The Best Decision of His Life
By Brooke Nagel, a member of SEND Spain| Europe
It had been a very long week at camp—everything that could go wrong went wrong.
It had been a very long week at camp—everything that could go wrong went wrong.
Every time we went to cook the food for the seven kids in our group with allergies, the power went out. Not everyone fit into the residency, so around twenty of us were going back and forth and sleeping on the floor in a local church. It seemed like problem after problem as we worked hard to make sure everything was going well for the youth.
It was the last night of camp. We had just finished our night of worship, so I went to the dining area to prepare breakfast for the following morning. As I was standing by the fridge, one of the 14-year-old boys from my small group approached me and asked if he could talk to me. I immediately started to think about what could have possibly gone wrong and said, “Yes, of course.” We sat down at one of the tables, and I noticed he was shaking nervously as he started crying.
He told me how he had never experienced what he experienced that night during worship and how he felt something moving in him. He talked about how his parents share the gospel with people in hospitals and pray with them so they can follow Jesus. I asked him if he was following Jesus or just observing, and he said that he had been observing. He wanted to follow Jesus himself, but he feared what his friends would think.
After we talked some more, I offered to pray and said he could repeat after me if he wanted. As I paused, he started to pray and decided to follow Jesus with his life!
Hugo* is going to spend eternity in heaven with God!
I start to tear up when I think about this experience. After a tough week at camp, being so frustrated and annoyed, the fact that God would use me and allow me to talk and pray with Hugo was the most humbling experience. Who am I? It was such a beautiful moment and a reminder of why I do what I do. I provide opportunities for youth like Hugo to experience God's love and decide to make the best decision of their life - to follow him.
*Name changed for privacy
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Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?



