Filthy puddles.  Makeshift structures.  A dark kitchen with no electricity.  Roaming chickens.  Emaciated dogs.  A naked child.  A mother who didn't smile.  I vividly remember walking through my first slum.  I was on a Compassion International mission/vision trip in the Dominican Republic with several colleagues in Christian radio.  As I toured the slum, I felt somewhat numb--not knowing how to process the scenery around me.  But when I returned to the hotel, and when I was in the middle of a live report back to WMBW-Chattanooga, TN, I completely fell apart.  I sobbed on the air with thousands listening.  At least I was not alone, many of us on that trip struggled with our emotions.  One of those teammates who also was deeply impacted was Mark Zimmerman of WCRF-Cleveland, OH.  There, in the DR, God introduced both of us to extreme poverty, a larger view of the Church, and a desire to be involved in global missions.

Click here for a link to Compassion International and to learn about Mark Zimmerman's work with Moody Radio Cleveland

(Photo of Mark Zimmerman and Andy Napier)