Dear Friends,

It all comes back to Jesus.

Every year, we choose a theme for our summer camps that allows us to tell the old story in a new way. This summer, our evening talks centered on Jesus' “I am” statements, captured with the title “The Original.”

In Ukraine, Eduard Kurat launched the first talk of his camp in the middle of a blackout caused by the ongoing war with Russia. With flashlights and phones as the only light, Jesus's words, “I am the light of the world,” had special significance. Young people amid war need to know there is spiritual hope despite the darkness of relentless aggression.

Several days later, two members of our JV Ukraine team were stopped at checkpoints and sent directly into the military without even being given the chance to go home.  They are headed into dark and dangerous places, but we know that they carry the light of Jesus with them. Pray for their wives and young children who are left behind. In every place and circumstance, we need the light of Christ.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” was the theme of talk number four.  Iva and Vika, two JV summer interns, taught this good news to young people at their camp, and also connected with a 90-year-old Orthodox grandmother from the local village. They visited her three times, shared the gospel, prayed with her, and gave her the first Bible she had ever owned.  Jesus is the way, truth, and life for both the young and the old.

At a camp in Serbia, a group of young boys began the week with little interest in spiritual things. Taking the initiative to reach out to them personally, Stojce, our Serbian team leader, gave them all Bibles. One of the boys started reading his Bible immediately that night and became visibly giddy as he read. When asked why he was so excited, he replied, "I love reading stories about Jesus. I don't read, but I love reading this."  Jesus is the bread of life (talk #7), and this young man was tasting Christ’s life-giving presence for the first time through his Word.

Every summer, I am amazed to watch the body of Christ at work. This year, church teams from the United States and the UK joined believers from Central and Eastern Europe to lead 125 camps in 16 countries, sharing the good news of Jesus with over 6,000 young people. Jesus is the Vine (talk #6), and we are joined to each other and bear lasting fruit only because we are first connected to Him.

Jesus is also the good Shepherd (talk #3), and he used you to care for those who served this summer through your gifts and prayers.

Thank you,