Dear Friends,

How do we get the gospel to more young people in Central and Eastern Europe?

One of the ways we work to increase fruit is by mobilizing from the harvest to the harvest.  We open the way for gifted nationals who have trusted Christ through our ministry to join the JV team and serve as full time missionaries themselves - to their own people.  

Last week eight new national staff gathered at our training center in Czech to learn how to build their support team and effectively serve as national missionaries.  Each one had such a unique story to tell.  

Lan Phuong (affectionately known as Fanny) was born to Vietnamese parents who immigrated to Czechoslovakia when both Czech and Vietnam were communist countries.  Growing up in a Buddhist family, in the midst of an atheist Czech culture, she heard the gospel for the first time five years ago at a JV English camp.  Now she is a devoted follower of Jesus, and in her role with Josiah Venture she will help over 20 churches host evangelistic camps this summer.  

Katarina also comes from a non-Christian family, but was led to Christ and discipled by JV national missionary Maruska in Slovakia.  In just a few months she will marry a wonderful young Christian man, and is teaching young girls across Slovakia how to make disciples and lead small groups.  Her fresh love for Jesus and passion for equipping others is such an inspiration to all of us!

Tomas is the only believer in his family, but he trusted Christ on a mission trip from Czech to Ukraine.  He laughs when he tells the story, because he didn’t even know it was a mission trip, and didn’t realize that he was really the focus of God’s redemptive mission.  Now he is a passionate follower of Christ, and will lead a JV intern team this summer.

Tsvetan is a young psychologist in Bulgaria,but has spent all of his 30 days of vacation each year volunteering on the JV team and building into the lives of young leaders.  Now he is taking a huge step of faith to leave his job and serve the Lord full time.  He longs for young people across Bulgaria to hear the saving message of Jesus.

Each of these gifted young leaders has been discipled by members of the Josiah Venture team.  Thanks for making it possible for us to mobilize them back into the harvest!

Together, for the gospel,