| CLOSE THIS ARTICLE HAITI CHALLENGE 'I believe we have a Guardian Angel' 05/17/06
Worries like who will in our absence come forward and take care of him. Will they know his physical, mental, medical and emotional needs? If no one comes forward what happens? We parents have to believe that people who truly care would be our advocates. I have learned in my almost 40 years of being involved with people with challenging needs that it doesn’t always happen. Why can’t we trust the agencies and people that are supposed to have our guys’ interest at heart? We hear of many cases where it wasn’t and it scares us. The people who make decisions concerning financial assistance for our loved ones almost always are strangers that have very little personal knowledge of their needs. Why are our loved ones’ needs seldom taken into consideration when governing bodies make decisions? And what is happening to the agencies that used to offer so many social services and activities for the physically and mentally challenged. We see them slowly melting away or changing their focus causing our fellows to start having to spend most of their lives in their homes again, just like the old times. And another thing that worries us are those whispers, hurting whispers that out of not understanding our situation that makes our loved one shyly back away feeling hurt. Hearing them called retard, stupid, dumb, cripple and being laughed at by strangers really hurts and knowing it’s imposable to explain to him why it’s happening. And why are our fellows not included in most activities that surround them? Worried, you better believe it. Even with all those worries here in our country we all know caring exists and some type of help will be available for our fellows if and when we are not able to provide it. What if you lived in a place where from birth your handicapped child was in trouble? What if you knew no one would want to touch your baby, afraid his condition could possibly be contagious? What if people believed that the Devil was the culprit who caused your baby’ problems? What would you do if you see that baby gradually becoming weak from lack of food, knowing if it gets sick it would probably die? What would your thoughts be if you knew your baby with a handicap by some miracle survived only to be considered a beggar the rest of their lives. I again was on my way to such a place, with hope for one of those babies and her family, and with plans to help a few more. We already knew it was going to be very hard to do because of so many obstacles. As usual we had our difficulties getting to our area in Haiti. Cancelled flights, overnight stay in Miami International Airport. A person learns to stay focused keeping his mind on his mission and eventually it will all work out. On our first day there I had met with school officials and found that things had been working fairly well. As always the Devil and his advocates had been involved creating difficulties for our Pre School, children and families. It always seems as though that fellow has to be shown that no matter what struggles he confronts us with, we are moving on. I know he and his advocates are forever present looking for a chance to create hurt and frustration here as well as in Haiti, taking every chance he can to spread rumors, cause mistrust and spread untruths to hurt. I know - I’ve been there. I had bought school supplies to give our students that Calhoun Primary School students had collected. I thought of students Grace Key, Clay Cantrell and Will Miller and their response when I told them the pencils, crayons, and erasers that they were giving me were for little kids who didn’t have any. Each smiling, looking at me and Grace Key hugging my neck created a memory that I will remember a long time. Those three have personal challenges and when I thought of the way they reacted showing their caring, you can bet they got my attention. In my life I have been truly rewarded for the time I have spent with special young guys. It’s called unconditional love and when you are loved by a special child you can know it was shared by God where absolute love originated. Those thoughts were an excellent way to end the first day. At the end of the second day I was sitting in that unbelievably bright moonlight that illuminates those desolate barren Haitian mountains. I had met that day with several Haitian families and their disabled babies and small children trying to determine if we could involve them in a new program that had been developed where someone adopts the child and the child’s family. We could not accept them for varied reasons knowing those little fellows’ chances of survival were very slim and it was depressing. I tried not to look at those babies any more than I had to. I had thought if only I could take these little fellows that are so weak home with me, we could find help somewhere, like we have done for our own community’s children so many times in the past. I knew the few dollars I had given the families wouldn’t help much or last very long, but it was all we could do. I thought that in my years of my working with troubled children this had to be some of the toughest times. To tell you I was really feeling down would be an understatement. I was sitting by myself thinking of the next day’s activities. I felt lonesome, no one except the Lord I thought knew of what I was worrying about. I was trying to plan the next day’s trip to Cap Haitian to purchase materials for a little girl that had already been adopted. Materials that I had been told by the locals was going to be virtually impossible to find, especially a small wheelchair, something most of the people in our Haitian community had never seen and many didn’t even know what they were. The thought of what they said when I was