God Is No Stranger

This is a prayer book, but it is unlike many others you may have seen. This book is unique, not only because each prayer is accompanied by a striking photograph. but because each prayer is an example of sincere, heartfelt communication with God. This is a book which teaches the essence of true prayer. These prayers of Haitian Christians reflect the paradoxically childlike yet deep faith of a mountain people who have come to know God as a Friend acquainted with their culture and daily lives. These prayers are refreshing and heartwarming, sometimes almost humorous because of the homespun metaphors that are used. The photograph which accompanies each prayer tells a story by itself.

Eleanor Turnbull has lived and served in Haiti for 70 years with her husband, Wallace, as a pioneer in missions and development. In spite of having no formal medical training, Eleanor became one of the most respected hospital administrators and medical influencers in the country, working to introduce mobile clinics and family planning in rural communities. She also helped found the nationwide Association of Christian Hospitals, which would establish guidelines and best practices for the major hospitals of other missions across every department of Haiti. For her work and service, Eleanor was decorated as a Grand Officer of the Department of Public Health.

Elizabeth Turnbull was born and raised in Haiti where she grew up surrounded by the sights and sounds brought to life in her Haitian children's stories. As a young child she would spend hours snuggled in the laps of her parents and older brothers while they would read a story to her. One of her greatest joys was learning to read and having the power to unleash the stories for herself. Elizabeth went on to study Spanish and Journalism at Wake Forest University and receive her MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University. Today, she is the Senior Editor for Light Messages Publishing. She is the author of three children's books about Haiti: Janjak and Freda Go to the Citadel, Janjak and Freda Go to the Iron Market and Good Night Goat/Bonnwit Kabrit. Her biography of Wallace Turnbull's lifelong ministry in rural Haiti, Say to This Mountain, won an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award gold medal. Elizabeth lives on a budding farm in Hillsborough, NC, with her family.

Wally Turnbull, born to missionary parents and raised in the mountains of Haiti, has learned to communicate with his neighbors on a level few attain, speaking their language of simple images and hidden meanings. For many years, it has been his dream to collect the beloved sayings and share them with the outside world. This book is the result of three decades of collection, translation, and interpretation, but as the Haitian people will tell you, "it takes patience to see the navel of the ant." Wally Turnbull received his BA in Psychology from Rockford College in 1970 and his MFA in photography from Ohio Univeristy in 1972. He was born and raised in Haiti where he resided until 1963 when he left to pursue his education. He returned to Haiti in 1972 with wife Betty and has since worked in rural education and self-help. In 1978, Turnbull received a Diplome de Citation from the Haitian Government Department of Education for his work in rural education. He also received an award of distinction from Rockford College in 1983 for his humanitarian work in Haiti.