Saturday, March 24, 2018

Project news

Teen Challenge Life center
This week we visited the Teen Challenge Life Center in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands (yeah, close to home this time). Life Center is a local care network that aims to provide a warm and safe meeting place for the city.

Life Center is a good example of cooperation when it comes to care, welfare and mental health. There is Life Care (care and counseling rooms), Life House (shelter and support for people who are in trouble), Life Café (meeting place and community center) and recently, Life Store (2nd hand shop). Director Stephan Barendse visited our 2nd hand shop Twinkeltje last year and was impressed with the possibilities that a simple and inviting meeting place offers. Glad that we can be an inspiration in this!

At the beginning of January we raised money for project heater hostel Bialogardzie in Poland. We received an email and photos from Jan and Małgorzata Kwiatkowscy, the directors of the re-entry house. They write:

"Many thanks !!!. Winter and frosts are not terrible anymore !!!

Thanks to your kindness and generosity in the form of transfer of funds for the purchase of the furnace for our TEEN CHALLENGE branch in Białogard, we can now function peacefully. One furnace has been functioning for several weeks and gives us great joy in giving us warmth. The second furnace will start running any day, and this is because the order and assembly takes a while.

All our students were very pleased and touched by your generosity, openness and readiness to support others. For many of them, this is a great testimony of God's love expressed..."


Teen Challenge men's rehab in Berdychiv
Last year we raised funds for the expansion of the Teen Challenge men's rehab home in Beryichiv, Ukraine.

It is really worth seeing how beautiful the new room has become. The Star of David in the ceiling is really something to be jealous of :) It is fantastic!

Many meetings are being held  and trainings are being given there. What a beautiful room to live and learn and come together, especially when we consider that most men used to live on the street for years.

We are so happy and thankful to see how our donations are being spent and it is our joy to share that with you as well.

You are always welcome in our 2nd hand shop Twinkeltje, but in particular at:

Thursday evening April 5: Mission evening Hungary
Friday evening April 20: Prayer for the Nations
Friday evening, May 25: Israel evening

Gifts for all those beautiful projects we support are always welcome at IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Project garlic farm, Georgia

New years lunch at the Bible school
On January 1st of this year we visited the Iranian training center and farm of CIC Mission (check out the website!) in Georgia.

We have supported them several times over the last few years with donations for various things: the construction of the training center (the Bible school), the purchase of a number of dairy cows and the construction of a small farm house for workers, just to name a few.

The Bible school is now finished and in full use, especially by (new) believers from Iran and Azerbaijan. It looks beautiful! It is also the place where the printing and publishing of books and flyers is being done. Marja's book Grace of Giving in Farsi language is one of the publications. A translation in the Azeri language is being considered.

CIC Mission publishing house
Pastor Reza is the founder of CIC Mission and he wants to reach as many Iranian and Persian people as possible with the good news and disciple them, and give them social and economic development opportunities. The farm offers employment in the area and generates income to run the training center.

The farm currently has a barn where dairy cows are being kept. Reza was recently in the Netherlands to learn more about dairy farming. Further more there is a small farm house now where the workers live that are connected to the Bible school, it also functions as a men's rehab. Fruit trees have been planted as well as a number of hectares of garlic.

Last year's harvesting
It is for the upcoming garlic harvest that CIC Mission is now asking for help. Georgia can officially export garlic to all European countries because of a free-trade agreement. A nice opportunity! This does require several things: harvesting equipment (implement for tractor), packing boxes and tools and the building of a wooden platform to dry garlic.

We are witnesses of the wonderful work that is being done there. Recently they also started a creative project for the women of the village: 'Work of her hands'. More about that in one of our future blog posts.

The motto of CIC Mission fits perfectly with that of Traveling Light: Go, and make disciples of all nations.

You can (indirectly) help to fulfill the great commission in that region by supporting project GARLIC. You can send your gift to IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U St. Traveling Light in Papendrecht. Make sure to mention GARLIC.