In the year 2001 the first steps were taken which developed into the Foundation “Bread of Life”, serving the poor, sick, homeless and needy in Poland.
Whoever would think that one day, many years later, an engineer from Holland would have the privilege and challenge to be responsible for the ministry of Bread of Life in Poland and the area “Social Ministries” within “Evangelical Poland”?
Well, we know that everyone’s story is unique, and we’re happy to share a bit of it, at least from that part we know by now! Because over time, we’ve come to realize how much we don’t know yet… Let’s give it a try!
Coming to Poland
Reinier was raised in a Christian family in the Netherlands, where he went to school in Rotterdam and studied Civil Engineering in Delft to become an engineer at the department of Traffic Studies in the Dutch Ministry of Transport. Then, in 1993, a promising civil career seemed ahead of him.
However, through involvement in international student ministry in the summer of 1994 he met in Spain, at a student camp, Maja from Poland. With the result that one year later he came to Poland and in 1996 got married with her.
Reinier came to Poland as a traffic engineer, and that was the kind of job he thought he was going to have. However, again things turned out to be quite different. Because he was able to learn the difficult Polish language pretty fast and because in the 1990’s Poland was a country in transition with many foreign investments, pretty soon he became project manager and investment consultant for Dutch companies and investors. So, he became a businessman, having the opportunity to really learn the interaction between people and money.
Ministry
In the same time Maja was, within the context of the starting Foundation “Bread of Life”, leading a group of volunteers for an orphanage west of Poznań. There she served orphans ages 6 to 18 by passing on food and clothing, helping the kids with homework for school, organizing meetings to show the danger of various addictions, organizing crafts and trips, and sharing God’s heart for those kids who lack so much love.
Besides they actively served in church as Sunday School teachers and were involved in student ministry. For 8 years Reinier served on the national board of IFES-Poland (InterVarsity), after which in 2010 he joined the Council (Board) of Bread of Life.
In the years since 2010 Bread of Life in Poland was going through its teenage years, doing many wonderful things like homeless ministry, serving the poor with food and clothing, resocialization programs to provide chances for “a new life“ in society again, and especially, a life with Jesus Christ. Fruits have been abundant, with many touching stories.
Director of Bread of Life
When a major business project Reinier was involved in finished by the end of 2017, and when Bread of Life was facing the need for a new Director, who would add new structure to the Foundation and help lead the Foundation into new stages of maturity for multiplying the projects we are doing, it was clear that God was asking to serve!
So since January 2018 Reinier fulfills the role of Director for Poland for Bread of Life. A great challenge, but also a path of faith. Mainly because of the simple fact that by resigning from consultancy there is dependency on financial support from people who also have a heart to reach out to those in need!
You also can take part in carrying Bread of Life forward! By praying, partnering or by contributing to stable financial support. So we’ll be able to serve the poor and needy. As many as possible, as much as possible. Will you help us to give them a new future?
New “Poolse Bergen”!
Since 2019, the Van den Berg Family (De Poolse Bergen) have been the setting for growing tension, an earthquake, a great crack, intensive rescue teams, waiting, sudden new heights and views, with ultimately new happiness. All of this described in various blogs on this site in the years 2022 to 2025.
The divorce from Maja in 2023 and the marriage to Tatiana in 2025 have changed the composition of the Van den Berg Family, there is a new dynamic regarding our calling, and we look forward with great anticipation to what next steps we may take. We are incredibly grateful for God’s faithfulness in a very difficult time, but also for the unwavering support of everyone around us! This gives so much hope for the future!
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25
