- ๐Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention which project or country
- ๐ณ Give by card
- ๐You can also donate directly via our website!
- ๐When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC SLOVENIJA.
Traveling Light
Offering practical help, financial support and spiritual encouragement to ministries in need within Europe & the Mediterranean area
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Travel and project updates
Friday, March 29, 2024
Project support for Teen Challenge Slovenija
In 2010, the house (then still a rental) opened its doors and soon there were three men in the program, ready to start a new life.
In 2011, a few months after the launch of Traveling Light, we posted an appeal on our blog to raise funds for the purchase of a chainsaw.
And wow, a lot has happened since then. The purchase of that one chainsaw ultimately resulted in a professional company that cuts and prunes trees. A form of income for running the center.
Applying for permits and the right papers is a long-term process. Raising the necessary funds, in addition to the daily activities, was (and still is) a challenge. About a year ago, the news came that 70% of their monthly support (coming from the USA) would be stopped.
Last June, Jan visited (by motorcycle) and was so encouraged (as always) by the testimonies of the men!
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC SLOVENIJA.
- ๐ณ Give by card
- ๐You can also donate directly via our website!
- ๐When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC SLOVENIJA.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Project farm rehab 'Centar Duga', Serbia
Pastor Dusan Beredji (known to us as Bera) regularly sends news items about his church's homeless project and also about the drug and alcohol rehab center 'Centar Duga'.
Men with life-threatening problems can go there for a long-term rehabilitation program.
The rehab center is largely self-sufficient thanks to a moving van service, a chicken farm, and vegetable greenhouses. They also gladly receive donations.
The farm has multiple objectives:
- It enables a reduction in food costs for the beneficiaries - by improving their nutrition and through the sale of surplus products.
- It contributes to the path of self-sustainability, which is the goal, by reducing overall costs.
- It serves as a therapeutic work component for the center's beneficiaries.
- It provides beneficiaries with a sense of self-worth, as their work contributes to the center's operations.
- Beneficiaries acquire new skills that can benefit them in their future lives.
Your donations for the work in Novi Sad are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:
Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention CENTAR DUGA.
๐ณ Give by card
๐You can also donate directly through our website!
We really like these kinds of practical projects. Jan has visited the center and has seen with his own eyes how they run the center on a daily basis, and how lives are being changed there, every day.
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Project refugee housing Teen Challenge Armenia
In addition to their own five children, they have taken in ten orphans and are active in humanitarian work among the poor, widows, and orphans.
Last year they started a new initiative. During the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Milan last November, we had time to catch up with the Mkrtchyans. They have taken in several refugees from both Ukraine and Russia on a piece of land where they have built a small home.
The residents work the land, look after each other, help Gagik where necessary, and will build a second floor on the existing house (!) so that even more refugees can be accommodated.
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention TC ARMENIA.
- ๐ณ Give by card
- ๐You can also donate directly via our website!
- ๐When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC ARMENIA.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Ice skating fundraiser brings in 8,800 euro for TC women's home Romania
We can all look back with thankful hearts to their fundraiser that brought in eighty-eight hundred euros for the Teen Challenge women's rehab home 'House of Joy' in Romania.
The center offers a safe place for women who struggle with addictions, homelessness, prostitution etc. and it offers the opportunity to start a new life!
The support for their campaign was overwhelming and the amount of 8,800 euros will entirely benefit the Teen Challenge women's center 'House of Joy' in Romania.
Funds are needed for maintenance and expansion work, such as installing outdoor lighting, creating additional parking spaces for visitors and workers, expanding sanitary facilities, and completing the classroom and studio in the backyard.
By the way, donations are always welcome, for we have many projects on our waiting list that need sponsoring. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:
Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
๐ณ Give by card๐You can also donate directly via our website!
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Project updates and activities
On November 3rd, we wrote a message about the daily happenings in the various rehab centers there (you can read that message HERE).
We were able to send them a nice gift of 5,000 euros that will be used, among other things, for repairs and maintenance of the houses. Something that had been planned for some time, was repairs and renovation of the boiler room.
Just before the end of the year, we were able to transfer another gift of 5,000 euros (THANK YOU!!!). This time for the purchase of a house that will serve as a home for staff, visitors, and volunteers. More news about that soon!
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The fuel and food packages meet a huge need, each package contains approximately 12 to 13 kilos of food!
The men set off again with the Steyer truck to distribute the packages. Thanks to your donations, we were able to bless them with a gift of 3,000 euros for this project. Thank you.
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Especially during December, he visited many sailors on seafaring vessels in the ports of Ghent and Terneuzen... the men are often away from home for a long time. He handed out Christmas packages, was allowed to pray with crew members, read the Bible, and had many conversations.
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It promises to be an inspiring evening. We look forward to your arrival. Entry from 7:30 PM. WELCOME!
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Project coffeehouse work Teen Challenge Albania is still a current project for fundraising and of course the Weissensee fundraiser for the women's house in Romania is up and running. So, you see, plenty to do and give away ๐.
PS: Click on the photos if you want to see larger ones!
Your donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
- ๐ณ Give by card
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Weissensee fundraiser for Teen Challenge women's home, Romania
The skaters want to raise money with their performance for a great project: House of Joy, the Teen Challenge rehabilitation center for women with life controlling problems, just outside Bucharest in Romania.
๐They obviously hope that you will sponsor their fundraising campaign.
