In 1974, the year that Rachel and Eldon went to Haiti, a young couple Mike and Celia Askwith, also arrived from the United Kingdom. Each woman carried a first son in arms. Mike was employed by the United Nations; Eldon was employed by Grace Children’s hospital. Celia and Rachel were often at home alone.
The two couples had much in common: children, faith, and Haiti. Ceilia was the midwife at at the birth of Rachel’s second son. Rachel and Eldon became god parents of Celia’s second child, a daughter. Askwiths and Stoltzfuses remain life long friends.
Mike and Celia arrived in Elkhart by Amtrack from Washington, D. C. on Saturday morning. By evening the conversation had settled to make way for Upwords, a game similar to scrabble. On Sunday morning, the Askwiths went with Rachel and Eldon to Waterford and I went to College Mennonte.
Mike and Celia are intense Christians. On this US tour they visited as many churches as possible to see if a church is structured for failure or success. On Sunday noon we gathered at Dan and Ange’s home for pork sauce and spaghetti. Sunday afternoon we came home to nap and then watched a rerun of the Queen’s diamond jubalee on the Thames River.
The Diamond Jubilee
Celia Askwith sees the queen
