Merry Christmas from the Brazzells!

Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas! We hope that each of you will have a blessed Christmas season with your loved ones as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. This Christmas is an exciting one for us as we celebrate as a family of three! Our little Eden has changed our world, and we are so grateful to the Lord for blessing us with this precious gift. 

This year has held many life-altering changes for our family! God has guided every step of the way, and we rejoice in all that He is doing in our lives. 

The biggest change was the birth of our baby girl. Eden Brielle was born on Friday, November 25th at 8:26am. She weighed 7lbs. 14oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. I greatly appreciate all those who were praying for Eden and I. My labor and delivery went wonderfully, and Eden was perfectly healthy! We are enjoying every moment we have with our precious little girl! The miracle of a new life is an amazing testament to the incredible design of our Creator God. We are so blessed and honored that the Lord gave Eden to us. 

Another big event was our survey trip to Australia. We have been praying about this trip for years, and God opened the door for us to go at the exact time He wanted us there. Several weeks ago, Simeon wrote a post telling all about our trip and God's call on our future. Read it HERE. We are so thankful for God's clear guidance and direction in showing both Sim and I that He would have us serve Him in the city of Paramatta, NSW, Australia. Many decisions lie ahead, but we know that God is faithful and He will lead as we follow Him.

Simeon has now been with Cellular Sales for one year. This job has been such a blessing for our family, and it is one that Simeon absolutely loves! He has had the opportunity to take on some leadership/mentoring rolls the past few months. He enjoys getting to train new hires and assist them as they begin with the company. I am still working part time as a Mary Kay office assistant and as a piano teacher. Both allow me a lot of flexibility with my schedule and lots of time taking care of my home, husband, and baby girl.

We are enjoying being a part of all that God is doing at the Temple Baptist Church. Simeon and I are a part of the choir, and we have recently began working with the Collegians for Christ ministry at the University of Tennessee campus. It has been so encouraging to see the students devotion to Christ and desire to reach their peers. We know this is great preparation for us as we will one day be the university town of Paramatta, NSW, Australia! We are also very involved serving in our Sunday School class. I have the opportunity to play the piano, and Simeon enjoys sharing the missions updates from time to time.

2017 looks to be another exciting year for our family! Many great things lie ahead, and we can't wait to see all that God has in store. We have been so blessed by all the amazing people God has put into our lives, and we thank you for your love and prayers for our family. We hope that you and your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas and many blessings in 2017!

All for His Glory,
Brettnay Brazzell

Aaaaand....We're Back!

Well, we’ve been back for about a month now, but I assure you we've been very busy.

First, I'd like to thank every one of you who prayed for us as we were away. We had a great time with some new Aussie friends, and more importantly we were able to get some clarification as to what the Lord would have us to do. God is good. Brettnay and Eden stayed healthy throughout all the traveling! We could not have had a better time with the Hullana's and the Marshall's during our stay in Australia.

The Hullana Family

Eaj and Doris Agatep

Our first week was spent with Hernan and Azariah Hullana in the Sydney area. They are Aussie born, not missionaries, so it was great to get their perspective. We spent most of our time tagging along with the Hullana's and helping in their ministry in whatever ways we could be of assistance. We had the opportunity to sing, and I preached once as well. The Hullana's opened their home to us, which was our immense pleasure as spending time with the kids was a riot! We did a few tourist type things as well, but obviously, that was not the focus of this trip. Mainly, we just wanted to experience the people, culture, and most importantly the spiritual need of the area. All those desires were met thanks to the help of the Hullana's and a few other of his friends and staff, namely Eaj Agatep and his lovely wife Doris.

