Jobst Bittner and his wife Charlotte are the founders of TOS Ministries International. In this interview, Jobst looks back and explains why he set up the relief organization and what vision has motivated him for more than 25 years to build homes for street children and rehabilitation centers for drug addicts.

TMI: Jobst, what motivated you and your wife Charlotte to set up an international relief organization in 1999?

Jobst: In the early 1990s, we were very strongly moved by the compassion of God. That's why we went to Minsk for two weeks in 1997 with some other leaders of the church to look into the question of how we could put this into practice. We semsed the call to set up a rehabilitation program for drug addicts in Belarus and at the same time to work with street children in South America. Another important trigger was a conference in Leipzig with Jackie Pullinger, in which she asked: "Are you ready to hear the cry of the lost and broken on the street?" About a year later, a vision was born in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires to establish a Transformation House in every country in South America to give street children a home.

TMI: How would you describe your motivation for TOS Ministries International?

Jobst: In Mark 10:46, we are told how the beggar Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus in Jericho and he stops to listen to him. This clearly shows that God hears the cries of the broken and lost. His answer is always people who hear this cry and who are willing to be sent by him. These are the people who work locally, nationally and internationally to see people made whole and restored to the image of Christ (Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28).

TMI: "Has the vision evolved since then?"

Jobst: Yes, we felt that in addition to offering drug rehabilitation and houses for street children, we should also plant churches. So, at the same time as the social work, we founded independent Christian churches in social hotspots.

TMI: In which country did you first become active? And what was it like back then?

Jobst: We first started working in Belarus. Doctors and public representatives from the city of Svetlagorsk - around 200 km south of Minsk - officially invited us to work with drug addicts there. Egbert and Anita Schoone then moved there from Germany with their whole family and a team. Within a short time, they took in the first drug addicts, who accepted Jesus into their lives and became free of their drugs. That was the start of the rehabilitation ministry. Today, the Rehab Center in Ostrovcizi is located in a converted former school building and is one of the most successful drug rehabilitation centers in Belarus.

TMI: Which situation in the history of TOS Ministries International do you remember in particular?

Jobst: Every country and every area of ministry has a huge number of memories and stories. However, the many small decisions made by people who were prepared to invest their lives, their time and their dedication in people and to be there for them are of particular value to me. One such decision, for example, was that of the current Director in South America, Ruben Gutknecht: as a young man in Buenos Aires, he was prepared to be sent as an missionary and take on responsibility. Without him, we would certainly not have been able to build up the ministry in South America the way we did.

TMI: You regularly visit the various projects in the different nations. What impressed you most about the teams there?

Jobst: There are now more local workers than those sent from Europe. What impresses me most about them is their long-term dedication and perseverance with which they devote themselves to the street children or the people in the drug rehab or prevention work. It is their faithfulness in everyday life and their love that makes the difference.

TMI: During your visits in the field, you also get to know the children and drug rehabilitants. What touched you the most?

Jobst: Anyone who wants to bring the love and mercy of God to people who are broken and need help knows that this is not an emotional issue. Rather, it is a sober decision. This makes it all the more joyful later on to hear the many stories of people whose lives have been changed by God's love and through the dedication of the teams. Former prostitutes, drug addicts, criminals and street children would have been without any chance and perhaps even doomed to death. And now they are radiant children of God who have been trained in school, have studied and can in turn pass on to others what has changed them. This is the vision: that people are saved from the streets and become future pastors, leaders and businessmen who change their society from the inside out.

TMI: By now, TOS Ministries International has established daycare centers, drug prevention projects, Transformer Houses and drug rehabilitation projects in a total of seven countries. What is next?

Jobst: We are currently in the process of setting up a ministry among street children in a metropolis on the east coast of Brazil, in the city of Recife. Recife is known for its high crime rate and around 10,000 street children.

TMI: The ministry is funded by private donors. What do you think donors and sponsors should know?

Jobst: First of all, I would like to thank every single donor and supporter. It is thanks to them that the ministry to street children and drug addicts is made possible in the first place. Every financial investment is an investment that not only pays off, but also saves and changes lives. The donations are used directly and only the smallest possible proportion is spent on administration. I would like to express my sincere thanks for every investment.

TMI: Thank you very much for the interview.

The interview partner was Tina Pompe.