A Moment in the History of Pandemics (Portales, 1918-1920, Spanish Flu Pandemic)

by James Michael Idsinga
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I snapped a photo of this church last night, and was inspired to share the story behind it.
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This chapel is a replica of First Baptist Church Portales (FBC Portales) circa 1909. It was built last year, at NM Baptist Children’s Home, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organization–which has served countless children over the last century.
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It was in that church, during the Spanish Flu pandemic, that something incredible happened. The people meeting in that chapel decided that they would respond to the crisis in this way–they would care for the orphans of the pandemic. At that point in our world’s history, the 1918 Spanish Flu had killed millions of people worldwide, leaving thousands of orphans. Care for these orphans was a great need, and the people of this church compassionately took to the cause.
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The work of this church was the foundation of that which is the NM Baptist Children’s Home. In our world today, this organization continues to serve children in need by providing a comfortable, loving home to them, and working to help restore broken families. If you’re unfamiliar with the organization, I encourage you to learn more–the Children’s Homes of our community do great work.
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And now, today: I have a deep admiration for those who, during this pandemic, have served others in some regard. In our community, I’ve seen individuals, churches, non-profits, and businesses do incredible things for others. It’s amazing to see that when people have a choice to care only for themselves, they still choose to care for others, even in the time of a crisis.
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I’m reminded of these words by Fred Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ ”
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And in these times I can see the truth of that statement. — in Portales, New Mexico.