A friend of mine asked me a couple months ago, “What gets you excited?”
I didn’t have to think long before replying, “Honestly, what gets me really excited is the vision of Josiah Venture. To see young people respond to the Gospel and be apart of an entire cultural shift toward Christ -- that gets my heart pumping!”
Growing up on the mission field for 16 years has cer-tainly left a mark on me! But more than that, the Lord is beginning to guide my heart in a new way that is building on the many years of family ministry. He is using these shaping years at the Moody Bible Institute to reveal His plan for my life.
Growing up on the mission field for 16 years has cer-tainly left a mark on me! But more than that, the Lord is beginning to guide my heart in a new way that is building on the many years of family ministry. He is using these shaping years at the Moody Bible Institute to reveal His plan for my life.
As many you know, last summer I had the opportunity to spend two and a half months ministering to the youth of Croatia. Our hearts were that of 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “..we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” The Lord blessed me in so many ways -- by those of you who supported me prayerfully and financially; by a sacrificial team of interns to grow with and learn from; and by being able to see the Lord produce much fruit despite the difficult soil. I departed feeling challenged, matured, and even more on fire for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.
And I have some exciting news! The Lord’s work in Eastern Europe is not done, and the fields are ripe for the harvest. He continues to blow me away with how he indeed moving in the hearts of these young people; and where God is, I want to be!
That is why I am spending another summer as an intern with Josiah Venture; although things will look a little different this time around! Firstly, I have returned to the CZECH REPUBLIC, as the Lord has placed a deep burden upon my heart for my “homeland.” Secondly, I am co-leading a summer intern team, which will further stretch me in areas of leadership and discipleship. It bring me incredible joy to be able to lead our team of five with Ryan Rayburn, a former Moody student and dear friend of mine!
That is why I am spending another summer as an intern with Josiah Venture; although things will look a little different this time around! Firstly, I have returned to the CZECH REPUBLIC, as the Lord has placed a deep burden upon my heart for my “homeland.” Secondly, I am co-leading a summer intern team, which will further stretch me in areas of leadership and discipleship. It bring me incredible joy to be able to lead our team of five with Ryan Rayburn, a former Moody student and dear friend of mine!
As I prepared to depart, and as the summer is now in motion, I am more and more excited about what the Lord is doing. And while the vision of Josiah Venture does indeed make my heart burst with joy, my heart is even more thankful because of the salvation that has been given to me through Jesus. Every day He draws me nearer to Himself, and that is what truly excites me! I am so eager to share this joy with the students of Czech, so that they too may take part in Jesus' death and resurrection and be given new life.
Please join with me in praying that the Lord would open doors to speak with grace and boldness into these students' lives. Pray that the gospel seeds we plant will grow into strong and abiding branches. Pray that Jesus would be lifted high above all through our service this summer!
Colossians 1:28-29 - "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
