February 4, 2025

The Fog is Lifting

The fog was relentless. It engulfed the city, delaying flights, forcing reroutes, and leaving hundreds stranded. One plane circled Kraków Airport 27 times before finally diverting–an unofficial record. This was not how I imagined the start of the Revive Europe Conference when I agreed to help organize it. Our team spent two years planning this gathering of thousands of young believers from across the continent, yet we still felt unprepared to handle the haze that greeted us the first day. 

I must confess, at times, I feel as though all of Europe is in a fog. Once a place where church bells rang with certainty, Europe now seems lost in a haze of spiritual confusion. It’s one that muffles sound, obscures vision, and leaves many wandering without clear direction—making it easy to believe this gray uncertainty is all there is.

Yet, after Revive, I am now more convinced than ever that God is not done with Europe. These students didn’t just come with longing; they came with expectation. Throughout the week, hundreds knelt in surrender, responding to the call for repentance, forgiveness, and consecration. Some might dismiss this as youthful idealism or a fleeting emotional response. But this generation is not naive. They have known suffering, loss, and longing, and still, they believe. Their faith is not blind; it is bold.

I saw this depth displayed in my Ukrainian friend Nastya. As we counted down to the New Year, worship resounding around us, she stood with tears in her eyes. A release of soldiers in captivity had just been announced, and her friend’s name was not on the list. She turned to me and whispered, “I had hoped… I really thought he would be free by now.” Like many others, she hadn’t expected the war to last this long. 

So we spent the first moments of 2025 in tears and fervent prayer. And then, as the final “Amen” was spoken, Nastya lifted her hands in worship, singing with the crowd:

“Bless God, for he holds the victory. Bless God, for he’s always with me. Bless God, for he’s always worthy. Every chance I get, I’ll bless your name.”

Like Nastya, the crowd was aware of how deeply broken Europe is. We all felt the weight of the task before us. But we were also aware of the power of the cross. We know the Great Physician, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace. And we believe that he has a desire to see Europe restored. Therefore, this is not a time to settle for small victories. It’s a time to seek God’s presence, to cry out for revival, and to pray his promises into reality.

We are already seeing glimpses of renewal breaking through. The hunger for God’s Word is growing in Bulgaria, with a surge in Bible distribution over the last few years. In Romania, churches are uniting across denominational lines in unprecedented ways. Ukraine now has the fastest-growing church in all of Europe.

We know that revival is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive. However, scripture shows that revival begins with us, broken and surrendered, crying out for God to do what only he can do. This is what I saw displayed over New Year’s. 

Perhaps you, too, are in a season of waiting—longing for a breakthrough, clarity, and the fog to lift. Take heart. The same God moving in Europe is moving in your life. 

Will you join us in praying for revival? Let’s cry out together, trusting that the Spirit is at work, lifting the fog and bringing light where there was once only gray.

 

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Events, Stories

You’re Not Alone in the Battle

When you’re used to leading, serving, and pouring into others, what happens when you suddenly can’t? What happens when the person who normally encourages everyone else wakes up and realizes she has nothing left to give? That’s where I found myself last year. I’m naturally a driven person. I love to see progress—to watch people grow, ministries flourish, and God’s work move forward. But last year, right before a major conference I had been preparing for—a mental health summit for nearly 700 youth leaders and church leaders—everything stopped. I got sick, and my normal pace of life vanished overnight. Suddenly, I couldn’t do what I thought I had to do. At first, I tried to stay positive, to find purpose in the pause. I told myself God was teaching me patience, humility, or to delegate better. But underneath those thoughts, a more dangerous narrative started to form: “God is disappointed in you.” “You’re not strong enough.” “You’re failing as a leader.” “Maybe God is holding back because you don’t deserve his help.” Those are the kinds of lies that can take root quietly—and quickly. It’s the same old whisper the enemy used in the Garden: “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1). The serpent’s goal was never just to tempt Eve; it was to make her question God’s heart. And he still uses that same strategy today. He wants us to believe that God is distant, that we’re alone, unseen, and unloved. I’ve seen this pattern not only in my life, but in the lives of so many young people and leaders I’ve walked with. The moment things get hard—disappointment, exhaustion, relational conflict, failure—the enemy twists the truth. He tells us we’re forgotten, that our prayers don’t matter, and that no one really understands. And slowly, we start to isolate ourselves. But isolation is one of his most effective weapons. Once we withdraw, our vision blurs. We stop hearing the truth clearly. We start interpreting everything through the lens of fear, shame, and self-pity. Even Scripture is full of people who felt this same ache. David cried, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16). Elijah, after a great victory, ran into the wilderness and said, “I have had enough, Lord” (1 Kings 19:4). Job sat surrounded by friends who misunderstood him. And even Jesus—our Savior—experienced complete abandonment in Gethsemane and on the cross. Loneliness and lies are not new, but neither is God’s response to them. In my own season of weakness, when I couldn’t find the strength to pray, others prayed for me. When I felt unseen, people showed up with meals, with text messages, and with quiet presence. Even my unbelieving neighbors said, “We think someone up there cares about you.” That was God reminding me: You are not forgotten. You are not alone. The truth is, the Body of Christ was never meant to function in isolation. Strength in God’s kingdom doesn’t mean independence—it means connection. It means letting others carry you when you can’t walk and trusting that God is at work even when you can’t see progress. This experience also helped me recognize a pattern: the enemy always attacks identity and connection first. He wants to disconnect us from God’s truth and from God’s people. But the way we stand firm is by returning to both. When I start to spiral now—when I believe I have to prove my worth or carry everything alone—I stop and remind myself of what’s true. I reach out to trusted friends and ask for prayer. I ground myself in simple spiritual and physical practices that bring me back to reality: breathing deeply, reading a psalm, or stepping outside to notice beauty. These small moments become declarations of faith. Romans 11:33-36 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” That verse anchors me. I don’t have to understand everything; I just have to trust the one who does. Maybe you’re in a similar place right now. Or maybe you’re walking with young people who feel lost, invisible, or stuck in lies about who they are. The battle is real, but so is our victory in Christ. So, here’s my invitation to you: Would you take a moment to pray—for yourself, for your friends, and for the next generation—that we would recognize the lies of isolation, stand firm in truth, and live connected as the Body of Christ? You’re not alone in the battle. And neither are they.

