Back

July 17, 2020

The Fighter, the Learner, and the Young Sage

I remember the day I met Alex and Lina. It was the first day of English lessons at camp in 2018, and I was teaching the advanced level. After introductions and, since we were discussing different regions of the United States, we began our first lesson about the rich culture of New Orleans’ cuisine and music. Some of the details are hazy, but what I do remember is Alex. Despite a lower level of English than the other students, he jumped at any opportunity to speak. Sensing a gap in knowledge between Alex and the other students, I asked him after our first day, “Do you want to stay in this group?” Without hesitation, he told me, “Yes, I want to stay.”

From the very beginning, I knew Alex was a fighter.

Lina was different. She was quiet and mostly kept to herself during our lesson. Whenever I asked her a question, she would get this frightened look on her face, which I could relate to as a Ukrainian language learner. Despite her shy demeanor, Lina’s English was actually quite good. She grasped what we were discussing and was able to express her opinions, which is not the easiest thing in your second language.

I knew Lina was a learner.

English classes at camp provide a deep opportunity to take conversations beyond the daily topics like food or music. Conversations can go places that surprise you. That was the case with this special group. They were a passionate bunch and were willing to discuss everything from corruption in Ukraine, generational change and impact, Jesus, and the Bible. What I loved was the depth and sincerity with which they spoke.

After camp ended, I stayed in touch with many of my students from that class, including Alex and Lina. We had conversations over coffee, went for walks in the city center, and had movie nights from time to time. What touched my heart was how excited they were to meet together, and how easy it was to reminisce about camp and make new memories.

The next year my local church did an English camp, and I sent Alex and Lina a camp flyer. I honestly wasn’t sure whether they would come but, to my amazement, they piled out of the vans with the others. I was so elated, grinning from ear to ear. Both of them tested to be in my group again, which delighted me.

One of the new people in that group was Anya. Like Lina, she was quiet but not necessarily shy. She observed what was happening in the conversation and, when she spoke, she made her words count. Her words held a quiet wisdom that surprised me. Every lesson in that tiny gazebo, deep in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains was truly a gift. We laughed, debated, pitched fake products to sell, discussed where true wisdom comes from, and talked about what it means to find your true home in a relationship with God (the theme for camp that year).

I knew Anya was our young sage.

Now, let’s fast forward to March 2020. The whole world was in quarantine (or headed that direction) and I was unable to do any face-to-face ministry. I, however, reached out to some of the teenagers I knew from past camps via Zoom. I asked if they would be interested in meeting three times a week. Alex, Lina, and Anya always came, and God did something special in our conversations. We discussed dozens of topics, and God gave me the opportunity to share truth from his Word during just about every one of them. Sometimes the shoe was on the other foot and we did our conversations in Ukrainian, which was great for my language learning. Alex was (and still is) as opinionated as ever, which is a great thing. Lina and Anya have made great progress and are more confident as English speakers, and all of them are open and curious about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

It was no accident that Alex, Lina, and Anya ended up in my English group. I’ve learned that the people God puts on our paths are gifts from him, our Good Father. I have come to understand that God is always working and he invites us to join him in his work. I believe God’s Spirit is working in the hearts of Alex, Lina, and Anya to bring them closer to his heart. It’s my privilege to be a road sign pointing the way to Jesus and his ways.

Lastly, I believe whole-heartedly that this generation of young people in Ukraine has great potential for God’s kingdom. This is why I’m here. My prayer is that Alex, Lina, and Anya will be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16) for their peers. When I think about their future, I hope they will become strong leaders in their local church with a heart to see more and more Ukrainians find new life and true joy in Jesus. I pray and look forward to what God will do in and through the fighter, the learner, and the young sage with great expectation.

