From Mississippi State to Global Gates

Just shy of nine years ago, an MSU freshman girl caught me after the second service one Sunday morning and asked me to be her mentor. Little did I know that by accepting her invitation I was opening myself up for a front-row seat to watch the Lord begin to move and grow in her life. For the next eight years, I had the privilege of witnessing a naive freshman develop into a young adult with a desire to serve the Lord in and through her life by loving the nations.  

That student was Brittany Farley.  

While Brittany was a student at MSU, she was heavily involved in the University Ministry here at FBC as well as the Baptist Student Union on campus. Her involvement in both played a huge role in her walk with the Lord because it was here at FBC and the BSU that she began to get her feet wet with international missions. In addition to taking part in numerous short-term projects in our very own state and country, Brittany also used multiple summers to serve the Lord overseas in Peru, the United Kingdom, and Morocco. As she participated in each of these trips, the Lord began to reveal to her "more and more about the need for believers to branch out, to move out, from what is comfortable and familiar, and get the Gospel to the unreached places of the world." Brittany completed her coursework in Secondary Education and began working on a Masters in Educational Psychology while also working as a middle school math teacher. All the while, God continued to develop a desire within her to not only share the Good News of Jesus but to serve the nations with her life.

As she was trying to unpack the call to leverage her life for missions, God began to lead her towards Houston, Texas, and a missions organization by the name of Global Gates. The desire of Global Gates is to reach the nations through Global Gateway Cities in North America. Its purpose is to share the Gospel with people from other countries in cities here in America (and Canada) where we receive people from countries all over, including nations completely closed off to the Gospel. It is the ministry's hope that the people visiting these Gateway Cities will hear the Gospel and respond in obedience to the Truth of the Gospel. The hope is to then partner with these new believers as they share their new faith to family and friends in the countries from which they came. Brittany's original intention when moving to Houston was to continue to teach in the public school system and work with Global Gates on a volunteer basis. The Lord began to bless Brittany with countless opportunities to share with her neighbors and those around her. He provided relationships with some Muslim and Hindu women, which led to a regular Bible study. Brittany was also able to develop a relationship with several of the middle school and high school kids living in her apartment complex, developing into a weekly Bible study.  After teaching and trying to volunteer at Global Gates for one year, it became clear that she could not do both her job and volunteer and do either position justice. After much prayer, Brittany felt the Lord was asking her to step out in faith, leave the classroom, and join the Global Gates team full time. 

As Brittany embarks on this new journey, I can't help but look back and think about how she has grown from that naive freshman into the fearless and faithful follower of Christ she is today. I recently asked her what the difference was between the Brittany of eight years ago and the Brittany of today. She responded with the following:

"My passion for the Lord, while genuine then, has only grown deeper and deeper, thankfully! I have grown to follow in the grace of our Lord and in His steps as He gives us. I have been asked several times by Him to trust Him in faith, whether it was going to Peru for summer missions in 2012, going to graduate school in 2014, or moving here to Houston in 2018. I have continuously been learning how to not cling to control of my life but to allow Him to give me the best He has for me, and I would choose nothing less!  I have learned to see through the eyes of other people, particularly those who are not of my culture or even my religion. I have learned the necessity of a Christian to stand firm in faith and the Word because Satan's joy is to kill our faith. I have learned how Satan likes to make us doubt God's Word by making us question the validity of what it says. I have learned to know the Word of God in my heart and to let His Word be my defining Truth."

Brittany Farley

I can't help but think that Brittany's involvement here at FBC helped aid in fanning the flame of her passion for the Lord.  Maybe it helped give her the courage to walk in God's grace.  And maybe her time with us helped her to not only learn the Word of God but to follow through in obedience.  FBC family, we may only have the privilege of walking with a student for a limited time, but our impact can be both lifelong and eternal.  

You can be a part of Brittany's journey in two ways: prayer and financial assistance.

• Pray for the opportunities Brittany has had so far and will have in the future.  

• Pray for the overseas trips she will be going on and for the Lord to greatly bless the Gospel in those nations as well as our own.  

• Pray for Bible studies to pop up in her apartment complex for nonbelievers.  

• Pray for the kid's Bible study that she hosts every week in her apartment complex. 

In working with Global Gates, Brittany will need to raise 100% of her support. Global Gates is completely donor-funded. All proceeds go to Global Gates where missionaries are provided with an account in which donors may make payments. There is a 10% administration fee taken out and the rest goes into a salary account for the missionary. If you would like to help support Brittany financially in this kingdom endeavor, you may visit bit.do/BrittanyGGHouston and make a one-time or recurring gift.

You may also mail a check* to the following address: 

Global Gates

236 W. 72nd Street

NY, NY 10023

*Make checks payable to Global Gates and write "Brittany Farley" on the memo line.