trying to explain was upsetting, “We don’t have a need for them here,” and I knew why. Sitting there thinking about what I had seen happen in physically challenged kids’ lives in the past at home and the people who had been the most help, all of a sudden why my wife Inez’s memorial entered my mind I couldn’t understand. The memorial that had been erected in memory of my departed wife several years ago by our community with a statue of her holding a baby sculpted by master sculptors in Italy. She looked like an angel standing on a pedestal with the inscription, Inez “Mama” Balliew and “Suffer the Little Children.” engraved on it. I kept thinking of something someone said, “If you look at the beautiful lady’s face long enough you can actually begin feeling her love. No wonder the babies loved her so much.” They loved her so much they affectingly called her Mama Balliew. What would she say about this situation I had myself in down here, I wondered. I don’t know how long I looked at that Haitian moon with thoughts of the times I had sat inside the memorial looking at her, thinking of our lives and times together. Thinking of questions I would like to have to ask her, I didn’t have to ask because I knew precisely what the answer would be. I knew when you loved someone as much as we loved each other there would be times you didn’t have to speak or ask questions because you already knew what the answer would be. All I did was sit, think, and be thankful for the time the Lord allowed me to love and be loved by this Angel, before he asked her to come to Heaven to continue with the mission He had placed her on so many years before. At that time I sure felt closeness as if she was present. Thinking about what Jesus said, “Any one who takes care of a little child like this is caring for me! And whoever cares for me is caring for God who sent me. Your care for others is the measure of your greatness.” Together since the beginning we had tried to remember His words. Inez Balliew was a true example of the kind of person Jesus was referring to. She cared for children. My thoughts began to drift to the many people that knew and loved her and believed that God has chosen this special Christian lady to be one of his Angels, believing He could continue to show His love and affection through her for children. While sitting here writing this I remembered the comfort and warmth I felt that night thinking of home, thoughts that seemed to lessen the worry about what we were trying to accomplish. I kept seeing her smiling face as if she was there with me, thinking if we had these babies at home what would be their futures. I knew one thing for sure she would hold them in her arms telling them how much she loved them. I remembered somewhere reading that Angels, according to many religions, were spiritual beings created by God. According to religious traditions, Angels live in heaven and act as God’s servant and as a messenger between God and human beings. They also serve as guardians of individuals. And those who knew this lady believe she still has concern for her loved ones, sitting beside God always being His servant, and helping Him to guard and take care of the children and especially her loved ones. Thinking back I believe I had a Guardian Angel there in those mountains with me that night and the next few days. To those who did not know her, The Inez Balliew memorial would perhaps appear to have been created for a very famous lady, or a highly successful one at the least. I doubt it would ever cross their minds that it was put there by a caring community. Financed and dedicated to a lady who could dream of children succeeding, dreams that would eventually come true. Dreams planted like a seed in the heart and mind of Inez Balliew. Dreams that envisioned mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed and handicapped little children doing things that no one else believed they could accomplish; dreams that once begun, grew in her mind, changing, flourishing and growing until they became embedded in hers and then in her children’s minds. I know her dreams are not yet over; I don’t think they will ever be over because of the beliefs she was able to instill in the lives of these troubled children. Believing and teaching the children that they had control of their own minds and could with love and absolute desire see their own dreams come true. Every child who felt her love and encouragement seemed to always want to succeed. They always seemed to have suddenly found a pathway that led to self-confidence and self-esteem had opened up and on that path was Mrs. Inez Balliew who always, believed, loved and walked with them. In my mind’s eye I could see her smiling face as if she was looking straight at me while thinking she had a gift that very few people could ever hope to have. She could make children feel loved the first time they saw her. Many people saw and several people believe many things happen that could be considered miracles and that her love helped create them. I thought of her encouraging a shy little mentally challenged girl who liked to sing, I could still see her smiling when we watched her girl sang Amazing Grace for then President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. I saw her shed tears of joy when one of the girls graduated from college to become a teacher of small children. She saw a girl that was headed straight for serious trouble that is today a college graduate and a very successful businesswoman. And my thoughts drifted to best friend and pal Scottie “Spunkie” Keener. I felt as if the three of us were sitting there together in that moonlight. She loved that young fellow so much. He had come to live with us as a small mentally challenged 8-year-old boy who could not talk clearly, still