Please Don't Send Me to Africa!

Scott Wesley Brown wrote a song back in the 80's. It was about our willingness to serve the Lord, except in places like Africa. That always stuck with me. This month, I had the opportunity to visit our projects in Egypt, Ethiopia and Kenya. Three other members of the Mission of Mercy Board also joined the trip. Here is a very short summary of the trip:

Egypt
Our trip in Egypt started with our project in one of the garbage cities of Cairo. The people of the community collect and separate garbage - and then sell it. There is garbage everywhere. Kids wade through the garbage from a young age. We have built a six story building for classrooms, a medical clinic and vocational training center. I am deeply appreciative of the level of care the children receive; a good meal, education, medical attention and the message of Christ. No trip to Egypt would be complete without a visit to the pyramids - and they are truly impressive.

Ethiopia
The cornerstone of our ministry in Ethiopia is a Mercy Center in Addis Ababa that serves 2,000 children. It also houses vocational training for the mothers. They sew the uniforms for all the kids, and prepare the meals in the catering center. Prior to going to Ethiopia, we had received an e-mail from a family in North Carolina. They had lost their 24 month old son due to medical complications. They decided they needed to reach out in love to another boy, so they sponsored a child in Ethiopia. I let them know I would greet their sponsor child, Mussie, for them while I was in the country. What a powerful meeting that was! I told Mussie's mother about their sponsor family and she hugged me and cried. It was a moving experience.

Kenya
Mission of Mercy supports a school on the edge of a slum of 300,000 people in Nairobi. The quality of education is excellent. In addition to that work, we visited the New Life Home. New Life Home takes in children abandoned in dumpsters, paper bags, among other places. Fully one-third of the children are HIV positive. It is a joy to be there amidst all of these children - holding them and playing with them. It's a hard place to leave. We also drove into the bush south of Nairobi and visited the Maasai people. We were greeted and honored upon our arrival. These are people living in the most primitive conditions. They thanked us and told us, "before Mission of Mercy, our children were hungry. Now they eat every day."

All of these projects are very diverse, but they do have a common focus - bringing hope to children. That is the bottom line - and that's what made this trip so encouraging. There is nothing better in this world than the smile of a child.

A Career Change

Earlier this month, I was appointed as the new President of Mission of Mercy. It is a great honor. But it also carries a tremendous responsibility. Some 36,000 children in over 20 countries are touched by this ministry.

For the past 32 years, I have been involved in all aspects of radio broadcasting. I started as a disc jockey and ended up owning a station in my hometown in South Dakota. In 1983, I sold that radio station to start a contemporary Christian radio ministry in Spearfish, South Dakota. Broadcasting has been my life - it is the only career I have known.

In 1991, our radio ministry merged with Bethesda Ministries, which is also the parent ministry of Mission of Mercy. Since that time, I have been speaking on behalf of the kids of Mission of Mercy. In 1994, we started the 28 Hours of Mercy, a radio telethon that is held on radio stations around the country. I have traveled extensively hosting those events. I've also had the pleasure of leading Mission Trips to projects around the world. I have experienced the impact of child sponsorship in a number of countries. So, after 17 years of speaking for Mission of Mercy on radio, it is only natural that I step into a position with the ministry.

Stepping into a leadership position with Mission of Mercy is a very humbling experience. There are so many elements that go into linking a child to a sponsor. It has been overwhelming to be placed into this position, and to know the responsibility that the position carries. I feel like I am in over my head at times, but that's OK with me. It is only when we are completely dependent on God that we are where we need to be. I know I've been called, but I also know that without the leading of Christ in my life, there will be no success. So, I deeply appreciate your prayer support.

I love radio - and the impact that Christian radio makes in the lives of its listeners. But, I also want to touch the lives of children around the world. And so, the adventure begins!

Swaziland Mission Trip

I've always dreamed of our entire family traveling together to one of the Mission of Mercy projects. All of our kids were in transition this year, so the timing was right. Dee and I were to lead a group of WCLN-FM listeners from Fayetteville, NC - there were 31 of us, including my family. We flew out of Raleigh. Our plane was late in arriving in Washington, DC, so we missed our flight to South Africa. That meant an overnight in DC. When we got back to the airport the next day, they had to split us into two groups. Dee led half the group on a direct flight to Johannesburg, and I took the rest through London. My group was to arrive a day after Dee's, but her group had complications and got to the Swaziland border too late to enter the country, they had to turn back and find a place in South Africa to stay. Both groups ended up with unique adventures, but we arrived safe and sound - at almost the same time.

During the week, we helped break ground on two new Mercy Centers. We worked during the morning, then split into groups during the afternoon to conduct Bible clubs at five different Mercy Centers. As I would talk with projects leaders, I would point out different children and ask about them. Time and time again they would tell me about parents who passed away of aids, or who abandoned the kids, or one of many other heartbreaking stories. By the end of the week it dawned on me that none of the kids I met were living at home with their biological parents. They were shifted from home to home - relative to relative. At the Mercy Centers, the staff has to ask the kids to leave at the end of the day. They love staying there - it is their community - being with other kids and with a staff that deeply loves them, feeds them and cares for them.

One of the highlights of the week for Dee and me was meeting our sponsor child - who we call "Sophie." Her real name is difficult to pronounce. We bonded with her and fell in love with her. Sophie's only living relative is her grandfather - and he has abandoned her, and left her in the the care of her step-grandmother. She also stays some evenings with one of the Mercy Center teachers. We always caution people about trying to adopt children when we travel abroad. Sophie's loss of family and the instability in her home life started us thinking about it. As we said goodbye to Sophie on the last day, she held tight to Dee and whispered in her ear, "Won't you please take me home with you?" When Dee came back to the bus, she was in tears. Swaziland laws would require either Dee or me to be present in the country for one year before we could adopt her. We are still praying about it - but mostly praying for Sophie. Both of my daughters and their husbands also sponsor children in Swaziland. They also had the opportunity to meet their sponsor children. Dee and I have been sponsoring children for over 20 years. It made me proud to see my children, who certainly are struggling financially in this transitional stage of life, step up to help others.

After a very impacting week in Swaziland, we flew back with the group to Raleigh. We said our goodbyes and then settled in for an eight hour wait before our flight back to South Dakota. We had our first Starbucks coffee in 10 days, and we sat on the floor at the airport talking about our experiences. During that conversation, one of my children said, "We get it dad. We know why you and mom are so passionate about what you do." There are so many children around the world who have needs. My prayer is that more people "get it" and would impact the life of just one child. Before you know it, we would change the world!