Give

Pioneers is the missions agency which handles my financial support while I am overseas. All donations should be sent to my account and Pioneers will send me a salary each month and reimburse any unexpected expenses. They will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt when you send money to my account.

Every donation to Pioneers must include my full name and my account number: 111599.

There are multiple ways to support me financially during my time in Thailand. Please visit this link to give a one-time gift:https://ww4.pioneers.org/tabid/215/Default.aspx?view=givinginfo&id=-2&name=MISSIONARY

Here is information about automated giving through the Pioneers website:http://www.pioneers.org/Give/AutomatedGiving.aspx

If you would like to send a physical check, please contact me at blbrassea @ gmail . com.

Thank you!

Student Volunteer Movement 2

While in Thailand, I will be serving with the organization Student Volunteer Movement 2. SVM2 sprung from a group of missionaries’ observation of revival among this generation of young believers. It is an international network of students, leaders, churches and organizations serving a grassroots missions movement to spread the word among the least reached of God’s children. The internship, which will be starting in May of 2012, will serve to prepare young believers from all over the globe to be an effective witness to the world. My role will be helping with the administrative work and logistics of the internship as well as some more direct roles with the interns such as leading bible studies and outreach trips.

Learn more at www.svm2.net.

The Beginning

My journey started at New Years when I had a strong feeling of renewal and decided to do a ten-day Daniel fast. I felt that the goal of my fast should be to focus my attention on God and to seek his direction for my life. I have been working as an insurance broker for the past three years but have always wanted to find something more inline with my gifts and passions.

During this time of fasting, my friend Julie was approached by missionary friends of hers, Ryan and Kelly Shaw. They were planning to start an internship with their missions organization, Student Volunteer Movement 2 (SVM2), and need help with the administrative work.

Julie shared this news with me in an email and (half) jokingly asked “So, you want to move to Thailand?” At the time I didn’t consider this decision for myself, however, the more I walked and prayed with her through this, the more I began to picture myself in this new Thai life. I spent hours lying awake considering what it would be like to go, in the morning thinking it was ridiculous only to lose more sleep the next night. After the third night with visions of Thailand dancing in my head, I asked Julie to give Ryan my email address. During these nights I’d asked myself, do you feel “called” to this? Is God asking you to go? I didn’t feel exactly called but instead felt the word “gift” come to mind. God sees me and knows my dreams. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart!”

After Ryan and I exchange a few emails, he asked me to consider joining them in Thailand. By this time Julie was leaning towards not going, and the fact that my friend would not be with me made the choice become more real. In the end I couldn’t take the idea of saying no. After considering all the angles I knew I didn’t want to live my life knowing that I had passed up this opportunity. So I told them yes.

Since then, life has been a whirlwind of events. God has been pushing me out of my comfort zone, transforming my ideas of who I am in him and what it means to be a “missionary.” I spent a week of orientation with Pioneers (our mission sending organization), was baptized at my home church, and wrestled with the emotions of preparing to leave my family and friends for 14 months. I am excited about experiencing a new culture and also exploring what I’ll be doing there as a servant of God.