Stacey Gagne

STACEY GAGNE

Yesterday my new friends  John Owens, Steve Sunshine and Joe Paulo from North and South Carolina treated their listeners to live broadcasts from Ethiopia including the opportunity for some sponsors to meet their sponsored children via Skype.  In fact, Steve Sunshine and his family were included in that group… Steve is here with us and got to meet 2 of his sponsored children yesterday.  I had the opportunity to help hang out with the children and hand out gifts while they were doing their broadcast.  What an emotional and special time.  The children came carrying the letters/photos and trinkets they had received over the years to show their sponsors that they still had them.  They came with either a relative or representative from their Compassion project and everyone who was there expressed such intense gratitude.  Thank you Compassion International and it’s sponsors for making moments like these possible for these families!

STACEY GAGNE – Today has been a very full day… and I have a full heart as a result!  This morning we visited the Yeka Meker Church Child Development Center ET-280.  It’s held at a Church of God church.  One thing I’ve learned about Compassion (that I probably should have known prior to this as a current sponsor) is how much they partner with the church.  The church is actually crucial because it houses the centers and for the most part staffs it with volunteers.  We spent a lot of time with Ketsela Seyachew, the Project Director who we called PK.   His heart for the children was so evident.  He is not only the Project Director for Compassion but the youth pastor for the church as well.

One thing that stood out about this church before we even pulled in through the gate was that it was a fence away from a huge Muslim mosque.  Rather than it being something of concern or frustration, they see it as a blessing because many Muslims choose to send their children to Compassion because of the needs that can be met… but the children then receive the Word of God!  Awesome!  When we did our home visits for this site, one of the groups had the opportunity to visit a Muslim home.  This home for 6 people was a 4×8 foot space… MAYBE a sheet of plywood could fit in there.  The folks who visited there got to hear about how their child is doing with Compassion, present the family with some gifts of oil, popcorn, sugar, soap and other items and most importantly… pray.  Wow.  What an opportunity.

At the home my group visited it was a child named Messai with his mother and grandmother.  There home was larger than some I have seen on this trip so far… but the tin roof leaks and it’s still a very small space.  There was a rooster living in the bedroom that was making some background music for us, too.  🙂

I have so many memories from today of time spent with the children playing, singing, blowing bubbles and just loving.   This only brings us half way through the day.  I will update you soon about our amazing evening with the students from the Leadership Development Program.  INSPIRING for sure.

Stacey M. Gagne

Experiencing Compassion in Ethiopia

Being here in Ethiopia with Compassion is truly opening up my eyes to so much.  Even with having participated in so many child sponsorship events and sponsoring a child myself, you’d think I’d be able to say that I understood what they are doing all over the world, but this trip is bringing it all into reality for me.

Some elements of Compassion’s approach to child development include being Christ Centered, Child focused, church based, and commited to integrity.  I honestly saw each of these things walked out today.

Christ Centered:  the children are learning about Jesus.  Families are learning about Jesus.   At the schools the children were singing songs about the Lord that they have learned along with valuable scripture and Bible lessons.   At the home visits,  I witnessed one mother share her faith that revolves around Jesus dying for her on the cross…and that his sacrifice gives her hope.   She was once a prostitute selling alcohol on the streets.   In another home where the family did not have true faith in Jesus, the Compassion International staff person with us took every opportunity to share Jesus with this woman that was possible.   We also had the chance to pray with her and her children.

Child Focused: We saw children receiving so much care and attention from the staff and volunteers.   The ministry at each center was to the children spiritually, physically, socially, and economically.  Children are cared for at these sites!  The care for their health needs, basic needs, skill sets, and need for love are all evident.

Church based:  We visited sites at both a Lutheran and a Pentecostal church.  The volunteers from the church give so much of themselves to these children.

Committed to Integrity: Records are kept meticulously.  We were able to look at specific childrens files and see the details of their involvement in the program from the beginning.

