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We are praying that we might get to be with you early August
in Chicago! (Although our time in Chicago this August is shorter than
usual). We do have a gathering of friends planned for the evening of
August 9th and you are invited! Please text Nancy and if that date doesn’t
work, we will find a time . . . 847-708-0011. Thanks!
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We asked you to pray for our 40th anniversary All-Staff
Conference in Greece.
Where’s
A quick report: We
can’t think of any way the All-Staff Conference could have gone better! We were
reminded of the many ways God has added to his kingdom through this ministry of
raising up church leaders over the past 40 years. And then spent some
thoughtful time brainstorming together on what God might do in the next 40
years! Thanks for your prayers! When it
came time to say goodbye, we left with a spirit of wonder and
thankfulness, not only for the past but for the bright future ahead for
Entrust.
Nancy and I loved this sampling, below, of Entrust’s unusual ministry legacy behind the Iron Curtain and wanted to share it with you.
(Written by
Sandy Shaffer, who with many others provided such a wonderful foundation that
Entrust now builds on.)
“The early years were challenging.
We did a lot of traveling, and there was no heat on trains or in many homes we
stayed at in Eastern Europe. We recall sleeping with our coats on at
times. There was often no hot water to shower or wash hair or dishes. One
friend recalled brushing her teeth using tea because the water wasn't safe to
drink in some places; another used Coca-Cola! We tried hard to fit in and not
look too conspicuous; we created a closet of what we thought were suitable
clothes to wear in some of the poorer countries. On one occasion a coworker was
teaching in Romania, and after the first session she heard the women whispering
during the break. It turned out that they were taking up a collection for her
so she could buy a pair of decent shoes! At that point we realized we were
probably overdoing it a bit."
“We were willing to take some risks to spread the gospel. Meetings were held in secret, and our men and women were
picked up by contacts in places where nationals felt it would be safe to meet -
usually in a public park or at a cathedral in the main town square. Both men
and women experienced being followed and having to change the plans to meet so
as not to endanger our contacts. Rooms in hotels were regularly bugged, and
informers sometimes attended meetings.
Our co-worker Sherry recalls the time when the door
handle on her partner's hotel room broke, and Claire was unable to get out of
her room. They were staying on the third floor of the hotel. The desk clerk was
no help. The women didn't want to miss their train, so Claire went out onto her
balcony and climbed around the balcony wall to Sherry's room. Her suitcase had
to be handed around the balcony wall also. Then both ladies exited from
Sherry's room; they made their train just in time."
“What made us take those risks and face those challenges?
We were captivated by the vision of training a generation of young
men and women who would then train others across Eastern Europe. From the
beginning 2 Timothy 2:2 was our guiding principle, and Entrust's name is taken
from this verse. Paul told Timothy, "and the things you have heard me say
in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also
be qualified to teach others."
“We were also hooked by our students, who
demonstrated a deep faith and commitment to God and a hunger for spiritual
food. Some of them had faced interrogation and severe restrictions as a result
of their vibrant faith. On my first trip to Silesia (Czech Republic) we had
sketchy directions to look for a vegetable store on the main square. In the
dark we had trouble finding the place; there were several squares and at least
four veggie stores in the town. We got there 1 1/2 hours late, climbed five
flights of stairs in total darkness, knocked on a door and entered a room where
all 12 women were waiting expectantly around the table for us. That really had
an impact on me.
Rob found the same hunger for spiritual food. On
his first trip in 1980 he taught a group in Poland, then crossed over the
border to give the same seminar in northern Czechoslovakia. Some of the
students crossed over from Poland to hear the seminar a second time. The
translator didn't show up and the Polish guys were able to translate and use
the extensive notes they had taken in Poland."
“We realized that our students were all in. They
were committed, and they were hungry to understand God's word and
began immediately to try to apply it in their lives. Recently we
have been seeing this hunger for God's word again in Serbia, and our
coworkers are seeing it in places in Asia and the Middle East."
“There are at least three reasons why Rob and I
have stayed this long with Entrust:
1. The
constancy of the vision of training leaders who will continue to train leaders,
generation after generation.
2.
The quality of our co-workers - who are some of the finest people
we know.
3.
The great privilege of seeing God at work, transforming
the lives of our students through his word.
4.
A fourth reason is the faithful prayer and financial support
we have received from so many of our friends over these many years. They
have kept us here, and kept us going, at times when it was hard, or when the
problems seemed bigger than the promise of God's faithfulness and
provision. We thank them from the bottom of our heart for being part of
our team."
I always remember much of the respect Entrust receives is because of the early sacrifices of people like Rob and Sandy (and those who faithfully supported them)! We owe them all so much!
– David and Nancy
Thanks for your partnership!
Send support to Entrust:
PO Box 25520, Colorado Springs, CO 80936-5520
DavidG@Entrust4.org * NancyG@Entrust4.org
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