CEE Story From The Mission Field
Forward By Faith, Part 2
April 14, 2004
by Rodney Hammer, CEE Regional Leader
I began my previous article with the following:"The only way forward in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the year 2004 is by faith.”
Despite significant challenges we know God is faithful and able! God provided in 2003 “by faith” and beyond budget. Some examples are: $46,652 for evangelism, discipleship, church planting and leadership development in Ukraine, Belarus, and ‘Stans Field; $8,700 for evangelism and church planting among the Deaf of Central Europe; $30,000 for church planting training of Russian Baptists, humanitarian aid and evangelism among Siberia’s Buryat people and the nomadic peoples of Northeast Russia; and $36,111.65 for evangelism, discipleship, church planting and leadership development in South Europe, including $12,640 for the Bosnian New Testament distribution project. Our God is faithful!
Previously, I also wrote, “Simply put, in 2004, CEE’s budget only guarantees the essential support needed to keep our current missionaries on the field, and basic administrative functions performed. All the evangelistic materials, missionary orientation and training, outreach projects, spiritual retreats, new church starts, leadership development of national believers and compassion ministries will have to come by faith through prayer.”
What has God done since December of 2003 in response to our faith-filled requests for Him to move mightily to provide for our 2004 needs? First, He has multiplied the “loaves and fishes” of CEE-wide cost-cutting efforts. This combined with funds from other regions, limited new missionary funds, and a lot of prayer enabled CEE to finish 2003 “in the black” with enough left over to provide for our first “faith” need in 2004–new strategy coordinator training. Remember that 2003 saw us forced to expend four times the budgeted amounts to renew visas for all personnel in Russia, the U.S. dollar continued its slide against European currencies (we lost about 25 percent of our buying power), and we received only 45 percent of our needed new missionary funds! Second, God provided $5,000 of $45,000 needed for our planned 2004 Missionary Kid (MK Teenagers) Retreat. Third, God inspired Southern Baptists to give generously to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering© for International Missions (LMCO) in amazing ways. Here are some examples from churches who partner directly with us in CEE…
Parkwood Baptist Church, Gastonia, N.C., raised at least $89,158.82 for the LMCO. This is not a megachurch and the offering is a substantial increase over last year!
Central Baptist Church of Melbourne, Fla., with an average attendance of about 200 to 225 in 2003, had a goal of $16,000. As of Sunday, Dec. 21, the church had collected more than $37,000!
First Baptist of Eastman, Ga., gave $39,000 in 2002. In 2003 they increased their goal 33 percent to $53,000. They collected more than $71,000!
Parkway Baptist Church in McKinney, Texas, in one night gave more than $11,000 at their missions banquet!
First Baptist Dallas, Texas, gave the all-time LMCO record of $1.16 million–more than four times their LMCO offering last year–while in the midst of a building program!
Praise the Lord! Thanks to all Southern Baptists for your partnership. We “walk by faith, not by sight”–so please keep walkin’ with us!