Gratitude for God's work among Prague's Homeless

It has been two weeks since our family had a fateful breakfast conversation about the bitter cold and it's effect on homeless people in Prague. This conversation led to a decision to spend two strategic hours of work to help the homeless in Prague. These two hours led to more than our family could have ever imagined and created a full time job for me for the next two weeks. We are grateful for the continued prayers, encouragement, and help along the way.

I have gotten to know real heroes for the homeless during the last couple of weeks. Many of them work for three Christian organizations: Nadeje (Hope), Caritas (Catholic charity), and the Salvation Army. I have watched while everyone I met with, from the directors of the organizations to the people who pass out clothes, food, and tea, has treated the homeless with honor and dignity.

I have also gotten to know the heroes in churches, schools, businesses, and families in Prague who are conducting clothing/blanket drives. They are too numerous to mention here. Many people have set up "collection centers" and been willing to deliver clothing to the appropriate places. Churches and individuals in America have prayed for the homeless during this time. They have also sent money and even blankets!

During a Roma church service on Sunday, I spoke about my experiences the last 2 weeks. I talked about how I had gone from complaining about the cold to thinking about others and being VERY grateful to God for what He has done in my life. Two of the men spoke very openly of their experiences living on the streets during winter. The group talked for almost an hour about how we are so easily caught up in our own lives, complaining, gossiping, etc. and how we forget to be grateful. We then had a very rich prayer time. During the prayer time, a number of our newer people who have never prayed out loud were giving God thanks for all that He has done and given to them.

Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray for the homeless in Prague. It is a little warmer...but still cold. Pray for the tireless workers of Nadeje (Hope), Caritas (Catholic charity), and the Salvation Army who are serving the homeless not only in the winter...but all year. And pray for the continued organization of clothes/blanket drives that will benefit the homeless not only now but in the future. My main responsibility in all this right now is coordinating pickups between those who are doing the clothes drives and the 3 organizations.

And pray that we would be sensitive to whatever opportunities God is giving us to show His love through this situation.

And please take a moment (and a lifetime) to express your gratitude to God for all he has done for you spiritually and all you have materially.

Live outside of Czech? START HERE

I want to express special thanks to all the people in the USA and elsewhere in the world who have encouraged us, prayed for the homeless, sent finances, and even sent blankets! It is a great testimony to the worldwide body of Christ when we cross geographic and racial boundaries to serve one another. What began as a small thing has turned into a big opportunity to show the love of Christ in prayer and action to the most needy people in the Czech Republic during the winter freeze.

Temperatures are expected to stay well below freezing through February 20. Over 300 people are reported as dead due to the cold in Europe in one week. However, experts estimate that the homeless are not being counted precisely so the number is much higher. The municipal government of Prague is being criticized for it's slow response in setting up tents to help the homeless because of a fear that homeless from across the Czech Republic and Europe would come here for warmth. It is true that homeless are coming to Prague to find warmth and so the needs here are even greater.

The Czech church is being mobilized to help out three organizations that are working with the homeless. The greatest thing that those who are outside of the Czech Republic can do are the following:

1) Pray for the Homeless

2) Mobilize others to pray for the homeless (in your churches)

3) Give financially through ReachGlobal (directions below)

4) Organize a financial collection (Sunday collection plates? At your workplace? Anywhere else?)

5) Get the American media to focus on the plight of the homeless in Europe (and in your own city!)

HOW TO GIVE:

1) Online: https://my.efca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=359&des=PARTNERSHIP FUND-2500-5831

2) Check to: EFCA (c/o Donor Services) 901 East 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300 (write "Partnership Fund 2500-5831" in memo line)

Live in Czech? START HERE/Žiješ v ČR? Zační tady

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As you may know, the "arctic freeze" temperatures that descended on the Czech Republic are expected to stay through February 20th. The most at risk group for this weather is the homeless. Dozens of them have gotten sick and died in the last week. The organizations working with homeless in Prague are overworked and in great need of help! ReachGlobal in Prague is working with the following three organizations to help the homeless: Salvation Army, The Hope shelter, and the St. Theresa shelter for homeless and refugees (more information on each organization and concrete needs can be found in other documents). We are helping in the following areas:

1) Mobilizing Prayer for the homeless during the winter freeze

2) Mobilizing clothing/blanket drives

3) FundRaising

4) Organizing volunteers where appropriate

Many churches, schools, and individuals are holding clothing/blanket drives and delivering items to the organizations we are working with.

