After a year of working in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, Pat and Joe Richter were dejected. A typhoon had destroyed the fish farms they had worked on to help starving Filipinos feed their families. Pat was deathly ill from a fungal infection, and her weight had dropped to 73 pounds.



After a year of working in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, Pat and Joe Richter were dejected. A typhoon had destroyed the fish farms they had worked on to help starving Filipinos feed their families. Pat was deathly ill from a fungal infection, and her weight had dropped to 73 pounds.

News of Note

Christmas gift turns cranks into Christians

BY LINDA HANSON

NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

It was a miserable Christmas.

After a year of working in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, Pat and Joe Richter were dejected. A typhoon had destroyed the fish farms they had worked on to help starving Filipinos feed their families. Pat was deathly ill from a fungal infection, and her weight had dropped to 73 pounds.

Then a Christmas gift changed their lives.

The Richters arrived in the Philippines in 1971 with a zeal to help the poor, but the poverty was so wrenching that they felt helpless.

A poor family of squatters lived nearby in a 7- by 7-foot hut. The four children were fascinated by Pat and Joe and followed them around, saying the only English they knew -- "peace, man" -- and flashing a peace sign.

"We were extremely private people," Pat said. "We didn't like people looking in our window, saying, 'Hey, peace, man.' They never left us alone."

Joe came up with a plan to regain their privacy. He told the children in their native language that he would have to kill one of them the next time someone said "peace, man" to him. He didn't plan to hurt them -- just scare them away.

The next day, the children stayed inside their hut until their mother pushed them out when she saw Joe walk by. When a boy called out "peace man," Joe chased him and yelled, scaring the children.

"I was losing it," Joe recalled.

It was Christmas Eve and 95 degrees. The Richters had received no Christmas cards or gifts from home and they were feeling sorry for themselves.

Pat and a 15-year-old Filipino girl who helped her with housework made cookies and wrapped a few small gifts Pat had bought for the family of squatters. But Joe refused to let them deliver the gifts.

"I said, 'No. Over my dead body. I'm not going to be a hypocrite,' " Joe said. "Then I had two crying ladies on my hands."

Soon they heard a group of Christmas carolers nearby.

"I heard a knock on door," Joe said. "I was going to tell them to go away."

Instead of carolers, he found his 9-year-old neighbor girl carrying a plastic bag filled with oranges.

Oranges were a luxury the Richters couldn't afford so Joe was ready to tell her he didn't want to buy any. Before he could speak, she handed him the bag and ran away.

"This poor family gave us a Christmas gift, and we saw our hearts for what they were. We realized we didn't care about the poor," Joe said. "We had a profound spiritual change. From that day on, we decided to live for the Lord."

When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

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December 18, 2004: This Week's Top Stories RPCV remembers Deborah Gardner's murder in Tonga 17 Dec Maoist insurgents in Nepal release Swiss aid worker 17 Dec RPCV Alison Williams exhibits portraits of Malian people 16 Dec Former Brazil Medical Director convicted of drug charges 16 Dec RPCV Joseph Opala researched slave trade in RI 15 Dec Vasquez sees resurgent interest in PC 14 Dec Senator who wanted duel with RPCV joins Fox 14 Dec NPCA planning National Day of Action for PC funding 13 Dec RPCV "Harry" Chandler votes in Electoral College 13 Dec Critic says Moyers delivered neo-Marxist propaganda 13 Dec Micronesia RPCV Walter Cavanagh has 1,496 credit cards 13 Dec PC "Survivor" Julie Berry headed for California 11 Dec more top stories...

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Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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