Writing Assignment:...SOMETHING YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN OR RELATIVES TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR LIFE; YOU HAVEN’T MENTIONED THESE PAST YEARS OF THE CLASS.?(FOR ME 7 YEARS)

I WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT "MY HAND,& FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DENVER'S, "HAND IN HAITI"

For 68 years my life in Christ was invested with the American Baptist Churches.

While pastoring my 2nd Church in Everett ,Washington.. I ws invited to serve on the American Baptist Home Mission Society..My Air Travel & Housing were paid for me to be in New York City 4 to 6 times a year, or 16 years I served on National Boards of my larger Church Family. I chaired the outreach Committees. Evangelism)Hired Morikawa, Cox;Chaplains (Heartburg,Kester, O.K'D 117 chaplains during the War period...

National Council of Churches (9 years)...

worked with G. Pitt Beers(honored him in Riverside Church(secured 115 letters....Nat'l Leader.. Hired & worked with Bill Rhodes(Served on Committee to move to Valley Forge)etc.

The greatest joy& experience was to Touch Puerta Rica (three trips) speaking through interpreters in the vibrant growing churches....Wilbur Larsen, facilitated this.

Dr. Detweiler, & daughter Catherine were then part of our Denver Baptist Family.(Dr. D. had started our Latin America witness 25 years before. Millicent Engle, a nurse, from Colorado ,began our now very significant Hospital in Cap Haitian, with a dispensary under a tree many years before.

On my first trip for celebrations I saw scores of malnourished & stunted in growth children...When I returned I wrote an article for MISSION magazine o "I came, I saw,

I sobbed".. While in Haiti, Missionary Kelly, and Iva Heneise introduced me to a young man who hd been for 6 months learning about Agriculture at the University of Iowa. "We can hire him to start a school, and make better gardens'',they said."for $1500. a year.."Do so", I said..I'll get the money" which began a 12 year joyful& wonderful relationship...It became our :"HAND IN HAITI"

We sent hand cultivators seeds of every kind, first experiments with a developing new agriculture for the whole Area..The first school became two schools with at one time over 600 pupils enrolled...Iva Heneise was the overseer. Elisca Montreuil had me in hi home for tea..and showing me the pictures of is family..He had me dedicate in prayer the grass&bamboo home he had made with his own hands with a marchette knife. On one trip I secured a new Harley-Davidson Motorcycle for his traveling to other areas to help in making new gardens..

Our Denver Church, helped begin the selling of beautiful colored craft objects and paintings at Mission Celebrations in our State.

.A forest of Venezuela Mahogany was planted and is now over 7 feet high...As I showed the colored slide pictures & spoke in Colorado churches ...Neal Dorsch, said to me: "I want to help" He was a large Wheat Farmer in our Flagler Church.

So,on several winters, after his crops were planted, he and others he solicited, went to Cap Haitian and made an Electrical Plant for the Schools, Seminary and Hospital...Then he, and other Colorado Workman made a more adequate Water System..

I remember showing a filmstrip on how to make a more sanitary Latrine, to the students. On my last trip to this beautiful, yet tragic country, Carol accompanied me, and we took in 7500 Diaphragms, to help in birth control..The language is French & Creole...Their singing and smiling will always be a part of my life. I saw people who had fears on their faces change..with warmth glowing, voices no longer quivering but jubilant, as they became Christians...One former medicine man through an interpreter told me his life story.

My mind rejoices in these rich and wonderful experinces. Now I am saddened by the word that has come from Vally Forge of the floods in the Limba area. I want to do something as I am able to make a continuing difference. And urge my friends to do likewise.
Shalom.