My First Time to Africa

from the left: Tyrell, Amanda, and Shannon with some sweet ones

Hello my name is Tyrell Harris and I live in Nashville Tennessee. I have never been on a missions trip and also I have never been outside of America. Today I got to work with primary 5, 6, and 7 (ages 10-16). I loved working with them. We just play ALL day long.

I have such a huge heart for the older children in the orphanage that we are working in. They all respond to me so well and I feel like I can communicate to them and talk to them without any awkward moments. Even though I just met most of the men and women that work at the orphanage, I feel as if I have known them my whole life. The kindness and love I feel from these people is completely indescribable with words. I also feel the love from the children deep inside me because I know their love is so pure and real.

An example of great great love that I experienced today was when this girl who was about 15 years old came up and told me that she loved me for helping her brothers and sisters. This girl wasn’t even receiving anything and she still spent a good 2-3 hours decorating, writing, and packaging this note for me. She loved her brothers and sisters so much that when I did something for them it was as if I did it for here, and that really touched my heart today.

Today, as we were talking to the children about mosquito nets, we asked how many of them had had the very preventable disease Malaria.  Every kid there raised their hand and I about started crying because I feel so sad that so many people get very sick and even die most times from a disease that is completely preventable.

Even if I typed all day and night I wouldn’t be able to type everything that I have felt and experienced today but one thing that I definitely can say is I LOVE these people and plan to visit many more times.