I'm Home from Africa!

[Carmen Harrison]

I arrived back in the USA from Africa just about a week ago and have been recovering from a "bug" I picked up in Ethiopia. This was a "vision" trip with Toni Porter and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to Ethiopia and Rwanda for the Child Sponsorship program. It was a wonderful life changing experience, although difficult at times. We flew in and out of the Addis Abba, Ethiopia airport 6 times in 12 days. My trip home was 46 hours, 4 airports and 3 connecting flights (Kilgali, Rwanda to Addis Abba, Ethiopia, to Rome, Italy, to Washington DC, and finally to Houston), including the 15 hours I was stranded in Washington Dulles Airport. The longest stretch was the 19 hours straight flying time from Addis to Washington, DC, with a 1 hour stop in Rome. Fortunately, they needed my seat to accommodate a family of 5 and I was upgraded to First Class. I told them that Toni goes with me, so she was upgraded also. The Lord really blessed us, as we were both not feeling well.

I will post some pictures on the Photography Forum, but here is one for now.
These are children at an NCM Child Development Center in a small Ethiopian mountain village. All of them are orphans. Some of them are in the Child Sponorship program, but most are in need of a sponsor. If you sponsor a child from Ethiopia, you may recognize your child. Toni and I are somewhere in this sea of faces. They love to have their picture taken with digital cameras and then view the magical screen. Once a picture is snapped, the photographer is instantly surrounded by children trying to get a glimpse.

We toured approximately 40 child development centers, AIDS/HIV projects, churches, and micro finance projects in Ethiopia and Rwanda. These sweet, sweet orphan children are so needy, but Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is doing an amazing job of restoration with limited resources.

[Edith K. Thurmond]

I arrived back in the USA from Africa just about a week ago and have been recovering from a "bug" I picked up in Ethiopia. This was a "vision" trip with Toni Porter and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to Ethiopia and Rwanda for the Child Sponsorship program. It was a wonderful life changing experience, although difficult at times. We flew in and out of the Addis Abba, Ethiopia airport 6 times in 12 days. My trip home was 46 hours, 4 airports and 3 connecting flights (Kilgali, Rwanda to Addis Abba, Ethiopia, to Rome, Italy, to Washington DC, and finally to Houston), including the 15 hours I was stranded in Washington Dulles Airport. The longest stretch was the 19 hours straight flying time from Addis to Washington, DC, with a 1 hour stop in Rome. Fortunately, they needed my seat to accommodate a family of 5 and I was upgraded to First Class. I told them that Toni goes with me, so she was upgraded also. The Lord really blessed us, as we were both not feeling well.

I will post some pictures on the Photography Forum, but here is one for now.
These are children at an NCM Child Development Center in a small Ethiopian mountain village. All of them are orphans. Some of them are in the Child Sponorship program, but most are in need of a sponsor. If you sponsor a child from Ethiopia, you may recognize your child. Toni and I are somewhere in this sea of faces. They love to have their picture taken with digital cameras and then view the magical screen. Once a picture is snapped, the photographer is instantly surrounded by children trying to get a glimpse.

We toured approximately 40 child development centers, AIDS/HIV projects, churches, and micro finance projects in Ethiopia and Rwanda. These sweet, sweet orphan children are so needy, but Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is doing an amazing job of restoration with limited resources.

It is so good to have you back on U.S. soil! Lots of prayers have been said for you and Toni and all the children you visited. Carmen, you look good in the photo and like you have joy in what you are doing. May your body get replenished and back up to par very soon.

You were missed and are loved!

Blessings,

[Carsten Schermuly]

The longest stretch was the 19 hours straight flying time from Addis to Washington, DC, with a 1 hour stop in Rome. Fortunately, they needed my seat to accommodate a family of 5 and I was upgraded to First Class. I told them that Toni goes with me, so she was upgraded also. The Lord really blessed us, as we were both not feeling well.Seen every day. He watches the steps of his children by love. What nice you got a better place!

[Carmen Harrison]

It is so good to have you back on U.S. soil! Lots of prayers have been said for you and Toni and all the children you visited. Carmen, you look good in the photo and like you have joy in what you are doing. May your body get replenished and back up to par very soon.

You were missed and are loved!

Blessings,


Thank you for your prayers, Edith. We felt them!
Maybe that's how and why we were the only ones selected to move up to the First Class cabin on that 19 hour flight.

Just as Carsten said, God watches over and even cares about a good seat.

[Edith K. Thurmond]

Thank you for your prayers, Edith. We felt them!
Maybe that's how and why we were the only ones selected to move up to the First Class cabin on that 19 hour flight.

Just as Carsten said, God watches over and even cares about a good seat.

First-class seating is truly a blessing on a 19 hour flight - especially when not feeling well!

Were you wearing JOY (or any components thereof)? Just curious.

You and Toni are such an inspiration for doing something difficult that was out of your area of experience. May you see the fruit of your labors!

Were you stranded in the Washington, D.C. airport because of the extreme flooding in the area? Some friends living in the area had a difficult time because of those floods.

Carmen, you definitely are loved and valued by God (and us)!

[Mark Doble]

As I was once in Uganda, I know your feelings... Looking forward to some pictures. Take your time, take a breathe...
Ok, hurry now. Huti, Huti...:basic05



I arrived back in the USA from Africa just about a week ago and have been recovering from a "bug" I picked up in Ethiopia. This was a "vision" trip with Toni Porter and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to Ethiopia and Rwanda for the Child Sponsorship program. It was a wonderful life changing experience, although difficult at times. We flew in and out of the Addis Abba, Ethiopia airport 6 times in 12 days. My trip home was 46 hours, 4 airports and 3 connecting flights (Kilgali, Rwanda to Addis Abba, Ethiopia, to Rome, Italy, to Washington DC, and finally to Houston), including the 15 hours I was stranded in Washington Dulles Airport. The longest stretch was the 19 hours straight flying time from Addis to Washington, DC, with a 1 hour stop in Rome. Fortunately, they needed my seat to accommodate a family of 5 and I was upgraded to First Class. I told them that Toni goes with me, so she was upgraded also. The Lord really blessed us, as we were both not feeling well.

I will post some pictures on the Photography Forum, but here is one for now.
These are children at an NCM Child Development Center in a small Ethiopian mountain village. All of them are orphans. Some of them are in the Child Sponorship program, but most are in need of a sponsor. If you sponsor a child from Ethiopia, you may recognize your child. Toni and I are somewhere in this sea of faces. They love to have their picture taken with digital cameras and then view the magical screen. Once a picture is snapped, the photographer is instantly surrounded by children trying to get a glimpse.

We toured approximately 40 child development centers, AIDS/HIV projects, churches, and micro finance projects in Ethiopia and Rwanda. These sweet, sweet orphan children are so needy, but Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is doing an amazing job of restoration with limited resources.

[Charlene Clevenger]

This is not about Child Sponsorship, but a lady from The Netherlands named Carla Von Hoof is working with NCM in Child Development. She has great dreams to reach 2 million children through Child Development Centers, and has already started some in South Africa.

The organization I work for is sending her children's Bibles and books, and we have just made arrangements to provide a digital printer for her to print materials for all those kids.

The Africa Region is really emphasizing children right now. The statistics say that almost 1/2 the population of Africa is under the age of 15!

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Oh, it must have been wonderful to visit all of those precious children.
People of our church sponsor five in Madagascar, where my nephew and his wife work with the street children.