The work of the Treasures of Heaven ministry – Appeal for Donations - Lisa Janssen

Here is an appeal for donations for a very worthy cause. The work of the Treasures of Heaven ministry is not so widely know about, but I am sure when brothers and sisters hear about the efforts being made to provide a Summer Camp for these Blessed Children and their families many will be moved to help, either with a direct donation or in some other creative way. Please could you find a way to convey this message to all - hopefully this Sunday! It might be an idea to ask for a volunteer to coordinate the project. Many thanks.

David Hanna, Blessed Family and Education Department

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’m writing this letter to my friends all over Europe with an urgent call for help! Many of you will have heard by now about the Treasures Of Heaven Ministry within our European Blessed Family Department.

We aim to give special attention and support to Blessed Families within our Church who have children with a disability, mental or physical.

These families can be quite isolated. Unfortunately, this is often the result of families who are not in this situation being unable to understand their circumstances and struggles, or even holding certain prejudices. The Treasures Of Heaven children cannot participate in the usual activities that are organized for our youth, and so far there has been very little connection to other 2nd gen who do not have to deal with these limitations, although such contact can be mutually very beneficial. This year from August 5 - 9, we will have our Second European TOH Summer Camp in Seebenstein, Austria. TOH children, their parents and siblings will have a chance to spend some guided quality time, with indoor and outdoor activities, dance, lots of music, crafts, etc. And for the parents there will be separate times when they can share their hearts, talk about their situations and brainstorm about future plans.

To make this possible, we have some very dedicated 1st and 2nd gen volunteers from all over Europe. Two years ago our volunteers had deep and moving experiences in supporting the camp - please enjoy reading these short testimonies:

Great WS! I didn’t know what to expect, never had so much to do with ToH’s. This WS taught me it’s very valuable. We created a very natural environment. We weren’t just caretakers, but their friends.

It felt like a short time, days and hours flew by…. As we are no professionals, we feel we really accomplished something…We worked very well together, didn’t need to discuss too much, we just worked and connected. I always was very intimidated by handicapped people, I could only imagine how hard it must be to have a child or sibling like that. But now I could really experience that handicapped children are so loveable, that I can feel so comfortable being with them.

HOWEVER! Some of the families are not able to participate because of the high costs involved (three or more flight tickets, workshop fees, etc.), and also we do not want the volunteers to have to pay for their travel costs or even for their stay at the WS place - we believe their time and investment is a great and priceless contribution already!

So my request to you would be if you could hold a collection at the end of Sunday service to support our cause – this would be a wonderful way for families to support others in our community who are very much in need. Even many small donations could mount up to make a real difference!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and may you have a blessed summer!

Sincerely, Lisa Janssen, TOH ministry Europe

We would be most grateful if you could read this letter to brothers and sisters after Sunday service (best as soon as possible), or distribute it through your local newsletter. Please transfer any donations to my personal bank account with the simple identifier: “TOH summer camp”.

E.M.E. Janssen

Thank you once again!