70 years of good works

Today our group headed to Reiser Heights for a day with the school children. 

View of beautiful Haiti from the Baptist Mission

Welcome sign at zoo

Baby goat at zoo

It’s a 2-hour ride so on the way we stopped about 10:30AM at the Baptist Mission for a quick rest.  There is a restaurant and souvenir shop, and even a small zoo!  While part of the group was looking at souvenirs, a group of us sat in the restaurant, a few eating French fries and having coffees.  As I sat there, an older white lady came toward us, wearing a dress looking like she was going to a business meeting, and commented to me that “the early bird gets the worm” but she had showed up a little late.  I thought I detected a slight southern accent so I asked her where she was from, assuming she was from the U. S.?  She took me by the hand with a feigned anger and told me she was Haitian as she brought me to the front counter.  On the front of the counter was a timeline with pictures that I had glanced at but not really examined in any detail.  She took me to the first picture, one of a young girl named Eleanor Turnbull in 1947.  I asked if that was her, though she didn’t look like she could be that old.  Her response was yes, that was her when she married her husband and became Eleanor Wallace and came with him to Haiti.  She was now 93 years old and had spent the past 70 years working in Haiti with her husband. 

Eleanor Turnbull Wallace

Eleanor knew of Minnesota because one of her sons was married in Stillwater.  I complimented her on how much good she had done for the people of Haiti.  She told us how her father, a doctor, had moved his family from Tennessee to rural Mississippi during the depression.  He was the only doctor for a huge area and was for a long time during the difficult era of America’s history.  I commented on how great it was that she followed in her father’s footsteps in serving people.  Her response was that it wasn’t her father’s example she followed, but her other Father as she pointed to heaven.  She is a remarkable lady who has lived the word of God her whole life.  A great example for people to follow.  We all felt fortunate to have met her. Eleanor has written a book of her life entitled, “Those Who Passed By”. 

Author Mark Loahr exchanging digits with Mrs. Wallace

One last story about Eleanor’s father that she related to us.  One night her father was called to deliver a set of twins.  They were early and were seemingly in distress.  It was indeed a difficult delivery and sadly, one of the twins died at birth. The parents named the surviving boy, Elvis Aron Presley.

Mark Loahr

Amazing Days

Long lines of buckets to fill

Carrying buckets with children

We have had two amazing days here in Haiti to start our week!  Yesterday was “water truck” day and we delivered water to two different areas of Cite Soleil.  Long lines of buckets to fill, and lots of children to love up on.  We also visited Terre Promise school that Reiser Relief supports and learned all about their program and the kids attending school there. 

Our team on the pier in Cite Soleil

Serving lunch at Terre Promise School

Playtime at Missionaries of the Poor

Hand massage at Sacred Heart

Today we started the day visiting Missionaries of the Poor, which is a commune for physically and mentally disabled.  For many of us that have visited here before, it was great to see the facilities and living conditions have improved a lot; this made us feel hopeful of continued change for the better here in Haiti.  The kids were so excited to see us, and happy just to have us hold their hands or give them a hug.  We spend the morning playing with bubbles and Playdoh and Legos.  

Pampering the residents with purple polish

Later we visited Sacred Heart, a shelter for elderly women.  Again, we saw improvements!  The shelter had new bathrooms and sleeping quarters for the residents.  Great to see!  The ladies were so happy to see us.  We sang songs with them and painted their nails.  The place was filled with so much love, it was awesome to experience! 

Author Kim Olson and a new friend at Terre Promise School

Lessons from Children

Have you ever noticed that when children are given a lemon, they almost invariably make lemonade?  It’s true!  Just watch the kid who gets a toy he doesn’t want but makes something even better out of the box.  The children of Haiti are no different than children anywhere else in the world when it comes to just this.

Today our team was reminded of how beautiful spending time with children can be.  We started our day touring a church referred to Jeremie locals as The Sanctuary.  This church has been under construction for 27 years and is still, for the most part, a mere shell of a structure.  We walked around examining the architecture and enjoying the view completely unaware that while doing so there was a choir practicing in a distant, unseen corner.  Just about the time we were thinking “Let’s get out of this relentless heat”, a young man shared with us that the choir wanted us to come in so they could sing for us.  He escorted us to their practice space and before we knew it, there we were standing in front of about 40 kids, beautifully dressed, faces beaming, all eager to share their love of music with complete strangers.  This group of kids, without any instruments or even a proper practice space, sang a rendition of “How Great Thou Art” that practically brought us to our knees.  Their voices and their heartfelt spirit, not an organ or guitar or special acoustical this and that, was all that was needed to create such beauty we nearly wept.

Later in the day we moved on to the Sick and Dying Babies Clinic to hold and play with the babies and toddlers receiving care.  This is where a team mate came upon a little boy who was very restless and agitated.  He seemed to want to be held but when she held him he seemed to want to get down.  And, of course, when she put him down he started to cry.  What did this kid want?  Luckily, she persevered and eventually found the key to the puzzle.  It was the tickle machine!  This wriggling, unhappy child giggled and laughed with such straight from the belly gusto that his joy spread to our entire team making us all laugh along with him. All it took was two fingers and a tickle-tickle.

 

As wonderful as these two examples are, I saved the best for last.  Our tour guide took us to an area once known for its immense beauty but now features struggles and despair.  But is there more?  A group of children approached me, one little girl with a lollipop in her mouth.  She asked me to pick her up and right after I did so, she bit the lollipop and promptly shared all the pieces with her friends.  They were delighted!  And I was delighted to see a child sharing what little she had, without reservation, with those who had less.

It was a good day.

Beth Simms