Hi! We’re the Loveras, Frank and Hope!

Our paths to Poland started from very different beginnings, at two different times, but now we’re in this together (by the grace of God). We each have our own story, but in the end, it’s all about Jesus.

I, Hope, am an Iowa girl, and have lived in Iowa all of my life except 5 years as a missionary in Poland.
I was born again in 1996 and baptized by immersion as a profession of my faith in Jesus Christ in 1997. I was first called to missions in Poland in 1998, during a presentation by an American missionary, his Polish wife, and another Polish lady. The purpose of the gathering was to recruit short-term team members for an Evangelistic English Language Camp in Poland. By the end of the meeting, I knew clearly that God was calling me to join His work in Poland. For the next 4 years, I participated in short-term mission trips to Eastern Europe as often as possible. In 2002, having fallen in love with Poland and the Poles, I left my job, sold my house and car, packed away my other belongings, and headed for Poland. I served there for 5 years, returning to the U.S. in 2007 to help my aging parents.

I, Frank, am a New Yorker by birth, and lived on Long Island until I was 14. At that point, our family moved to southern Florida and I experienced culture shock for the first time! After high school, I moved to Iowa for college and was shocked again, in a good way! “Iowa nice” in the Heartland of America – I had found my new home!
I was born again in 2005, saved by the God who rescued me from alcoholism and a fatalistic worldview. In 2007, I went on my first short-term mission trip – to Poland. It was an extremely eye-opening experience and I knew then that ministry was the direction God wanted my life to take. Since then I have attended seminary and earned an MDiv and PhD. After receiving my degrees, I served various churches as a worship leader, AWANA commander, adult Sunday School teacher, elder, and interim pastor. I am also a certified alcohol and drug addiction counselor, having served most recently with the Salvation Army at an Adult Rehabilitation Center.

Getting Personal… (tidbits about us personally)

Tidbits on Frank: What’s Frank all about? Music, guitars, music, pedals, more guitars, music, guitar picks and pickups, music, guitar strings, and then of course, there’s always guitars, and music.

One of the beauty’s of music is that it goes everywhere with you, and no one can take it away, ever. Whether it’s music I’ve written myself or music created by someone else, it’s all with me, everywhere I go.

Tidbits on Hope: What’s Hope all about? Flower gardens, landscaping, plants, native landscape restoration, rescuing forlorn and forsaken plants from clearance shelves and restoring them to vibrancy (I love the challenge and the results!). I’ve even been known to take a photo or two when the lighting is just right…

One of the beauty’s of landscaping and flowers is how it expresses God’s mastery over creation and beauty. Not only did He create such things, but He also gave us our senses and minds, which combined enable us to enjoy creation and give Him the glory. That’s something that truly qualifies as ‘awesome’. Like music, nature is available wherever we go, including Poland. The only difference is that in Poland, we may have to go a little farther than just out our backdoor to find it!

And yep, we’re ‘cat people’. Not crazy cat people. Just (mostly) sane cat people. When we admired Mysia (Mee-sha) at our friends’ house, she was “gifted” to us almost instantly by a family with multiple cats, meaning “this one is one too many”. Lord willing, she’ll make the move to Poland with us.