Joe Marshall and Tony Evans

Our second week was spent in the Brisbane area with the Marshall family. Joe and Mellissa Marshall are missionaries from the States who have spent the last several years in Australia in various parts of the country. They have an obvious heart for the people of Australia but more specifically for the quickly growing area of Brisbane. One of the things I most enjoyed about this portion of our trip is that Bro. Marshall took me out one day just to show me all the places where homes are being built in the area. He and another gentleman I'll mention in a minute talked for hours about how many people will be moving right to that ministry's backyard! A great work is ready to be begun if only people will get excited about it, and pray that the Lord send forth laborers into His harvest. I also had the unique experience of meeting a missionary to Japan named Tony Evans (the gentleman I just mentioned) while attending the missions conference at the Marshall's church in Brisbane. Bro. Evans is an Australian born man who has spent the last 25 years ministering in Japan with his wife and family. He also had his daughter along who was a real blessing as well. We've since stayed in touch and I look forward to corresponding with him for many years to come.

The main thing I'd like to speak to in this update, however, is what we believe the Lord has done in our hearts in recent days. Although we'd love to go to every place we had an opportunity to see, we know the Lord has something very specific for us. We believe the Lord wants us in the city of Parramatta, NSW, Australia. Parramatta is a major suburb of Sydney and is a business hub as well as a university town. There are quite a few businesses that call Parramatta their headquarters. As such there is a busy hustle about the place. There's also a large student populous as there are a few universities as well. When we visited with the Hullana's, at first, we were a bit surprised by the size of the "small town" we were visiting. One of the main things that affected me was the many similarities I noted to a little place called Knoxville, TN. It wasn't long before I could hear the still small voice speaking to me letting me know that this was the place. It's a university town, there's a populous business district, and there are beautiful landscapes and sculptures everywhere. Those things are great, but the truth is I didn't even take many pictures (one of the things I regret). I was too busy looking at all the people around who had probably never once heard that Jesus loved them and died for them. Pastor Hullana probably thought I wasn't listening to him as he told me about the population, the area, and the work he'd like to see done there as I was so distracted by what was going on in my heart. Shortly after we got back and were in private, I told Brettnay that I thought that it was the place.

We've taken several weeks to pray, consult with our pastor, and try to get ready for this baby to arrive. Brettnay and I wanted to be sure that this is what the Lord wanted for us before we announced anything publicly. So here it is, Brettnay and I will be going to the city of Parramatta as missionaries for as long as the Lord would have us be there. I do not have specifics on how soon any of this will take place, where exactly in the city we will live and minister, or even what will be our first focus when we get there. I know that the Lord has all those answers. For right now, thanks to the advice of our pastor and parents, we'll be taking things slow and having this baby girl first. We have corresponded with people back in Australia to keep communication open with everyone involved. 

We’ve got a long way to go, and a lot of decisions to make in the next few months regarding deputation, boards, travels, church meetings, mission conferences, etc. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we pray and work through these things. I've attached a link here to all the pictures we took while we were there. Some of them are here in the blog, but I knew many of you would want to see them all. Thanks again for your prayers.

Missions & Family Update

Many exciting things have been happening around the Brazzell house recently! We are around 2 months away from our trip to Australia, so much preparation is being made. Also, we just found out that our baby is a little girl!! God is so good to us, and He is proving His faithfulness every step of our journey!

We received our travel visas last week which was a huge answer to prayer. Everything is continuing to progress well as we stay in contact with the pastor and missionary family we will be staying with during our trip. We are excited to be participating in different church ministries while in Sydney. We will also get the opportunity to be a part of the first missions conference at the church we will be with in Brisbane. Please be in prayer for all the final details as we draw closer to our departure date!

My pregnancy has been a very easy one, and for that we are grateful. Our baby, Eden, is healthy and strong. We greatly appreciate continued prayers for a safe, healthy pregnancy and baby!

We know that our family and friends are our greatest prayer warriors, and we could never thank you enough for that! We will continue to keep everyone updated as new things develop.


All for His Glory,
Brettnay Brazzell

Coming Soon. . . Baby Brazzell!!!

Simeon and I have some very exciting news to share. . . We are expecting a baby!! Baby Brazzell is due in November! We are so grateful that the Lord has blessed us with this child!

We have talked with our doctor, and our missions plans are still the same. Our survey trip will be in September, and we are praying that from there we can begin the deputation process. The only thing that is changing is that we will have a new missionary recruit joining us on our adventure! :)

Please pray for a safe, healthy pregnancy and baby! Thank you!

