TERNI, Italy -- For most people on a university schedule, summertime is the time to relax - to take it easy, and to rest up from a long school year. But this summer, Brayden Cox had other plans.
The senior wasted no time getting right down to hard work and ministry, taking an overseas mission trip to Terni, Italy, for two weeks of outreach, preaching, Bible studies, and building relationships for the sake of the Gospel.

Cox's Italian exploit was part of his Missions studies, fulfilling the requirements for an internship. Cox partnered with Pastor Keith Bloyd and his wife, Linda, of Chiesa Evangelica Battista on the southeast side of Terni, and in Cox's own words, his ministry there was nothing crazy - it was just a simple way that he and his wife, Myah Cox ('24) could help in any way they could.

And they did just that.

"It wasn't a ton of super highlight moments but a lot of normal interactions that just carried over," Cox said. The Coxes hit the ground running with Pastor Bloyd, helping with kids club, hosting Bible studies, sharing testimonies, passing out tracts and invitations, and even preaching - which was a first for Brayden - all done in the foreign context where language is a barrier where cultures collide.

But the gospel still goes forth.

"Preaching for the first time ever was pretty cool," said Cox. "I had a translator beside me, which was interesting because I had to chop up my sentences into like 5-10 words, and then pause and have [Pastor Bloyd] translate them into Italian. We had a ton of meals with different families, including a meal with the whole church the first Sunday we were there. It was interesting because there were only a couple of people that spoke any English. So that was fun just trying to get to know people even though we don't know the language. One family we ate with, the husband was the first convert of Pastor Bloyd's ministry - someone they've known for 30 years."

While they weren't doing church-specific ministry, the Coxes helped the Bloyd family however they could, building relationships with the Bloyds in the process. For Brayden, a life of ministry means less about position and more about application.

"Being around [the Italian people] helped us better understand how to reach them," Cox said. "Along with that, we learned of the great need Italy has for missions. Though typically considered a very religious country, Italy is full of atheists and agnostics primarily. The people either want nothing to do with religion, or [they wanted to] check off their 'religious boxes' by simply going to mass. It's burdening to see it for yourself."

"From what I've seen in Scripture, ministry appears to be that which is done for the glory of God to serve fellow believers and reach the lost. Ministry can be done practically anywhere. Though it may not be called 'church ministry' if not directly tied to work in a church, believers can glorify and represent God wherever they are."

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