Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Greetings from Belarus

Back in the fall of 2015 we visited several rehabilitation centers and shelters of Teen Challenge in Belarus. Миссия «Возвращение» is the name for the rehabilitation work, which means 'Mission Return.

One of these centers is located in an old kindergarten school which had been standing empty for seventeen years. They have worked hard to make the building habitable and livable for various groups.

The center has been in operation for quite some time now. There is a homeless shelter, a rehabilitation program for men and a crisis center for women. Thanks to a gift of Traveling Light they were able to step-by-step install a professional kitchen (tiled walls and floors, cabinets and all appliances).

We received a nice email and photos from the director, he writes:

"We are preparing meals in the new kitchen with new equipment! God not only blessed us with the equipment, He also blessed us with people who work there. The Lord spoke through a dream to a sister (Nina) from the church (she is a former professional cook) that she should come to the Center to prepare breakfasts during the next three years. Also, the Lord put it on the hearts of some other sisters from the church to come and prepare meals and to bake rolls. All of them do it voluntarily

Since the Center was opened, more than four hundred people came to ask for help. Many of them in addiction, with poor health, without documents, without work, and quite many of them are invalid. To all of them the Bread of Life as well as physical bread was offered. Through this project 'Kitchen' we see that God cares for these lost people...

During the last year the Lord also sent us women (the work with them started in January 2016) and we are able to serve many of them. The place of the overnight home is often overcrowded – 16 beds and up to 24 people – people are sleeping in the corridors and on the floor, but the Lord miraculously helped us and gave the possibility to fix new rooms so we can soon expand the overnight home."

Fundraising, distributing the gifts, but also letting you know how the story unfolds... We believe that is good stewardship. We will try as much as possible to keep you informed about ongoing projects.

We are happy and thankful that we will soon be able to offer the Russian edition of Marja's book Grace of Giving to our friends in Belarus. A book to give away, a book with a beautiful and powerful message of generosity that will surely touch the hearts of the men and women in the centers. We believe it is possible ... "Go into the world and make disciples of all nations ..." The books are tools for this purpose!

PS: Gifts for our current Project bibles and cows are still welcome at St. Traveling Light, Papendrecht IBAN: NL91RABO0118582275 BIC: RABONL2U.