Home of Hope

Look inside of Home of Hope with 360° pictures

Decription of Home of Hope rooms

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4811 sq ft on the ground floor:

  • Big classroom--36 seats with tables
  • Small classroom--16 seats with tables
  • Big & small classrooms merged--56 seats with tables
  • Medium classroom--16 seats with tables
  • Reading room/small group class--8 seats around round table
  • Chapel--15 seats
  • Kitchen
  • Multipurpose main hall-club room (including reading room)
  • TAT’s main office and dean’s office
  • Multipurpose pop-up office & spiritual mentoring center for pastors & lay leaders--8 seats with tables
  • Room for pastoral care center
  • Christian Radio office and 3 studios
  • Guest apartment/dorm & prospectively also office space
  • Storage & archive space

Additionally in the basement:

  • Storage room
  • Server room
  • 9 parking spaces in the underground parking lot

HOME OF HOPE HISTORY TIMELINE...

  • March 31, 2018
  • April 28, 2018
  • June 15, 2018
  • August 30, 2019
  • September 19, 2019
  • December 2, 2019

  • 24 hour prayer chain

    Starting point to the Home of Hope project was 24 hour prayer chain with students, alumni and professors.
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  • Launch of Fundraising Campaign

    Fundraising campaign launching event was held in Minneapolis. About 20 people from Minnesota and as well from other States gathered and made powerful start for the campaign. This gave encouragement to continue. First goal was to raise $125,000 in six weeks.
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  • Down payment of $125,000 raised

    In order to pay down payment and start the Home of Hope project we needed to raise $125,000 before the end of June 2018. And we raised this money during 6 weeks after we launched campaign. Lord be praised!
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  • $557,255 raised during 16 months

    With God’s blessing we were able to raise $557,255 during 16 months. This was exactly the amount we needed in order to get loan and finalize Home of Hope construction work.
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  • $1.3M loan & Ownership

    To buy Home of Hope property and to finalize construction work we were taking out 1.3 million loan for 5 years. We bought the Home of Hope facility 4811 sq ft and Tartu Academy of Theology became owner of this unique Christian Outreach Center.
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  • Home of Hope Dedication

    December 2nd we celebrated dedication of the Home of Hope. Construction work was finished and we were glad to see beautiful result. Archbishop of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church consecrated the facility in front of about hundred guests. Dedication service was filled with thanksgiving to God for His great blessings.
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Pastor Siimon Haamer with keys in front of HOME of HOPE after Tartu Academy of Theology gained ownership of ground floor of this building. September 19, 2019.

The vision of Home of Hope started to take shape in early spring of 2018 and was launched with 100 dollars under God’s guidance in April of the same year. Six weeks later we had raised $125,000 earnest money. Sixteen months later we had raised $557,255 and we took out a $1,3 million loan for 5 years. September 19, 2019 the Christian college of Tartu Academy of Theology (TAT) became the occupants of the property. December 2, 2019 HOME of HOPE was officially opened. We have experienced tremendous blessing. This facility is a landmark for Estonian people testifying that God is alive.

We pray revival for Estonia and we know God has His time. We hope that all the damage caused by Soviet occupation throughout 50 years will be cleared up one day. Sometimes people lose their hope and they need encouragement. They need to see God’s work among us today. With a Home of Hope we form an environment where people can see how God is working in so many different ways among us. Home of Hope is not just a study facility but a collection of activities and organizations exploding the message of Jesus Christ to the people in Estonia and beyond. 

 

Background and reason of the Home of Hope is becoming evident from Haamer's family story.  

A COMPELLING STORY BEHIND THE HOME OF HOPE

Our first attempt to get a home for the Tartu Academy in Estonia started in 1994. We were planning to renovate one old building in the city centrum as we had some hope to receive funds for this. We even put a plaque on the house wall on July 4th, 1995 with the words, Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).Hope was alive for several years, but when the funds didn’t come through we lost that perspective. The plaque stayed there for 17 years and people mocked our trust in God, as the building decayed. During that same time, we investigated other potential projects, but none of them seemed feasible. We stopped making plans and put our dreams for a own facility into God’s hands. 2012 the plaque with God’s Word was removed by the realtor as the house was renovated into a commercial apartment building. Since that time the plaque was just awaiting a new place where we can hang it because we know that God is building that house at the right time and in a mysterious way. And when the time is right He will guide us on that path. And God did it. Praise the Lord!

The plaque on the wall with a text: Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1. Consecration of the reconstruction of a study building of Tartu Academy of Theology, July 4th, 1995.

The plaque is now hung on the wall of Home of Hope as confession to Estonian people that God's word is trustworthy. Below are names of major donors and the story of the plaque.

HOME OF HOPE MINISTRIES

WHAT PEOPLE SAY...

Pastor Bob & Patti Nordvall National Field Coordinator of East European Missions Network

 After 14 years of a sharing partnership between TAT and East European Missions Network (EEMN), we are very thankful for this new facility and the inspired vision set forth by Siimon Haamer and his founding Father, Eenok! We praise and thank God for His faithful provision for TAT and for the gracious, steady work of His Holy Spirit bringing fruition to the long- held promise given to Eenok at the beginning - “Being confident of this that He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6 Thank you to all of you who have been raised up in prayerful and financial support for the Pastoraat!

Pastor Sandy Miller First Lutheran Church, Hope MN; Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Ministry Board member

Our church has already been supporting this project with our resources and prayers, but seeing it firsthand and hearing the vision directly from both Eenok and Siimon Haamer stirred up an even deeper excitement and desire to support TAT: Home of Hope. One of the things that I sensed while in Estonia is that “God is on the move.” The Spirit is moving in the Church and among the people. I sensed that the Church needs to be ready. Tartu Academy needs to be ready. Ready to effectively train future pastors and ministry leaders who are equipped to respond to those who are seeking. I only wish that everyone reading this would have the opportunity to experience the passion of this vision firsthand. It’s my hope and prayer that many others will catch this vision that began decades ago, and help bring it to fruition. Now is the time! 

Bishop Joel Luhamets Bishop of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church

Planting new congregations is important but expanding a training center where pastors, workers for various church ministries, and layleaders will be trained is even more future focused action. In addition, this work is in harmony with Jesus’ Word: The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2). Ministries that will be situated in this well-developing area will become very visible to the public. Tartu Academy in this new development is like a town built on a hill that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).