After more than 10 years of inactivity, Word of Life Lithuania relaunched in 2024. But the story did not begin there. Years before the ministry restarted, God was already at work – through missionaries, camps, discipleship, Bible Institute training, and local church ministry – preparing the next generation of leaders to serve the youth of Lithuania.
In 2007, Mihai and Ana Laura came to Lithuania and began serving through Word of Life Bible clubs and camps. They learned the language, immersed themselves in the culture, and built strong relationships with local churches. Through their faithful ministry, students heard the gospel, believers were discipled, and a foundation was laid for future ministry in Lithuania.
In 2013, following a change at Word of Life Romania, Mihai was asked to relocate and lead the ministry there. His transition left the well-established ministry in Lithuania without a clear successor. From the outside, it may have seemed like the ministry was coming to an end. But God was working in the background.
A Teenager Reached Through Camp
One of the teenagers reached through Word of Life Lithuania was a young man named Andrius. He came from a Christian family with eight children and had heard about Jesus throughout his life. But during a Word of Life camp in 2009, Andrius personally put his trust in Christ.
After that, Mihai began discipling him. Eventually, Andrius was sent to Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary, where he received biblical training and continued growing in his faith. It may have seemed natural to expect that Andrius would one day lead the way for Word of Life Lithuania. But God had another plan.
After graduating from the Bible Institute, Andrius joined a local church in Vilnius, where he began serving as a youth leader. His ministry there became part of the next chapter of God’s work in Lithuania.
In 2016, a young man came to faith in Christ through a camp ministry organized by that same church in Vilnius. He later began attending the church’s youth group, where Andrius noticed him as a new believer and began discipling him one-on-one.
That young man would eventually marry and, together with his wife, follow God’s leading to attend Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary. During their time at the Bible Institute, God began challenging them to consider full-time ministry. After graduation, they continued preparing for ministry through an internship with Word of Life Poland.
That path eventually led them back to Lithuania.
A Ministry Relaunched
In 2024, after more than a decade of inactivity, Word of Life Lithuania relaunched under the leadership of the Valentukonis family. What had once appeared to be a closed chapter had become a story of God’s faithfulness across generations.
The Bucur family had helped establish the ministry through camps, Bible clubs, discipleship, and partnerships with local churches. One of the teenagers reached through that ministry was Andrius, who was discipled by Mihai and later equipped through Word of Life Bible Institute. Although Andrius did not ultimately return to lead Word of Life Lithuania, his faithful service in a local church became an important link in the story. Through his ministry, he discipled the young man who would later return with his wife as the Valentukonis family to help relaunch the work.
A missionary discipled a young man. That young man discipled another. Bible Institute training helped prepare both for ministry. Local churches continued investing in teenagers. And through it all, God was raising up the leaders for a work He had never forgotten.
Today, Word of Life Lithuania includes one full-time family, one part-time staff member, and many volunteers. Together, they are serving through two weeks of camping ministry, year-round Bible clubs in different churches, Bible quizzes, and evangelistic outreaches.
Please Pray
- Pray for the youth of Lithuania to hear the gospel clearly, respond in faith, and grow as disciples who reach their friends for Christ.
- Pray for the Word of Life Lithuania team as they continue serving through camps, Bible clubs, Bible quizzes, and evangelistic outreaches.
- Pray that God would raise up one more family and one more staff member to join the ministry team over the next three years.
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