A New Harvest

As Dave and I spend these days in Croatia, talking, thinking, dreaming and praying about our vision for Josiah Venture in the coming years, my thoughts turn to places here that give a visual picture to our dreams.

The island of Hvar is known for its lavender fields. Planted in the 1920's, they flourished for many years, and at one time accounted for 20% of the world's lavender production.

But then, large wildfires wiped them out.

Today, many of the fields lie dormant, a mere fraction of what once was a glorious sight.

Yet, there is life returning to some of those lavender fields. People are tending to them, and a light fragrance is in the air, even before it's blossomed.

The village of Velo Grablje, near the concentration of the fields, now holds an annual lavender festival to celebrate its return (June 27-28 this year), and there is hardly a gift shop, pharmacy, or hotel on the island that doesn't sell lavender from these fields. I've bought my share of it from time to time!

How I'd love to see these fields in bloom; it must be absolutely spectacular! It's definitely one of my dreams to be here near the end of June to see it with my own eyes someday.

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And this is what leads me to our dream for JV:

Like the return of the lavender on Hvar, we believe the fields of Central and Eastern Europe are "white unto harvest" for the spread of the Gospel, and we long to see that with our own eyes even more!

We believe that it's time to see a whole new harvest of young and old come to know Jesus as their Savior.

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For the past twenty years, the seed has been planted. The workers have toiled. The seed has matured. Crops are ripening.

It's time for a harvest!

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Right now "Exit Tour" is in high schools across the Czech Republic. Thousands of young people will hear the Gospel over the next few weeks.

This summer, our JV team will lead 106 camps in thirteen different countries. Over 5000 young people will hear the Gospel.

Pray with us for a great harvest throughout this land in the coming months.

Though the lavender fields of Hvar are spectacular, may the harvest of souls for God's Kingdom be wildly more spectacular!