In our daily journeys I have seen so many children on the streets that would benefit from the ministry of Compassion.  There is an obvious difference in the light of hope and joy on the faces of the kids within the program vs the children begging on the street… even though they are all coming from the same neighborhoods and,  for the most part,  levels of poverty.  The love that comes from Jesus is being made manifest and that is what makes the difference.

I pray that my experiences here that I’m relaying back to you will lead to your deeper understanding of what is being done for these children.   There is such opportunity for many more children and in turn entire families coming to the knowledge of Jesus and receiving the loving care available to them through this ministry.   May we each listen to hear where God is telling us to lend a hand and get involved.   This ministry is a great place to start.

Stacey Gagne

Experiencing Compassion in Ethiopia

but I’ll share some words with you soon, too.  🙂

STACEY GAGNE –

Today Yosef and our new friends Michi and AJ from Compassion Ethiopia took our group on a tour to the top of Mt Ntoto and parts of the city.  I could have ridden around all day taking in the culture and different sites.   On the way to the top of the mountain we passed many market stands, government buildings and tons of people walking along the streets, selling various items or begging.  I would have called it a very busy day on the street, but actually most people were not out today because of the holiday.  Today is Meskel, a major religious/cultural holiday celebrated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  One of the legends they celebrate is that Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great found “the true cross of Christ”.  It is celebrated with dancing, feasting and lighting of bonfires.  (we saw some of those last night).

In the pictures below you will see views from Ntoto (you can see the heavy fog over the city), an art gallery with beautiful cultural paintings that was in a shack at the top of the mountain, and sites we saw as we drove through the marketplace and the city.   There were eucalyptus plants in the woods on Mt. Ntoto that smelled amazing when you squished the leaves between your fingers.  There were children that followed us while we wandered around on the mountain.   They were VERY diligent in trying to find ways to get money from us and unfortunately I couldn’t take the picture of the following (because they would have wanted me to pay them for it):  they were very creatively  “skateboarding” and sliding down the road on a piece of a smashed up plastic bottle.  There were also women carrying bundles of sticks they had gathered.  Many many people approached the van asking for money including a group of children who sang lines from the chorus “This is the Day” and then said “no program”.  Wow, that was tough for me.

Hopefully tomorrow I will get a better “group in the van shot”.   Although we were pretty full, with 14 of us in a 10 passenger van,  we passed many many vans with way more people crammed in them.

Tomorrow the plan is to visit Sadamo Guenet Student Center and Addis Ababa Gospel Deliverance Church Student Center as well as some home and office tours.  I’m excited to meet and spend time with the children!!!

Stacey Gagne

Experiencing Compassion in Ethiopia

Greetings from Addis Ababa Ethiopia!  Thank you for your prayers, I made it!

My connection at Dulles went off without a hitch.  I took the shuttle to my terminal and found the gate for Ethiopian Airlines.  I wasn’t there long before I ran into my friend Mark Hollingsworth from Compasssion International; the leader of our trip.  Soon , the rest of the team of other radio people started showing up from their various locations.  We quickly began to get to know each other and joke around.   This will be such an experience to have together.  There are several of us that are new at this.

While we waited for the last few radio people to arrive, we sat around, looked at a map of Ethiopia and talked about the upcoming trip.  Soon after that we had dinner and boarded the plane for our 14 hour flight!    The descent and departure in and out of Rome (our fuel stop) was beautiful.   I peeked out the window every once in a while to see mainly water or dessert.   I was able to see the sun set as we made our descent into Addis Ababa and it looked like the sky was on fire!  So gorgeous…thank you Lord!   I can’t believe I’m across the world!

The airport experience and drive from there to the hotel we are staying at was already eye opening and definitely affected me.  I am looking forward to seeing the hope and the provision that Compassion is providing to so many (and through many of you!) and I know that they can provide for so many more like those I saw today!  It will be great to hear the first hand accounts from the children and families.