Chris Loux

Related Posts

Read Story

Evangelism, Stories

When we say “Yes”

Dear Friends, What happens when we say “yes”? Ermal was obsessed with soccer as a child and headed to university in his home country of Albania with the dream to become a famous professional player. He never quite made the top level of performance required and was deeply discouraged. At the same time, he was growing in his relationship with God under the disciplemaking care of a local pastor. Hearing God’s call into ministry, he said “yes” to a major life change and returned to his small village to shepherd a local congregation of just 35 believers. But his passion for young people–⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and for soccer–⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠never left. So, when our JV Albania team approached him four years ago with the invitation to join JV and develop a sports ministry in his church and throughout his valley, he heard the call of God and said “yes.” In just a few years, Ermal had started Edge Soccer teams in six villages with no prior evangelical witness, reaching over 60 young people every week. A part of every practice was a short Bible study, and the young boys were relationally shepherded to faith in Christ. After a time of prayer in early November of 2024, Ermal came to his wife Nertila with an outlandish vision. “I believe God is calling us to share the gospel with 1000 young people before Christmas.” “Are you kidding me?” his wife replied. “I was thinking like a human,” she later shared. “How can we reach 1000 kids in such a short period of time?” “I don’t have any ideas,” Ermal said, “but I think God is calling us.” “I was very challenged,” Nertila reflected later, “and didn’t know how to handle that pressure. But then I said, ‘Here I am God, if you want to use us. Let your will be done.’” Then, out of the blue, a call came from Operation Mobilization, who wanted to send 6 people from Moldova to help with whatever they wanted. Ermal said “yes.” Next, Ermal had an idea to request 1000 Shoebox gift packages from Samaritan’s purse. It was an unusual request, but they said “yes.” He contacted six schools and asked if he could share the story of Jesus at Christmas.  Albania is historically Muslim, and the directors are not allowed to do anything religious in the school building. “Would you be willing to talk to our students outside?” they asked. He said “yes.” It was a simple program. Two songs, a 15-minute message about Jesus, and heartfelt testimonies from the Moldovans. And, of course, some shoebox gifts. But the students were very open, and many asked to hear more about Jesus. Others gave their addresses and wanted to join the youth activities. The director of the largest school is now meeting regularly with Ermal for Bible study.  When Christmas came, they counted the numbers and realized that over 1000 young people had heard a clear gospel message in just a few short weeks. A simple “yes” to the call of God brought miraculous fruit. This month, you also said “yes” through your gifts and prayers. Thank you.
Read Story

Discipleship, Stories

Fruit in Hard Soil

Dear Friends, How does the gospel bear fruit in hard soil? Montenegro is one of the most beautiful countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Sandwiched between Croatia and Albania on the Adriatic Sea, it combines stunning beaches with soaring 8000 ft mountains, rushing rivers, and the deepest canyon in Europe. But this hidden gem has very few evangelical believers. Out of a population of 600,000, less than 300 believers attend a few tiny evangelical churches. How do you make progress in such a difficult place? When Josiah Venture staff Noah and Jill Ellenwood moved to Montenegro in 2020, they immersed themselves in the local language and culture and took every opportunity to build natural relationships. Following the instructions of Jesus in Luke 10:6, they prayed that one of these new friends would be a “person of peace,” a trusted insider who would open the door to others. Noah met Slavo while playing soccer with a group of guys and invited him over to their apartment for board games. Slavo asked if he could bring his friends, and what began as a small gathering quickly grew into a weekly tradition with more than ten people attending. Slavo was always the catalyst, inviting new people while consistently building relationships. During this time, Slavo was on a personal spiritual journey. He openly shared his exploration of various paths for inner peace, including Hinduism, Buddhism, individualism, and Christianity. Noah and Jill had many candid conversations with him, sharing their own stories of God’s transformation in their lives. Still searching, Slavo embarked on a six-month backpacking trip through Europe. Along the way, he encountered people from all walks of life—Muslims who invited him to join their mosque, those who dismissed Christianity as fake, and others who loved him unconditionally. Throughout the trip, Slavo sensed that God was calling him, though he wasn’t sure what it meant at the time. When he returned, Noah spent 10 months studying the Bible with him, focusing on themes such as identity in Christ, being adopted into God’s family, and understanding sin and how it separates us from God. During this period, Slavo began experiencing dreams that seemed to be God speaking directly to him. One day, Noah received a call asking to meet on a hill where they often walked and talked. There he was greeted by a joyful Slavo, who exclaimed, “I want to do it—I want to follow Jesus!” Sitting down together, he prayed to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Slavo quickly became passionate about studying the Bible. He would often cancel plans just to keep reading, feeling unable to put the Word down. His transformation impacted his family so much that they started joining him for church services. This fall Noah had the privilege of baptizing Slavo as he publicly proclaimed his faith in Christ. Perseverance, prayer, relationships, God’s Word, time, sacrifice, and commitment—each of these is needed to bear gospel fruit in difficult soil. But then the transformation is real and spreads to others. Thank you for your part in this movement of God.
Read Story

