CWO’s first missionary, Karen Pasquariello, shares more about her time serving in Haiti in this two-part blog post. 

It is March 14, 1980 and I shout out praises for what is happening in Haiti. On the top of my list is the response we had at Quisqueya School chapel service this past week.  Seven teens accepted Christ as their Savior and 8 made a commitment to live out their decision to follow Christ on a daily basis.  It was so precious when Rosemary came to my Phys Ed class and exclaimed, “Miss Karen, I’ve been saved!”

I started a study for teen girls who are Christians to learn what the Bible teaches regarding their roles as women. How encouraging it is to see these young women desire to follow Christ. I have been blessed to be surrounded by other women who also are serving as missionaries.  It is encouraging to share our struggles, problems, praises and thanksgivings.  And most importantly to support each other in prayer.

A month ago, I was with friends for some R&R. We were skipping rocks over the water and one flew up and hit me in the face. Ouch!  My sunglasses shattered in my eye and the pain was excruciating.  I couldn’t see.  I remember my roommate, Donalda, reciting scripture to me for comfort.  It is amazing the power of those words. Fortunately, there was a clinic nearby with a nurse to clean out my eye. A month later I went to another doctor to find that there was glass imbedded under my eye.  The doctor had to cut the glass out and stitch me up – no shots, no numbing.  When you are in a foreign country, doctors do an amazing job with the limited supplies they have.