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June 11, 2018

Our Prayer for the Interns

Almighty and Loving God,

Thank you so much for providing 109 interns to work with Josiah Venture this summer. We know that the fields are ripe for the harvest and that these young leaders from North America, the UK, and Central and Eastern Europe have been handpicked by you to serve your movement among the youth here in the next few months.

As the Amazing Race and Intern Training are now over, we pray that the interns would have time to process what they learned and ample opportunity to apply it to their ministry. They faced the fear of heights on a swing ride in Vienna and were willing to sound foolish ordering food in the Czech language in Ostrava. We pray that they would continue stepping out of their comfort zones for your sake this summer and that they would see your faithfulness in their lives and those around them as they do.

Thank you for the chances they’ve already had to bond as teammates. They developed unity making origami swans in Bratislava and navigating the streets in Frydlant, playing European football at Malenovice and practicing the camp dance during evening training sessions. We pray that throughout the months ahead, this unity would be cultivated even more. We heard testimonies of how European staff members came to know Jesus through witnessing the love interns, short-term teams, and local church groups had for each other at camps. We pray that love would be what people around us see this summer too. That our interns would remember they are part of one body, united in you and called to live in love. Help teens to see the love we have for each other at the 127 English, music, and sports camps our interns serve at and be forever changed because of it.

We also stand amazed at who you’ve created us to be. Through drawing challenges, minute to win it games, and an epic lip sync battle, we saw interns use their energy and creativity in incredible ways. We pray that would continue as they lead activities and discussion groups, English classes and follow-up events this summer. Their passion for you was evident in our times of worship, when engaging in conversations over meals, or sharing pieces of their stories during team meetings. As Dave Patty (JV’s president) talked about in our sessions on Ephesians, we want to be people who know that our identities are rooted in Christ and that we sit with him at your right hand. This summer, give the interns a strong sense of who they are in you and eyes to see others the same way.

And now that they are in the countries across Central and Eastern Europe that they’ll be serving in, help the interns to put on your full armor described in Ephesians 6. Let them rely on it all their days here so they can stand their ground when engaging in spiritual warfare. When lies about how effective they are in ministry pop into their heads, may they be stopped by the belt of truth. When darts of doubt about how much you love them fly in their direction, let the shield of faith protect them. May they always be wearing the shoes of readiness to share the gospel of peace and through prayers led by your Spirit give them wisdom to know when and how to point others to you.

We are so grateful for what you are already doing across this region of the world and feel humbled that we get to be even a small part of it. We can’t wait to see what you do next in and through the interns. Protect them, provide for them, and be present with them as they partner with Josiah Venture this summer.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Click here for more photos of the interns during the Amazing Race and Intern Training.

If you want to join us in praying more for the interns this summer, you can find up-to-date prayer requests from their teams in our online Prayer Room.

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At one point, God reminded me that I still hadn’t said my “yes” or “no.” Without thinking too much, I picked up my phone and messaged Brittney: “I want to be a summer intern.” Immediately after sending the message, I fell asleep. God gave me complete peace. That was my first confirmation that God was truly calling me into this summer of service and that he had something very special planned. To me, the summer and this calling felt like a door leading into the unknown. But, at the same time, I had the assurance that Jesus would be with me there. Because I knew that he holds everything in his hands and my faith rests entirely in him, nothing would be too scary. After saying “yes,” I experienced blessing upon blessing. Even before the summer began, God took care of my living situation after the internship. The whole fundraising process was completely in God’s hands. 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I have learned so much from these four amazing young people. I can fully trust them and know that they stand firmly behind me, and vice versa. I’m grateful that I got to work alongside them this summer, serving the youth of Estonia. I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else. I thank God for these four every day. After the Amazing Race and intern training, it was time to truly start our summer mission. Two weeks after we returned to Estonia, the first youth camp began. Sports have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but the moment I found myself on the football field in that yellow camp t-shirt, I suddenly doubted all of my athletic strengths. On the first morning of the soccer camp, Katre (my fellow intern) shared a story where Jesus fed 5,000 men with just two fish and five loaves of bread. Katre shared that this camp could be a place where, in our weakness, God might grow and use us the most. I tucked that thought firmly into my heart and trusted that if God called me here, then he must have a plan! It was such a blessing to see the small things God was doing in these young boys’ lives during the camp. We had so many special conversations and heard beautiful stories. We taught the boys the camp dance, and on the last day of camp, they performed it for us. “I haven’t been this happy in a long time!” Katre shouted across the room as we laughed and watched them dance. At that camp, God started something, and I can trust him to continue the work he began in those boys’ hearts. After the soccer camp, I got to be part of and serve at the Edge Disc Golf camp. This is truly the ideal ministry sport. Walking through the beautiful forests of Estonia, God gave me several great opportunities for conversations, and I got to see how he continued to work in the hearts of the young boys from the soccer camp. The camp was filled with life-changing moments and new commitments. A few young people received their first Bible, and some took several big steps closer to God. Those moments were so special, and I feel so deeply grateful that God called me to this summer, using our team to bring these young people closer to himself. “If there were a way for this camp and this environment to last all year, I’d be so happy!” and “This was the best camp of my life” were just some of the comments we heard from the boys after the camp. But as our camp leader said, their comments weren’t because we put together a cool camp; they were because God was there, living and moving among us. The last camp of the summer was TAFT English Camp. We organized the camp together with two churches–Tallinna Kogukonnad (TaKo) and the youth of Risttee, also known as Lift. (The name comes from: TaKo + Lift = TAFT.) That camp definitely secured a special place in my heart. We spent a week surrounded by the stunning nature of Estonia–misty morning runs, breathtaking sunsets, and the only truly beautiful camp weather we had all summer. In English environments, we built towers and attractions from whatever the Estonian forest provided, played Masterchef, and gave the youth a chance to test their commercial filming skills. Together with two members from some American mission teams, I also had my first experience leading a small group during this camp. Our conversations always ran longer than planned, and I learned so much from them myself. God spoke to me deeply through that group, and those times together later led to even deeper conversations–something I’m incredibly thankful for. We wrapped up our summer adventure with an intern debrief on a beautiful Estonian island called Saaremaa. We shared stories, looked back on the summer, and took a moment to dream and listen. We imagined what might be ahead and heard what God still wanted to bring to light. It was truly a time that words can’t fully describe. After the debrief, it was time for everyone to step back into their “real life.” For me, an exciting year lies ahead. I carry with me a wealth of experience and knowledge from the summer, ready to step into a new season. We’re also hoping to gradually grow and develop our church’s youth ministry. We have many ideas and dreams, and I’m excited to see which ones come to life and how this year will take shape. My heart is full of gratitude for being part of JV’s summer internship, for working with such special and diverse people, and for all that God has done. Thank you for walking alongside me through this short reflection and reading to the end. Please keep this new season in prayer–for the year ahead, for the youth in Estonia, and for the Good News of Jesus to reach even more hearts.