Lost luggage proves providential for couple on mission trip

Eldon Shaw, former pastor of the Nevada First Christian Church, and his wife Gayneita were on a mission trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic when the earthquake struck, Tuesday, Jan. 12, but weren't in Port-au-Prince because their luggage was delayed. --submitted photo

A missing piece of luggage kept a couple out of Haiti on the day of the earthquake that devastated the capital of Port-au-Prince. Eldon Shaw, former pastor of the Nevada First Christian Church, and his wife Gayneita were on a mission trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic when the earthquake struck.

"We got into Santiago on Monday but we were missing a piece of luggage that had supplies for Haiti. Normally, we would have gone immediately to Haiti, but I said we couldn't go in without it," Shaw said. "We got the luggage at 3:30 or 4 o'clock Tuesday and we felt the earthquake a little after 6 p.m."

The Shaws have a long relationship with Haiti and its people. Shaw worked full time in Haiti from 1978 to 1980 with the Dessalnes Mission and has worked on and off part-time since then.

The Shaws came to Nevada from El Paso, Texas, and stayed until 2003 when Shaw took up missionary work full-time with TLC Ministries.

"T is for teaching and training," Shaw said. "L is for leader and C is for churches and countries. It's a Bible institute training leaders of churches in many countries around the world."

Among the many stories of loss Shaw said one touched close to home. An associate, Dr. Jean Pierre, and his wife, Anne, operate an orphanage in Pignon, Haiti, with more than 60 children to care for. Shaw sent an e-mail describing an incident involving a young lady, identified only as Saisette, who had grown up in the orphanage and Anne Pierre.

Pierre took Saisette to Port-au-Prince to obtain a new apartment for her. They had just given the landlord $2,700 when the earthquake hit. The apartment they were in was on the third floor. All the people on the first and second floor were killed while Pierre and the Saisette were able to get out of the rubble. All of the people in her old apartment were also killed. They slept on the ground for two nights and walked 10 miles to return to Pignon.

Shaw said Pignon, where the relief effort he is involved in is, was a good place to set up a refuge center to handle people who need to leave more populated areas where the carnage, high death toll and unrest make the area unsafe. Getting the people out of the capitol was a sticking point, however.

"In Pignon they felt the quake but it didn't do any significant damage," Shaw said.

"You've got to get the people out of Port-au-Prince but where do you send them? They need to know it is safe from another quake, has water, and has food. The U.N. is not allowing small planes in but there is a strip in Pignon where we're bringing planes in and out under the radar. We're helping to direct that and helping get money to them to buy supplies."

Shaw said he could understand the reluctance of people to leave the capitol even with conditions the way they were.

"Would you leave a place where you know you get food, even if you had to wait in long lines, and go some place four hours away where you don't know if there is even any food there?" Shaw said.

Shaw said anyone wishing to donate to the couple's efforts could mail funds to T.L.C. International, PO Box 22722, Billings, MT 59104 with checks made payable to T.L.C. International. A Web site that features Shaw's other ministries is at www.jlpm.org.