Dear Friends,

I love to see lives changed by the gospel.

Not long ago I sat in a basement youth room with a group of Czech young people preparing for their summer English camp. While we ate pizza –a standard youth group food in any country– I asked each of them how they came to faith in Christ.

Of the seven in the room, four had been first exposed to the gospel through JV English camps, two had come to faith in Jesus through the JV music ministry Fusion, and only one grew up in a Christian family. Their faith in Christ was vibrant and real, matched only by their passion for others to know the good news of Jesus. As first-generation believers and part of a local church, they knew what it was like to come from darkness to light.

I spent an hour teaching them how to lead a four-week evangelistic Bible study with interested students after camp. Several were already meeting regularly to study the Bible with non-Christian friends, and I was so impressed with their boldness and lack of fear. I was deeply moved as I realized they are breaking generational chains of unbelief and launching an entirely new legacy of faith.

In July, these Czech believers will lead a camp with young people (over half non-Christians) made possible by a JV summer team. Their camp is just one of 130 camps that Josiah Venture will lead during 6 weeks this summer. Over 6,000 young people will be impacted, and we are praying for at least 850 to put their faith in Christ.

However, we know the gospel will not go forward without difficulty and opposition. Would you stand with us in prayer in a special way this month as we enter our most important season of spiritual harvest? Pray for boldness, open hearts, protection, and that many would respond to the good news. Thank you.

We want to see even more lives changed by the gospel.

Dave Patty, President, Josiah Venture