The women who come to Teen Challenge have often struggled with life-threatening problems, such as drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, crime, homelessness, and physical and psychological challenges, for a long time.
House of Joy continues to exist thanks to donations from loyal donors. Funds for daily operations are always needed, but several things have been on their wish list for a while.
Practical things in and around the house, that benefit living and working conditions, such as:
- the construction of two official parking spaces at the house (for the workers)
- the renewal and expansion of sanitary facilities
- installing outdoor lighting and
- finishing the rooftops of the two container units in the back yard that serve as classroom and studio, and a canopy and seating area all around.
๐If you decide to participate, send an email stating the amount you want to give to krijncora@gmail.com. We then keep track of the pledges, which is always exciting!
You can also send a donation directly:
- to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U. Make sure to mention TC ROMANIA
- ๐ณ Give by card
- ๐When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC ROMANIA
After she regained her life and went through a rehab program, God planted in her heart a strong desire to help other women going through the pain of addiction, trauma, and abuse. In 2014, she was blessed to marry the love of her life, Mihai, a former rocker who had an interest in satanism.
WE BELIEVE AND INVEST IN CHANGED LIVES! WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US.
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Project coffee house work Teen Challenge Albania
๐First of all, we would like to wish you all a blessed 2024. Hopefully, it will be another year in which we can support many projects together that change people's lives.
We also mentioned the work of Teen Challenge in Albania in the previous news blog. We stay informed about life in the rehabilitation center in Albania through newsletters and social media messages.
Director Gesi Hysenaj writes; 'The center is full and we are grateful for the men. Our coffee house in Tirana is also busy.' A coffee house is often the first place where addicts hear that help is available, that addiction does not have the last word.
Addicts and the homeless are also reached through street evangelism. It is also nice to hear that many people have now found Teen Challenge and are asking for help.
We would like to support them at the beginning of this new year with a donation for the coffee house work (rental building, coffee/tea, books, Bibles, and other materials). In any case, support is always needed to run the center, because almost everything is paid for by donations.
If you would like to make a donation, you can do so in different ways:
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and don't forget to mention TC ALBANIA
- ๐ณ Give by card
- ๐When in the USA, make your tax-deductible gift payable to EEO Inc. Make sure to mention TC ALBANIA.
Thank you again for your help!
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Visit to Moldova + Christmas packages 2023
We visited the various drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and had every opportunity to encourage the guests in the program with something from God's Word and also to pray with them personally.
Some of them said they had read Marja's Russian books, which are on the bookshelf there!
The Traveling Light ice skating team has skated several times for the Christian rehab centers in Moldova on the Weissensee in Austria, so that made a visit extra fun...
They spoiled us each morning with a delicious extensive breakfast in the church in Falesti, after which we set off.
We visited the new rehab center (under construction) in Soceteni. A beautiful 4-storey building that stands behind the old farmhouse where 8 men currently live + another 5 men in a nearby cottage. They can't wait until they can move into the big house. But there is still a lot of work to be done!
During the 20-year celebration, there was room for lots of music and singing, testimonies, and encouragement from the Bible. We were kindly invited to share the Word there.We also visited the mission post of Johannes and Charlotte Petersen and the girls' home that they lead. They are the founders of Teen Challenge Moldova and of the churches in Falesti and Riscani.
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๐We thank you very much for all the donations, support, and prayers we received over the past year. As for the Christmas packages project this year... we were able to divide 8,000 euros between the three projects. Amazing, right?!
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If you would like to make an end-of-year gift, don't hesitate! We want to help:
- TC Ukraine with the purchase of a house (5,000 euros) near the women's house in Berdychiv. They want to use it as a house for the staff (now the workers live in the rehab houses themselves which is not so convenient) and for visitors, a kind of mission house.
- TC Albania with a donation for their coffee house work in Tirana.
Your donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
- ๐ณ Give by card
Sunday, December 10, 2023
Travel report Lithuania
๐Thanks to your support, we can support Christian organizations and initiatives in more than thirty countries in Europe that provide help to people in need. These could be addicts, homeless people, the poor, displaced, widows, and orphans. The support we offer consists of financial help but also of encouragement on a relational and spiritual level through visiting.
The second floor of the women's center is now completely finished from the inside. What beautiful spaces they have become: bedrooms, sitting room, sanitary facilities, and a beautiful classroom!
The Friday before the Teen Challenge conference was a special day for the staff and volunteers. We stayed in a farmhouse in the woods and had plenty of time for conversations, prayer, music and singing, and sharing meals together. We had the opportunity to share an encouraging word and personally pray with many for healing, recovery, strength, and vision.
On Sunday we spoke in the church in Kaunas, Kauno Krikลกฤioniลณ Baลพnyฤia. A church led by pastor Rytis Berลซkลกtis with a big heart for the work of Teen Challenge! After the service, we talked and prayed with people for hours, thanks to our interpreters.
Every donation that goes to Traveling Light, whether it is 5 or 500 euros, benefits the projects we support. We call them 'projects' for convenience's sake, but ultimately it is about people stepping out of darkness into the light.
๐Jesus gave the command to disciple all nations and in this way, we all help. So do not see your gift as money that you 'give away' but as seed that you sow in God's Kingdom. The changed lives are the result!
Your donations are always welcome. You can send a gift in different ways, please take note:
- Send a donation to St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U and make sure to mention 'general' or otherwise which country or project.
- ๐ณ Give by card
THANK YOU!