Europe Teen Challenge

Tom & Terry Bremer

A few weeks ago we received an email from Tom Bremer. He is the director of Europe Teen Challenge, ETC for short. Tom and his wife Terry are the driving force behind this organisation. They are doing what we desire to do as well: traveling around Europa, visiting the Teen Challenge staff members and students everywhere and encouraging them.

They do this work with a lot of love and passion. They also organize the annual conferences where staff, workers and volunteers from all over Europe come together. They live and work in Portugal where the ETC office is located.

Tom emailed us about the problems they are having with the ETC vehicle, a Volkswagen Sharan. The car has always been maintained by the ETC mechanic... but it now needs a new clutch and the injectors need to be replaced. A job that will cost around 1,900 euro. Such unexpected expenses are never funny, for no one :) Whether Traveling Light is able and willing to help...

Of course we want to, we LOVE to! Paying car repairs may not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about offering a helping hand, but we know from our own experience that such help can be a huge relief. After mailing back and forth about technical details, we have decided to raise 2,000 euro for Europe Teen Challenge. We pray that this will give them a good night's rest, so that they can spend their time and energy on more important matters: helping the down and out and addicted.