My friend, Brad is a true friend. For an Evangelist, he doesn’t just see numbers; he sees people. He loves people. He’s full of compassion. Brad is a real family man. He was also there for me through some of my darkest hours. I owe my friend Brad a lot. They don’t come any better than him.

Brad is the founder of Passion 4 People International. His emphasis is India. I think he’s planning on moving there soon with his wife and soon to be three children. Brad used to be the Assistant Director of Luis Palau’s Next Generation Alliance. Brad invited me to be a member. By doing so, he opened the door for me to have amazing mentorship, a community of like-minded friends, as well as much bigger opportunities to serve.

In January 2006, Brad asked me to direct a mission to Poland for him. He was interested in my connection to thebandwithnoname and wanted to do something great in the schools there. I was confident that my friend, chipK and his team would be the perfect fit for this mission and I accepted the invitation from Brad to go with him to Poland. Two weeks later, we discovered the tumor in Amy’s brain.

Brad offered the opportunity to back out of the mission. I stupidly refused. My resolve was to serve God no matter what Amy and I would face. I figured God would give us an exit from the tumor; a healing or a quick fix. Despite my youthful zeal and my misplaced priorities, not letting go of my opportunity forged a friendship that would not have developed in the same way if I had not followed through with my commitment.

2006 was the worst year ever. Amy and I lost our home, our jobs, our insurance, her health. As the going got rougher, and the news got heavier, Brad stuck with me. We went to Poland together. We made an impact. Even more importantly, Brad made a real effort to be there for us. Sometimes his efforts were clumsy and even made me angry. Yet, his unwavering support was abnormally settling during an unnerving time.

Our friendship grows every year. This year, I get to return the favor. Brad comes to Connecticut to help us with our follow up event for Overtime ’09. He will MC our banquet too. It brings me great pleasure every time I go to Oregon and stay with him and his family. I look forward to showing him the same hospitality next month.

Brad, I can’t thank you enough for taking a chance on me and for connecting me to so many good things. Thanks for bringing me in to your world and helping me grow in Christ. Thanks for showing me be your example how to put my family first. Thanks for being my friend.