Haiti – already the poorest country in the western hemisphere - has been torn apart by the largest earthquake to hit the country for 200 years.

As rescue workers continue to search for survivors and appeals are set up to help victims the Rev Edward Holmes recalled his time spent as a young missionary worker in the country 41 years ago.

Mr Holmes, who lives in Garden Road, Brighouse, said initially he was reluctant to go there – but after 16 years he was equally reluctant to return to Brighouse.

After being ordained as a Methodist minister, Mr Holmes, who went to the former Rastrick Grammar School, worked in the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne area, where he was involved with re-housing schemes helping people from slum areas.There was a high suicide rate and he was also involved with youth work.

As overseas missions secretary with the Methodist church - a role that involved raising funds for overseas missionary work - he was expected to travel overseas.

"But I wasn't keen," said Mr Holmes. "I did a caravan mission in this country but eventually I did offer to travel abroad."

He was due to visit Jamaica, his bags were packed and he was ready to go when Mission House changed the plans.

"A family was set to travel to Haiti but it was decided it was too dangerous for them to go there. As a single man it was felt it was ok for me to go - and as it turned out I got the better end of the deal," said Mr Holmes. "Even though I have been back in Brighouse since 1985 my heart is still in Haiti."

He had only been there a short time when there was an attempted coup which meant there were no 'planes, no boats and roads were impassable for 18 months.

"It was impossible to get to the capital Port-au-Prince but the isolation did mean I picked up the Creole language which helped my work," said Mr Holmes.

He worked with 30 churches and over 200 smaller worshipping groups called stations and was involved with a rural rehabilitation programme in schools and clinics.

Travelling to the churches was not easy with part of the journey being made by Land Rover and completed on mules and horses and eventually walking through the mountainous countryside.

"For the first year I was counting down to when I would return home but when the time came it never crossed my mind to come back to the UK. I had become part of the church there and had been accepted," he said.

While the country is known as the poorest in the western hemisphere with most people surviving on a dollar a day he said in Haiti everyone cared for one another.

"No one starves unless everyone is starving," he said. "And hopefully that will help people during this current situation.

"And hopefully that will help people during this current situation.
Everyone in Haiti has to pay for everything - children pay to go to school with just some church schools being subsidised - but people have to pay for the many things we take for granted in this country."

Over the years the country has faced many difficulties including hurricanes and other disasters - but nothing on the scale of the latest earthquake.

While Mr Holmes was in the country he received financial support and formed strong links with people in America. Back at home in Brighouse he has continued the fund raising and over the years supported by Central Methodist Church in Brighouse and other people in the area he has raised thousands of pounds for Haiti - but he said that only scratched the surface.

"Goodwill is needed now to help these people. I believe that will happen," he said.