Camps Ministry and Mission Teams with Lelde Keice
Josiah Venture Stories
In this episode of Josiah Venture Stories, Gwynne Gardner interviews Lelde Keice from Latvia. Lelde became a Christian at 14 through a youth camp and was introduced to Josiah Venture during high school. She later moved to England to pursue an Applied Theology and Youth Work degree at Moorlands College. Called back to Latvia in 2015, she now serves as the Camps Director for JV Latvia and coordinates mission teams. Gwynne and Lelde discuss the impact of Christian camps on youth, Latvia's spiritual climate, and mission teams' role in local ministries. Lelde shares personal anecdotes and...
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"Real Life" Story with Lee Humerian
Josiah Venture Stories
In this interview, Lee Humerian shares his journey from rock star to full-time missionary in Ukraine. Lee and his wife, Katie, led mission teams to the Czech Republic and then to Ukraine, which sparked their passion for youth ministry, leading them to join Josiah Venture in 2017. They have been deeply involved in various ministries, including Exit Tours and music camps. Due to the war in Ukraine, they have also led trauma-healing retreats. Lee now leads the evangelistic ministry programs team, while Katie handles human resources. They focus on supporting local church leaders and organizing...
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Inside the Summer Internship with Rosie and Inita
Josiah Venture Stories
Summer is one of the most exciting seasons across the 16 Central and Eastern European countries where Josiah Venture serves. Local churches are gearing up for camps, short-term teams are arriving, and perhaps one of the most energizing parts of the season—our summer internship program—is officially underway. This program welcomes college students and young adults passionate about spreading the gospel. Interns share their experiences, starting with their Amazing Race team-building exercise and subsequent training in the Czech Republic. In this episode, interns Rosie Kaminski...
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Summer Intern Insights with Julie, Isaiah, and Adele
Josiah Venture Stories
Summer is one of the most exciting seasons across the 16 Central and Eastern European countries where Josiah Venture serves. Local churches are gearing up for camps, short-term teams are arriving, and perhaps one of the most energizing parts of the season—our summer internship program—is officially underway. This program welcomes college students and young adults passionate about spreading the gospel. Interns share their experiences, starting with their Amazing Race team-building exercise and subsequent training in the Czech Republic. In this episode, interns Julie Weeks, Isaiah Martin,...
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Extended Summer Intern Spotlight: Aidan Carson
Josiah Venture Stories
Get to know Extended Summer Intern, Aidan Carson, in this episode. Originally from Chandler, Arizona, Aidan majored in civil engineering and worked as an engineer before feeling called to intern. After interning last summer, he’s back for another season, eager to continue building friendships with students and missionaries, make new connections, and help others become disciples of Jesus. Aidan shares his desire to grow in understanding the Czech language and culture, as well as his passion for supporting Edge Sports leaders as they use ultimate frisbee to reach young people who don’t know...
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LAUNCHED "Jesus Stories" Teaching with Peter Mead
Josiah Venture Stories
Jesus was more than just a good teacher or an amazing leader. He embodied all he taught and put flesh on all he communicated. He was (and IS) the Word, Light, Life, and so much more. When people encountered him, they were changed in a manner that was hard to explain. Can we be transformed today in similar ways? The theme of our 2025 Spring Conference was "Jesus Stories: Transformative Encounters with Christ." We were led by Peter Mead, a gifted Bible teacher, author, and pastor from the UK. He guided us through six stories of Jesus from the Gospel of John. This...
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TROUBLED "Jesus Stories" Teaching with Peter Mead
Josiah Venture Stories
Jesus was more than just a good teacher or an amazing leader. He embodied all he taught and put flesh on all he communicated. He was (and IS) the Word, Light, Life, and so much more. When people encountered him, they were changed in a manner that was hard to explain. Can we be transformed today in similar ways? The theme of our 2025 Spring Conference was "Jesus Stories: Transformative Encounters with Christ." We were led by Peter Mead, a gifted Bible teacher, author, and pastor from the UK. He guided us through six stories of Jesus from the Gospel of John. This...
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DRAWN "Jesus Stories" Teaching with Peter Mead
Josiah Venture Stories
Jesus was more than just a good teacher or an amazing leader. He embodied all he taught and put flesh on all he communicated. He was (and IS) the Word, Light, Life, and so much more. When people encountered him, they were changed in a manner that was hard to explain. Can we be transformed today in similar ways? The theme of our 2025 Spring Conference was "Jesus Stories: Transformative Encounters with Christ." We were led by Peter Mead, a gifted Bible teacher, author, and pastor from the UK. He guided us through six stories of Jesus from the Gospel of John. This...
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IMPRESSED "Jesus Stories" Teaching with Peter Mead
Josiah Venture Stories
Jesus was more than just a good teacher or an amazing leader. He embodied all he taught and put flesh on all he communicated. He was (and IS) the Word, Light, Life, and so much more. When people encountered him, they were changed in a manner that was hard to explain. Can we be transformed today in similar ways? The theme of our 2025 Spring Conference was "Jesus Stories: Transformative Encounters with Christ." We were led by Peter Mead, a gifted Bible teacher, author, and pastor from the UK. He guided us through six stories of Jesus from the Gospel of John. This...
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SATISFIED "Jesus Stories" Teaching with Peter Mead
Josiah Venture Stories
Jesus was more than just a good teacher or an amazing leader. He embodied all he taught and put flesh on all he communicated. He was (and IS) the Word, Light, Life, and so much more. When people encountered him, they were changed in a manner that was hard to explain. Can we be transformed today in similar ways? The theme of our 2025 Spring Conference was "Jesus Stories: Transformative Encounters with Christ." We were led by Peter Mead, a gifted Bible teacher, author, and pastor from the UK. He guided us through six stories of Jesus from the Gospel of John. This...
info_outlineThey have been deeply involved in various ministries, including Exit Tours and music camps. Due to the war in Ukraine, they have also led trauma-healing retreats. Lee now leads the evangelistic ministry programs team, while Katie handles human resources. They focus on supporting local church leaders and organizing camps for youth.
This summer, the camp theme across our 16 Central and Eastern European countries was "Real Life," and Lee wrote the outlines for the evening talks, which focused on the life of the apostle Paul, for over 120 evangelistic camps.
"We can't have the theme 'Real Life' without having stories from our real lives. Your story is powerful. I always think of the verse in Revelation: "We will overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony." Our stories have the power to overcome the enemy, and so that was my proclamation." -Lee
Despite the ongoing war and its impact, their ministry continues to thrive with a commitment to youth and their community. Please continue to pray for an end to the war in Ukraine, and for all of the after-camp follow-up events that are happening right now across all of the JV countries. Pray that young people will come to realize that real life is life with Jesus.
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