News

A Man of Unlimited Faith

Leiv O. Holstad — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:46:31 +0000

In an e-mail I (Leiv) recieved today, Tom Bremer, the leader of Teen Challenge Europe, wrote the following:

The funeral is today in Texas – as I understand it, it is more private for family and very close friends.
There will be a memorial service at Times Square Church on Saturday, May 14. They are expecting thousands to attend. If you want to go, you can get all of the information at the Times Square Church website: http://www.tscnyc.org
The service will also be available live on video stream from that website. David Wilkerson's brother Don say that the family are at peace, but he request prayers for the family. -Tom Bremer

David Wilkerson's last words

Leiv O. Holstad — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:57:41 +0000

In his blog "Daily devotions" on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, David Wilkerson wrote the following:

David Wilkerson killed in car accident

Leiv O. Holstad — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:40:02 +0000

The founder of Teen Challenge, Rev. David Wilkerson (79) was killed in a car accident the 27th of April in which his wife, Gwen, was also injured and is in serious condition. In 1958, when “Brother Dave” was 26 years, he received a calling from God to reach out to gang members in New York City. There he met Nicky Cruz, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, who was the leader for the criminal "Mau Mau gang".

Finally free from drugs!

Leiv O. Holstad — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:24:05 +0000

Many were taken aback when media reported that Hank von Helvete (Hank von Hell), lead vocalist in Turboneger, was going to play the lead in the musical Jesus Christ Super Star. Not only that he was going to play Jesus, but that he stood forth and told that he had quit drugs and considered himself as a Christian.

Marita Iceland - needed more than ever

Bjørn Olav Thune — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:30:15 +0000

In connection with the 25-year of jubilee we invited Marita Iceland to Oslo. They have had a remarkable impact on schools in Iceland and received good credits. – We can truly say that the good prevention work Marita Foundation Norway has performed for many years, with Leiv Holstad as a main force, has had a remarkable impact in Iceland. Many teenagers have been saved from getting addicted to drugs. It was therefore a pleasure to me to come together and celebrate 25 years of jubilee, says Heiðar Guðnason, manager of Samhjálp Foundation. The team from Marita Iceland: Magnus Stefansson (to the left), Heiðar Guðnason and Sigrun Jonsdottir visiting Marita Foundation in Oslo. Photo: Bjørn Olav Thune

Highlights from Marita´s 25 years anniversary

Bjørn Olav Thune — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:40:04 +0000

The 25 year’s anniversary celebration for Marita Foundation was held in the facilities of Filadelfia church in Oslo in St. Olavsgate 24. That was in the very same church that Leiv, as a drug addict in the past, had his special spiritual experience. On Whit Monday 1973 he attended a concert with Arnold Borud and Mini-Tvers. Then his new journey started out and he got a new drug free life. Later he established the Marita Foundation in 1984.

Overdoses versus deaths related to drugs

Leiv O. Holstad — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:07:48 +0000
According to Norwegian statistics on deaths related to drugs, more than 4000 young people died from overdoses on drugs between 1980 and 2008. When I produced the first Marita movie back in 1983/84, I focused on overdoses. In one of the movie scenes we fixed a drug addict’s funeral. The coffin was lowered into the grave, and the song “Farewell Marita” could be heard while death notices with first name and age on many of my personal friends who died from overdoses were shown. To be sure that we had the right information I contacted the Police and was given access and permission to see the files on persons who at that time had became part of this tragic statistics.

Your dream can come through – don’t let it die!

Bjørn Olav Thune — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Many come to Marita Coffeehouse with broken dreams, gone to pieces. Other people we know and visit in the prisons feel the same way. We, as hosts, whether it is in downtown Oslo or in the prisons, we receive our guests with respect and confidence. We believe in them, even if they have given up, or have lost all faith in themselves.

Freedom from drugs – escape from reality?

Leiv O. Holstad — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000
Is it an escape from reality to believe that everybody can become free from drugs? Experience shows us that the majority of the so-called heavy drug addicts never get free. Sooner or later they will die due to their drug abuse. Is it not better to make their life more comfortable and worthy until they pass away?

Switzerland – a bad example

Leiv O. Holstad — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 +0000
In the Norwegian drug debate Switzerland is often being mentioned as a positive example worth following. Recently the debate has been regarding free and government- authorized heroine distribution. Now the politicians are discussing to implement this heroin program in Norway, in addition to the existing methadone distribution. According to the Norwegian Minister of Health and Care, Bjarne Håkon Hansen, free heroin distribution has been very successful in Switzerland.