in a diaper without any knowledge of personal hygiene, knew nothing about clothing himself, had epileptic seizures almost daily, ate with his hands, had to be tied in a chair in kindergarten to keep from hurting himself and others, with severe autistic tendencies causing him to physically hurt him self, and about to be placed in an mental institution. Professionals had told us we shouldn’t feel depressed if we weren’t successful with our attempt to help him. In our home immediately his life became one amazing miracle after another. For me to try to explain the love Spunkie developed for his new family would be imposable. I remembered how thrilled we were when he received his high school Special Education Diploma and received the award for having 13 years perfect attendance. Knowing his past and seeing him now there is no doubt miracles happened. Because of this lady these and many other children grew into adults, a far different person than their parents, they’re parents who have their children in church, who parent them with patience and compassion, who show true unselfish caring, and love, and with God’s love and help expect successful children. When God decided he needed Mrs. Inez “Mama” Balliew in Heaven several of her children believed that he needed an Angel to sit by Him, be His attendant and help Him with His children’s miracles. With all this still going around in my mind I decided to call it a night. Over the years I have been in Haiti many nights but none ended as relaxed as this one. I went to sleep after thinking of how blessed I have been, and I thanking the Man for His blessings. The next morning at 5 o’clock at the crack of dawn we loaded into a pick up truck for the 50-mile, three-hour extremely bumpy, with waist deep dried up mud holes, ride to Cape Haitian with the intentions of purchasing for a handicapped 6-year-old girl appropriate school supplies, gardening tool for hers and other family, a peanut butter making mill for her mother to help supplement their family’s income, and most of all a much needed wheelchair for a beautiful little girl. I have been to Haiti many times with thought out plans. Plans that for some reason or other we were never able to completely accomplish. Haiti has been dubbed the land with unlimited impossibilities and I believe it. With so many variables it is almost imposable to make things work. Every one there is a survivalist. On most occasions you are expected to pay people to help you do anything, even help at risk sick babies. From start to finish, everything we had planned worked like just as if it was pre arranged. I was totally surprised as were our educators. Every stop was very successful. To top it all when we stopped and ask about a small wheelchair we saw a adult size, when asked about a small child size one the shop owner said, “I know where one is located.” In a few minutes I saw him pushing the prettiest youth size red wheelchair towards us. I cannot tell you how I felt. Wheelchairs for small children in Haiti are almost non existent. Even the doctors at the University of Pediatrics told us we probably would never find one. We left Cape Haitian for our school with all our plans completed for the first time in my years there, a total surprise. The rest of this mission trip was just as successful. Father Andre the Catholic Priest came to visit offering his help as well as several other prominent people from the community. None of the visits with these people had been planned in advance. I was asked by my friend Francois Filogene to come to a high school class to explain my reasons for helping handicapped children. Nothing like this has happened to us since we started years ago. I had not thought seriously about Guardian Angels before this trip. My thoughts about the memorial that night and the miracles I saw happen around Inez Balliew over the years and the things that have begun to happen on these Mission trips. We are trying to work with babies that have a bleak or no future without special intervention. I believe that the Lord creates miracles and now I believe he uses Angels to arrange or help individuals who are doing his work. I now sincerely believe I and the kids we are working with here and in Haiti have one. Webster in his dictionary defines “ANGEL” as an immortal being attending upon God; a very kind and loveable person; a helping or guiding spirit. “ANGELS” are also known as guardians of people and nations. How many people or children know for sure they have a Guardian Angel sent by God to help them and who it is? Many of the lives Inez Balliew touched know personally and love their Guardian Angel. We all believe that God has designated Inez “Mama” Balliew as a troubled children’s Guardian Angel. This Guardian Angel should never be forgotten and our community should consider itself blessed because she took the time to serve and touch so many lives. Our community is certainly a much better place because Mrs. Inez Balliew did what God asked her to do. Inez Balliew went to Heaven fulfilling her duty here on Jan. 10, 1999 and in these seven years hundreds of people have e-mailed or stopped and looked at the Memorial of Guardian Angel that a community loved and cared enough to establish. There are beginning to be visitors from different parts of the country who come to see for themselves the Statue of the Lady with the Angel look that was formed by a master sculpture in Rome, Italy using marble that came from the same quarries that have supplied stone for centuries used for building Italy’s magnificent building, create statues of Roman noblemen, gods, and one Guardian Angel. The visitors carry away with them a feeling of her love. Do I believe God created Guardian Angels? Absolutely
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