Sunday, March 30, 2014

Marathon sponsor run for Teen Challenge Castanheira, Portugal

Jan Visser
As we announced last week, our long time friend Jan Visser is planning to run his very first marathon ever on April 13, 2014, in the city of Rotterdam. Yep, it is his way of celebrating his 50th birthday :) and he wants to make it even better by running for a good cause. Well, Traveling Light has plenty of good causes that need support.

We discussed the possibilities and decided that all proceeds from his sponsor marathon run will go to the work of Teen Challenge in Portugal, and well specifically to the rehabilitation center in Castanheira do Ribatejo, just outside Lisbon. They need funds to renovate the men's shower room.
Center Castanheira do Ribatejo

This past January we visited the beautiful Teen Challenge center in Castanheira which offers room for 10-15 men who are struggling with life-controlling problems. They can start a year long recovery and rehabilitation program here and for many of them it will be the first time to learn more about Jesus and the Bible. The program offers daily devotions, groups studies, bible studies and groups and individual counseling sessions.

Men at work in the wood shop
With the help of God they will get their lives back on track, sometimes after years and years of being addicted, homeless or depressed. The workers and volunteers of Teen Challenges live in the center as well. There is also a huge garden, a mini farm, a wood shop and greenery. The men can do all kinds of work and in this way practice and develop their skills.

The shower room in the center needs work desperately in order to meet European standards for sanitary services. Just look at the picture below. Nelson Rato, the director of Teen Challenge Castanheira, really wants to renovate these showers, but there is a lack of funds for material. Most, if not all, of the work they will do themselves.
plenty of showers like this...
So, back to the marathon sponsor run... it is possible to sponsor Jan Visser by:
  • pledging an amount for finishing the marathon,
  • pledging an amount per kilometer completed, or
  • pledging an amount, no matter what the results are....
Send an email to Traveling Light if you want to sponsor Jan Visser and help Teen Challenge Portugal, or send us your donation now!
EUROPE: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U
USA: Eastern Europe Outreach, make sure to mention: TC Portugal, Castanheira

PS:
- Project Tamimi family in Jerusalem is still going
- Project jewelry Israel is still going
- Coming up: Poland, Slovakia and.....?