Kelly and Connie’s Place

We’re very proud of our oldest granddaughter who turned 14 this year. Summer was nominated by her teachers to be a participant in the NJLC (Junior National Leadership Conference). To be nominated, students must show academic excellence, extracurricular or civic involvement and leadership potential.

Our granddaughter, Summer (2007)

The NJLC is a leadership conference for middle school students that allows them to focus on a certain field of study, learn about it, meet professionals in that field, and explore career possibilities.

The career conference our granddaughter chose to attend was called “Discover CSI: Forensic Science”. She flew by herself and spent 10 days in Washington DC, experienced dorm life on a university campus and had a whole array of experiences. She got to see Capital Hill, the Library of Congress, went to Union Station, the National Mall, the Smithsonian Museum & more.

Her team’s assignment was to solve the kidnapping of a 9 year old child. They attended various lectures and workshops on things like leadership, crime scene processing & how to interview witnesses.

Her review went something like this:

Some of the lectures were boring, they had to take notes, wear “professional” dress most of the time, and her team of 6 guys & 6 girls was not the greatest. They were easily sidetracked, couldn’t agree on things and they talked over each other. She was sure they would have nothing completed in time for the Inquest where they were to give a speech espousing their theories on ‘who did it’. (Hopefully this part got better.)

Her teammates were from CO, CT, OK, HI, CA, MI & etc. She really liked her roommate who was from New Jersey (Summer is from California). One night the two of them stayed up late talking and only got 30 minutes of sleep. They skipped breakfast the next day (which was allowed), but found it hard to stay awake during lectures. She liked her team leader whom they called TL, the food was not too bad, and the weather was hot & humid. They had a dance, a talent show night, and went shopping at a local mall for souvenirs.

With several people to buy for back home, her shopping list for souvenirs was quite long. She got 2 shirts, a bag that said ‘Love’ and one with a ‘Peace Sign,’ a cup holder that said ‘Got Evidence,’ 2 key chains saying: ‘Got Evidence’ & ‘I Love DC’, and a bear dressed as a policeman and one dressed like a criminal.

THANK YOU!

The trip is over now, and she made it home in time to go to her youth group meeting at church. Now I’m waiting to see some pictures and hear…’the rest of the story’. Summer had to raise quite a bit of money to go on this trip. Her mother says she did a lot of babysitting and other jobs to earn some of that money. The rest of the money came from family and friends. Kelly and I would like to say THANK YOU, to all of you who were able to contribute toward her trip.

2 Comments »

Pre-Wedding

A few months ago, my niece and nephew approached Kelly and I about performing the ceremonies of each of their weddings. Trad’s big day was set for July 4^th. It would be held against a lush green background at Sculley’s Golf Course, run by his parents (my sister & her husband).

My Nehew Waits For His Bride

Shari’s special day would be the next day, July 5^th, with a picturesque garden setting at Hermitage Country Club in Nashville.

This worked for us; 2 weddings, one trip, a chance to visit with family followed by a little R & R. The only pre-requisite we set for the 2 couples was that they get pre-martial counseling. Shari and her guy ran into a scheduling conflict, so Kelly and I ended up meeting with them weekly for 6 sessions.

How did we do that, you ask, all the way from Orlando? Simple! This is the 21^st century. In the midst of work and travel, we were able to schedule in counseling sessions—live, over the internet, using a webcam. There were reading assignments, homework and great discussions. It was not our first choice, but it was workable.

Two Weddings

We feel so blessed after spending a great week with family in Jackson. My 2 brothers and my sister (on the right-who live in Jackson), and my brother from California standing next to me on the left; we all gathered with my parents for the festivities.

My sister hosted 2 bridesmaids luncheons in her home to honor each of the brides, one being her new daughter-in-law, Gretchen. I loved the cold strawberry soup that she served.

We had two supper nice wedding ceremonies, with great weather and excellent family time. PHOTOS BELOW: 1st picture Kelly performing Trad & Gretchen’s ceremony, 2nd picture is Kelly performing Shari & Gavin’s ceremony.

Following the 4^th of July wedding ceremony, the bride & groom (my nephew) provided a spectacular fireworks display for the guest.

The next day we headed to Nashville for the 2^nd wedding. The groom’s family came from as far away as Canada and Ireland, what a treat! (Next 2 photos: 1st Trad & Gretchen then Shari & Gavin, both now happily married.)

Below is a photo of all the Harmons who were present. Unfortunately, our 2 sons in Tulsa were not able to attend. But, they were in Jackson with all of us last year for my parent’s big 80th Birthday bash.

And A Vacation

With the weddings over, Kelly and I began our R & R vacation time in earnest. Monday evening my 3 brothers treated us all to a Harmon tradition of fried potatoes with fluffy biscuits smothered and covered with creamy sausage and gravy. All cholesterol and fat were left out…yeah, right!

