What is JV?

It's probably a good thing I waited to write this part of the series (read the first part here). I had a bit of training at TCKompas and I think it will help me speak with more knowledge about the topic. :) Usually I write in a pretty airy voice... but this is a bit more formal and informative. I feel very strongly about JV and what they are doing in Europe. I hope when you read this, even if it seems boring, you will read it with an open mind and heart. This is what I am giving my life to these next few months and what you have supported me for! If you have ANY questions at all, please let me know and I will try to get them answered! (I mean, I hope this isn't too boring... I personally find it pretty exciting!) Josiah Venture, or JV, is an organization that was founded in 1993 by three couples. It is a movement dedicated to reaching the lives of youth (and others) in Eastern Europe. It is currently operating in 13 countries: Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany (focusing on the East), the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Latvia, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, and Albania. Each country has different needs, but they all fall under the JV umbrella. Each country has its own staff and Board of Directors and there are also people working for the organization as a whole. I am so fortunate to work with some amazing people this summer; I'll introduce them as I speak about them in my blog! The vision of JV is, "A movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society." I want you to take a look at that vision. Let's do what I do in school and break it up...

• A movement of God - this is not a stagnant ministry, God is on the MOVE here. He is working in cities and churches like never before! 
• Among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe - this used to just say "Eastern" and it has expanded. JV just added Germany and Hungary to the country list... this doesn't just happen!! God is present and people are seeking Him. 
• That finds its home in the local church - JV doesn't just go into towns and run camps. Instead, we partner with local churches (notice the word is plural?) The organization does a number of things with different denominations: Lutheran, Baptist, Bretheren, etc. JV believes that the churches need to be making a lasting impact on the people so when camps or tours are over, the church can still be sustainable. Cool? I think so! 
• And transforms society. - I have always wanted to work with an organization that is passionate about not only changing a few people's lives, but changing the world! This is a step! Changing an entire society?? It sounds so impossible, but in Matthew, Jesus said that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains - so why not change a society?   Just a few more tidbits about the organization... its mission statement is, "To equip young leaders to fulfill Christ's commmission." We use a variety of programs to advance the movement of God, including: - Discipleship - I willl not be participating in either of the programs specifically designed for discipleship here (Elements and Turbo 316) but I will be discipling students at camp! - Evangelism - This is extremely important; less than one half of one percent of the people in most regions in Eastern Europe are evangelical believers. This is focused on by English outreach camps (like the ones I'll be working at), FUSION (music camps - NEW!), and Exit 316. - Training programs - These are varied throughout the year. I'm involved in a training program called the Summer Intern Program, but I also know, in Slovakia, they have specific training for youth pastors, amongst other programs! Well, that is honestly all I have for tonight. I have so much more to tell you, but not much time to write. I didn't think I was going to take my laptop with me to Banska Bystrica, but I think I may so I can catch up on some blogging on the train! << PS. I cannot remember who I was talking to, but I kept spelling it t-r-e-i-n... I apologize. That is the Dutch spelling and I kept thinking it looked strange, but couldn't figure out why. There you have it! Until next time, keep the faith! xx

