Where Our Hope Is Found

Colleen walking up to her office in the Balti Metodista Teológiai Főiskola

Define hope.

Hope is expectancy. It is longing. It is the place where our faith resides.

Ironically, it is often in times when we should hypothetically lack faith that our faith grows and deepens. The times when everything is stripped away, revealing the source of our faith—where our hope is found.

For Colleen Weaver, her relocation from Ukraine to Estonia has been a testament to the hope she holds. As a missionary since 1986, Colleen has experienced the Lord in mighty ways. One would assume Colleen is a seasoned pro in her field!

But if you were to hear Colleen’s story, you would be deeply encouraged, perhaps even challenged, as you are reminded of how the Lord uses our lowest moments to draw us closer to Him.

Colleen and her husband Brent in their apartment in Estonia.

A year ago, Colleen and her husband Brent moved to Estonia after serving in Ukraine. They relocated partly due to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine and partly in response to an invitation from the Estonian Methodist Seminary and Church to serve alongside them. While they were familiar with Estonia, living there has been a completely different experience. Colleen has found herself having to relearn everything, despite her years of experience in missions. 

A new country. A new language. New preparations, new classes to teach, and a new learning platform to master. The daylight is limited to six hours a day in winter. There are no leaves on trees until mid-May, and the cold, snowy weather is a constant companion. All the while, she is completely relearning how to communicate.

Yet, this challenge also brings a lot of goodness. You learn to love blue skies and sunny days like never before. It teaches you humility, to take each day as it comes, and to be committed and willing to learn—even if it means making mistakes along the way. After all, mistakes are essential for growth.

This experience has been a long lesson in faithfulness, and it has deepened Colleen’s awareness of the importance of being with God. It’s a reminder that the unknown, while scary, is necessary for growth. With faith, a whole lot of unknowns can go from being something scary into being a beautiful reflection of God’s peace and care.

The upheaval in Ukraine has also brought Colleen lessons from the Lord. She has experienced deep pain and sorrow—an aching in her heart for the world, and for the many who are hurting and grieving. Ukrainians live in fear and uncertainty, each processing and responding to the war in different ways. “It's like a knife goes through me in a moment” she shares, recalling times when she has picked up items from her old apartment. 

But there are lessons in this too. It has shown the importance of showing grace to those who are grieving and hurting, and of enjoying the special connections her past experiences allow her to build with Ukrainian refugees. 

Most importantly, it shows that in the midst of everything, God is still there. 

The Prince of Peace? He is there. 

And since He is there, the question during difficult times is not “God, where are you?” but rather, “What is my faith in?”.

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness,” Colleen recites.

Times of difficulty beg the question: Where do we place our hope? It is a daily question we must answer, and it won’t always be easy. 

Unknowns are beautiful. And if you learn to take each day as it comes, you might just find God in them. Correction: you will find God in them.

Looking toward the future, Colleen is filled with excitement as she faces the familiar. After a year in Estonia, she has experienced many different events and situations. She looks forward to celebrating her first Christmas and spending an entire winter in Estonia.

Colleen will continue to mentor the seminary students that she has been teaching. She looks forward to walking alongside them in seminary classes, helping them with their papers and writing, and growing spiritually with them. Estonian culture honors and respects age, which has led her students to greatly value their meetings with her. 

There is great hope ahead—hope built on Jesus, as Colleen looks forward to what is to come.