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Events

The Battle behind the Battle

We are not living in stable times. A short glance at the daily news can quickly ruin your day. Difficult wars in Ukraine and Gaza seem to defy solutions; assassinations and unrest in the United States tear at the fabric of society. Financial instability, polarizing debates in politics, and deep tensions between powerful nations make the future uncertain. I’m sure each of us could add a list of challenges even closer to home, in our work, with family, or at church. In light of these tenacious conflicts, the words of Paul in Ephesians seem out of place. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” Each of the battles I mentioned involves people with flesh and blood, and visible attacks that have real physical consequences. What does he mean when he says, “we do not”? Paul continues his argument with these words: “…but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Here is the truth he wants us to understand. Paul points us to an unseen world that is more significant than the one we see. Spiritual beings and forces of darkness are actively working to thwart the purposes of God. There is a “battle behind the battle”— a fight that has more profound and more eternal consequences than any political conflict. We are called to enter this struggle with the armor of God, “that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Last month, we gathered 370 of our team and close partners from 22 nations at our training center in Malenovice, Czech Republic, for four days of being equipped for this very fight. Our theme was “Victorious – Equipped for the Battle, Anchored in Christ.” We focused on three main skills of an effective warrior: “See the unseen world, Stand in the authority of Christ, and Fight with weapons of power.” No matter how confusing and discouraging the visible battle may be, we know that Jesus is always more powerful than the forces of darkness, and he can accomplish his purposes even in the most difficult of times. In fact, he often turns what the enemy meant for evil into good if we submit to his will and stay obedient to his call. As I stood worshiping in a tent full of gifted young leaders, all contending in faith for the next generation, my heart was filled with gratitude for God’s movement here in Central and Eastern Europe. Thousands have put their faith in Christ because of their bold witness, and churches are being renewed all across the region through the leaders they equip. The daily news is still very confusing. But the spiritual news is that the Lamb has conquered, and the Lion of Judah is on the move. Thanks for joining us in the fight, Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture

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Evangelism, News, Spotlight, Stories

Unexpected Opportunities

It takes courage and faith to entrust your dream into someone else’s hands. In 1993, a group of Swiss businessmen became burdened with a vision to reach young people in Romania with the Gospel. Coming from a Brethren background, they contacted a Romanian Brethren congregation in the Western part of the country and asked if they could partner with them to build a camp. Surprisingly, their new friends pointed them to the opposite side of the country, which is the poorest area and the most unreached with the gospel. Though far from their church, they were convinced this region was uniquely strategic for advancing God’s kingdom. Providentially, it was also the home to a stunning mountain range and the cleanest air in the entire country. The Swiss gathered together their limited resources and bought a beautiful piece of land in a small valley with breathtaking views of the nearby peaks. That year, they started hosting tent camps with portable toilets and water straight from the adjacent stream. Many young people gave their lives to Christ, and step by step, the camp began to develop. First, the construction of a main building, then cabins, and sports fields. A young man named Janus trusted Christ there, met his wife through the camps, then went to Bible school and became a missionary in nearby Moldova. After 20 years, the Swiss team felt they needed to entrust their labor of love to an organization that could take it to the next level. After researching many possibilities, they approached Josiah Venture and asked if we would be willing to accept the gift of a fully functioning Romanian camp. This month, the transfer of this unique facility to our JV Romania team was completed. It was an unexpected opportunity, but also an answer to specific prayers. Through another act of God’s providence, Janus and his family agreed to return from Moldova and join the JV team to run and expand the camp. As I write this, I am returning from a visit to Lepsa, Romania, where we drafted a plan to expand the current 80 beds to 200, and use the camp as the base for powerful outreach to thousands of young people in this needy region. It will host some of our English camps, serve as a base for training Romanian youth leaders, and house Edge Sports outreaches. My heart is full of joy at the courage and faith of these Swiss brothers! Pray with us now that the Lord would provide generous resources to make the expansion possible. If God leads you to give an extra gift to this strategic project you can make a donation by clicking here. Thank you for making it possible for us to respond to unexpected opportunities. Thank you, Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture