Silently I have read the posts about Nell. I am not going to post for
or against as everyone must make up his own mind. I will speak from my
experiences with Nell and address the post about her answering
questions.

I met Nell in Pittsburgh at the 2008 IFC Symposium after having
followed her via email and posts for years. We are in ferret groups
together and also talk privately. Nell has been traveling abroad for
years. Those of us who have followed her know these stories and can say
that the "bad" stuff didn't JUST happen, but has happened since she got
to Ethiopia. It started as a wonderful opportunity to start a business
and educate people about improved health care for the animals. She had
items donated to a. Local vet and also helped improve the level of vet
care received. I have seen her pictures and, since I personally know
Nell, can attest to them actually being Nell. Nell has posted her
stories on the FML and in Yahoo groups and in personal emails for
years. If you are coming in on the tail end, I can understand it is
confusing, but also suggest that now is not a good time to ask her to
go through and explain it all again, but let her get the prep to leave
done as time is limited - although April seems quite a ways off, it is
not.

When I went to work in the Gaza Strip in 1994, they purchased me a one
way ticket. It was difficult to travel and once the border guard did
not want to let me pass. That is a scary feeling. It is amazing how
much we take for granted in the USA. We have forgotten just how good it
is here. If I had quit my job, I would have been out on the street and
had trouble arranging to get out of the country. I was not even able
to fly to Turkey to spend a weekend with a friend. It is not the same.
When I asked a neighbor there (they we from Dallas) how they managed to
deal with knowing everyone there has an automatic weapon but you, and
that you could die at any time, he responded with this explanation: you
tell yourself that everyone here has a gun but me and I can die any
minute. And it drives you crazy and they send you home and put you in
the loony bin. Or, you tell yourself, everybody here has a gun but me
and I could die any minute and this is my life - and you go on and
live it. Then, when you get home you find you are a bit paranoid about
everything. There is no way that sort of lifestyle does not affect you.
You never feel safe and all you want is to get out. And you will do
whatever you have to do to get out. So, I get it. Nearly 20 years later
I can still recall the feelings I had when the guy from the embassy
picked me up in secret.

Hopefully this has helped ANON and others understand a bit more about
Nell and how she really is legitimate. Welcome home, Nell.
--
Renee Downs
"Eventually we will realize that if we destroy the ecosystem we
 destroy ourselves." Jonas Salk
"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who
gets the credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org

[Posted in FML 7727]