TESTIMONY OF PAAVO, DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION
We are presenting a testimony of Paavo Paul Pihlak, the Director and founder of the Christian radio station located at the Home of Hope. Paavo shares: “When I was a young man, I never imagined that I could become a pastor or work in the church. I grew up in a time when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and everything related to faith and God, wasn’t just unpopular, but not recommended at all if you wanted to make a career and be successful.”
However, God chose him. Paavo left behind his previous life and career as a music producer, realizing that God was calling him. Paavo understood that God is wanting him to create a Christian radio station. And today this station is a network of Christian radio channels with three different programs: Estonian, Russian and Russian/Ukrainian. The last program reaches deep into Russia and Ukraine. They have received feedback from Ukrainian trenches, bomb shelters, and ruins, amid collapsing buildings and exploding bombs.
Learn more from this video.
$595,871 TO GO
So far, we have paid off over $1.62 million and remaining balance is $595,871 with the mortgage due on November 15 of this year.
Please share also with your congregation an update on the current progress of establishing the Home of Hope. At this link, you’ll find a video that provides a quick overview of everything we have achieved over the past five years.
If possible, please discuss with your congregation whether it might be feasible to hold a special offering in your church, allowing Christians in the U.S. and Estonia to combine their contributions to complete the establishment of the Home of Hope. Let me know if this would be possible, and we can make a short 1-minute video message for your congregation.
We are very grateful to the many people who have given their support. Please seek God’s guidance on how you might be able to help complete establishment of Home of Hope.
Mortgage Deadline Flexibility
Although the loan payment deadline is November 15, we have been granted some additional time. I have informed the lender, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, that it may take a little longer to confirm last-minute donations and transfer funds to Estonia. Understanding our situation, they are allowing us flexibility, with payments accepted until the end of this year without penalty.
It would be ideal to confirm all donations by the end of the first week of December, so I can assure the lender that funds are on their way. However, if you need more time, please contribute when you can–your support is invaluable, even if it arrives after the original deadline or in January.
ANSWER TO THE QUESTION
We’ve received several great questions, and you may have similar ones. We’ll share these questions along with our answers. You can also check out our FAQ section at tatest.org/faq.
What is the number of people served at Tartu Academy of Theology and Home of Hope?
Number of people served in 2023
- 130 bachelor’s and master’s students
- 47 Bible School participants (40% online)
- 32 Summer Bible Camp participants
- Approx. 100 participants at various youth events
- 75 individuals received counseling from Pastoral Care Givers
- 83 attended seminars and supervisions for pastoral caregivers
- Our Pastoral Care Center at Home of Hope is networking with 60 pastoral caregivers across Estonia
- Hundreds of people, mostly young, are reached through our social media platforms, with the One Minute Bible Study series being especially popular.
- Christian Radio located at Home of Hope broadcasts to a 1.5-2 million square mile area, reaching audiences in Estonia and also Russia
- In total, we welcomed about 700 visitors at various events, including seminars, conferences, life long education trainings etc. at Home of Hope.
Let’s go on prayerfully and trusting God!
Pastor Siimon Haamer
President of Tartu Academy of Theology
