For the Love of Money

For the Love of Money

by | Nov 30, 2022 | Europe

On Monday, November 21, the US Department of Justice announced that two Estonian citizens had been indicted and arrested in Tallinn, Estonia, on 18 counts of cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering. The alleged fraud is estimated to have been $575 million. Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin were the masterminds behind this elaborate plan which involved various layers of fraud. The monies collected were the result of a cryptocurrency scheme and a fake bank, which were then poured into shell companies to purchase extravagant cars and real estate. The case has been investigated by the FBI.

The small nation of Estonia is ranked highly on the Human Development Index and has a high-income economy. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Estonia became a more prosperous country, however, materialism and the love of money can easily gain a tight grip on people as is evident by this news story. It is one of the least populous nations in the European Union with a population of just 1.3 million. While it is small, Estonia is ranked highly in terms of education, quality of life, and usage of technology.

In Estonia, the largest “religious” group is non-religious with more than half of the population, while 4.5% identify with evangelical Christianity. Please pray for missionaries to go to Estonia, for souls to be saved, for churches to be planted, and for a thriving community of believers to be established for the glory of God.

Marriage On the Decline In Estonia

Marriage On the Decline In Estonia

by | Feb 23, 2021 | Europe

A recent study revealed that Estonians marry less now than they used to 20-30 years ago. In 2018, there were only 6 marriages per 1000 adults which is about half what it used to be in 1988. The average age a woman had her first child in 2017 was 27 years old while the average age of a woman’s first marriage was 30.

This order of things to have children and then get marriage is not God’s plan. No doubt, the Estonians behave this way because they do not know the Lord and what God’s Word says.

Estonia is a country of 1.3 million people. There has been an increase of Baptist missionaries from North America, which is encouraging. Yet, the country is still less than 1% evangelical. Who will go and take the gospel to Estonia?