Who are you?
We are Sebastian and Yvonne Banzhaf. Nathaniel and Samuel are our two sons. I, Sebastian, have even written a book about my rough years: One Way: The Story of a Prodigal Son. Yvonne would rather tell you her story in person.
It all started with the two of us. Or more precisely, with Bär. Bär lived on the streets, was a punk by conviction, and a heroin addict. It must have been God who brought Bär into our lives. Without him we probably would never have discovered our love for the homeless and addicts.
Meanwhile we run the Kältemobil (small bus with goods to provide the people in the streets) and the Kornkammer (house in which persons with a former homeless or addiction background can live and are looked after) with our fantastic friends and family members. We do street services and visits to the psychiatric hospital―and we are constantly learning.
What do you want to see?
In the next few years we want to start at least one similar work in each German state. Homeless people and addicts everywhere should have the chance to get to know God and come back to Him. It is our dream that in 20 years they will be able to look back on their lives and be completely overwhelmed!
But we also want to give everyone who has a heart for homeless and addicted people the opportunity to take small steps with their family in their neighbourhood.
By the end of 2022, we want to start self-sustaining locations in at least four other German states.
How did you get this idea?
We’ve already told you about Bär. Everything started with him. Apart from prayer and my (Sebastian's) own drug experience, we had nothing else.
In the meantime we have baptized the first people in the Neckar, and currently we live together in the Odenwald, as a family, with 5 men who have finished rehab. It is incredible to see the changes in their lives! Recently even the psychological court expert confirmed it: "One year in your apartment, apparently, has changed V's life more than 27 years of government measures."
We founded the Leinenlos Organization.
The experiences of the last years and the interest of others to start a similar work gave us the security to set ourselves courageous goals. Even if Yvonne doesn't know how to do it yet.
What challenges do you expect?
We work with people who find it incredibly difficult to open up about themselves to others. Their trust has often been abused and they have often abused the trust of others. So we know that our help will be exploited.
The people we train will often not have had this experience. It will be difficult to help them to not quit. Especially when, even after withdrawal and baptism, the years of self-destructive routines have to be replaced by healthy ones.
Right now Yvonne and I are making extra money because there is not enough of it. We will need significantly more time for the people in the house, the projects in the country, and the training of potential employees.
What are you going to do?
We have already started and are accompanying a housechurch in Landshut, where there are team members who do not need drugs anymore.
We have also started to support Flo and his team in Darmstadt. They are now on the streets three times a week and they distribute food.
People from other cities come to us for one or more weekends, both to look over our shoulders and to support us. We assume that some of them will start a similar work in their own cities.
Through my (Sebastian's) books and interviews, such as at ERF, we hope that more people will show up to get trained.
We are ready!