Church hears from Glen Ellyn woman in Haiti
Mallory Holding e-mailed a fellow parishioner at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn just before Tuesday's earthquake hit Haiti's capitol. And that was the last anyone has heard from the 23-year-old missionary.
But Wednesday night the church reported on its Web site that Holding is now camping in a tent in Haiti. "St. Mark's gives thanks for Mallory's safety and prays for all affected by the earthquake," the Web site said.
A recent graduate from Miami University in Ohio with degrees in political science and international studies, Holding is nearly four months into her yearlong missionary trip in Port Au Prince as part of the National Episcopal Church's Young Adult Service Corps.
Her pastor, the Rev. George Smith, said Holding's call to service was ignited during a 2005 trip to Sudan and another in Uganda.
"You can just watch Mallory light up when she talks about serving others and the Lord," Smith said. "She embodies everything the church stands for."
Despite her willingness to help others, Holding writes in her blog, "Holding Haiti," of the difficulties she faced learning to love her new home - whether it be the drivers "who have little concern for pedestrians," or the young boys who followed her "for blocks asking for money."
Smith said some of her family and friends had reservations about her trip.
"Mallory was sent to Haiti, quite possibly the poorest country in the world, so people were concerned for her safety and how she would adjust in that environment," he said.
"But from what we know from her communications, she has grown to have an incredible time there and has been making important contributions to the Episcopal Seminary of Haiti."
In her blog, Holding writes she has been responsible for teaching English to the seminarians, helping them create an Advent Devotional celebrating Haiti, creating a revenue source for the seminary and helping with the construction of dorms.
Holding's blog about her experiences can be read at http://holdinghaiti.blogspot.com/.