Frank and Rita Stout
Rise2Shine is led by the Dutch-Romanian couple Frank and Rita Stout. They have three children: Timo (2012), Aby (2014) and Rahela (2019). In 2003 they met each other during a mission trip from a Dutch Bibleschool. After they met they started to write to one another. In this time Frank studied international law and Rita was involved with a church plant near Medias. In 2010 they married and moved to Cluj-Napoca. There they work between the Roma-children and teenagers in the slums. Frank and Rita have a heart for discipleship and believe that, despite their circumstances, a new generation will rise up and reach out to their own culture.
“Our vision is to give hope in hopeless situations. Where there is no hope anymore, where people are discouraged and don’t know how to continue life, we want to bring the Hope of Jesus Christ, that everything will change for them who will trust in Him.”
– Frank and Rita
What we do
Our main goals are spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and training disciples. We also help practical when there is a need. The core of our work are the weekly programs. They provide a moment of peace for the people from the slums. This is a time where we meet the children and teenagers, share the Gospel and teach them the Biblical principles. We have about eight programs for different groups and different slums. Weekly we reach more then 200 Roma. We also invest additional time in a discipleship group of eight teenagers. They visit us every week for a meal and Bible study, and once a month they come for the weekend.
Local team
The following part time volunteers help in Rise2Shine:
– Zsolt and KJ
– Andreea
Frank en Rita are supported by their home church Nehemia Ministries Zwijndrecht. They work together with the Global Aid Network (GAIN), for which Frank is a volunteer, and who donated the meeting center. In Romania they are in close connection with Bert Looij, who started the work in the slums during the 90’s.
Rise2Shine works together with the following organizations:
• Youth with a mission Cluj-Napoca
• Christ for the Nations (CftN), YMCA North Staffordshire
• different churches from the Netherlands (like PKN Hekelingen, Hoop! Dongen, de Schuilplaats and de Emauskerk both from Bergen op Zoom)
• family and friends.
Together we make a better future possible for the Roma in the slums!