Out of the Schwemmly

Saloma Martin Smith was born in Hawkesville, Ont. of parents who belonged to the Dave Martin order of Mennonites until their own encounter with Christ. Much of Saloma’s childhood was spent in the Schwemmly, a cedar grove about four miles from St. Jacobs on the line between Wellesley and Woolwich townships. Having left school after Grade 7, she worked in factories and as a charwoman. How she studied to get her high school diploma, teacher training, and eventually her bachelor’s and master’s degrees while teaching and raising a family, is a story of courage and determination. Saloma realized early that life was about service, and responded to the Lord’s call to be available for anything, anytime, anywhere. A twenty-year career of teaching ESL in inner-city schools in Toronto, Ontario was followed by an equally long service in Pakistan. She continues to carry out literacy work in the villages of the desert region of Sindh, whose people are among the poorest in the world.