Close Up of Some Great Fried Potatoes

How often do you see a kitchen full of men?! (Photo Below) Not often in the Harmon household, …unless biscuits and gravy are on the menu.

Three Are Cooking & Two Encourage Them

Tuesday we enjoyed a gourmet dinner at my oldest brother’s home. His wife Edith out did herself with a special dish called, zucchini boat creamed corn soufflé. WOW!

Edith is not only a great gourmet cook, but she is also an accomplished artist working in pastels. (Photo: Edith is sitting in front of one of paintings. See more of her work by clicking here.)

A Very Talented Sister-in-Law

She gives art lessons in her home studio and invited me to join a session. It’s been 20 years since I last approached a blank canvas, and I’ve never tried pastels. But Edith is very convincing, and I had a blast giving it a try. (Photo below of my first pastel. I have named it: “Three Chairs in Pastels”. How’s that for original?)

And what did Kelly do for fun once he changed into more comfortable clothes and could kick back?

Kelly With One of the Wedding Guests

He enjoyed his day out, browsing through Gander Mountain outdoor store and Best Buy. He thought he was in heaven. We’re back in Orlando now, and Monday we head back to the office all rested and ready to go.

4 Comments »

Tuesday evening, July1, the ACMC team meetings were winding down. (See previous posting for that story.) It was late (7:00 PM) as Kelly and I returned home for the evening to pack for our trip the next day to Tennessee. Our flight on Wednesday was early afternoon, giving us ample time to have breakfast with the team and still see them off for their flights home.

Imagine our surprise that evening when our phone rang and I heard a familiar voice say, “Ibu Connie, ini Ibu Hanna.” Two of our best friends from Indonesia, Ardian & Hanna were here in Orlando, with their son Ken, for a 4-day convention.

In spite of their having just arrived and being tired from a “long” trip, they came that evening to visit with us. What a joy to catch up on their news and reminisce over old times. The last time we saw them was on our last day in Indonesia in 2004. They had come to say goodbye as Kelly and I moved back to the US due to Kelly’s health (photo below).

Ardian and Hanna are one of the godliest couples we know, and they have 3 great kids. We were friends, neighbors and co-workers in the ministry. They were always there for us when we needed them, most notably was the time during our first year in Indonesia. It was Sept. of 1994. Kelly had some serious chest pain, but thought he was ok. He wasn’t. Kelly had experienced a heart attack and Ardian was instrumental in helping save his life by talking him into going to the hospital.

Their son Ken, graduated this year from Ohio State. During his junior year, Ken stayed over at our house, here in Orlando, while doing an internship at Disney World. Their 2 daughters also attended OSU, with the oldest graduating from there 3 years ago. Jessica married this summer and Janet will be back in the US this fall to continue her schooling.

No Comments »

Once again we had “the gang” in for their quarterly, planning meeting. (I posted a group photo of this growing team on our blog back in April.)

The good news is: we’re still growing. We have added another couple to our ranks and I’d like to introduce them to you. Please meet Danny and Judy from South Carolina (photo below). Kelly and I first met this couple when we both were serving in SE Asia. We are blessed to have them join the ACMC team.

The team arrived Sunday evening, June 29^th for 2 ½ days of meetings. We all left Wednesday afternoon; each of them to their respective homes, and Kelly & I to Jackson, TN to visit my family.

A Side Note: Frank wasn’t able to be with us for this meeting. He lives in Alaska and is still raising his support. Meanwhile, he watches his budget and plans his trips accordingly. He was with us in Dallas for the Perspectives Conference just a couple of weeks earlier.

No Comments »

OK, sorry for not updating the blog recently, but as you will see…we have been racking up the travel miles again…

OUR CHURCH PARTNERSHIPS TEAM COMES TOGETHER June 1-6

From June 1 through the 6^th we had 24 new missionary candidates on our Orlando campus going through our 3^rd orientation for the year. This is why our entire team for Church Partnerships (CP-team) was present in Orlando during that week.

(Top-Left) Kelly, Denny, Tom, Greg, Mike, Doug; (Bottom-Left) Connie, Nancy, & Patty

Denny & Nancy live in Orlando but are from Michigan & they cover several mid-western states, Tom & Mike and their respective families live in Philadelphia and they cover the states in the northeast and others, Greg & his family live in Virginia and he covers that area, and then Doug & Patty live in Colorado Springs and cover the Rocky Mountain & Plains states, the other states are divided up among all of us.

With 5 new team members, it was a great time to hold a vision casting meeting. So, when we were not meeting and interviewing new candidates, we were meeting together as a team (see photo). It was a great time to train the “newbies” and get us all on the same page. In the photo below, Kelly is bringing everyone up to par on technical resources that we can use to serve churches more efficiently.

