PHOTOS BY ERICK PEREZ/CFE
Conventioneers gather for the Clergy Spouse Luncheon at the 2018 Diocesan Convention at Trinity Church in Vero Beach.

VERO BEACH – Bill and Margaret Squire’s adventurous life has included homes in 14 states and three countries as well as 31 moves. Earlier this year at the Clergy Spouse Luncheon at the 2018 Diocesan Convention, hosted by Laura Lee Brewer, wife of Bishop Greg Brewer, gave Margaret the opportunity to share not only her stories, but also her heart.

God’s Call

Since their seminary days at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, Bill and Margaret believed God would use them in missions, she explained. But God’s timeline was different than theirs. Their ministry eventually took them to the Diocese of East Tennessee, where Bill served as Canon to the Ordinary and Margaret had an art studio. Sent to Haiti so Bill could discuss a potential diocesan partnership, their last night in-country brought revelation: God was calling them to serve there.

Commissioned at St. John’s Cathedral in Knoxville, Tennessee, the new mission volunteers were soon on their way to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where Bill would serve as coordinator of the partnership program and lead two small English-speaking congregations. Margaret taught art at Holy Trinity School and eventually served on the board of the Musée d’Art.

‘Nothing Else Matters’

God used ordinary life-lessons to change both Margaret and the people she encountered. Every day she walked the few blocks to Holy Trinity, passing a homeless woman on the way. Margaret often slipped money into the woman’s hand, but admits, “I felt superior to her.”

Before long, the Holy Spirit spoke: “Tomorrow, look her in the eye. Touch her.”

Margaret Squire spoke of the many travels she and her husband, Bill, have made in their evangelistic missions.

“Inside, I was saying, ‘No, no, no,’” Margaret says. “But I did it. I held her hand and told her, ‘God loves you.’ That changed me. It informed me how my ministry was to go.”

And personal engagement has marked her continuing work in Haiti. Margaret recalls many other walks to school during their time there, a season of unrest. “But I was never afraid,” she explains. “When you fulfill what you consider a call from God, nothing else matters.”

A team of street merchants “saw to my safety,” Margaret says. She bought bananas from one almost every day, giving most away to street urchins. “One day,” she adds, “[The banana seller] put in a few extra bananas. She couldn’t give them away—but I could.”

‘If You Can Imagine It, You Can Do It’

Although Bill and Margaret returned to the U.S. after three years, Haiti remained in their hearts. In 2005, they again served in Port-au-Prince to help with an emergency need. Bill became the director of St. Vincent’s Home for Children. The mantra of the home’s founder flowed throughout the ministry: “If you can imagine it, you can do it.” In fact, Margaret says, if you Google “Haitian one-armed trumpet player,” you’ll see and hear one of their former residents. She also introduced luncheon guests to one of her students with whom she was reunited at the Diocesan Convention – Wesny Dubic. Wes grew up in Haiti, is a member of the Cathedral in Orlando and currently serves as the chair of the diocesan Honduras Commission.

Their St. Vincent’s season ended, Bill and Margaret returned to Tennessee before their 2006 move to Florida. And then – the earthquake. The massive blast that struck Haiti in 2010 killed an estimated 300,000 nationals, including some of the St. Vincent’s staff. The children, spared from death, were now housed in a tent city. Within a few days, Bill left for Haiti with $10,000 in donations.

‘There Is Hope’

Since then, the couple has made multiple trips to Haiti, often with mission groups. Their current congregation, St. George’s in The Villages, has begun a feeding program there.

In post-earthquake Haiti, “Life is still different,” Margaret says, “but there is hope.” The work of rebuilding continues. St. Vincent’s has moved to a new location, away from Port-au-Prince. And even today, “When I need spiritual help and guidance, when I need my spirit renewed, I think of the people of Haiti,” Margaret says. “They share out of their poverty – we share out of our abundance.”