When we realized during SOSM that God was calling us not only to Ireland, but to the U.S.A., and that He wanted us to begin here (and live here), I admit that we struggled with the idea. We longed to be in Ireland and see God do the things He has been speaking to us about for so many years. I remember arguing with God, saying, but God, why do we have to start building community in the hardest place on earth to do so?? I immediately heard Him say, “Because there is no place on earth that needs it more.”. And I do know that covenant relationships and unity between believers, ministries, cities, etc. is one of the most powerful agents for change that there is!

YWAMers will tell you that being a missionary called to your home country, especially if it is a first world nation, is difficult. Aside from the “prophet in his home town” issue, the church in general tends to look at missionaries to first world nations as if they are taking the easy route, I assume because living conditions are so much easier. After all, it’s not like surviving in the Amazon River Basin among third world animist tribes. We get that. But regardless, this is where we are called, and America needs missionaries too! It is VITAL to the rest of the world that the Church in America is strong and vibrant, sowing into this nation AND all others. Our nation literally provides 99% of global missionary training AND funding AND actual missionaries. Both the Church and Missions in America have been declining in recent years, so I ask you, don’t we need to invest in nurturing and growing believers HERE, so that there will continue to be be strong missionaries going THERE?? It makes sense when you think about it. And that’s what we are called to do. To strengthen believers and send them out from here, and then later, from Ireland as well! We know we are destined to impact nations, and that’s exactly what we are going to do. So, I have been choosing not to come into agreement with what some tell us – namely that the church won’t INVEST in missions to first world nations like America. While there may be some reality to that, it needs to change, so I am declaring the heart of our vision – that the church nurtures and strengthens itself here so that it can go out into all the world with a powerful Gospel!!