All for His Glory,
Brettnay

Merry Christmas from the Brazzells!

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again! Many things have been going on in our life, so I thought it would be good to catch everyone up! The purpose of this letter is to bring glory to the Lord for all He has done in our lives during 2015, and to share what we have been doing and how you can pray for us!

July 12^th marked our 1^st year of marriage! It has been such a wonderful journey together! We were able to spend our anniversary weekend in Charleston, SC. It was such a treat to be able to steal away for a few days and spend time together!

This summer was full of traveling! In addition to our anniversary trip, we traveled to both of our family reunions. God worked it out that we could go to both of these, and we were so excited! This was Sim’s first time meeting most of my family. It was so good to catch up with loved ones we haven’t seen in several years!

During the summer, I was able to complete the courses required to receive my TESOL Certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) through Crown College. This is something I started while I was in college, and I’m so glad I was able to finish it! God opened up an amazing opportunity for me to teach English to a group of international students during the fall semester. The students are such sweet people, and I love being able to teach them English while studying God’s Word together! Please pray that my students will have an open heart and clear understanding as I share the gospel with them!

God opened up a new job opportunity for Simeon several weeks ago. He is now working as a sales representative for Cellular Sales. If you know Simeon well, you know that he loves technology, so this job is perfect for him! We weren’t planning on a job switch, but God had different plans, and as always, we are discovering that His plans for us are perfect! Simeon is also continuing to enhance his skills at web design and computer coding. He has had the opportunity to design several websites for different ministries in that past few weeks.

I am continuing to grow my Mary Kay virtual office assistant business. God has richly blessed me by allowing me to earn an income while I work from home. I work for some amazing ladies, and I love what I do! I am also still teaching piano lessons. This is always a highlight of my week! I enjoy getting to spend time with my students and helping them to develop their talents to use for the Lord. Soon, we will be having our Christmas recital at a local nursing home, and we are all so excited!

Our mission’s plans are starting to come together! We are still praying for specific direction as to what part of Australia God would have us serve in. We have decided to take a survey trip next fall to spend time with several ministries that are there. Through this we believe that God will show us exactly where He wants us, and how He wants us to serve. A lot of planning and preparation will go into this trip, so prayers are appreciated! We will continue to keep everyone updated as the time draws closer, and we receive more details.

In the meantime, God has opened several ministry opportunities at our home church. We hold a weekly service at a nursing home which has been such a blessing and encouragement to us! The people are so sweet, and we all love worshiping Jesus together. We also participate in a weekly ‘Teens for Christ’ Bible Club in a local middle school. Over one hundred different students have attended throughout the semester, and we had 2 accept Christ as their Savior just a few weeks ago!! We also enjoy singing in the choir and leading a prayer group in our Sunday School class.

God has richly blessed us with so many wonderful friends and family members! We love each of you, and are so grateful for your prayers and encouragement. May you have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay Brazzell

Philippians 1:20-21

Trusting God to Write Your Love Story

In honor of the month of love, I thought I would share my testimony of how I learned to trust God in leading me to my Love! Now, I will warn you up front, this may be quite lengthy. When it comes to talking about how good God has been in leading me to Simeon, I tend to get carried away:)

My "love story" started way before I even knew that a Simeon James Brazzell was walking on the face of the earth! Let's make the starting point my dinner table on my 12th birthday, for it was on this birthday that I received one of the greatest gifts my parents have ever given me, my purity ring. That night, my Dad did a devotion on purity and how God desired for me to keep not only my body pure until marriage, but also my heart and mind! That night, I made a commitment to my parents and to my Lord that I would save myself for the man that God would have me marry.

