Three of Daniel's friends were taken from Jerusalem along with him. Their names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They are better known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Throughout their younger years they interacted quite a bit with Daniel. When Daniel rose through the ranks of power he always asked that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be given positions of authority too.
King Nebuchadnezzar built an idol and demanded that everyone worship his creation. These three young men refused to worship the idol. They were thrown into a fiery furnace for their refusal. But when they came out of the furnace unharmed, the king declared that they should be allowed to worship their God in any way they pleased. No one should put limitations on these three young men (Daniel 3:28). They were granted the positions of authority that Daniel had requested for them.

by: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/missionaries-in-the-bible-10-to-emulate/#ixzz4Bj7oKEHK