April 26, 2023

The Home of the Movement – JV’s Israel Trips

“Welcome back home!” the tour guide started as she stood on the bus in front of the 38 excited passengers. This was the kickoff of Josiah Venture’s latest New Testament tour of Israel taking place over Easter 2023.

While many of the staff members attending had never been to the Holy Land before, the knowledgeable Israeli Jew on the mic set the tone of the trip just right with her statement.

Israel – the backdrop of familiar Bible stories, the cultural context of the first disciples, and birthplace of our Lord and Savior when he walked the earth. Centuries later, Israel is not only dearly regarded as home to Christianity, but is at the very heart of Josiah Venture’s own mission to equip young leaders to make disciples who make disciples. After all, it was here where Jesus gave his great commission in the first place and modeled it for us.

That day on the bus, it was like Jesus himself was inviting the group home to encounter him in new ways and to be encouraged and challenged in their disciple-making efforts.

A Way to Bless Staff

The following week, these JV missionaries had the opportunity to walk where Jesus walked; touching the water in the Sea of Galilee, eating dates and fish the way the apostles would have, and hearing Jesus’ words read in the spots he said them.

This powerful experience was the 6th Josiah Venture tour to Israel that the organization has put on since the first trip in 2016. That year, JV leadership was praying for a way to bless the single missionaries serving across Central and Eastern Europe. There had been marriage retreats in the past, but never a retreat specially tailored to singles. Josiah Venture had already been partnering with Global Youth Initiative (now Concentric) to study the life of Christ in Israel, so, naturally, the idea came up to do our own study for this retreat.

Amy Ellenwood, who has been part of leading these trips since the beginning, says of the first trip, “Not only did it bear fruit in our ministries, a bond was forged and deepened during those days that created a stronger foundation for community among our single staff.”

Deep Significance

Josiah Venture didn’t want to stop there; they opened up the next trips for both singles and married staff, offering New Testament and Old Testament tours that have given fresh perspective and context to what our missionaries do every day as disciple-makers.

Amy says, “Seeing the land, which is also referred to as the fifth gospel, brings the pages of Scripture to life in technicolor. We have extended time to see, to listen, to smell and taste Christ’s world. This gives deeper, richer context to his priorities.

It also allows for a smaller group of our staff to spend time together, sharing ideas, seeking God, learning from each other, and spurring one another on.”

The Gaze of Jesus

Talk to any of the National or North American staff members who have participated in these tours and the significance is obvious. For our most recent group, who are now back in their respective countries, a shared album of thousands of photos and videos is not their only takeaway. Instead, they have notebooks filled with personal and ministry insights, a wooden communion cup from their worship time at the garden tomb, and the ability to picture things they couldn’t before.

Most importantly, they returned to the mission field with what their tour guide at Magdala, Mary Magdalene’s hometown, said, “When you go home, remember you’ve already got your souvenir – the gaze of Jesus.”

The last night of the trip, Zuza, a national from Poland, captured it perfectly, “We came here to see Jesus, but I feel like we all felt seen by him.” The group left the land that welcomed them home, closer to Christ and inspired to help others draw near to him too as they continue making disciples across Central and Eastern Europe.

Pray with us that God would continue to bless the JV staff who have just recently gotten back from Israel, on either our Old or New Testament trips, and give them momentum and fruit in their ministry. For more info on our Israel tours, check out the blog posts below.

Amy Nickerson

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It is the human condition to dream. Five years ago, I dreamed of starting a podcast for Josiah Venture. I approached the then-director of the International Team, Kyle Evans, and told him of my idea for a Josiah Venture podcast. He asked, “Who do you imagine hosting this podcast?” After a short pause, I replied, “Um…me?” To which he said, “My thoughts exactly.” I knew this was what God was asking me to do.  The podcast, “Josiah Venture Stories,” was officially launched on April 6th, 2021, roughly a year after this initial conversation. It took a little while to get the ball rolling. I needed time to research the best equipment, come up with the name, decide on the format and structure, and everything else that goes with starting a podcast. I enjoy thinking through the strategy and practical steps for a process, and it’s exciting to see a dream become a plan and a plan become reality. A common statistic in podcasting is that 90% of podcasts don’t publish more than three episodes. Many dreams come crashing to a quick end due to the lack of traction and momentum. Some podcasts fail because there isn’t a clear content strategy, episodes are released sporadically, the quality is poor, or proper marketing and promotion are lacking.  To be in the top 1% of podcasts in the world, you only need to publish 21 episodes. This month, the “Josiah Venture Stories” podcast has published 121 episodes featuring various missionaries, Josiah Venture kids, interns, short-term missions team members, alumni, and more. That is something to celebrate! My favorite part of hosting the podcast is hearing about God’s faithfulness, journeys of faith, and the unlikely stories of how people became missionaries. Multiple responses to the question, “How did you know God was calling you to full-time missions?” start with, “Well, I never thought I would be a missionary.” This proves that we never know what God is going to do with our lives or where the roads of life might lead. God simply asks us to trust him. I have repeatedly asked guests on the podcast, “What message of hope would you give to young people today?” The responses are always insightful and inspirational.   Baška from Slovakia said, “I usually tell them to trust God and his plan. I know it’s really difficult, and it seems easy to say but harder to live, but every time that I trusted God, it was better than I expected. Trusting God gave me so much hope and so much peace.” Mark Krupa, a missionary who has lived in the Czech Republic for 26 years, said, “ I would encourage them to look into the living water. Jesus went around saying, ‘I am living water. Come to me and you won’t thirst again.’ Spiritually, young people are hungry, and Jesus can fill them. I would encourage young people to look into what the secret of Christianity is. Colossians 1:27 says, ‘To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ The secret of Christianity is actually Jesus in you.” Not only does this podcast exist to tell long-form stories of the movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe, but it also encourages the listener as they hear stories for all ages. If you have listened to the podcast once or to every episode, thank you. Would you please consider, not just listening, but also sharing an episode or two with a friend or on your social media? Another thing that truly goes a long way in the podcasting world is reviews. Do you enjoy our podcast? Help more people discover our podcast by following us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and writing us an honest review. Here’s what people are saying about the podcast: “What a rich podcast—full of encouragement, new insights and perspectives about what God is doing in central and Eastern Europe.” -Ben_Rob_27 “Last summer, I went with a group from my church in Colorado to stay in Albania for a month and help with summer camps. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! One of my favorite parts about this experience was hearing the life stories of the people in charge, how they came to be a part of this amazing organization, and their hearts behind the ministry that they are doing. This podcast gives you an even deeper and wider insight into the organization as a whole. You are able to hear what is truly going on in different countries from those living there. It’s so inspiring as a young adult to hear the ways God is moving through the faithful servants he has called to make an impact on people my age and younger. Thanks for sharing these stories!” -Kiko1170 Thank you for listening, investing in the ministry of Josiah Venture, and hearing the stories of our missionaries.

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Evangelism, Stories

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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.