I’m a fourth-generation Adventist in the Czech Republic, the second-most atheistic country in Europe. Going to church was part of my life, like grocery shopping and eating. I enjoyed church because I had friends there, but I didn’t have a relationship with God.

I had developed a rather twisted picture of God. Many other young people did, too, and lots of them stopped attending church when they enrolled in a university.

The Adventist Church leaders prayed for a way to reach university-age people across the Czecho-Slovakian Union. God answered their prayers with INRI Road, which means Jesus’ way. It’s a program primarily for university students.

When I began my university studies a youth pastor invited me to attend INRI Road. It’s like no church I’ve ever been to. Casual weeknight meetings provide lots of opportunities to bond with other students. The program includes Bible studies, of course, but we can also join language conversation groups, sports teams, and other activities. I continued going because I enjoyed the fellowship.

Mark, the founder of INRI Road and leader of the group in the city where I am studying, asked me if I’d like to join the planning team for INRI Road. I agreed. We were encouraged to try our outreach ideas to see if they’ll work. And we have lots of smaller groups that make up INRI Road.

For instance, an Adventist girl studying medicine invited another Christian girl to pray in the stacks of the library. Others joined them, and the group grew. They wanted a place to meet, and INRI Road invited them to join. This is typical of the way INRI Road is growing. Many members are not Adventists, but are friends.

I attend two Bible study groups, and the in-depth study we do has opened God’s Word in new and amazing ways for me. I see how far God has taken me in my walk with Him. I’m learning to rely on God for everything. He is giving me opportunities to act on the lessons He’s taught me, to share what I’ve learned with others.

I want to pass what I’m learning about God and life and ministry on to others. I want to help others see that their lives are a gift from God, a gift they’re responsible to give to others. This realization has changed my life.

Last year INRI Road received part of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering to help expand the program to other university cities, to train leaders, and provide resources that will bring other young people to a knowledge of the Savior. Thank you for caring about the youth of Europe.

Jan Justra is studying pharmacology and theology in Brno, Czech Republic.

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