When the church-going Bonnells Bay teenager arrived, he was filled with despair and his heart went out to the native people struggling to survive in the poverty he saw all around him.

Kids begging on the streets, mothers trying to give him their babies, and obviously rampant diseases all conspired to break the heart of a young man with an overwhelming love for all people.

Brendan visited India three more times, and spent a summer helping out in an orphanage in Thailand.

Then, in 2007, Brendan joined Teen Missions in Madagascar where he stayed for 10 months.

"It was while he was in Madagascar that he realised he had to do more to help the people there," close friend and amateur film maker from Cooranbong, Lauren Farleigh, said.

"So for the past two years he has been setting up his own mission, Chosen Servant Ministries and now he spends half his year in Australia working to raise funds and the other half in Madagascar getting projects going," Lauren said.

Brendan's mission is to help provide education and opportunity for the people of Madagascar to break their deep cycle of real poverty.

Last month, Lauren and two other volunteers, Rachel (a horticulturist) and Loren (a nurse), joined Brendan's growing mission for a four week working tour.

"We were all overwhelmed with the amazing things Brendan and his staff have got going on there and the changes they have made to so many lives," Lauren said.

During a trip to the villages the team gave out around 4000 toothbrushes, soap, vitamins and Betadine and taught everyone to clean their teeth with salty water as they are unable to get toothpaste.

"Many children already have rotting teeth," Lauren said.

"Rachel taught some simple farming and planting skills, like pruning fruit trees, compost, crop rotation, how far to plant seedlings apart and many other things and Loren gave lectures on basic hygiene and how to treat simple illnesses. "

Brendan's current projects in Madagascar include, an orphanage which he hopes will be the first of many.

And in the south of the island he has been donated a square kilometre of land where plans are going through to build a doctor and dentist surgery.