This short story from Wallace Turnbell – a 90-year old missionary friend living in Haiti – is just one example of why we admire and love the Haitian people. Let this story of graciousness, generosity and creativity of the poor be an inspiration to you today as you continue striving to serve the people of Haiti through World Wide Village.

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One week, when a missionary family was visiting different missions organizations in Haiti they stopped by the home of one of their Haitian volunteer workers. The gentleman they were visiting with reminded them that this woman was very poor and would not be able to provide them with a meal. They would need to leave before lunch as not to embarrass her.

From Wallace:

“As soon as we arrived she began to say, “Now you will stay for lunch,” and [we] kept saying, “No, we must go in an hour.”

As we discussed her work in a Christian literacy program, I was sitting where I could see out a window and into the back lawn. It was small and surrounded by a solid concrete block wall about six feet tall.

After a while I saw a covered plate of food appear on that wall. Then a bit later another such plate in a different spot. Then another, and another.

A neighbor woman came into the yard through a gate, gathered the plates of food, and went into our host’s kitchen. I could hear the clatter of dishes. At noon we sat down to an ample meal, served graciously by our hostess.”

Houses are very close in Haiti. This wonderful neighbor, who had never even met Wallace and his wife, knew that her neighbor had received unexpected guests and would not be able to provide a meal for them. Instead of looking the other way, which would have been easy to do, she did what the poor do so well – they help each other.

“The graciousness, generosity and creativity of the poor of the world has been a constant inspiration to me. A friend of mine once said, ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. (Luke 6:20)’ We saw the Kingdom of Heaven at work that day in that little circle of houses in Haiti.”

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Thank you to our wonderful supporters who give faithfully to continue God’s work in Haiti through World Wide Village. Just as this Haitian woman helped her neighbor provide a meal for her guests, may we continue to be inspired to help our neighbors – even those living across the ocean in a world so different from our own.