Now, fast-forwarding to the high-school years. . . as I began to "grow up," that commitment started getting harder than it was when I was 12. I knew the boundaries as far as purity of body, but I began wonder what the lines for purity of mind and heart were. It seemed as though everyone around me was dating and enjoying having a girl friend or boy friend. And oh how I wanted to be a part of that!  I wanted to know that Mr.______ would be waiting for me when I got to Sunday school! I wanted to have a guy to call and text! I wanted to fit in with everyone else! What I did NOT want was to be the one without a date to the Jr./Sr. Banquet, or have people asking all the time why I wasn't dating anyone. Because of these feelings, I began to grow very impatient with the Lord. Now, my parents had told me up front that I was not allowed to date until I was in college, but I at least wanted a "special friend" (as Mom would say) while I was in high school. I spent many hours pining away wondering when I would find my special someone. I also spent too much time watching chick flicks and reading Inspiration Romances (which I now realize did NOT help the situation, but that thought is for another time). Looking back, I see that I wasn't so much concerned with falling in love with a guy, as much as I was falling in love with love! I had painted a picture in my mind of what love is from the movies, books, and examples of the teens around me, and I had fallen in love with that idea of "love"! (which I now know was very far from what love truly is!) But, through it all, my parents kept encouraging me to wait on God and trust Him. I heard a preacher who said that every teen should be praying for their future spouse, whether you knew who they were or not. This thought was so profound to me! So that is what I began doing. Now I'll have to admit that sometimes when I prayed for my man, even though I prayed generically, I would have possible faces in mind, wondering if I was praying for "him." I went through all of high school single. I wish now I would've spent that time devoting myself more to the Lord instead of allowing my heart and mind to be given to this fantasy idea of love. But God was working in my heart. . .

Onto the college years. . . I was finally of dating age! Now, which one is the guy for me?! On the outside, no one would ever have know that I was scoping, trying to find my Mr. Perfect, but in my heart, I was on the look out! I spent my freshman year and the 1st semester of my sophomore year hoping that "he" would cross my path! But then God used different circumstances to make me realize that I wasn't the one who was supposed to be looking!! Really, I didn't have to be looking!! God already had my guy picked out! And when He thought the time was right, He'd bring that man into my life. Finally, after years of pining and searching, I let go! I told the Lord that I was going to leave this in His hands! I turned the reins over to God, and decided that I was done trying to figure it out on my own. What peace filled my heart!! I knew that God was in control! I knew that while God's ways may not be my ways, His ways are ALWAYS best!

I have a best friend who can totally vouch for what I'm about to say. . . It was hardly any time after I turned it over to God and told her that I was not going to look for a guy my Junior year of college that God brought Simeon into my path! The funny thing is that Simeon had been at my church, in my youth group, at my college the whole time! All those years that I was searching for my man, he was right under my nose, and I had no idea! Maybe Simeon will write soon and tell you our story from his perspective. It's quite an interesting one!

As of today, I am 151 days away from marrying the Love of my life! I want to thank God for leading us to each other! I want to thank God for giving me parents who cared about my life and my purity, and who taught me to trust God and let Him lead me. Yes, there are things that I wish I would've done differently, but God used it all to teach me  and to bring me to this point! By God's grace, Simeon is the only man I have ever dated! He is the only man (other than my family) who I have ever said the words "I love you" to. And soon, he will be the man I stand before and pledge my body, heart, and mind to!

Reader, I'm not sure at what stage you are at in life. Maybe you are a parent or grandparent. If so, encourage your children/grandchildren to be pure and to wait on the Lord!! We need your encouragement and prayers more than you'd ever know! Maybe you are a young person. If so, please turn EVERY area of your life over to God's control! And please take a stand for purity!! In today's world, those who are taking a stand and remaining pure for their future spouse are growing fewer and fewer. And while you are trying to work purity in your own heart, I challenge you to start praying for your spouse too! It amazed me when I found out later that about the time I began to pray for my future husband was a time when he needed prayers the most!

Again, I apologize for the length of this post, but it is my prayer that God may use my testimony to be a blessing to even just one person!

All for His Glory,
Brettnay

P.S. I want to end by saying that any good in my life is only because of my Savior and the grace He has extended to me. May He be the one who receives all the glory!

The Call to Preach

There is something major in my life that I've talked about to people, but never really spent the time to explain fully. That is my call to preach.