WAYS FOR YOU TO JOIN IN

Join Facebook Group: Helping The Czech Homeless/Pomáháme Bezdomovcům v ČR

2) Know God? Pray for the Homeless

3) Attend church? Get your church to pray for the Homeless

4) Want to do more? Organize a clothing/blanket drive in your school/church/neighborhood

5) Have a car? Volunteer to pick up clothes from collection centers and get them to the homeless shelters

6) Have money? Give to one of the three organizations (details in other documents)

7) Have influence? (Answer: Everyone has influence when one believes in something.) Want to start a "movement of helping the homeless" in your dorm, city, denomination, organization?Go do it!

8) Got questions? Contact me on this page, email: thomas.becker@efca.org

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Možná víte, že teploty ještě klesnou a ten mraz má trvát až 20.2. Hrozí nejvíc Bezdomovce v Praze a jinde v České republice. Mnoho je už nemocné a i mrtvé. Organizace, které pracují s bezdomovce jsou zapracované a májí velké potřeby! ReachGlobal v Praze spolupracuje s třemí organizací: Armada Spásy, Naděje, a Azylový dům Sv. Terezie. (Víc informací na jiné dokumenty). Spolupracujeme v nasledujících způsobech:

1) Zmobilizovat modlitby pro bezdomovce během tohoto mrázu

2) Zmobilizovat sbírky zimních oblečení a deky

3) Sehnání finančních dárů

4) Zorganizovat dobrovolniky kde je to vhodné

Mnoho církvi, školy, a jednotlivci organizují sbírky oblečení a deky a vezou je na místě, kde organizace pomáhájí bezdomovcům.

JAK MUŽETE POMOCT

1) Máš Facebook? Pozví přatele, kamarády, a známé do tohoto Facebook skupiny: Helping The Czech Homeless/Pomáháme Bezdomovcům v ČR

2) Znáš Boha? Modlí se za bezdomovce

3) Chodíš do kostelu/sboru? Domluv se s vedoucím jak se můžete se modlit pro bezdomovce

4) Chceš dělát víc? Zorganizuj sbírku zimní oblečení a deky ve škole, církvi, anebo u sousedů

5) Máš auto? Domluv se s Tomem jak můžeš vyzvednout oblečeni a rozvezt je na místě kde je potřeba

6) Máš peníze? Daruj něco jednom z třech organizací (podrobnosti v jinéch dokumentéch)

7) Máš vliv? (odpověd: Každý má vlív kdy věří v něčem) Pomoz začit "hnutí pomáhání bezdomovců" ve tvých kolejich, městě, sboru, denominaci, anebo organizaci. Tak jdi do toho!

8) Máš otázku? Kontaktuj mi přes email: thomas.becker@efca.org

Organization 1) Salvation Army/Armáda Spásy

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The top focus of The Salvation Army in Prague and other cities in the Czech Republic is to house the homeless in their shelters. They have a capacity for 770 people but during this winter crisis, they are topping out at over 1,000. Because of the increased amount of homeless needing shelter from the cold, their top need is for finances. It is costing the Salvation Army an additional 100,000 Kc.($5,250 USD/4,000 EUR) per week to run their shelters at above capacity. They are a large and well run organization that is servicing the homeless well. Their biggest need is finances to keep their programs running in this time of crisis.

In Czech (and EU states), you can give directly to their bank account:

http://www.armadaspasy.cz/dynamicke_show.php?clanek=660

For those that want to give through the American organization ReachGlobal, see giving instructions here: http://rushingwindministries.blogspot.com/2012/02/live-outside-of-czech-start-here.html

For more information in Czech, http://www.armadaspasy.cz/

English Speakers can contact thomas.becker@efca.org. OR contact Salvation Army directly: fundraising@armadaspasy.cz

Use Facebook? "Like" their organization and share with others! http://www.facebook.com/ArmadaSpasy

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Armáda spásy je připravená v Praze a v jinéch městéch ubytovat bezdomovce. Májí kapacitu na 770 lidi ale slouží přes 1000. Kvůli tomu, že slouží víc lidi, mají finanční potřeby. V současné době, stojí týdně Armáda spásy 100,000 Kc. navíc.

