Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Project sewage treatment plant Poland

Janusz & Bogusia Gornicki
Do you remember project heater Teen Challenge Poland? Well, at that time we also wrote a few lines about Janusz Gornicki who runs a rehabilitation & crisis home in the south of Poland. You can see him in the photo with his wife Bogusia.

Back in 2010 they started a Teen Challenge rehabilitation & crisis center in the south, in Winiarczykowka. Which is totally awesome, because Janusz walked through the doors of Teen Challenge Lekini years ago, struggling with addictions. Today he is a free man and dedicated to rescuing others as he once was rescued!

Loving others as God loves us
Together with Bogusia and their staff they help men who are homeless, addicted and disabled and who often live under difficult life circumstances. They offer them a home, a warm bed, food, good care and most of all love.

Most of these men are up in age and are, because of their addictions, not accepted in regular care facilities. These men experience Gods love, often for the very first time in their lives. Janusz and Bogusia have given their lives to take care of the poor, homeless and lonely ones.

The Winiarczykowka gang
Winiarczykowka also serves as a crisis center as it offers shelter for those waiting for their placement for a long-term treatment in the Teen Challenge Centre in Łękinia. There is room for 22 people (including staff) to live at the center.

Janusz emailed us (towards the end of 2013) about the problems they are having with their sewage water tank which has been wrongly installed by the previous owner of the house. It collects ground and rain water as well and fills up quickly. This means they have to pump everything out on a monthly basis, which costs them several hundred euro's every month!

Emptying the current tank
They rather use this money for the day to day operations of the center. Just imagine how much is needed for 22 people every day: food, clothing, study materials, utilities, everything. The centers depends on donations and on the creativity of a few ladies, just take a look HERE and see what beautiful things they make. The sales of such artwork brings in some money as well.

The installation of a new sewage treatment plant is a big investment for the center, about 11,000 euro. They have collected part of it and still need 7,000 euro before the contractor can start the work. Traveling Light really wants to help Janusz and Bogusia. It cannot, and should not, be difficult to raise at least 4,000 euro towards this project. The new installation will save them a big chunk in their monthly expenses.

Maybe you are (or want to be) a generous church, organisation or business that would love to jump on this train as well... the faster we can raise the necessary funds, the sooner they can start the work! If you have a heart for the work in Poland, please send your gift:
When in EUROPE: St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275, BIC: RABONL2U
When in USA: Eastern Europe Outreach, make sure to mention: TC Poland Winiarczykowka
We are looking forward to hear from you.

PS: Make sure to share this post with others. It is so much fun to do this together!

Saturday, April 19, 2014

News and events

The beautiful city of Potsdam
It has been quiet at the digital home front for the last few weeks. At Traveling Light this means people are working very hard behind the scenes :) Just to mention a few things:

We (Jan and Marja) were invited to speak at several places in Germany: at Full Gospel Business Meetings in Berlin and at the Nehemia Church in Potsdam. We are looking back at precious and very special meetings, seeing old friends and making new ones. A very special moment was a talk we had with a Jewish lady from Ukraine. She was so happy with our teaching on Law & grace; it was the very first time in her life that she saw Old and New Testament come together, like folded hands!

Visiting Teen Challenge Slovakia
After we picked up volunteers Jim & Lynda Hayes at Bratislava airport, we visited Teen Challenge Slovakia. In Sered the construction of the David Wilkerson Memorial chapel at the grounds of the men's rehab home continues. In 2013 we have helped them twice with a donation, and we will certainly do so again this year. The construction of the chapel has already lead to great conversations with curious people from the neighborhood.

We also visited Teen Challenge Slovenia. The program at the men's rehabilitation center is running well. Again and again new men in desperate need of help and healing are entering the center. It is so encouraging to see how God heals and delivers them from a life of addiction. We are thankful for the staff and students who organized a huge bbq for Jan's birthday.

bbq at Teen Challenge Slovenia
One of the neighbors came for a visit. He joins the Bible studies regularly. He has cancer and is undergoing chemo therapy. When we prayed with him he literally felt God's love and peace enter him, as he later described!

With Jim & Lynda we participated in the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Rimini, Italy. We were inspired and encouraged and made several new contacts, for example with people from Lebanon, Georgia and Latvia.

After the conference we spent several days in Comunita Brezzano, in Tuscany. Again, lots of interesting meetings, good talks and much prayer with people in need. It brings such joy and satisfaction to be able to shine our light in all corners of Europe, sometimes in dark or difficult situations and to experience that praying together really makes a difference!

Our faithful volunteer Jan Visser
In the meantime in Rotterdam: our friend Jan Visser ran his first marathon in a time of 4:23:11. Such a great accomplishment. He raised about 1,200 euro for the Teen Challenge men's center in Castanheira, Portugal. If you are looking for a small scale project to sponsor, don't hesitate to contact us...

This coming Thursday the annual Rabobank Run for non profit organisations is being held in Papendrecht. If you want to join and run/walk for Traveling Light, please contact us for more information.

Saturday April 26, 2014 we will celebrate KINGSDAY in The Netherlands. We will have a stand with second hand stuff at the free market. So, if you're in the neighborhood, come and visit us and say hi. We have lots of cool things to sell. All proceeds will go to Traveling Light projects.

Next project: water treatment installation for Winiarczykówka Teen Challenge in Poland.


Seder meal at Comunita Brezzano, Tuscany. Nine nations represented at the passover meal!