On the Plane

Wow! I cannot believe I've made it this far!!!! Only through His awesome power has any of this been possible. I'm on the plane now and will hopefully be able to post this soon (along with the informational post about JV). I finished packing and doing last minute things about an hour before I left my parent's house. I got a call from my bank about then and they told me my Euros came in!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!! We picked that up and then drove to Wausau and chilled in the airport for a bit. It's always sad to leave them when I leave the country. But, thankfully, I always return home. After some tears were shed, I made my way through security at CWA and boarded our tiny plane. I sat next to a lovely girl who was going for Marine training in North Carolina. She was teary eyed too - it was kinship. :) The flight actually took off earlier than anticipated, so we made it to Chicago about 30 minutes early - awesome!!! I had tie to run to the restroom (something I didn't think I would be able to do!) AND get Starbucks... blessed beyond measure! So, I'm sitting at gate C16 and looking at all the people going to Amsterdam, being slightly jealous. Then I realized, I wasn't at my gate. I was supposed to be at gate C18. Oops. So, I booked it over there and met an adorable girl who had done a mission trip of sorts in Poland for a year and a half! Instant bond. We chatted until we had to part ways on the plane. I was worried about meeting up with the guys I was meeting with. I couldn't find them! Then, thankfully I met up with them on the plane!!!!! YAY! They all seem so nice. Granted, I am pretty excited to meet up with the girls and David in Frankfurt. Ah, so yes, the flight to Frankfurt is... interesting. We were delayed by about an hour and a half. I'm in the very back of the plane and am sitting in the midst of four small children. You can imagine how that is going. The two little girls next to me are adorable, though the younger one seems to get her way through screaming and crying. I'm probably not used to this due to the fact that I am an only child. The older one is adorable and likes to chat with me - which I really like. Then there is the baby and sister combo to the right of me. The little baby boy was clearly unhappy during our delay and scream/cried the entire time we were on the ground and a bit during take-off. It was through the grace of God he finally stopped. He is now sleeping peacefully on his mother's lap. Let this serve as a reminder to me to not travel internationally with my small children. It was awful for the rest of us sitting around them. :/ The food is coming now... they even have a vegetarian option, which I'm treating myself to (if they have some left) because I ate pork chops last night!!! Then I'm also going to nibble on a chocolate chip coconut cookie my wonderful mother made this morning and spend some tie in prayer thanking God for my amazing parents, family, and friends. In case you were wondering, after that - I'm trying to get some sleep. Hopefully others will too. We will be getting into Frankfurt late, so we will probably have to hurry to our next gate there. Uh oh, "The Vow" is on... to watch or not to watch??? We will see... I don't really feel like crying. I'll update you soon. Until then, xx

Here I Go!!!!

AHH!  This is it!!!  Today is the day!!!
I'm leaving the country and heading to Slovakia to spend my summer as an intern with Josiah Venture.  Am I packed?  Nope.  Am I ready?  Not really.  Am I excited?  OH YES!!!
Usually days that I leave the country are filled with this strange emotion, part excitement, part dread, part anxiety, part euphoria.  It's strange to have so many different feelings all in one body - especially since they are all so extremely different.  Today is really no different.  I cannot wait to set foot in Europe and feel like I'm "home" again.  But, as always, I'm sad to leave my parents and friends - albeit only for three months this time... not ten.
This has been making me think a lot about missionaries.  They pack up and leave for extended periods of time - usually with little to no direction and just faith in Him to guide them.  They leave familiarity and comfort for a life of ambiguity and obstacles.  So, why do it?  I think my friend said it best when we were talking about this upcoming trip.  We definitely could have NOT been interns - saved quite a bit of time and money (your money too!), didn't have to go through training, didn't need to leave our family and friends for a summer ... life would have seemed so easy!!!  Then she said, "Has God called me to have an easy life? Did disciples have easy lives? Heck NO! I need to step forward in faith!"  BOOM.  If that wasn't exactly what I needed to hear, then I don't know what was.  So, there you have it.  These next three months will be just a taste of what missionaries do with their lives.  Their sacrifices.  If you would, please take a minute now to pray for the missionaries on the field - their lives, the lives they are touching, their families and friends.  Pray for peace and comfort and their safety.  Now, please pray for each and every person they are witnessing to - that their hearts will be softened and their lives will be transformed through the awesome power of our Father.

Okay - so I know I promised more about JV - but I guess I didn't get to that.  I will... soon.

Until then,
xx

Summer Plans - How I Got Here

Hey!
These posts are pretty sporadic and I apologize.  I am clearly not the blogger my heart longs to be.  So many things trump blogging for me.  Maybe one day... *sigh*

I wanted to get a post up about what my plans are for the summer.  Since (hopefully) most of you are checking this out due to the card I sent you with the blog address on it.  :)  If you received one of those "thank you" cards, then I really do - from the very bottom of my heart - thank you for your support.  I could never have gotten to go on such an adventure without it!  If you haven't received one - I promise that it is coming soon!!!  (Please forgive me??  I've had a lot on my plate... but I promise, one is coming!)

Here are some directions:
1. Check back here once a week - I'm going to hopefully be able to post about that much.  Probably not so much during camp... but I will try to keep up!
2. If you want updates in your e-mail about when I post, there is a little place on the side bar to your right.  You can get a little note telling you I (finally) updated my blog! :)
3. Subscribe!!  Or "Follow" my blog in order to get updates.  It also makes me feel special when it says I have new "followers" and then you can also leave comments - which is super encouraging.