Now that Kelly is a VP, he has been able to turn immediate CP-team leadership over to his assistant, Denny. He is doing a great job and has helped free up some of Kelly’s time needed to oversee all 5 teams.

OFF TO SACRAMENTO June 5-8

With our team in Denny’s capable hands we left Orlando on the 5^th to fly to Sacramento, CA to attend the “Harvest Gathering.” This was a 2-day conference for churches throughout Northern & Central California. First Baptist Church of Elk Grove hosted the conference with about 400 believers participating. Two of our California ACMC team members were a part of the conference. Ken was responsible for all book & resource sales at the event, and Larry was a presenter for several workshops.

Both were a big success and book sales totaled close to $4000. (Photo above, as you can see the book tables were very popular.)

Kelly gave Ken logistical help with the book sales, and we also represented PIONEERS with a display booth. (Photo: Kelly talks with a young man who is interested in missions and learning more about PIONEERS.)

NEXT STOP DENVER June 8-11

From Sacramento we flew to our Denver office on Sunday to see how our teams were doing. Our office lease there will expire at the end of the year so we looked at office space in 3 different locations. One office was particularly interesting so we will take the next steps to see if it is a good fit for our teams. Tuesday was a day of meeting with all three team leaders. Pray for wisdom and God’s leading as we look for just the right office space for our Denver teams.

ON TO DALLAS June 11-15

Wednesday we were off to Dallas for the Perspectives National Conference. Most of you have probably never heard of Perspectives. www.perspecitves.org

‘Perspectives on the World Christian Movement’ is a dynamic, 15 week course (college credited), about God’s heart for the nations. Classes are held in local churches with trained instructors teaching on the Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic perspectives of missions. The course is for anyone who wants a closer walk with the Lord and to see where, how and why they can play a part in the biggest thing God is doing….and has ever done!

The people who run the classes are called coordinators and there were more than 400 coordinators attending this 4 day conference, going to workshops and seminars to sharpen their skills.

(Photo on the top is one side of the room showing half the crowd, and the 2nd photo is the other half of the room.)

Once again, Ken, from our ACMC team was asked to set up a book store and we were there to lend our logistical support. This time, sales were close to $20,000…a very productive weekend. (Photo below: Kelly helping Ken with book buyers.)

While Kelly helped in the book store, I helped one of our Orlando Team members, Laurie Nevius at the PIONEERS booth. (See photo below) We had a great time talking to people about an upcoming PIONEERS event called: ‘Story 08′. (More about it later.)

BACK HOME IN ORLANDO Jun 15

We returned home Jun 15^th, Sunday evening at 11:30. Needless to say, we were pretty exhausted but pleased with how well the trip went.

1 Comment »

Kelly and I just spent all of last week (May 12-16) in Albuquerque for our first ever, off-site Church Partner Forum. (We usually hold these forums in Orlando at our Pioneers campus.) The exciting part of this event was that none of the 8 churches who attended had any previous connections with Pioneers! It was a great opportunity to open the door for the possibility of future partnerships.

We took 3 of our team members with us and co-hosted this event with another agency called: You can learn more about this group at www.1615.org . They coach churches on how to design their missions programs to fit the DNA of their church.

One highlight of our trip was seeing New Mexico’s state bird – a real “Roadrunner” scooting across the parking lot at our hotel. Kelly captured a photo of one on his cell phone and maybe he will add his picture to the blog. Here’s a link to Kelly’s photo! This is the same bird that was made popular in Wile E. Coyote’s Warner Bros. cartoons. (Credit for photo above: Photo: and no it did not go beep-beep www.birdwatchersdigest.com/)

Roadrunner Facts: Roadrunner is the state bird of NM. They prefer walking or running, attaining speeds up to 17 mph. hour; and are quick enough to catch and eat rattlesnakes.

Description: The roadrunner has a long, graduated tail carried at an upward angle, long stout legs and a distinctive head crest.

Albuquerque Facts: Dry, dry, dry is my description. Officially, the climate is classified as arid (defined as: a severe lack of available water). That’s an understatement! The city was founded in 1706 and is named after a Spanish village Alburquerque (extra “r”) and a “family name” from Spain and Portugal. Living at sea level in Orlando, this view of the mountains is breathtaking. (See photo above)

The red area on map above shows where Albuquerque is located in NM. Population: 534,089 (2008); Elevation (at airport) is 5,352 feet (1,631 m) above sea level.

(Hot Air Balloon photo © Cindy Petrehn photo)

The Rio Grande (photo left) flows through the city north to south. (3 Albuquerque photos come from “wikipedia.org” ) A Striking Site: On a previous trip we got to see a view like this of the hot air balloons. A popular attraction in early Oct. is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

No Comments »

Take a walk with us…

…Yes that’s right, a walk. For us, walking each day is “what the doctor ordered.” And there’s no better place to take this kind of ‘healthy exercise’ than in beautiful Florida (with it’s thousands of lakes and ponds).