Spotlight, Stories

The Light of Imagination

On Saturday, December 22, 2012, in my final year of Czech high school as a Josiah Venture Kid, a light came to our doorstep in Czech. I was preparing to graduate in the spring and move to the States for college. While I expected this Christmas to be the same as all the previous ones, it felt different because of one encounter on a chilly Saturday morning. Our neighbor Pavlina, who lived down the street, rang our doorbell to bring us a special and meaningful Christmas greeting: a flame from Bethlehem. This flame was lit in Bethlehem by a Palestinian boy, flown to Vienna, and taken by the scouts through Brno to Ostrava. Pavlina had woken up early that morning to take the one-hour train trip to Ostrava to light her flame so that she could spread the Light to our little town. The candlelight danced inside the lantern as she opened its glass door and passed the flame to a candlestick, which she used to light my candle. It was so cold that we could see our breath, and we lingered only for a moment at the door before she said goodbye and went on her way. Pavlina walked away with her lantern, but the light she still held was now also in my hands. We kept that flame alive throughout the following days until Christmas. Even after we turned off the lights for the day, it still glowed safely in our lantern on the windowsill. I was mesmerized. Growing up as a JV missionary kid, I often heard about Christ being the Light of the World. That Christmas, however, that flame that came from Bethlehem ignited my imagination. It brought the story of Jesus’s birth to life in a new way. We don’t only get to hear about the Light of the World; we get to experience him, just as I experienced the light and felt the warmth of the Bethlehem Light. This past September, I had the joy of hosting a workshop at JV’s Fall Conference and learning together with youth leaders and brothers and sisters in Christ from all over Central and Eastern Europe. The workshop, “Getting People Excited About the Bible,” centered around applying our imaginations to studying God’s Word. Back in high-school, the visual of the Bethlehem Light sparked my imagination as I considered the Christmas story. In the same way, when we apply our imaginations to engaging with God’s Word, we see it with fresh joy and wonder. In our workshop, we imagined ourselves as different characters and looked at Scripture through that lens. For example, we talked about being like a guest. As guests, our goal is to come in and try to understand the culture and the people in the home we are visiting, not assuming we already know what life looks like there. With that in mind, we explored the cultural traditions of Psalm 23 together. We also imagined ourselves as astronauts who can see the whole world from their space station. They can see how the continents fit together and how big the ocean really is. We again looked at Psalm 23, but this time to discover how it fits into the bigger picture of Scripture. Perhaps someone nearby has delivered the Bethlehem Light to your town, and you could find it, bring it home, and share it with your neighbors. Or perhaps you could discover and carry the light differently—by using your imagination to explore the story of Jesus and inviting others into this joy. Advent is a season of anticipation, a time to pause and let the beauty of the gospel stir our hearts and imaginations. Just as the flame from Bethlehem sparked awe and inspiration in me that unexpected December morning, we, too, can let the light of Christ illuminate our lives and draw others toward his truth. What could it look like for the story of Christ’s birth to come alive to you this Advent season? How might your imagination draw you into its beauty? Could this wonder then spread to those around us as we also bring the light to them? May this season be one of discovery, joy, and sharing the gift of Immanuel, God with us.