Alright - now onto the fun stuff!!!!!  I think I'll be writing this in two parts... "How I Got Here" and "What is JV?"

From the beginning -
I received an amazing job in October!!!  Birthday present - say what?! I went through some pretty intense interviews for a job at Kohl's Corporate.  I gladly accepted it when I got "the call".  (There may or may not have been a happy dance that went along with it...)  They told me I could choose when I started and I chose the June class.  I was SO excited to have my dream job, at my dream company, doing what I knew I wanted to do!!

Then it hit me.  I had just returned from a year in Europe - I was finishing up my final year in college.  And then... then I would go start a job.  It was this huge burden - was I ready?  What about the things I had always wanted to do?  What about moving to Europe?  What about this?  That?  Major. Panic. Attack.  I had no idea where it had come from or why it was happening!  I was just thrilled with the prospect of this job a few days prior, why was I freaking out now?  I knew there was only one thing to do... pray.

I kept asking God what His plans were for me and why He had allowed everything to align so perfectly only to cause me anxiety!  He kept placing missions on my heart.  No way, God.  There was no way I could take time to go do that!  Maybe I could do something locally - through my church?  It became very evident that was not the plan.  It was settled.  I was going to have to start searching for mission trips or keep feeling anxious.

My search was not an easy one.  It started with me telling my parents - they were beyond thrilled.  Okay, that was easy.  Next came my upcoming career... I e-mailed them and asked "Would it be possible to move my start date to September?"  Mind you, this is a Yes or No question.  Their reply?  "You have been moved into the September class - see you then!"  Maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing!

My parents and I started searching for mission trips online and through friends.  My dad sent me one that was an internship in Guatemala for the summer.  It was intensive training for those who wanted to become missionaries.  I requested more information and started getting really excited about it!  A whole summer in Guatemala?!  I had originally thought I would be going to South America or Africa... but Latin America had never crossed my mind.  As I prayed about it, the more confident I was that this is where God was sending me.  The info came while my mom was visiting and I remember ripping open the package and devouring the information.  I set down the packet and this feeling of dread washed over me.  This was not where I was supposed to go.  I left the information on the table and asked my mom to read over it and tell me what she thought.  She came up to me later that night and I could tell she wanted to chat.  She tip-toed around it for a bit and then came right out and said, "JoDee, I don't think you are supposed to go to Guatemala."  Well, if that wasn't confirmation, I don't know what else would have done it.  Crap, now what?


I had been volunteering with my church's youth group.  I was pretty much at the end of my rope and thought, Maybe my youth pastor will have some advice... right?  He sent me back a lengthy e-mail and directed me to Dave.  He is our Mission Director at my church.  Dave and I worked with the youth together, but I didn't know him very well.  After youth group one week we sat down and talked.  He told me about this organization called Josiah Venture and gave me some literature.  He said to pray about it and let him know.  Hmm... is this where God wants me?


I was pretty excited about this new prospect.  I called my mom and dad and told them.  We were praying about this organization and summer internship.  I read through the literature and the website.  I was waiting for that impeding feeling of dread to wash over me.  It never came.  Instead, immense peace washed over my heart.  Is this it, Jesus?  Is this where You want me to serve?  A few days later, I received a call from Mike.  He was from the organization and just wanted to check in with me - tell me a bit about the program and answer questions.  Wow!  I decided to apply and then I received a call from Josh - also from the organization.  We talked for a while about the position, what it would entail, and what to expect.  He sounded like God had really worked through his life and it was so affirming!  Thank you!!!  This is definitely where You want me!


I cannot say it was easy - there was a lot of doubt and the Evil One definitely tried to sway my decision.  However, I have an amazing support system... probably most of you reading this!  So, thank you - you had to deal with my tears and anxiety attacks... my doubts and fears... listening to me talk hours on-end about this internship... my bajillion prayer requests.  You are the reason I'm still going, still have a smile, and still trusting in Him.  Your kind words, encouragement, prayers, and yes, hugs, have helped me through the hard times.

I'll write about JV soon!

Until then,
xx