Some of you may remember Darla, the little girl featured on the cover of our fall, 2002 newsletter. When Canvasback medical coordinator Lauren Petford took that picture, she didn't even know her name.

While serving in Pohnpei with our ear, nose and throat team in January, Lauren made and effort to find Darla once again.  It turns out that the four-year-old is from Kapinga Village, a Pohnpei ghetto where the people live in abject poverty. 

Canvasback missionaries went to the village to take medicine for Darla's impetigo sores.  While visiting with the family, they learned that Darla's father Barnabas has recently become a lay preacher for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  And as poor as he is, he is planning a mission to his home island of Kapingamarangi, which is noted for having the world's highest leprosy rate.

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Proud Papa Barnabas loves to carry Darla on his shoulders.

Recently we received a letter from Barnabas, expressing appreciation for Canvasback and requesting prayer for his mission.  We thought you would enjoy reading what it said, and perhaps say a prayer for him and his family as well:

"We would like to extend our love and care for the love and kindness of Canvasback missionaries who visited my family.  We were so blessed with your visit because of the kindness that you show to us and we all enjoy and happy because we saw Christ in your face.  Thank you so much for the Christian smiles that you have shown to us.  We won't forget that, even though you people are so far away.  We can see you in Christ.

"We have received your lovely letter with our picture and we were so much happy because we ourselves don't have any camera of our own to take our own picture. . .may the good Lord bless all of you and don't forget to pray for my family please.

"I just go back from training in the Philippines and now I'm getting ready to go to my mission field in my home island. So please pray for me in the mission field so the Holy Spirit will take control of me even today may my word be God's word.  That is my prayer. Amen."