Almost all of the prophets in the Old Testament have a record of their call. The disciples were called directly from Jesus Christ and sent out from His presence from time to time to preach the gospel. Some would argue that the Great Commission is a call for all men to preach. I would tend to agree, but not in the sense that all men are supposed to stand behind a pulpit every week.

When I was just a boy, maybe eight or nine, I came down the stairs after getting home from church one night. I told my parents I felt like I was supposed to preach when I grew up. My parents were wise enough not to take that hook, line, and sinker. Many Christian parents would immediately be enrolling kids in preaching contests and start looking at Bible colleges! They told me with a smile that that was a good thing, but that I should keep praying about it. I did just that, but after a while that impression seemed to wear off on me. I just wasn't sure about it, and I didn't have to have been. I was a kid!

It wasn't until my freshman year of High School that preaching was impressed upon my heart again. We were living in Lebanon, OH and going to Grace Baptist Church in Middletown, OH. Max Fernandez (who is now the pastor there) was the youth leader at the time and he took us to Youth Congress. Youth Congress is a week of teen camp hosted by the Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN where Brettnay and I are now members. Youth Congress is a blast for teenagers and I would  recommend it to anyone! I do not remember what the preacher was preaching that night. I don't even remember who the preacher was. But I remember that while I had my head bowed that day I felt the impression of God on my spirit about preaching.

 I struggled within myself because I didn't want to go forward. I didn't want to surrender my own selfish desires to God. It had been a long time since I was a boy and talked to my parents. Could God use someone like me?

Someone walked by the pew and brushed my shoulder as they did. It was enough to get me to lift my head and when I did I saw the most obvious slap in the face from God I have received to date. When I looked up I saw a verse imprinted above the baptistery of the church. "...They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" Acts 5:42. I believe God can use a brush on the shoulder to get your attention. I go to church there now and every time I look at the baptistery I see that verse.

I didn't go forward that day. To my shame I shook off God's slap in the face and waited. The next service I couldn't do that again and I went forward and surrendered to the call. Soon after I was called to missions, but that's a story for another day.

Thanks for your faithfulness to read the blog and please continue to pray for Brettnay and I as we seek to follow God's will for our lives!

Your brother in Christ,
Simeon

Who is Simeon's Fiance?

You  have been hearing from my fiance, Simeon, about his life and our calling. Now I want to share a little more about myself and how God has led in my life.

I was born on June 16, 1992 in Jacksonville, Florida. My Dad was stationed at Mayport Naval Base and was soon to complete his 4 year enlistment. While there, my Mom, Dawn, received Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at East Pointe Baptist Church. We moved back to my parents hometown of Harrisonburg, VA when I was six months old. In 1994, my Dad accepted Christ at Peoples Baptist Church. I attended a Christian School through 5th grade; we began homeschooling my 6th grade year. Through my childhood, God grew our family in so many ways. In 2006, God led us to move to Knoxville, TN and be a part of the ministry at Temple Baptist Church under the leading of Pastor Clarence Sexton. I enrolled in Crown College the fall of 2009. Since then, I have seen God do amazing things in my life and in my family's life. I have a brother, Clay, who is soon to be twenty and is serving in the US Army. He is currently stationed in Katterbach, Germany. My sister, Julianna, is eleven and is a sweet ray of sunshine in our lives. Last but not least is my little brother, Justus. He is a ball of energy, but has a kind, tender heart. I love my family dearly! In December, God opened a job opportunity for my Dad in Dover, DE. They are currently living there and are serving the Lord at Capitol Baptist Church with Pastor Terri Moore.

I was saved at the age of ten and surrendered my life to the Lord a few years later at The Wilds Christian Camp. During my sophomore year of college, I surrendered my life to missions. At that time, I didn't feel like God was calling me to missions, but I told Him that I was willing to go if He did. 

