In the summer of 1997 I experienced my first English camp in the Czech republic . I was in Czech for a short two-week mission project with my high school youth group. The time passed very quickly, but the experience made quite an impression on me. I left Czech with a greater understanding of the spiritual needs around the globe, as well as a heightened sense of urgency to share my faith with others.

It was a full two years before I returned to Czech, this time as a twelve-week summer servant with Josiah Venture. I served on a team of eight passionate American Christians. All summer our team worked alongside Czech youth groups helping them to put together five evangelistic English camps. Each camp was unique and accompanied by a special blessing from the Lord.

Activities like, teaching English, playing sports, singing songs, hiking, and just hanging out with Czech students, were very fun and provided a natural and comfortable setting for me to share my faith with others. The cross-cultural friendships that formed at these camps have continued on across the Atlantic through letters and email.

This summer I am returning to Czech for my third consecutive summer. I will be staying on after the summer to work as an intern with Josiah Venture through December. During the summer months I will be working with the English camps again. Then in the fall, when my American team leaves I will be helping to support the youth ministry of a local Czech church.

I love the people and the culture of the Czech Republic . They are warm, loving, and eager for friendship. I have witnessed the Spiritual desolation left behind in the wake of the communist legacy and know that there is immense need. I love the ministry of Josiah Venture and its vision of partnering with nationals to rebuild the church in Eastern Europe.

All of these factors are important to me, but at the core of who I am, it is the transformational power in the person of Jesus Christ that continues to draw my heart back to Czech. The Holy Spirit is bringing revival to the hearts and lives of youth all across Eastern Europe . I have witnessed it in individual students over and over throughout my experiences in Czech.

It is an incredible thing to be a tool in the hands of our Lord spreading the sparks of the gospel and fanning the flames of revival in the heart of the nations. I give praises to God for what He is doing in the Czech Republic!!!