03 July
During the first six months of 2026, we have seen God at work in changed lives, new discipleship opportunities, missionary training, short-term teams, and expanding ministry in Craiova, Greece, and Africa. We are grateful for every door He has opened and for every life He continues to transform.
Andreas’s Baptism
One of the greatest joys of this year was the baptism of Andreas in January.
Andreas first connected with our church through a short-term mission team. A group of young Americans met him on the street, invited him to an event, and gave him a New Testament with our church address on the back. He later came to Hope Church, began studying Scripture, and entered a discipleship process. At his baptism, Andreas said: “Jesus still forgives. Jesus still waits. Jesus still saves.”
Today, he is serving full-time in ministry and is also part of the E2E missionary training program. His story reminds us that even a simple invitation can have a lasting impact.
E2E – 9th Generation
We began the 9th generation of E2E, our six-month missionary training program, with 11 students. They are studying discipleship, evangelism, church planting, servant leadership, fundraising, expository preaching, missionary profile, partnerships, and other practical ministry subjects.
Each student is also developing a missionary project. Our desire is not only for them to gain knowledge, but to practice what they are learning and grow in character, discipline, and faithfulness.
Hope for Africa
I had the opportunity to teach our course, “Discipleship According to the Model of Jesus,” to students from Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania who came to Craiova through a university exchange program. Several of them expressed a desire to return home and begin discipling others in their churches and communities. These relationships have helped shape a new ministry called Hope for Africa.
Hope for Africa exists to strengthen believers, ministry workers, pastors, and churches through biblical teaching, personal discipleship, and practical training. Translation is one of the tools we use, but the goal is deeper: to help people understand Scripture faithfully, live out the Gospel, and disciple others. Some pastors in Kenya have also asked about receiving training through Zoom.
Please pray for wisdom, faithful local leaders, interested churches, and the resources needed to continue.
Short-Term Mission Team
We were grateful to receive a team of five students from Sterling College for two weeks. They served in children’s ministry, English Club, and two Roma communities. During one English Club event, ten children joined us for songs, games, crafts, and a Bible story.
Short-term teams continue to encourage our church and help us reach people who might otherwise never enter a church building. Andreas’s story is one example of the long-term fruit that can begin through a short-term team.
Please pray that God will continue to send teams to serve alongside us.
Church Planting in Greece
We also spent two weeks in Greece with a team from the United States and members of our church. We continued building relationships and sharing the Gospel as part of our church-planting efforts in Thessaloniki.
One meaningful conversation was with a young man named Dimitrie. Since Saint Dimitrie is considered the patron saint of Thessaloniki, I asked him whether he would rather be protected by Jesus or by Saint Dimitrie. He answered, “Of course, Jesus.” That opened the door to a deeper conversation about knowing Christ personally and receiving salvation through faith.
Please pray for clear direction, long-term missionaries, local relationships, and financial provision as we continue this work.
Food Bank
In March, we participated in the national Easter food collection. Our volunteers served in local stores, encouraged people to donate, collected the food, sorted it, and prepared packages for families in need. Through this effort, we were able to help more than 100 families. We are thankful for every volunteer and every person who donated.
Prayer Requests
- The 11 E2E students
- Wisdom and resources for Hope for Africa
- The church-planting work in Thessaloniki, Greece
- More short-term mission teams
- Biblically qualified elders for Hope Church Craiova
- Growth, volunteers, and leadership for the children’s ministry
- Financial provision for the church and our missionary projects
