By Tom Gentry

In the 17 years that we have been serving with BIMI in Eastern Europe, my prayer has always been that the Lord would give me a vision that was worthy of Him and that would bring Him all of the glory. All that we had when we arrived in 1992 was a sure knowledge that God had called us to serve Him in the country of Romania, a clear demonstration that He was providentially providing for all of our needs, and a promise from Ephesians chapter 3. In verses 20 and 21, God promised that in the years to come He was going to glorify Himself by giving us a ministry that would be “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Quite frankly, at that time we had no idea how God would fulfill that promise.

In the beginning we were busy helping existing churches while we learned the language and culture of the people that the Lord had placed on our hearts. Then in the summer of 1993, in what I can only describe as an awesome demonstration of His power, God came down in our first youth camp. Of the 206 campers that attended, over 190 were gloriously saved! This experience was also important for the Romanian churches. For the first time, many Romanian churches were able to see that children truly can be born again-something that doctrinally they had considered impossible.

In the following years, this simple camp has developed into a legally registered ministry called Hope for the Future that now touches three countries on two continents. In 1996, we began holding camps in the Republic of Moldova and by 1997 an affiliate Hope for the Future was registered. This was no small feat for that communist country! Then, in 1999, we opened an affiliate of Hope for the Future in Malawi, Central Africa. This camp has developed into an African mission station that is totally staffed by missionaries from Eastern Europe. Presently, we have four young Romanians that are finishing a two-year internship in Malawi. During this period they have successfully planted two independent Baptist churches and also started several children’s clubs. They have been diligent in training national workers with the hope that the work will go on after they depart. After a short furlough, they will return to Malawi to continue in the work to which the Lord has called them.

By 2003, over 2,500 were attending the camps each year, with over 1,000 accepting Christ as Savior. That year, the Lord enlarged our vision to include Hope for the Future School of Missions. Through the school, we are directly involved in the discipling and training of children’s workers, missionaries, and church planters that will take the Gospel to another generation-and to the world! We began with 26 students, of which 16 graduated in 2005. God is using some of these fine young people in the nations of the world.

Costi, a former car thief, is now serving in our mission station in Malawi. Emi and Lore met in school and married. They will be departing for Malawi this fall with their little son Samuel. Paul spent the past six months in India and is now in Romania raising support so that he can return to serve in that vast sea of humanity with little Gospel witness. Ramona, believing she is called to Iraq, is learning the value of patience as she waits to receive a visa to enter Jordan to minister to Iranian refugees. Georgi and Dana, another young couple that met in the school, are preparing to plant a church in Oltenia-one of the most difficult areas of Romania. Our philosophy of education is simply, “Find God’s will, and do it!” In the years since we opened Hope for the Future School of Missions, we have seen our graduates do exactly that-as they go forth taking the Gospel to those in need.

2008 and Beyond:

What is the future of Hope for the Future?

New challenges confront us!

Since entry into the European Union, Romania has faced radically rising prices, the fall of the dollar, and the mass exodus of young Romanians seeking work in the West. The new regulations are becoming all but impossible to meet and have affected our ministry as well. We were notified that the camp would be closed until such time as we could meet the EU standards. With help from the mayor and a good relationship with the Health Department, we were able to complete camp this year without further incident. At the same time, this was a “red flag” informing us that we must raise the standard in the camp facility to keep from being closed down! I have worked out an agreement with the health department to achieve complete approval over the next few years. It is impossible for me to believe that our Lord or His people will allow this to happen.

In order for Hope for the Future to continue to move forward, we must see the following accomplished:

(1) Financial support must grow by at least 25 percent in 2009.
(2) Additional indoor toilet facilities and showers must be built before camp starts next year.
(3) Four to six additional cabins must be built by the time camp begins in 2010. This expansion will necessitate the purchase of more land and construction of an outdoor pavilion since we have already outgrown the auditorium.

Would you pray about partnering with us? Would you help us meet these pressing needs of Hope for the Future? In a very literal sense…our hopes…our future…rest upon God’s provision through your generosity!

There are so many other hopes and dreams that God has given us for the future! From the start, we have asked Him for “a vision that will glorify your Name!” He is a great God…and worthy of great dreams! Pray with us that God will make some of these following dreams a reality:

• 100 student enrollment in our mission school! This would necessitate finishing construction on our building (a goal very much in sight), the construction of a vocational wing and the systematic replacement of our aging vehicles.

• 10 new missionary families from our mission school serving in the mission station in Malawi or in other foreign fields! Pray that we can finish the building in Malawi and find adequate support for these new missionaries (with at least half coming from churches in Eastern Europe).

• 3 new Hope for the Future ministries registered in other countries.

Everywhere we go in Romania, we meet young people whose lives have been changed through the camp ministry of Hope for the Future. Youth pastors, pastors and their wives, foreign missionaries, church planters, youth workers, and even a Bible translator have all been saved through the camp. Camp 2008 has been a great success with many coming to Christ. The Lord has again met all of our needs. God has continued to bless the school and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new group of students. We have the people to work with. We have the zeal to push on. We have the patience to endure, the faith to believe and the vision to see what God will do!

Will you partner with us in that vision? Please be in prayer, asking the Lord of the Harvest what you can do to help, as we seek to bring Hope for the Future to a lost and dying world. I leave you with a question:

Do you have a vision that is…

Great enough?
“Now unto him that is able.…”

Grand enough?
“to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.…”

Glorious enough?
“according to the power that worketh in us.…”

Glorifying enough?
“unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus.…”

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Jonathon & Mandy Crews -  BRAZIL
Joel C & Brooke Daku -  KIRIBATI
Paul W & Martha Daku -  FIJI ISLANDS