Looking forward to sharing more of my experiences with you in pictures and reports.

Stacey  Gagne

-Experiencing Compassion in Ethiopia

STACEY GAGNE – We received an email from a listener going through some difficult times.  She shared with us how God used WJTL to help her….

“Dear WJTL,

I just wanted to take the time to thank you for the impact you have
made in my life, and especially in the last week.  I moved into this
area a little over a year ago, and have been hooked on your station
ever since.  So, now to the point of this e-mail.

Last Monday, we were informed that my grandfather, who had been a
relatively healthy 74 year old up until a couple weeks ago, has a
tumor on his pancreas, and that it’s cancerous.  To top that off, I
got a call Thursday that my sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast
cancer at the age of 32.  We don’t know what stage either of them
are at yet, we are still waiting for the many test results.  All our
family can do right now is pray that God’s will be done and for
peace in the midst of this storm.

That is where you come in.  You have no idea how God has used you in
the last week to bless me.  As I drive to and from each work each
day, I tune into your station, and God always does his work.
Whether it’s a song about how great our God is to how awesome his
healing power is to just the right song to make me laugh when I’m
feeling down.  You let God use you, and it has made a terrible week
bearable.  I have laughed, I have cried, and spent may commutes
singing along, making your songs my prayers.

So, I said all that to say a giant thank you!  And encourage you to
continue to allow God to do His awesome work through you.  I’m sure
you get letters every day about how God uses you, but I really
needed to tell you what he is doing through you in my life.

Many blessings to you!
A Listener named Kelly

***********************************************

Thankful that God is using us!

Stacey Gagne

STACEY GAGNE – Wow, it’s hard to believe that in less than a week I’ll be boarding a plane and heading to Ethiopia!  I received my Trip Guide put together by Compassion and it has a wealth of information to prepare me for my adventures.  I’m so thankful that they are already taking good care of me as I head to the other side of the world with them.

People have asked if I have a sponsored child in Africa and I don’t (yet).   I sponsor a (now) young man named Miguel from Bolivia.  I sponsored him during one of WJTL’s 26 Hours of Compassion several years ago.  He’s 15 now.  It’s so fun to receive letters from him and to watch him grow.  At first his letters were mostly pictures and now he sends thoughtful letters.    I know that at the center he is receiving Bible teaching, education, field trips,  and fun activities with people who desire to show him God’s love as they care for him.  He tells me about what he is learning and thanks me often.   It’s always amazing to me how his letters can be so encouraging to me.

Having never been overseas, I am sure that this trip will help me understand even more clearly why Compassion’s ministry is so important and even to relate better to my sponsored child!

Stay tuned for my live reports and blogs next week!!

STACEY GAGNE – You may have heard on the air by now, but in case you haven’t … I’m going to Ethiopia!!!  I’m super excited to be heading to Ethiopia with Compassion International Sept 25 thru Oct 2nd.  Not only is this my first trip with Compassion and my first trip to Africa; it’s my first trip overseas!   I couldn’t think of a better first trip for me than to travel with Compassion, an organization I have loved and sponsored a child through for many years!

Though I don’t have all the specifics of my trip, yet, I do know that I’ll be traveling with staff from other radio stations as we learn more about what God is doing through Compassion in Ethiopia.  From what I understand, I’ll be visiting Child Sponsorship projects, Child Survival Projects, meeting with college students in their leadership development program and visiting with Compassion’s Ethiopia Country Staff.  I will be getting my more detailed trip itinerary soon.

I hope that my trip will allow you to see and hear the heart of what needs there are for children in Ethiopia and what can be done/is being done to meet those needs through Compassion International.  We’ll also be giving an opportunity for you and the rest of our listeners to get involved and sponsor a child during our 26 Hours of Compassion coming up at the end of October.

I invite you to listen in and read along while I’m on my journey, and please pray for me too!  Thanks!

– Stacey Gagne

Giddy WJTL Employee and Compassion International Child Sponsor