Armáda Spásy májí vyborné webovou stránky a můžete se podívat ne ně tady: http://www.armadaspasy.cz/ Uvidíš všechny informace jak darovat přes bankovního učtu anebo přes SMSky na "Na Toto Chci Přispět" ale také koukej na to video se psem! Je to vyborné!

Máš Facebook? (ano, jinak bys nečetl ten članek ;-) ) Koukej na http://ww.facebook.com/ArmadaSpasy Klikni "to se mi libi" a sdilej dál.

Organization 2) Hope/Naděje

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Nadeje is an NGO, founded on Christian principles that works with homeless, handicapped, and socially excluded (including Roma). Look at their English language web page here: http://www.nadeje.cz/index.php?q=node/149

Their highest needs are:

1) Financial gifts

Information on giving through a bank account in the Czech Republic is here: http://www.nadeje.cz/index.php?q=node/148

If you want to give through ReachGlobal, see here: http://rushingwindministries.blogspot.com/2012/02/live-outside-of-czech-start-here.html

2) Material goods: winter coats and clothes, blankets, shoes, men's underwear, and socks

If you are interested in organizing a clothing drive, you can arrange drop off at Nadeje's "clothes closet"

Husitská 70, 130 00 Praha 3

222 783 957, 775 868 862

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Naděje je občanské sdružení, založena na křesťanské principy. Zabývá práce s bezdomovci, handicapovani, a socialně vyloučeními (včetně Romů). Koukej na tu webovou stránu:

http://www.nadeje.cz

Největší potřeby jsou:

1) Finanční dáry. Můžete přispevit přes bankovního učtu:

http://www.nadeje.cz/index.php?q=node/7

anebo přes SMSky

http://www.nadeje.cz/index.php?q=node/75

2) Materialní pomoc: Zimní kabaty a oblečení, deky, boty, mužské spodní prádlo, a ponožky

Chceš zorganitovat sbírku na ty věci? Můžete se domluvit kdy přivezt věci u Šatníku Naděje

Husitská 70

130 00 Praha 3

222 783 957, 775 868 862

Organization 3) St. Theresa Homeless Shelter/Ayzlový Dům Sv. Terezie

The Catholic charity runs this shelter for homeless, refugees, and other at risk people. They provide a wide array of services for their clients. During the cold snap, they are focused on helping homeless get shelter, food, and medical attention. They are in need of finances, food, toiletries, and winter clothes. The winter clothes that are most needed are shoes, winter coats, socks, and anything else that will keep a person warm.

Donations can be dropped off at:

Azylový dům Sv. Terezie

Pernerova 20

186 00 Praha 8-Karlín

224 813 413

pernerova@charita-adopce.cz

HOW TO GIVE:

1) By transfer to bank account: 749011/5500

2) Cash gifts at the shelter

For more information in Czech: http://praha.charita.cz/pomahejte/financni-dar/

If you want to give through the American organization ReachGlobal, see instructions here: http://rushingwindministries.blogspot.com/2012/02/live-outside-of-czech-start-here.html

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Katolická Caritas poskytuje pomoc pro klienty v nouzi jako bezdomovce, uprchlíky, a dalších. Během tohoto mrázu, pomáhájí bezdomovcům získat ubytování, jídlo,a lekařskou pomoc. Potřebují finance, jídlo, hygenické potřeby. a teplé, zimní oblečení jako boty, zimní bundy, ponožky, a cokoli jiné teplého.

Věci můžete nechat viz. adresa nahoře.

Tady je informace jak darovat finance přes banka anebo SMSky: http://praha.charita.cz/pomahejte/financni-dar/

Chcete dozvědět víc? Napíš email: thomas.becker@efca.org