Simeon came into my life my Junior year. Well, that is not totally true; he was in my life way before that but that story will have to be saved for another post! Anyway, we hit it off and it didn't take long for us to realize that God had made us for each other. Through our courtship, God showed us that His will for our lives is to be missionaries to Australia. We are still praying through all the details, but are so excited to see what He has in store for our future together. We are currently finishing up our degrees, and then will be getting married on July 12, 2014, which is 279 days from today! (yes, I am a bit excited) It is the most amazing thing to let God write your love story, but again, I will save that for another post!

I cannot begin to tell you what your prayers mean to Simeon and I! Your support and encouragement mean so much to us! We look forward to continuing to share how God is leading and guiding as we give our lives for His glory!!

Brettnay Varner

Philippians 1:20-21 "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, of by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Who are Simeon Brazzell and Brettnay Varner anyways?

The last post was more for people who already know who we are. Through the avenue of social media it has come to my realization that many people whom I've never met are visiting the blog. I am extremely pleased about it and I would like to give you a little introduction to my life.

I was born on October 23rd, 1991 in Decatur, IL to a young Christian family. My mother, +Roxanne Brazzell,  got saved just before my older brother +Boston Brazzell was born. My father, +Keith Brazzell, grew up with Christian parents who were great people, but did not attend church regularly. They are both born in Terra Houte, IN but moved to Decatur when my dad got a job at Staley (now Tate&Lyle). They began attending Central Baptist Church faithfully and grew in their Christian walk. Today my parents live in Knoxville, TN with three of their children: myself, +Gage Brazzell, and +Janay Brazzell. All together they have 5 kids: Boston, +Keanne Stocks , Simeon, Gage, and Janay. Boston and Keanne are married to +Conna Brazzell and Brian Stocks respectively.

Life has been very eventful for me since we moved to Knoxville in 2007. I moved here as a Sophomore in High School. I was home schooled though all of my High School years and loved every minute of it. When I was a Senior, Dr. Robert Bakss of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Rockhampton, QLD, Australia came to Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. He presented his ministry and the Lord impressed my heart and called me to the mission field of Australia. I started dating my now Fiance, +Brettnay Varner, two years later as a Sophomore in College at Crown. Brettnay and I quickly fell in love and are now engaged. I'll have Brettnay blog a short synopsis on her growing up as well. We are looking forward to seeing how God will use us and covet your prayers! Thanks for your prayer support.

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim. 1:12

"Why on Earth are You Blogging Now?"

Well firstly, I am blogging because it is becoming more and more obvious to me that I need a strong prayer base. "What do you mean Simeon?" Well, as those of you who know me personally know, I am planning on being a missionary to Australia! I am currently at Crown College of the Bible studying in missions to learn helpful skills and tools to aid me in my efforts. However, no amount of skill and knowledge can replace a good prayer base.

Secondly, it is my goal to help those who are praying to stay up to date. It's so hard today with all the distractions out there to keep up with those who need the prayer. Do you know those nifty little boards in the back of most churches where the missionary letters are posted? What about those plastic office slot drawers some churches screw to the wall that all the missionary letters are piled in? Yes, I'm totally aware that NO ONE USES THEM! Most members of churches couldn't even say the name of one missionary they support let alone tell you what's going on in their lives! This is something I do not want to happen in my ministry.

Thirdly, I need something to keep me accountable. "What do you mean?" Well, I just so happen to be a human being and as such I am prone to stray. Scriptures say we have all gone astray and have turned every one to his own way. This unfortunately is our nature. "But aren't you saved?" Yes, of course! I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior as a child and was Baptized at Central Baptist Church in Decatur, IL. What I mean is that it is in our nature to stray. All of us need help from time to time to stay faithful to the Lord. So those of you who end up following my blog, thank you. You are helping me stay faithful to that which God has called me to.

Sorry for the rather long blog post. They wont all be this long I promise. I'll also try and have interesting things to see here as well not just me rambling. Possibly have my fiance, +Brettnay Varner  post from time to time. Thanks again! Please share this in any way you can! The more people following this feed the more prayer support I'll have! If you use an RSS reader subscribe or follow me on Google+ for updates!

Thank you for your time,
Simeon Brazzell