Louis is a baker by trade. Louis has worked in large-scale bakeries “long enough to retire in a year or two”. He sat in the seat next to me on my flight from Atlanta to Charlotte. “I’m going back to China in three weeks to close a deal on some industrial bakery equipment there. I’ve been selling the stuff all over the globe, my favorite place being Chile.”

His dream is to retire, move to South Carolina, own ten acres of land where his dogs can run around and his wife can have a garden. Eventually he wants to be able to sustain his family “without having to leave [his] land for anything other than fuel and to pay bills”. He has seen the world and knows where he wants to be. You can’t argue with that.

When he asked me to explain why I was going to Ireland I had a hard time divulging my mission. Its not that it isn’t clear enough, it’s just hard to formulate words to convey it in its totality. The remaining forty minutes of the flight I spent making mental notes of exactly what I will be looking to do on this trip and on possible trips in the near future. Here is what I cam up with...

This trip:

• I will spend time with Dave Hayman and his team from New Jersey to observe and learn their discipleship models. He has been doing a great job of creating self-sustaining (meaning sustained by the local churches) youth drop-in centers. These look a lot like boys and girls clubs mixed with the YMCA and what you would expect a modestly modern American youth group room to look like… except in ancient buildings.

• I will intersect the rural culture of as many counties in Ireland that I can. I hope to  engage with native youth, adults, churches, and of course the cuisine. My main research will be done through observing the best possible ways to partner with local communities as a missionary. Knowing the need for spirit-filled, energetic young-adults in many of the communities is what the churches have been asking the Lord for, I want to see where my giftings from the Lord will align with their needs the best.

• I will look into the economy of Ireland in hopes to partner with or start some sort of sustainable business. Ireland recently received a 36-billion euro bailout, so I am aware of the difficulties I face with entrepreneurship. However, I have no preconceived ideas as to what type of business would work best. I may end up an apprentice at a butcher shop or a farmhand in potato fields. The point is to join the community, not inject it with American, tried-and-true business planning. I want to see spiritual change, making it more important that I develop relationships with the people. Besides, I love to learn new stuff, even if it involves blood and dirt.

Future Possibilities:

• I have been asked to consider leading a team of 5-6 young-adults back to Ireland sometime in the near future for three to six months. This would look like establishing a base of operations for Adventures in Missions somewhere in a county that we sense the greatest need, and also has the best strategic location to reach more of the island with the Gospel. If everything goes well with this initial trip (the one I’m taking now) I will be able to inform you better about my future in Ireland.

• I have also been considering long-term missions to Ireland. This looks like needing long-term support from all of you! More importantly, it involves a lot of prayer on my end to hear the Lord’s calling, going where He says go, and letting His power work through me. My hope is that He opens my eyes and breaks my heart for His people on that island and that He makes it ridiculously easy to surrender everything I know and love in the States.

Speaking of the States:

• I have made known to many of you that I will no longer be working at the GSU Wesley Foundation come August. This is, in part, due to the Lord moving me toward Ireland, and also due to the deep desire of my heart to live in faith that He knows my next step. Ireland, and working with AIM, is me picking up my feet, but I will allow Him to place them on the ground where He wants me standing.

• My default maneuver when I return from this trip is to return to Effingham and live with my parents as I begin raising more support to join AIM as missionary staff. If any of my readers know someone in that area looking for some short-term employees I am interested, so please connect us! I’d really love to get involved with a business that will help me establish the skills I may need in Ireland. I will be sure to inform you all of what it looks like I may do long-term on the island, to help you help me job hunt!

• I also have the option to move to Gainesville, Ga. (the location of AIM Headquarters). I haven’t worked out any of the details of this, but I’m praying that the Lord puts me in the best position and place for me to be ready to go and do… whatever and wherever that looks like.

Wow… this has been a long post! That means I have to be done for now.

My flight to Dublin leaves in about an hour! Pray for me to be bold!

_Preston Cox