TESTIMONY OF FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Sandy Miller from First Lutheran Church in Hope, MN, shared a wonderful story of how God blessed their faithfulness in mission work. I asked her to write it down so I could share this meaningful story with all of you.
“We wanted to share with you a story of God’s provision and blessing to First Lutheran Church in Hope, MN as a result of our obedience to give sacrificially and generously to Home of Hope. We have been a long time ministry partner of Tartu Academy of Theology and Home of Hope through our prayers, benevolence and Estonian Bible Camp participation. However, we were feeling called to give above and beyond what we normally give in an effort to help the urgent need to pay off the Home of Hope mortgage.
Keep in mind, we are a small church with an annual budget of slightly over $100,000. And yet, we felt called to give an amount of approximately 20% of our annual budget to Home of Hope. This was even more significant because we were already behind in our general tithes and offerings by approximately that same amount! But because we firmly believe that God blesses churches who have an outward Kingdom mindset we moved forward with the recommendation.
Our constitution requires us to have a congregational meeting to approve this amount of giving, and here’s where the miracle happened. The information was presented and with absolutely no discussion, the motion passed! But not only that, when the morning offering was counted after the meeting, there was $15,000 of ‘unexpected’ one time or year end contributions in the offering plate! Little did we know, but God had already been at work inspiring others to give, thereby proving to us that without a shadow of a doubt He is faithful to bless and provide when we are obedient to Him! But it didn’t stop there. That blessing continued so that at year end, we were only $400 short of our operating expenses!!
Had it not been for the challenge for us to not use the money for our own shortfall but rather exercise our faith and trust in God’s provision, we would have never experienced this miracle! So, thank YOU, Siimon, for the opportunity to give as it has strengthened and increased our faith.”
MORTGAGE DEADLINE OFFICIALLY EXTENDED
We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church to extend the mortgage deadline until January 31, 2027. All contract terms remain unchanged, including the 5% interest rate.
This extension was granted because, with your generous support, we were able to pay off $500,000 last year. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU! This achievement reassured our lender that we are committed and capable of reaching our goal—we simply need more time to complete the journey.
While this extension gives us breathing room, we cannot slow down our efforts. The longer we take to pay off the mortgage, the more we will spend on interest. These additional two years will add approximately $40,000 in interest, raising the total cost of establishing the Home of Hope to $2,262,889. However, by accelerating payments, we can significantly reduce this amount and save thousands of dollars.
As of now, with the extended timeline and added interest due to the longer repayment period—not an increase in the interest rate—the remaining balance on the Home of Hope mortgage stands at $515,208.
We ask for your continued prayers and support as we work together to complete this journey.
PASTOR EENOK HAAMER’S HEALTH SITUATION
At the beginning of 2025, my father, Pastor Eenok Haamer (Founder of TAT), was diagnosed with colon cancer and 17th of January a large team of doctors convened and concluded that surgery would be highly risky and dangerous. My father has heart failure, which makes anesthesia dangerous for him. The doctors said that he might not be as sharp-minded afterward and he couldn’t continue his pastor job. They did not recommend surgery, and my father has decided to follow their advice and trust Lord. Eenok especially didn’t like that he should quit pastoring (he will turn 90 in May).
The tumor in his colon has been there for years, possibly even eight years. It is very slow-growing and will likely allow him to live for a few more years. A long-term future of decades is no longer realistic anyway, so avoiding surgery truly seems like the right decision.Thank you for keeping him and his wife, Eha, in your prayers.
COME TO VISIT US THIS SUMMER
TWO opportunities to visit Estonia are available this summer:
PERSECUTION PILGRIMAGE, June 6-14, 2025
ADULT BIBLE CAMP Short-Term Mission Trip, August 6-18, 2025
The registration deadline for both is February 28, 2025.
Detailed information, including registration forms, videos, prices, and itineraries, is available on our website tatest.org/visit.
The Persecution Pilgrimage in Estonia offers a unique opportunity to become part of the story of spiritual resistance, unwavering trust in God, and the suffering of an entire nation. To deepen your understanding of this history and its trials, we will guide you through the journey of one Christian family and their nation. You will hear firsthand accounts of past hardships and gain insight into what it truly means to be persecuted for your faith. Through this experience, you will discover how to keep your faith strong and understand that hopelessness has no place in our lives.
Pastor Eenok Haamer is 89 years old today, and participants of the Persecution Pilgrimage have a rare opportunity to visit the places where he once hid in the underground bunker and hear about his experiences. This may be the only chance to hear these stories directly from Pastor Eenok himself.
Adult Bible Camp Short-Term Mission Trip in Tartu, Estonia. Coordinators and local organizers are Estonians. American Christians are called to join the team as teachers and leaders of discussion groups. There will be a couple of pastors from the U.S. in the team and they will handle of the main teaching responsibilities. The topic is God’s Grace.
Please share all this information with your friends and church members and consider signing up for a visit.
Blessings,
Pastor Siimon Haamer
President of Tartu Academy of Theology