Every where you look, there is a pond or lake of some type. In our housing complex, there is a 30 acre spring-fed lake called Lake Frederica, and 3 flood retention ponds with beautiful landscaping and lots of wildlife to enjoy. Let me share some of this beauty and wildlife with you.

This is one view on our walk along the pond. This shot is taken from the sidewalk that winds along the edge of the pond.

Fish have beds!

Our walk takes us along one of the larger retention ponds and Kelly has helped me learn how to spot the fish in that pond. We have shad (which are easy to spot because they jump out of the water a lot), and there are bottom feeders, a kind of catfish—Florida style, and there are tilapia (which is quickly becoming the fish of choice at the grocery stores and at many restaurants).

Did you know fish have beds? Every spring, when its time to spawn they build these bowl shaped beds by swishing their tails back and forth in the sediment. Then, they lay their eggs in the bed and stand by to guard them from predators.

The beds also serve as a nest for the growing fry, which also have to be guarded. If we walk up too fast, the adult fish will pull back off the nest, hoping you won’t take notice.

Look real close and you’ll see the light brown bed just below the water’s surface. These beds are all along the shore line, and when the water level drops really low, the beds can be fully exposed.

Now look closely and see if you can spot the tilapia fish, sitting on the bed. Kelly put his Polaroid sunglasses over the camera lens to make the fish show up in the photo. If you know Kelly and his love of fishing, you can imagine how this stimulates his sportsman’s instincts. Watching for these fish on our walks makes the whole exercise thing a lot more interesting!

1 Comment »

A week ago we wrapped up our 2^nd (for the year), Candidate Orientation Program with 27 new individuals going through training and receiving an appointment to serve overseas.

These are the statistics from those 27 people 6 couples and 15 singles (3 were male & 12 females) from 14 states

Their anticipated destination of service: 2 to S. America/ 2 to Africa/ 5 to Middle East/ 2 to Europe/ 4 to Asian countries/ 1 to China /and 5 who are undecided.

WINTER WONDERLAND FOR A DAY- IN DENVER

Then last week we went to our Denver office. We arrived on Tuesday and it got up to 80 degrees. On Wednesday a cold front went through and by noon, huge snow flakes were coming down in sheets. It was beautiful, like a winter wonderland. We got 5 inches of snow.

The snow caked on the trees and grass but never stuck to the streets or sidewalks, making it the perfect snow fall (not requiring any snow removal). We woke up Thursday morning with the sun glistening off the clean white snow. By noon it had all melted away and we were walking around in short sleeves. Now that’s the way a snow fall should be. Twenty-four hours of blissful white snow, and then, GONE! SWEET!!!

1 Comment »

We’d like to introduce you to our ACMC Team. These are our Regional Directors and they were in Orlando the first week of April to meet with us for their quarterly team meeting.

Back Row - Left to Right: Frank (Alaska), Joe & Tom (Pennsylvania), Ken & Larry (California), Lee (Indiana) Connie (Orlando) Front Row - Left to Right: Paul (South Carolina), Blake (Texas) Kelly (Orlando)

ACMC stands for “Advancing Church Missions Commitment” and their mission statement reads: “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Link to ACMC Website They are a great group of guys and we are excited about what God is doing through their ministries.

We celebrated my birthday that week and here is a photo of the birthday cake Kelly bought to share with our entire Orlando team. It was gone in no time. (The picture on the cake is of a person sitting at their desk with piles of paper work stacked around them…)

1 Comment »

Answer: Attend our Church Partner Forum (CPF)

The week after Easter, our Church Partnerships team hosted this event on our Orlando campus. We were at maximum capacity with 40 participants. We had churches represented from 13 different states (TX, MN, NY, IN, NH, CO, AR, IL, FL, CA, KS, CT, & SC).

We hold this event twice a year to strengthen the relationship between sending churches and our agency. Our intent is to help mission-minded church leaders explore how partnership and networking can help them sharpen their missions focus, mobilize members for missions ministry, and maximize their mission impact. (Link to our webpage.)

Our guest speaker was Dr. Tom A. Steffen, Director of Missiology and professor of Intercultural Studies at Biola University. (He is Kelly’s D.Mis.advisor.) He spoke on the hot topic; Business as Missions…is it a fad or something unique God is doing and how will your church respond?

Great discussions and interaction take place during the sessions.

These discussions continue over lunch.

The banquet is a time for good fellowship.

There’s always down time in-between activities for networking.

Next month (May 15^th) we are holding our first ever, “off-site” forum in Albuquerque, NM. Stay tuned for a report on how it goes.

No Comments »