From Kelly - The next step

In just a few days we will be departing for Czech Republic, to Malenovice for Josiah Venture's Spring Conference. Yes, we will be suffering for Jesus as we spend the week together here:

We will have opportunity to spend some great time with all of the JV missionsries, experiencing first hand the community of JV, and hear what is at the heart of this ministry through the presentations.

It will also remind Donna and I of the joy of spending extended time together in ministry. Over the past five years, the only extended time together we have been able to share has been on mission trips we led, this will be quite different! We'll also have the burden of an overnight layover in Vienna. Darn!

Please pray that this week is both refreshing for us and affirms God's call on our lives.

From Kelly about Wheaton

Journey is right! The journey took the form of a thousand mile road trip to Wheaton this month for orientation at Josiah Venture’s North American headquarters. This was a good test of compatibility for Scott Runzo (JV Latvia country leader) and I as we traveled together through the scenic prairie. We even had opportunity to interact face to face with a state trooper and contribute to Nebraska’s economy. Scott even took the troopers picture with his new digital camera. The trooper was thrilled. Would that explain the high fine?

Donna took the quicker route to Wheaton via United Airlines, but she missed out on all the road fun, great fast food meals and a quick visit with our friends the Scheaffers in Sheldon Iowa.

So, the week was, well, good. JV is a great organization made up of amazing people. We left Wheaton knowing that this truly is a family and that we would be well taken care of. The huge two person staff works hard making sure all the details are covered so the missionaries on the field don’t have to. We felt loved and cared for and it is evident that everyone involved in the organization is a team player and working toward building the Kingdom. Thank you Sarah and Theresa.

We were also very encouraged by spending this time with three of the young men we would be working with in Latvia. We had fun with Fletch, Chad and Joe and loved hearing their prayers and hearts for God. We raised three boys, so Donna felt quite at home with these guys.

It was a bit sobering as well, especially our discussions about the realities of culture shock, isolation, and dark winters. I wish I could say that those things aren’t a challenge to my resolve, but they sometimes are. I guess it is time I review all those messages I have delivered about trust, faith, blessings, and commitment to our King. Even at this point in our journey I will never again be able to sing worship songs about surrender lightly without considering more seriously the words I am singing. I pray that I will develop the perspective articulated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.

Donna only flew one-way into Chicago, so my partner for the road trip home was much prettier than on the trip out (sorry Scott, but it’s true). She and I had good opportunity to talk and debrief about the week. We also had a great stay with the Scheaffers, we enjoyed their beautiful children and had some great fellowship around the kitchen table.

God has not closed any doors on us, and we continue to earnestly seek His direction.

The initial big announcement!

This is the letter sent to our church family announcing our intentions:

March 5, 2007

Beloved Students and Parents,

I am writing to you today, because I wanted to ask for your prayers and share first hand an exciting possibility for our church and for Donna and me.

Our church has been involved for many years with a ministry in Eastern Europe called Josiah Venture. We have sent short-term teams to work in evangelistic English camps and do construction work at Josiah Venture’s main training center in the Czech Republic. As a church we believe in the work and mission of Josiah Venture and have elected to create a strategic partnership with them and support them in a variety of ways.

Josiah Venture’s Mission - To equip young leaders throughout Eastern Europe to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church

Donna and I have led multiple English camp teams to the Czech Republic and Latvia, and are in the throes of planning our church’s third trip to Latvia this coming July. Over the past year, we have been praying about an invitation from Josiah Venture to serve in Latvia for a five year term. Our main focus would be to come alongside a young missionary staff to provide encouragement, discipleship and mentoring. Additionally, we would be involved with Latvian nationals in a similar capacity and to help them develop evangelistic strategies for their ministries.

We have called Faith our home church for the past eighteen years, and I have been on staff now for the past five. To say the least, there has been a lot of prayer and deliberation in the Hargan house!

Here is where we are now…we feel God’s leading to answer and test his call on our life to His ministry in Latvia. That means we have decided to take steps to determine if we have correctly discerned God’s call. The first steps were to seek affirmation from our elder board, as well as their permission to walk this path of seeking God’s direction while continuing to serve in my current role as youth pastor. We received positive responses on both of these items on March 1.

Our next steps include exploratory and preparatory trips to Josiah Venture’s USA headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois and European headquarters in the Czech Republic, and beginning the process of raising support. If, in fact, we feel God’s affirmation on these trips and witness His hand in provision, then our goal is to be on site in Riga, Latvia in September of this year. Be assured that in the meantime, we remain committed to the ministry here at Faith and will continue to serve as youth pastor through this time of seeking God’s heart about our future. We also share an excitement with our church’s leadership about how this could strengthen our partnership with this ministry in Eastern Europe.

Donna and I love you and covet your prayers as we walk this path together with you.

In His Grip,


Pastor Kelly and Donna Hargan